|
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
Home / Library Bookwatch |
Library Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Cybersecurity
Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III & Roger L. Kemp, editors
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476674407, $39.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Billions of people are connected through billions of devices across the globe. In the age of this
massive internet, professional and personal information is being transmitted and received
constantly, and while this access is convenient, it comes at a risk. Collaboratively compiled and
co-edited by the team of Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III (Professor of Public and Business
Administration at Golden Gate University and an Adjunct Professor at the University of San
Francisco and San Francisco State.) and Roger L. Kemp (who has been a city manager on both
the East and West coasts for more than 25 years and holds International City/County
Management Association credentials), "Cybersecurity: Current Writings on Threats and
Protection" is an invaluable handbook of cybersecurity best practices is for public officials and
citizens, employers and employees, corporations and consumers. Comprised of 56 succinct
essays addressing the development of state-of-the-art software systems and hardware for public
and private organizations, "Cybersecurity" should be considered essential reading for anyone
charge with the responsibility of securing personal, professional, corporate, and governmental
information in this age of the internet. While especially and unreservedly recommended for
community, academic, corporate, and governmental agency cybersecurity collections, it should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Cybersecurity" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
A History Of Trees
Simon Wills
White Owl Books
http://www.whiteowlbooks.co.uk
c/o Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
9781526701596, $49.95, HC, 203pp, www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
"A History of Trees" by dedicated wildlife and nature photographer Simon Wills is a unique and
beautifully illustrated volume that reveals such fascinating topics as how trees got their names,
what our ancestors thought about trees, and how trees were used in the past. A fascinating
compilation of interesting stories that are not widely known, readers will learn that the nut from
which tree was predicted to pay off the UK's national debt, and why Europe's most popular pear
called the 'conference'. Simon Wills tells the history of twenty-eight common trees in an
engaging and entertaining way, and every chapter is illustrated with his photographs. A simply
fascinating and impressively informative read from cover to cover, "A History Of Trees" will
prove to be an enduringly valued addition to community, college, and university collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "A History Of Trees" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, 15.00 British Pounds) from White Owl Books or Pen & Sword Books.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Writing Children's Books
Anthony D. Fredericks
Blue River Press
http://brpressbooks.com
9781681570815, $14.99, PB, 306pp, www.amazon.com
It is all too common for authors wanting to write a book for children to get stuck on the
fundamental (and universal) question of all writers -- Where do I start? That's simply because
they're unsure about the nature of the children's book market and the skills necessary for literary
success. "Writing Children's Books: Everything You Need to Know from Story Creation to
Getting Published" by Anthony D. Fredericks answers the plight of these writers by providing
proven strategies and insider information. A fully comprehensive, step-by-step, how-to guide
"Writing Children's Books" shows, in eye-opening detail, exactly how children's authors, both
beginning and novice, can have a productive and successful writing career. As the only writer's
instruction manual to deal exclusively with all the concerns, issues, and questions of prospective
children's authors, Writing Children's Books" features simplicity, step-by-step directions; and
offers strategies and data that guarantee literary success. "Writing Children's Books" includes a
plethora of techniques, strategies, and information to guide any potential children's author from
blank sheet of paper (or computer screen) to viable, publishable manuscript. Thoroughly 'user
friendly' in organization and presentation, "Writing Children's Books" is a complete course of
instruction and will prove to be an enduringly valued reference and resource in the field of
writing books for preschoolers, K-12, and the Young Adult market in fiction and non-fiction
alike. While very highly recommended for community library Writing/Publishing instructional
reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Writing Children's
Books" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Social Issues Shelf
Some Of My Friends Are...
Deborah L. Plummer, PhD
Beacon Press
24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.beacon.org
9780807023891 $25.95 hc / $15.99 Kindle amazon.com
Author Deborah L. Plummer, PhD applies her life experience as a practicing psychologist and as
a chief diversity officer to Some Of My Friends Are... The Daunting Challenges and Untapped
Benefits of Cross-Racial Friendships, a careful examination of friendships between people of
different races. Such relationships are vital to promoting social progress, yet modern polls show
that the majority of American social networks consist primarily of people with the same racial or
ethnic background. How can America as a nation better embody the principle of "E Pluribus
Unum?" Some Of My Friends Are... scrutinizes how factors including leisure, politics, humor,
social support, faith, social media, and education affect cross-racial friendships. Individual
chapters include "Two-Button Choice: Acquaintance or Lover", "Same Treatment Does Not
Mean Equal Treatment", "Difficult Laughs Made Easier", and more. Peppered with insightful
true-life anecdotes, Some Of My Friends Are... is a thought-provoking, insightful, and highly
recommended for personal and public library social issues collections.
No Vacancy: Homeless Women in Paradise
Michael E. Reid
2 Leaf Press
www.2leafpress.org
9781940939711 $17.09 amazon.com
No Vacancy: Homeless Women in Paradise is a serious-minded examination of homeless women
who live amid one of the most affluent sea-side communities in California. The scarcity of
affordable housing pushes far too many local woman into desperate situations. These women are
often California natives; many of them are aging, and a common thread is that sudden job loss or
other financial hardship disrupted their lives. No Vacancy: Homeless Women in Paradise paints a
disturbing picture, even as it tells of the grassroots struggle to aid women in need. A clarion call
to beware the deadly societal toll of unaffordable housing, No Vacancy is highly recommended,
especially for public library social issues shelves.
The Education Shelf
Simple Signing with Young Children, revised edition
Carol Garboden Murray
Gryphon House, Inc.
PO Box 10, 6848 Leon's Way, Lewisville, NC 27023
www.gryphonhouse.com
9780876598092, $29.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Carol Garboden Murray holds a master's degree in special education and early childhood
development. She has worked with young children and families for many years as a teacher and
program director. She is the founder of the Early Childhood Institute of the Hudson River Valley
and is the educational director of the Abigail Lundquist Botstein Nursery School at Bard College
in Annandale on Hudson, New York. Now in a newly revised edition of "Simple Signing with
Young Children: A Guide for Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Teachers" she draws upon her years
of experience and expertise to create an instructive compendium and resource for teachers and
parents working with very young children whose vocabularies have not yet caught up with their
thoughts and emotions, preschool aged children who are often struggling to communicate. Sign
language can help them express themselves effectively to adults and peers without the emotional
outbursts caused by frustration! Unique, effective, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization
and presentation, "Simple Signing with Young Children" is confidently and unreservedly
recommended for daycare center, school district, college, and university Childhood Education
collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Joy Of Movement
Mary Lynn Hafner, PT, DPT
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
www.redleafpress.org
9781605546421, $22.95, PB, 133pp, www.amazon.com
Mary Lynn Hafner, PT, DPT, is a licensed physical therapist, a movement systems, and mobility
expert. She is the owner of My Neighborhood Physical Therapist, PLLC, a per diem physical
therapist and a movement teacher at the Sammamish Community YMCA in Washington. In "The
Joy Of Movement" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to showcase a
compendium of lessons plans and large-motor activities designed specifically for preschool
children. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "The Joy Of Movement" is an ideal and
very highly recommended curriculum resource for daycare center, preschool, and kindergarten
teachers and support staff. It should be noted that "The Joy of Movement" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $13.77).
Classroom Cultures
Michelle G. Knight-Manuel & Joanne E. Marciano
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807759561, $34.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
The collaborative work of Michelle G. Knight-Manuel (Associate Dean and Professor of
Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and a former middle school teacher and
high school college advisor) and Joanne E. Marciano (Assistant Professor in the Department of
Teacher Education in the College of Education at Michigan State University), "Classroom
Cultures: Equitable Schooling for Racially Diverse Youth" is a practical resource that will assist
secondary educators in creating equitable schooling environments for racially diverse youth.
"Classroom Cultures" makes visible the successes, challenges, and actual classroom practices of
educators implementing culturally relevant pedagogies; draws clear connections between
considerations of equity, race, and culturally relevant pedagogies and classrooms, school culture,
and college access; provides critical inquiry-based practices for the ongoing professional
development of educators working with diverse student populations across urban, suburban, and
rural communities. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Classroom Cultures" is an
especially and unreservedly recommended addition to school district, college, and university
library Teacher Education collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of education students, classroom teachers, school administrators, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Classroom Cultures" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.30).
All Learning Is Social and Emotional
Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, and Dominique Smith
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416627074, $28.95, PB, 197pp, www.amazon.com
Classroom teachers are charged with several responsibilities including: Building students' sense
of identity and confidence in their ability to learn, overcome challenge, and influence the world
around them; Helping students identify, describe, and regulate their emotional responses;
Promoting the cognitive regulation skills critical to decision making and problem solving:
Fostering students' social skills, including teamwork and sharing, and their ability to establish
and repair relationships: Equipping students to becoming informed and involved citizens. Along
with a toolbox of strategies for addressing 33 essential competencies, "All Learning Is Social and
Emotional: Helping Students Develop Essential Skills for the Classroom and Beyond" offers
real-life examples highlighting the many opportunities for social and emotional learning within
the K-12 academic curriculum. Children's social and emotional development is too important to
be an add-on or an afterthought, too important to be left to chance. Using an integrated SEL
approach to help students build essential skills that will serve them in the classroom and
throughout their lives, "All Learning Is Social and Emotional" is unreservedly recommended for
school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional reference and
resource collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "All Learning Is Social and
Emotional" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.65).
Off to a Good Start
Emily A. Jones & Kathleen M. Feeley
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817
www.woodbinehouse.com
9781606132616, $24.95, PB, 186pp, www.amazon.com
"Off to a Good Start: A Behaviorally Based Model for Teaching Children with Down Syndrome"
is the first volume of a two volume set "Foundations for Learning" and is comprised of the
compelling research about the benefits of using ABA methods with children with Down
syndrome, describes ABA principles and procedures, and provides the ABA-based curriculum
that has been successfully employed for almost 20 years to successfully teach infants through
kindergartners with Down syndrome. "Off to a Good Start" covers: An overview of ABA and
how to apply its principles and strategies to teach skills; Background information on the
characteristic learning profile of children with Down syndrome and how strengths (such as visual
learning abilities and the desire to interact with others) can be used to overcome weaknesses; The
importance of inclusion and high expectations; How to choose target skills to teach and set up
learning opportunities; Using prompts and reinforcement to shape desired behavior and skills:
The importance of generalizing skills learned in one setting to another; How to minimize
behavior which interferes with learning; Tracking and evaluating progress; How to build a team
of caregivers and professionals to teach using ABA. Exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, "Off to a Good Start" is very highly recommended as a core component of
professional, school district, college, and university library Special Education collections in
general, and Down Syndrome supplemental studies lists in particular.
The Biography Shelf
Margaret Tudor: The Life of Henry VIII's Sister
Melanie Clegg
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473893153, $34.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
When the thirteen year old Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth
of York, married King James IV of Scotland in a magnificent proxy ceremony held at Richmond
Palace in January 1503, no one could have guessed that this pretty, redheaded princess would go
on to have a marital career as dramatic and chequered as that of her younger brother Henry VIII.
Left widowed at the age of just twenty three after her husband was killed by her brother's army at
the battle of Flodden, Margaret was made Regent for her young son and was temporarily the
most powerful woman in Scotland -- until she fell in love with the wrong man, lost everything
and was forced to flee the country. In a life that foreshadowed that of her tragic, fascinating
granddaughter Mary Queen of Scots, Margaret hurtled from one disaster to the next and ended
her life abandoned by virtually everyone: a victim both of her own poor life choices and of the
simmering hostility between her son, James V and her brother, Henry VIII. This superbly crafted,
meticulously researched, and inherently fascinating biography of Margaret Tudor by author and
historian Melanie Clegg is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and
academic library biography collections. Enhanced with the inclusion of a two page Bibliography
and a seven page index, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Margaret Tudor: The Life of Henry VIII's Sister" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.77).
A Dinner of Herbs
John Verney
Paul Dry Books
1700 Sansom Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5214
www.pauldrybooks.com
9781589881327, $17.95, PB, 250pp, www.amazon.com
In 1943, after parachuting into Sardinia to raid a German airfield, John Verney and several of his
comrades from the British irregular forces were captured and sent to a POW camp in Italy's
Abruzzo region. As the Allies attempted to retake the country, Verney and two others made their
escape. For months, they survived on the generosity and bravery of the local Italians who fed
them and kept them hidden in haylofts and mountain caves -- despite the scarcity of resources
and the dangers they themselves faced by harboring English soldiers. Twenty years after the war,
Verney revisited the scenes of his imprisonment and escape, and the result is "A Dinner of
Herbs" which is both an enchanting evocation of Southern Italy and an exhilarating story of
wartime daring. Verney deftly recounts the ironic upsides of being a prisoner of war ("for the first
time in four long years, I was free to do entirely what I wanted, which was to read as much as
possible and try to learn to draw and write") as well as the anxiety aroused by the possibility of
attempting an escape. He describes the extremes of boredom, hunger, discomfort, and mutual
irritation that he and his companions faced after their escape, and the immense capacity for
tolerance and goodness that they discovered in each other -- and especially in the desperately
poor Italian families who helped them. An inherently fascinating, extraordinarily candid, and
impressively written account, "A Dinner of Herbs" is especially recommended for community
and academic library American Biography collections, as well as the personal reading lists of
anyone with an interest in another personal account of life behind the lines in the European
Theatre of World War II.
The Cookbook Shelf
Simply Healthy
Edwin Cabrera, Sherri Flynt, and Erica Hechler
Advent Health Press
www.adventhealth.com
9780990419136, $24.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Diet is fundamental to controlling diabetes. But can diabetes recipes be both healthy and
delicious? Simple to make but tasty too? Fortunately with "Simply Healthy: The Art of Eating
Well, Diabetes Edition" the answer is a resounding Yes! The team of Chef Edwin Cabrera,
Sherri Flynt and Erica Hechler shows how, with 72 recipes, diabetics and their families can relish
fabulous flavors combined with wonderful convenience in their meals. "Simply Healthy"
includes: Gorgeous and inspiring full-color photos of each dish; Quick and easy options for
breakfast, dinner, sides, salads, appetizers, and spreads; Must-try recipes reviewed by a registered
dietitian/certified diabetes educator; Complete nutritional analysis and serving sizes for every
recipe; Convenient recipe categories, including gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, low sugar, low
sodium, and more; Informative segments that break down into understandable language what you
need to know about living with diabetes. From Middle Eastern Falafel Patties, to Tuscan Bean
Stew, to Crispy Pumpkin Seed Chicken, to Bright Edamame Bean Hummus, "Simply Healthy"
will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to family and community library cookbook
collections for diabetics and non-diabetics alike!
The New 500 Low-Carb Recipes
Dana Carpender
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781592338634, $22.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Low-carb cooking has evolved. Just a decade ago, low-carb menus relied on ingredients like
artificial sweeteners, unhealthy vegetable oils, protein additives, and processed foods from
grocery store shelves, like low-carb branded snack bars and packaged meals. Today's low-carb
cooking is influenced by larger food movements, such as clean eating; farm-to-table ingredients;
higher fat ratios, thanks to the popularity of ketogenic diets; and less stigmatization of foods that
have substantial inclusion in a low-carb diet, namely animal foods and saturated fat due to the
growth of the Paleo and traditional foods movements. "The New 500 Low-Carb Recipes"
provides the family chef with fully updated recipes for making low-carb dishes better both
nutritionally and taste-wise. With recipes ranging from breakfast fare and lunches, to family
dinners and celebratory dining occasions, "The New 500 Low-Carb Recipes" is a culinary
treasure for anyone seeking to enjoy the benefits of a low-carb diet for themselves and others.
While very highly recommended for family and community library cookbook collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "The New 500 Low-Carb Recipes" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
Field to Fork
The Old Farmer's Almanac
Sellers Publishing
161 John Roberts Road, South Portland, ME 04106
https://www.rsvp.com
9781416246640, $19.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Beautifully illustrated with full page color photography of the finished dishes, "Field to Fork" is
an impressive collection of classic recipes drawn from the pages of The Old Farmer's Almanac.
This compilation of more than 120 seasonal recipes is enhanced for the benefit of the home cook
with Old Farmer's Almanac tips, facts and folklore. With palate pleasing, appetite satisfying
recipes ranging from Herby Bulgur Salad; Sweet Refrigerator Pickles; Green Tomato Salsa;
Pumpkin Biscuits; and Not-Too-Spicy Veggie and Lentil Chili; to Roasted Chicken with Root
Vegetables; Carmel Apple Crumb Pie; Orange Pork Chops; Sweet Potato and Sausage Casserole;
and Cranberry Beet Cake with Orange Walnut Glaze, "Field to Fork" will prove to be an
enduringly favorite for any personal, family, or community library cookbook collection!
One Yummy Mummy: Family Food Made Easy
Jolene Cox
Orpen Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781786050625, $22.00, PB, 244pp, www.amazon.com
We all want to serve healthy home-cooked meals to our families, but finding the time, inspiration
and energy to do this can be difficult. In her debut cookbook, "One Yummy Mummy: Family
Food Made Easy", Jolene Cox inspires family chefs by sharing 105 easy-to-make recipes that
include such favorites such as chicken curry in a hurry, healthy pot noodles and herby beef and
onion pie. "One Yummy Mummy: Family Food Made Easy" is a unique and thoroughly 'user
friendly' cookbook in that all food images were taken by Jolene in her own kitchen, with no fancy
lighting or trickery. The food really speaks for itself, while Jolene's bubbling vitality and
down-to-earth personality jumps off every culinary page. A delight to browse through and
inspiring to plan menus with, "One Yummy Mummy: Family Food Made Easy" is a very highly
recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.
The Business Shelf
Startup Money Made Easy
Maria Aspan
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
9781400212248, $19.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
In "Startup Money Made Easy", Maria Aspan (an award-winning business journalist and an
editor-at-large at Inc. magazine where she oversees money coverage and writes about startups,
technology, finance, and gender) gathers the best advice from the magazine's pages, spotlighting
celebrated entrepreneurs and inspiring stories. Here are stories of FUBU founder Daymond John,
who mortgaged his family home for start-up capital and built a $6 billion empire; Makeup artist
Bobbi Brown, who turned a modest lipstick line into a profitable 30-store enterprise; Alexa von
Tobel, who dropped out of Harvard Business School to launch the equity-magnate
LearnVest.com; Mark Cuban, Sallie Krawcheck, Max Levchin, and other founders who
overcame financial obstacles on their way to the top. Interwoven with the stories are on-target
tips that explain how to: Raise your first $10,000 in capital; Power through the lean years; Get
friends and family to back you up; Round up outside investors; Go public or sell, while still
staying in charge; Reward people with great salaries and benefits; Eliminate tax season surprises:
Grow without growing pains -- and so more! Exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, "Startup Money Made Easy" is comprehensive, inspiring, and real world practical
instructional guide and reference that is unreservedly recommended for community and academic
library Business Management collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
business students, entrepreneurs, corporate managers, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Startup Money Made Easy" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio,
9781978671461, $24.99, CD).
Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained
Delmar C. Gillette
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781683508595, $9.95, PB, 102pp, www.amazon.com
"Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained: If, How, and When to Tax Money from Crowdfunding"
tackles head on the current version of using a "crowd" to raise funds for a charitable project, a
business concept, or an idea for a toy or tool or other device. Most taxpayers are not
knowledgeable about if or when the proceeds (income) they receive from crowdfunding efforts
are taxable. "Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained" is specifically designed to explain to non-
specialist general readers how and why they could be taxable, along with presenting several
true-to-life illustrations and related concepts. Exceptionally well organized and presented,
"Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained" is a comprehensive, slender, pocket-sized little instruction
manual and reference that is unreservedly recommended for community, corporate, and academic
library Business Management collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.45).
The Fiction Shelf
On A Particular Service
David Donachie
Charwood Large Pring
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444839258, $35.00, HC, Large Print, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Set in 1796, "On A Particular Service" is the story of Lieutenant John Pearce, an American who
is going home aboard a hospital ship crammed with human cargo. But added to the difficulties of
insufficient ballast to match the heavy swells of the Mediterranean in midwinter, Pearce must
also avoid capture by an Algerine warship. His problems soon mount when in attempting to steer
his disparate band of friends, the Pelicans, clear of being pressed into service aboard a British
frigate, the group risk being hanged for desertion once home. By cunning and bluff, Pearce seeks
to protect his friends, but his troubled love life with Emily suffers. In a whirlwind of action, there
are forged wills, devious trades, contrived murders and dangerous spy missions, with so much
deceit that Pearce does not know who to trust. All he can hope to do is survive. A deftly crafted
novel of adventure with a great many unexpected plot twists and turns, this large print edition of
"On A Particular Service" is an impressively entertaining read from cover to cover and
unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Historical Action/Adventure
collections.
The Captain's Girl
Nicola Pryce
Magna Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780750546775, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 444pp, www.amazon.com
In 1793, as the French Revolution threatens the stability of England, so too is discontent brewing
in the heart of Celia Cavendish. Promised to the brutal Viscount Vallenforth, she must find a way
to break free. Inspired by her cousin Arbella, who followed her heart and eloped with the man
she loved, she vows to escape her impending marriage. Celia enlists the help of her neighbors,
Sir James and Lady Polcarrow, to make a new life for herself. But can the Polcarrows' mysterious
friend Arnaud, captain of the cutter L'Aigrette, protect Celia from a man who will let nothing
stand in his way? And will Arnaud himself be friend or foe? An inherently absorbing and
unfailingly entertaining historical romance novel, this large print edition of "The Captain's Girl"
by Nicola Pryce is certain to be an immediate and popular addition to personal reading lists and
community library Historical Romance collections.
The Western Fiction Shelf
The Last Warrior
W. Michael Farmer
Five Star Publishing
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432849955, $25.95, HC, 386pp, www.amazon.com
The third title in W. Michael Farmer's simply outstanding 'Mescalero Apache' series, "The Last
Warrior, The Life and Times of Yellow Boy" continues the powerful story of the Mescalero
Apaches and their fight for tribal survival against determined ignorance from autocratic
government overseers, countering attacks from those misusing their supernatural powers, and
choosing sides in White Eye conflicts. Yellow Boy, the last warrior, stands in the turmoil helping
to save his tribal culture, destroying a witch seeking blood vengeance, and bringing justice to an
American crime. A work of fiction that pays impressive attention to historical detail, "The Last
Warrior" is a riveting read from cover to cover and very highly recommended as an addition to
community library Western Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists of
dedicated western fans that "The Last Warrior" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.99).
Lone Star Silver
Jackson Cole
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785415630, $35.50, PB, Large Print
A wave of lawlessness hits the silver-rich Tamarra Hills of Texas, including the deaths of two
Texas Rangers. Now Texas Ranger "Lone Wolf" Jim Hatfield must face down deadly foes in
order to restore peace, but whom can he trust? The largest rancher in the valley with political
ambitions, or the misshapen dwarf with the face and voice of an Adonis? Then there is the one
hundred strong army of outlaws fully equipped with the latest long range rifles under the
leadership of the Mexican bandit Cartina. Author Jackson Cole has penned a truly riveting
western novel that, in this large print edition, is especially commended for both the personal
reading lists of all dedicated western fans and community library Western Action/Adventure
collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Chocolate Cream Pie Murder
Joanne Fluke
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496718860, $27.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
When The Cookie Jar becomes the setting of a star-studded TV special about movies filmed in
Minnesota, Hannah hopes to shine the spotlight on her bakery -- and not the unsavory scandal
swirling around her personal life. But that's practically impossible with a disturbing visit from the
shifty character she once believed was her one and only love, a group of bodyguards following
her every move, and a murder victim in her bedroom. Now, swapping the crime scene in her
condo for her mother Delores's penthouse, Hannah and an old flame team up to solve a case that's
messier than an upended chocolate cream pie. As suspects emerge and secrets hit close to home,
Hannah must serve a hefty helping of justice to an unnamed killer prowling around Lake Eden
before someone takes a slice out of her! Another deftly scripted and inherently compelling read
from first page to last, "Chocolate Cream Pie Murder" showcases author Joanne Fluke's knack
for narrative storytelling and impressive gift for presenting her readers with more plot twists and
turns than a Coney Island roller coaster. While very highly recommended as an addition to
community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of all dedicated mystery buffs that the "Chocolate Cream Pie Murder" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
The Dance Shelf
Appreciating Dance, fifth edition
Harriet Lihs
Princeton Book Company
614 Route 130, Highstown, NJ 08520
www.dancehorizons.com
9780871273956, $39.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a fully updated and significantly revised fifth edition with new information, including
suggestions for YouTube viewing at the end of each chapter, "Appreciating Dance: A Guide to
the World's Liveliest Art" by Harriet Lihs (who was an Associate Professor of Dance at Lamar
University, Beaumont, Texas) and the editorial staff of Dance Horizons is a thorough and
accurate history of various forms of dance, analyzing everything from social dance, and ballet to
modern dance, tap, jazz, theatrical dance and contemporary dance. In it readers will find: a brief
biography of notable dancers and choreographers; information needed to expand the enjoyment
of performance; the intersection of dance and religion; the history of dance through the beginning
of the 21st century; and budding dance trends. Impressively informed and informative, illustrated
with black/white photography, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Appreciating Dance" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to the personal
reading lists of all dance enthusiasts, as well as community and academic library Dance History
collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Military Shelf
Command: The Twenty-First-Century General
Anthony King
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781108476409, $79.99, HC, 504pp, www.amazon.com
In the wake of the troubled campaigns in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, military decision-making
appears to be in crisis and generals have been subjected to intense and sustained public criticism.
Taking these interventions as a starting point, in the pages of "Command: The
Twenty-First-Century General", Anthony King (Chair of War Studies in the Politics and
International Studies Department at Warwick University) deftly examines the transformation of
military command in the twenty-first century. Focusing on the army division, Professor King
argues that a phenomenon of collective command is developing. In the twentieth century,
generals typically directed and led operations personally, monopolising decision-making. They
commanded individualistically, even heroically. As operations have expanded in range and
scope, decision-making has multiplied and diversified. As a result command is becoming
increasingly professionalized and collaborative. Through interviews with many leading generals
and vivid ethnographic analysis of divisional headquarters, Professor King provides a unique
insight into the transformation of command in western armies. An exceptionally well organized
and presented work of scholarship and analysis, "Command: The Twenty-First-Century General"
is an impressively thoughtful and thought-provoking read and will prove to be an enduringly
valued contribution to community, governmental, college, and university library Contemporary
Military Science collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, military policy makers, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "Command: The Twenty-First-Century General" is also
available in a paperback edition (9781108700276, $25.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$21.00).
Leathernecks
Merrill L. Bartlett & Jack Sweetman
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9781591145967, $55.00, PB, 504pp, www.amazon.com
"Leathernecks: An Illustrated History of the United States Marine Corps" combines a lively,
well-researched narrative with a generous selection of illustrations, many in color, and numerous
maps to provide a topically and chronologically balanced history of the U.S. Marine Corps from
its inception to the present day. The combination of a wealth of art, a substantial text, and a
balanced perspective make the work unique in the literature of the Corps. Many of its
illustrations have never before been published or have appeared only in black and white. The
history of the American Marine Corps is one of the greatest military success stories of all
time."Leathernecks" details how and why a force that throughout the first century of its existence
seldom exceeded the strength of an infantry regiment eventually attained a strength greater than
that of many armies and developed what is arguably the world's most potent military mystique.
Because the history of any institution is the product of the actions of the individuals who
comprise it, we have included cameos of some of the individuals who made exceptional
contributions to the Corps' rich heritage. Exceptionally well researched, written, organized and
presented, "Leathernecks" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, community, college, and university library American Military History collections and
supplemental studies reading lists.
The Judicial Studies Shelf
Zero Tolerance
Wendy S. Lazar, editor
American Bar Association
321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60610
https://www.americanbar.org
9781641050722, $49.95, PB, 92pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by Wendy S. Lazar (who is a partner at Outten & Golden LLP in New York
where she practices in many areas of employment law with a focus on executive agreements,
including retention, expatriate, non-competition, talent, severance, and compensation
arrangements), "Zero Tolerance: Best Practices for Combating Sex-Based Harassment in the
Legal Profession" is a comprehensive update to the ABA Commission on Women in the
Profession's previous sexual harassment material. The primary goal of this manual is to provide
all too necessary tools to legal organizations and victims of harassment and bullying. It strives to
enhance our common understanding of workplace abuse and expand it to include non-sexual
abusive behavior, while introducing protections for individuals with a range of sexual
orientations, genders, and racial and ethnic identities. Exceptionally well organized and
presented, "Zero Tolerance" is a timely and unreservedly recommended addition to professional,
law firm, college, and university library Judicial Studies collections and supplemental studies
lists.
The Baron and the Marquis
John D. Bessler
Carolina Academic Press
700 Kent Street, Durham, NC 27701
www.cap-press.com
9781531013059, $65.00, PB, 540pp, www.amazon.com
"The Baron and the Marquis: Liberty, Tyranny, and the Enlightenment Maxim That Can Remake
American Criminal Justice" by John D. Bessler (Associate Professor of Law, University of
Baltimore School of Law, and Adjunct professor, Georgetown University Law Center) explores
the history of the maxim that articulates what is now known as the parsimony principle. That
maxim shaped the American and French Revolutions, and it set the dividing line between tyranny
and liberty. Jefferson believed only absolute necessity justified punishment, and the French
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) similarly allowed only strictly and
obviously necessary punishments. In "The Baron and the Marquis", Professor Bessler shows the
maxim's modern-day implications for capital punishment, prolonged solitary confinement, and
mass incarceration, arguing that unnecessary punishments are excessive and cruel and unusual.
An extraordinary work of seminal scholarship, "The Baron and the Marquis" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library collections. It should
be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers
that "The Baron and the Marquis" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $52.00).
The American History Shelf
A History of Private Policing in the United States
Wilbur R. Miller
Bloomsbury Academic
c/o Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781472533364, $114.00, HC, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Private law enforcement and order maintenance have usually been seen as working against or
outside of state authority. "A History of Private Policing in the United States" by Wilbur R.
Miller (Professor of History at Stony Brook University) surveys private policing since the 1850s
to the present, arguing that private agencies have often served as a major component of authority
in America as an auxiliary of the state. Professor Miller defines private policing broadly to
include self-defense, stand your ground laws, and vigilantism, as well as private detectives,
security guards and patrols from gated community security to the Guardian Angels. He also
covers the role of detective agencies in controlling labor organizing through spies, guards and
strikebreakers. "A History of Private Policing in the United States" is essentially an overview
integrating various components of private policing to place its history in the context of the
development of the American state. A work of seminal and erudite scholarship, "A History of
Private Policing in the United States" is an extraordinary study that is enhanced for academia
with the inclusion of thirty-four pages of Notes, a six page Selected Bibliography, and a fifteen
page Index. While especially and unreservedly recommended for college and university library
American Law Enforcement History collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should
be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "A History of Private Policing in the United States" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $82.08).
New Mexico Historical Chronology: From the Beginning
Don Bullis
Rio Grande Books
925 Salamanca NW, Los Ranchos, NM 87107
www.riograndebooks.com
9781943681419, $68.95, HC, 1028pp, www.amazon.com
"New Mexico Historical Chronology: From the Beginning" is the ideal starting place for anyone
seeking to learn about the New Mexico of yesteryear. The succinctly concise entries provide
solid information drawn several sources for his entries that are perfect jumping-off spots for
further research. A comprehensive encyclopedia of New Mexico history that is deftly laid out
chronologically will prove to be an enduringly valued and comprehensive volume that is more
than just an assemblage of cited facts and biographical summaries, it is an inherently interesting
read for history buffs with an interest in New Mexican history. While unreservedly
recommended, especially for community, college, and university library American History
collections in general, and New Mexico History studies curriculums in particular, it should be
noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "New Mexico Historical Chronology: From the Beginning" is also
available in a paperback edition (9781943681211, $58.95).
The World History Shelf
A Narrow Sea
Jonathan Bardon
Gill Books
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9780717180592, $41.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
"A Narrow Sea: The Irish-Scottish Connection in 120 Episodes" by the eminent Irish historian
Jonathan Bardon (a former lecturer in history at queen university Belfast), is the first history of
the special relationship between Ireland and Scotland and is based on his BBC Ulster Radio
series. "A Narrow Sea" deftly traces the epic sweep of Ireland's relationship with Scotland,
exploring the myriad connections, correlations, personalities and antagonisms that have, over the
centuries, defined the relationship between these two spirited neighbors. In 120 brief, episodic
chapters, "A Narrow Sea" offers a stirring and panoramic view of a connection that has shaped
the course of history. Roving freely across the centuries, from the first migrations of the regions'
paleolithic tribes and their encounters with Greek and Roman explorers, to the grand colonial
projects of the Vikings, Normans and Stuarts, "A Narrow Sea" is the story of how a shared
culture laid the basis for two very different nations. A fascinating, informative, and exceptional
history, "A Narrow Sea" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
history collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Narrow Sea" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Jews in Medicine
Ronald L. Eisenberg, MD, JD, DSIS
Urim Publications
c/o KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655243000, $34.95, HC, 464pp, www.amazon.com
Requiring no specialized medical or Jewish knowledge to appreciate this book, "Jews in
Medicine: Contributions to Health and Healing Through the Ages" by Dr. Ronald L. Eisenberg
(Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School and a radiologist at the Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center) documents the fascinating history of medical contributions made by
Jewish physicians throughout the ages. Profiles of more than 450 individual Jewish physicians
are divided by region and area of specialization, all within a historical context ranging from
Talmudic times to the modern era, and from Islamic and Christian lands to the spread of Jewish
communities in Europe after the Spanish Inquisition. The large section devoted to the modern era
focuses on European and American physicians, including the substantial number of Jewish Nobel
Prize winners in the field. "Jews in Medicine" concludes with a description of physicians who
were leaders in the Zionist movement and those who contributed to the development of medicine
in the State of Israel. A unique and impressively informative contribution to Jewish History in
general, and the History of Medicine in particular, "Jews in Medicine" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library collections
and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Civil War Shelf
A Burned Land
Robert R. Laven
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476675589, $35.00, PB, 194pp, www.amazon.com
Often neglected by contemporary historians, the actions in Missouri and Kansas had an important
influence on the course of the Civil War, with profound effects for the communities and people
in the region. In "A Burned Land: The Trans-Mississippi in the Civil War", Robert R. Laven (a
military veteran and retired Department of Defense Intelligence analyst) focuses on the
experiences of the soldiers, officers and civilians on both sides. Outside of Virginia and
Tennessee, Missouri was perhaps the most hotly contested territory during the war. "A Burned
Land" brings to life the events in the region that contributed to the internecine strife in the
Western Theater. The fighting in Missouri culminated with an expedition that re-wrote the books
on tactics and the use of mounted infantry. An impressively informative and exceptionally well
written contribution to the growing library of American Civil War histories, "A Burned Land"
with its meticulous attention to historical detail will prove to be a welcome and valued addition
to community and academic library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading list of
students, academia, and Civil War buffs that "A Burned Land" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $18.99).
The Photography Shelf
Athens Twice Seen
Richard W. Moore
Peter E. Randall Publisher
www.perpublisher.com
9781942155195, $28.00, PB, 80pp, www.amazon.com
Early in the 2000s, photographer Richard Moore began making "twice-seen" images, with
vintage and contemporary photographs, merging surrealism and history. "Athens Twice Seen"
features combined photographs of historic monuments and areas of Athens, and was sponsored
by The Hellenic American College and the NH Institute of Art. An inherently fascinating volume
of period and contemporary photographic images that is very highly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and academic library Photography collections, "Athens Twice Seen"
could well serve as an original and unreservedly recommended template for similar photographic
exercises featuring other landmark areas of cultural and civic history.
The Library Science Shelf
Digital Archives
Milena Dobreva, editor
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783301140, $129.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by Milena Dobreva (Associate Professor in Library and Information Studies
at UCL Qatar), "Digital Archives: Management, Access And Use" is a seminal collection of nine
articles by erudite contributors that offers a wide-ranging overview of how rapid technological
changes and the push for providing wide access to digitized cultural heritage holdings are
changing the landscape of archives. "Digital Archives" which will help the aspiring and seasoned
librarians alike to understand the drivers for change in archives and their implications.
Reassessment of the role of archives in the digital environment will serve to develop critical
approaches to current trends in the broader heritage sector, including cultural industries
experimenting with sustainable business models for cultural production, digitization of analogue
cultural heritage, and the related IPR issues surrounding the re-use of digital objects and data for
research, education, advocacy and art. The contributors also present state-of-the-art solutions in
building digital archives on networked infrastructure, trusted digital repositories to ensure
long-term access, and tools to serve emerging needs in digital humanities. "Digital Archives" is
especially relevant reading for digital archivists and practitioners involved in the design and
support of digital archives; professionals and researchers involved in projects working with
digital archival materials; students in library, information and archive studies. While "Digital
Archives" is especially and unreservedly recommended for public, private, academic, and
governmental library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of student
librarians, library staff members, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Digital Archives" is also available in a paperback edition (9781856049344, $79.28).
The Parenting Shelf
Adopting Hope
Lorri Antosz Benson
Familius
1254 Commerce Way, Sanger, CA 93657
www.familius.com
9781641700368, $16.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
All My Children actress Jill Larson moved mountains as a single mother to adopt her daughter
from China. George Fadok, a former Navy commander, grappled with "changing the rules"
eighteen years after placing his daughter in a closed adoption. Angela Paxton, wife of the Texas
attorney general and an adoptee, never thought she would ever meet her birthmom, but when she
did, it changed her life. With insights from all three adoption triad viewpoints, "Adopting Hope"
shares a wealth of lessons learned and tips for every person contemplating an adoption journey
including: How to have the courage to adopt; How to decide on an open vs. a closed adoption;
How to handle a foreign adoption; How to survive the agonizing wait to become parents; How to
tell your adopted child "the story"; How to make your adopted child feel loved; How to negotiate
a relationship with your child's birth parents; How to help your child work through feelings of
loneliness or rejection; How to dispel negative attitudes you will encounter about adoption; And
so much more, including suggestions from birthparents and adoptees! An informative and
inherently inspiring read from cover to cover, "Adopting Hope" should be considered critically
important (and inspiring) reading for anyone contemplating or in the process of adopting a child,
either here at home or abroad. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Adopting Hope"
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
The Story of Lee, volume 3
Sean Michael Wilson and Piarelle
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
c/o Independent Publishers Group (dist.)
www.ipgbook.com
9781681121956 $11.99 amazon.com
The final black-and-white graphic novel in a complex trilogy set in modern times, The Story of
Lee, volume 3 is about two college students: Lee, a young woman from Hong Kong studying in
Britain, and Matt, a British native. The two have fallen in deeply love, but they each have
different visions for the future. Matt dreams of joining a band and hitting the road, while Lee is
focused on obtaining her degree. Is the rift between Lee and Matt irreparable? Another Chinese
student takes a romantic interest in Lee, and trouble brews back in Hong Kong when Lee's father
becomes unable to work - will Lee have to leave her independent life in the UK to return home
and help her mother? An emotionally moving tale with three-dimensional characters, The Story
of Lee is highly recommended.
Marvel Powers of a Girl
Lorraine Cink, author
Alice X. Zhang, illustrator
Marvel Press
c/o Disney Hyperion
www.disneyhyperionbooks.com
9781368025263, $16.99, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
The late Stan Lee's Marvel Universe is a place where the personalities, powers, and straight-up
legends of countless heroic women have captured readers enthusiasm and allegiance for
generations. "Marvel Powers of a Girl" Lorraine Cink is a unique and perfect start (or addition) to
any Marvel fan's collection! Using her in-depth knowledge and passion for Super Heroes, Cink
explores the lives of the exceptional and diverse women of the Marvel Universe. Filled with
inspirational lessons and clever observations, each section digs into what these relatable women
can teach us all about growth, bravery, and the true meaning of strength. Paired with over one
hundred original, vibrant, and emotive illustrations from the talented Alice X. Zhang, "Marvel
Powers of a Girl" deftly balances the responsibility and the fun the comes with being a hero.
Impressively organized and presented, "Marvel Powers of a Girl" will prove to be an especially
popular addition to community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of dedicated Marvel fans that "Marvel Powers of a Girl" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $10.99).
The Audiobook Shelf
Bending Toward Justice
Doug Jones with Greg Truman, authors
Read by Doug Jones
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250316479 $44.99 amazon.com
Alabama senator Doug Jones, presents Bending Toward Justice: The Birmingham Church
Bombing that Changed the Course of Civil Rights, now available in an unabridged audiobook
rendition. The title refers to a famous quote by Martin Luther King Jr.: "The arc of the moral
universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Here is the true story behind the racially motivated
bombing of a black church, a crime that killed four girls. The FBI closed the case in the 1960s
without indictments, due to reluctant witnesses, a lack of physical evidence, and extensive racial
prejudice. Years later, Alabama Attorney general William Baxley reopened the case, and
convicted one of the bombers in 1977. Another bomber passed away in 1994, and author Doug
Jones (then a U.S. Attorney) tried and convicted the final two in 2001 and 2002. A dramatic saga
about the long-running struggle to bring judgement to murderers, Bending Toward Justice is
utterly compelling. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library audiobook
collections. 12 CDs, 15 hours.
The Book of No, updated
Susan Newman, PhD with Cristina Schreil, authors
Read by Virginia Wolf
HighBridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
https://highbridgeaudio.com
9781684419517 $29.99 amazon.com
Now in an updated edition adapted to unabridged audiobook format, The Book of No: 365 Ways
to Say It and Mean It - and Stop People-Pleasing Forever is a guide by social psychologist Dr.
Susan Newman to taking control of one's life. How can one say "no" to endless demands at work,
from friends or family, or even from pushy salespeople, without feeling guilty or harming
relationships? Here are strategies for recognizing manipulation, avoiding overwork, and
improving quality of life. Establishing strong boundaries can strengthen friendships, and ensure
that one has the energy to be there for family or children when most needed. The Book of No is
highly recommended for both personal and public library audiobook collections. 6 CDs, 7
hours.
The Environment: A History of the Idea
Paul Warde, Libby Robin, and Sverker Sorlin, authors
Read by Henrietta Meire
HighBridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
https://highbridgeaudio.com
9781684419159 $29.99 amazon.com
The Environment: A History of the Idea is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a studious,
intellectual history about the emergence of the concept of "the environment" in modern scientific,
economic, and political discourse. Chapters recount the how the phrase "the environment" gained
such importance in the period following World War II, a time when mankind's capability for
untold devastation became all too clear, as did the need for global order and conservation. Thus
did the terminology to express, and even dispute the environmental crisis evolve. The
Environment: A History of the Idea is a seminal and invaluable addition to public and college
library audiobook collections, highly recommended. 6 CDs, 7 1/2 hours.
Domina
Guy De La Bedoyre, author
Julian Elfer, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com/new-releases.html
9781515940555, $29.99, CD, www.amazon.com
Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero -- these are the names history usually
associates with the rise of the early Roman Empire. Yet, not a single one of these emperors was
the blood son of his predecessor and depended on female lineages in their attempts to create
dynasties. In "Domina: The Women Who Made Imperial Rome" we are treated to a truly
fascinating, detailed, captivating history by Guy De La Bedoyre a prominent scholar whose
studies have specialized in the history of the Roman Empire. Drawing up the records of the era,
"Domina" documents the Julio-Claudian women whose bloodline, ambition, and ruthlessness
made it possible for the emperors' line to continue. "Domina" asserts that the women behind the
scenes-including Livia, Octavia, and the elder and younger Agrippina-were the true backbone of
the dynasty. Gy De la Bedoyere draws on the accounts of ancient Roman historians to revisit a
familiar time from a completely fresh vantage point. Expertly narrated by Julian Elfer, this
complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Domina" is an inherently fascinating and
impressively presented study of dynastic power and gender interplay in ancient Rome. (12.5
Hours, 11 CDs).
I.M.: A Memoir
Written and read by Isaac Mizrahi
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781427274649 $39.99 amazon.com
Written and read by acclaimed fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, I.M.: A Memoir describes the life
of a creative genius in his own words. The gay son of a Syrian Jewish Orthodox family, Mizrahi's
exceptional talent for creating eye-catching clothing designs manifested at a young age, and led
him to high fashion and celebrity circles - his path crossed those of Audrey Hepburn, Meryl
Streep, Oprah Winfrey, and many more. Here are Mizrahi's true-life tales of cabaret
performances; his lifelong struggle to maintain a healthy weight; his efforts to cope with
insomnia and depression; the difficulties of being an openly gay man during decades when
homophobia was widely rampant; reflections on the AIDS epidemic that exacted a devastating
toll upon the gay community; glimpses into the lives of the rich and famous; and universal,
emotional truths. I.M.: A Memoir is an unforgettable whirlwind of a life story, highly
recommended. It should be noted that I.M.: A Memoir is also available in a hardcover edition
from Flatiron Books (9781250074089, $28.99) and a Kindle edition ($14.99).
The Library CD Shelf
Starlight Dreams
Karen Biehl
Maestra Music
maestramusica.com
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Starlight Dreams: Etudes for Piano is a heart-touching, instrumental album of new age solo piano
compositions crafted to promote relaxation. The sparkling soundscape calls to the listener,
encouraging them to search out and journey toward their goals. A treasure for personal and
public library collections, Starlight Dreams is highly recommended. The tracks are
"Awakenings", "Invocation", "Union", "Meditation on a Moonlit Lake", "Chanson Des Vents",
"On Angel Wings", "The Journey", "Raindrops", "Starlight Waltz", "Promenade", "Aurumn
Amble", "The Beginning", and "Meditation on a Moonlit Lake (Full Version)".
Reflection
Shoshana Michel
www.ShoshanaMusic.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Reflection is the fourth solo piano CD by Shoshan Michel, and embodies her own journey to
know herself as a composer and confront life's challenges head-on. The music carres the
inevitable force of an ocean current, and reflects the full gamut of life's emotions. Reflection is a
choice pick for connoisseurs, highly recommended for both personal and public library
collections, and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are "A New Day Today", "Shooting
Stars", "Finding Bliss", "Soothing the Tempest Within", "Bittersweet", "Island in the Mist", "The
Moon's Lament", "In a Time Lapse", "Forever and a Day", "Labyrinth", and "Through the Eyes of
a Child". 47 min., 6 sec.
Cappadocia
Jeff Johnson and Phil Keaggy
Ark Records, Inc.
arkmusic.com
$14.99 CD / $7.92 MP3 amazon.com
Cappadocia is an instrumental music CD, inspired by an area in central Turkey where colorful
soil has eroded into graceful, steep cliffs and rock spires known as "fairy chimneys". This land
was once a refuge for Christians seeking to practice their faith in peace, especially during the first
few centuries after their religion came into being. The album Cappadocia seeks to capture its
namesake's timeless beauty and spirituality, combining new age music with inflections from
world music. Acoustic and electric guitar master Phil Keaggy and keyboardist Jeff Johnson have
woven a soundscape enriched with contributions from a vast medley of additional influences,
from flute to Spanish-style acoustics, a Turkish chumbus, fretless bass, ukulele and much more.
Cappadocia is a unique, reflective treasure, highly recommended to connoisseurs of visionary
soundscapes. The tracks are "Cappadocia", "Quo Vadis (Where Are You Going)?", "Valley of
Swords and Roses", "Parousia (A Presence)", "That Which Is Hidden", "Chapel of Stone", "Dove
Visions", and "Trinity". 52 min., 21 sec.
The Library DVD Shelf
New Mexico Ancestral Pueblo People & Fort Union
Bennet Watt HD Productions, Inc.
www.Bennett-Watt.com
9781604902167 $24.95
Part of the Discoveries... America National Parks series of high-definition video essay
documentaries about the stunning, scenic, and historic American locations that the National Park
Service exists to protect, New Mexico Ancestral Pueblo People & Fort Union is a DVD
showcasing ancient ruins and communities once inhabited by Ancestral Pueblo People in New
Mexico, among a wealth of other notable locations: Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier
National Monument, the Fort Union National Monument (originally established on the Santa Fe
Trail as a garrison and supply depot), and much more. The wondrous scenery of New Mexico
captivates the imagination, in this beautiful and educational treasure, highly recommended
especially for public library collections and armchair travelers. 57 min.
Tracking Edith
A film by Peter Stephan Jungk
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
Tracking Edith is a documentary about the double life of filmmaker Peter Jungk's great-aunt,
Edith Tudor-Hart. Edith was a skilled photographer - and also a KGB spy, who made history by
brokering the introduction between Kim Philby and Soviet agent Arnold Deutsch, enabling the
espionage of Britain's most notorious double agent and the core of the Cambridge Five spy ring.
Assembled twenty years after Edith's passing with aid from military historians, photo archivists,
ex-KGB agents, and members of Edith's family, Tracking Edith is a true-life spy story that
transfixes the viewer to the very end. Highly recommended! 92 min.
Hot to Trot
A film by Gail Freedman
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
Hot to Trot is an award-winning documentary on DVD about the world of same-sex competitive
ballroom dance. Mainstream competitive ballroom dance is known for its rigid gender roles: all
couples must have one man and one woman, and only the man is allowed to lead. Independent,
same-sex dance competitions arose to defy these rules. Hot to Trot follows four charismatic men
and women on and off the dance floor, as they prepare themselves for the quadrennial Gay
Games. The power of dance as a road to overcome personal difficulties, ranging from drug
addiction to estrangement from one's family, is also explored in this breathtaking revelation that
the beauty, joy, and proud self-expression of dance need not be limited to heterosexual pairing or
traditional gender roles. 88 min.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Return of the Wolf: Conflict and Coexistence
Paula Wild
Douglas & McIntyre
c/o Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
9781771622066, $32.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Wolves were once common throughout North America and Eurasia. But by the early twentieth
century, bounties and organized hunts had drastically reduced their numbers. Today, the wolf is
returning to its ancestral territories, and the "coywolf" (a smaller, bolder wolf-coyote hybrid) is
becoming more common. In "Return of the Wolf: Conflict and Coexistence", author Paula Wild
gathers first-hand accounts of encounters with wolves and consults with wildlife experts for
suggestions on how minimize conflict, respond to aggressive wolves and coexist with the apex
predator. Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Return
of the Wolf: Conflict and Coexistence" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a four
page Appendix (Wolf Safety Checklist), a six page listing of Selected Sources, and a seven page
Index, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, college, and university library Contemporary Wildlife collections in general, and
Wolf Ecology supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
The Art Shelf
Creating Beauty
Rosalie Berberian
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road,. Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764357466, $59.99, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Rosalie Berberian, recognized as an authority on the silver, jewelry, and art enamels of the
American Arts & Crafts Movement, was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by the
National Conference of Arts & Crafts in 2008 for her pioneering work. In "Creating Beauty:
Jewelry and Enamels of the American Arts & Crafts Movement" she draws upon her years of
experience and expertise to showcase more than 530 beautifully photographed examples of
jewelry and art-enamel work and presents the first comprehensive study of the work and aesthetic
vision of the American Arts & Crafts Movement. The lives and art of the era's top craftsmen (84
jewelers, enamelists, and metalsmiths) are explained with careful consideration to the contexts
and influences that shaped them. The belief that beauty should be part of everyday life was
paramount in the design reform movements of the early 20th century. Dozens of creators are
featured here, including Josephine Hartwell Shaw, Frank Gardner Hale, Robert Riddle Jarvie, the
Kalo Shop, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and the Roycroft. Although jewelry and enamel work pieces
received appreciative critical acclaim in that period, during today's revival of interest in the US
Arts & Crafts movement, they have attracted scant attention from art historians. This simply
outstanding collection is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and
community library collections. It will prove to be an enduringly valuable resource for collectors,
historians, academicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
The Technology Shelf
Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering, third edition
Anil Kumar & Rakesh K. Gupta
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781498759502, $139.95, HC, 616pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, "Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering" by
Anil Kumar (who has been Professor of Chemical Engineering at IIT Kanpur since 1980 and
serves as a consultant for RS Enterprises, Kanpur, India) and Rakesh K. Gupta (who is the
George B. & Carolyn A. Berry Professor and Department Chair of Chemical Engineering at West
Virginia University, where he has been teaching since 1981) explores the chemistry of synthesis,
mechanisms of polymerization, reaction engineering of step-growth and chain-growth
polymerization, polymer characterization, thermodynamics and structural, mechanical, thermal
and transport behavior of polymers as melts, solutions and solids. "Fundamentals of Polymer
Engineering" also covers essential concepts and breakthroughs in reactor design and polymer
production and processing. It contains modern theories and real-world examples for a clear
understanding of polymer function and development. Additionally, "Fundamentals of Polymer
Engineering" addresses new materials, applications, processing techniques, and interpretations of
data in the field of polymer science. It discusses the conversion of biomass and coal to plastics
and fuels, the use of porous polymers and membranes for water purification, and the use of
polymeric membranes in fuel cells. Recent developments are brought to light in detail, and there
are new sections on the improvement of barrier properties of polymers, constitutive equations for
polymer melts, additive manufacturing and polymer recycling. An ideal textbook that specifically
commended for senior undergraduate students and first year graduate students in polymer
engineering and science courses, as well as professional engineers, scientists, and chemists,
"Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering" provides examples and problems that are included at the
end of each chapter for concept reinforcement. While unreservedly recommended for corporate,
college and university library Polymer Technology collections and supplemental studies lists, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering" is also
available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $46.36).
The International Studies Shelf
Afghanistan At Peace
Sandra Miller Ross & Edward S. Ross
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
9781644280164, $50.00, HC, 192pp, www.rarebirdbooks.com
In 1970, the prominent entomologist Ed Ross and his wife Sandy were on a legitimate scientific
expedition abroad that focused on achieving a significant scientific result, i.e., to find and
identify a special insect, an embiid. Over a period of years, in the course of Ed's research, the
couple had already visited very remote and exotic locales all over the world, including places
many people have never heard of. They had seen people living nearly stone-age lives, witnessed
primitive rites, thrice camped their way across Africa, and Ed never set foot in a hotel during his
yearlong entomological survey of India. But none of this could have prepared them for
Afghanistan. As world-traveled as they were, they found themselves completely surprised and
enthralled by this unique, ancient, and enduring culture. "Afghanistan At Peace" is a
photographic tour-de-force account of what they saw and the people they met. A simply
fascinating browse from first page to last, "Afghanistan At Peace" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library collections, and a 'must
read' for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Afghanistan History &
Culture.
The Holocaust Studies Shelf
Death March Escape
Jack J. Hersch
Frontline Books
www.frontline-books.com
c/o Pen & Sword Books
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526740229 $34.95 hc / $11.49 Kindle amazon.com
Written by the son of the titular Holocaust survivor, Death March Escape: The Remarkable Story
of a Man Who Twice Escaped the Nazi Holocaust tells the true story of Dave Hersch, who twice
escaped the lethal death marches that the Nazis forced on concentration camp prisoners at the end
of World War II. Blending elements of memoir, history, and biography, Death March Escape
portrays the horrifying reality of the Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps, and describe
incredible bids for freedom against all odds. Forty black-and-white photographs and four maps
round out this welcome contribution to public library Holocaust Studies collections.
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