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Library Bookwatch

Volume 14, Number 3 March 2019 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Education Shelf Biography Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Business Shelf Fiction Shelf Western Fiction Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Dance Shelf Military Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Civil War Shelf Photography Shelf Library Science Shelf
Parenting Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Art Shelf Technology Shelf International Studies Shelf
Holocaust Studies Shelf    


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.


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