Return to home
page Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
Home / Library Bookwatch

Library Bookwatch

Volume 10, Number 3 March 2015 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Criminology Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Gardening Shelf Cookbook Shelf Mathematics Shelf
Economic Studies Shelf International Studies Shelf Fiction Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Photography Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Military Shelf Psychology Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Art Shelf Biography Shelf
Education Shelf Library Science Shelf Computer Shelf
Geology Shelf Autism Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Egyptology Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things
Text by Nailhaus Publications, Inc.
Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
44 South Broadway
White Plains, NY 10601
9781621452126 $17.99 www.rdtradepublishing.com

Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things is a fascinating compendium of 2,317 unorthodox yet practical uses for everyday household items. From using baking soda to control dandruff, to how club soda can make pancakes and waffles fluffier, to sanitizing a kitchen cutting board with the cut half of a lemon, to wrapping a tennis ball in sandpaper and using it to refinish furniture, Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things lives up to its title and then some! Highly recommended, especially for do-it-yourself enthusiasts on a budget.


The Criminology Shelf

Spam Nation
Brian Krebs
http://krebsonsecurity.com
Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139, Naperville, IL 60563
www.sourcebooks.com
9781402295614 $24.99 www.amazon.com

Cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs used to work at the Washington Post, until the newspaper tried to turn his focus away from cybercrime. Unwilling to surrender his chosen field of journalism, Krebs created his own website dedicated to cybercrime investigation, KrebsonSecurity.com. Spam Nation: The Inside Story of Organized Cybercrime - from Global Epidemic to Your Front Door is the culmination of Krebs' years of research and contact with insiders, particularly those in the seamy underworld of cybercrime. Krebs (who had to teach himself Russian, among other skills, in the course of his investigation) reconstructs the history and evolution of shadowy computer networks that inundate email users with endless spam, hawk cheap medications (that may or may not contain poisonous ingredients), process payments for illegal child pornography, flood business websites with denial-of-service attacks, spread malware that enables identity theft, and much more. A preponderance of cybercrime in the mid-2000's onward can be traced to Russian criminal organizations, which Krebs unmasks and demystifies. Spam Nation is more than a modern criminal history; it's also a call to arms for each individual to take action against relentless spammers. Something as simple as ensuring that all the programs one uses are up-to-date with the latest security patches goes a long way! "Whatever you do, don't store your list of passwords on your computer in plain text. That's like handing your identity over to cybercriminals if your computer gets hacked." Spam Nation deserves to be on the shelf of every public and college library, and is worthy of the highest recommendation.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Writing Great Books for Young Adults, revised edition
Regina L. Brooks
Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139, Naperville, IL 60563
www.sourcebooks.com
9781402293528, $14.99, 224pp, www.amazon.com

"Writing Great Books for Young Adults" is a complete insider instructional resource on how to succeed in the flourishing world of YA fiction and nonfiction. In this updated and revised edition, veteran literary agent Regina L. Brooks offers invaluable advice for YA writers on everything from shaping a YA novel to crafting the perfect pitch for your book. Aspiring authors will learn how to: Develop an authentic, engaging voice and writing style; Construct dynamic plots that will resonate with YA readers; Avoid common pitfalls related to tone and point of view; Navigate the emerging genres of YA nonfiction and New Adult literature; Create an exceptional query letter and proposal that will grab the attention of agents and publishers. Filled from cover to cover with invaluable tips and practical advice from agents, editors, and popular YA authors, "Writing Great Books for Young Adults" is thoroughly 'user friendly' from beginning to end and should be considered mandatory reading for anyone seeking to write and market for a young adult readership. It should be noted that "Writing Great Books for Young Adults" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.18).


The Gardening Shelf

Grow A Little Fruit Tree
Ann Ralph
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612120546, $16.95, www.amazon.com

A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is consumed or used by humans and some animals -- all trees that are flowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripened ovaries of flowers containing one or more seeds. In horticultural usage, the term 'fruit tree' is limited to those that provide fruit for human food. Fruit tree pruning is the cutting and removing of parts of a fruit tree. It covers a number of horticultural techniques that control growth, remove dead or diseased wood, and stimulate the formation of flowers and fruit buds. Pruning often means cutting branches back, sometimes removing smaller limbs entirely. It may also mean removal of young shoots, buds, leaves, etc. Careful attention to pruning and training young trees affects their later productivity and longevity. Good pruning and training can also prevent later injury from weak crotches (where a tree trunk splits into two or more branches) that break from the weight of fruit, snow, or ice on the branches. In "Grow a Little Fruit Tree: Simple Pruning Techniques for Small-Space, Easy-Harvest Fruit Trees", author Ann Ralph draws upon her twenty years of experience and expertise growing fruit trees and teaching pruning classes in the San Francisco Bay Area to present a profusely illustrated and user friendly 168 page instruction manual that will allow even the most novice fruit tree grower to be successful in properly maintaining both in size and quality of production their own fruit trees. Thoroughly 'user friendly' throughout, "Grow a Little Fruit Tree: Simple Pruning Techniques for Small-Space, Easy-Harvest Fruit Trees" is very highly recommended for personal and community library Gardening and Agriculture instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Grow a Little Fruit Tree" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Cookbook Shelf

The PlantPure Nation Cookbook
Kim Campbell
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, STE 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781940363684 $19.95 www.benbellabooks.com

One doesn't have to be a vegetarian to thoroughly enjoy vegetarian food! Featuring over 150 plant-based recipes, The PlantPure Nation Cookbook: The Official Companion to the Breakthrough Film is a compendium of extensively tested recipes, each of which is 100% planet-based and promotes health through the nutrition of a whole-food diet. Color photography and user-friendly instructions showcase delights such as Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes, Southwestern Bean Salad, Reuben Casserole, Zucchini Cakes, Chocolate-Avocado Pudding, and much more. Behind-the-scenes details from the popular PlantPure Nation film further enhance this superb choice.

Bob's Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook
Camilla V. Saulsbury
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778805007 $24.95 www.robertrose.ca

Illustrated with multiple inset sections of color photography, Bob's Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook is a treasury of 281 whole-grain recipes from Bob's Red Mill - a company devoted to making gluten-free flours, cereals, baking mixes, and grains for over thirty years. Cooking tips accompany virtually every recipe, and an extensive introduction guides cooks of all skill and experience levels to the art of maintaining a gluten-free pantry. A "must-have" for anyone who is intolerance of gluten; the pervasive problem of cross-contamination means that the best way to eat gluten-free is to cook one's own meals!

Gluten Free Around the World
Aviva Kanoff
No Potato Press
217 Etak Dr., Brainerd, MN 56401
c/o Stuart Schnee PR
9780988910409 $29.99

Illustrated with gorgeous full-color photography, Gluten Free Around the World is a hardcover cookbook featuring gluten-free recipes from a vast diversity of human cultures. Categorized by their ingredients or role in a meal ("sides", "vegetarian", "poultry", etc.) these dishes feature user-friendly instructions and taste-tempting flavors! Sample recipes include "Sweet Potato Leek Soup", "Lemon Jerra Rice", "Pasta with Spinach & Arugula Pesto", "Mediterranean Chicken", "Churros", "Irish Apple Cake" and much more. Gluten Free Around the World makes a wonderful giftbook for any adventurous cook, whether or not they follow a gluten-free diet!

The Gluten-Free Family Cookbook
Susan O'Brien
Lifelong Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738217482, $17.99, www.amazon.com

Gluten is a protein composite found in wheat and related grains, including barley and rye. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture. Gluten is used in cosmetics, hair products, and other dermatological preparations. Gluten is also the cause for allergy related digestion problems in a growing percentage of the general population. Compiled by gluten avoidance expert Susan O'Brien, "The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Family Cookbook" is a 248 page compendium showcasing some 150 gluten-free, kitchen cook friendly recipes for everyday dining including entrees, side dishes, desserts, snacks, and more. The palate pleasing, appetite satisfying recipes range from Protein Breakfast Bars; Slow Cooker Lentil Vegetable Soup; Teriyaki tofu Fajitas; and Stuffed Green Bell Peppers; to Brussels Sprouts with Maple and Mustard Glaze; Grilled Pesto-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms; Coconut Macaroons; and Parmesan Kale Chips. Of special note is the Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie! Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Family Cookbook" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.70).

Superfoods At Every Meal
Kelly Pfeiffer
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
Dalyne Miller Public Relations
9781592336524, $21.99, www.amazon.com

Superfood is a marketing term used to describe foods with significant health benefits. Examples of declared 'superfoods' are Quinoa, Chickpeas, Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Honey, Coconut Oil, Greek Yogurt, Walnuts, Eggs, and Blue Berries. Compiled and presented by health food blogger Kelly Pfeiffer, "Superfoods at Every Meal: Nourish Your Family with Quick and Easy Recipes Using 10 Everyday Superfoods" is a 176 page compendium comprised of thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes showcasing superfood ingredients in a palate pleasing, appetite satisfying variety of dishes. The recipes range from Banana Nut Pancakes; Quinoa Breakfast Tacos; Hummus Meatloaf; Tuscan Kale Soup; and Green Monster Smoothies; to Walnut-Crusted Sea Scallops; Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadilla; 7-Layer Greek Dip; and Chocolate Silk Pie. Enhanced with the inclusion of full color photographs of finished dishes, "Superfoods at Every Meal: Nourish Your Family with Quick and Easy Recipes Using 10 Everyday Superfoods" is as much fun to browse through as it is inspiring to plan meals from. Very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that Superfoods at Every Meal: Nourish Your Family with Quick and Easy Recipes Using 10 Everyday Superfoods" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.49).

Noodle Kids
Jonathon Sawyer
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
Dalyne Miller Public Relations
9781592539635, $24.99, www.amazon.com

Compiled and presented by Chef Jonathon Sawyer (owner of the Cleveland, Ohio restaurant The Greenhouse Tavern), "Noodle Kids" is a 144 page compendium comprised of fifty 'family friendly' recipes that everyone in the family can participate in preparing. The recipes range from Ricotta Gnocchi with Squash and Garlic Sauce; Tofu and Udon Soup; and Roasted Chicken Ramen; to Farmer's Cheese and Pot Roast Pierogi; Macaroni Casserole; and Classic Potato Gnocchi with Catcher's Italian Meat Sauce. Of special note are the sections on Cooking with Kids; How to Throw a Ravioli Party; and How to Throw a Family Rock-and-Summer-Roll Celebration. An ideal addition to family and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Noodle Kids: Around the World in 50 Fun, Healthy, Creative Recipes the Whole Family Can Cook Together" is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.69).

Better Homes and Gardens Baking Step by Step
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhpub.com
9780544456174, $24.99, www.amazon.com

Better Homes and Gardens is the fourth best selling magazine in the United States. Its current editor-in-chief is Gayle Butler. Better Homes and Gardens focuses on interests regarding homes, cooking, gardening, crafts, healthy living, decorating, and entertaining. They are also a premier publisher of cookbooks. Profusely and beautifully illustrated in full color throughout, "Better Homes and Gardens Baking Step by Step" is their latest culinary compendium offering 376 page of recipes and basic baking instruction tips that will enable even the most novice of kitchen cooks to turn out quality dishes that would grace any dining occasion, please any palate, and satisfy any appetite. The recipes range from Snickerdoodles; Sour Cream-Walnut Date Cake with Tangerine Sauce; Apple-Cranberry Dessert; and Cherry Cobbler; to Chocolate-Mascarpone Raspberry Pie; Lemon-Pistachio Bites; Easy-Chocolate Almond Croissants; and Cinnamon-Nut Bread. A complete course in the baking arts under one cover, "Better Homes and Gardens Baking Step by Step" is an essential and very highly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should also be noted that "Better Homes and Gardens Baking Step by Step" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).

Lighten Up, Y'All
Virginia Willis
Ten Speed Press
c/o Crown Publishing Group
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
www.crownpublishing.com
9781607745730, $24.99, www.amazon.com

The cuisine of America's southern states is a distinctive and readily identifiable aspect of southern culture. Compiled and presented by Virginia Willis (a cookbook author, columnist for FoodNetwork.com, and a contributor to the magazine 'Southern Living' magazine, "Lighten Up, Y'all: Classic Southern Recipes Made Healthy and Wholesome" is a 232 page, profusely illustrated compendium composed of classic southern comfort food recipes that are as palate pleasing and appetite satisfying as they are kitchen cook friendly! The recipes range from Crab and Celery Remoulad Wraps; Grilled Potato Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette; Cream Corn-Stuffed Tomatoes; and Braised Collards in tomato-Onion Gravy; to Pan-Seared Fish Stakes with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil; Pulled Pork Tenderloin with Red Pepper Vinegar Sauce; Quick and Easy Turkey Chili; and Multigrain Pecan Waffles. As much fun to browse through as it is to plan menus with, "Lighten Up, Y'all: Classic Southern Recipes Made Healthy and Wholesome" is very highly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Lighten Up, Y'all: Classic Southern Recipes Made Healthy and Wholesome" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.84).

Living A Real Life With Real Food
Beth Warren
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781626365711, $24.95, www.amazon.com

More than just another cookbook, "Living a Real Life with Real Food: How to Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and Stay Energized -- the Kosher Way" is a 336 page illustrated compendium that combines dietary and nutrition information for optimum human health with a selection of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook recipes -- each of which is in full compliance with Judaic kosher rules. "Living A Real Life With Real Food" is deftly organized into four major sections: The Kosher Real-Food Diet Foundations; You Are What You Eat: Detailed Look into Real Foods; Living a Real Life with Real Food; and Applying What You've Learned (the recipe collection) The recipes range from a Syrian Potato Salad; Pesto Crusted Salmon; Veggie Burger; and Fennel Soup; to Popcorn with Dark Chocolate Drizzle; Hummus with Peanut Butter; Beef Goulash; and Artichoke Gibbon. While "Living A Real Life With Real Food" is an invaluable and enduringly useful addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Living A Real Life With Real Food" is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.99).

Love Fed
Christina Ross
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781940363325 $19.95 www.benbellabooks.com

Love Fed: Purely Decadent, Simply Raw, Plant-Based Desserts is cookbook of delectable and nutritious desserts compatible with a raw-foods vegan diet! Various recipes feature alternatives to gluten-laden pastry products, such a crust made from ground nuts and seeds. Full-color photography showcases sumptuous delights such as Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Cake (the cake filling is made from cashews, coconut oil, Irish moss, agave nectar, and lemon juice), Minny Cinny Rolls, Maple Banana Tiramisu Truffle (using almond milk), Sunshine Lemon and Lavender Sorbet, and much more. A treasury for vegan, raw foods, or gluten-free enthusiasts, Love Fed is highly recommended!


The Mathematics Shelf

Sneaky Math
Cy Tymony
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
9781499445201, $12.99, www.amazon.com

Mathematics, often shortened to math, is the study of topics such as quantity (numbers), structure, space, and change. There is a range of views among mathematicians and philosophers as to the exact scope and definition of mathematics. Often ordinary folk find math intimidating and difficult to master. That's why "Sneaky Math: A Graphic Primer with Projects: Ace the Basics of Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus with Everyday Things" by Cy Tymony is so valuable in that it will show the reader how math is all around us in our daily lives and presents 192 page compendium packed with easy and fun math projects that range from geometry primers; math challenges, tricks and formulas; and algebra primers; to trigonometry primers, calculus primers, and basic fundamentals of numbers and arithmetic. Highly recommended for school and community library mathematics collections, it would prove exceptionally useful for students struggling with math concepts and is an ideal curriculum supplement for home schooling parents. It should be noted that "Sneaky Math: A Graphic Primer with Projects: Ace the Basics of Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus with Everyday Things" is also available in a Kindle edition. Of special interest for anyone with an appreciation of Cy Tymony's 'Sneaky' series, is his web site at www.sneakyuses.com


The Economic Studies Shelf

The Great Recession and the Contradictions of Contemporary Capitalism
Riccardo Bellofiore & Giovanna Vertova, editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9780857938527, $120.00, 256pp, www.amazon.com

The Great Recession is a term used to describe the general economic decline observed in world markets around the end of the first decade of the 21st century. The exact scale and timing of the recession is debated and varied from country to country. In terms of overall impact, the IMF concluded that it was the worst global recession since World War II. According to the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research (the official arbiter of U.S. recessions) the U.S. recession began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, and thus extended over 18 months. The Great Recession was related to the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis and financial crisis of 2007 - 08. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Riccardo Bellofiore (Professor of Political Economy, University of Bergamo, Italy) and Giovanna Vertova (Assistant Professor of Political Economy, University of Bergamo, Italy), "The Great Recession and the Contradictions of Contemporary Capitalism" is a 256 page compendium comprised of twelve seminal articles by researchers and economists on various international aspects of the economic recession that created the conditions of the greatest economic global downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Enhanced with the inclusion of a thirty-five page Index, "The Great Recession and the Contradictions of Contemporary Capitalism" is a critically important contribution and a strongly recommended addition to academic library Economics reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

A Humane Economy
Wilhelm Ropke
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Road, Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
www.isibooks.org
9781610171014, $18.00, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Wilhelm Ropke (October 10, 1899 - February 12, 1966) was a professor of economics, first in Jena, then in Graz, Marburg, Istanbul, and finally Geneva, Switzerland. Professor Ropke is widely considered to be one of the spiritual fathers of the social market economy, theorizing and collaborating to organize the post-World War II economic re-awakening of the war-wrecked German economy, deploying a program sometimes referred to as the sociological neoliberalism. "A Humane Economy: The Social Framework of the Free Market" by Wilhelm Ropke is one of the most accessible and compelling introductions to economics ever written for academia or non-specialist general reader with an interest in economics and economy theory. "A Humane Economy" cuts through the jargon that mars most economic writing to show exactly how economies operate. "A Humane Economy" is a sweeping work highlights both market mechanics and moral philosophy and would prove to be a valued addition to community and academic library Economics Studies collections. It should be noted that "A Humane Economy" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The International Studies Shelf

Israel's Security Men
Thomas G. Mitchell
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9780786496266, $35.00, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Moshe Dayan (20 May 1915 - 16 October 1981) was an Israeli military leader and politician. As commander of the Jerusalem front in Israel's War of Independence, Chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1953 - 58) during the 1956 Suez Crisis, but mainly as Defense Minister during the Six-Day War, he became to the world a fighting symbol of the new state of Israel. Yitzhak Rabin (1 March 1922 - 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974 - 77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995. Ariel Sharon (February 26, 1928 - January 11, 2014) was an Israeli politician and general who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel until he was incapacitated by a stroke. Ehud Barak (born Ehud Brog; 12 February 1942) is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011. He previously held the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's second government from 2009 to 2013. "Israel's Security Men: The Arab-Fighting Political Careers of Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel Sharon and Ehud Barak" by Thomas G. Mitchell is a 256 page account of how these four men successfully conducted negotiations with Israel's Arab neighboring countries and provides informed and informative insights into how those negotiations were held from the establishment of the state of Israel in 1949 down to 2000. Enhanced with the inclusion of an appendix (Military Politicians in the United States and South Africa), fifteen pages of Notes, a two page Bibliography, and an eleven page Index, "Israel's Security Men" is an invaluable contribution to personal, community, and academic library 20th Century International Studies and Israeli Political History studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists. It should be noted that "Israel's Security Men" is also available in a Kindle edition ($21.29).


The Fiction Shelf

Green on Blue
Elliot Ackerman
Scribner
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781476778556 $25.00 www.simonsays.com

The debut novel Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran Elliot Ackerman, Green on Blue is a profound and fearsome look at the savage toll war takes upon all aspects of day-to-day life. Aziz and his older brother Ali grew up impoverished but content in their remote village in Afghanistan, until armed men destroyed the world they once knew. Seeking refuge in a small city, their lives are further upset in a conflict between U.S. forces and militants. A bomb severely injures Ali, and Aziz must join the Special Lashkar, a U.S.-funded militia, for his brother's sake. Aziz witnesses the grim cruelty of war, including conflicts between rival Afghan groups (dubbed "green on green" attacks by the Americans) and Afghan attacks on U.S. soldiers ("green on blue"). Navigating the brutality of the war is a horrifying task, but both his brother's life and the life of a young woman he has grown to love are at stake. Green on Blue will stay in the reader's mind long after the last page is turned, a vivid testimony to a terrible, tragic, and ongoing conflict. Highly recommended.


Screenplay: A Novel
MacDonald Harris
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
9781468308983 $26.95 www.overlookpress.com

National Book Award-nominated author MacDonald Harris presents Screenplay: A Novel, a mysterious story about a man who becomes literally immersed in the silent film era. In 1980's Los Angeles, Alys, a wealthy young man, accepts an intriguing offer to get "into the movies". The offer is genuine in the most unexpected of ways, as Alys becomes part of the nigh-magical silent film era, precisely as it was during Hollywood's 1920's heyday. Love is an omnipresent theme, but passion is limited by the will of the censor! As Alys travels the black-and-white fantasia, captivated by Hollywood screen beauty Moira Silver, he begins to lose track of the present day... Screenplay: A Novel builds a glamorous world from its fantastic premise, and is especially recommended for film connoisseurs with a strong appreciation for the medium's history.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Biology Of Heart Disease
Margaret E. Buckingham, et al.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
500 Sunnyside Boulevard, Woodbury NY 11797-2924
www.cshlpress.com
9781936113866, $135.00, www.amazon.com

Cardiovascular disease is a class of diseases that involve the heart, the blood vessels or both. Basically, heart disease refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system of arteries, capillaries, and veins, principally cardiac disease, vascular diseases of the brain and kidney, and peripheral arterial disease. The causes of cardiovascular disease are diverse but atherosclerosis and hypertension are the most common. In addition, with aging come a number of physiological and morphological changes that alter cardiovascular function and lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, even in healthy asymptomatic individuals. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of deaths on the globally. "The Biology of Heart Disease" is a 232 page compendium comprised of nineteen seminal articles by medical researchers on various aspects of cardiovascular diseases. Of special note are Kiran Musunuru's 'Personalized Genomes and Cardiovascular Disease' and 'Cardiovascular Drug Discovery: A Perspective from a Research-Based Pharmaceutical Company' by the team of Gianni Gromo, Jessica Mann, and John D. Fitzgerald. "The Biology Of Heart Disease" is a major and highly recommended contribution that should be a part of every medical school and academic library Health & Medicine reference collection in general, and Cardiovascular Diseases supplemental studies reading list in particular.

Clinical Epidemiology, second edition
Diederick E. Grobbee
Jones & Bartlett Learning
5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA 01803
www.jblearning.com
9781449674328, $102.95, www.amazon.com

Epidemiology is the science that studies the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations. It is the cornerstone of public health, and informs policy decisions and evidence-based practice by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive healthcare. Epidemiologists help with study design, collection, and statistical analysis of data, and interpretation and dissemination of results (including peer review and occasional systematic review). Epidemiology has helped develop methodology used in clinical research, public health studies, and, to a lesser extent, basic research in the biological sciences. Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition featuring new data and examples throughout, "Clinical Epidemiology: Principles, Methods, and Applications for Clinical Research" is a comprehensive resource that introduces the reader to the basics of clinical epidemiology and explores the principles and methods that can be used to obtain quantitative evidence on the effects of interventions and on the diagnosis, etiology, and prognosis of disease. The everyday challenges of clinical research and the quantitative knowledge required to practice medicine are also examined, making "Clinical Epidemiology" a valuable reference for both graduate and undergraduate students in medicine and related disciplines, as well as for professionals involved in the design and conduct of clinical research. Enhanced with the inclusion of a twenty-six page list of References and a thirty-one page Index, "Clinical Epidemiology" is ideal as a classroom textbook and a critically important addition to academic library clinical epidemiology reference collections.


The Photography Shelf

Landscape Photography: The Essential Beginner's Guide
David Taylor
Ammonite Press
c/o GMC Distribution
166 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1XU, UK
www.ammonitepress.com
9781781450888, $16.52 (16.99 British Pounds), www.amazon.com

Landscape photography shows spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic. Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature. "Landscape Photography: The Essential Beginner's Guide" by professional landscape photographer David Taylor is a 176 page instruction manual for aspiring landscape photographers offering a series of thoroughly 'user friendly' tutorials teaching the basic skills and techniques of photography as applied to specific subject areas. Profusely illustrated throughout in full color, "Landscape Photography: The Essential Beginner's Guide" also offers detailed information on types of cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, and other accessories for the aspiring landscape photographer. Of special note is the instructions on color, composition, effects of light, effects of color on the perception of a photograph, and the basic rules of photographic composition. Informed and informative from beginning to end, "Landscape Photography: The Essential Beginner's Guide" is recommended as an ideal do-it-yourself instruction manual and guide.

Forensic Photography
Nick Marsh
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com
9781119975823, $99.95, www.amazon.com

Forensic photography, sometimes referred to as forensic imaging or crime scene photography, is the art of producing an accurate reproduction of a crime scene or an accident scene using photography for the benefit of a court or to aid in an investigation. It is part of the process of evidence collecting. It provides investigators with photos of victims, places and items involved in the crime. Pictures of accidents show broken machinery, or a car crash, and so on. Photography of this kind involves choosing correct lighting, accurate angling of lenses, and a collection of different viewpoints. Scales, like items of length measurement or objects of known size, are often used in the picture so that dimensions of items are recorded on the image. Written by a practitioner Nick Marsh who draws upon his many years of professional experience, "Forensic Photography: A Practitioner's Guide" is a 416 page instruction manual and guide that provides an overview of the most common forensic photography techniques in use today for those readers who may not have a detailed understanding of camera techniques and who need to get to grips with the use of light and other key scientific aspects of the job. It covers image capture issues, file handling and relevant equipment, such as lasers and UV lights, and explores how they work. The predominance of the digital camera has resulted in an increasing trend for police forces across the world to use untrained camera users, rather than expert photographers. Therefore, "Forensic Photography: A Practitioner's Guide" will prove invaluable for those practitioners who need to produce accurate and clear photographic evidence, above and beyond the point and shoot mode on their cameras. Of special note is the appendix on tripods and camera supports. An ideal and comprehensive textbook on the subject, "Forensic Photography: A Practitioner's Guide" is especially recommended for academic library Photography and Forensic Science reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The American History Shelf

Chewing Gum in America, 1850-1920
Kerry Segrave
McFarland
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786498451 $45.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com

Also available as an ebook, Chewing Gum in America, 1850-1920: The Rise of an Industry explores the evolution an of ubiquitous modern item in America. Before commercially-made gum existed, Americans were known to scrape resin from spruce trees, removing bits of bark or insects, to make a chewable product. Commercially made gum appeared in three types - tree resin, petroleum-based paraffin and chicle-based. At first, chewing gum was thought of as a bad habit that only women practiced, but its popularity grew among all sectors of society. A backlash of negative reactions also appeared from editorial writers, reformers, religious figures, employers, and the courts. Individuals also grappled with the problem of what to do with chewed gum - save it in lockets around the neck? Share it with friends? An extraordinary contribution to cultural history collections, extensively researched yet accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Chewing Gum in America, 1850-1920 is enthusiastically recommended especially for public and college libraries.


The World History Shelf

Magna Carta Uncovered
Anthony Arlidge & Igor Judge
Hart Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9781849465564, $50.00, www.amazon.com

Magna Carta (Latin: "Great Charter") is a charter agreed by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the unpopular King and a group of rebel barons, it promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to be implemented through a council of 25 barons. Neither side stood behind their commitments, and the charter was annulled by Pope Innocent III, leading to the First Barons' War. After John's death, the regency government of his young son, Henry III, reissued the document in 1216, stripped of some of its more radical content, in an unsuccessful bid to build political support for their cause. At the end of the war in 1217, it formed part of the peace treaty agreed at Lambeth, where the document acquired the name Magna Carta. Co-written by Anthony Arlidge ( a Queen's Counsel for more than 30 years and in 1990 was called upon during a case to argue the meaning of clause 40 of Magna Carta) and retired Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Igor Judge, "Magna Carta Uncovered" is a 238 page history and detailed explanation of the Magna Carta and its place in English (and subsequently American) law. Extraordinarily well written, "Magna Carta Uncovered" will prove to be an invaluable addition to community and academic library history collections in general, and to the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the Magna Carta in particular.


The Military Shelf

The Handy Military History Answer Book
Samuel Willard Crompton
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road, #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
http://www.visibleinkpress.com
KT Public Relations
9781578595099, $21.95, www.amazon.com

Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships. Professional historians normally focus on military affairs that had a major impact on the societies involved as well as the aftermath of conflicts, while amateur historians and hobbyists often take a larger interest in the details of battles, equipment and uniforms in use. The essential subjects of military history study are the causes of war, the social and cultural foundations, military doctrine on each side, the logistics, leadership, technology, strategy, and tactics used, and how these changed over time, the moral dimensions of warfare, doctrines of military ethics. "The Handy Military History Answer Book" by military historian Samuel Willard Crompton is a 560 page compendium fifteen sections chronologically organized beginning with Iron, Stone, and Bronze: 5000 to 520 BCE and concluding with Resource Wars and Religious Conflicts: 1980 to 2014. Nicely illustrated throughout, "The Handy Military History Answer Book" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making it a truly extraordinary and highly recommended addition to academic and community library Military History collections. Ideal for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the history of military conflicts from antiquity to the present day, it should be noted that "The Handy Military History Answer Book" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Psychology Shelf

The Aging Mind: An Owner's Manual
Patrick Rabbitt
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, New York, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9781138812383, $35.95 (PB), www.amazon.com

A mind is the set of cognitive faculties that enables consciousness, perception, thinking, judgment, and memory. A lengthy tradition of inquiries in philosophy, religion, psychology and cognitive science has sought to develop an understanding of what a mind is and what its distinguishing properties are. The main question regarding the nature of mind is its relation to the physical brain and nervous system. The brain is an organ of the human body and as the body reflects the effects of the aging process, so does the brain -- and that includes all of the aspects we associate with the human mind. "The Aging Mind: An Owner's Manual" by Patrick Rabbitt (Emeritus Professor of the University of Manchester, UK) is a 264 page compendium of exceptionally well written, organized and presented information that is deftly organized into major sections: What is Aging?; Memory; Senses; Intelligence, Skills and Wisdom; Living with Aging; Aging Well. Enhanced with illustrative figures, it should be noted for older readers that the typeface is rather small and may require the aid of a magnifying glass or be acquired in the Kindle edition ($26.30) that would allow for an easy adjustment of type size. A seminal work that is completely accessible to academia as well as the non-specialist general reader with an interest in how aging affects the mind, "The Aging Mind: An Owner's Manual" is strongly recommended for both community and academic library Psychology/Psychiatry collections and available in a hardcover edition (9781138812376, $160.00).

Alcohol and the Adult Brain
Jenney Svanberg, et al.
Psychology Press
c/o Taylor & Francis, Inc
7625 Empire Drive, Florence, KY 41042-2919
www.psypress.com
9781848723085, $53.95 (PB), www.amazon.com

Neuropsychology studies the structure and function of the brain as they relate to specific psychological processes and behaviors. It is an experimental field of psychology that aims to understand how behavior and cognition are influenced by brain functioning and is concerned with the assessment and treatment of behavioral and cognitive effects of neurological disorders. The research literature on the impact of alcohol on the brain has seen a rapid expansion in recent years. "Alcohol and the Adult Brain" is a 236 page compendium of twelve expertly researched and written articles that collectively presents an up-to-date overview of some of the issues relevant to understanding and working with people with cognitive impairment as a result of chronic alcohol use. "Alcohol and the Adult Brain" is essential reading for students and researchers working on the effects of alcohol on human brain functions, as well as practitioners in a range of health, social care and voluntary service and support settings. Very highly recommended as a core and essential addition to academic library Psychology/Psychiatry reference collections, it should be noted that "Alcohol and the Adult Brain" is also available in a hardcover edition (9781848723078, $155.00) and a Kindle edition ($43.16).

The Art Therapists' Primer
Ellen G. Horovitz, editor
Charles C. Thomas Publisher Ltd.
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
9780398081102, $74.95, www.amazon.com

Definitions of art therapy vary due in two fields: art and psychotherapy. It can focus on the art-making process as therapeutic in and of itself ("art as therapy") or it can be "art in therapy" (art psychotherapy). The psychoanalytic approach was one of the earliest forms of art psychotherapy. This approach employs the transference process between the therapist and the client who makes art. The therapist interprets the client's symbolic self-expression as communicated in the art and elicits interpretations from the client. "The Art Therapists' Primer: A Clinical Guide to Writing Assessments, Diagnosis and Treatment" by Ellen G. Horovitz (Professor and Director of Graduate Art Therapy and the Art Therapy Clinc, Nazareth College, Rochester, New York) is a 380 page compendium comprised of nineteen erudite and scholarly articles by academicians and researchers in the field of art therapy. "The Art Therapists' Primer: A Clinical Guide to Writing Assessments, Diagnosis and Treatment" is organized into five major sections: Introduction to the Revised Second Edition: Quantifying Qualitiative Assessments; Qualitative Instruments; Standardized Instruments; Combining Multiple Assessments; and Conclusion (Treatment Objectives, Modalities and Termination Summaries). Enhanced with the inclusion of appendices, a Name Index, a Subject Index, and DVD instructions, "The Art Therapists' Primer: A Clinical Guide to Writing Assessments, Diagnosis and Treatment" is strongly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library Psychology/Psychiatry reference collections in general, and Art Therapy Studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted that "The Art Therapists' Primer: A Clinical Guide to Writing Assessments, Diagnosis and Treatment" is also available in an ebook edition (9780398081119, $64.95).

Personality Disorders
Steven K. Huprich, editor
Marketing Department
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433818455, $79.95, www.amazon.com

Personality disorders are a class of mental disorders characterized by enduring maladaptive patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience, exhibited across many contexts and deviating markedly from those accepted by the individual's culture. These patterns develop early, are inflexible, and are associated with significant distress or disability. Compiled by Steven K. Huprich (Professor and Director of Clinical Training, Wichita State University and editor of the Journal of Personality Assessment), "Personality Disorders: Toward Theoretical and Empirical Integration in Diagnosis and Assessment" is a 452 page compendium comprised of seventeen scholarly articles deftly organized into three major sections: Current Issues in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Personality Disorders; Research and Assessment Strategies; Moving Toward Integrated and Unified Models of Personality Disorders and Pathology. A major contribution, "Personality Disorders: Toward Theoretical and Empirical Integration in Diagnosis and Assessment" is a critically important addition to professional and academic library Psychology/Psychiatry reference collections in general, and Personality Disorder supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Dog Training
Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA
T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, Third & Union Avenue
Neptune City, NJ 07753
9780793849499 $15.95 www.tfh.com

Presented by the popular "Animal Planet" television network and professional dog trainer Teoti Anderson, and illustrated with full-color photography throughout, Dog Training is a user-friendly guide to teaching good behavior to one's pet. Chapters cover the basics of a positive training method, socialization, housetraining and crate training, solving common problem behaviors, and much more. "A clicker is a small box that makes a clicking sound. You use the click to mark the exact instant in time your dog performs a behavior you want. A clicker is much better than saying 'Good dog!' because it's more precise... Only use the click to mark behavior, not as a way to get your dog's attention." A "must-have" for any and every prospective dog owner!

Animal Earth
Ross Piper
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500516966, $45.00 (HC), $29.95 (PB), www.amazon.com

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life. It is a measure of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems. This can refer to genetic variation, ecosystem variation, or species variation (number of species) within an area, biome, or planet. Terrestrial biodiversity tends to be highest near the equator, which seems to be the result of the warm climate and high primary productivity. Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth. It is the richest in the tropics. Marine biodiversity tends to be highest along coasts in the Western Pacific, where sea surface temperature is highest and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans. There are latitudinal gradients in species diversity. Compiled and written by zoologist Ross Piper, "Animal Earth: The Amazing Diversity of Living Creatures" is a 320 page compendium that is profusely enriched with 540 superbly reproduced full color images throughout. With a fully informed and informative text and photo captioning, "Animal Earth: The Amazing Diversity of Living Creatures" is a wonder to simply browse through and a critically important, enthusiastically recommended contribution to personal, community, and academic library collections.


The Art Shelf

James Barry's Murals at the Royal Society of Arts
William L. Pressly
Cork University Press
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781782051084, $65.95, www.amazon.com

James Barry (11 October 1741 - 22 February 1806), was an Irish painter, best remembered for his six part series of paintings entitled The Progress of Human Culture in the Great Room of the Royal Society of Arts. Because of his determination to create art according to his own principles rather than those of his patrons, Barry is also noted for being one of the earliest romantic painters working in Britain, though as an artist few rated him highly until the fully comprehensive 1983 exhibition at the Tate Gallery led to a reassessment of this "notoriously belligerent personality", and he emerged as one of the most important Irish Neoclassical artists. It is interesting to note that Barry was also a profound influence on William Blake. "James Barry's Murals at the Royal Society of Arts: Envisioning a New Public Art" by William L. Pressley (Emeritus Professor of 18th & 19th Century European Art, University of Maryland) is an impressive 272 page compendium showcasing the life and art of one of Ireland's best and most original painters of his day. Flawlessly reproduced images enhanced a truly informed and informative commentary. The result is a work of superb scholarship and a very strongly recommended addition to academic library European Art History reference collections.


The Biography Shelf

Lady Katherine Knollys
Sarah-Beth Watkins
Chronos Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
c/o National Book Network
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706 (dist.)
www.nbnbooks.com
9781782795858 $16.95 www.johnhuntpublishing.com

Lady Katherine Knollys: The Unacknowledged Daughter of King Henry VIII is a biography of Katherine Knollys (1524-1569), the daughter of King Henry VIII's mistress Mary Boleyn, before he married her sister Anne Boleyn. Though she was never officially acknowledged as the daughter of a king during her lifetime, she served prime appointments at the royal court, and was a maid of honor to both Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. She married Francis Knollys at age 16 and was mother to fourteen children, many of whom achieved fame (or notoriety) in their own right. An expertly researched account, yet accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Lady Katherine Knollys is a welcome contribution to public and college library biography shelves.

Massenet and His Letters: A New Biography
Anne Massenet
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, Hillsdale, NY 12529
www.pendragonpress.com
9781576472088, $48.00, www.amazon.com

Jules Emile Frederic Massenet (12 May 1842 - 13 August 1912) was a French composer best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are Manon (1884) and Werther (1892). He also composed oratorios, ballets, orchestral works, incidental music, piano pieces, songs and other music. In "Massenet and His Letters: A New Biography", biographer Anne Massenet draws upon previously unpublished family archives, letters, and photos to present a 250 page biography of Jules Massenet, enhanced with reproductions of his letters and other images. The result is an impressively researched and detailed biography that should be considered a critically important addition to academic library 19th Century European Music and Biography collections -- as well as a mandatory addition to Massenet studies supplemental reading lists.


The Education Shelf

Reaching Students
Nancy Kober
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309300438, $39.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com

"Reaching Students: What Research Says About Effective Instruction in Undergraduate Science and Engineering" is specifically focused on teaching and the learning process for undergraduate students in the fields of science and engineering. Focusing on the disciplines of astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, geosciences, and physics, "Reaching Students" offers an invaluable introduction to classroom strategies. Concrete examples and case studies illustrate how experienced instructors and leaders have applied evidence-based approaches to address student needs, encouraged the use of effective techniques within a department or an institution, and addressed the challenges that arose along the way. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Reaching Students" is especially recommended for any charged with teaching science and engineering in introductory and upper-level courses, small and large classes, lectures and labs, and courses for majors and non-majors alike. Practical, 'user friendly', informed and informative, "Reaching Students" is strongly recommended for academic library Education Studies instructional reference collections.


The Library Science Shelf

Crash Course In Storytime Fundamentals, second edition
Penny Peck
Libraries Unlimited
c/o ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
www.abc-clio.com
9781591583998, $45.00, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Crash Course In Storytime Fundamentals" by Penny Peck (a children's library for more than 25 years) is a 136 page instruction manual and guide that is thoroughly 'user friendly' and enhanced with simple, easy-to-follow directions. This beginner's guide to storytelling traces the developmental stages of very young children, illustrating how to present storytime for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers as well as in family settings to be most effective. "Crash Course In Storytime Fundamentals" explains the fundamentals of reading with the intent of capturing children's imaginations, showing how to incorporate music, play, and hands-on activities into a routine. "Crash Course In Storytime Fundamentals" offers expert advice on how to choose the best picture books and provides lists of books for addressing particular literacy needs. A perfect primer for those new to the task, this guide illustrates how to make this activity a favorite of children and provides tips for progressing in the role of storyteller, with ideas for engaging your audience and enhancing enjoyment. Beginning with the basics of performing a library storytime, each subsequent chapter builds on that knowledge, offering ways to infuse technology, special needs adaptations, and music into the story. The revised edition addresses such current topics as iPads, apps usage, online options, and dance programs. "Crash Course In Storytime Fundamentals" is thoroughly 'user friendly' throughout and very highly recommended for library staff development and academic library 'Library Science' instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Crash Course In Storytime Fundamentals" is also available in a Kindle edition ($36.00).


The Computer Shelf

iPad For Seniors For Dummies
Nancy C. Muir
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118944387 $24.99 www.dummies.com

Part of the acclaimed "For Dummies" series that is deliberately designed to aid readers of all backgrounds, and also available as an ebook, iPad For Seniors For Dummies is a user-friendly guide to getting the most out of one's iPad or iPad Mini. iPad for Seniors presents simple instructions with full-color photographs/screenshots to demonstrate how to set up an iPad, work with Siri, use the Reminders and Calendar feature to stay organized, take photos and video, create music playlists, shop for and download apps, find and read iBooks, and much more. A handy index rounds out this excellent resource, especially recommended for anyone buying their first iPad!

Beyond Big Data
Martin Oberhofer, et al.
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780133509809, $34.99 (PB), www.amazon.com

Big Data is a broad term for data sets so large or complex that they are difficult to process using traditional data processing applications. Challenges include analysis, capture, curation, search, sharing, storage, transfer, visualization, and information privacy. The collaborative work of data analysis experts Martin Oberhofer, Eberhard Hechler, Ivan Milman, Scott Schumacher, and Dan Wolfson, "Beyond Big Data: Using Social MDM to Drive Deep Customer Insight" is a 272 page compendium devoted to Master Data Management (MDM) concepts, techniques, components, functions, interactions, value relationships, technologies, targeted contextual marketing, employee productivity, and more. Of special note are the sections focused on avoiding privacy and ethical pitfalls, and emerging MDM trends. An extraordinarily informed and informative introduction to big data management, "Beyond Big Data: Using Social MDM to Drive Deep Customer Insight" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library Data Analysis instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "Beyond Big Data: Using Social MDM to Drive Deep Customer Insight" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.39).


The Geology Shelf

Introducing Mineralogy
John Mason
Dunedin
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR, 97213
9781780460284 $29.50 www.isbs.com

Illustrated with a wealth of full-color photography, Introducing Mineralogy is a novice-friendly guide to the science of studying minerals. Chapters discuss the types of mineral occurrences, the hobby of mineral collecting (which overlaps with professional mineral collecting for scientific study), the uses of minerals, minerals and the environment, and more. An extensive glossary and a list of resources for further reading round out this educational and appreciable guide, suitable for all ages. A choice pick for public library geology shelves!


The Autism Shelf

Asperger Syndrome: The Oasis Guide, third edition
Patricia Romanowski Bashe
Crown Publishing Group
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780385344654 $17.00 www.crownpublishing.com

Now in a fully revised, updated, and expanded third edition, Asperger Syndrome: The Oasis Guide is an in-depth resource especially for parents of children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. Written in plain terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Asperger Syndrome: The Oasis Guide discusses treatments, options, interventions, possible medications, and how to help one's child grow up healthy and safe. "It is important for parents to be aware that every child with an ASD [autism spectrum disorder] is at increased risk for sexual abuse. According to Dr. Stephen Edelson, among the many risk factors particular to people with ASDs are difficulty detecting deception, trouble discriminating safe and unsafe people and situations, and problems recognizing when and knowing how to ask for help." An absolute "must-read" for parents of ASD children, Asperger Syndrome: The Oasis Guide is especially recommended for public library collections.


The Philosophy Shelf

Education for Life
George Turnbull
Edited and with an introduction by M.A. Stewart and Paul Wood
Knud Haakonssen, General Editor
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Indianapolis, IN 46250
9780865976214 $24.00 www.libertyfund.org

Education for Life: Correspondence and Writings on Religion and Practical Philosophy gathers writings from George Turnbull (1698-1748), a philosopher who, like other luminaries of the Scottish Enlightenment, resisted the unyielding constraints of their native Calvinism and sought to reconcile religion with reason and science. Turnbull worked to fashion a new system of philosophy to supplant the rigid scholasticism and dogmatic theology that he felt had overwhelmed the educational institutions and prevailing attitudes of his time. Championing the qualities of politeness and civic virtue, Turnbull advocated that Christianity could be tolerant, morally beneficial, and promote reason. Meticulously edited with detailed notes, a bibliography, and an index, Education for Life is a welcome addition to college library philosophy collections.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Reaper
Nicholas Irving with Gary Brozek
Read by Jeff Gurner; prologue read by the author
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427252470 $29.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

The Reaper is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of the true-life memoir of an expert military sniper. Special Operations Direct Action Sniper Nicholas Irving earned the nickname of "The Reaper" due to his extraordinary skill; his career total included at least thirty-three kills. His harrowing battlefield stories include a deadly face-off against an enemy sniper, known only as The Chechnian. A bonus interview with author Nicholas Irving and his editor rounds out this fascinating testimony of the war on terror. 6 CDs, 7 hours.

Rip Van Winkle
Washington Irving, author
Read by Adam Sims
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843798002 $17.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Performed by professional film and theater actor Adam Sims, Rip Van Winkle, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, & The Pride of the Village is the unabridged audiobook rendition of three classic short stories for all ages, by acclaimed American author Washington Irving. Rip Van Winkle is the story of a simple, well-loved man who accidentally falls asleep for twenty years. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is the chilling tale of the Headless Horseman, and The Pride of the Village is a saga of love and tragedy. All three stories are timeless in their multigenerational appeal, making Rip Van Winkle a welcome addition to public library audiobook collections. A free download of "The Spectre Bridegroom" is also available. 2 CDs, 2 hours 27 min.

John Ball's In the Heat of the Night
Adapted by Matt Pelfrey
Performed by Ryan Vincent Anderson, et. al.
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
9781580819725 $29.95 www.latw.org

John Ball's In the Heat of the Night is the audiobook recording of a full-cast theater performance based on John Ball's classic novel "In the Heat of the Night" (which inspired the Oscar-winning film and the Emmy-winning TV series). Set in a 1960s Alabama town setting with rage over federally mandated desegregation, John Ball's In the Heat of the Night follows the efforts of a visiting African-American detective from California to work with the local white police chief and uncover the truth behind a murder. An undercurrent of racial tension pervades this suspenseful mystery, which offers an unforgettable portrayal of casual racism ingrained in 1960s American culture. 2 CDs, 2 hours 9 min. Also highly recommended for connoisseurs of full-cast performance theater audiobooks is "Under Milk Wood" (2 CDs, 1 hour 47 min., $29.95) by Dylan Thomas, a wry play adapted from radio drama about the inner thoughts of the townspeople of the fictional Welsh village of Llareggub (try spelling that backwards)!


The Library CD Shelf

Lead Belly
Smithsonian Folkways
c/o Smithsonian Books
PO Box 73012, MRC 513, Washington, DC 20013
www.smithsonianbooks.com/usersection/Home.aspx
SFW-40201-CD, $98.98, www.amazon.com

Huddie William Ledbetter (January 20, 1888 - December 6, 1949) was an American folk and blues musician notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced. He is best known as Lead Belly. Although Lead Belly usually played the twelve-string guitar, he could also play the piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, and Cajun accordion ("windjammer"). In some of his recordings, such as in one of his versions of the folk ballad "John Hardy", he performs on the accordion. In other recordings he sings while clapping his hands or stomping his foot. The topics of Lead Belly's music covered a wide range, including gospel; blues about women, liquor, prison life, and racism; and folk songs about cowboys, prison, work, sailors, cattle herding, and dancing. He also wrote songs about people in the news, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, Jean Harlow, the Scottsboro Boys, and Howard Hughes. Lead Belly was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 in the "Early Influence" category. In 2008, he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Enhanced with the inclusion of five CDs featuring 94 of his song performances, "Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection" also presents his personal story and music career along with many superbly reproduced period photos. An absolute must for Lead Belly fans, "Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection" would make an enduringly popular addition for academic library American Music History collections, and is an ideal Memorial Fund Acquisition selection for community libraries as well. It should be noted that ""Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection" is also available in an MP3 format ($43.49).

The One
Ntjam Rosie
Gentle Daze Records
www.vision4talent.com
c/o Press Junkie PR
$TBA CD / $9.99 digital www.ntjamrosie.com

Cameroon-born, Dutch-based, Afro-European fashion and music artist Ntjam Rose (who performs internationally has been nominated for multiple awards) presents The One, her fourth album. The One reverberates with elements of soul, folk, rhythm & blues, jazz, and vocal splendor. Bold and exuberant, The One is a rousing audio experience to remember. The tracks are "The Beginning", "He Loves Me So", "The One", "Always on the Run", "Forever Love", "Akiba", "You Build Me Up", "Covenant", "Dear To Me", "Pas De Retour", "Reconciliation Song", "I'm Loved", and "Love To Be Here".

Akory
Razia Said
www.raziasaid.com
Wake Up Music
c/o Press Junkie PR
$13.00 http://wakeupmusic.bigcartel.com/product/akory

Singer, songwriter, and environmental activist Razia Said of Madagascar presents Akory, a provocative new album about the environmental and polical problems besieging her homeland. Her real-life experiences in a land suffering from illegal logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, the effects of climate change, poverty, and political instability fuel this heartfelt album with a strong message of social action. The rhythms of Akory reflect Madagascar's extensive and proud musical traditions. A profound and powerful call to action, Akory is highly recommended for personal and public library collections alike. The tracks are "Taranaka Afara" (4:08), "Zanako" (3:37), "Akory Tsikaby" (3:28), "Baraingo" (3:30), "Ela Izay" (3:50), "Kajio" (3:36), "Amaray" (3:35), "Papillon" (3:35), "Gny Lalagna" (4:34), and "Nifankahita" (4:10).


The Library DVD Shelf

The Homestretch
A film by Anne de Marie and Kirsten Kelly
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
homestretchdoc.com
1941545203 $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for public performance, The Homestretch is a documentary following three homeless teens working to stay in school, graduate, and build a future. Roque, Kasey, and Anthony struggle to keep up their grades while navigating among transitional homes, street families, emergency shelters, and a crumbling school system on the verge of crisis. Filmed with unprecedented access to the Chicago Public Schools, The Night Ministry's Crib emergency youth shelter, and Teen Living Programs' Belfort House, The Homestretch is an honest, heart-rending, and thought-provoking look at what it means to be young and homeless in America. Special features include a featurette, trailer, and deleted scenes. 89 min. and 53 min. versions both available on one DVD.

Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
A film by Nicholas Wrathall
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
1941545254 $350.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Licensed for home use only, Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia is an award-winning documentary celebrating American writer and public intellectual Gore Vidal (1925-2012). One-on-one interviews with Vidal himself, candidly discussing the age of American liberalism, America's tragic anti-intellectual cultural shift, and much more. Commentary by Norman Mailer, William F. Buckley, Tim Robbins, Sting and Christopher Hitchens, as well as highlight footage from Vidal's storied on-air career, round out this vivid portrayal of a brilliant, forthright, and fearless cultural critic. Witty, incisive, and thoroughly entertaining, Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia is highly recommended. Recommended for mature audiences, due to infrequent coarse language. 89 min., widescreen.

Alexander Calder
A film by Roger Sherman
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213
New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Alexander Calder is a DVD documentary portrait of American sculptor Alexander Calder (1898-1976), known for inventing the art form of the mobile (a kinetic sculpture with balanced or suspended components, which can move in response to motor power or air currents), often used today to decorate homes, or the rooms of children. Drawing upon never-before-seen archival films and photographs, the documentary reveals Calder at work in his studio, and offers contemporary footage of dozens of his works, as well as interviews with Arthur Miller, Ellsworth Kelly, I.M. Pei, Brendan Gill, Marla Prather, David Ross, Calder's daughters and grandson, Sandy Rower, and more. Highly recommended for both personal and public library art and biography DVD shelves. 57 min.

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: Enter Here
A documentary film by Amei Wallach
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213
New York, NY 10036
$27.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: Enter Here is an extraordinary documentary about two Russian artists, now American citizens, as they venture to the new Russia. Two decades after fleeing the Soviet Union, Ilya Kabakov creates six art installations in venues throughout Moscow, where he was once forbidden to exhibit his art. A story about the inspirational and uplifting nature of art itself, as well as the courage of those who dare to use it to express unpopular messages, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: Enter Here is a welcome addition to public and college library nonfiction DVD shelves. Special features include extended interviews and outtakes. 103 min.

Knife Skills with Chef Marshall O'Brien
Learning ZoneXpress
667 East Vine Street
Owatonna, MN 55060
$79.95 www.learningzonexpress.com

Knife Skills with Chef Marshall O'Brien (27 min., closed-captioned) is an educational DVD for grades 6 to adult, about using knives to prepare food safely and effectively. The topics covered are "Knife Safety", "Cutting Methods for Fruits and Vegetables", "Cutting Techniques for Meat", and "Using a Food Processor and Blender". A practical, essential demonstration ideal for young adults who are or soon will be preparing their own food at home, Knife Skills with Chef Marshall O'Brien is a choice pick for public and school library DVD collections. Also highly recommended is Knife Skills for Foodservice with Chef Marshall O'Brien (26 min., closed-captioned), which teaches viewers the next level of knife skills for food preparation, such as how to prepare pineapple or melons and how to use an industrial grade food processor.

A Survey of Church History, Part 4 Anno Domini 1600-1800
W. Robert Godfrey
Ligonier Ministries
421 Ligonier Court, Sanford, FL, 32771-8608
$48.00 www.ligonier.org

W. Robert Godfrey (professor of church history, Westminster Seminary, California) presents A Survey of Church History, Part 4 Anno Domini 1600-1800, the fourth DVD in a series about the many changes that the Christian Church has gone through since the time of Jesus Christ. Volume 4 chronicles how the Protestant Reformation continued in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (with emphasis on the Puritans and the English-speaking world). From the persecuted Puritans of England who established a community in New England, to historical figures such as John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards, A Survey of Church History, Part 4 is an eye-opening historical tour. Highly recommended, especially for religious studies DVD shelves.


The Egyptology Shelf

The Egyptian Books Of The Dead
Ogden Goelet Jr., et al.
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781452144382, $35.00, www.amazon.com

The Book of the Dead is an ancient Egyptian funerary text, used from the beginning of the New Kingdom (around 1550 BCE) to around 50 BCE. The original Egyptian name for the text is translated as "Book of Coming Forth by Day". "Book" is the closest term to describe the loose collection of texts consisting of a number of magic spells intended to assist a dead person's journey through the Duat, or underworld, and into the afterlife and written by many priests over a period of about 1000 years. Now a team of Egyptologists has translated and presents "The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day: The Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images". This 190 page, beautifully illustrated, flawlessly reproduced volume makes this iconic Egyptian work fully accessible to academic and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in Egyptology. No community or academic library should fail to include a copy of "The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day: The Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images" in the Egyptology reference collection!


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


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design