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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Confessions Of A Bookseller
Shaun Bythell
Profile Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785418211, $31.50, PB, Large Print, 456pp
https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Bookseller-Shaun-Bythell/dp/1785418211
Synopsis: Shaun Bythell is the owner of Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop -- located in
the rural community of Wigtown. But if you think his days are taken up with sorting through rare
and valuable first editions, snoozing by the fire with the latest literary gem, or chatting with
interesting, well-informed readers -- think again. Bookselling, Shaun reveals, is far from the idyll
you might imagine.
Beset by bizarre requests from customers who appear not to know what a book shop is, locked in
an endless struggle with Amazon, the frustrations of computerized online order receiving and
fulfilling, the diverse experiences of going out to people's homes for on-site book buys,
participation in several annual village events, and exasperated by his bin-diving, poultice-making
dramatically opinionated employees, Shaun faithfully records his daily trials and tribulations for
a complete year with a sharp eye and an even sharper wit. "Confessions of a Bookseller" is the
colorfully inside story of a life lived in books ranging from the pleasures of the unexpected find,
to the friendships forged over shared tastes, to the sadness of finishing a really good book -- and
a few really good friendships.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and fully engaging read from cover to cover, "Confessions of
a Bookseller" is a unique and utterly compelling read. Of special note is that in addition to the
daily tallies of Online Orders/Orders Fulfilled, and the daily Total Sales/Total Customers, each
individual month is prefaced with an extended bookshop oriented quote from Augutst Muir, 'The
Intimate Thoughts of John Baxter, Bookseller (Metheun & Co., London 1942) and an extended
commentary by Shuan Bythell on the vagaries, trials and tribulations of owning and operating a
bookstore.
Offering a wealth of invaluable insights for authors and publishers into the bookstore business
today as it is today, and an absolute 'must read' for all dedicated bibliophiles and anyone who has
ever aspired to one day having a used bookstore of their own, this large print edition of
"Confessions of a Bookseller" is an essential addition to any and all community library
collections.
Appropriate: A Provocation
Paisley Rekdal
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9781324003588, $15.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Appropriate-Provocation-Paisley-Rekdal/dp/1324003588
Synopsis: How do we properly define cultural appropriation, and is it always wrong? If we can
write in the voice of another, should we? And if so, what questions do we need to consider
first?
In the pages of "Appropriate: A Provocation", creative writing professor Paisley Rekdal
addresses a young writer to delineate how the idea of cultural appropriation has evolved (and
perhaps calcified) in our political climate. What follows is a penetrating exploration of
fluctuating literary power and authorial privilege, about whiteness and what we really mean by
the term empathy, that examines writers from William Styron to Peter Ho Davies to Jeanine
Cummins. Lucid, reflective, and astute, "Appropriate: A Provocation" presents a generous new
framework for one of the most controversial subjects in contemporary literature.
Critique: An inherently thoughtful and thought-provoking read from cover to cover,
"Appropriate: A Provocation" is especially recommended reading for anyone aspiring to be a
writer of serious literature. A timely and deftly nuanced work that dissects the controversial
debate around cultural appropriation and the literary imagination, "Appropriate: A Provocation"
is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community,
college, and university library Literary Genre History & Criticism and Fiction Writing Reference
collections. It should be noted that "Appropriate: A Provocation" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Paisley Rekdal is the author of ten books of poetry and nonfiction. A former
recipient of Guggenheim and NEA fellowships, she is Distinguished Professor of English at the
University of Utah and is the state of Utah's poet laureate.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Sentence.
Geraldine Woods
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393714814, $29.95, PB, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sentence-Period-Building-Readers-Writers/dp/0393714810
Synopsis: Every English teacher has experienced it: students staring at an empty page, seemingly
paralyzed by a writing assignment. The same is true of almost every novel and professional
writer when faced with a blank computer screen awaiting whatever their writing project was to
be. It's a phenomena popularly referred to as 'Writer's Block'.
When this happens, it may be time to back off from the Big Idea approach to the art of reading
and writing, and zero in on a single sentence.
In "Sentence.: A Period-to-Period Guide to Building Better Readers and Writers", Geraldine
Woods, a master teacher, offers a complete guide to a sentence-level approach to overcoming
Writer's Block. Helping students (and authors) recognize the techniques that make sentences
great is the first step, and there are plenty of examples here from YA novels, TV shows, and song
lyrics as well as the novels, poetry, and nonfiction pieces that form the canon of middle and high
school reading lists.
Lesson plans include activities to introduce the featured element of style; questions to guide
students in their analysis; and writing prompts and activities to spark students' interest and
creativity.
With this Little-to-Big strategy, students (and authors) can move quickly from analysis of the
words between two periods to the universe of ideas of which that sentence is a part.
Critique: A complete course of detailed instruction in a single volume, "Sentence.: A
Period-to-Period Guide to Building Better Readers and Writers" is an extraordinary, effective,
DIY approach to overcoming writer's block and getting started with any form of literary project.
While very highly recommended for community, college, and university library
Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and most especially, aspiring writers, authors, and novelists, that "Sentence.: A
Period-to-Period Guide to Building Better Readers and Writers" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $14.16).
Editorial Note: Geraldine Woods has taught English at every level from fifth grade through
Advanced Placement, most recently at the Horace Mann School. She is the author of numerous
nonfiction books for adults and children, including "25 Great Sentences and How They Got That
Way" (W.W. Norton, 9781324004851, $25.95 HC, $13.64 Kindle).
Self-Publish & Succeed
Julie Broad
Stick Horse Publishing
9781736031506, $15.99, PB, 238pp
https://www.amazon.com/Self-Publish-Succeed-Boring-Writing-Non-Fiction/dp/1736031503
Synopsis: In these days of POD publishing, anyone can write a book. But for those who want to
write a book that people will want or even need to read, it's not as simple as sitting down to write
and then turning your manuscript over to someone else to turn into a book for a fee and then
thinking that the hard part of being a commercially successful author is pretty much done. In fact,
that's one of the biggest mistakes unsuccessful authors make.
Writing a book can be one of the smartest moves for any business success. But you need more
than writing skills to create an impressive book that readers will love. You also need a plan to
market, sell, and leverage your book into a new level of leadership within your industry to reach
your professional goals.
In the pages of "Self-Publish & Succeed: The No Boring Books Way to Writing a Non-Fiction
Book that Sells", self-published author and entrepreneur Julie Broad shows you that writing a
successful nonfiction book starts long before you write your first chapter. To write a book that
boosts your brand, generates a profit, and makes you an influencer in your industry, you need to
give this DIY instruction guide and manual a close and careful reading.
"Self-Publish & Succeed" deftly explains: The reason why you're not finishing your book and
how to overcome it; Why most books are boring, and how to keep yours from being one of them;
Which editors you need to perfect your story and where to find them; The one simple page that
could generate thousands of sales; Seven places to sell your book -- and only one of them is
Amazon.
For writing a money-making non-fiction book that delivers meaningful impact, "Self-Publish &
Succeed" is your ideal step-by-step guide to writing, publishing, and marketing a book that will
get attention, dramatically propel your career as a writer, and change people's lives -- including
your own.
Critique: An impressively detailed compendium of practical advice, invaluable insights into the
writing, publishing, and marketing of books, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Self-Publish & Succeed: The No Boring Books Way to Writing a Non-Fiction
Book that Sells" is a complete course of DIY instructions for aspiring non-fiction authors
wanting to be commercially successful in their efforts. Of special note is the chapter on 'Amazon
Isn't Going to Sell Your Book for You'.
Also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and especially recommended for
personal, professional, community, college, and university library Writing/Publishing
instructional guide and manual collections, "Self-Publish & Succeed: The No Boring Books Way
to Writing a Non-Fiction Book that Sells" is essential reading and unreservedly recommended
reading for any and all non-fiction authors be they novice or experienced.
Editorial Note: Julie Broad, founder of self-publishing services firm Book Launchers and
Amazon Overall #1 Best Selling Author, knows what it takes to be a successful self-published
author. Her previous titles include More than Cashflow and The New Brand You. Through Book
Launchers and her popular YouTube channel, BookLaunchers.TV, she helps subject matter
experts write, publish, and promote nonfiction books.
The Social Issues Shelf
Broke in America
Joanne Samuel Goldblum, author
Colleen Shaddox, author
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781950665464, $26.95, HC, 310pp
https://www.amazon.com/Broke-America-Seeing-Understanding-Poverty/dp/1950665461
Synopsis: Nearly 40 million people in the United States live below the poverty line -- that's about
$26,200 for a family of four. Low-income families and individuals are everywhere, from cities to
rural communities. While poverty is commonly seen as a personal failure, or a deficiency of
character or knowledge -- it's actually more often the result of bad social and economic
policy.
Public policy has purposefully erected barriers that deny access to basic needs, creating a society
where people can easily become trapped -- not because we lack the resources to lift them out, but
because we are actively choosing not to. Poverty is close to inevitable for low-wage workers and
their children, and a large percentage of these people, despite qualifying for it, do not receive
government aid.
"Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending US Poverty" by the team of Joanne
Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox, offers an eye-opening and galvanizing look at life in
poverty in this country: how circumstances and public policy conspire to keep people poor, and
the concrete steps we can take to end poverty for good.
In clear, accessible prose, Goldblum and Shaddox detail the ways the current system is broken
and how it's failing so many of us. They also highlight outdated and ineffective policies that are
causing or contributing to this unnecessary problem.
Every chapter features action items readers can use to combat poverty -- both nationwide and in
our local communities, including the most effective public policies you can support and how to
work hand-in-hand with representatives to affect change.
So far, our attempted solutions have fallen short because they try to "fix" poor people rather than
address the underlying problems. Fortunately, it's much easier to fix policy than people. Essential
and timely given these pandemic driven economic hardtimes, "Broke in America" offers a crucial
road map for securing a brighter post-pandemic future.
Critique: Written for the benefit of economic and governmental policy makers, "Broke in
America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending US Poverty" is thoroughly accessible to the non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of poverty in the United States and what
can be done about it -- especially in the light of the new incoming Biden administration and its
approach to improving economic conditions for the working poor and the middle class. While
unreservedly recommended as an essential addition to community, college, and university library
Social Issues in general, and Contemporary Economic Studies supplemental curriculum lists in
particular. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental policy makers, and political
activists that "Broke in America: Seeing, Understanding, and Ending US Poverty" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note #1: Joanne Samuel Goldblum is CEO and founder of the National Diaper Bank
Network, encompassing more than 200 member organizations that provide diapers and other
basic needs to families across America. In 2018, she founded the Alliance for Period Supplies,
which provides free hygiene products to the one in four people for whom menstruation means
difficulty attending school and work. Joanne has spent her career working with and advocating
for families in poverty. She has written op-eds for Washington Post, US News & World Report,
and HuffPost. In 2007, she was chosen as one of 10 Robert Wood Johnson Community Health
Leaders on the basis of her work to found the New Haven Diaper Bank.
Editorial Note #2: Colleen Shaddox is a print and radio journalist and activist. Her publication
credits include New York Times, Washington Post, National Public Radio, America, and many
more. She left daily newspapers when an editor reprimanded her for "writing too many stories
about poor people" and went to work in a soup kitchen. She has had one foot in journalism and
one in non-profits ever since. In states throughout the country, Colleen has worked on winning
campaigns to get kids out of adult prisons, to end juvenile life without parole, and to limit
shackling in juvenile courts.
The Education Shelf
Designing the Online Learning Experience
Simone C. O. Conceicao, author
Les L. Howles, author
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781620368343, $125.00, HC, 206pp
https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Online-Learning-Experience-Evidence-Based/dp/16203683
4X
Synopsis: "Designing the Online Learning Experience: Evidence-Based Principles and
Strategies" provides instructors with a holistic way of thinking about learners, learning, and
online course design. The distinctive strategies derived from an integrated framework for
designing the online learning experience help create an experience that is more personalized,
engaging, and meaningful for online learners.
The focus of "Designing the Online Learning Experience" is on the learners and the design of
their online learning experiences. The authors, Professor Simone Conceicao and Professor Les
Howles, refer to learning design instead of instructional design, which thereby focuses on
instruction and places the instructor at the center stage of the process. Therefore, the focus is on
approaching a learner's online course experience as a journey consisting of a combination of
learning interactions with content, instructor, and other learners.
In most online courses, instructors and learners are separated in time and space and depend on
technology to facilitate interactions that often lack a strong personal dimension. As online
learning continues to proliferate and mature, the emphasis on simply making content available to
students online is no longer acceptable. Creating online courses now requires a new way of
thinking that incorporates new design ideas and approaches from a variety of fields; it also
requires a new set of learning design skills for instructors and course designers.
Organized into eight chapters, "Designing the Online Learning Experience" focuses on enhancing
online learning experiences for each of the major aspects of an online course, providing
evidence-based principles and strategies to promote learner engagement and deep learning. The
concluding chapter provides an example illustrating a real-world application of the principles and
strategies covered in the book, using Design Thinking to create learning experiences.
"Designing the Online Learning Experience" provides strategies for approaching the learning
experience from an integrative perspective for both experienced online instructors and those new
to online course design. These strategies are based on evidence-based learning design principles
and encourage the reader to adopt an empathic mindset focused on the experience of the
learner.
Critique: Exceptionally informative, impressively organized and presented, "Designing the
Online Learning Experience: Evidence-Based Principles and Strategies" is especially timely
given the current pandemic mandated replacement of traditional schooling with 'distance
learning' from preschool to graduate school. Also available in a paperback edition
(9781620368350, $35.00), and in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.50), "Designing the Online
Learning Experience: Evidence-Based Principles and Strategies" must be considered as an
essential and core addition to school district, college, and university library Contemporary
Teacher Education collections in general, and On-Line Learning supplemental curriculum studies
lists in particular.
Editorial Note #1: Simone C. O. Conceicao is a professor and chair in the Department of
Administrative Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She received her
doctorate in adult and distance education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her
master's in adult and continuing education leadership from the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has authored five books on the topics of online education, adult
learning, online student motivation and support, and faculty workload when teaching online.
Editorial Note #2: Les L. Howles has over 30 years professional experience in distance
education, eLearning, media production, and instructional design. He has held multiple positions
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison including director of Distance Education Professional
Development, team leader for the Learning Solutions group and senior eLearning consultant.
Throughout his career, Howles has developed and taught online courses, designed educational
software, and led groups of professionals in creating innovative learning solutions for education
and training. He has worked in multiple industries including higher education, corporate training,
government, health care, K - 12 and is an independent learning design strategist for Howles
Associates. He serves on the editorial board of eLearn Magazine and has authored and
coauthored numerous articles for professional publications. Howles has been a frequent presenter
at regional, national, and international conferences and directed the Annual Distance Teaching &
Learning Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.
Giving Students a Say
Myron Dueck
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416629801, $30.95, PB, 189pp
https://www.amazon.com/Giving-Students-Say-Assessment-Practices/dp/1416629807
Synopsis: In the pages of "Giving Students a Say: Smarter Assessment Practices to Empower and
Engage", educator and author Myron Dueck draws from his firsthand experience and his work
with districts around the world to provide a simple but profound answer: put student voice and
choice at the center of the process.
In this engaging and well-researched instructional guide and manual, Dueck reveals troubling
issues related to traditional approaches and offers numerous examples of educators at all levels
who are transforming assessment by using tools and methods that engage and empower students.
He also shares surprising revelations about the nature of memory and learning that speak to the
need for rethinking how we measure student understanding and achievement.
Readers will find sound advice and detailed guidance on how to: Share and cocreate precise
learning targets; Develop student-friendly rubrics linked to standards; Involve students in
ongoing assessment procedures; Replace flawed grading systems with ones that better reflect
what students know and can do; Design structures for students' self-reporting on their progress in
learning.
Inspired by the origins of the word assessment (derived from the Latin for "to sit beside") Dueck
urges educators to discard old habits and instead work with students as partners in assessment.
For those who do, the effort is rewarding and the benefits are significant.
Critique: Expertly written, exceptionally well organized, impressively 'user friendly' in
presentation, "Giving Students a Say: Smarter Assessment Practices to Empower and Engage" is
an invaluable and timely contribution to contemporary educational theory and classroom
practices. While unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library
Contemporary Teacher Education collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should
be noted for education students, academia, classroom teachers, school district administrators, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Giving Students a Say: Smarter
Assessment Practices to Empower and Engage" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note: Myron Dueck has worked as a teacher and an administrator for 23 years in
Canada and New Zealand, with students in grades 4 - 12. In 2006, Myron began developing
grading, assessment, and reporting systems with his classes that offer students an increased
opportunity to show what they understand, adapt to the feedback they receive, and play a
significant role in reporting their learning. Myron has been a part of administrative teams, district
groups, school committees, and governmental bodies that have further broadened his access to
innovative ideas. In recent years, Myron has served in an administrative role supporting
assessment and innovation in his local school district, Okanagan-Skaha 67. Myron has shared his
stories, tools, and first-hand experiences with public, charter, and international school educators
throughout the world. Myron is also the author of "Grading Smarter, Not Harder" which is also
published by ASCD.
Mental Health, Substance Use, and Wellbeing in Higher Education
Consensus Study Report
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309124126, $60.00, PB, 212pp
https://www.nap.edu/catalog/26015/mental-health-substance-use-and-wellbeing-in-higher-educat
ion-supporting
Synopsis: Student wellbeing is foundational to academic success. One recent survey of post-
secondary educators found that nearly 80 percent believed emotional wellbeing is a "very" or
"extremely" important factor in student success. Studies have found the dropout rates for students
with a diagnosed mental health problem range from 43 percent to as high as 86 percent.
While dealing with stress is a normal part of life, for some students, stress can adversely affect
their physical, emotional, and psychological health, particularly given that adolescence and early
adulthood are when most mental illnesses are first manifested. In addition to students who may
develop mental health challenges during their time in post-secondary education, many students
arrive on campus with a mental health problem or having experienced significant trauma in their
lives, which can also negatively affect physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing.
The nation's institutions of higher education are seeing increasing levels of mental illness,
substance use and other forms of emotional distress among their students. Some of the
problematic trends have been ongoing for decades. Some have been exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic consequences. Some are the result of long-festering
systemic racism in almost every sphere of American life that are becoming more widely
acknowledged throughout society and must, at last, be addressed.
"Mental Health, Substance Use, and Wellbeing in Higher Education: Supporting the Whole
Student" lays out a variety of possible strategies and approaches to meet increasing demand for
mental health and substance use services, based on the available evidence on the nature of the
issues and what works in various situations. The recommendations of this report will support the
delivery of mental health and wellness services by the nation's institutions of higher
education.
Critique: Especially and unreservedly recommended for both college and university library
Contemporary Higher Education and Mental Health & Behavior collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of classroom educators,
education administrators, student teachers, academic faculty and school board members, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Mental Health, Substance Use, and
Wellbeing in Higher Education: Supporting the Whole Student" is also available in a digital book
format (eBook, 9780309128476, $48.99).
Love Teaching, Keep Teaching
Peter Radford
Crown House Publishing
81 Brook Hills Circle, White Plains, NY 10605
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785835032, $22.95, PB, 283pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Teaching-Keep-essential-well-being/dp/1785835033
Synopsis: "Love Teaching, Keep Teaching: The essential guide to improving wellbeing at all
levels in schools" by Peter Radford is a practical guide for classroom teachers to stay well in a
high-pressure profession made all the more stressful by the current pandemic. In the midst of a
recruitment crisis and a massive exodus of teachers from our schools, now is the time for some
joined-up thinking about teacher wellbeing and mental health.
Offering insightful advice and practical strategies, Peter invites you to think differently about the
way education is done and how you can keep doing the job you love without sacrificing your
health and wellbeing. "Love Teaching, Keep Teaching" paints a picture of a truly healthy school
as being one in which the value of each staff member and student is fundamental to everything
we do. It also shares a fresh perspective on school leadership, encouraging leaders to rethink
common practices and to explore the rewards and benefits of employing a people-focused
approach.
Split into three parts, "Love Teaching, Keep teacher" covers the following key aspects of
improving wellbeing in schools including: Teachers and leaders improving their own wellbeing;
The role of teachers and leaders in improving wellbeing across schools; The challenge to change
the culture of our schools and education system.
Peter challenges the current way of measuring student progress and appraising teachers, and
sends a wake-up call to encourage professionals and policymakers to do education differently in
order to prevent the current exodus of teachers from the profession. Furthermore, Peter also
draws upon his own experiences as a teacher struggling under the heavy workload that ultimately
played a part in his subsequent breakdown and draws key lessons from his reflections to help
other educators avoid the same fate.
Critique: Written specifically for classroom teachers and school leaders/administrators in both
primary and secondary school settings, "Love Teaching, Keep Teaching" is as thoughtful and
thought-provoking as it is insightful and inspiring. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections, it
should be noted for personal and professional reading lists that "Love Teaching, Keep Teaching"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Peter Radford is a teacher, trainer, public speaker and coach with a wealth of
experience in leadership, management and personal development. He began his career in youth
work before entering teaching and working in middle and senior leadership. Peter has also played
a lead role in helping two large secondary schools achieve UNICEF's Rights Respecting Schools
Award.
Behavior Management: Systems, Classrooms, and Individuals
Jennifer D. Walker & Colleen Barry
Plural Publishing
www.pluralpublishing.com
9781635502244, $89.95, PB, 381pp
https://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Management-Systems-Classrooms-Individuals/dp/16355022
41
Synopsis: Children and teens are simultaneously complex and predictable. Behavior theory and
research can provide ways of predicting behaviors and designing classroom structures that
benefit all students. "Behavior Management: Systems, Classrooms, and Individuals" by the team
of Jennifer D. Walker and Colleen Barry is a highly readable, student-friendly textbook that
meets the needs of both undergraduate and graduate teaching programs. By covering theory,
systems, classrooms, and individuals, the authors have created a pragmatic resource that can be
used by a range of individuals seeking reliable, evidence-based techniques integrating behavior
management into effective classrooms, including both upcoming and established educators.
The text of "Behavior Management" uses a funnel approach to guide readers from the "big
picture" down to the individual student. Part I begins by introducing the foundations of classroom
management with a discussion of prominent theorists, legislation, common disabilities, and the
basics of behavior. Part II provides discussion on classroom management communities, including
systems of support and structure in schools and classrooms. Part III focuses on the individual to
give both current and future teachers tools for building and nurturing relationships with students
and understanding and responding to student behavior. The final chapter offers tools for
self-reflection and managing stress and burnout.
Key features of "Behavior Management" include: Real-world cases and classroom examples to
integrate content with practice; Chapters begin with learning objectives and key terms and end
with summaries for comprehension; Bolded terms along with a comprehensive glossary to
improve retention of material; "Make a Connection" boxes to synthesize content across chapters;
Content connections to high-leverage practices in call-out boxes; Examples, figures, and
templates to clarify and expand on key concepts; Access to a PluralPlus companion website with
case studies and instructor resources, including PowerPoint slides, test banks, and sample
activities.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this newly updated and expanded
fourth edition of "Behavior Management: Systems, Classrooms, and Individuals" is especially
and unreservedly recommended for classroom teacher, school administrators, and education
advocates personal reading lists, as well as a core addition to school district, college, and
university library Teacher Education collections.
Editorial Note #1: Jennifer Walker, PhD is an Associate Professor at the University of Mary
Washington where she teaches both undergraduate and graduate students. She has over 25 years
of experience in special education, including serving as a special educator, behavior specialist,
and teacher educator.
Editorial Note #2: Colleen Barry, PhD, BCBA-D is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and
earned her PhD in Teaching and Teacher Education from George Mason University. Her
experience spans nearly two decades and includes teaching preschool and elementary special
education, providing behavioral support to general and special teachers, and preparing
undergraduate educators.
Our Children Are Your Students
Tara Goldstein
Myers Education Press
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781975504021, $89.95, HC, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Children-Your-Students-Singularities/dp/197550402X
Synopsis: Many schools have failed to create a nurturing educational environment for LGBTQ
students. "Our Children Are Your Students: LGBTQ Families Speak Out" by Tara Goldstein
features a discussion about the various tactics that LGBTQ families use to work with schools that
do not anticipate the arrival of their families and children.
"Our Children Are Your Students" also features a verbatim theatre script called Out at School,
which is based on interviews conducted with 37 LGBTQ families about their experiences in
school. The families live in four different cities in the province of Ontario as well as in the
suburbs and rural communities surrounding them. Written by Tara Goldstein, Jenny Salisbury,
and Pam Baer, the play contains 22 scenes of verbatim monologues and dialogues. A set of
images created by visual artist benjamin lee hicks accompanies each scene. The play also
contains three original songs composed by musician Kate Reid, who draws on a number of the
themes embedded in the scenes.
Links to performances of the songs and to the artwork can be seen on the LGBTQ Families
Speak Out project website: www.lgbtqfamiliesspeakout.ca
Critique: Critically important and essential reading for teachers and pre-service teachers who are
interested in creating inclusive classroom environments for all students, including those who are
members of LGBTQ families, "Our Children Are Your Students: LGBTQ Families Speak Out" is
an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to school district, college, and university
library Contemporary Education collections in general, and LGBTQ supplemental curriculum
studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of student
teachers, classroom teachers, academia, education administrators, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Our Children Are Your Students: LGBTQ Families
Speak Out" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781975504038, $35.95) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $22.06).
Editorial Note: Tara Goldstein is a Professor in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and
Learning at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto
(OISE/UT). Her current teaching and research program focuses on gender, sexuality and
schooling, and verbatim theatre research. Her latest book is Teaching Gender and Sexuality at
School: Letters to Teachers (2019). Tara is also the Founding and Artistic Director of Gailey
Road Productions, a theatre company that produces her performed ethnographies and
research-informed theatre.
The Political Science Shelf
The Hidden History of American Oligarchy
Thom Hartmann
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
1333 Broadway, Suite 1000, Oakland CA, 94612
www.bkconnection.com
9781523091584, $16.00, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-History-American-Oligarchy-Reclaiming/dp/1523091584
Synopsis: Billionaire oligarchs actively seek to own our republic, and they're nearly there thanks
to legislation and Supreme Court decisions that they have essentially bought. They put Trump
and his political allies into office and support a vast network of think tanks, publications, and
social media that every day push our nation closer and closer to a police state tyranny.
The United States was born in a struggle against the oligarchs of the British aristocracy, and ever
since then the history of America has been one of dynamic tension between democracy and
oligarchy. And much like the shock of the 1929 crash woke America up to glaring inequality and
the ongoing theft of democracy by that generation's oligarchs, the coronavirus pandemic of 2020
has laid bare how extensively oligarchs have looted our nation's economic system, gutted
governmental institutions, and stolen the wealth of the former middle class.
In the pages of "The Hidden History of American Oligarchy: Reclaiming Our Democracy from
the Ruling Class", Thom Hartmann traces the history of this struggle against oligarchy from
America's founding to the United States' war with the feudal Confederacy to President Franklin
Roosevelt's struggle against "economic royalists," who wanted to block the New Deal. In each of
those cases, the oligarchs lost the battle. But with increasing right-wing control of the media,
unlimited campaign contributions, and a conservative takeover of the judicial system, we are re at
a crisis point.
Now is the time for action, before we flip into tyranny. We've beaten the oligarchs before, and we
can do it again. Hartmann lays out practical measures we can take to break up media monopolies,
limit the influence of money in politics, reclaim the wealth stolen over decades by the oligarchy,
and build a movement that will return control of America to We the People.
Critique: An informed and informative appeal to restorative political action if we are to save and
salvage our democracy from the financial corruption and control that has been so starkly revealed
by the Trump Administration and the current pandemic, "The Hidden History of American
Oligarchy: Reclaiming Our Democracy from the Ruling Class" deserves as wide a readership as
can be made available. While especially and unreservedly recommended for all community,
college, and university library Contemporary Political Science & Social Issues collections, it
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, governmental office holders,
political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The
Hidden History of American Oligarchy: Reclaiming Our Democracy from the Ruling Class" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Thom Hartmann is a four-time winner of the Project Censored Award, a New
York Times bestselling author of thirty-two books, and America's #1 progressive talk radio show
host. His show is syndicated on local for-profit and nonprofit stations and broadcasts nationwide
and worldwide. It is also simulcast on television into nearly 60 million US and Canadian
homes.
These Liberties We Hold Sacred
Carl Anderson
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757005046, $24.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/These-Liberties-We-Hold-Sacred/dp/0757005047
Synopsis: Early in this nation's history, America was populated by many different faith-based
communities, each in search of a place to practice its religion. Initially, there was conflict, but by
the time our Founding Fathers were ready to establish an independent nation, the idea of religious
tolerance had become deeply ingrained in this brave new country's political design. So much so
that when the United States Constitution was ratified, it contained a document known as The Bill
of Rights -- ten amendments detailing the rights of this country's citizens. And the very First
Amendment states,"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Here lies the foundation of the principle for the separation
of state and religion.
Over the past few decades, however, the power of the state has usurped a growing number of
rights clearly ascribed to those who wish to practice their faith. This has certainly not gone
unnoticed by many religious organizations. As the supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus,
Carl Anderson has taken an active role in highlighting (and protecting against) this ever-growing
governmental infringement over fundamental religious freedom.
Here in his latest book, "These Liberties We Hold Sacred" Anderson has gathered together many
of his most thought-provoking speeches, articles, and essays that lay bare the facts of this
unjustified restriction of religious beliefs. The power of his words makes it clear that if nothing is
done now, there will continue to be more erosion of these special freedoms set forth by our
Founding Fathers.
Critique: Eloquent, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "These Liberties We Hold
Sacred" is a welcome contribution to our current national dialogue over the relationship of
church and state in America. While an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to
community, college, and university library Contemporary Political Science collections and
supplemental curriculum reading lists, it should be noted for students, academia, political
activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "These Liberties
We Hold Sacred" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: In addition to being the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl
Anderson is also the Vice-President of the American Section of the Pontifical John Paul II
Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, where he is a Professor of Family Law. He is the
author of "A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform the World", as
well as numerous other published works.
Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Carl Levin
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814348390, $29.99, HC, 392pp
https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Heart-Matter-Years-Senate/dp/0814348394
Synopsis: Representing Michigan for thirty-six years in the U.S. Senate, Carl Levin was the
longest-serving senator in Michigan history and known for his dogged pursuit of the truth, his
commitment to holding government accountable, and his basic decency. "Getting to the Heart of
the Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate" is his personal story and ranges from his early days in
Detroit as the son of a respected lawyer, to the capstone of his career as chair of both the Senate
Armed Services Committee and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
Levin's political career placed him at the center of some of our nation's most critical points in
modern times: from the aftermath of the 1967 Detroit riots, to the Clinton impeachment, through
9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the 2008 financial crisis. He met with numerous
world leaders, including Egypt's Anwar Sadat and China's Jiang Zemin. Getting to the Heart of
the Matter recounts Levin's experiences, thoughts, and actions during these historic
moments.
"Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate" takes the reader through Levin's
early life in Detroit of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s where he met his wife, started a family, practiced
law and served as the first General Counsel for the newly created Michigan Civil Rights
Commission and the chief appellate defender for Detroit's Legal Aid Office. Elected to the
Detroit City Council in 1969, where Levin served for eight years including four as Council
president, the book describes how his fight against the Department of Housing and Urban
Development's devastating housing practices in the neighborhoods of Detroit led him to run for
the U.S. Senate with a pledge to make government work more effectively.
Winning election six times, Levin had an illustrious career in the Senate where he challenged
leaders in government and the private sector for the greater good of the nation. Levin describes
how, as a Democrat, throughout his time in the Senate, he worked with Republican senators who
often held different policy positions in order to find common ground to achieve national goals,
and how he and his Senate staff searched for creative solutions to trade issues, support for the
auto industry and manufacturing sector, U.S. military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, and efforts
to protect the Great Lakes and the environment, among many other issues.
Levin's hope in writing this memoir is that by sharing his deeply held beliefs about the
responsibility of elected officials, the book will serve as a resource for people beginning a career
in, or contemplating running for, public office. Readers with an interest in politics, history, facts,
and perseverance will find kinship in the pages of "Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36
Years in the Senate".
Critique: An inherently fascinating political memoir, "Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36
Years in the Senate" is an extraordinary account of public service through interesting and often
troubled times. Of special note is the chapter 'Ethics and Impeachment' given the current state of
national affairs. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Getting to the Heart of the
Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate" is very highly recommended for community, college, and
university library Contemporary Political Science and American Biography collections. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36 Years in the
Senate" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
The Biography Shelf
The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge, author
Amity Shlaes, editor
Matthew Denhart, editor
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Road, Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
www.isibooks.org
9781610171632, $22.00, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Calvin-Coolidge-Authorized-Annotated/dp/1610171632
Synopsis: Today Americans of all backgrounds are on the hunt for a different political model. In
fact, such a model awaits them, if only they turn their eyes to their own past towards the example
of America's thirtieth president -- Calvin Coolidge.
Coolidge's masterful autobiography offers urgent lessons for our age of exploding debt,
increasingly centralized power, and fierce partisan division. "The Autobiography of Calvin
Coolidge" is an expanded and annotated volume, edited by Coolidge biographer Amity Shlaes
and authorized by the Coolidge family, the is the definitive edition of the text that presidential
historian Craig Fehrman calls "the forgotten classic of presidential writing."
To read this volume is to understand the tragic extent to which historians underrate President
Coolidge. The Coolidge who emerges in these pages is a model of character, principle, and
humility -- rare qualities in Washington, both then and now. A man of great faith, Coolidge told
Americans: "Men do not make laws. They do but discover them." Although he emphasized
economics, Coolidge insisted on the importance of "things of the spirit." At the height of his
popularity, he chose not to run again when his reelection was all but assured. In this
autobiography, Coolidge explains his mindset: "It is a great advantage to a President, and a major
source of safety to the country, for him to know that he is not a great man."
Critique: An inherently absorbing read that showcases on of the 20th Century's most
underestimated American presidents, this edition of "The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge"
from ISI Books will prove to be an enduringly welcome and appreciated addition to community,
college, and university library 20th Century Biography and Political Science collections in
general, and President Calvin Coolidge" supplemental studies reading lists 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 "The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.59).
Editorial Note: Amity Shlaes is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Coolidge, The
Forgotten Man, The Greedy Hand, and, most recently, Great Society. She chairs the board of the
Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation. Matthew Denhart serves as president of the Calvin
Coolidge Presidential Foundation.
Destined to Die Young
Sally A. Hoedel
Elvis Author
9781733652612, $22.00, PB, 335pp
https://www.amazon.com/Elvis-Destined-Young-Sally-Hoedel/dp/1733652612
Synopsis: Elvis Aaron Presley, also known simply as Elvis, was an American singer, musician
and actor. He is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century and is
often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King". His energized
interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly
potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him
to both great success and initial controversy. (Wikipedia)
"Destined to Die Young" is the definitive examination of why the world lost Elvis Presley on
August 16, 1977, when he was only forty-two years old. Author Sally Hoedel has painstakingly
researched the subject and offers factual and scientific data (plus never-before-published
information she gained by interviewing people who personally knew Elvis) to support her claim
that Elvis Presley was never going to live a long life.
In this well-documented analytical biography, Hoedel explores how prescription medication was
only one aspect of his compromised health and did not ultimately cause his demise. She
examines Elvis Presley (as a son, husband, a father, and a devoted friend) while ploughing
through the negative hype and legendary myths surrounding the man.
Elvis' downward spiral of health struggles is presented and, for the first time ever, it is revealed
that he suffered from disease in nine of eleven bodily systems, five of which were present from
birth. "Elvis: Destined to Die Young" effectively dispels the long-held theory that it was the
abuse of prescription drugs that killed Elvis.
"Destined to Die Young" is for anyone who is curious to know the true story of one of the world's
most famous cultural icons. For longtime Elvis Presley fans, it provides answers to lingering
questions surrounding his death. You may be surprised to learn that, based on Elvis Presley's
family history and the genes he was dealt, nothing could have saved the King of Rock 'n'
Roll.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, iconoclastic, and unique approach to the life and death of
Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 - August 16, 1977), "Destined to Die Young" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of the legions of Elvis Presley fans, as
well as all community, college, and university library 20th Century American Biography
collections.
The American History Shelf
Fort Worth Stories
Richard F. Selcer
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574418309, $24.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fort-Worth-Stories-Texas-Local/dp/1574418300
Synopsis: The fourth volume in the University of North Texas Press 'Texas Local' series, "Fort
Worth Stories" by Richard F. Selcer is a collection of thirty-two succinct chapters drawn from the
city's history.
Readers will learn that the same day Fort Worth was mourning the death of beloved African
American "Gooseneck Bill" McDonald, Dallas was experiencing a series of bombings in black
neighborhoods. That Fort Worth almost got the largest statue to Robert E. Lee ever put up
anywhere, sculpted by the same massive talent that created Mount Rushmore. That Fort Worth
was once the candy-making capital of the Southwest and gave Hershey, Pennsylvania, a good run
for its money as the sweet spot of the nation -- and so much more!
A remarkable number of national figures have made a splash in Fort Worth, including Theodore
Roosevelt while he was President; Vernon Castle, the Dance King; Dr. H.H. Holmes, America's
first serial killer; Harry Houdini, the escape artist; and Texas Guinan, star of the vaudeville stage
and the big screen. Fort Worth Stories is illustrated with 50 photographs and drawings, many of
them never before published. This collection of stories will appeal to all who appreciate the
Cowtown city.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Forth Worth Stories" is an
inherently fascinating read from cover to cover. Simply stated, "Fort Worth Stories" is as
impressively informative as it is entertaining -- making it highly recommended for personal
reading lists, as well as community, college, and university library American History
collections.
Editorial Note: Richard F. Selcer is a native Fort Worther who holds a Ph.D. from TCU and has
authored more than a dozen books. His titles for UNT Press include Volumes 1 and 2 of Written
in Blood: The History of Fort Worth's Fallen Lawmen; Fort Worth Characters; and A History of
Fort Worth in Black & White: 165 Years of African-American Life.
On the Plains in '65
George H. Holliday, author
Glenn V. Longacre, editor
Ohio University Press
215 Columbus Road, Suite 101, Athens, OH 45701
www.ohioswallow.com
9780821424285, $49.95, HC, 258pp
https://www.amazon.com/Plains-65-Virginia-Volunteer-Cavalry/dp/0821424289
Synopsis: Deftly edited by Glenn V. Longacre, "On the Plains in '65: The 6th West Virginia
Volunteer Cavalry in the West" is an annotated edition of George H. Holliday's recollections
(known primarily among historians of the American West) re-contextualizes his memoir to
include his boyhood in southern Ohio and the largely untold story of the hundreds of Buckeyes
who crossed the Ohio River to serve their country in Virginia (later West Virginia) regiments,
ultimately traveling across Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming to safeguard mail and
stage routes along the celebrated Oregon Trail during a pivotal time in American history.
Glenn Longacre's extensive research in federal, state, and local archives, manuscript collections,
and period newspapers complements his correspondence with the living descendants of Holliday
and other soldiers. His research integrates this story deservedly as part of Appalachian history
before, during, and after the Civil War. From this perspective it addresses an entirely new
audience of Appalachian studies scholars, Civil War and frontier history enthusiasts, students,
and general readers.
Critique: An invaluable contribution to 19th Century American History, this new edition of "On
the Plains in '65: The 6th West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry in the West" from the Ohio
University Press is an unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university
library American Civil War Biography and Native American History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, Civil War history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "On the Plains in '65: The 6th West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry in the West" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $47.45).
Editorial Note #1: George H. Holliday was born in the southern Ohio village of Pomeroy in
1847. At age fifteen he enlisted in a West Virginia Cavalry regiment. In June 1865 Holliday and
his comrades in the Sixth West Virginia Veteran Volunteer Cavalry were transferred west to
guard stations along the Oregon Trail. After his return to Ohio in 1866, Holliday married, began
a family, and settled in Ironton, where he engaged in the stove manufacturing industry. Later,
Holliday moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. He died in 1919.
Editorial Note #2: Glenn V. Longacre is an archivist with the National Archives at Chicago. He
is the co-editor of "To Battle for God and the Right: The Civil War Letterbooks of Emerson
Opdycke".
Labor in Akron, 1825-1945
John A. Tully
The University of Akron Press
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
http://www.uakron.edu/uapress
9781629222004, $24.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Labor-Akron-1825-1945-History-Culture/dp/1629222003
Synopsis: Akron, Ohio, is of special interest in the story of U.S. labor as it has a history of
intense struggle, both between Capital and Labor and between conflicting forms of labor
organization.
A part of the University of Akron Press 'Ohio History & Culture' series, "Labor in Akron,
1825-1945" powerfully describes this conflict in Akron, including the massive rubber worker's
strike of 1913. Author and historian Dr. John A. Tully fully illustrates these struggles with the
individual stories of rank-and-file workers and radical activists. In the mid-1930s, after a battle
both against employers, determined to keep the open shop, and the conservative AFL leaders,
Akron became a bastion of the Congress of Industrial Organizations and, briefly, of the
Farmer-Labor Party. The leaders of this "home-grown" social union movement understood that
workers were a class whose interests went further than just a bargaining relationship with
employers.
By the end of the decade, however, the "business industrial unionism" model had blocked the
great upsurge of social unionism and the impetus for independent labor politics was channeled
back behind the Democratic Party. "Labor in Akron, 1825-1945" explains why and how socially
progressive unionism was defeated. It argues that rebuilding the working-class movement along
the lines supported by Tate and others in Akron in the 1930s is the great, unfinished business of
labor in the United States.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Labor in Akron, 1825-1945" is
an impressively informed and informative work of meticulous historical research and scholarship
-- making it especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university
library American Labor History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should
be noted for the benefit of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject that "Labor in Akron, 1825-1945" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $24.99).
Editorial Note: Dr. John A. Tully is an Honorary Professor/Educator in the College of Arts &
Education at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. Dr Tully has also written: The Devil's
Milk: A Social History of Rubber; Silvertown: The Lost Story of a Strike That Shook London
and Helped Launch the Modern Labour Movement; and Crooked Deals and Broken Treaties:
How American Indians Were Displaced By White Settlers in the Cuyahoga Valley.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Invasive Birds: Global Trends and Impacts
Colleen T. Downs & Lorinda A. Hart, editors
CABI
www.cabi.org
9781789242065, $190.00, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Invasive-Birds-Global-Trends-Impacts/dp/1789242061
Synopsis: Examining globally invasive alien birds, the first part of "Invasive Birds: Global
Trends and Impacts" provides an account of 32 global avian invasive species (as listed by the
Invasive Species Specialist Group, ISSG). It acts as a one stop reference volume; it assesses
current invasive status for each bird species, including details of physical description, diet,
introduction and invasion pathways, breeding behavior, and natural habitat.
It also looks at the environmental impact of each species, as well as current and future control
methods. Full color photographs assist with species identification and global distribution maps
give a visual representation of the current known distributions of these species.
The second part of "Invasive Birds: Global Trends and Impacts" discusses the biogeographical
aspects of avian invasions, highlighting current and emerging invasive species across different
regions of the world.
The third section of "Invasive Birds: Global Trends and Impacts" considers the impact of
invasive species on native communities, problems associated with invasive bird management and
the use of citizen science in the study of invasive birds.
Critique: Enhanced with a full listing of the contributors and their credentials, "Invasive Birds:
Global Trends and Impacts", collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Colleen T. Downs and
Lorinda A. Hart, also features illustrations, an informative introduction, and a nine page index.
An ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, governmental, college, and
university library Ecology and Zoology collections in general, and Ornithology supplemental
curriculum studies lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
ornithologists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Invasive
Birds: Global Trends and Impacts" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$180.50).
Editorial Note: Prof. Colleen T. Downs is a South African Research Chair and has been based at
the University of KwaZulu-Natal since 1994. Dr. Lorinda A. Hart is a post-doctoral research
fellow at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her research interests are broad, covering
ecophysiology, and urban and invasive ecology.
When It's Time to Say Goodbye
Angela Garner
Findhorn Press
www.findhornpress.com
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781644111215, $16.99, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/When-Its-Time-Say-Goodbye/dp/1644111217
Synopsis: Our pets are emotionally invested members of our families. The death or separation
from a beloved animal friend (whether anticipated or unexpected) can unleash a roller coaster of
feelings. "When It's Time to Say Goodbye: Preparing for the Transition of Your Beloved Pet" by
Angela Garner is truly compassionate guide that is based on her 20 years of experience helping
individuals and teaching veterinary professionals. Garner offers practical support and guidance to
help you prepare for your pet's death ahead of time, do your best by your animal friend when the
time comes, and work through your grieving process afterward.
"When It's Time to Say Goodbye" explores how best to prepare for the death of your beloved pet,
including recognizing changes in your pet's well-being, palliative care at home, taking care of
your pet's remains, ceremonies, and more. "When It's Time to Say Goodbye" candidly discusses
natural death and euthanasia and offers exercises and activities to help you work through difficult
issues, such as what to discuss with the vet and how to stay focused on your pet's welfare when
euthanasia is anticipated. Sharing Garner's own experiences and those of others, she explores
practices to help you cope with fears and overwhelming emotions, retain a center of inner calm
when making crucial decisions, and find the courage to say goodbye when it is time.
"When It's Time to Say Goodbye" also addresses the different emotional components of the
bereavement process (fears beforehand and guilt and anger afterward) and includes a
compassionate discussion about children and pet loss as well as how to support a grieving
companion animal in the family. Offering step-by-step support throughout, "When It's Time to
Say Goodbye" is welcome guide that will bring hope and reassurance that, while grief may feel
insurmountable, you will come out the other side to once again re-engage with life.
Critique: An absolutely essential read for anyone with an animal companion, "When It's Time to
Say Goodbye: Preparing for the Transition of Your Beloved Pet" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for all community library Pets/Wildlife collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "When It's Time to Say Goodbye: Preparing for the Transition of Your Beloved
Pet" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Devon, UK, Angela Garner is an animal bereavement
specialist and former nurse who founded a national support service in the UK to help people
through the grieving process, developing a wide range of pet bereavement support resources. She
was awarded a fellowship by the Society of Bereavement Practitioners for her work.
The Economic Studies Shelf
Freedom From the Market
Mike Konczal
The New Press
120 Wall Street, Floor 31, New York, NY 10005
www.thenewpress.com
9781620975374, $25.99, HC, 256pp
Synopsis: Health insurance, student loan debt, retirement security, child care, work-life balance,
access to home ownership -- these are the issues driving America's current political debates. And
they are all linked, as "Freedom From the Market: America's Fight to Liberate Itself from the
Grip of the Invisible Hand" reveals by a single question -- Should we allow the free market to
determine our lives?
Noted economic commentator Mike Konczal answers this question with a resounding NO.
"Freedom from the Market" blends passionate political argument and a bold new take on
American history to reveal that, from the earliest days of the republic, Americans have defined
freedom as what we keep free from the control of the market. With chapters on the history of the
Homestead Act and land ownership, the eight-hour work day and free time, social insurance and
Social Security, World War II day cares, Medicare and desegregation, free public colleges,
intellectual property, and the public corporation, Konczal shows how citizens have fought to
ensure that everyone has access to the conditions that make us free.
At a time when millions of Americans (and more and more politicians) are questioning the
unregulated free market, "Freedom from the Market" offers a new narrative, and new intellectual
ammunition, for the fight that lies ahead.
Critique: Made even more relevant and timely with the recent example of the collapse of the
Texas statewide power grid because for decades it was left with minimal regulation as a creature
of unrestrained 'free market' forces failing to weatherize the system as recommended by earlier
studies and therefore unable to survive a Polar Vortex created winter freeze, "Freedom From the
Market: America's Fight to Liberate Itself from the Grip of the Invisible Hand" is a critically
important and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library
Contemporary Economics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be
noted for students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Freedom From the Market: America's Fight to Liberate Itself from the
Grip of the Invisible Hand" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$15.33).
Editorial Note: Mike Konczal is a director at the Roosevelt Institute, where he focuses on
economics, inequality, and the role of public power in a democracy. He is a co-author, with
Joseph Stiglitz, of "Rewriting the Rules of the American Economy". His writing has been
featured in the Washington Post, Vox, Dissent, and The Nation. He is also a much sought after
commentator on the U.S. economy and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, All Things Considered,
Planet Money, and Lovett or Leave It.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
The True Story of the SAS: The Regiment
Vincent Brugeas, author
Thomas Legrain, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
9781849184953, $13.95, PB, 56pp
https://www.amazon.com/True-Story-SAS-Regiment/dp/184918495X
Synopsis: After the disaster that was their first mission, the SAS refused to give up, and their
second wave of raids proved a powerful validation of the concept behind their unit.
Unfortunately, they still have many enemies at headquarters, and now they must capitalise on
their success. While they lack neither daring nor imagination, they will have to contend with an
enemy who knows how to adapt, and learn to live with the terrible human cost of the war.
Critique: A riveting graphic novel from first page to last, "The True Story of the SAS: The
Regiment" by the team of author/storyteller Vincent Bruegas and artist/illustrator Thoms Legrain
is certain to be a popular addition to highschool and community library graphic novel collections.
It should be noted for the personal reading lists for ages 15 to 50 that "The True Story of the
SAS: The Regiment" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle/comiXology,
$5.99).
The Library CD Shelf
Cool Water
Greg Murphy with Jeff "Tain" Watts and Eric Wheeler, plus special guests
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
$14.99 CD
http://www.whalingcitysound.com/wcs125.htm
Cool Water is a jazz album partly inspired by music artist Greg Murphy's trip to Africa; the title
refers to the Nairobi River which flows through the capital of Kenya. Another prominent
influence on the ambitious collection is the joy of exploration and discovery with friends. The
music is a celebration of camaraderie, resonating with optimism and wonder. Highly
recommended! The tracks are "Chim Chim Cher-ee", "Green Earrings", "My Life", "Theme For
Ronnie", "Friendship", "Free Fur Nina", "Enkare Nairobi", "Body And Soul", "Coolin' Me Out",
"Lost", "Cuttin' Trane's Corners", and "You Decide".
The Library DVD Shelf
Shusenjo: Comfort Women and Japan's War on History
Miki Dezaki
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
www.firstrunfeatures.com
DVD, $24.95, 120 minutes, color (2019)
http://firstrunfeatures.com/shusenjohv.html
Synopsis: One of the most heated issues in Japan and Asia today is over something that occurred
80 years ago: the Japanese Imperial Army's sexual enslavement of tens of thousands of Korean
women and other captive females in their military brothels during World War II. Many
nationalist Japanese conservatives, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (with the surprising
support of Western media influencers), believe the women were willing prostitutes, not 'sex
slaves', and that the estimated number is far smaller than are claimed. But contemporary
historians, activists and (most significantly) the surviving victims and their families, believe
otherwise. The denial of their suffering so long ago has created an entirely new trauma for these
victims of Japanese military imperialism.
In his documentary "Shusenjo: Comfort Women and Japan's War on History", film director Miki
Dezaki (who is a second-generation Japanese American who learned about comfort women from
his Japanese immigrant parents), questions why accounts in the Western media have often sided
with the Nationalists. With a keen eye for detail and precision, he interviews historians,
advocates and lawyers who discuss the evidence: historical documents related to the Japanese
military's direct role in managing the brothels, and harrowing testimonies by former comfort
women.
"Shusenjo: Comfort Women and Japan's War on History" is a deep dive into this painful subject
and brings to light the hidden intentions of both the supporters and detractors of these enslaved
'comfort women'.
Critique: Impressively informed and informative, inherently fascinating and emotionally moving,
"Shusenjo: Comfort Women and Japan's War on History" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community, college, and university library DVD collections.
Myth of a Colorblind France
Alan Govenar
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
www.firstrunfeatures.com
DVD, $24.95, 86 Minutes, Color, English
http://firstrunfeatures.com/colorblindfrancedvd.html
Synopsis: For more than a century, Black artists such as Josephine Baker, James Baldwin and
Richard Wright traveled to Paris to liberate themselves from the racism of the United States.
What made these artistic innovators choose France? And to what extent is France truly color
blind? "Myth of a Colorblind France", a documentary by Alan Govenar, investigates these
questions and examines racism that has plagued not only African Americans fleeing the United
States, but Africans and people of color in France today.
The documentary DVD explores the lives and careers of renowned African Americans who
emigrated to Paris, including Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Augusta Savage,
Beauford Delaney, and Barbara Chase-Riboud, and includes rare footage of Henry Ossawa
Tanner in Paris. The film also features interviews with renowned author Michel Fabre, jazz
aficionado Francis Hofstein, poet James Emanuel, historian Tyler Stovall, filmmaker Thomas
Allen Harris, graffiti artist Quik, hip hop producer Ben the Glorious Bastard, African drummer
Karim Toure, and many more.
Critique: An exceptionally well organized and presented documentary, "Myth of a Colorblind
France" is an extraordinarily informative history and one that is especially and unreservedly
recommended for high school, community, college, and university DVD collections and African-
American History supplemental curriculums.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Be Heart Smart
Waqar Khan, MD, MPH
Heart Health Books / Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781732268609, $15.00, PB, 206pp
https://www.amazon.com/Be-Heart-Smart-Understand-Coronary/dp/1732268606
Synopsis: Coronary heart disease (CHD) takes the lives of 2,000 Americans every day. If you or
a loved one have been diagnosed with CHD or suffered a heart attack, there a still ways to live a
long, heart-healthy life.
"Be Heart Smart: Understand, Treat, and Prevent Coronary Heart Disease" shows you how. In
this definitive guide to CHD, cardiologist Waqar Khan, MD, MPH, answers basic questions and
gives you easy-to-follow advice for preventing heart attacks and keeping your heart in tip-top
shape. It's like having your own personal cardiologist on call.
Using real-life patient stories and the latest evidence-based science, Dr. Khan: Explains what
CHD is and how it affects the body; Explores the root causes and risk factors for CHD; Describes
the different types of heart attacks and their warning signs; Walks you through the tests used to
diagnose coronary problems; Discusses the medications prescribed to combat CHD, including
their side effects; Reveals the latest surgical advancements in surgical and non-surgical
interventions to open clogged arteries and prevent heart attacks; Offers simple approaches to
eating better, exercising, quitting smoking, and losing weight.
Dr. Khan even includes a glossary of commonly used medical terms. Plus, he shares online
resources that can help you with everything from assessing your risk level and setting health
goals to cooking heart-supportive meals. Written in easy-to-understand language, "Be Heart
Smart" will help you (and your loved ones) gain a better understanding of CHD and give you the
knowledge you need to take charge of your heart health.
Critique: Simply stated, if you have coronary heart disease, "Be Heart Smart: Understand, Treat,
and Prevent Coronary Heart Disease" could save your life. Exceptionally well written, organized
and presented for the benefit of the non-specialist general reader, "Be Heart Smart" should be a
part of every community, college, and university library Health/Medicine collection in general,
and Coronary Heart Disease supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Be Heart Smart" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Waqar Khan, MD, MPH, is a board-certified interventional cardiologist who has
helped thousands of patients overcome CHD and improve their heart health during his 20-plus
years in private practice. A fellow of the American College of Cardiology, he is in private
practice in suburban Houston, Texas, and is an affiliate faculty member in cardiology at Baylor
College of Medicine.
The Vital Nerves: A Practical Guide for Physical Therapists
John Gibbons
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623175603, $24.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vital-Nerves-Practical-Physical-Therapists/dp/1623175607
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Vital Nerves: A Practical Guide for Physical Therapists ",
osteopath, lecturer, and author John Gibbons offers an accessible introduction to the peripheral
nervous system (PNS). Alongside real case studies and guidelines for hands-on work with clients
and patients, "The Vital Nerves" demystifies and makes accessible everything from how to
diagnose nerve conditions to understanding how our cells communicate.
Gibbons provides critical insights into the structure and functions of the PNS; the body's
response to stimuli and how it knows what to do; the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous
systems; understanding the stress response; and how reflex testing can aid in diagnosing
conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, and paresthesias.
"The Vital Nerves" addresses practical, common considerations like how to: Assess the nervous
system using a patella (reflex) hammer, myotome (muscle) testing, and dermatome (sensory)
testing; Determine whether pain in the posterior part of the thigh is caused by the sciatic nerve,
piriformis, or simply a hamstring strain; Decide at what level a disc may have herniated;
Differentiate between upper and lower motor neurone disorders; Know what to do with the
findings of your neurological assessment and the circumstances under which to refer patients for
more specialist care.
"The Vital Nerves" is a comprehensive roadmap to the functional anatomy of the nervous system.
Enriched with anatomical drawings and detailed explanations, it explains neurological testing,
common neuropathies, and differential diagnoses, and is an indispensable resource for physical
therapists and bodyworkers.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "The Vital Nerves: A Practical Guide for
Physical Therapists" is effectively illustrated throughout and highly recommended for
professional, clinic, hospital, college, and university library Ayruveda Medicine collections in
general, and Stretching Exercise & Fitness supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of medical students, academia, health service
providers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Vital
Nerves" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Synopsis: Currently residing in Oxford, England, John Gibbons is a registered osteopath with the
General Osteopathic Council in the UK. He works with elite-level athletes in a range of sporting
disciplines and serves as osteopath to the Oxford University Boat Club rowing team. An
international lecturer in the fields of sports medicine and physical therapy, he offers advanced
training in his Bodymaster Method, a unique fusion of therapy techniques that approaches the
body as a complex integrated unit.
The General Fiction Shelf
Heading Over the Hill
Judy Leigh
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781838895723 $16.99, PB, Large Print, 340pp
https://www.amazon.com/Heading-Over-Hill-Judy-Leigh/dp/1838895728
Synopsis: Billy and Dawnie may be in their seventies, but that won't stop them taking chances or
starting again. Their grown-up children have families and lives of their own, so now it's Billy and
Dawnie's turn, and a life near the sea in Devon beckons.
But the residents of Margot Street (or Maggot Street as Dawnie insists on calling it), don't quite
know what to make of their new neighbors. Billy's loud, shiny and huge Harley Davidson looks
out of place next to the safe and sensible Honda Jazz next door, and Dawnie's never-ending range
of outrageous wigs and colorful clothes, means she's impossible to miss.
As new friendships are formed and new adventures are shared, Billy and Dawnie start winning
their neighbors' affection. And when life teaches them all a terrible lesson, the folks of Margot
Street are determined to live every day as if it's their last.
Critique: With this large print edition of "Heading Over The Hill" that is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections, novelist
and storyteller Judy Leigh ably presents a 'soul-warming, rib-tickling, timeless tale of true love,
true friendship and happy-ever-afters' that is a delightfully entertaining read from cover to
cover.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
A Common Person and Other Stories
R. M. Kinder
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.undpress.nd.edu
9780268200053, $100.00, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Common-Stories-Richard-Sullivan-Fiction/dp/026820005X
Synopsis: The seventeen stories comprising "A Common Person and Other Stories", R. M.
Kinder's third short-story collection and the winner of the Richard Sullivan Prize in Short Fiction
and collectively expose the disruption in our modern life and the ever-present threat of violence,
and (most importantly), they capture the real heroism of everyday people.
The characters in these stories, most set deep in the middle of America, seem to invite trouble
through their concern for others: a neighbor's mistreated dog, a boy standing up to a bully, a
woman who faces cancer and the loss of love. Kinder's characters struggle with conflicts
common to us all -- to treat humans and animals with compassion, to open minds and hearts to
diversity, all while balancing the welfare of the individual and the larger community.
The characters aren't always loveable, but they each have their individual moments of grace --
they accept responsibility and take stands. These stories, by turns humorous, unsettling, and
utterly believable, expose the dangers of ordinary life as their characters perform acts of defiance,
determination, and connection. The memorably crafted characters in the pages of "A Common
Person and Other Stories" are, like us, doing the best they can, and that is often remarkable and
admirable. Considered closely, Kinder shows us, no person is common.
Critique: An inherently absorbing, impressively original, and memorably written compendium of
short stories by an exceptionally talented author, "A Common Person and Other Stories" is an
especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library
Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A
Common Person and Other Stories" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9780268200060, $23.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
Editorial Note: R. M. Kinder's earlier work includes two novels, The Universe Playing Strings
(University of New Mexico 2016) and An Absolute Gentleman (Counterpoint Press 2007); and
two collections of short fiction, A Near- Perfect Gift (Literary Fiction Prize, University of
Michigan, 2005) and Sweet Angel Band (Willa Cather Prize, Helicon Editions 1991). She is also
the co-author of a dual-media biography, Old-Time Fiddling: Hal Sappington, Missouri Fiddler
(Johnson Country Missouri Historical Society, 2012). Kinder's prose and poems have appeared in
numerous publications and maintains an informative website at: www.rmkinder.net
Black Bear Creek
Joshua Cross
Southeast Missouri State University Press
One University Plaza, MS 2650, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
http://www.semopress.com
9781733015318, $17.99, PB, 132pp
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Bear-Creek-Joshua-Cross/dp/1733015310
Synopsis: The fictional town of Black Bear Creek lies tucked in a remote hollow of the Coal
River Valley in West Virginia, a region reliant on and devastated by the mining industry. The
people in the ten short stories by author/storyteller Joshua Cross comprising "Black Bear Creek"
struggle to survive against rampant poverty while their drinking water is poisoned and the
mountains around them are stripped away. But amongst this bleak backdrop, they find ways to
love and hope and fight. Cross's raw, spare prose reflects the barren landscape his characters
inhabit as they put their bodies and lives at risk just to feed their families.
Critique: With each individual short story being an inherently absorbing read, "Black Bear
Creek" is one of those collections that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book
itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. A truly impressive anthology, "Black Bear
Creek" is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as
community, college, and university library Contemporary American Literary collections.
Editorial Note: Joshua Cross grew up in Beckley, West Virginia, but now lives in Conway, South
Carolina, where he teaches at Coastal Carolina University. His stories have appeared in Fail
Better, Beloit Fiction Journal, and Evening Street Review.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Legacy of a Gunfighter
Terry James
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444845952, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 264pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444845952
Synopsis: Following his release from prison for the accidental killing of a woman bystander to a
straight out gunfight, all gunfighter Luke Nicholls wants now is revenge against his opponent,
William Grant, the man who almost killed him in that fight. Unfortunately, when the two meet,
things don't go as planned. Struck down by a mysterious malady, Luke's confidence is shaken.
More complications arise when a determined woman out to avenge the murder of her husband
tries to enlist his help. Luke refuses, determined not to lose sight of his own ambition -- but Grant
has other ideas. Dragged into a strangely orchestrated fight for survival, the odds are suddenly
stacked even higher against Luke.
Critique: Another carefully crafted action/adventure western novel by a past master of the genre,
"Legacy of a Gunfighter" by Terry James is a simply riveting read from first page to last and this
large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is unreservedly
recommended for the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fans and certain to be a
welcome and popular addition to community library Western Fiction collections.
The Man Who Shot Jesse Sawyer
Scott Connor
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846645, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 216pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444846645
Synopsis: When Sheriff Cornelius Doyle is shot dead, his estranged and bastard son Kane sets
out to find the culprit despite his being hated by his half brother who becomes the new sheriff
and is also seeking their father's killer. Kane hopes to reconcile with a family that didn't want to
know him, but soon discovers that his father's apparently honorable life was a lie. The town had
rejoiced, and Cornelius become a legend, when he killed the notorious outlaw Jesse Sawyer --
however, Kane discovers that Jesse is actually still alive and himself is seeking to kill to other
known outlaws, one of which was Cornelius Doyles killer. Will Jesse lead Kane to his father's
murderer -- or into mortal peril?
Critique: As a western author, Scott Connor is a master of the unexpected plot twist, making his
latest novel, "The Man Who Shot Jesse Sawyer" come alive with a riveting originality that
combines a mystery with the irresistible smell of gunsmoke and a simply fascinating finale.
Simply stated, as a large print edition of "The Man Who Shot Jesse Sawyer" from the Linford
Western Library series is a strongly recommended addition to the personal reading lists of all
dedicated western fans, as well as an enduringly popular addition to community library Western
Fiction collections.
The Hunted Four
Alex Frew
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444845914, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hunted-Four-Alex-Frew/dp/1444845918
Synopsis: When Sheriff Walter 'Wattie' Watters finds out that the hiding place of gold from a
major robbery has been discovered, he's instantly on the trail with three dubious companions. As
the sheriff of a small town, he knows he must uphold the law. But $2 million in solid gold is a
tempting sum. As he rides through the area known as the Wilderness, he doesn't know whether
he can trust his companions - a drunk, a gambler, and an outlaw who once upon a time was also
his friend. And then there is being tracked by a ruthless ex-convict and his two gunmen seeking
to beat him to the gold.
Critique: Original and nicely crafted with unexpected plot twists, "The Hunted Four" is a deftly
written and large print edition of a western novel by Alex Frew and specifically recommended
for community library Western Fiction collections, as well as the personal reading lists of all
dedicated western adventure fans.
Iron Eyes the Spectre
Rory Black
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444845860, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Eyes-Spectre-Rory-Black/dp/1444845861
Synopsis: Having delivered the body of wanted outlaw Mason Holt to the sheriff at Diablo
Creek, the infamous bounty hunter leaves in the company of Squirrel Sally's stagecoach. But on
their way Iron Eyes collapses, badly wounded, and his would-be sweetheart Squirrel Sally
desperately tries to find a doctor. However, Sally is unaware she is heading into a perilous
uncharted desert where a mysterious tribe of Indians lives. Then when Holt's three older brothers
discover their sibling is dead, they vow revenge and set out after the man who killed him. Soon
both outlaws and Indians realize how dangerous Iron Eyes is.
Critique: An other riveting western action/adventure from the creator of the Old West's most
lethal bounty hunter, "Iron Eyes: The Spectre" by Rory Black is a riveting read from cover to
cover and this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is highly
recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction
collections.
The Gospel According to Billy the Kid
Dennis McCarthy
University of New Mexico Press
1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826362353, $19.95, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-According-Billy-Kid-Novel/dp/0826362354
Synopsis: Like many a good story of the old West, "The Gospel According to Billy the Kid" by
Dennis McCarthy begins in a saloon. In 1914 in El Paso, Texas, when two strangers strike up a
conversation at the bar -- Bill Roberts, a real-life figure who died in Hico, Texas, in 1950, and a
former US Army scout whose brother knew Roberts by another name: Billy the Kid.
So begins an original novel of the old New Mexico territory, complete with corrupt lawmen,
honest ranchers, murder, betrayal, and the explosive events of the Lincoln County War that sent
young Billy off seeking justice -- and headed toward a bloody rendezvous with a sheriff hired to
track him down.
But in that old saloon Roberts has us imagine another story, told thirty-three years later over
shots of whiskey, about a young outlaw given a second chance to find himself, to find peace, and
to finally grow up and out from under the shadow of his own infamy.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, absorbing, deftly crafted, original, and impressively
entertaining novel of the Old West, "The Gospel According to Billy the Kid" is an extraordinary
read and unreservedly recommended for both the personal reading lists of all dedicated western
action/adventure fans, and the Western Fiction collections of any and all community libraries. It
should be noted that "The Gospel According to Billy the Kid" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Outlaw Legend Begins
Saran Essex
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846652, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-Legend-Begins-Saran-Essex/dp/1444846655
Synopsis: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid have given up robbing banks and trains in favor
of settling down as ranch owners and waiting to hear from the Governor of Wyoming about a
possible pardon. Then they have an unfortunate encounter with Luther Greeley, an outlaw from a
rival gang, during which Sundance is badly wounded. As a worried Butch watches over his
injured partner, he thinks back to their first meeting when they were young, and how their
partnership began.
Critique: A deftly crafted and inherently absorbing account by western novelist Saran Essex of
how one of the most famous of outlaw duos in the old west first came together, this large print
edition of "The Outlaw Legend Begins" from the Linford Western Library is a 'must read' for all
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid fans and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to
all community library Western Fiction collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Unseen Hand
Edward Marston
Isis Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785418976, $38.00, PB, Large Print, 372pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unseen-Hand-Edward-Marston/dp/1785418971
Synopsis: It's the year 1917 and the Lotus Hotel offers sanctuary for its exclusively female
clientele, attracting the cream of London's society. But a dead body found in one of its rooms is
hardly good for business, and when it is discovered that the woman was neither a guest nor a
member of staff, the Lotus's reputation as a safe haven is cast in doubt. That's when Inspector
Marmion and Sergeant Keedy are dispatched to look into the events at the hotel and soon suspect
foul play. Tangling with a forgetful widower, a wily competitor and the haughty hotel owner, the
pair will have to delve into the past to solve this crime in the present.
Critique: An eloquently crafted and simply terrific 'whodunnit' mystery by accomplished novelist
Edward Marston, this large print edition of "The Unseen Hand" will be a welcome and popular
addition to the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery fans, as well as community library
Mystery/Suspense collections.
The House of the Hanged Woman
Kate Willis
Charnwood Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846881, $38.50, PB, Large Print, 420pp
https://www.amazon.com/House-Hanged-Woman-Kate-Ellis/dp/1444846884
Synopsis: When in 1921 an MP goes missing in a Derbyshire village, Scotland Yard detective
Albert Lincoln is sent to investigate. A grim discovery has been made in a cave next to an ancient
stone circle: the naked body of a middle-aged man mutilated beyond recognition. The local
police assume it is the missing politician but when Albert arrives in Wenfield he begins to have
doubts. Two years earlier he conducted another traumatic murder investigation in the same
village and he finds reminders of a particularly personal tragedy as he tries to help a vicar's
widow who claims her husband was murdered. Then there is another murder in Wenfield. Could
there be a link between all of Albert's cases?
Critique: An inherently absorbing and classic English mystery, "The House of the Hanged
Woman" by Kate Willis (winner of the CWA Dagger literary award) is an insistently compelling
and impressively entertaining read from cover to cover. The stuff of which Masterpiece Theatre
epics are done, this large print paperback edition of "The House of the Hanged Woman" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery
buffs and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Wings of Fire: The Dangerous Gift
Tui T. Sutherland
Scholastic Press
https://www.scholastic.com
9781338214543 $16.99
https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Gift-Wings-Fire-Book/dp/1338214543
Synopsis: Snowfall didn't expect to be queen of the IceWings at such a young age, but now that
she is, she's going to be the best queen ever. All she has to do is keep her tribe within IceWing
territory, where it's safe -- while keeping every other tribe out, where they belong.
It's a perfect and simple plan, backed up by all the IceWing magic Snowfall can find. That is,
until a storm of unidentified dragons arrives on her shore, looking for asylum.
The foreigners are completely strange and, Snowfall is certain, utterly untrustworthy. But as she
escorts the miserable new tribes out of her kingdom, Snowfall is forced to reconsider her plan.
Maybe she can only keep her tribe safe . . . if she's willing to risk everything.
Critique: Part of the all-ages "Wings of Fire" fantasy series set in a world dominated by dragons,
The Dangerous Gift is the story of young Snowfall, who unexpectedly becomes queen of the
IceWings at a young age. She yearns to be a great queen by isolating her flight within their own
territory and keeping all other dragon tribes out, but when desperate refugees arrive seeking
asylum, she is put in a quadary. If the IceWings remain isolated, then who can help them when
the threat that the refugees are fleeing comes to their lands? Written with the flair for
unpredictable situations and unique dragon-personalities that are the hallmark of the Wings of
Fire series, The Dangerous Gift is highly recommended for both personal and public library
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Dangerous Gift is also available
in a Kindle edition ($10.99).
Wings of Fire: The Dark Secret
Tui T. Sutherland
Scholastic Press
https://www.scholastic.com
9780545349215 $16.99
https://www.amazon.com/Wings-Fire-Book-Four-Secret/dp/0545349214
Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling WINGS OF FIRE saga soars to the mysterious land
of the NightWings, where Starflight must face a terrible choice---his home, or his friends?
In the shadows, trouble is brewing. . .The mysterious NightWings keep everything hidden, from
their home and their queen to their allegiance in the war. Now they've kidnapped their own
dragonet of destiny, and Starflight is finally meeting the rest of his tribe -- whether he wants to or
not. The NightWings have also kidnapped several innocent RainWings, now trapped in the dark,
barren, miserable place that is the NightWing kingdom. Starflight wants to help the RainWings,
but he's busy saving his own scales and trying to find a way back to his friends. The fate of two
kingdoms rests in his talons, and with no one to save him, Starflight will have to find a way to be
brave... before it's too late.
Critique: The fourth novel in the "Wings of Fire" all-ages fantasy saga set in a world ruled by
dragons, The Dark Secret focuses on Starflight, one of the five dragonets of destiny prophesied to
end a horrendously destructive war between antangonistic alliances of dragonflights. Starflight
belongs to the reclusive NightWings, and his sudden (not to mention forcible) homecoming is far
from pleasant. The NightWing kingdom is a barren, heartless place, and the NightWings have
kidnapped and imprisoned several innocent RainWings. Although Starflight wants to help the
RainWings, his own life is also in danger, and his greatest obstacle just might be his own fears!
A captivating, unpredictable, and character-driven saga (where all the major charcters are
dragons!), Wings of Fire: The Dark Secret is highly recommended for school and public library
collections, fantasy connoisseurs, and especially for dragon fans. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that The Dark Secret is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99) and in full-color
graphic novel format (9781338344219, $12.99).
Vengewar
Kevin J. Anderson
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
120 Broadway, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10271
www.tor-forge.com
9781250302137, $29.99, HC, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vengewar-Wake-Dragon-Kevin-Anderson/dp/1250302137
Synopsis: Two continents are at war. The Three Kingdoms and Ishara have been in conflict for a
thousand years. But when an outside threat arises (the reawakening of a powerful ancient race
that wants to remake the world) the two warring nations must somehow set aside generations of
hatred to form an alliance against a far more deadly enemy in Kevin J. Anderson's
action/adventure fantasy series 'Wake of the Dragon'.
Book One of the series, "Spine of the Dragon", saw the awakening of the great dragon, and the
setting of the kingdoms at each other's throats.
Now in Book Two, "Vengewar", the Three Kingdoms are shattering under pressure from an
inexperienced new King who is being led by an ambitious regent to ignore the threat of the
Wreths, in favor of a Vengewar with Ishara. His brother and uncle can see only the danger of the
Older Race.
In Ishara, the queen lies in a coma, while an ambitious priest seizes power. But he has neither the
training nor the talent to rule a nation -- or even a city. Ishara is in deadly peril, and the Wreths
have not even appeared on their continent.
Critique: Kevin J. Anderson is a past master of both the science fiction and fantasy genres and
once again demonstrates his genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling
style that provides his legions of fans with an inherently riveting read from cover to cover. While
certain to be an immediately welcome addition to community library collections, it should be
noted for all dedicated fantasy fans that "Vengewar" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.99).
The Business Shelf
Working Backwards
Colin Bryar & Bill Carr
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250267597, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595
Synopsis: Colin Bryar started at Amazon in 1998; Bill Carr joined in 1999. In "Working
Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon", these two long-serving Amazon
executives reveal and codify the principles and practices that drive the success of one of the most
extraordinary companies the world has ever known. With twenty-seven years of Amazon
experience between them, much of it in the early aughts -- a period of unmatched innovation that
brought products and services including Kindle, Amazon Prime, Amazon Studios, and Amazon
Web Services to life, both Bryar and Carr collaborate to offer the reader unprecedented access to
the Amazon way as it was refined, articulated, and proven to be repeatable, scalable, and
adaptable.
With keen analysis and practical steps for applying it at your own company (no matter the size)
"Working Backwards" clearly illuminate how Amazon's fourteen leadership principles inform
decision-making at all levels and reveal how the company's culture has been defined by four
characteristics: customer obsession, long-term thinking, eagerness to invent, and operational
excellence. Bryar and Carr go on to explain the set of ground-level practices that ensure these are
translated into action and flow through all aspects of the business.
Both a practical guidebook and a corporate narrative, "Working Backwards" is packed from
cover to cover with the authors' in-the-room recollections of what "Being Amazonian" is like and
how it has affected their personal and professional lives. They demonstrate that success on
Amazon's scale is not achieved by the genius of any single leader, but rather through
commitment to and execution of a set of well-defined, rigorously-executed principles and
practices -- shared here with the public for the very first time.
Critique: An absolute 'must read' for anyone doing (or contemplating doing) business with
Amazon.com, "Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" should
be a part of every community, corporate, college, and university library E-Commerce collection
and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for entrepreneurs, corporate
executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Working
Backwards" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Macmillan Audio, 9781250788054, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Colin Bryar joined Amazon in 1998 -- four years after its founding -- and spent
the next 12 years as part of Amazon's senior leadership team as Amazon grew from a domestic
(US-only) seller of books to a global, multi-dimensional powerhouse and innovator. Colin served
as a Vice President at Amazon, and for two of his years he was "Chief of Staff" to Jeff Bezos,
AKA "Jeff's shadow", during which he spent each day attending meetings, traveling with, and
discussing business and life with Jeff. After Amazon, he and his family relocated to Singapore
for two years where Colin served as Chief Operating Officer of e-commerce company RedMart,
which was subsequently sold to Alibaba. Colin is co-founder of Working Backwards LLC where
he coaches executives at both large and early-stage companies on how to implement the
management practices developed at Amazon.
Bill Carr joined Amazon in 1999 and spent more than 15 years with the company. As Vice
President of Digital Media, Bill launched and managed the company's global digital music and
video businesses, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. After Amazon,
Bill was an Executive In Residence with Maveron, LLC, an early-stage, consumer-only venture
capital firm. Bill later served as the Chief Operating Officer of OfferUp, the largest mobile
marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S. Today Bill is co-founder of Working
Backwards LLC where he coaches executives at both large and early-stage companies on how to
implement the management practices developed at Amazon.
World Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurship
Leo-Paul Dana, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781839104138, $335.00, HC, 704pp
https://www.amazon.com/World-Encyclopedia-Entrepreneurship-L%C3%A9o-Paul-Dana/dp/1839104139
Synopsis: Bringing together preeminent international scholars in the field, this fully updated and
expanded second edition of the "World Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurship" is comprehensive
informational resource that offers detailed analyses of critical concepts in entrepreneurship by the
leading thinkers in the field.
This illuminating resource contains 76 entries addressing the intricacies of global
entrepreneurship in the 21st century. Covering topics including blockchain technology, digital
entrepreneurship, ethical concerns for entrepreneurs, mental health in entrepreneurship, rural
entrepreneurship and sustainable entrepreneurship, this authoritative reference work sheds light
on the multilayered entrepreneurial world, providing crucial insights into navigating the nuances
of the New Economy.
Providing readers with a unique guide for the contemporary business age, the "World
Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurship" is an indispensable point of reference for scholars and
researchers exploring new research opportunities as well as students in need of a thorough
overview of the key concepts in the field.
"World Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurship" will also substantially benefit practitioners searching
for advanced understanding of complex entrepreneurship topic.
Critique: Knowledgeably compiled and edited by Professor Leo-Paul Dana (Dalhousie
University, Canada and Montpellier Business School, France), the "World Encyclopedia of
Entrepreneurship" is comprised of seventy-six informative entries on the subject of
entrepreneurship and illustrative examples of successful entrepreneurs. This newly published
second edition of "World Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurship" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for professional, community, corporate, college, and university library
Contemporary Business reference collections in general, and Entrepreneurship supplemental
curriculum studies reading lists in particular.
Digital Business Transformation
Nigel Vaz
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781119758679, $29.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Business-Transformation-Established-Competitive/dp/111975867X
Synopsis: "Digital Business Transformation: How Established Companies Sustain Competitive
Advantage" by Nigel Vaz, (the acclaimed CEO of Publicis Sapient, a global digital business
transformation company) offers readers a framework for digital business transformation while
providing practical advice and approachable strategies to help businesses realize their digital
potential.
"Digital Business Transformation" provides readers with examples of the challenges faced by
global organizations and the strategies they used to overcome them. It also includes discussions
of: How to decide whether to defend, differentiate, or disrupt your organization to meet digital
challenges; How to deconstruct decision-making throughout all levels of your organization; How
to combine strategy, product, experience, engineering, and data to produce digital results.
Ideal for anyone in a leadership position in a modern organization, but particularly those who
find themselves responsible for transformation-related decisions, "Digital Business
Transformation" delivers a message that begs to be heard by everyone who hopes to help their
organization meet the challenges of a changing world.
Critique: Expertly written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Digital Business Transformation: How Established Companies Sustain Competitive Advantage"
will prove to be invaluable for entrepreneurs, business managers, and corporate executives with
respect to information management and competitive strategies in local, national, and
international marketplaces. While highly recommended as an addition to community, corporate,
college, and university library Contemporary Business Management collections and supplemental
MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate
executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Digital
Business Transformation: How Established Companies Sustain Competitive Advantage" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.00).
Editorial Note: Nigel Vaz is the CEO of Publicis Sapient, the digital business transformation
company, focused on helping companies survive and thrive in a world that is increasingly digital.
With expertise spanning strategy, product, experience, engineering and data, Publicis Sapient
helps businesses sustain relevance by adapting to change and capturing value through
digital.
In more than 20 years with the company, Nigel has acted as a strategic advisor on complex
transformation initiatives with clients across geographies and a range of industries including
financial services, automotive, retail, consumer products, and telecommunications, media &
technology (TMT).
Named by Consulting Magazine as a Top 25 Global Leader, Vaz advises some of the world's
largest businesses on their transformation initiatives. Publicis Sapient clients include Carrefour,
Goldman Sachs, Marriott, McDonald's, Nationwide, Nissan and Unilever. Prior to Sapient, he
was a successful entrepreneur - co-founding a public company with interests in internet
consulting and connectivity solutions.
In addition, Nigel is President of the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising), a board
director of The Marketing Society and an inductee of the BIMA Digital Hall of Fame. He is also
a regular commentator in broadcast and print media including the BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC,
CNN, the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal, and author of numerous articles on business
transformation, technology, brand experience and culture, including 'Digital Business
Transformation - How Established Companies Sustain Competitive Advantage from Now to
Next', which was based on years of partnering with clients to harness the power of digital.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Zero Waste Living, The 80/20 Way
Stephanie J. Miller
Changemakers Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789047394, $10.95, PB, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Zero-Waste-Living-Way-Footprint/dp/1789047390
Synopsis: Many of us feel powerless to solve the looming climate and waste crises. We have too
much on our plates, and may think these problems are better solved by governments and
businesses. "Zero Waste Living, The 80/20 Way: The Busy Person's Guide To A Lighter
Footprint" unlocks the potential in each "too busy" individual to be a crucial part of the
solution.
Author and environmentalist Stephanie Miller has combined her career focused on climate
change with her own research and personal experience to show in "Zero Waste Living" how just
a few, relatively easy lifestyle changes can create significant positive impact. Using the simplicity
of the 80/20 rule, she shows us those things (the 20%) that we can do to make the biggest (80%)
difference in reversing the climate and waste crises.
Critique: A quick and easy read that will have an immense and lasting impact on how ordinary
people can make an extraordinary difference when it comes to helping resolve the Climate Crisis
and Waste Management problems, "Zero Waste Living, The 80/20 Way: The Busy Person's
Guide To A Lighter Footprint" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community,
college, and university library Environmental Studies collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students, academia, environmental activists, governmental policy
makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Zero Waste
Living, The 80/20 Way: The Busy Person's Guide To A Lighter Footprint" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Stephanie Miller founded Zero Waste in DC to focus on the application of zero
waste strategies that have a real and sustainable impact. With a goal of reaching as wide an
audience as possible, she provides advisory services to individual households as well as
community and corporate presentations. Within her 25-year career at the International Finance
Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, she served as Director of IFC's
Climate Business Department where she led global teams to find innovative solutions to climate
change.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
What the Constitution Means to Me
Heidi Schreck
Theatre Communications Group
520 Eighth Avenue, 24th floor, New York, NY 10018-4156
http://www.tcg.org/publications
9781559369640, $14.95, PB, 96pp
https://www.amazon.com/What-Constitution-Means-Me-TCG/dp/1559369647
Synopsis: When she was fifteen years old, Heidi Schreck started traveling the country, taking part
in constitutional debates to earn money for her college tuition. Decades later, in What the
Constitution Means to Me, she traces the effect that the Constitution has had on four generations
of women in her family, deftly examining how the United States' founding principles are
inextricably linked with our personal lives. "What the Constitution Means to Me" is a play that
arose from her experiences and insights into the basic document upon which American
Democracy is founded.
Critique: Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play, and a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for
Drama, "What the Constitution Means to Me" is highly recommended (especially in the
aftermath of the Trump administration) for personal, professional, community, college, and
university library American Dramas & Plays collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that "What the Constitution Means to Me" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.87).
Editorial Note: Heidi Schreck is a writer and performer. Her other plays include Grand
Concourse and Creature. Heidi's television writing credits include Billions, Nurse Jackie, and I
Love Dick.
Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir
Victoria Riskin
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813180670, $21.95, PB, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fay-Wray-Robert-Riskin-Hollywood/dp/0813180678
Synopsis: Fay Wray (September 15, 1907 - August 8, 2004) achieved cinematic immortality for
her role in King Kong (1933). During a long and sterling career, she starred in more than 120
films opposite Hollywood's most famous leading men (Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, Clark
Gable, William Powell, and Ronald Colman), and worked with master directors including Erich
von Stroheim, William Wyler, William "Wild Bill" Wellman, Josef von Sternberg, Dorothy
Arzner, Frank Capra, Michael Curtiz, Raoul Walsh, and Vincente Minnelli.
Robert Riskin (March 30, 1897 - September 20, 1955) is considered to be one of the greatest
screenwriters of all time. He was an Academy Award-winning writer and producer whose
ten-year-long collaboration with Frank Capra yielded films such as American Madness (1932), It
Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Lost Horizon (1937), You Can't
Take It with You (1938) and Meet John Doe (1941). He was hailed by many including F. Scott
Fitzgerald as being "among the best screenwriters in the business."
"Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir" is moving and masterful work in which
VictoriaRiskin (the daughter of Fay Wray and Robert Riskin) interweaves the story of her movie
making celebrity parents lives and connects them to one of the most interesting periods in
Hollywood history. At the heart of Fay Wray and Robert Riskin is a great love story, backed by a
cast of characters that includes the greatest stars, filmmakers, screenwriters, and moguls of the
era. Readers should not miss this touching and highly acclaimed combined memoir and
biography.
Critique: "Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir" is an inherently fascinating love
story, an compelling memoir, and an informative dual biography of two of Hollywood's most
famous figures, exploring in detail the simply fascinating lives of Fay Wray and Robert Riskin --
two exceptionally talented people at the very heart and center of Hollywood's Golden Age. Also
available in a hardcover edition (Pantheon, 9781524747282, $30.00, 416pp) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.99), "Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir" is especially
recommended for personal reading lists for Hollywood history buffs, as well as community,
college, and university library American Biography and Hollywood Film History
collections.
Josephine Baker's Cinematic Prism
Terri Simone Francis
Indiana University Press
https://iupress.org
9780253356536, $70.00, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Audacious-Josephine-Baker-Blackness-Pleasure/dp/0253356539
Synopsis: Josephine Baker (3 June 1906 - 12 April 1975) was an American-born French
entertainer, French Resistance agent, and civil rights activist. Her career was centered primarily
in Europe, mostly in her adopted France. She was the first Black woman to star in a major
motion picture, the 1927 silent film Siren of the Tropics, directed by Mario Nalpas and Henri
Etievant. Josephine Baker was both liberated and delightfully undignified, playfully vacillating
between allure and colonialist stereotyping.
Nicknamed the "Black Venus," "Black Pearl," and "Creole Goddess," Baker blended the sensual
and the comedic when taking 1920s Europe by storm. While back home in the United States,
Baker's film career brought hope to the Black press that a new cinema centered on Black glamour
would come to fruition.
In a history of her life and career, "Josephine Baker's Cinematic Prism", by Terri Simone Francis
(Associate Professor and Director of the Black Film Center/Archive at Indiana University)
examines how Baker fashioned her celebrity through cinematic reflexivity, an authorial strategy
in which she placed herself, her persona, and her character into visual dialogue. Francis contends
that though Baker was an African American actress who lived and worked in France exclusively
with a white film company, white co-stars, white writers, and white directors, she holds
monumental significance for African American cinema as the first truly global Black woman
film star.
Francis also examines the double-talk between Baker and her characters in Le Pompier de Folies
Bergere, La Sirene des Tropiques, Zou Zou, Princesse Tam Tam, and The French Way, whose
narratives seem to undermine the very stardom they offered. In doing so, Francis artfully
illuminates the most resonant links between emergent African American cinephilia, the diverse
opinions of Baker in the popular press, and African Americans' broader aspirations for progress
toward racial equality.
Examining an unexplored aspect of Baker's career, "Josephine Baker's Cinematic Prism"
informatively and effectively deepens the ongoing conversation about race, gender, and
performance in the African diaspora.
Critique: An insightfully informative work of meticulous research and painstaking scholarship,
"Josephine Baker's Cinematic Prism" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
addition to community, college, and university library Cinematic History, African-American
Studies, and American Biography collections in general, and Josephine Baker supplemental
curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, dedicated Josephine Baker fans, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "Josephine Baker's Cinematic Prism" is also readily available in a paperback
edition (9780253223388, $24.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.80).
The Military Shelf
The First Code Talkers
William C. Meadows
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806168418, $36.95, HC, 378pp
https://www.amazon.com/First-Code-Talkers-American-Communicators/dp/0806168412
Synopsis: The Navajo code talkers in World War II are quite well known in the military annals.
But little else about the military service of Native Americans, who have served in our armed
forces since the American Revolution, and still serve in larger numbers than any other ethnic
group. But, as we learn in this splendid work of historical restitution, code talking originated in
World War I among Native soldiers whose extraordinary service resulted, at long last, in U.S.
citizenship for all Native Americans.
The first full account of these forgotten soldiers in our nation's military history, "The First Code
Talkers: Native American Communicators in World War I" by Professor William C. Meadows
covers all known Native American code talkers of World War I, including members of the
Choctaw, Oklahoma Cherokee, Comanche, Osage, and Sioux nations, as well as the Eastern
Band of Cherokee and Ho-Chunk, whose veterans have yet to receive congressional
recognition.
Professor Meadows is the foremost expert on the subject, describing how Native languages,
which were essentially unknown outside tribal contexts and thus could be as effective as formal
encrypted codes, came to be used for wartime communication. While more than thirty tribal
groups were eventually involved in World Wars I and II, this volume focuses on Native
Americans in the American Expeditionary Forces during the First World War.
Drawing on nearly thirty years of research utilizing U.S. military and Native American archives,
surviving accounts from code talkers and their commanding officers, family records, newspaper
accounts, and fieldwork in descendant communities -- "The First Code Talkers" explores the
origins, use, and legacy of the code talkers. In the process, Professor Meadows highlights such
noted decorated veterans as Otis Leader, Joseph Oklahombi, and Calvin Atchavit and scrutinizes
numerous misconceptions and popular myths about code talking and the secrecy surrounding the
practice.
With appendixes that include a timeline of pertinent events, biographies of known code talkers,
and related World War I data, "The First Code Talkers" is the first comprehensive work ever
published on Native American code talkers in the Great War and their critical place in American
military history.
Critique: A seminal work of meticulously detailed and exhaustive scholarship, "The First Code
Talkers: Native American Communicators in World War I" is enhanced for academia with the
inclusion of Tables, four Appendices, thirty-two pages of Notes, a thirty-eight page listing of
Sources Cited, and a seven page Index. While emphatically recommended for community,
college, and university library American Military History in general, and World War I
supplemental curriculum lists in particular, "The First Code Talkers: Native American
Communicators in World War I" is also readily available for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.95).
Editorial Note: William C. Meadows is a Professor of Anthropology and Native American
Studies at Missouri State University, Springfield. A scholar of Plains Indian cultures, he is also
the author of Kiowa, Apache, and Comanche Military Societies: Enduring Veterans, 1800 to the
Present (University of Texas Press, 2003) and The Comanche Code Talkers of World War II and
Kiowa Ethnogeography (University of Texas Press, 2003).
The Luftwaffe's Secret WWII Missions
Dmitry Degtev & Dmitry Zubov
Air World
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526775474, $42.95, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Luftwaffes-Secret-WWII-Missions/dp/1526775476
Synopsis: On the night of 14/15 August 1944, the roar of an unknown aircraft was heard over the
dense forests to the southeast of Moscow. Flying past the Soviet capital, the aircraft turned
towards a 'secret' landing site at Yegoryevsk on the outskirts of the city. But lying in wait were
troops of Stalin's elite secret service -- SMERSH.
The troops turned on the landing lights and the aircraft, a German machine of some description,
swept down to land. As the aircraft touched down, some of the SMERSH troops lost their nerve
and opened fire prematurely. The German pilot responded quickly and managed to pull his
aircraft up in time to brush over the top of the trees at the end of the clearing and disappear back
into the dark Soviet sky.
This was just one of many vivid episodes in the operational service of the Luftwaffe's special and
secret units which engaged in the delivery of agents and saboteurs in the rear of the enemy
throughout the Second World War -- and not just on the Eastern Front but across Asia and
Europe. The activities of the pilots and crews of these squadrons, even in the Luftwaffe itself,
were closed and secret. Information on the operations and missions of these units was known
only a limited number of people. It was common practice for the crew of one aircraft in these
units to know nothing about the assignments of their fellow airmen.
The area of activity of such units and aircraft covered the whole of Europe, North Africa, the
Arctic circle, the Urals, the Caucasus, and Central Asia including Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
The Luftwaffe not only flew to these remote regions, but also created secret bases for their
aircraft.
Drawn from German and Russian sources, much of the latter only recently declassified, the "The
Luftwaffe's Secret WWII Missions" by military historians Dmitry Degtev and Dmitry Zubov
expose for the very first time the Luftwaffe's secret operations and reveal the fate of many of the
pilots, agents and saboteurs.
Critique: Offering an impressive wealth of documented detail, "The Luftwaffe's Secret WWII
Missions" is a truly extraordinary and unique contribution to the growing library of World War II
histories and is certain to be an enduringly welcome and appreciated addition to personal,
professional, community, college, and university library collections. It should be noted for
students, academia, and military history buffs that "The Luftwaffe's Secret WWII Missions" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note #1: The author of twenty-nine books, Dmitry Degtev is one of the leading Russian
researchers of the history of the Second World War, having studied the air battles of the Second
World War and the history of the Luftwaffe for more than twenty years. He currently lectures at
Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University.
Editorial Note #2: Dmitry Zubov is the author of twenty-two books on military history and is an
Associate Professor of Psychology at the Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University
The Fighting 30th Division
Martin King, et al.
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612003016, $32.95, HC, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-30th-Division-Called-Roosevelts/dp/161200301X
Synopsis: In World War I the 30th Infantry Division earned more Medals of Honor than any
other American division. In World War II it spent more consecutive days in combat than almost
any other outfit. Recruited mainly from the Carolinas and Georgia and Tennessee, they were one
of the hardest-fighting units the U.S. ever fielded in Europe. What was it about these men that
made them so indomitable? They were tough and resilient for a start, but this division had
something else. They possessed intrinsic zeal to engage the enemy that often left their adversaries
in awe. Their U.S. Army nickname was the "Old Hickory" Division. But after encountering them
on the battlefield, the Germans themselves came to call them "Roosevelt's SS."
"The Fighting 30th Division: They Called Them Roosevelt's SS " is a combat chronicle of this
illustrious division that takes the reader right to the heart of the fighting through the eyes of those
who were actually there. It goes from the hedgerows of Normandy to the 30th's gallant stand
against panzers at Mortain, to the brutal slugs around Aachen and the Westwall, and then to the
Battle of the Bulge. Each chapter is meticulously researched and assembled with accurate
timelines and after-action reports. The last remaining veterans of the 30th Division and attached
units who saw the action firsthand relate their remarkable experiences here for the first, and
probably the last time. This is precisely what military historians mean when they write about
"fighting spirit."
There have been only a few books written about the 30th Division and none contained direct
interviews with the veterans. This work follows their story from Normandy to the final victory in
Germany, packed with previously untold accounts from the survivors. These are the men whose
incredible stories epitomize what it was to be a GI in one of the toughest divisions in WWII.
Critique: An absolutely essential and core addition to personal, professional, community, college,
and university library World War II military history collections, "The Fighting 30th Division:
They Called Them Roosevelt's SS" is an inherently absorbing read from cover to cover. It should
be noted for students, academia, and military buffs alike that "The Fighting 30th Division: They
Called Them Roosevelt's SS" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781612009780,
$24.95) and in digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Twenty-Two On Peleliu
George Peto & Peter Margaritis
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612005270, $32.95, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Two-Peleliu-Pacific-Campaigns-Memoirs/dp/1612005276
Synopsis: On September 15, 1944, the U.S. First Marine Division landed on a small island in the
Central Pacific called Peleliu as a prelude to the liberation of the Philippines. Among the first
wave of Marines that hit the beach that day was 22-year-old George Peto.
Growing up on a farm in Ohio, George always preferred being outdoors and exploring. This
made school a challenge, but his hunting, fishing and trapping skills helped put food on his
family's table. As a poor teenager living in a rough area, he got into regular brawls, and he found
holding down a job hard because of his wanderlust. After working out West with the CCC, he
decided that joining the Marines offered him the opportunity for adventure plus three square
meals a day; so he and his brother joined the Corps in 1941, just a few months before Pearl
Harbor.
Following boot camp and training, he was initially assigned to various guard units, until he was
shipped out to the Pacific and assigned to the 1st Marines. His first combat experience was the
landing at Finschhaven, followed by Cape Gloucester. Then as a Forward Observer, he went
ashore in one of the lead amtracs at Peleliu and saw fierce fighting for a week before the
regiment was relieved due to massive casualties. Six months later, his division became the
immediate reserve for the initial landing on Okinawa. They encountered no resistance when they
came ashore on D+1, but would go on to fight on Okinawa for over six months.
Written with the assistance of Peter Margaritis, "Twenty-Two on Peleliu: Four Pacific
Campaigns with the Corps: The Memoirs of an Old Breed Marine" is the wild and remarkable
story of George Peto, an "Old Breed" Marine, from his youth in the Great Depression, his
training and combat in the Pacific, to his life after the war, as told in his own words.
Critique: An inherently riveting military memoir that reads with all the drama of a well honed
novel, "Twenty-Two on Peleliu: Four Pacific Campaigns with the Corps: The Memoirs of an Old
Breed Marine" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community,
college, and university library World War II histories and biographies collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated military buffs that "Twenty-Two on Peleliu: Four
Pacific Campaigns with the Corps: The Memoirs of an Old Breed Marine" is also readily
available in a paperback edition (9781612009797, $24.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$10.99).
The Autism Shelf
Choice and Structure for Children with Autism
Colette McNeil
MSI Press
1760-F Airline Hwy, #203, Hollister, CA 950243
http://msipress.com
9781950328376, $12.95, PB, 87pp
https://www.amazon.com/Choice-Structure-Children-Autism-Quarantine/dp/1950328376
Synopsis: "Choice and Structure for Children with Autism: Getting through the Long Days of
Quarantine" by Colette McNeil was written specifically for parents caring for an autistic child
during this time of pandemic necessitated quarantine.
A compendium of practical commentary and suggestions, "Choice and Structure for Children
with Autism: Getting through the Long Days of Quarantine" is essential and helpful reading for
anyone parent who is confronted by such questions as: Are you productively juggling or really
struggling? Is your daughter playing throughout your home or staying alone? During interactions,
is your son engaged or enraged? Are your toys being enjoyed or does your child get annoyed?
After most days do you feel celebrated or devastated?
"Choice and Structure for Children with Autism: Getting through the Long Days of Quarantine"
offers realistic and effective ideas of support in improving focus, engagement, and cooperation.
Some strategies shared include ways to offer thoughtfully chosen choice and structure when
engaging with autistic children.
Critique: An absolute 'must' as a coping resource for the parent of an autistic children in this
pandemic restricted home environment, "Choice and Structure for Children with Autism: Getting
through the Long Days of Quarantine" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
family, professional, and community library Disability Parenting collections in general, and
Autistic Parenting reading lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Colette McNeil has over 30 years of experience working with children with
autism in a wide range of educational, recreational, and care giving settings. Ms. McNeil holds a
master of arts degree in Psychology and follows positive psychology inspirations. Ms. McNeil
aspires to development confidence in children with autism through expanding the perspectives of
their parents, families, teachers and caregivers.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
All about the Amish: Answers to Common Questions
Karen M. Johnson-Weiner
Herald Press
P.O. Box 866, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
www.heraldpress.com
9781513806297, $14.99, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/All-about-Amish-Answers-Questions/dp/1513806297
Synopsis: Do the Amish pay taxes? Are they Christians? Why do they use horses and buggies but
agree to ride in other people's cars? And how can they even survive in the contemporary
world?
In the pages of "All about the Amish: Answers to Common Questions", Amish expert Karen
Johnson-Weiner answers these and other top questions people have about the Old Order Amish.
After more than thirty years of being friends with the Amish and studying their faith and culture,
Karen offers authoritative answers to the most common questions about their unique lifestyle,
beliefs, churches, schools, and more!
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "All about the Amish: Answers to Common
Questions" is an invaluable and thoroughly 'user friendly' informational resource that is
unreservedly recommended for anyone with questions about Amish culture and beliefs. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that "All about the Amish: Answers to Common Questions" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.49).
The Philosophy Shelf
Motivation and the Primacy of Perception
Peter Antich
Ohio University Press
215 Columbus Road, Suite 101, Athens, OH 45701
www.ohioswallow.com
9780821424322, $95.00, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Motivation-Primacy-Perception-Merleau-Pontys-Phenomenology/dp/0821424327
Synopsis: Maurice Jean Jacques Merleau-Ponty (14 March 1908 - 3 May 1961) was a French
phenomenological philosopher, strongly influenced by Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger.
The constitution of meaning in human experience was his main interest and he wrote on
perception, art, politics, religion, psychology, psychoanalysis, language, nature, and history. He
was the lead editor of Les Temps modernes, the leftist magazine he established with Jean-Paul
Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir in 1945. (Wikipedia)
Arguing that knowledge is ultimately founded in perceptual experience, Professor Peter Antich
interprets and defends Merleau-Ponty's thinking on motivation as the key to establishing a new
form of epistemic grounding. Upending the classical dichotomy between reason and natural
causality, justification and explanation, Professor Antich shows how this epistemic ground
enables Merleau-Ponty to offer a radically new account of knowledge and its relation to
perception. In so doing, Antich demonstrates how and why Merleau-Ponty remains a vital
resource for today's epistemologists.
Critique: An erudite and seminal contribution to phenomenology studies, "Motivation and the
Primacy of Perception: Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Knowledge" by Professor Peter
Antich must be considered as a core and unreservedly recommended addition to college and
university library Contemporary Philosophy collections and Epistemic supplemental studies. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Motivation and the Primacy of Perception" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $90.25).
Editorial Note: Peter Antich is visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Trinity College in
Hartford, Connecticut. His publications include "Merleau-Ponty on Hallucination and Perceptual
Faith," in Etudes Phenomenologiques - Phenomenological Studies, "Perceptual Experience in
Kant and Merleau-Ponty," in the Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology, and
"Merleau-Ponty's Theory of Concept Formation," in the History of Philosophy Quarterly.
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
Careering: The Pocket Guide to Exploring Your Future Career
Tamara S. Raymond
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
168350402X, $9.95, PB, 96pp
https://www.amazon.com/Careering-Pocket-Exploring-Future-Career/dp/168350402X
Synopsis: Tamara Raymond wrote "Careering: The Pocket Guide to Exploring Your Future
Career " to help young adults avoid the traps she fell into as a result of struggling to figure out
her career path after college. Today, this successful leadership development coach shares her
hard-learned lessons to help you quickly identify your passions and strengths so you can find
your way in the world of work -- and avoid spending years of your life in a job that is wrong for
you.
A concise and easy-to-read pocket guide, "Careering" helps you to: Evaluate your interests,
skills, and passions; Identify jobs, internships, and volunteer positions that align with your
personal gifts; Identify multiple career exploration avenues, from camps to summer jobs; Put
together a resume and references, even if you've never had a "real" job; Learn how to network,
apply for jobs, and develop interviewing skills; Learn how to pursue entrepreneurial
opportunities; Learn how not to use social media if you want to land a job -- and to do so much
more!
Young adulthood is the best time to explore, experience, and eliminate possible career paths.
"Careering" will help you do all three -- and get you on the path that is right for you!
Critique: Expertly written, deftly organized, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation,
"Careering: The Pocket Guide to Exploring Your Future Career" is as informed and informative
as it is motivationally inspired and inspiring. Especially recommended for college students with
planning their future job and career aspirations, "Careering" would also prove beneficial for
anyone having to re-join the work force after a sustained absence in these pandemic driven times.
An ideal DIY employment planing instructional guide and manual, "Careering" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Jobs/Careers collections. It should be noted for students and job seekers that "Careering" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.49).
Editorial Note: Tamara S. Raymond is the founder of Innovative Management Consulting (IMC),
a premier consulting firm that helps individuals be extraordinary in their careers. She also helps
organizations nurture leaders. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Lawrence
University. She also holds a master's degree in organizational sciences with a concentration in
management and a graduate level certificate in leadership coaching from George Washington
University. She is also certified in The Birkman Method -- one of the most influential personality
assessments for people across the globe.
The Psychology Shelf
The Empire of Depression: A New History
Jonathan Sadowsky
Polity
www.politybooks.com
c/o Blackwell Publishing
9781509531646, $35.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Depression-New-History/dp/1509531645
Synopsis: Depression has colonized the world. Today, more than 300 million of us have been
diagnosed as depressed. But 150 years ago, "depression" referred to a mood, not a sickness.
Does that mean people weren't sick before, only sad? Of course not. Mental illness is a complex
thing, part biological, part social, its definition dependent on time and place. But in the
mid-twentieth century, even as European empires were crumbling, new Western clinical models
and treatments for mental health spread across the world. In so doing, "depression" began to
displace older ideas like "melancholia," the Japanese "utsusho," or the Punjabi "sinking heart"
syndrome.
In "The Empire of Depression: A New History" historian Jonathan Sadowsky tells this global
story, chronicling the path-breaking work of psychiatrists and pharmacists, and the intimate
sufferings of patients. Revealing the continuity of human distress across time and place, he
shows us how different cultures have experienced intense mental anguish, and how they have
tried to alleviate it.
Sadowsky reaches an unflinching conclusion: the devastating effects of depression are real. A
number of treatments do reduce suffering, but a permanent cure remains elusive. Throughout the
history of depression, there have been overzealous promoters of particular approaches, but
history shows us that there is no single way to get better that works for everyone. Like successful
psychotherapy, history can liberate us from the negative patterns of the past.
Critique: An inherently absorbing, thoughtful and thought-provoking read from cover to cover,
"The Empire of Depression: A New History" is an extraordinary study that is impressively well
written, organized and presented -- making it an exceptional history that will have immense
interest for both a mental health worker and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in
the subject. While very highly recommended, especially for community, college, and university
library Popular Psychology collections in general, and Anxiety/Depression Disorders
supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "The Empire of Depression: A New History" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $28.00).
Editorial Note: Jonathan Sadowsky is the Theodore J. Castele Professor of the History of
Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, where he is also Associate Director of the
program in Medicine, Society, and Culture in the Department of Bioethics. A student of
psychiatric epidemiology, Professor Sadowsky's writing investigates madness and its compelling
relationship with culture and society. A renowned historian of medicine, he is also the author of
"Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness and Colonialism in Southwest Nigeria", as well as
"Electroconvulsive Therapy in America: The Anatomy of a Political Controversy".
The Cookbook Shelf
Cook Together, Eat Together
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813180359, $17.95, HC, 80pp
https://www.amazon.com/Together-University-Kentucky-Cooperative-Extension/dp/081318035X
Synopsis: In our pre-pandemic world, many people found themselves waiting in line at fast food
restaurants more often than gathering around the dinner table with loved ones. Cooking and
eating together can help families grow closer, but it can be challenging for parents to put a meal
on the table when time is limited and money is tight.
"Cook Together, Eat Together" specifically is designed by the University of Kentucky,
Cooperative Extension Service, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension to help families enjoy
more home-cooked, healthy meals. Featuring easy recipes for breakfast dishes, soups, vegetables,
salads, and one-pot meals, this beautifully illustrated cookbook lays out a strategy to enable
families to spend more quality time together while also preparing foods that are affordable and
delicious.
Additionally, "Cook Together, Eat Together" provide a DIY toolkit for lifestyle changes,
including budgeting tips, nutrition guides, breakdowns explaining how to evaluate food labels,
and even a quick guide to shopping smart at the farmers' market. Each individual recipe comes
with useful information ranging from preparation tricks that help reduce mess, to ideas for how
to use leftovers, to all the way to icebreakers for starting fun conversations around the table.
The no-nonsense, nutritious recipes in this cookbook are designed to get the whole family in the
kitchen, enjoying comforting foods, and making memories. "Cook Together, Eat Together"
serves up tasty, budget-friendly dishes that home cooks and their kids can prepare with less
stress.
Critique: Replete with full color photographic examples of mouth-watering finished dishes,
"Cook Together, Eat Together" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation --
making is a memorably ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, family and
community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Cook Together, Eat Together"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
Editorial Note: University of Kentucky, Cooperative Extension Service, Family and Consumer
Sciences (FCS) Extension represents a group of educators sharing the university's research
knowledge with individuals, families, and communities to improve quality of life. FCS
concentrates on the community as the classroom, delivering programs focusing on nutrition,
health, resource management, family development, and civic engagement.
Broke Vegan
Saskia Sidey
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780600636984, $14.99, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Broke-Vegan-plant-based-recipes-earth/dp/0600636984
Synopsis: We all want to help do our bit to save the planet by moving towards a plant-based diet,
but eating vegan can be expensive. But with over 100 plant-based recipes using supermarket
staples along with hints and tips for making your food dollar go further, "Broke Vegan: Over 100
plant-based recipes that don't cost the earth" by Saskia Sidey will have you cooking meals time
after time that save money and save the planet. From easy weeknight meals ready in 20 minutes
to feeding a crowd on a budget or saving time and money by batch cooking, "Broke Vegan" is
your primary 'go to' meal planner cookbook. Whether you're making the move from veggie to
vegan or just trying to make your money go further, "Broke Vegan" will bring variety and flavor
to your meals without having to spend a fortune.
Critique: Particularly timely given the restrictions of the current pandemic, as well as its
economic impact, "Broke Vegan: Over 100 plant-based recipes that don't cost the earth" will
prove to be an exceptionally welcome and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional,
and community library Vegetarian/Vegan cookbook collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Broke Vegan" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$6.99).
Editorial Note: Saskia Sidey was the former brand & marketing manager and copywriter at
LEON. She also worked in-house for cookbook publishers Octopus before leaving to train as a
chef at Leiths School of Food and Wine. With a flare for flavor, eye for detail and practical
nature, Saskia has developed a personal style with food that truly stands out. She maintains an
informative website at https://www.instagram.com/saskia.sidey
The Mathematics Shelf
Proofs 101: An Introduction to Formal Mathematics
Joseph Kirtland
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9780367536930, 150.00, HC, 196pp
https://www.amazon.com/Proofs-101-Introduction-Formal-Mathematics/dp/0367536935
Synopsis: "Proofs 101: An Introduction to Formal Mathematics" by Professor Joseph Kirtland
serves as an excellent introduction to proofs for mathematics majors who have completed the
calculus sequence (at least Calculus I and II) and a first course in linear algebra.
The book prepares students for the proofs they will need to analyze and write the axiomatic
nature of mathematics and the rigors of upper-level mathematics courses. Basic number theory,
relations, functions, cardinality, and set theory will provide the material for the proofs and lay the
foundation for a deeper understanding of mathematics, which students will need to carry with
them throughout their future studies.
"Proofs 101" is deliberately designed to be teachable across a single semester, is immanently
suitable as an undergraduate textbook for Introduction to Proofs or Transition to Advanced
Mathematics courses, and offfers a balanced variety of easy, moderate, and difficult
exercises.
Critique: An ideal curriculum textbook, "Proofs 101: An Introduction to Formal Mathematics" is
exceptionally well organized and presented. A core and essential addition to college and
university library Mathematics collections, it should be noted for students and academia that
"Proofs 101" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780367536817, $59.95) and in a
digital book format (eTextbook, $56.95).
Editorial Note: Joseph Kirtland received his PhD in mathematics from the University of New
Hampshire. He joined the faculty of Marist College in 1992. A highly respected teacher, he has
been selected ten times by the students for the Faculty Recognition Award in the School of
Computer Science and Mathematics. In 2000, he was presented with the Marist College Board of
Trustee's Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2002, he received the Award for Distinguished
College or University Teaching of Mathematics given by the Metropolitan New York section of
the Mathematical Association of America. In addition, his first book Identification Numbers and
Check Digit Schemes won the Mathematical Association of America's Beckenbach Book Prize in
2002.
Mathematics of Casino Carnival Games
Mark Bollman
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9780367348656, $64.95, HC, 318pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Casino-Carnival-Games-Bollman/dp/0367348659
Synopsis: Table games other than baccarat, blackjack, craps, and roulette are called carnival
games, as a nod to their origin in actual traveling or seasonal carnivals. There are thousands of
books relating to poker, blackjack, roulette and baccarat, including strategy guides, statistical
analysis, psychological studies, and much more. However, there are no books on Pell, Rouleno,
Street Dice, and many other games that have had a short life in casinos!
While this is understandable (most casino gamblers have not heard of these games, and no one is
currently playing them) their absence from published works means that some interesting
mathematics and gaming history are at risk of being lost forever. But in "Mathematics of Casino
Carnival Games", mathematician Mark Bollman is a focused look at these games and the
mathematics at their foundation.
"Mathematics of Casino Carnival Games" includes exercises with the solutions included for
readers who wish to practice the ideas presented. Suitable for a general audience with an interest
in the mathematics of gambling and games, "Mathematics of Casino Carnival Games" goes
beyond providing practical 'tips' for gamblers, and explores the mathematical principles that
underpin gambling games.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, impressively informative, and ground-breaking unique and
seminal study, "Mathematics of Casino Carnival Games" must be considered an unreservedly
recommended and core addition to personal, professional, college, and university library
Advanced Mathematics and Games Theory collections and supplemental curriculum lists. It
should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Mathematics of Casino Carnival Games" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $51.96).
Editorial Note: Mark Bollman is Professor of Mathematics and chair of the Department of Mathematics
& Computer Science at Albion College in Albion, Michigan, and has taught 113 different courses in his
career. Among these courses is "Mathematics of the Gaming Industry," where mathematics majors
carefully study the math behind games of chance and travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, in order to compare
theory and practice. He has also taken those ideas into Albion's Honors Program in "Great Issues in
Humanities: Perspectives on Gambling," which considers gambling from literary, philosophical, and
historical points of view as well as mathematically. Mark has also authored Basic Gambling
Mathematics: The Numbers Behind The Neon and Mathematics of Keno and Lotteries.
Mathematical Puzzles
Peter Winkler
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9780367206932, $74.95, HC, 520pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mathematical-Puzzles-Peter-Winkler/dp/0367206935
Synopsis: Research in mathematics is so much more than just solving puzzles -- but most people will
agree that solving puzzles is not just fun: it helps focus the mind and increases one's armory of
techniques for doing mathematics. "Mathematical Puzzles" by mathematician Peter Winkler makes this
connection explicit by isolating important mathematical methods, then using them to solve puzzles and
prove a theorem.
"Mathematical Puzzles" features: A collection of the world's best mathematical puzzles with each
chapter features a technique for solving mathematical puzzles, examples, and finally a genuine theorem
of mathematics that features that technique in its proof. The underlying message of Peter Winkler is that
Math based puzzles are not just exercises or contest problems, not when they are entertaining,
mystifying, paradoxical, and satisfying in their solutions.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for personal, professional, college, and university library Advanced
Mathematics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, "Mathematical Puzzles" is an
extraordinarily elegant compendium of mathematically based puzzles and an unreservedly recommended
acquisition selection. It should be noted that "Mathematical Puzzles" is also readily available in a
paperback edition (9780367206925, $29.95) and in a digital book format (eTextbook, $22.49)
Editorial Note: Peter Winkler is the William Morrill Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at
Dartmouth College, and for 2019 - 2020, the Distinguished Visiting Professor for the Public
Dissemination of Mathematics at the National Museum of Mathematics. He is the author of 160 research
papers, a dozen patents, two previous puzzle books, a book on cryptographic techniques in the game of
bridge, and a portfolio of compositions for ragtime piano.
The Gardening Shelf
Plant: House Plants - Choosing, Styling, Caring
Gynelle Leon
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784727062, $19.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Plant-plants-choosing-styling-caring/dp/1784727067
Synopsis: House plants can dramatically alter the decor and ambiance of a home. A flash of color, a
calming influence, expertly selected house plants are adaptable, affordable and (if you know how) easy
to care for.
In "Plant: House Plants - Choosing, Styling, Caring", horticultural expert Gynelle Leon, gives you all the
knowledge you need to help your plants thrive including: A plant gallery showcasing some of the very
best house plants; A chapter of styling ideas to inspire you to show your plants and their best; A care
guide with all you need to know to help your plants thrive.
Critique: With an informed and informative commentary and guide that is nicely illustrated with full
color photography, "Plant: House Plants - Choosing, Styling, Caring" is an ideal DIY introduction to the
use and utility of houseplants and will be a welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to personal,
professional, and community library Contemporary Gardening and Home Interior Decorating collections
and instructional reading lists. It should be noted that "Plant: House Plants - Choosing, Styling, Caring"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Gynelle Leon is an internationally recognized house plant expert and founder of PRICK -
- one of the world's first shops dedicated to cacti and succulents. An award-winning plant photographer,
Gynelle has worked with the Royal Horticultural Society and been featured in the Financial Times,
Huffington Post, Monocle and i-D, among others.
The Journalism Shelf
Freedom of the Press in Small-Town America: My Opinions
Steve Hochstadt
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471-0640
www.atlantic-pub.com
9781620238202, $21.95, PB, 468pp
https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Press-Small-Town-America-Publishing/dp/1620238209
Synopsis: In a 9-year career as an op-ed columnist for a small-town newspaper in America's heartland,
Steve Hochstadt wrote about all the key issues of 21st-century American life. From family holidays to
police brutality, climate science to fatherhood, partisan politics to economic inequality, to racism and
sexism and truth in politics, he covered it all. He used weekly opinion columns to trace our country's
political history as well as his own journey as a journalist-historian.
The stories Hochstadt tells are both universal and particular, constructed by observing America and the
world from the vantage point of Jacksonville, Illinois, and his own family history. His essays connect
national politics and daily life in small-town America. As a Holocaust historian, child of a Jewish
refugee, and admirer of Jackie Robinson, he has a unique perspective on political issues in this country.
He relies on his historical background, careful logic, clear writing, and social scientific evidence to back
his personal opinions. Hochstadt's optimistic belief in the power of liberal journalism transforms these
essays into a message of hope to all Americans.
Critique: Thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Freedom of the Press in Small-Town America: My
Opinions" offers an extraordinary perspective on small town newspaper journalism which is a
communication service that is rapidly becoming obsolete in our present age of internet based sources for
local, state, and national news. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college,
and university library American Journalism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it
should be noted for journalism students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "Freedom of the Press in Small-Town America: My Opinions" is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $20.85).
Editorial Note: Steve Hochstadt grew up on Long Island, earned a BA and PhD at Brown University, and
taught history at Bates College in Maine for 27 years and at Illinois College in Jacksonville 2006-2016.
His early research measured migration in Germany: Mobility and Modernity: Migration in Germany
1820-1989 won the Sharlin Prize of the Social Science History Association. The Holocaust became his
focus: Sources of the Holocaust is a documents collection used across the country in Holocaust courses.
His grandparents escaped from Vienna to Shanghai in 1939, and two books reveal the refugee
experience: Exodus to Shanghai: Stories of Escape from the Third Reich and Shanghai-Geschichten: Die
judische Flucht nach China. He sits on the International Advisory Board of the Shanghai Jewish
Refugees Museum.
The Photography Shelf
Getting Closer
Paul Sorrell
Exisle Publishing
www.exislepublishing.com.au
9781925820638, $27.99, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Closer-Rediscovering-Through-Photography/dp/1925820637
Synopsis: "Getting Closer: Rediscovering Nature Through Bird Photography" by Paul Sorrell is a
beautifully illustrated discussion of photography as a way of achieving greater intimacy with the natural
world.
With a focus on birds, "Getting Closer" is directed primarily at photographers (of all levels of skill and
experience), but also at birders, people interested in the outdoors, and those who would simply like to
achieve a deeper connection with the natural world. The introduction makes the case for reconnecting
with nature in a way that will draw in a wide range of readers, not just photographers. We have to
reconnect, as most of us have lost the spontaneous bond with nature we enjoyed as young children and,
in the face of impending ecological disaster, reconnecting with nature is our most urgent task.
In the pages of "Getting Closer", author and photographer Sorrell offers a simple, practical path for
readers to begin to 'rewild' themselves. This is the focus of the second part of "Getting Closer" where
Sorrell informatively explores ways of becoming attentive to the natural world around you, wherever you
may live. Through self-contained spreads on topics ranging from 'the four seasons' and 'winds and tides'
to 'flight shots' and 'color and texture', he introduces basic, hands-on techniques that, with practice, will
enable readers to both deeply connect with their environment and become proficient wildlife
photographers.
Of special note is the inclusion of 'Top tips' on each spread provide technical information aimed at more
serious photographers.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Getting Closer: Rediscovering Nature
Through Bird Photography" is a complete course of photographic instruction in a single volume.
Expertly written, organized and presented, "Getting Closer: Rediscovering Nature Through Bird
Photography" will prove to be an immediately welcome addition to professional, community, college,
and university library Contemporary Photography and Avian Photography collections, as well as the
personal reading lists of amateur and professional photographers, photography students, bird watching
enthusiasts, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Paul Sorrell took up photography in the early 2000s, giving him a new form of creative
engagement with his longstanding interest in wildlife and the natural world. His images have featured in
local, national and international wildlife photography competitions, and he has published online and
print pieces for outlets ranging from airline magazines to Tourism New Zealand's website and the School
Journal. He has worked in the area of books and publishing since the 1980s, copy-editing, writing for
academic and popular journals, and publishing four books about his home province of Otago with
Penguin Random House.
The Art Shelf
Art: The Whole Story
Stephen Farthing
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500294468, $24.95, PB, 576pp
https://www.amazon.com/Richard-foreword-Stephen-Farthing-editor/dp/0500294461
Synopsis: Under the informed and capable editorship of Stephen Farther (who is the Rootstein Hopkins
research professor in drawing at the University of the Arts, London), and with entries written by an
international team of artists, art historians, and curators, "Art: The Whole Story" is an inherently
absorbing and beautiful book that gives its readers unparalleled insights into the world's most iconic
artworks.
"Art: The Whole Story" deftly traces the development of art period by period, with the informative and
highly illustrated text covering every genre, from painting and sculpture to conceptual art and
performance art. Cultural time lines are included as well, in order to help readers with each movement's
historical context.
Masterpieces that epitomize each period or movement are highlighted and analyzed in detail. Everything
from use of color and visual metaphors to technical innovations are explained, giving readers the tools to
interpret the meanings of world-famous masterpieces. Highlights include Mughal miniatures; Japanese
prints from the nineteenth century; the color theories behind Seurat's remarkable La Grande Jatte; and
why Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon was so shocking in its day.
Critique: Superbly enhanced for the reader with more than 1100 full color illustrations, "Art: The Whole
Story" is a complete course of study with respect to the history of art down through time. A meticulously
presented work of detailed and knowledgeably scholarship, "Art: The Whole Story" includes a one page
Glossary, a one page listing of the Contributors and their credentials, a two page listing of Quotation
Sources, and a six page Index. Impressively informative, exceptionally well organized, and thoroughly
'reader friendly' in presentation, "Art: The Whole Story" is a 'must' for personal, professional,
community, college, and university library Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
The Parenting Shelf
Raising Confident Black Kids
M. J. Fievre
www.mjfievre.com
Mango Publishing
https://mangopublishinggroup.com
9781642505580, $18.95, PB, 254pp
https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Confident-Black-Kids-Comprehensive/dp/1642505587
Synopsis: It's hard for a black parent to balance protecting their child's innocence with preparing them
for the realities of Black life in America today. When (and how) can they approach racism with their
children? How do parents protect their physical and mental health while also preparing them for a
country full of systemic racism?
"Raising Confident Black Kids: A Comprehensive Guide for Empowering Parents and Teachers of
Black Children" is a parenting book specifically created for the parents of Black kids. This is a DIY
guide to help teach black kids how to thrive -- even when it feels like the world is against them. From
racial profiling and police encounters to the whitewashed lessons of history taught in schools, raising
Black kids is no easy feat.
But in the pages of "Raising Confident Black Kids", teacher M.J. Fievre passes on the tips and guidance
that have helped her educate her Black students, including: How to encourage creativity and build
self-confidence in your kids; Ways to engage in activism and help build a safer; community with and for
your children -- and ways to rest when you need to; How to explain systemic racism, intersectionality,
and micro-aggressions.
Critique: Expertly and effectively written, thoroughly 'parent friendly' in organization and presentation,
informed and informative throughout, "Raising Confident Black Kids: A Comprehensive Guide for
Empowering Parents and Teachers of Black Children" is especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library Contemporary Parenting collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists
of all parents, mentors and teachers of black children that "Raising Confident Black Kids" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: M. J. Fievre is a long-time educator and frequent keynote speaker (Tufts University,
Massachusetts; Howard University, Washington, D.C.; the University of Miami, Florida; and Michael
College, Vermont; and a panelist at the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference, AWP),
M.J. is available for book club meetings, podcast presentations, interviews and other author events. She
maintains an informative website at: www.mjfievre.com
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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