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Library Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 5 May 2007 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Large Print Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Library CD Music Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Poetry Shelf Railroading Shelf Military Shelf
Automotive Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Art Shelf Parenting Shelf Business Shelf
Literary Shelf Biography Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Self-Help Shelf American History Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Architecture Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Computer Shelf Education Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Martial Arts Shelf Economics Shelf Sports Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Science Shelf Photography Shelf
Music Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Pyramid Texts
Gamal al-Ghitani
The American University in Cairo Press
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9774160517, $17.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756

Editor-in-chief of the literary review 'Akhbar al-adah' and the author of six collections of short stories, Egyptian author Gamal al-Ghitani has written "Pyramid Texts", a novel that fully reveals his impressive abilities at story telling that blends Sufi mysticism and medieval Islamic history with the imagery and mystery those enigmatic monuments of Egyptian antiquity that are the only surviving member of the ancient seven wonders of the world. Designed so that a series of chapters, each of which is shorter than the last, represents a uniquely modernist style of narrative. Ably translated into English by Humphrey Davies, and made available to an American readership through the auspices of International Publishers Marketing, "Pyramid Texts" transcends cultures to provide a modern work of literary excellence that is a modern Arabic novel which is enthusiastically recommended for academic and community library collections in general, and enthusiasts of avant garde literature in particular.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers
Shel Horowitz
AWM Books
16 Barstow Lane, Hadley, MA 01035
0961466634, $24.95 www.frugalmarketing.com/shop.html

Shel Horowitz is an accomplished professional consultant and practitioner in the art and science of small press publishing. Shel draws upon many years of hard won experience and expertise to write and publish "Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers", a 292-page compendium of descriptive commentary, advice, tips, techniques, resources, instructions, and examples of how an author can go about successfully marketing their book in a highly competitive and often volatile marketplace. Shel has included seven different marketing models that authors can draw upon to create inexpensive yet very effective websites as part of their overall book marketing strategy. Also included are two complete, full-length marketing plans that are actually based on two of Shel's author clients. Examples of eight actual press releases and six successful media pitches are provided as templates. Exemplary anecdotal stories drawn from some forty-one authors and publishers, plus about a dozen publishing industry experts, provide aspiring authors with real-life examples of what they can do to promote and marketing their book regardless of genre. Enhanced with a 16-page resource appendix listing dozens of useful books, website, publications, book coaches, organizes, etc., "Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers" can be considered an informed, user friendly, 'how to' book marketing seminar/workshop in a single volume. Of special note are Shel's commentaries on why books (and their authors) fail in bookstores, online marketing, and operating profitably in a market where only about ten percent of self-published and small press titles sell more than 1000 copies. It should be noted that the Midwest Book Review is favorably cited on seven occasions within the pages of "Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers". Nevertheless, there is no conflict of interest when strongly recommending "Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers" to the attention of 'midlist' authors of major publishing houses who find themselves shouldering the burden of promoting and marketing their books, self-published authors who have established their own imprint, authors who utilize the services of Print-On-Demand (POD) companies to turn their manuscripts into finished books, as well as authors whose books are published by small presses and niche publishers. "Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers" is the ideal reference manual for anyone having to promote a book with little or no available capital for publicity and promotion. Indeed, studying Shel's advice and instructions carefully could well make the difference between commercial success or failure for an author or a publisher.

Fairy Tales For Writers
Lawrence Schimel
A Midsummer Night's Press
16th West 36th Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10018
0979420806 $6.50 www.amidsummernightspress.com

"Fairy Tales For Writers" is a virtually unique entry into the Midwest Book Review's monthly book review column 'The Writing/Publishing Shelf' which is usually devoted to 'how to' books and manuals for aspiring writers and novice publishers. This small, slender, imaginative, hilarious, and all-to-true 30-page collection of poetry by Lawrence Schimel wonderfully and artfully reflects the almost archetypal hopes, ambitions, frustrations, passions, and processes of writing for publication. Here in a kind of poetic folklore format are 'the new writer who encounters a wolf along the path to publication'; the writing workshop member who must always be 'the fairest of them all'; the writer who for the sake of love gives up her own special voice; the shy, anonymous author who slips away before the end of the reading only to be remorselessly tracked down by the editor wanting to publisher her work. Everyone who has ever put pen to paper, and the tried to submit that paper to a publisher, will recognize the poetically expressed truths in Lawrence Schimel's superb little book, "Fairy Tales For Writers". As the last line on the last page of this marvelous little gem has it: "Sometimes there is a happy ending, even in publishing."

Bulletproof Book Proposals
Pam Brodowsky & Eric Neuhaus
Writer's Digest Press
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
1582973679 $14.99 www.fwpublications.com 1-800-726-9966

For every 100 book proposals submitted to publishers by hopeful authors, two will make it and the other ninety-eight will not. That's why literary agent Pam Brodowsky and successful author Eric Neuhaus teamed-up to create a 'how to' manual of instruction and advice to help aspiring writers seeking to break into print better the odds against them. The first part of "Bulletproof Book Proposals" addresses the book proposal writing process through clear instructions and exercises, along with a ten-step approach designed to teach the author how to craft an overview of their writing project that is clear, concise, and engaging; conduct a thorough competitive-book analysis; define primary and secondary markets, and write effective chapter outlines and summaries. The second part of "Bulletproof Book Proposals" presents twelve real-life book proposals that were successful in getting published. Also featured are informative commentaries from the authors and agents of those proposals, as well as the editors who accepted them for publication. "Bulletproof Book Proposals" is a complete, 'user friendly', and strongly recommended do-it-yourself seminar workshop in the creation of effective, successful, profitable book proposals – a skill that is a fundamental necessity for anyone seeking to create a professional writing career for themselves. Also very highly recommended from Writer's Digest Press are two other references for aspiring authors: "The Glimmer Trains Guide To Writing Fiction" (1582974462, $19.99) and Bill Brohaugh's "Unfortunate English: The Gloomy Truth Behind The Words You Use" (1582974438, $18.99).

Writing a Great Movie
Jeff Kitchen
Loan Eagle
c/o Watson-Guptill Publishing
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0823069788, $19.95 www.watsonguptill.com

Theory blends with applied instruction in WRITING A GREAT MOVIE, which offers a manual of tools for aspiring screenwriters. From learning how to set theme and understanding basic dramatic situations to working up demo plots and understanding when to stop, WRITING A GREAT MOVIE moves from basics to advanced techniques and will find a home on the shelf of any serious 'how to' library.

Let's Get Creative: Writing Fiction That Sells
William F. Nolan
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Way, Sanger, CA 93657
1884956505, $14.95 www.quilldriverbooks.com

William F. Nolan is the successful author of more than eighty works of fiction and so brings to "Let's Get Creative: Writing Fiction That Sells" a very special expertise based on personal experience and hard work. Writing with a much appreciated clarity and occasional touches of human, Nolan covers getting started as a writer, where ideas can (and do) come from, the critical value and necessity of a story's climax, the use of dialogue, 'characterization-within-action, the art of revising a manuscript, the value of humor, achieving a personal writing style, employing all five senses in the art and craft of writing fiction, developing conflict to create and hold reader interest, 'hooking the reader', the differences between writing short stories and full length novels, shifting between prose and script writing, handling rejection (the inevitable lot of even the most accomplished and successful authors), and dealing with publishers and literary agents (also inevitable for aspiring writers seeking to become – or continue as – successfully published authors). A superbly presented and informative introduction 'how to' manual to the art, craft and realities of writing fiction, "Let's Get Creative: Writing Fiction That Sells" is a 'must' read for the novice author and has a great deal to recommend it to even the more seasoned fiction writing as well.


The Large Print Shelf

Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com 1-800-955-9659

Every community library should maintain a large-print collection for the benefit of their older patrons in need of the large print format in order to enjoy reading for pleasure and recreation. Ulverscroft Large Print is the primary source for large print books in both fiction and non-fiction categories. One of the Thorpe imprints is especially designed to interest an adult male readership through providing large-print editions of western novels as part of the highly recommended 'Lindford Western Library' series. Among the most recent western novel titles issued are Corba Sunman's "Marshal Law" (1846176646); Ben Nicholas' "Badlanders" (1846176638 ); Jack Holt's "Hot Lead Range" (184617662X); Mark Bannerman's "Fury At Troon's Ferry" (1846176212); John Dyson's "The Bonanza Trail" (1846176239); Ben Coady's "Ponderfoot's Dollars" (1846176220); E.C. Tubb's "The Gold Seekers" (1846175887); and Alan Irwin's "The Long Search" (1846176247). Another truly excellent large print series of western novels distributed by Ulverscroft are the Dales Large Print editions of Lance Howard's "Johnny Dead" (1842625098 ); J.P. O'Donnell's "Man From Pine Ridge" (1842625101); Terry Murphy's "Danger In The Desert" (184262511X ); Elliot James' "Hot Spur" (1842625047); and Jack McKenzie's "Second-Shot Sullivan" (184262508X). Individuals and community librarians seeking to enhance their large-print book collections for visually impaired or limited readers are strongly advised to visit the Ulverscroft website at www.ulverscroftusa.com for a total listing of their hundreds of excellent large-print titles in all genres and categories.


The Library DVD Shelf

Wallis & Edward
Acorn Media Group
801 Roeder Road, Suite 700, Silver Spring, MD 20910
AMP-9276, $24.99 www.acornmedia.com

Edward, Prince of Wales was first in line for the British throne when he first met Wallis Simpson and her husband Ernest. They were Americans visiting in England on business when Edward and Wallis began what seemed to be just another affair in Edward's long string of mistresses. When Edward became King of England after his father's death, his affair with Wallis escalated with her divorcee from her husband. Edward was adamant that he would married Wallis and make her his Queen, despite her status as a twice divorced American woman of common background. The scandal rocked all of England and resulted in the only time a British monarch would renounce his throne in order to marry the woman he loved. "Wallis & Edward" is a brilliant BBC production of a royal love that would change history on the eve of the second world war. Truly tour-de-force performances are provided by every member of the multiple cast. The costumes and sets are picture perfect. This 94-minute film is now available in a DVD format allowing for the addition of an interview with writer Sarah Williams, production notes, a production photo gallery, an historical photo galley, and cast filmographies. A simply brilliant, informed, and entertaining production, "Wallis & Edward" is enthusiastically recommended for personal, family, and community library DVD collections.

The Real Middle Earth
Sir Ian Holm, narrator
Janson Media
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
9781568392346 $24.95 www.janson.com

The Real Middle Earth is an amazing documentary that takes the viewer on a tour of the real-world locations that inspired the fantastic settings of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy trilogy "The Lord of the Rings", later adapted into popular feature films by director Peter Jackson. From the heritage of European languages that Tolkien drew from to enrich the fantastic languages of Middle Earth, to the real "Dead Marshes" known as the Great War battlefields of the Somme to Saxon burial sites, Warwick and Oxford, and much more, The Real Middle Earth is a singularly inspirational and captivating tour. Bonus features include a profile of Stephen Raw, the official mapmaker of "The Lord of the Rings"; a profile of the prosthetics team behind "The Lord of the Rings" special effects, and extended interviews with Tolkien scholars Helen Armstrong, Patrick Curry, and John Garth. A "must-have" for any true Tolkien fan. 105 minutes, color.

Cowboys, Indians & Lawyers
Julia Dengel
Walking Shadow Productions & KUED
c/o Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
DVD $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com 1-800-543-3764

"Cowboys, Indians & Lawyers" is an informed and informative documentary that follows the conflict between to opposing groups over the use and control of the free-flowing waters of the Animas River in Colorado. A dam project called ALP had been authorized by Congress some 30 years ago and was intended to help white farmers irrigate desert lands but it had never been built. The plans for the construction of the dam gain new impetus when it becomes part of a massive development plan that includes coal mines, power plants, and housing developments. That when the Southern Ute Indian tribal leadership's alliance with the developers comes into conflict with Sage Remington (a radical Southern Ute Activist) and his supporters that include white environmentalists. "Cowboys, Indians & Lawyers" is a 57 minute documentary by Julia Dengel that is especially recommended viewing for students of Native American studies, environmental studies, and political science. Also highly recommended for academic and community library Native American Studies collections from Bullfrog Films are the DVD documentary "When Is Enough, Enough?: The Appetite For Oil" (which is the story of a small Cree band in Alberta, Canada, and their struggle with major oil companies for control of their tribal lands which lies atop one of the world's richest oil tar sands deposits), and the DVD documentary "Homeland: Four Portraits Of Native Action" telling the story of how nearly all 317 of the Native American reservations in the U.S. are threatened by environmental problems ranging from toxic waste and strip mining, to oil drilling and nuclear contamination.

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
Fair Winds Press
c/o 411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
1592332285 $24.99 www.411videoinfo.com

Nutritionist Jonny Bowden presents The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, a guide for readers of all backgrounds that does not shy away from controversy. From why milk-off-the-supermarket-shelf is questionable (pasteurization destroys many nutrients, plus factory farmed cattle tend to be fed unhealthy diets with massive doses of antibiotics) to the value of blueberries as a memory-promoting food to the antioxidant properties of peanuts, and healthy foods such as Goji berries that readers may be unfamiliar with, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth is sure to dispel common misconceptions and encourage better food choices and eating habits. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth is not a vegan or vegetarian book, as it promotes the value of eggs, grass-fed beef, and certain types of seafood, but the majority of ingredients listed are fruits or vegetables. Full-color photographs and a frank discussion of food controversies - including those for which there is not enough evidence to support proof one way or the other - round out this practical and solidly honest guide. Highly recommended.

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre
WGBH
c/o SSA Public Relations
148 Madison Avenue, 16th floor PH-1, New York, NY 10016
9781593757052 $29.95 1-877-807-2622

Co-produced by BBC and WGBH Boston, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is a 2-DVD movie adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel about strong woman and the buried secrets she must confront. After surviving a miserable childhood, Jane Eyre accepts a governess position at Thornfield hall, where she tutors a sprightly French girl, and gradually falls in love with the master of the house. When the master's dark past is revealed, undoing her happiness, she escapes to the shelter of a kind clergyman, but her next ordeal will be discovering the hidden secret of her own past. An emotional presentation of a timeless romantic novel, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre expresses passion, courage, hope, and survival. 228 minutes, color.

Renew You Cardio Fusion
Tracey Mallett
Razor Fitness
c/o Razor Digital Entertainment
12031 Ventura Blvd., Suite #3, Studio City, CA 91406
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
1595523316 $14.99 www.411videoinfo.com

Hosted by Tracey Mallett, a fitness expert with over fifteen years of experience, Renew You Cardio Fusion is an exercise DVD designed for users with hectic schedules. The workout is broken into small segments, allowing the viewer to perform the exercises all at once or pick and choose as convenient, Renew You Cardio Fusion includes warm-up "sun salutations", a core cardio segment, upper body sculpting exercises, and total body toning, with emphasis on stretching and strengthening the entire body. Bonus features include tips for keeping one's abs in good condition, and more. An energetic fitness guide drawing from pilates, yoga, ballet, dance, and body sculpting to provide a balanced total workout. 70 minutes, color.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Cafe Noir
Papa Noel
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
PO Box 1788, Bloomington, IN 47402-1788
CD, $18.98 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Cafe Noir is a music CD celebration of African rhythms and Afro-Cuban rumba, blending Papa Noel's guitar talents with Cuban and African collaborators into a pulsing whole. Percussion and saxophone, lyrics that speak out against the divisive politics of the Congo region and extol its multilingual shared culture, and an included French/English booklet enhance this driving album of Congolese rumba, Latin rhythms, and pure musical excitement. The songs are Africa Mokili Mobimba (5:54), Democratic (6:35), Lolita (4:47), Salsa Africaine (4:53), Cafe Noir (5:23), Sandokan (5:30), Soleil (5:36), Tomatito (5:37), Soukous Son (4:50), and Latin Reverie (3:34)


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Original African Heritage Study Bible
Cain Hope Felder, General Editor
Judson Press
PO Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
0817015124, $50.00 www.judsonpress.com 1-800-458-3766

Under the expert editorship of Cain Hope Felder, "The Original African Heritage Study Bible: King James Version" is enhanced with special annotations providing a unique African/Edenic perspective to the primary source document of Christianity. A unique and highly recommended edition of the King James translation, "The Original African Heritage Study Bible" provides the reader with an interpreted Scripture as it relates to persons of African descent. Included study features include introductions to each book of the bible, highlighted scripture references of African/Edenic presence, 64 pages of full-color photographs, illustrations and maps, an identification of African martyrs and saints, women of African lineage, maps of ancient Africa, a glossary of biblical proper names, a major subject index, and the words of Jesus Christ printed in red. The product of meticulous and rigorous biblical scholarship, readers of "The Original African Heritage Study Bible" will be privileged with a special appreciation of the Holy Bible's inherent multiculturalism.

First Voyage Of The Apostle Thomas To India
James Kurikilamkatt
Asian Tradition Corporation
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
81-7086-359-7, $12.00 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756

In a Malabar tradition arising from the first century of the common era, the apostle Thomas reached Kodungallur in Kerala in 52 AD where he began preaching the new religion of a risen Christ or savior named Jesus of Nazareth. Assuming this tradition is historically accurate, the question arises as to where he was ministering and teaching during the preceding two decades between the death of Jesus in about 33 AD and his arrival in Kodungallur. There is another tradition concerning Thomas about his going to the northern provinces of India and preaching to the communities there. "First Voyage Of The Apostle Thomas To India" by James Kurikilamkatt (a priest belonging to the Missionary Society of St. Thomas the Apostle) explores that early tradition and addresses the issue of Christian communities and Pakistan and India having the same apostolic patrimony of St. Thomas. A work of impressively detailed scholarship and commentary, "First Voyage Of The Apostle Thomas To India" is informed and informative reading which is readily and enthusiastically recommended to the attention of students of early Christian movements in general, and the life of St. Thomas the Apostle in particular.


The Poetry Shelf

The Occupied World
Alice Major
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
0-88864-469-8, $24.95 www.uap.ualberta.ca

A Canadian poet whose family emigrated to Toronto from Scotland when she was eight years of age, Alice Major was appointed the honor of become the City of Edmonton's first poet laureate in 2006. Strongly recommended to the attention of anyone who enjoys a well crafted poem that engenders a reflective appreciation for the language of poetry, "The Occupied World" showcases her original and deftly accomplished skill, and makes available to the reading public her distinctive and accomplished verse where she addresses such diverse themes as the human occupation of cities, mythologies, metaphors, and the passage of our lives. 'Novitiate': Stout child in a gauzy lemon dress,/sleeves a confection of puffs and ribbon/worn over a decorous white sweater.//She licks ice cream, looking at neither/plastic cup nor wooden spoon, but off into the air/above the cathedral's sugar spire.//Her gaze is rapt and faraway, as thought the hills of heaven/are mounded from gelado.

The Logan Topographies
Alena Hairston
Persea Books
853 Broadway, Suite 604, New York, NY 10003
0892553294, $13.95 www.perseabooks.com

The debut publication of poetry by Alena Hairston, "The Logan Topographies" is comprised of four lyric sequences (Mountain; Devil's Tea Table; The Hill; The Bottom) that combine to tell the story of three generations of a multi-ethnic coal mining community. Incorporated into her saga poetry are the blended community experiences of African-Americans, members of the Native American Mingo tribe, and Polish immigrants. Expertly crafted phrases evoke vividly realized images documenting Alena Hairston as a truly gifted and original poet whose work will leave poetry enthusiasts looking eagerly toward her next collection. 'In the Beginning': In the beginning or beginning eden was a pile of coal/adam harvested apples before the garden was carved/eve made pies – and ate them with gusto/original sins committed before they arrived/adam and eve remain naked – they are not ashamed/they wear their skin as jewelry

Incredible Good Fortune
Ursula K. Le Guin
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
1590304225, $12.00 www.shambhala.com 1-800-733-3000

Best known as an award winning writer of science fiction and fantasy, Ursula K. Le Guin is also an accomplished poet. "Incredible Good Fortune" is the latest volume of her verse to see print and continues to document her immense talent with respect to the use of language to evoke images and emotions within her reader's 'theatre of the mind' through the use of free verse expression. Poetry enthusiasts in general, and Ursula K. Le Guin's legions of fans in particular, will want to avail themselves of a copy of "Incredible Good Fortune". 'Waking in April': Drifting on the birdsong river/between no light and light/and the sleep of a man and a cat,/I wear the soft old shirt/my mother made me seventy years ago,/winter coat, wedding gown./I wonder, as it wears away to rags/and gauze, will there be a mirror/to see the naked soul in,/or only an unraveling of shadow/as the day widens/and things grow clearer.


The Railroading Shelf

Southern Pacific Daylight Steam Locomotive
Kenneth G. Johnsen
Specialty Press
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
1580070981, $24.95 www.specialtypress.com 1-800-895-4585

Kenneth G. Johnsen is an expert on the 'Daylight' steam powered locomotives having studied them for many years and having personally restored a 1913-built Northern Pacific caboose. In "Southern Pacific Daylight Steam Locomotive" (part of the impressive Specialty Press 'TrainTech' series), Johnsen provides a profusely illustrated and articulate text offering full technical details and specifications on the engine, running gear, boiler, frame, and cab; complete historical data; first-person accounts from Daylight engineers, Daylight locomotive variations, and design, development, and operations of the Daylight steam powered locomotives. "Southern Pacific Daylight Steam Locomotive" is a welcome and informative addition to academic library Railroad History reference collections and of particular recommendation for railroad buff supplemental reading lists.

Australian Railwayman
Ron Fitch
Rosenberg Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
1877058483, $35.00 www.isbs.com 1-800-944-6190

Nicely illustrated throughout with vintage black-and-white photography, "Australian Railwayman: From Cadet Engineer To Railways Commissioner" is the personal story of a railroading career that began when Ron Fitch was a 16-year-old engineering cadet in 1926 and concluded some 46 years later after his having worked for two Australian state railways and served as the Commissioner of South Australian Railways. Fitch's memoir includes his observations and experiences with the 'greater railway community' and having to deal from time to time with very difficult conditions, circumstances, and events. From the laying of track, to anecdotes of that very special breed of men who built and operated a nation's railways, to the advancing technologies of railroading, to natural disasters, to the politics of railways, "Australian Railwayman" presents a fascinating and informative account that will prove to be of immense interest to railroad buffs everywhere. Incidentally, Ron Fitch also holds the distinctive honor of being cited in the Guinness Book of World Records as becoming the oldest known recipient of a PhD. In 2002 at the age of 92. His thesis was on South Australian railways.

Pentrex
2652 East Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91107
www.pentrex.com 1-800-950-9333

Pentrex is the premier produces of documentary DVDs for railroad buffs. Five of there newest releases are particularly recommended for personal, academic, and library railroading reference collections. "Today's Chicago Railroads" (1563421909, $29.95, 2 hours) offers a wealth of information and visual images of railroad trains which have served or are still traversing Chicago ranging from the Chicago & North Western, to the Illinois Central, to the Santa Fe, to so many more. "Conrail Hot Spots East" (1563421917, $29.95, 2 hours) showcases sixteen positions where the passing trains are at their most numerous. "Conrail Hot Spots West" (1563421933, $29, 2 hours) does the same thing for the country's western railroads. "Great American Circus & Show Trains" (1563421925, $29.95, 1 hour, 45 minutes) is a celebration of two modern circus trains and the only carnival that still travels by rail. Every year the Circus World Museum of Baraboo, Wisconsin, reenacts an old-fashioned circus train and here presented is all the wonder and tradition of these very special trains and their distinctively unique cargos. "The Ultimate Tehachapi" (156342200X, $29.95, 8 hours) is a very special, two-disc set that follows the Tehachapil from searing deserts to snow-capped mountains in a DVD production that was some three years in the recording. All five of these simply outstanding productions are done in full color with stereo sound and narration. The DVD format allows for Chapter Menus. Railroading enthusiasts and librarians seeking to enhance their Railroading Studies reference collections would be well advised to visit the Pentrex website as www.pentrex.com for a complete listing of their many fine railroading DVDs.


The Military Shelf

M4 Sherman At War
Michael Green & James D. Brown
Zenith Press
c/o MBI Publishing Company
380 Jackson Street Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
076032784X, $19.95 www.mbipublishing.com

Military specialty libraries strong on World War II history won't want to miss M4 Sherman At War, a survey of a tank which played a key role in every aspect of the battles, enabling the Allies to manufacture enough units to overwhelm the superior German tanks they faced. The design and employment of a tank which beat the odds is reviewed in chapters packed with vintage black and white photos, cut-away diagrams, and historical and design facts: a fascinating, involving read.

A Bridge At Arnhem
Charles Whiting
Magna Large Print Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
0750526688 $32.50 www.ulverscroftusa.com 1-800-955-9659

One of the largest military operations in the World War II European theatre was 'Operation Market Garden', an Allied offense that included a massive airborne strike against Nazi-occupied Holland. The purpose was to create a corridor through which Allied troops could bypass the German 'Siegfried Line', and invade the enemy homeland to defeat the Germans and bring down Hitler and his Nazis before Christmas. The military action was led by the First British Airborne Division (an elite unit known as the Red Devils) whose assignment was to seize the bridge across the Lower Rhine at Arnhem. But despite all the Allies could do, Operation Market Garden ended as a victory for the German forces. Now with "A Bridge At Arnhem", military historian Charles Whiting has written the complete story of this key military engagement that was to decisively affect the entire outcome of the operation. Included are the British officers who planned the operation and their assigned units who paid a blood price for the mistakes those planners made. This large print edition of "A Bridge At Arnhem" is especially recommended for community library Military History collections and would have particular appeal for older male readers who require a large print format.

In The Fire Of The Eastern Front
Hendrik C. Verton
Helion
c/o Casemate
1016 Warrior Road, Suite C, Drexel Hill, PA 19026
187462254X, $49.95 www.casematepublishing.com 1-610-853-9131

"In The Fire Of The Eastern Front: The Experiences Of A Dutch Waffen-SS Volunteer On The Easter Front 1941-45" is the personal memoir of Hendrick C. Verton and reveals a perspective on the battlefields of World War II that is not often encountered by an American readership. Verton includes his recruitment, training, and frontline service experiences as he saw service with the 5th SS Panzer Division 'Wiking" and then later with the SS Regiment Besslein. Verton touches upon the general politics of the day and explains how Dutch views of the Third Reich changed radically over the years of the war. Verton also covers that founding of the Waffen-SS, the recruiting of Dutch volunteers like himself, and why many non-German European volunteered to fight and imperil their lives for Germany and Adolph Hitler. Verton's stories of fighting in pitch battles, surviving 50 degree blow zero weather, transporting men and equipment over terrain that would range from quagmires to frozen ground is as compelling as it is informative. Exceptionally well written and impressively candid, "In The Fire Of The Eastern Front" is a welcome and recommended addition to the growing library of World War II military memoirs and autobiographies.


The Automotive Shelf

Chevy SS
Robert Genat & David Newhardt
Motorbooks
c/o MBI Publishing Company
Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
0760329796 , $50.00 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

A superbly presented photographic showcase of Chevrolet' Super Sport (SS) models ranging from the 1957 Corvette show car (the first Chevy to claim SS rights), through the Impala, Monte Carlo, and Cobalt SS models of today. This coffee table format compendium offers 348 pages of David Newhardt's full-color photography combined with an informed and informative text by Robert Genat. The result is a detailed survey at Chevrolet's muscle carts that were engineered and designed to wear the SS label with a distinctive look, style, and performance that made these designated cars so popular over that past half century. "Chevy SS" is a highly recommended and core addition to personal, academic, or community library American Automotive History reference collections and reading lists.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

A Search In Secret Egypt
Paul Brunton
Larson Publications
4936 Route 414, Burdett, NY 14818
0943914981 $110.00 www.larsonpublications.org

Beautifully and profusely enhanced with the inclusion of 270 full color and black/white vintage and contemporary photos, maps, and diagrams, "A Search In Secret Egypt" by the late Paul Brunton (1898-1981) presents a wealth of information and insights that the author has compiled over his more than 70 years of studied inquiry into the metaphysics and religion of ancient Egypt. Originally published in 1936 and long out of print, "A Search In Secret Egypt" has been brought out in a very special illustrated edition by Larson Publications and once again made accessible to students of Egyptian antiquity and esoteric mysteries as revealed in the archaeology of ancient shrines and temples. This is also an engaging story of a personal spiritual adventure as Brunton addressed penetrating questions concerning Egyptian beliefs, rituals and monuments. A 'travelogue of discovery', Paul Brunton's "A Search In Secret Egypt" is very strongly recommended for personal, academic, and community library Egyptology reference collections, as well as to students of metaphysics in general, and Egyptian religious studies in particular.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Nancy Cornwell's 90-Minute Fleece
Nancy Cornwell
Krause Publications
c/o F&W Publications Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
0896894088, $24.99 www.fwpublications.com 1-800-726-9966

Showcasing forty-five, do-it-yourself, needlecraft projects (including multisized ladies' and children's vest patterns) designed for the novice seamstress and anyone pressed for time, "Nancy Cornwell's 90-Minute Fleece" uses 'No-fuss fleece' material which is a fabric that sewers can utilize to expedite making projects ranging from pillows and throws, to scarves, capes and vests. Each project is beautifully illustrated in color and features 'user friendly', step-by-step instructions from beginning to end. If you enjoy making clothing and accessories by hand, but are constrained by demanding schedules, the add "Nancy Cornwell's 90-Minute Fleece" to your needlecraft reference shelf!

Quilt Mavens: Perfect Paper Piecing
Deb Karasik & Janet Mednick
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
1574329197 $24.95 www.aqsquilt.com

The collaborative work of quilting experts Deb Karasik and Janet Mednick, "Quilt Mavens: Perfect Paper Piecing" provides clear and easy to follow, step-by-step, fully illustrated instructions for creating perfect paper piecing for making distinctive quilts. Specifically designed to enable even the most novice beginner to make perfect narrow, sharp spikes, the 'quilter friendly' patterns will create stunningly beautiful and seemingly complex quilts utilizing the 'Mavens' method of construction. Along with offering an informed and informative text that is profusely supported by illustrations, "Quilt Mavens: Perfect paper Piecing" includes an accompanying CD containing all the patterns represented – making it a perfect and highly prized addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft and Quilting reference collections.

Knit & Crochet Combined
Monette Lassiter Satterfield
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
0871162407, $19.95 www.kalmbachbooks.com 1-800-533-6644

Knitting and crocheting are usually seen as two distinctly different and separate needlecraft skills. Now needlecraft expert and project designer Monnette Lassiter Satterfield draws upon her many years of experience and expertise to provide a compendium of fifteen 'do-it-yourself' patterns that combine both knitting and crocheting to create wonderfully colorful, useful, and sturdy garments and accessories that are veritable works of fabric art. The projects range from stoles and wraps, to shrugs and vests, to hats and socks. Superbly illustrated in full color, each project features easy knit and crochet patterns stitches that can be accomplished by even the most novice of needlecraft beginners. A unique and core addition to any personal, professional, or community library Neelecraft reference collection, "Knit & Crochet Combined: Best Of Both Worlds" is enhanced with a 'Basics" section that provides a guide to materials and illustrates every stitch and technique required by the proffered projects.

Babies & Toddlers
XRX Books
PO Box 1525, Sioux Falls, SD 57101
1933064064, $15.95 www.knittinguniverse.com 1-800-722-2558

An enthusiastically and confidently recommended addition to personal and community library knitting project and instructional reference collections, "Babies & Toddlers: A Knitter's Dozen" is a profusely illustrated compilation of twenty-four 'user friendly' knitting patterns for variety of home-made garments for preschoolers that ranges from hats and sweaters to blankets and toys. Each 'how to' pattern provides a visual image of the pattern along with step-by-step instructions and techniques for accomplishing the garment. "Babies & Toddlers" will teach the needlecrafter how to go about accomplishing double-knit, entrelac, cables, felting, lace, stranded color, and intarsia. The featured sizes will enable even the most novice knitter to produce garments to fit children from 3 months to 4 years. XRX Books is a premier publisher of needlecraft instruction books and manuals. Needlecraft enthusiasts would be well advised to visit their website at www.knittinguniverse.com for a complete listing of all of their many excellent titles on knitting and other needlecraft activities.

Thimbleberries Quilts For My Sister's House
Lynette Jensen
Landauer Corporation
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A, Urbandale, IA 50322
1890621579 $27.95 www.landauercorp.com 1-800-557-2144

Lynette Jensen is the author of many fine quilting and lifestyle decorating books and enjoys a solid reputation for her needlecraft skills in quilting communities and organizations around the world. In "Thimbleberries Quilts For My Sister's House" she brings to bear her many years of experience and expertise to present twenty-two new and exciting quilting projects for decorating with flea market finds and collectibles. The projects range from quilts and wall hangings, to pillows and table runners. Employing the latest fabrics and colors from Thimbleberries, dozens of decorating ideas are showcased and illustrated with more than four hundred full-color photographs and images. An enthusiastically recommended addition to both professional and community library needlecraft reference collections, "Thimbleberries Quilts For My Sister's House" is so well organized and 'user friendly' that even the most novice beginner can successfully accomplish any and all of these impressive quilting projects.


The Art Shelf

The Romance of Modernism
George T. Shackelford
MFA Publications
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
0878467092 $50.00 www.mfa-publications.org

Scott Black's gathered paintings and sculptures representing modernist art for the past two decades, building an impressive holding of Impressionist, post-Impressionist and Modernist works which are represented in the Black Collection here for the first time. More than just a catalog of color photos, it also includes historical commentary by George T.M. Shackelford, capturing the history and ideals of an era. Perfect for art library holdings.

African Designs
Caren Caraway
Stemmer House Publishers, Inc.
4 White Brook Road, Gilsum, NH 03448
0880450932, $17.95 www.stemmer.com 1-800-345-6665

"African Designs Of The Congo, Nigeria, The Cameroons And The Guinea Coast" is an impressive compilation of native designs brought together under one cover by Caran Caraway. The black-and-white, line drawn, design motives and images are taken from authentic African masks, votary figures, fetishes, textiles, and other sources of visual icons and symbols. Whether used as a coloring book or for anthropological reference, "African Designs Of The Congo, Nigeria, The Cameroons And The Guinea Coast" is very strongly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library African Art Reference collections. Those with an interest in ethnic designs would be well advised to visit the Stemmer House Publishers website at www.stemmer.com for a complete listing of the many titles comprising their 'International Design Library'.

Shin Hanga
Barry Till
Pomegranate Communications, Inc.
PO Box 808022, Petaluma, CA 94975-8022
0764940392 $24.95 www.pomegranate.com 1-800-227-1428

The Japanese term 'shin hanga' means 'new prints'. "Shin Hanga: The New Print Movement Of Japan" by curator Barry Till is a impressively illustrated and informative history of the 'new prints' art movement beginning with the Meiji period (1868-1912), continuing through the prewar years of the 1930s, and going on to the artists of the 1960s. Profusely and beautifully illustrated with more than one hundred color images, "Shin Hanga" is very strongly recommended for academic and community library Art History reference collections, and will prove to be of immense interest for art students, artists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Japanese culture, art and history.

Art Office
Constance Smith & Sue Viders
ArtNetwork
PO Box 1360, Nevada City, CA 95959
0940899280, $14.95 www.artmarketing.com 1-800-383-0677

Constance Smith has been assisting fine artists in their business efforts for more than 25 years. In the space of some two and a half decades, her professional networking in behalf of her clients has familiarized her with virtually all facets of the business aspects of the art world. Now Constance Smith has collaborated with art marketing consultant Sue Viders (who herself has more than 38 years of experience in the field) to publish "Art Office", a comprehensive, 'user friendly', and confidently recommended guide to running a business in the fine arts. Now in its fully updated and expanded second edition, "Art Office" offers a compilation of more than 80 easy to use and invaluable forms and lists that range from a twelve-month planning calendar; sales agreements; customer-client records; marketing plans; and monthly project status; to checklists for a juried show; the press release; pricing worksheet; bill of sale; model releases; competition record; target market chart; and more. From daily office forms, bookkeeping forms, and legal agreements; to inventory forms, customer forms, marketing plans, sample letters; and sales documents, "Art Office" will readily and quickly enable any artist, gallery owner, or art representative to launch an organized, legally compliant, and profitable business in the fine arts.

Artistic Anatomy
Dr. Paul Richer
Watson Guptill
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0823002977, $24.95 www.watsonguptill.com

Any artist working in illustration and any art library or general-interest holding strong in art instruction must have ARTISTIC ANATOMY on hand: it appears here in a new 35th Anniversary Edition, translated by Robert Beverly Hale, and is still considered one of the finest works on anatomy for artists since the Renaissance. Its original edition first appeared in 1889: the new English edition brings together the 19th century teacher Dr. Paul Richter and today's anatomy teacher Robert Beverly Hale. An outstanding pairing perfect for contemporary artists.


The Parenting Shelf

Healing Parents
Michael Orlans, M.A. & Terry M. Levy, Ph.D.
CWLA Publications
440 First Street NW, Third Floor, Washington D.C. 20001-2085
158760096X, $34.95 www.cwla.org/pubs

Written by therapists, teachers, consultants and researchers Michael Orlans and Terry M. Levy, Healing Parents: Helping Wounded Children Learn to Trust & Love is a guide written to give parents and caregivers the information, tools, support, and positive outlook they need to help emotionally wounded children heal and improve themselves behaviorally, socially, and morally. Chapters discuss the core phenomena of attachment - the deep connection that children and parents or caregivers establish early in life - the importance of knowing both one's child and oneself, basic principles of corrective attachment parenting, attachment issues in an adoptive or foster care family, and much more. "You cannot change others - not your spouse, children, parents, other family members, friends, coworkers or employer. You can influence others and create opportunities for others to change, via your attitudes, actions, and reactions. By creating a healing environment you can have a positive impact on your child, resulting in learning, growth, and motivation to succeed." Highly recommended especially for parents or caretakers of any type raising a child who has suffered trauma or deprivation.

Married with Special-Needs Children
Laura E. Marshak, Ph.D. & Fran Pollock Prezant, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817
1890627100, $24.95 www.woodbinehouse.com

Written by professor of counseling Laura E. Marshak, Ph.D. and speech/language pathologist and parent trainer Fran Pollock Prezant, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, Married with Special-Needs Children: A Couples' Guide to Keeping Connected is a valuable guide for married couples to adjusting to raising a disabled child. From techniques for communication and problem-solving, to making time for romance and sexual intimacy, to practical solutions for practical problems (information overload, financial issues, time constraints, fatigue, etc.), to stress management strategies, what to do when a marriage is seriously troubled, divorce and remarriage considerations, and much more, Married with Special-Needs Children is utterly invaluable in its nonjudgmental, serious-minded approach to coping with long-term, life-altering changes.

Common Sense Parenting
Ray Burke, Ph.D., Ron Herron, & Bridget A. Barnes
Boys Town Press
14100 Crawford St., Boys Town, NE 68010
1889322709 $14.95 www.boystownpress.org 1-800-282-6657

Written by expert authors Ray Burke, Ph.D., Ron Herron, & Bridget A. Barnes, who have many combined years of professional experience creating and delivering Girls and Boys Town's parent training programs in the United States and other countries worldwide, Common Sense Parenting: Using Your Head as Well as your Heart to Raise School-Aged Children is a practical guide for parents and caretakers. Chapters offer sensible advice and simple techniques for encouraging good behavior, correcting problem behavior, teaching social skills, helping children succeed in school, handling peer pressure, and much more. Now in a newly revised third edition with more answers for commonly asked parental questions, as well as additional insights into modern quandaries such as computer misuse and Internet dangers, Common Sense Parenting is an enthusiastically recommended fundamental guide.


The Business Shelf

Payback
James P. Andrew & Harold L. Sirkin with John Butman
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
1422103137 $29.95 www.hbspress.org

Written by professional consultants James P. Andrew and Harold L. Sirkin, Payback: Reaping the Rewards of Innovation is a solid guide to the difference between having a good idea and turning that idea into financial reward. Payback puts forth the argument that the biggest challenge facing most companies today is their need to increase returns from their innovation spending. Introducing a concept called the "cash curve", Payback explores the fundamental factors that affect how much financial return will be netted. From how and when it can be profitable to apply innovation to noncash goals (such as the acquisition of new knowledge or enhancement of the company's brand), to models that accurately assess financial, technical and market risks to the relative advantages and disadvantages of the integration, orchestration, and licensing models and when to employ each, Payback is a reservoir of solid, high-stakes insight into skilled decision making. As valuable for innovative small business owners as for managers of grand enterprises.


The Literary Shelf

The Solzhenitsyn Reader
Edward E. Erickson, Jr. & Daniel J. Mahoney, editors
ISI Books
PO Box 4431, Wilmington, DE 19807-0431
1933859008, $30.00 www.isibooks.org 1-800-526-7022

Expertly compiled and collaboratively co-edited by Edward E. Erickson, Jr. (Professor Emeritus of English, Calvin College) and Daniel J. Mahoney (Professor of Politics, Assumption College), "The Solzhenitsyn Reader: New And Essential Writings 1947-2005" is a compendium of the literary, philosophical, and political writings of Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn who was born on December 11, 1918 in Kislovodsk, Russia, underwent twenty years of involuntary exile in the West, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, returned to live in Moscow and continue writing his observations and commentaries about the social, ethical, and political issues of our time. Solzhenitsyn is a Nobel laureate whose writings spoke truth to power, whose courage against a totalitarian regime led to his exile from his native country, whose commitment to ethics marginalized him in the democracies of the west, and whose poetry, short stories, novels, essays, and speeches are as relevant today as they were over the past four decades of his controversial career. Reflecting and demonstrating his life's work to date, "The Solzhenitsyn Reader" is a seminal contribution to academic library collections and especially recommended reading for students of Political Science, Russian Studies, European History, and Russian Literature.

Sexuality, Gender, and Power in Iris Murdoch's Fiction
Tammy Grimshaw, Ph.D.
Associated University Presses
2010 Eastpark Boulevard, Cranbury, NJ 08512
0838640613, $45.00 www.fdu.edu/newspubs/fdupress.html

Author and International Iris Murdoch Society member Tammy Grimshaw, Ph.D., wrote her doctoral thesis on the representation of gender and sexuality in Iris Murdoch's fiction. In Sexuality, Gender, and Power in Iris Murdoch's Fiction, Grimshaw continues her in-depth scholarly analysis of the British author. Chapters discuss the social construction of homosexuality in Murdoch's fiction, feminist perspectives of Murdoch's fiction, meticulous Foucauldian scrutinies of "The Bell", "A Fairly Honorable Defeat", "A Severed Head", "The Time of Angels", and representations of bisexuality and transvestism in "Henry and Cato", "The Book of the Brotherhood", "The Philosopher's Pupil", "The Green Knight", and "The Black Prince". An advanced critical and evaluatory compilation recommended for college library shelves devoted to literary studies and literary criticism.


The Biography Shelf

The Dave Grohl Story
Jeff Apter
Omnibus Press
c/o Music Sales Corporation
257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010
1846094801, $24.95 www.omnibuspress.com

GQ magazine writer and rock 'n' roll enthusiast Jeff Apter presents The Dave Grohl Story, the first comprehensive, illustrated biography of rock icon Dave Grohl from Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. A handful of black-and-white photographic plates dot this chronicle of how Grohl, a suburbanite by birth, taught himself drum playing in his bedroom beating pillows with stolen marching sticks, lied his way into a drummer's spot in the late 80's outfit Scream, and happened to be spotted by Chris Novoselic and Kurt Cobain. Although Grohl considered leaving music after Cobain's tragic suicide, his solo project, the Foo Fighters, rekindled his spirit and contribution to the music world. An in-depth, highly accessible biography offering a one-of-a-kind glimpse into the rock-'n'-roll scene.

Abraham Epstein: The Forgotten Father of Social Security
Pierre Epstein
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
0826216811, $39.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress 1-800-828-1894

Abraham Epstein presents Abraham Epstein: The Forgotten Father of Social Security, a solid biography of the American social reformer who permanently transformed the responsibilities of the federal government and was instrumental in instituting the nigh-unassailable institution of Social Security. Written by Abraham Epstein's son, Pierre Epstein, Abraham Epstein: The Forgotten Father of Social Security is a unique blend of memoir and intellectual history. Occasional black-and-white photographs illustrate this heavily researched, smoothly presented true-life story. A welcome and recommended addition to library and private American History and biography shelves.

The Prince of the City
Fred Siegel
Encounter Books
665 Third Street, Suite 330, San Francisco
1594030847, $26.95 www.encounterbooks.com 1-800-786-3839

Written by professor of history Fred Siegel, The Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York and the Genius of American Life is an eye-opening look at how Mayor Rudy Giuliani successfully turned around one of America's most troubled cities, beset with budgetary woes, white flight, and skyrocketing crime rates, with an efficiency and eye toward achieving results worthy of Machiavelli's "The Prince". The Prince of the City is as much the story of modern New York itself as it is a portrayal of Giuliani, with especial focus on the flaws of Giuliani's predecessor, Mayor Dinkins, particularly Dinkins' vision of social programs that simply failed to prevent crime as effectively as the deterrent of a strong police force. Giuliani's landmark reforms, such as facilitating a police department that shared information more openly and laterally, merging duplicate bureaucracies, pushing workfare over welfare, and much more created a positive cycle of New Yorker pride banishing fear. The Prince of the City also recounts the many attacks on Giuliani's career, and troubles and fallout from such disastrous incidents as the police shooting death of Diallo. The final chapters offer a dramatic account of the September 11th attacks, revealing how Giuliani's eight years in office prepared the city to endure and properly respond to the tragedy. Though written from a conservative perspective, The Prince of the City is heavily researched, strictly respectful of the facts, and first-rate reading for biographers, historians, and anyone wishing to learn more about Giuliani as a statesman, a politician, a moral leader, and a successful problem solver beset with a myriad of complex quandaries. Highly recommended.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Inside World Religions
Kevin O'Donnell
Fortress Press
c/o Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
PO Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
0800638891, $24.00 www.fortresspress.com

A beautifully and profusely illustrated single volume survey, the world religions represented include Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Baha'i, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, and Jainism, "Inside World Religions: An Illustrated Guide" by Anglican priest Kevin O'Donnell presents a truly panoramic introduction to diverse religious traditions. Informed and informative, "Inside World Religions: An Illustrated Guide" features a 'reader friendly', informed and informative text that will provide a sound basis for non-specialist general readers to acquire a basic understanding of the fundamentals with respect to the major religions of the world. Enthusiastically recommended reading, "Inside World Religions" is an ideal addition to personal, school, and community library "Religion & Spirituality" reference collections.

Peacemakers in Action
David Little, editor
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
0521618940, $24.99 www.cambridge.org 1-800-872-7423

Edited by David Little, Peacemakers in Action: Profiles of Religion in Conflict Resolution is an anthology of profiles of people of faith worldwide with the courage and morality to work peacefully and put their faith into action. From Friar Ivo Markovic in Bosnia and Herzegovina to nonviolent deputy minister of defense Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge of South Africa to Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye in Nigeria and more, the profiles span nine nations beset with strife and reveal how true believers can apply their religion to create a positive dialogue and help build world peace through peace within. Peacemakers in Action does not restrict itself to any one religion, and offers real-life examples to the positive effects faith can bring to the parts of the world in most dire need of peacemaking. Especially recommended for college and university libraries.

Misbehavin' Monarchs
Barbara J. Essex
The Pilgrim Press
700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
0829816550, $16.00 www.pilgrimpress.com

Written by ordained United Church of Christ minister Barbara J. Essex, Misbehavin' Monarchs: Exploring Biblical Kings of Questionable Character is bible study guide that especially focuses upon renowned biblical monarchs and lesser known kings - their leadership styles, the women in their lives, the prophets who were active during their reigns, and what the Bible itself says about war. Monarchs profiled include Saul, David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Samuel, Jeroboam, Hoshea, and more. An introductory chapter offers Bible study techniques, and the text itself discusses biblical literature themes and concepts at length with a wealth of background information chosen to make the material more accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Questions for study and reflection, a closing chapter about preaching and teaching, and a resource list round out this excellent supplement for individual or group Bible study.


The Genealogy Shelf

The Genealogist's Internet
Peter Christian
The National Archives
c/o International Publishers Marketing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
190336583X $24.95 www.nationalarchives.gov.uk 1-800-758-3756

Written online genealogy expert Peter Christian (a regular contributor to "Ancestors" magazine), The Genealogist's Internet is an in-depth guide to learning how to use the Internet to do genealogical research. Now in an expanded third edition with new websites, comparisons of main commercial data services, new online data collections, and more, The Genealogist's Internet covers everything from online sources such as civil registration, census, and parish registers to surname pedigrees, discussion forums, search engines, guidelines for publishing one's family history online, and much more. Black-and-white photographs and computer screenshots illustrate this hands-on, highly accessible guide, ideal for amateur and professional genealogists alike wishing to harness the immense information reserves of the world wide web.


The Self-Help Shelf

A Mirthful Spirit, Embracing Laughter for Wellness
Mary Huntley & Edna Thayer
Beaver's Pond Press, Inc.
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 216, Edina, MN 55439-2129
1592981658, $18.95 www.beaverspondpress.com

Written by nurse educator Mary Huntley and registered nurse Edna Thayer, A Mirthful Spirit, Embracing Laughter for Wellness is a self-help guide to improving the quality of one's life through enjoying laughter, cultivating a mirthful spirit, embracing joy in the workplace, and more. A lighthearted guide extolling the physical and emotional health benefits of good cheer, A Mirthful Spirit offers such useful tips as "Use Ice Breakers and Attention Getters - Humor serves as a great way to break the ice and grab attention at meetings and during conversations. A simple idea for a small group is to bring an assortment of caps and hats, and ask each one to put on a thinking cap. When everyone looks around at each one wearing a hat, people are perceived differently and the mood becomes lighter." A Mirthful Spirit reflects the wisdom learned during the authors' own need to keep spirits high in the demanding and often life-or-death profession of health care, and is enthusiastically recommended for anyone looking to inject more cheer into their personal and professional lives.


The American History Shelf

The Camera's Coast
W. H. Bunting
Historic New England
141 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114
Tilbury House, Publishers (distributor)
132 Water Street, Gardiner, ME 04345
0884482871, $29.95 www.tilburyhouse.com 1-800-582-1899

Compiled with brief commentaries by W. H. Bunting, "The Camera's Coast: Historic Images Of Ship And Shore In New England" is an impressive compilation of historic period photographs of the ships, communities, industries, advertisements, and people along the coastline of New England in the 19th and early 20th century. An informative introduction by John R. Stilgoe provides a useful context in which to enjoy the images and notes an old (circa 1915) color photograph of clam diggers at work in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and concludes images of the steam ship Priscilla in 1896. Perfect for nostalgic browsing with respect to an American yesteryear now gone forever under the relentless advance of technological progress and population increases, "The Camera's Coast" is a welcome addition to personal, academic, and community library American History collections – and would admirable serve as a template for similar photography histories and celebrations of other regions of the United States.

Where Custer Fell
James S. Brust, Brian C. Pohanka, Sandy Barnard
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
0806138343, $24.95 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the men of the Seventh U.S. Calvary have long ago entered western legend with their hard fought demise at the Battle of Little Bighorn against overwhelming Native American forces in 1876. Interest in Custer and his 'last stand' have been the subject of countless books, articles, and films. Now the team of James S. Brust (a specialist in historical photographs and prints), Brian C. Pohanka (an accomplished military historian), and Sandy Barnard (an independent scholar specializing in the Indian wars) have collaborated to produce "Where Custer Fell: Photographs Of The Little Bighorn Battlefield Then And Now". An informed and informative text is accompanied by 217 black and white historic photographs and illustrations, plus fifteen maps associated with the battle and the landscape. The product of years of painstaking research, meticulous scholarship, countless trips to the battlefield site, and drawing upon both common and uncommon source material, "Where Custer Fell: Photographs Of The Little Bighorn Battlefield Then And Now" is essential reading for anyone studying the 19th century Indian wars in general, and the life and times of Custer in particular.

Boomtown Saloons
Kelly J. Dixon
University of Nevada Press
MS 166, Reno Nevada 89557-0076
0874177030, $21.95 1-877-682-6657

Written by anthropology professor and American West historical archaeology specialist Kelly J. Dixon, Boomtown Saloons is an exciting account of the excavation and analysis of four nineteenth-century Virginia City, Nevada saloon sites. Dixon personally participated the excavation projects, and offers a firsthand view of the evidence, and what its analysis tells us about the people and society of Virginia City well over a century ago. From the style of saloon architecture to reconstructed menu items, saloon serving ware, vices and amusements that saloons offered, and much more, Boomtown Saloons is a cutting-edge delve into the fine nuances of what archaeology can tell us about America's past.

When The Railroad leaves Town: Volumes 1 & 2
Joseph P. Schwieterman
Truman State University Press
100 East Normal Street, Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
Vol. 1, 0943549981, $24.95; Vol. 2, 1931112142, $24.95, http://tsup.truman.edu

The two volume history, "When The Railroad leaves Town: American Communities In The Age Of Rail Line Abandonment" by Joseph P. Schwieterman (Associate Professor of Public Services management an Director of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at De Paul University) is the history what happened in towns and villages across America when the nation's railroad systems began collectively eliminating more than 120,000 miles of routes (about half of their total mileage) beginning in 1916 and continuing down to the present day. Volume 1 covers the 'Eastern United States", with volume 2 covering the 'Western United States'. A work of impressive and seminal scholarship, Professor Schwieterman's informed and informative text is enhanced with the inclusion of maps and illustrations. "When The Railroad leaves Town: Volumes 1 & 2" is especially recommended for academic library American History, Social Issues, American Transportation Studies, and Urban-Planning reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Cookbook Shelf

Persian Cooking
Nesta Ramazani
IBEX Publishers
PO Box 30087, Bethesda, MD 20824
0936347775, $17.95 www.ibexpublishers.com

Having served her husband more than 1001 meals for her Persian husband, family and friends, Nesta Ramazani (who is half English and half Persian herself) is an expert on the proper preparation and presentation of Persian cuisine – the oldest recorded cuisine in human history and based on lamb, fruits, vegetables and grains. A 296-page compendium of clearly presented, kitchen cook friendly, culinary authentic recipes, the dishes comprising "Persian Cooking: A Table Of Exotic Delights" ranges from Eggplant Hors d'Oeuvre; Rice Flour Soup; String Bean Kookoo with Ground Beef; Stewed Lamb with Cardoons and Herbs; and Molded Rice with Chicken and Dried Fruit; to Fava Beans and Dill Weed Meatballs; Pheasant Kababs; Baklava with Walnuts; Persian Cookies; Rosewater Pudding; and Sour Cherry Syrup. Enhanced with a 'Shopper's Guide', a glossary of Persian-English foods, and a comprehensive index, "Persian Cooking" is a welcome addition to any kitchen cookbook collection and a very special culinary resource for anyone seeking to provide an authentic Persian culinary menu for special dining occasions.

Blue Ribbon Recipes
Barbara Greenman, editor
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
1579126987, $19.95 1-800-722-7202

Cookbook editor and developer Barbara Greenman has compiled an impressive collection of 693 recipes, each of was entered into an state or county fair and went on to win an award. The featured and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' regional recipes range from appetizers and salads, to main dishes and entrees, to breads and pastries, to desserts and preserves. From Apple Cider Pancakes; Light and Health Ratatouille Soup; Salmon Salad Sandwich with Aioli; and -Saucy Cranberry Meatballs; to -Swedish Rye Bread; Rosemary Focacia; Creamy Apple Puffs; and Pecan-Fudge Sheet Cake, "Blue Ribbon Recipes" is a very highly recommended collection of savory, satisfying, dishes that are presented in a ring-binder style cookbook that will lay down flat for easy use. If you only have room on your shelf for one more cookbook, make it "Blue Ribbon Recipes"!

The Art Of Scottish-American Cooking
Kay Shaw Nelson
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
1589803868, $21.00 www.pelicanpub.com 1-800-843-1724

The author of nineteen previous cookbooks, "The Art Of Scottish-American Cooking" continues to demonstrate Kay Shaw Nelson's impressive abilities to assemble palate-pleasing, appetite satisfying, authentically ethnic cookbooks that are as 'kitchen cook friendly' as they are exemplary in presenting culinary fare that would grace any dining occasion from simple family meals to elegant celebratory feasts. "The Art Of Scottish-American Cooking" showcases more than two hundred recipes along with fascinating information with respect to Scottish holidays, heroes, and traditions, as well as notable culinary and cultural achievements drawn from four hundred years of Scottish food and drink in the United States and Canada. From Northwestern Salmon Bisque; Scotch Hamburgers; Walnut-Turkey Hash; and Barley-Applesauce Pudding; to Raisin-Oat Scones; Church Social Strawberry Shortcake; Scotch Coffee; Drambuie; and Hot Buttered Cider, "The Art Of Scottish-American Cooking" offers diverse and savory dishes, making it a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library cookbook collections!

Weber's Charcoal Grilling
Jamie Purviance
Weber-Stephen Products Company
200 East Daniels Road, Palatine, IL 60067
0376020474, $19.95 www.weber.com

Backyard grilling is so popular that half of American families now own a charcoal grill. But as any competent chef knows, there's more to grilling that just lighting up a stack of charcoal and slapping some meat on the metal grill. Especially recommended for the novice griller, but with immense value for even more experienced outdoor cooks, "Weber's Charcoal Grilling" by outdoor cooking expert and chef Jamie Purviance is a superbly illustrated compendium showcasing 115 'cook friendly' recipes for preparing food over a live fire. Beginning with an informative chapter on the basics of 'mastering the fire', the recipes showcased in "Weber's Charcoal Grilling" include rubs, marinages, sauces, appetizers, beef, pork, poultry, fish, side dishes, and even desserts! Enhanced further with a list of resources and an index, "Weber's Charcoal Grilling" is an absolute essential for anyone setting up their first grill, as well as an invaluable and highly recommended do-it-yourself recipe resource for the more experienced backyard grill chef.

Cooking With The Butcher's Wife
Sharon Lurie
Struik
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
1770072969, $24.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756

An experienced and published food writer, Sharon Lurie is also the wife of a kosher butcher and therefore enjoys easy access to all the various cuts of meats. She draws upon her years of experience and impressive expertise in "Cooking With The Butcher's Wife" to share a culinary wealth of simply outstanding recipes that will produce meal time pleasures for every dining occasion from daily family meals to celebratory dining occasions. After the informative chapters about what it means for a food to be declared kosher, oven temperatures and conversion table, and the different kinds of kosher cuts, there are whole chapters of 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for marinades, bastes and rubs; 'liquid assets', and 'awesome offal'. The preparation for all different kinds of meats are addressed including beef, lamb, veal, and poultry. There are wonderful recipes for 'deli delights', desserts, and more! From Ryan's Shiny Glazed Beef Spare Ribs and Mambo Mango Salsa; to Old-Fashioned Steak Pie with Minted Peas; to Chunky Mexican Sweet Chili Chicken; to Savory Potato Muffins; to African Sundowner Salad; to Chill Out Cheesecake, "Cook With The Butcher's Wife" with its colorful illustrations, clearly listed recipe ingredients, and step-by-step preparatory instructions, will prove to be a popular addition to family cookbook collections in general, and an indispensable necessity for kosher kitchens in particular.

Quick-Fix Vegetarian
Robin Robertson
Andrews & McMeel
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111
0740763741, $16.95 www.andrewsmcmeel.com 1-800-851-8923

Vegetarian dishes can be as elegant and gourmet as any other category of cuisine and Robin Robertson amply demonstrates this fact with the recipes comprising "Quick-Fix Vegetarian: Health Home-Cooked Meals In 30 Minutes Or Less", and outstanding addition to the growing library of vegetarian cookbooks. From Artichoke Dip with a Twist; Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup; Tahini Green Bean Salad with Baked Tofu; and Mushroom Bulgur Pilaf; to Spaghetti with Red Lentil Sauce; Fast-Than-Takeout Grilled Vegetable Pizza; Black Bean Sauce with Sherry; and Pineapple-Apricot Couscous Cake, "Quick-Fix Vegetarian offers 'kitchen cook friendly' and enthusiastically recommended recipes that will please any palate, satisfying any appetite, and compliment any table.

The Red Lion Inn Cookbook
Suzi Forbes Chase
The Countryman Press
PO Box 478, Woodstock, VT 05091
1581570317, $29.95 www.countrymanpress.com 1-800-245-4151

The Long Island editor for 'Zagat Survey", Suzi Forbes Chase is also the author of a great many books and articles on cuisine and travel. Her newest effort is "The Red Lion Inn Cookbook", a superbly compiled and deftly presented collection (now in a newly expanded third edition) of more than 180 savory recipes derived from the menus of the Red Lion inn, for more than 200 years one of New England's most historic and popular dining establishments. The recipes comprising this impressive collection include traditional classics as well as recipes that have been revised and updated. The result is a compendium of dishes that are thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly'. Beginning with a history of the Red Lion inn in particular, and New England cooking in general, the recipes include appetizers and hors d'oeuvres, soups, salads and salad dressings, breads and muffins, meat and game, seafood and poultry, vegetables, rice and potatoes, puddings, pastries and desserts, cookies and candies, Red Lion Inn holiday recipes, Red Lion Inn luncheon recipes, Red Lion Inn breakfast recipes, and concludes with recipes for cocktails and drinks. "The Red Lion Inn Cookbook" is a confidently recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library regional cookbook collections.

Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly
Marty Mattare & Wendy Muldawer
McBooks Press, Inc.
520 N. Meadow Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
1590131223 $16.95 www.mcbooks.com 1-888-266-5711

The collaborative work of Marty Mattare and Wendy Muldawer, "Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly: Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love!" is now available in a newly revised, updated and expanded addition which is specifically designed for concerned parents wanting to provide their children with quick and easy vegetarian meals that will please young palates and satisfying growing appetites. There are invaluable suggestions for vegetarian and vegan substitutions, family menu ideas, as well as practical tips on what no vegetarian kitchen should be without. From Blueberry Granola Pancakes; Eggless Humpty Dumpty Salad; Veggie Burgers; and Meatless Meatloaf; to Zucchini Pizza; Strawberry-Banana Pops; Blue Hawaii Cake; and Tea Biscuits, the more than 160 recipes comprising "Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly" can turn any breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack-time into a thoroughly 'kid friendly' dining experience.

Food That Really Schmecks
Edna Staebler
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5
0889205213, $32.95 www.wlupress.wlu.ca

Written by award-winning journalist Edna Staebler, Food that Really Schmecks: Mennonite Country Cooking is the commemorative edition of a classic cookbook originally published in 1968, now featuring a new foreword by award-winning author Wayson Choy and a new introduction by food writer Rose Murray. Interspersed with Staebler's true stories and anecdotes about cooking, Mennonites, her own family, and daily life in the Waterloo region, recipes in Food That Really Schmecks range from Crusty Chicken Potpie to Beet and Red Cabbage Salad to Porridge Bread, Maple Custard, Emanuel's Dandelion Wine, and much more. A mouth-watering medley of country home cooking recipes that pass the test of time with flying colors.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Kiss Dieting Goodbye
Elliot Young
Harvest House Publishing
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
0736918957, $11.99 www.harvesthousepublishers.com 1-800-547-8979

Written by certified personal trainer Elliot Young, Kiss Dieting Goodbye: Embracing a Whole New Way to Lose Weight explains why "quick fix" dieting doesn't work - and what truly does. Kiss Dieting Goodbye teaches the reader how to accomplish long-term positive transformations. Tips, tricks and techniques for portion control, embracing a more active lifestyle, healthy recipes, true stories and much more make Kiss Dieting Goodbye a "must-read" for anyone tired of starving themselves only to see all the weight they lost come right back.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

The Complete Idiot's Guide To Success As A Chef
Leslie Bilderback, CMB
Alpha Books
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
1592575625, $18.95 www.penguin.com 1-800-847-5515

Leslie Bilderback is a Certified Master Baker and an instructor for the Le Cordon Bleu Schools of North America. In "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Success As A Chef" she draws upon her more than 20 years of experience and expertise to inform aspiring professional cooks and restaurant chefs as to what the job is like and what it details. Also included is practical advice about culinary schools, insightful tips on finding a mentor and establishing working relationships with co-workers, strategies for advanced career goals, and what must be considered when opening a restaurant. "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Success As A Chef" covers working in a range of settings from upscale hotels and specialty food shops, to gourmet takeout establishments and bakeries. Bildeback shows how to hone cooking skills in the kitchen, sanitation and safety issues, staff management issues, and the different culinary career paths that can be pursued by anyone seeking to establish themselves in the field of the professional restaurateur. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Success As A Chef" is a welcome and recommended addition to personal and community library Jobs/Careers reference collections.

Cover Letter Magic, third edition
Wendy S. Enelow & Luise M. Kursmark
Jist Works
8902 Otis Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46216-1033
1593573642, $16.95 www.jist.com

Now in an updated third edition, Cover Letter Magic: Trade Secrets of Professional Resume Writers is a step-by-step guide to writing cover letters with flair and panache. Wendy S. Enelow, creator of a successful resume-writing firm, and certified professional resume writer Louise M. Kursmark combine their professional skills to offer a wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques for effectively selling oneself in a concise, engaging, and effective cover letter. Chapters discuss the ten basic types of cover letters, how-to instructions for writing each part of the cover letter, notes for writing electronic cover letters, numerous sample cover letters, tips on thank-you letters and job-search letters, and much more. An utterly invaluable reference for anyone searching for a job or planning their career.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Standing Liberty Quarters
J. H. Cline
Zyrus Press
PO Box 17810, Irvine, CA 92623
1933990007, $21.95 www.zyruspress.com 1-888-622-7823

Now in a newly updated and expanded fourth edition, J. H. Cline's "Standing Liberty Quarters" continues to be the best single volume authority for collectors and dealers on the subject. This nicely illustrated compendium with more than 200 high resolution images covers all the Standing Liberty quarters issues from 1916 to 1930. Each page dedicated to a specific coin includes prices, rarity, relative values, mintage, and types. A work of painstaking research and meticulous numismatic scholarship, "Standing Liberty Quarters" is an essential reference for all coin dealers and collectors of this increasingly valuable American coin.

The Chronicle Of The Fountain Pen
Joao Pavao Martins, Luiz Leite, Antonio Gagean
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764326163, $95.00 www.schifferbooks.com

An impressively presented and organized 352-page compendium of information and images, "The Chronicle Of The Fountain Pen: Stories Within A Story" is the collaborative work of Joao Pavao Martins, Luiz Leite, and Antonio Gagean, beautifully showcasing more than 3000 fountain pens. Fully illustrated with 606 full color photographs (with competing models of pens side-by-side revealing both their similarities and their differences), "The Chronicle Of The Fountain Pen" features a timeline of the main events in the world along with the fountain pen models introduced by various manufacturers at the end of each chronologically organized chapter. Here in a single volume is the entire history of the fountain pen from 1865 through 2005, along with small vignettes about them and the uses to which they were put in world history. Enhanced with the inclusion of a chapter on 'Sources of Information', a Price Guide, and a comprehensive Index, "The Chronicle Of The Fountain Pen" is a seminal work of distinguished excellence and a prize addition to any personal, university, or community library collection.


The Architecture Shelf

225 Hillside Home Plans
Hanley Wood
One Thomas Circle, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005
1931131449, $12.95 www.eplans.com 1-877-447-5450

Profusely illustrated with color photographs and blueprints, "225 Hillside Home Plans" is part of the Hanley Wood 'Smart Design Series'. Showcasing 225 home designs adaptable to the sloped landscape of hillside lots, "225 Hillside Home Plans" offers sound architectural ideas in a variety of sizes and styles, each of which take excellent advantage of the benefits of a sloped lot (including a walkout basement that adds living space and saves money), as well as design tips and techniques that make the most of a hillside home. Based on real-life solutions drawn from actually constructed architectural models, "225 Hillside Home Plans" is an excellent, 'user friendly', and inexpensive resource for anyone contemplating constructing a house on a hillside lot. Also some additional Hanley Wood titles which are very highly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library Architectural Studies reference collections are: "DHS: 350 Vacation and 2nd Homes" (1931131716, $12.95); "Big Book of Traditional House Plans (1931131732, $12.95); "American Collection: Ranch Style RPK22" (1931131740, $12.95); and "Smart Design Series: 350 Narrow Lot Home Plans" (1931131430, $12.95).


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

L.L. Bean Fly-Casting Handbook
Macauley Lord
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
1592282911, $18.95 www.lyonspress.com 1-800-836-0510

Now in a fully revised and completely updated edition, Macauley Lord's "L.L. Bean Fly-Casting Handbook: An Effective Guide To Casting Farther And More Accurately" continues to be essential reading for aspiring fly-fishermen wanting to improve their performance with the rod and reel. The commentary and step-by-step instructions are fully illustrated throughout with full color photography making "L.L. Bean Fly-Casting Handbook" the perfect instruction manual for the novice. Based on the methods of the L.L. Bean Fly-fishing Schools (where Macauley Lord has taught since 1986), this compendium of instruction, advice and information covers all aspects of effective casting including the Four-Part Cast on a lawn; lengthening the cast; wind casting, the Double Haul; and so much more. If you are contemplating improving your skill and performance at fly-fishing, then the "L.L. Bean Fly-Casting Handbook" is where you should begin your studies.


The Computer Shelf

Software Testing Foundations
Andreas Spillner, Tilo Linz, Hans Schaefer
Rocky Nook Inc.
26 West Mission Street, Suite 3, Santa Barbar, CA 93101
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. (distributor)
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
1933952083, $44.95 www.oreilly.com 1-800-998-9938

Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded second edition, "Software Testing Foundations: A Study Guide For The Certified Tester Exam" is the collaborative work of Andreas Spillner (Professor of Computer Science at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Bremen University of Applied Sciences), Tilo Linz (President of the German Testing Board and the CEO of Imbus AG – a leading service company for software testing in Germany), Hans Schaefer (President of the Norwegian Testing Board and an independent software consultant), who are among the founders of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB). This instructive manual is specifically designed by acknowledged experts for personal self-study and provides all the necessary information required to pass the Certified Tester Foundations level exam as defined by the ISTQB. This new and thoroughly 'user friendly' edition covers both a test-first approach and risk-based testing., as well as the fundamentals of testing, testing and the software lifecycle, static and dynamic testing techniques, test management, and test tools. "Software Testing Foundations" is a critically important and core addition to professional and academic Computer Science reference collections.


The Education Shelf

Dance, Turn, Hop, Learn!
Connie Bergstein Dow
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
1929610890, $22.95 www.redleafpress.org 1-800-423-8309

Drawing upon her more than thirty years of professional experience in performing and teaching dance to young children, Connie Bergstein Dow presents "Dance, Turn, Hop, Learn!", a compendium of thirty-eight creative and fun movement lessons that will help kindergarten-aged children build their large and fine motor skills while supporting emergent skill development that includes their social skills, physical abilities, cognitive skills, and readiness for introductions to literacy, math and science within a classroom setting. Fun, effective, thoroughly 'kid friendly', and a welcome addition to preschool, early childhood, and kindergarten programs, "Dance, Turn, Hop, Learn!" highly recommended for parents, daycare workers, classroom teachers, and home schoolers.

Family Literacy Experiences
Jennifer Rowsell
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B, Portland, ME 04101-3451
1571104917, $18.00 www.stenhouse.com 1-800-988-9812

A work professional expertise by Jennifer Rowsell (Assistant Professor of Literacy Education, Rutgers Graduate School of Education), "Family Literacy Experiences: Creating Reading And Writing Opportunities That Support Classroom Learning" is the perfect supplement to formal school reading skill development curriculums that parents and tutors can employ to reinforce, underscore, and develop a child's ability to read fluently and with comprehension. Organized around genres that utilize books, magazines, blogs, movies, zines, the Internet, television, music, comics, text messaging, newspapers, rap lyrics, video games, collector cards, and other elements of popular culture, to demonstrate, motivate, and enhance a child's reading skills and abilities. Fun, informative, effective, "Family Literacy Experiences" is especially recommended for parents dedicated to assisting their child to become literate by incorporating the visual, the written, the audible, and physical movement into the process of understanding what they are reading.

Interventions For Reading Success
Diane Haager, Joseph A. Dimino, Michelle Pearlman Windmueller
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
1557666784, $49.95 www.brookespublishing.com 1-800-638-3775

The collaborative work of Professor Diane Haager (Charter College of Education, California State University, Los Angeles), Joseph A. Dimino Research Associate, Instructional Research Group, Signal Hill, California), and Michelle Pearlman Windmueller (Elementary School Administrator, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, California), Interventions For Reading Success" offers an extensive series of lessons in reading and literacy. Each lesson takes from 20 to 30 minutes and focuses upon early literacy issues such as phonological awareness, the alphabetic principles, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Enhanced with more than one hundred 'learning friendly' activities and interventions (including goals, materials, word lists, and teacher steps), "Interventions For Reading Success" includes guidelines, assessment and intervention planning guidance, 75 photocopiable take-home activities parents can use to reinforce their child's basic reading skills, and practical tips for teachers on implementing intervention in the classroom setting. A comb-bound book that lays open on a flat surface for each of use, "Interventions For Reading Success" is a welcome and recommended resource for classroom teachers working with student from kindergarten through the third grade to develop and improve their reading skills.

Math Games & Activities From Around The World
Claudia Zaslavsky
Chicago Review Press
c/o Independent Publishers Group
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
1556522878, $14.95 www.chicagoreviewpress.com 1-800-888-4741

Featuring more than seventy 'kid friendly' math games, puzzles, and projects from all over the world, "Math Games & Activities From Around The World" by Claudia Zaslavsky is 160 pages of fun, math skill developing exercises that will have enormous appeal for children ages 9 and older. Children will engage in the use of geometry to design game boards, probability to analyze games of chance, logical thinking to devise gaming strategies, and more. From Tic-tac-toe (first played in ancient Egypt), to Nine Men's Morris (once played in England with living pieces), and Mankala – the oldest and most popular game in the world. From building a model pyramid to working maze-like African network puzzles, "Math Games & Activities From Around The World" is a unique and welcome supplemental addition to school math and logic skill development curriculums. Also very highly recommended for classroom and homeschool curriculums is Claudia Zaslavsky's companion book, "More Math Games & Activities From Around The World" (155652501X, $14.95) featuring seventy more games, puzzlers and projects ranging from Mongolian 'Jirig', to Sudan's 'Little Goat Game', to the game of 'Achi' from Ghana.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Heartbeat For Horses
Laura Chester & Donna DeMari
Willow Creek Press
PO Box 147, Minocqua WI 54548
1595434437, $29.95 www.willowcreekpress.com 1-800-850-9453

Compiled and co-edited by Laura Chester and Donna DeMari, "Heartbeat For Horses" is a compilation of impressive photographs combined engaging commentaries about girls and horses. The quotations and commentaries are drawn from forty-two writers that range from Chief Buffalo Cjhild Long Lance, to E. E. Cummings, to Charles Dickens, to James Herriot, to D.H. Lawrence, to Theodore Roosevelt. A very special blending of image and text, "Heartbeat For Horses" is particularly recommended reading for equine enthusiasts in general, any girl or woman who feels a special affection for the horse in particular.

Barbaro
Sean Clancy
Eclipse Press
PO Box 919003, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
1581501595, $25.95 www.eclipsepress.com 1-800-582-5604

Not since the legendary Secretariat has any thoroughbred race horse captured the imagination of the public so swiftly and enthusiastically as Barbaro. His was a story of high achievement over great odds and the promise of a Triple Crown winner – only to suffer a catastrophic racing injury that resulted in the shattering of his right hind leg. "Barbaro: The Horse Who Captured America's Heart" is also the story of a dedicated trainer, Michael Matz, and a veterinary science that brought the cutting edge of medical technology to the service of a badly injured and beloved animal. Profusely illustrated with full color photography throughout, "Barbaro" is a compelling read and especially recommended to horse racing enthusiasts in general, and Barbaro fans in particular.


The Martial Arts Shelf

The Way Of Sanchin Kata
Kris Wilder
YMAA Publications
4354 Washington Street, Roslindale, MA 02131
1594390843, $24.95 www.ymaa.com 1-800-669-8892

In "The Way Of Sanchin Kata: The Application Of Power", Kris Wilder draws upon his more than 30 years of experience in the martial arts (during which time he earned black belt ranks in Tae Kwon Do 2nd Degree, Kodokan Judo 1st Degree, and Goju-Ryu Karate 4th Degree) to present a comprehensive, nicely illustrated, step-by-step manual of instruction for students of Sanchin Kata style karate. Of special distinction separating "The Way Of Sanchin Kata" from other martial arts self-instruction manuals is the inclusion of tests embedded in each chapter so the student of Sanchin Kata can determine how well they have been able to master every concept and application presented. An instructor at the West Seattle Karate Academy, Wilder is able to make his instructions and commentaries particularly accessible to the novice, and of great value in honing the skills of the more experienced student. No personal or dojo martial arts reference collection would be complete without the inclusion of "The Way Of Sanchin Kata". Also very highly recommended to Martial Arts reference collections is Kris Wilder's earlier manual from YMAA Publications, "The Way Of Kata".


The Economics Shelf

Economics Uncut
Simon W. Bowmaker
Edward Elgar Publishing
136 West Street, Suite 202, Northampton, MA 01060-3711
1843763621, $160.00 www.e-elgar.com 1-800-390-3149

Expertly compiled and deftly edited by Simon W. Bowmaker (Academic Associate in Economics at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Adjunct Lecturer in Economics at Florida State University, and Visiting Lecturer in Economics at the State University of New York, Buffalo and at the University of Colorado, Denver), "Economics Uncut: A Complete Guide To Life, Death and Misadventure" features informed and informative essays and seminal articles by eighteen accomplished economists on a variety of economic issues. The economic implications to diverse range human activities include: drug addiction, prohibition, and legalization; crime, marriage and divorce; pornography, prostitution, suicide and religion; assisted reproduction and abortion; sport, gambling, and rock music. A superbly organized and presented compendium of seminal studies and commentaries adhering to high academic standards of methodology and reporting, "Economics Uncut" is an important and strongly recommended addition to academic library Economic Studies reference collection, as well as being quite accessible to the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the economic implications and impacts with respect to the social issues of the present day.


The Sports Shelf

A Great Teammate
Randall Swearingen
Sports Publishing L.L.C.
804 North Neil St., Suite 100, Champaign, IL 61820
1596701943, $16.95 www.SportsPublishingLLC.com 1-877-424-2665

The late Mickey Mantle (who passed away in 1995 after a lifetime of noted achievements) is one of the most respected, admired, and accomplished men to ever play the game of professional baseball. The story of his life and successes both on and off the field are the subject of Randall Swearingen's "A Great Teammate: The Legend of Mickey Mantle". Swearingen writes about Mickey Mantle with a special enthusiasm and expertise that arises from personally having met him a year before his death, becoming an avid collector of Mickey Mantle memorabilia, creating a website dedicated to Mickey Mantle (www.mickeymantle.com), and himself playing baseball from his youth down to the present day where, at the age of 53, Swearingen still plays in the Houston Men's Senior League. Enhanced with a comprehensive appendices providing Mickey Mantle's lifetime baseball statistics, "A Great Teammate" is a 'must read' for anyone who has ever thrilled to a game with Mantle playing, or who have themselves ever stood at the plate with bat in hand.


The Social Issues Shelf

Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook
Gregg Lee Carter
ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
1851097600, $55.00 www.abc-clio.com

From the history and nature of gun violence in the U.S. to issues affecting gun rights, control, and distribution, Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook is perfect for library reference and classroom debate alike: a pick for high school to college-level collections where social issues and gun control is debates. Here are chapters analyzing the attitudes towards gun control, public debates, the contentions of all sides, and the political and special interests involved.


The Science Shelf

Epigenetics
C. David Allis, Thomas Jenuwein, & Danny Reinberg, editors
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
500 Sunnyside Boulevard, Woodbury, NY 11797-2924
0879697245 $150.00 www.cshlpress.com

Epigenetics is a scientific textbook written to teach advanced undergraduate and graduate college students about epigenetic mechanisms, which regulate gene expression in many biological processes. Chapters cover histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation, siRNAs and gene silencing, X-chromosome inactivation, epigenetics in microbes, plants, insects and mammals, and much more. An in-depth, scholarly, and informative instructional reference, interspersed with occasional color photographs and diagrams, featuring an extensive list of references and a general summary at the end of each chapter to aid comprehension. An invaluable educational tool for specialized college science courses, as well as for professionals in the field of biology seeking to sharpen their understanding of modern epigenetics.


The Photography Shelf

Dude Ranches of the American West
David R. Stoecklein, photographer
Stoecklein Publishing
PO Box 856, 10th Street Center, Suite A1, Ketchum, Idaho 83340
1931153612 $60.00 www.drsphoto.net 1-800-727-5191

Dude Ranches of the American West is a panoramic, full-color photography exhibit of more than 25 dude ranches across the American West. Each ranch has its own history; most are fairly remote. Photographs capture sweeping natural expanses, wildlife, the tools of the dude ranch trade, the men and women who work hard looking after livestock, and much more. Though a brief amount of text introduces the reader to each ranch and its impressive history, Dude Ranches of the American West is primarily a photographic extravaganza. A coffee-table book sure to please aficionados of the American West, brimming cover to cover with vibrant energy and respect for the land.


The Music Shelf

Building Harmonica Technique: Volumes 1 & 2
David Barrett
Mel Bay Publications
PO Box 66, Pacific, MO 63069
$19.95 www.melbay.com 1-800-863-5229

Building Harmonica Technique Volumes 1 & 2: Complete Blues Harmonica Lesson Series is a two-DVD set for beginning to advanced harmonica players. Brimming with extensive portrayal of harmonica tips, tricks, and techniques, exercises and songs, soloing concepts, and much more, with a particular emphasis on playing soulful blues music. A user-friendly and enthusiastically recommended audiovisual guide for anyone curious about the intricacies of playing the simple harmonica. 2 hours 27 minutes.

Santorella Publications, Ltd.
13 Pleasant Avenue, Danvers, MA 01923
www.santorellapublication.com 1-877-600-0049

The newest series of book/CD music instruction from Santorella Publications is Rod Goelz's "Basses Loaded" which offers even the most novice music student with superbly presented instructions on mastering the electric bass guitar. Beginning with "Bases Loaded: Primer" (TS370, $14.95) offering beginner lessons in pick-style, finger-style, and slap style play, the series continues with "Bases Loaded: Volume 1: Essential Tools" (TS371, $16.95); "Bases Loaded: Volume 2: Rock Edition" (TS372, $18.95); "Bases Loaded: Volume 3: Blues Edition" (TS373, $16.95) which includes Chicago & Texas styles, as well as Swing, Jazz, Jump Blues, and R&B Blues styles ; "Basses Loaded: Volume 4: Groove Workshop - R&B and Motown Styles (TS374, 16.95). By combining a CD with standard notation and tabbing, this outstanding series of instruction manuals is confidently recommended to the attention of anyone seeking to learn to play the electric bass guitar. While available separately, the dedicated student would be well advised to acquire the entire series in order to become versatile in all of these music formats.


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
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