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Library Bookwatch

Volume 8, Number 5 May 2013 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Health/Medical Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Biography Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Music Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Education Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
African-American Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Islamic Studies Shelf Fiction Shelf Relationship Shelf
American History Shelf World History Shelf Sports Shelf
Poetry Shelf Military Shelf Anthropology Shelf
Economic Studies Shelf Agriculture Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Science Shelf Business Shelf Gardening Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Criminology Shelf Library Science Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Psychology Shelf Large Print Shelf
International Studies Shelf Native American Studies Shelf Art Shelf
Mathematics Shelf Language Studies Studies Shelf Architecture Shelf
Mythology Shelf Reference Shelf Photography Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Reforming the Postal Sector in the Face of Electronic Competition
Michael A. Crew and Paul R. Kleindorfer
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9780857935793 $185.00 www.e-elgar.com

Originating in a selection of papers first offered at the 20th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics in Brighton, UK, Reforming the Postal Sector in the Face of Electronic Competition is a must-read for anyone who has to deal with the grim reality that the United States and European postal services currently face - that competition from e-mail, social media, etc. has drastically reduced revenue. How can a wide-ranging, universal coverage delivery service remain financially solvent when its electronic competition is "free"? A diversity of experts and professionals scrutinize different facets of the conundrum in "Segmentation and nonlinear pricing in the postal sector", "Optimization of the United States postal retail network by applying GIS and econometric tools", "The proposed reform of EU rules on public procurement: a postal sector perspective", "Dynamic letter volume models: how does an economic downturn affect substitution propensities?" and much more. Charts, graphs, and references pepper this excellent and desperately needed effort to scrutinize a very real problem of an insolvent post office - the collapse of which would hurt society's poorest and most needy citizens (the ones who cannot afford the computers/cell phones/internet service to do all their correspondence and banking online). Highly recommended.

The Chinese Information War
Dennis F. Poindexter
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
9780786472710, $40.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

Information is becoming the most vital thing to superpower dominance in the modern age. "The Chinese Information War: Espionage, Cyberwar, Communications Control, and Related Threats to United States Interests" analyzes the potential of a cyberwar between the United States and China, discussing the potential concerns over this conflict and how America must come to more completely understand its place in defending its interests in cyberspace. Curious and insightful about a conflict that is already under way, "The Chinese Information War" is a strong addition to current events and international issues collections, recommended.

Underground Engineering For Sustainable Urban Development
National Research Council of the National Academies
PO Box 741500
Atlanta, GA 30374-1500
9780309278249, $59.00, www.nap.edu

Space seems a luxury for many, so the underground may prove even more appealing. "Underground Engineering for Sustainable Urban Development" discusses the importance of underground engineering in modern urban planning. Chapters elaborate on understanding underground infrastructure, the risks that building like this can pose, sustaining, expanding, and keeping the project healthy and moving from countless angles. Comprehensive in its approach, "Underground Engineering for Sustainable Urban Development" is a core addition to any urban planning and management reference collection, enthusiastically recommended.


The Health/Medical Shelf

Eating Disorders Information For Teens, third edition
Elizabeth Bellenir, editor
Omnigraphics
155 W. Congress, Suite 200
Detroit, Michigan 48226
www.omnigraphics.com www.amazon.com
9780780812697 list price $69.00, school/library price $62.00

Now in an updated and expanded third edition, "Eating Disorders Information For Teens" is part of the popular Teen Health Series whose time is now. This text and series is aimed towards an informed audience of teens and adult teachers, parents, and caretakers. Parts and groups of chapters are offered on Eating Disorders and Their Risk Factors, Understanding Eating and Body Image Disorders, Medical Consequences and Co-Occurring Concerns, Diagnosing and Treating Eating Disorders, Maintaining Healthy Eating and Fitness Habits, and If You Need More Information. The last section offers specific resource directories with more information about eating disorders and related areas, while the previous five sections contain the bulk of factual information about the continuum of eating disorders and related areas of concern. A brisk no-nonsense style of narrative delivers desired information efficiently, and shaded (gray) sidebars present added information of particular interest on specific topics or concerns. "Eating Disorders Information For Teens" is a valuable source of accurate medical information about the many facets of diagnosing, treating, and preventing recurrence of eating disorders for teens. Its intended audience is perhaps more likely the teenage female, but also extends to the male audience as well. "Eating Disorders for Teens" contains good and sufficient information about the psychosocial aspects of these disorders and the desired treatment strategies for healing them.

The Complete Illustrated Birthing Companion
Amanda French, M.D., et al.
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
100 Cummings Center, Suite 406-L
Beverly, MA 01915
9781592335336 $21.99 www.fairwindspress.com

"The Complete Illustrated Birthing Companion" by the team of Amanda French, M.D.,Susan Thomforde, C.N.M., Jeanne Faulkner, R.N., and Dana Rousmaniere, is aptly subtitled "A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating the Best Birthing Plan for a Safe, Less Painful, and Successful Delivery for You and Your Baby." Its intent is to give organized, informed summaries of major options for birthing plans. As such it outlines the complete process for eight different birthing plans, including: unmedicated vaginal birth at home. unmedicated vaginal birth at a birth center, unmedicated vaginal birth in a hospital, epidural vaginal birth in a hospital, induction of labor in a hospital, vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC), planned cesarean birth in a hospital, and unplanned cesarean birth in a hospital. The comprehensive narrative presents information on many birthing options, pros and cons, and suggestions for preparing for different styles of birth and labor. A special chapter is devoted to managing the pain of labor, including many suggestions for a labor toolkit. This chapter (and the rest) is filled with attractive color photos of women experiencing labor and delivery, in different positions and using different pain management techniques. Finally there is a chapter on the creation of a birth plan including what to consider if things do not go according to plan. The appendix includes a Tri by Tri guide with specific observations for each week of pregnancy regarding what's happening and preparing for the baby's birth. Helpful illustrations and informative sidebars plus a complete listing of resources complete the package. "The Complete Illustrated Birthing Companion" is a useful companion to today's pregnant women, helping her to make informed, wise decisions about her birthing plan.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Accounting for Non-Accountants, ninth edition
David Horner
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749465971 $40.98 www.koganpageusa.com

Now in an ninth edition for 2013 updated with the latest information on accounting standards and taxation issues, Accounting for Non-Accountants is the definitive handbook for business professionals and managers who do not have a background in finance. Chapters outline the basics of financial recordkeeping (including single-entry and double-entry bookkeeping, daybooks and ledgers, and more), income statements, the format and content of a balance sheet, marginal costing and decision making, budgeting, capital investment and appraisal, an introduction to limited companies, accounting standards, and much more. Numerous examples help clarify the guidelines, and review questions (with solutions!) ideal for self-teaching and hands-on practice help the reader practice what he or she has learned. Accounting for Non-Accountants is an absolute must-have for any small business owner who doesn't have their own accountant on staff, and highly recommended for everyone else who isn't a financial expert!

Shock Markets
Alexander Webb & Robert I. Webb
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
978132337953, $49.99, www.ftpress.com

Like a good gambler, stock brokers have to know when to keep it steady in uncertain times. "Shock Markets: Trading Lessons for Volatile Times" explores the modern market with ups and downs quicker than ever before, and how traders must adapt to these lightning speed markets and know where to find trends and jump on them before it becomes a fad minutes later. With plenty of traditional, practical advice as well as trying some things that are very new, "Shock Markets" is an enticing addition to modern finance and trading collections, highly recommended.


The Biography Shelf

Mountains Beyond Mountains
Tracy Kidder
Delacorte Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780385743181, $16.99, www.randomhouse.com

Medical science has made huge strides for better health and fighting disease, but often the diseases continue to exist in the poorest parts of the world. "Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World" tells the story of Farmer, a doctor who sought to travel to the poorest parts of the world and bring the knowledge of medicine there and improve the quality of life to all those there. Written by Pulitzer prize winning author Tracy Kidder, "Mountains Beyond Mountains" is a strong addition to true stories and inspirational collections of people who work to make a difference in the world.

Francis
Andrea Tornielli
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339
Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586178529, $19.95, www.ignatius.com

To take the church down a new path is no means an easy path. "Francis: Pope of a New World" explores the life of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who ascended to the papacy and took the name after St. Francis of Assisi, and doing his part to try to help the Church right its path into the twenty first century, where disillusionment with the Church seems to be at an all time high. His story is one of trying to return to poverty, and caring for the poor. "Francis" is a strong addition to Catholic and Christian studies collections, highly recommended.

C. S. Lewis
Alister McGrath
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414339351, $24.99, www.tyndale.com

C. S. Lewis is a literary legend, still studied heavily in the modern day. "C. S. Lewis: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet" is a biography of the Narnia writing individual, who is often a source of controversy, and how biographer Alister McGrath holds him as a prophet, foretelling many of the ideas and thoughts that have came with the modern day, decades after he has passed on. "C. S. Lewis" is a must for anyone who seeks more perspective on this man and his literature, highly recommended.

Samuel Roth
Jay A. Getzman
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813044170, $74.95, www.upf.com

Obscenity has shifted and changed over the years. "Samuel Roth: Infamous Modernist" analyzes the work of a man who reveled in modernity, Samuel Roth. Throughout his time, he clashed with the standards of decency in the publishing world, his works deemed so obscene that they didn't fall under his contemporary copyright laws, leading him into a clash with the publishing houses as well as his peers in the field of writing. Exploring the history of literary censorship throughout the middle of the twentieth century, and the story of a conflicted man, "Samuel Roth" is a vital addition to literary history and biography collections, recommended.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Complete Knitting Skills
Debbie Tomkies, author
Barron's Educational Series, inc.
250 Wireless Blvd., Hauppage, NY 11788
9781438001715 $24.99 www.barronseduc.com

"Complete Knitting Skills" is a knitter's guide book of 27 online teaching clips from Online Movie Book Guides, an educational series. Readers can either use handy color photograph guides to a sampler of knitting stitches and skills or they can follow Web links to view free how-to movies, or they can scan the codes with a smartphone to watch instant playback of demonstrations. A compact sampler of knitting skills, "Complete Knitting Skills" gives good instructions for different ways to make best use of the text and online resources. Chapters on equipment and yarn, getting started, finishing, taking it to the next level, advanced knitting techniques, knitting SOS (fixing and avoiding errors), and the knitting community are colorfully illustrated and clearly presented. A must-have text for a new knitter, "Complete Knitting Skills" will help to bring a new generation of knitters to their coming of age with a full arsenal of acquired knitting skills.


The Music Shelf

Piano Teaching Skills
Elaine Andrus Watts, author
Biographical Publishing Company
95 Sycamore Drive
Prospect, Connecticut 06712
9781929882874 $19.95 www.amazon.com

Written by a very experienced, highly qualified piano pedagogue to assist one of her students in their own piano teaching journey of discovery, "Piano Teaching Skills, A Complete Guide for Piano Teachers" is a compact but complete guidebook to piano pedagogy from teaching beginners to preparing advanced piano students for performance and subsequent piano-related careers. Twenty chapters cover topics including the art of teaching, training students to play by ear and transpose, developing proficient piano technique, how to teach music reading, how to teach sight singing as part of ear training, musical terminology, curriculum and repertoire guides, musical expression and interpretation, pedal technique, how to incorporate music history, musical ornamentation, transposition and modulation, improvisation and composition, and finally, helping students enjoy music and value instruments and books, recital etiquette, and the home studio. There is even a chapter on how to prevent piano practice injuries. All this information is succinctly presented in an 80 page (paperback) guidebook that will prove invaluable to the beginning and more experienced teacher, as well as the self motivated (young adult) performer. An excellent overview of current piano teaching tenets, "Piano Teaching Skills" is sure to be a successful ticket to a long chronology of satisfied students and piano performers.

In the Heights: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Broadway Musical
Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Book by Quiara Alegria Hudes
Conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard
33 Plymouth St., Suite 302
Montclair, NJ 07042
9781476674647 $16.99 www.applausebooks.com

"In the Heights" is the complete book and lyrics of the multiple award-winning 21st century Broadway musical, meant for reading enjoyment. This fascinating excursion into a vivid panoply of life in the barrio of Washington Heights, Manhattan, "a tight knit community where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music." This famous and sassy musical production premiered on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theater march 9, 2008, and ran for 1,184 performances, gathering two Drama Desk Awards, a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, winning 4 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score, and a nomination for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. To help recreate the vibrancy of the original production, eight full color pages of original cast members in performance are included. Here for further enjoyment is the full book and lyrics "In the Heights" to be savored by theater lovers everywhere.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Passionate Vegetable
Suzanne Landry
Health Inspired Publishing
PO Box 1093, Ventura, CA 93002
9780985190804, $29.95, www.healthinspiredpublishing.com

Vegetables are a core part of our diet and health, and they don't have to be bland. "The Passionate Vegetable: Health Inspired Recipes to Revitalize Your Life for Vegetarians or Meat Lovers" is a health and cookbook expanding the potential of the fresh vegetable in recipes, showing how to get the most out of these healthful vegetables and enjoying them to the fullest in our lives. With recipes with vegetables as the star such as stuffed peppers, to playing supporting roles with chicken soup recipes and Chinese Fried rice, "The Passionate Vegetable" is filled with full color photography throughout, and makes for a choice and much recommended addition to cookbook collections.

The China Study Cookbook
Leanne Campbell
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400
Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781937856755, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photography of finished dishes, "The China Study Cookbook" by Leanne Campbell is a 208 page compendium showcasing more than 120 delicious, nutritious, whole-food, plant-based recipes that include breads and muffins, breakfast dishes, appetizers and salads, soups, sandwiches, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. Of special note are the opening sections of "The China Study Cookbook" on 'Raising Children to Consume a Plant-Based Diet'; 'Transitioning to a Plant-Based Diet'; and 'Chef's Tools'. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' and enhanced with appendices offering Metric Conversions, Dietary Symbols, and a comprehensive Index, "The China Study Cookbook" will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library Cookbook collections.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Managing Forests As Complex Adaptive Systems
Christian Messier, et al.
Earthscan
c/o Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Fl. #8
NY, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9780415519779, $149.00, www.amazon.com

The newest addition to outstanding The Earthscan Forest Library series from Routlege, "Managing Forests as Complex Adaptive Systems: Building Resilience to the Challenge of Global Change" is a 368 page compendium comprised of fourteen informed and informative articles by professionals in the field of forest management. Compiled and edited by the team of Christian Messier (Scientific Director of the Institute of Temperate Forest Sciences, Universite du Quebec, Canada); Klaus J. Puettman (Edmund Hayes Professor in Silviculture Alternatives in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, USA); and K. David Coates (Senior Research Silviculturist with the Ministry of Natural Resource Operations, Smithers Canada), "Managing Forests As Complex Adaptive Systems" is organized into three major sections: Setting the Stage; Complexity and Complex Adaptive Systems in Different Forest Biomes; Management Under the Complex Adaptive System and Resilience Paradigm. Enhanced with figures and tables throughout, as well as a comprehensive Index, "Managing Forests As Complex Adaptive Systems" offers a seminal body of scholarship in forest management issues and concerns and is highly recommended for academic library Environmental Studies reference collections in general, and Forest Management Studies supplemental reading lists in particular.

Secret Voices From the Forest
Laura J. Merrill, author/illustrator
Myth & Magic Publishing
P.O. Box 612, Taos, NM 87571
978098429903 $28.95 www.laurajmerrilltreetalker.com

"Secret Voices From the Forest: Thoughts and Dreams of North American Trees, Volume One: The West" is a beautiful book of collaborative, creative nonfiction, first in a series about North American Trees. A multi-faceted approach describes the voice, function, and beauty of each tree or family of trees chosen to represent North American trees of the west Twelve sections in four chapters present the Coastal Redwood, Pacific Madrone, Old Growth Forest, California Sycamore, Mexican Elder, California Bay Laurel, Incense Cedar, Mountain Mahogany, Sequoia, Quaking Aspen, Bristlecone Pine, and Gambrel Oak/ Western Serviceberry tree groups. Each section contains an initial portrait, reflections, chronicles, a list of companions with beautiful colored illustrations, a quality meditated upon (by the tree), a poem by Brian Mitchell about the message of the tree, and some facts about the tree's companions. "Secret Voices of the Forest" is predicated upon the belief that trees may be regarded as wise, sentient beings, almost guardians of life upon Gaia. It is of inestimable value to humans to listen to the messages from trees. To this end, each tree is studied carefully in its original natural setting, with careful observation of its particular nature and habitual natural companions. Filled with fascinating detail about the creatures and plants who accompany these sentient trees, "Secret Voices From the Forest" takes the reader beyond skepticism to a hallowed place where deeper wisdom may be accessed with care. Reading "Secret Voices From the Forest" is indeed a treat to be savored slowly, always enhanced by its charming decorative page borders and delicate illustrations, particularly illuminated by the dedicated poems accompanying each tree type. it is surely an honor to be allowed to learn to seek understanding of these ancient voices from our forever friends, the trees.

Global Forest Governance
Rowena Macguire
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9780857936066 $160.00 www.e-elgar.com

Global Forest Governance: Legal Concepts and Policy Trends is an exhaustively researched, in-depth presentation of the legal underpinnings and governmental requirements for sustainable management of forests. Chapters discuss the critical elements needed for effective regulation (justice, property, sovereignty, and governance); regulation of forest resources by the World Bank; the legal requirements of forestry markets; sample court cases concerning disputes over forest resources; and much more. "When land that contains forest ecosystems is converted and is used for another purpose (for example, agricultural or rural development), there is a net loss of carbon stored on the land. This is because most other land use sequesters less carbon than forest ecosystems. If the previous forest site is cleared and burned, most of the stored carbon will be released back into the atmosphere." In the modern era of climate change, Global Forest Governance is extremely timely, relevant, and valuable for its wealth of information about the value of preserving forests in spite of economic and legal obstacles, as well as the role of national governments to step in and preserve forests when most of the benefits for doing so are classified as positive externalities (aspects that do not charge individuals any cost for the good things they bring, such as carbon sequestration). Highly recommended, especially for college library collections, environmentalists, professionals in forestry management, or as a reference for legal experts fielding environmental matters.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Writing the Science Fiction Film
Robert Grant
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781615931361, $26.95, www.mwp.com

A new world of wonder and adventure is what is offered with science fiction. "Writing the Science Fiction Film" is a guide for filmmakers who want to best understand the ins and outs of what makes a sci-fi film great by studying the classics. With black and white film stills all throughout to illustrate the concepts. With a focus on world building and keeping the movie flowing with it instead of in spite of it, how to blend in tropes well, "Writing the Science Fiction Film" is a strong addition to writing and publishing collections, highly recommended.

Writing the 10-Minute Play
Glenn Alterman
Limelight Editions
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201
New York, NY 10010
9781557838483, $19.99, www.halleonard.com

A short episode can tell quite the story. "Writing the 10-Minute Play" is a guide for those who want to produce these short episodes of fiction to be acted quickly and efficiently, and tell the story they seek. With plenty of examples and solid advice for general success in theatrical production... "Writing the 10-Minute Play" is a strong addition to any collection for writing collections focusing on stage acting, highly recommended.


The Education Shelf

Challenging Exceptionally Bright Children in Early Childhood Classrooms
Ann Gadzikowski
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, Saint Paul, MN 55117
9781605541167 $34.95 www.redleafpress.org

"Challenging Exceptionally Bright Children in Early Childhood Classrooms" is copublished by Redleaf Press and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, or NAEYC. It presents suggestions for assessment, differentiation, conversation and connection, and classroom strategies for encouraging sustained development of exceptionally bright children in early education. Special chapters offer different classroom strategies for early readers, advanced mathematicians, young scientists, and supporting overall social- emotional development. In addition, there are further ideas for working with parents, families, and caretakers of exceptionally bright children. An excellent tool for preschool educators, "Challenging Exceptionally Bright Children in Early Childhood Classrooms" also contains a full list of recommended resources for teachers, including online information, books, and organizations. There are also resource recommendations for parents and families of exceptionally bright children. For a vast array of approaches, techniques, and learning models, this text is a versatile, creative collaboration of learning strategies sure to benefit the education efforts of the exceptionally bright.

Education Governance for the Twenty-First Century
Paul Manna & Patrick McGuinn, editors
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-2188
9780815723943, $32.95, www.brookings.edu

The American education system is in need of reform, no debate needed there. "Education Governance for the Twenty-First Century: Overcoming the Structural Barriers to School Reform" discusses the laundry list of problems that lie within the American education system. Placing the blame on a decentralized educational goal filled with bureaucracy and countless inefficiencies all along, Paul Manna & Patrick McGuinn bring together many thinkers who analyze this problems and how they can be improved for America's educational future. A vital and strongly recommended read, "Education Governance for the Twenty First Century" belongs in every educational studies and reference collection.

Powerful Techniques for Teaching Adults
Stephen D. Brookfield
Jossey-Bass/Wiley
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118017005, $40.00, www.josseybass.com

Teaching adults is a whole new world versus teaching children and teenagers. "Powerful Techniques for Teaching Adults" is an educator's guide aimed at better understanding how to more completely teach adults and reaching out to minds which are less open to being melded. From the complicated power dynamics, the importance of thinking critically, working with your students, and much more, "Powerful Techniques for Teaching Adults" is an invaluable reference for any educator or educational administrator who often deals with the complicated world of adult education, very much recommended reading.

Common Core Standards
John Kendall
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
9781416614661, $27.95, www.ascd.org

There are basics of education that all other education is often built on top of. "Common Core Standards: For Elementary Grades 3-5 Math & English Language Arts" discusses the common educational concepts for educational standards in the second half of the elementary school years, and preparing them for the vital and formative middle school educational processes. "Common Core Standards" is a core addition to modern educational studies collections for educators and education administrators, highly recommended.

Self-Driven Learning
Larry Ferlazzo
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West
Larchmont, NY 10538
9781596672390, $29.95, www.eyeoneducation.com

When a student learns of their own free-will, that's inspiration that can't be beat. "Self-Driven Learning: Teaching Strategies for Student Motivation" is a guide for educators in trying to inspire students desire to learn by empowering their own wishes for learning and education, encouraging personal desire and responsibility as well as working with other students. Presenting a new way to teach that can solve the always difficult problem of student encouragement, "Self-Driven Learning" is a must for educational collections, highly recommended. Also from Eye on Education is "The Principal as Instructional Leader: A Practical Handbook" (9781596672390, $34.95) exploring the role of the principal in inspiring better education through their students, and "The 6 Keys to Teacher Engagement: Unlocking the Doors to Top Teacher Performance" (9781596672383, $29.95), which focuses on inspiring teachers themselves to rise to a higher level of success.

Identifying & Assessing Students with Emotional Disturbance
Terry J. Tibbetts
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624
Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598572711, $44.95, www.brookespublishing.com

Emotional problems make it all too hard to focus on academic endeavors. "Identifying & Assessing Students with Emotional Disturbance" discusses the importance of emotional support when it comes to improving academic performance for students. Touching on the difference between social issues with a student and emotional disturbance, identifying these problems, legal issues that come with outlining these problems, and how to help teachers understand these problems, "Identifying & Assessing Students with Emotional Disturbance" is a critical addition to educational studies and psychology collections, highly recommended.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Pets, People, and Pragmatism
Erin McKenna
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L
Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823251155, $26.00, www.fordhampress.com

The relationship between people and their pets is a curious one. "Pets, People, and Pragmatism" discusses the relationship between human beings and their animal companions, hoping to gain a more complete understanding of this unique relationship, while taking a scientific look at animal abuse and the ethics behind it when human being use these animals for far more than some companionship. Insightful and appealing reading that presents many curious questions on the concepts of human nature, "Pets, People, and Pragmatism" is a strongly recommended addition to pets and sociology collections, highly recommended.

E. B. White on Dogs
Martha White
Tilbury House, Publishers
103 Brunswick Ave.
Gardiner, ME 04345
9780884483410, $22.95, www.tilburyhouse.com

A love for our furry companion can take us far in our lives and entertain our many interests along the way. "E. B. White on Dogs" collects the famed Charlotte's Web author's works on his favorite canines, taking his notes on essays, poetry, stories, and his correspondence with friends and family. With plenty of humor and much to appreciate for fans of White on his work, "E. B. White on Dogs" is a strong addition to any pet lovers or literary studies collection, very much recommended.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Under Budapest
Ailsa Kay
Goose Lane Editions
500 Beverbrook Court, Suite 330
Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5X4
9780864926814, $19.95, www.gooselane.com

Decades have passed and much has changed, but history still runs deep. "Under Budapest" is a novel of Hungarian history. Following Tibor, a man who travels to his ancestral land of Budapest, and finds himself in the throws of the land left behind, finding long lost family, and the deep history the city holds. Digging deep into a mystery, author Alisa Kay speaks for the Hungarian people in ways may never knew possible. "Under Budapest" is a fine modern thriller, much recommended.

Desperado
Manuel Ramos
Arte Publico Press
University of Houston
4902 Gulf Fwy, Bldg 19, Rm 100
Houston, TX 77204-2004
9781558857704, $17.95, www.artepublicopress.com

A dead buddy, an artifact and a world of crime..."Desperado" follows Gus Corral as he finds himself immersed by all sides when he offers to help a friend. With the friend dead, author Manuel Ramos tells Gus's story trying to channel the old fashioned noir stories of old where no one can be trusted and trying to find the motivation that lurk all around us. "Desperado" is an enticing addition to contemporary mystery and fiction collections.

The Night Detectives
Jon Talton
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781464201325, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

A murder case is hard to pin down, especially when the people hiring you can't be trusted. "The Night Detectives" follows deputy David Mapstone as he tries to determine if the police's assessment of Grace Hunter's death is correct. They call it a suicide, but a person claiming to be her brother claims otherwise. Chasing the case across the Southwest, he finds a tangled web of money and corruption everywhere he turns. "The Night Detectives" is a mystery and thriller with no shortage of twists and turns, much recommended.


The African-American Studies Shelf

Black Americans in the 21st Century
Doug Saint Carter
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145
Berkeley, CA 94709
9780966942521, $19.95, www.heydaybooks.com

Divisiveness in society only leads to many more problems in the future. "Black Americans in the 21st Century: Integrating or Segregating" analyzes Black America in the years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, and how author Doug Saint Carter still views the troubles of modern Black America and why unity between all races is still a hard road to achieve. "Black Americans in the 21st Century" has much to consider for America's future and racial issues, highly recommended.

Where Did Our Love Go
Gil L. Robertson, editor
Bolden
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street
Evanston, IL 60202
9781932841701, $16.00, www.agatepublishing.com

A bond for a lifetime is precious, but grows ever more rare. "Where Did Our Love Go: Love and Relationships in the African-American Community" is a collection of essays from many writers coming together and discussing the struggles of many African Americans finding the bonds of marriage that hang together for a lifetime. Analyzing the trouble in black America and what may be leading to fractured families all over America, "Where Did Our Love Go" is an enticing and much recommended addition to black studies and social studies collections.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

In the Presence of Angels Emmanuel Swedenborg
Andrea R. Garrison, author
Swedenborg Foundation Press
320 North Church Street
West Chester, PA 19380
9780877853503 $11.95 www.swedenborg.com

"In the Presence of Angels: Reflections on Mattie Pearl and Emmanuel Swedenborg" is an exploration of an end life spiritual journey, experienced by the author with the passing of her mother. Her awareness of the presence of angels increased her faith and comforted her in the loss of her mother, Mattie Pearl. She delivers an inspirational message to all that reanimates faith in an existence beyond the physical. There is family history, details about "The Crossing Over of Mattie Pearl (previous title of earlier publication)," and further exploration on the writings and life of Emmanuel Swedenborg, theologian. Gentle lyrical narrative meditations are enhanced by black and white photos and illustrations throughout "In the Presence of Angels." This small book will provide much food for thought and an enlargement of our concept of life, death and a hopeful afterlife.

Faith in the Public Square
Rowan Williams
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781408187586, $29.95, www.bloomsbury.com

In the spectrum of theology, Anglican bishop Rowan Williams is weighed with controversy. "Faith in the Public Square" is the man's own direct arguments to the many riveting questions that so often consume our minds in the debate of faith and religion, and its place in modern society where faiths grow ever more varied in the public light. With additional ideas on the Christian faith and the role of Christians in their own lives and society as a whole, "Faith in the Public Square" is an excellent addition to any religious, Christian studies, or theological social issues collection, a core addition to community and college library collections.

Made in the Margins
Hjamil A. Martinez-Vazquez
Baylor University Press
One Bear Place, #97363
Waco, TX 76798-7363
9781602581999, $39.95, www.baylorpress.com

Eurocentrism is strong in America, and the stories of many of its citizens go ignored. "Made in the Margins: Latina/o Constructions of US Religious History" focuses on the Latin American element in the history of faith in America, and criticizes traditional history writing for often forgetting the important elements of the Latin side of the story. Discussing the important elements and how to bring them into the mainstream discussion, "Made in the Margins" is a must for religious and Latin studies collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Go To Joseph
Michael O'Neill McGrath
World Library Publications
3708 River Road, Suite 400
Franklin Park, IL 60131
9781584596196 $39.95 www.wlpmusicl.com

"Go To Joseph" is the third title in a trilogy of art and spirituality books centered on the Holy Family (Christian) by the artist. (Earlier two titles are "Blessed Art Thou" and "At the Name of Jesus"). "Go To Joseph" presents over 20 stunning paintings of Joseph and family accompanied by inspiring and illuminating narrative, song and verse by a variety of authors, including Jim Knipper, Jack Jezreel, John Fiester, Alan J. Hommerding, Kevin Moran, Ed Bolduc, Todd Scribner, Bob Mullen, Christopher Pramuk, Ronald Landfair, Chris Haw, Michael McCue, Bishop Joseph Galante, Joe Coppola, Diego Berrio, and Patrick Markey. When the faithful need a tender father's ear, they are invited to go to Joseph. Joseph has become known as a model husband, father, working man, companion of the sick, patron of the dying and patron of the Universal Church. In the pages of this amazing book will be found prayers in the form of both illuminated art works and heartfelt prayers. Each painting is credited for its original commission and present home. This incredible collection of images and reflections will provide holy inspiration and also reassurance to all who peruse it.

Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Stephen M. Miller
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719
Uhrichsville, OH 44683
9781602606906, $19.99, www.barbourbooks.com

Called by some the greatest story ever told, the Bible's stories sound well in the ears of many. "Illustrated Bible Dictionary" is a guide to the Bible heavily using photography and artwork discussing the many topics touched on in the Bible and the countless characters who tell its story. Thorough in its analysis and completely in full color from cover to cover, "Illustrated Bible Dictionary" is an absolute must for anyone who wants a Bible reference that's not a boring textbook.

On Liturgical Asceticism
David W. Fagerberg
The Catholic University of America Press
240 Leahy Hall, 620 Michigan Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20064
97808132211175, $29.95, www.cuapress.cua.edu

Poverty is a plague on the world, and Christ sought to suffer with them while alleviating their pain. "On Liturgical Asceticism" discusses the theological place of asceticism in Christianity, and how it should be integrated from the Eastern Orthodox faith into the Western churches, and encouraging its virtues to the Christian faith as a whole. Insightful and curious, as well as scholarly argued and researched all throughout by Associate Professor of Theology at Notre Dame David W. Fagerberg, "On Liturgical Asceticism" is a strong addition to Christian and religious studies collections, highly recommended.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Muslim Identities
Aaron W. Hughes
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231161473, $29.50, http://cup.columbia.edu

What is the psyche of the everyday Muslim in today's world? "Muslim Identities: An Introduction to Islam" seeks to explore the history and culture of Islam, and how it leads up to the modern state of the faith. A level handed approach that seeks to more comprehensively explain the faith and what it means to the people behind it, "Muslim Identities" is a scholarly and informed study of how to best understand the people of Islam, and the struggles it continues to face internally and externally.


The Fiction Shelf

Once in the Saddle
L. P. Holmes
Gale
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place
Stamford, CT 06902
9781432826291, $25.95, www.cengage.com

What we leave behind us doesn't stay behind for long. "Once in the Saddle" is a novel of the west, as Wade Stagmire walks away from his old life to find work in Castle City. But when he finds some people doing gruesome things to the cattle and with rustlers all about, he has to use his old ways to find justice and bring peace to himself. "Once in the Saddle" is a riveting read of Western fiction for those who can't get enough of cowboy legends, highly recommended.

Of Blood and Brothers
E. Michael Helms
Koehler Books
5 Penn Plaza, 23rd Floor
c/o Morgan James Publishing
New York, NY 10001
9781938467516, $16.95, www.koehlerbooks.com

Brother against brother turned out to be more common than many would believe throughout the American Civil War. "Of Blood and Brothers: A Novel of the Civil War" tells the first part of the story of the Malburn brothers Daniel and Elijah. From the prelude to the war, the battle itself, and what it did to the brothers after the conflict, "Of Blood and Brothers" is a strong addition to historical fiction collections focusing on the American Civil War, much recommended.


The Relationship Shelf

Loving Someone with Anxiety
Kate N. Thieda
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
9781608826117, $16.95, www.newharbinger.com

Anxiety can be overwhelming, but a helpful hand can keep us calm. "Loving Someone with Anxiety: Understanding & Helping Your Partner" is a guide for those who want more completely connect with their loved ones who may be coping with this very common social disorder. With advice and practical wisdom on being supportive, helping them overcome common problems, and using the process to form stronger bonds with one another. "Loving Someone with Anxiety" is a strong addition to relationship and self-help collections, highly recommended.


The American History Shelf

In the Kingdom of the Sick
Laurie Edwards
Walker & Company
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
9780802718013, $26.00, www.walkerbooks.com

To not be fully well is to be weak in American culture. "In the Kingdom of the Sick: A Social History of Chronic Illness in America" discusses the nearly third of the American population suffering from some form of Chronic illness and the shame they often carry for their illnesses, and often are blamed for their own illness, even if their fault is not possibly their own. Speaking out about the rights of people who have these many disorders, the problems they face, and the root of the American culture that often crucifies these individuals, "In the Kingdom of the Sick" is an insightful and eye opening take on the impacts of health on sociology in the United States.


The World History Shelf

The Newfoundland Diaspora
Jennifer Bowering Delisle
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554588947, $42.99, wlupress.wlu.ca

Newfoundland has been facing many people leaving the province over time. "The Newfoundland Diaspora: Mapping the Literature of Out-Migration" analyzes the diaspora of Newfoundland since the halting of the cod industry twenty years ago. This has lead to Newfies abandoning their homeland, and Jennifer Bowering Delisle analyzes the impact this had had on Canadian culture as these once isolated people have blended more strongly with the rest of the country. "The Newfoundland Diaspora" is a strong addition to Canadian studies collections, very much recommended reading.

Crisis of Governance in Maya Guatemala
John P. Hawkins, James H. McDonald, & Walter Randolph Adams
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806143453, $19.95, www.oupress.com

As a country struggles to survive, its people struggle even more. "Crisis of Governance in Maya Guatemala: Indigenous Responses to a Failing State" discusses the modern issues facing the nation of Guatemala in spite of the end of its decades long civil war in 1996, and how the decades since have hardly been an easy time, the tough economy, and how forgotten communities form their own bit of self-government through it all. "Crisis of Governance in Maya Guatemala" is a strong addition to social and international issues collections, highly recommended.

Richard II and the English Royal Treasure
Jenny Stratford
Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
9781843833789, $130.00, www.boydellandbrewer.com

The treasures of a king are always impressive. "Richard II and the English Royal Treasure" is a complete and comprehensive study of the countless treasures of the fourteenth century King and the riches that were gathered from and financed the hundred years war. Deep and detailed history touches on the many figures in his quest for greater wealth with comprehensive descriptions of particular treasures, there sources, and their fates. "Richard II and the English Royal Treasure" is a scholarly and comprehensive text, a must for any community and college reference collection focusing on English history.


The Sports Shelf

Kinetic Anatomy, third edition
Robert S. Behnke
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450510557, $74.00, www.HumanKinetics.com

The human body is a highly complex and developed machine. "Kinetic Anatomy" is the third revised and updated edition on the studies of how the human body moves. Muscles, bones, joints, and much more compose the human body, and the countless ways it bends, curves, and comes together in its own ways throughout. Chapters discuss gross motor control, movement, joints, the passage of blood and nerves through the body, a focus on how the head reacts to movement, and the spine that runs through all of it. "Kinetic Anatomy" is complete, comprehensive, scholarly, and presented with full color photography and illustrations all throughout, an absolute must for any anatomical studies collection in community and college libraries.


The Poetry Shelf

Greenhouses, Lighthouses
Tung-Hui Hu
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271
Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781556594069 $16.00 www.coppercanyonpress.org

A "Lannan Literary Selection" chosen for its exceptional quality, Greenhouses, Lighthouses is the third poetry collection by Tung-Hui Hu. Experimenting with a variety of formats, from spacious free-verse to stream-of-consciousness narrative, even interludes of prose, Greenhouses, Lighthouses is rich with double meanings and intellectual speculation. Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of inventive and introspective poetry. "Year of Following People": She tells me: I was dead weight on the street. / I couldn't move without other people. / That year, I learned to be pulled forward. / To swing my hips and walk and to limp. // She tells me A car followed me in winter. / I moved a block and stopped and / it did, too, keeping its distance, as if each of us were looking for a missing person, dragging the river of gasoline and snow."

Selected Translations
W.S. Merwin
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271
Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781556594090 $40.00 www.coppercanyonpress.org

Selected Translations is a collection of poetry by an incredible diversity of authors worldwide, smoothly translated into English by two-time Pulitzer winner and 2010-11 U.S. Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin. The result is an absorbing, experience that resonates with a multitude of cultural viewpoints and traditions, spanning centuries of human history. An astonishing tour de force of profound yet essentially timeless poetry, Selected Translations is especially recommended for public library collections and poetry lovers everywhere. "Muso Soseki": For years I dug in the earth / trying to discover the blue sky / deeper and deeper I tunnelled / until one night / I made stones and tiles fly into the air / with no effort I broke the bone of the void.

Skinned
Antjie Krog
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street
New York, NY 10013
9781609804633, $23.95, www.sevenstories.com

South Africa has seen much, and a poet's words can try to dissect and understand these pursuits. "Skinned" is a collection of poetry from renown South African poet Antjie Krog, who has gained renown for her work in both Afrikaans and English, earning many awards for her insights into the culture of the world and everything else around her. With plenty of insight, "Skinned" is an absolute must for international poetry collections, not to be missed.

Landscape with Yellow Birds
Jose Angel Valente
Archipelago Books
232 3rd St. #A111
Brooklyn, NY 11215
9781935744801, $18.00, www.archipelagobooks.org

Revered among Spain's literary community, Jose Angel Valente is a treasure for international poets. "Landscape with Yellow Birds" is a compilation of poetry form Valente, deftly translated from the original Spanish by Thomas Christensen who captures his verse excellent foe English readers. For anyone with a fascination for international poetry through the years, "Landscape with Yellow Birds" is a strong addition to any poetry collection.


The Military Shelf

The New Zealand Wars
Ian Knight
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781780962771, $17.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

For the lands of New Zealand, the ambitions of the British Empire clashed with the desire of keeping control of one's home. "The New Zealand Wars 1820-72" seeks to explore the long standing conflict between the native Maori people and the British settlers who sought to colonize their land. The Maori were quick to adapt to modern warfare, but were divided. Filled with color illustrations as well as black and white photography, "The New Zealand Wars" is a must for any international military history collection, highly recommended. Also from Osprey Publishing is "The New Zealand Expeditionary Force in World War II" (9781780961118, $17.95) discusses the contributions of New Zealand to the British Empire's efforts in World War II.

Operation Damocles
Roger Howard
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10004
9781605984384, $27.95, www.pegasusbooks.us

The Nazis had many great technological minds, and they didn't just fade away when the Third Reich crumbled. "Operation Damocles: Israel's Secret War Against Hitler's Scientists, 1951-1967" tells of the technological secret war between Egypt and Israel that had a huge role from former Nazi scientists who were recruited by Egypt and the conflict that went on deeply behind the scenes and the espionage that flared between both parties. "Operation Damocles" is a strong addition to world history collections, highly recommended.


The Anthropology Shelf

Paleopathology at the Origins of Agriculture
Mark Nathan Cohen and George J. Armelagos, editors
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813044897 $39.95 www.upf.com

Originating in an 1982 Conference on Paleopathology and Socioeconomic Change at the Origins of Agriculture in Pittsburgh, New York, Paleopathology at the Origins of Agriculture is a widely cited resource on bio-archaeological literature. Now this foundational volume is back in print and available in paperback. Its diversity of scientific contributors scrutinized data with a focus on North America, but also including populations in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and South America. The central question addressed was: how did humanity's transition from foraging to agriculture affect human health and nutrition? Health indicators ranging from mortality to physical trauma, degenerative bone conditions, isotopes, and dental pathology are evaluated in this "must-have" core resource for college and university library Anthropology and Archaeology shelves.

Blood & Kinship
Christopher H. Johnson, Bernhard Jussen, David Warren Sabean, Simon Teuscher
Berghahn Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 512
Brooklyn, NY 11201
9780857457493, $95.00, www.berghahnbooks.com

Has family and kinship always met the same thing throughout our history? "Blood & Kinship: Matter for Metaphor From Ancient Rome to the Present" is a collection of scholarly essays on history and anthropology looking at the foundations of western culture and history. Exploring the concept of blood and daring to take a very different perspective on the ideas of blood, many academic and scholarly minds come together to bring many fresh perspectives on these cultures. Tracing thousands of years of history and culture and offering an interesting twist of ideas throughout, "Blood & Kinship" is an excellent and highly recommended addition to history and anthropology community and college library collections.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Spectacular Speculation
Urs Staheli, author
Eric Savoth, translator
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804771320 $27.95 www.sup.org

Spectacular Speculation: Thrills, the Economy, and Popular Discourse is a historical and sociological study of how financial speculation was described and reported in the years between 1870 and 1930. Evidence sorted by Luhmann, Foucault, Simmel, and Deleuze reveals that journalism about financial speculation a century ago was rocky at best. The modern language to discuss it was not yet in common use, and the vocabulary applied to discuss the idea bordered on salacious. Speculation was equated with gambling; financial markets compared to female seducers; and warnings were rampant against "degenerate" behavior or uncontrollable crowds. The history of how society came to view, describe, and understand economic speculation remains critically relevant today, when speculation played a pivotal role in the 2008 housing market crash and the fallout that is still ongoing. Spectacular Speculation is therefore a welcome and highly recommended addition to world history and economic studies shelves.

Internal Market Economics
Dean Meyer
NDMA Publishing
3B Kenosia Avenue
Danbury, CT 06810-7305
www.ndma.com/resources/ndma.htm
9781892606310, $28.00, www.amazon.com

In "Internal Market Economics: Practical Resource-Governance Processes Based On Principles We All Believe In", author Dean Meyer draws upon his years of experience and expertise to deftly write a compelling 396 page compendium on just how entrepreneurs and managers can utilize market economic concepts to advance their organizational goals and strategies through the judicious application of basic principles with respect to governance and decision making. Practical, insightful, informed, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Internal Market Economics" is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in precept and presentation, making it highly recommended and especially appropriate for personal, professional, corporate, academic, and community library reference collections.

Financing Our Foodshed
Carol Peppe Hewitt
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865717237, $17.95, www.newsociety.com

Money is the lifeblood of every endeavor. "Financing Our Foodshed: Growing Local Food with Slow Money" discusses the economic aspect of those who want to encourage a local diet and the struggles of getting such growing projects off the ground when the numbers don't add up. Encouraging micro loans and building local food economies, with plenty of practical advice on building these projects and keeping them going, "Financing Our Foodshed" is a strong pick for any advocate of local agriculture, highly recommended.

The Climate Bonus
Alison Smith
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8
New York, NY 10017-9209
9781849713412, $59.95, www.routledge.com

Saving the environment doesn't require a massive short term investment. "The Climate Bonus: Co-Benefits of Climate Policy" discusses how the move towards a more sustainable world does not have to incur massive costs that many people are convinced that they believe it does. Highlighting the many benefits of a carbon reduction policy in both financial and otherwise terms and encouraging more complete adherence to good environmental policy in ways that can make it sound more appealing from a business sense, "The Climate Bonus" is a powerful and very much recommended addition to environmental and economics collections, not to be missed.

Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com

Edward Elgar Publishing continues its tradition of excellence in academic-level research with four rigorously researched, detailed, and enlightening new texts. Alberto Brugnoli and Alessandro Colombo edit "Government, Governance and Welfare Reform: Structural Changes and Subsidiarity in Italy and Britain" (9781848444775, $110.00), a gathering of scholarly essays about welfare reforms and changes in both Britain and Italy. A surprising conclusion emerges from years of data - that government at the sub-national level (rather than the national level) plays an increasingly critical role in designing, implementing, and keeping track of governmental services. Tyrone S. Pitsis, Ace Simpson, and Erlend Dehlin edit "Handbook of Organizational and Managerial Innovation" (9781849802574, $225.00), a collection of ideas from academics and professionals worldwide about the latest improvements in efficient organization and management. Of particular interest is the revelation of how managerial innovation is fueled by findings in multiple academic disciplines (including psychology, philosophy, and economics) as well as the hands-on experience of managers and workers. Yun-Chien Chang's "Private Property and Takings Compensation: Theoretical Framework and Empirical Analysis" (9780857935274, $110.00) examines the process of government seizure of and reimbursement for private property, drawing upon examples from both New York and Taiwan. Drawing upon both prior research and cutting-edge data, Private Property and Takings Compensation offers an evaluation of assorted compensation strategies (including "zero", "current value", "fair market value", "economic value", and "project value" compensation) that should prove invaluable particularly to government policymakers and litigators. Peter C.Y. Chow edits "Economic Integration Across the Taiwan Strait: Global Perspectives" (9780857939722, $135.00), a critical analysis of economic issues affecting the relationship between Taiwan and China, from trade agreements to foreign direct investment, outsourcing, integration of banking and financial markets, and much more, founded heavily on current, original research. Ejan Mackaay's "Law and Economics for Civil Law Systems" (9781848443099, $220.00) is a scholarly text ideal for intermediate to advanced students in civil law. A comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles of law and economics, designed to complement the manner in which law is taught in civil law countries, makes Law and Economics for Civil Law Systems a choice pick for serious-minded students, and superbly bridges two separate academic disciplines. All four volumes are exceptional additions to college, university, and reference library collections.


The Agriculture Shelf

Growing Resistance
Emily Eaton
University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John's College
Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M5
9780887557446, $31.95, www.uofmpress.ca

Genetic modification of organisms has introduced many curiosities into the nature of law. "Growing Resistance: Canadian Farmers and the Politics of Genetically Modified Wheat" explores the growing concern among many in Canadian agriculture about the growing presence of Monsanto and their GM crops, and their threat against independent farmers throughout the country as well as environmental concerns. "Growing Resistance" is a must for any collection focused on politics in agriculture, highly recommended.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Travels and Tales of Miriam Green Ellis
Miriam Green Ellis
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9780888646262, $34.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca

Throughout history, there are stories and those who share those stories. "Travels and Tales of Miriam Green Ellis" compiles the work of lesser known feminist writer Miriam Green Ellis, who gained her own bit of fame in Alberta's history for her writings on her focused topics and focus on Western Canada. Editor Patricia Demers compiles a solid makes "Travels and Tales of Miriam Green Ellis" a much recommended pick for social issues and women's studies collections with a focus on Canada.


The Science Shelf

Introducing Meteorology
Jon Shonk
Dunedin Academic Press Ltd.
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213
9781780460024 $19.95 www.isbs.com

Featuring full-color diagrams and photography on practically every other page, Introducing Meteorology: A Guide to Weather lives up to its title as a reader-friendly primer to the science of weather observation. Accessible to students and curious amateurs, Introducing Meteorology covers the anatomy of the atmosphere, how air circulation affects climate, how terrible storms and hurricanes form, and much more. "If clouds that are already precipitating arrive at a mountain range, the result of the forced ascent is an increase in condensation rate and marked intensification of the rain. This process is referred to as orographic enhancement, and can bring vast amounts of rain to upland areas." An easy-to-use glossary rounds out this excellent and enlightening resource, highly recommended especially for undergraduate college and public library collections.

Marine Nutraceuticals
Se-Kwon Kim
CRC Press
Suite 300
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781466513518, $169.95, www.crcpress.com

Beneath the sea there lies untapped potential for betterment of humanity. "Marine Nutraceuticals: Prospects and Perspectives" is a collection of scholarly essays as experts on marine biology offer educated insights on the applications of these studies for medicine in countless arrays. Chapters analyze the fauna of the sea floor and touches on the many properties that discuss the applications for human wellness and nutrition. From the beneficial aspects of seaweed, to the helpful enzymes that lie beneath the ocean, Professor Se-Kwon Kim leads a staff of highly educated thinkers to offer a complete and comprehensive discussion of what can be drawn from the sea floor for countless purposes. "Marine Nutraceuticals" is a scholarly and core addition to community and college library collections focusing on biology and oceanology, enthusiastically recommended.


The Business Shelf

The Easy Guide To Internet Marketing
Scott Bourquin
The Bourquin Group
1135 Terminal Way, #106
Reno, NV, 89502
780988389236, $11.99, www.bourquingroup.com

Today almost every business must have an internet aspect to the marketing strategy if they are to be successful in competing for customers and clients. "The Easy Guide To Internet Marketing" is a 162 page instructional compendium that will enable an entrepreneur or business manager to gain an invaluable perspective on their competition; better understand their customers and clients, provide better solutions at a lower cost, achieve higher profitability, spot great marketing innovations and applications, identify bad marketing efforts, stay focused on targeted customers and clients, and even create a free sales force from that same customer/client base. Informed, informative, superbly presented, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Easy Guide To Internet Marketing" is highly recommended as an enduringly valuable instructional reference and resource for anyone engaging in marketing goods or services through the internet.

Start Your Own Home Business After 50
Robert W. Bly
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary
Fresno, CA 93721
9781610351317, $16.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com

You're never too old to start a new endeavor. "Start Your Own Home Business After 50: How to Survive, Thrive, and Earn the Income You Deserve" is a business advisory from Robert W. Bly to encourage readers to realize their own entrepreneurial goals and dreams and bringing it all together for business success even as you enter the second half of your life, and break away from the wage life. "Start Your Own Home Business After 50" is a must for business and inspirational collections, not to be missed.

HBR's 10 Must Reads
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way
Boston, MA 02163
9781422189894, $24.95, http://hbr.org/books

When it comes down to it, the decisions we make ultimately determine our success and failure. "HBR's 10 Must Reads: On Making Smart Decisions" is a collection of ten articles about decision making in business and management as the people at the Harvard Business School Press advise readers on how to better piece together their leadership, evaluate risks, and know when to act drastically, and more effectively measure one's risks and rewards. "HBR's 10 Must Reads" is an invaluable and much recommended resource, not to be missed. Also consider "HBR's 10 Must Reads: On Innovation" (9781422189856, $24.95), exploring the importance of innovation for business success.

Social Intelligence, Leadership, and Problem Solving
M. Afzalur Rahim, editor
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
www.transactionpub.com
9781412851732, $59.95, www.amazon.com

Ably compiled and deftly edited by M. Afzalur Rahim, "Social Intelligence, Leadership, and Problem Solving" is the sixteenth title in Transaction Publishers' outstanding series 'Current Topics in Management' series. Also available in a Kindle edition (B00BPUH0NY, $47.96), this 206 page compendium is comprised of nine informed and informative academic researched based articles, three in-depth book reviews, and an extended bibliography (Books Received). Of special note is 'Communicating in the 21st-Century Workplace' by the team of Kenneth J. Levine, Suzie Allard, and Carol Tenopir. "Social Intelligence, Leadership, and Problem Solving" is a seminal body of impeccable scholarship and a very highly recommended acquisition for corporate and academic library Business Management Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Fundamentals of Sport Marketing, fourth edition
Brenda G. Pitts and David K. Stotlar
Fitness Information Technology
West Virginia University
262 Coliseum, WVU-PE, PO Box 6116
Morgantown, WV 26506-6116
9781935412403 $79.00 www.fitinfotech.com

Now in an updated fourth edition, Fundamentals of Sport Marketing is an educational textbook created especially for aspiring business professionals with a keen interest in sports marketing. Chapters discuss sport marketing research, marketing information systems, pricing strategies specific to the sport business industry, distribution channels and decisions in the sport business, media relations in sport, social media in sport marketing, and much more. A handful of easy-to-follow flowcharts and tables enhance this excellent introduction, suitable as a classroom text or for self-study. "Many teams have found that consumers 'cherry pick' the games that have giveaway items... this defeats the purpose of the promotion (selling more tickets)... One method that solves this problem is to provide coupons for season ticket holders to use for item redemption at the stadium's customer service booth. An interesting side benefit is that oftentimes fans in the stadium may ask 'Where did you get that?' and the response is 'I am a season ticket holder.'" Highly recommended.


The Gardening Shelf

Just Ask Wim!
Wim Vander Zalm
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219
Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
9781550175875, $26.95, www.harbourpublishing.com

Gardening is a great hobby, but can often feel daunting for many people to get into. "Just Ask Wim!: Down-to-Earth Gardening Answers" is a to the point gardening book from Wim Vander Zalm who seeks to share his experience and wisdom in the field with full color photography all throughout. With practical advice and an easy to follow writing style, there's advice for planting, pest management, building a colorful garden, and much more. "Just Ask Wim!" is a must have for gardening collections for those just starting out but want an experienced gardener's color in their yard.


The Self-Help Shelf

Overcoming Perfectionism
Ann W. Smith
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757317200, $14.95, www.hcibooks.com

Perfect is often unobtainable, and chasing it can prove futile. "Overcoming Perfectionism: Finding the Key to Balance & Self-Acceptance" is a guide to staving off the curse of being a perfectionist as Ann W. Smith encourages readers to come to term with their drive for perfection, and realizing the penalties of submerging oneself too fully in these stressful habits. "Overcoming Perfectionism" is insightful and much recommended reading for those coping with their own problems of perfection and the many problems that can spin out from there.


The Criminology Shelf

Crime In The United States: 2013
Shana Hertz Hattis
Bernan Press
4611-F Assembly Drive
Lanham, MD 20706-4391
www.bernanpress.com
9781598886221, $105.00, www.amazon.com

One of the lesser known tasks of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the nation-wide collection of crime statistics. Often the public perception of the frequency and nature of criminal activity (fed by a 24-hour news cycle and often spun by politicians to advance their political agendas) is not in line with actual crime statistics as reported by city, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies. Compiled from official records by Shana Hertz Hattis and now in its seventh edition, "Crime In The United States: 2013" is a 615 page compendium that is comprised of reported criminal offenses known to police including murder, rape, robbery, and assault. Other reported criminal activities as property crimes which includes burglary, car theft, larceny, and arson. Also featured are the statistics concerning crime clearances, persons arrested, police employees, and hate crimes. "Crime In The United States: 2013" is a strongly recommended core addition to professional, governmental, academic, and community library Criminology reference collections.


The Library Science Shelf

Preserving Archives, second edition
Helen Forde and Jonathan Rhys-Lewis
Facet Publishing
9781856048231 $95.00 www.facetpublishing.co.uk

Now in an updated second edition, Preserving Archives is a solidly practical, in-depth reference and resource about preserving archival material, from caring for paper to managing digital preservation. Chapters examine how to safeguard the contents of an archival building, risk and disaster management, how to efficiently move archives and effectively exhibit them, pest control programs, training volunteers, and much more. An absolute "must-have" for librarians, curators, museums, and volunteer societies, Preserving Archives is worthy of the highest recommendation, as this is one book with the potential to protect and preserve uncountably many written resources! "If the problem has been identified as mice, rats, squirrels or other rodents it will be necessary to call in an expert exterminator to trap them in a manner which is safe for staff and the archival materials. Explain your concerns and ensure that poisons - which might result in corpses lying in inaccessible areas - are not used."

50+ Library Services
Diantha Dow Schull
ALA Editions
50 East Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838911198 $55.00 print / $44.00 Kindle

50+ Library Services: Innovation in Action is a resource of solid information about library programs and services designed especially for older adults ages fifty and up (the title is not intended to be a numerical tally of library services, although a litany of useful examples is present). Sample events and grant-funded projects are presented in an accessible style that breaks down the components of each offering - what it is, its goal, its features, and partners/funding for the event. Of particular interest is the chapter "Information Technology and Social Media", discussing the 50+ generation's interaction (or lack thereof) with evolving communication tools. Alternating between valuable programs to integrate into a public library's open public curriculum, and chapters discussing trends and common issues concerning library programming for older adults, 50+ Library Services is an invaluable tool for public libraries everywhere as the Baby Boomers age. Also by ALA Editions and highly recommended for library professionals are the fourth edition of "Staff Development: A Practical Guide" (9780838911495, $55.00), an anthology of tips, tricks, and techniques for effective personnel management; and "Marketing Your Library's Electronic Resources" (9781555708894, $60.00), part of Neal-Schuman's "How-To-Do-It-Manual for Librarians" series, teaching the reader how to swiftly and decisively get the word out about a public library's digital and electronic offerings.

Serving At-Risk Teens
Angela Craig & Chantell L. McDowell
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038-4512
9781555707606, $54.00, www.neal-schuman.com

Some people need help and knowledge more than ever. "Serving At-Risk Teens: Proven Strategies and Programs for Bridging the Gap" is an educational and library science guide aimed at reaching out to troubled youths who may be homeless, incarcerated, or other difficult situations and how to help them improve their education and in virtue, improve their future. With specific advice on how to reach out to these teens, why it proves important, the diverse crowd, collecting resources aimed at this group, using technology, and many other topics are discussed comprehensively. "Serving At-Risk Teens" is an invaluable addition to library science collections, enthusiastically recommended. Also from the American Library Association is "From Children's Literature to Readers Theatre" (9780838910498, $36.00), discussing how to use theatre plays to encourage youth literacy and enthusiasm for reading.

Handbook of Indexing Techniques
Linda K. Fetters
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874618, $28.00, www.infotoday.com

Unorganized information is far from efficient. "Handbook of Indexing Techniques: A Guide for Beginning Indexers" is a scholarly guide to the ins and outs of mastering information management, or more simply, indexing. Linda K. Fetters presents a complete and comprehensive guide using her nearly three decades of experience on the topic and expanding knowledge, complete with additional chapters on expanding the digital output for these topics. "Handbook of Indexing Techniques" is a must for any information manager who wants to understand the best ways of getting everything into easy access situations.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Graphic Classics: Edgar Allan Poe, Volume 1, fourth edition
Tom Pomplun, editor
Graphic Classics
c/o Eureka Productions
8778 Oak Grove Road
Mount Horeb, WI 59572
9780982563007 $12.95 www.graphicclassics.com

Now in a revised fourth edition with forty new pages, Graphic Classics: Edgar Allan Poe, Volume 1 is a black-and-white graphic novel anthology adapting almost a dozen Poe's classic short stories and poems. (Poe is well-known in English literature as the inventor of the gothic short story and the detective story, as well as a founder of the horror genre). A multitude of talented comic artists bring these vivid and sometimes gruesome tales to life, each in their own unique style. This volume features "The Pit and the Pendulum", "William Wilson", "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Black Cat", "Never Bet the Devil Your Head", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Fall of the House of Usher", "The Premature Burial", "The Imp of the Perverse", "The Raven", and "Annabel Lee". More of Poe's adapted works are in the separate graphic novels "Horror Classics: Graphic Classics Volume Ten" (9780974664811, $9.95) and "Gothic Classics: Graphic Classics Volume Fourteen" (9780978791902, $11.95). All are highly recommended for high school and public library collections, as an excellent way to introduce readers to Poe's macabre literary legacy.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Spark
Kristine Barnett, author
Kathe Mazur, narrator
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780449009628 $40.00 www.randomhouse.com

The Spark is an unabridged audiobook rendition of author Kristine Barnett's true-life story of raising her autistic son, as well as working with other autism spectrum children. Kristine's son Jacob is a unique and exceptional individual - hidden beneath his autism is a genius mind and a photographic memory. At age nine he began work on an astrophysics theory with the potential to earn a Nobel Prize, and at age twelve he became a paid researcher in quantum physics. But Jake's gifts were almost lost because the conventional means of educating "special needs" children were completely wrong for him. Boredom and frustration caused him to retreat within himself. Kristine realized that waiting was not an option - if she did not act quickly she'd lose Jake entirely to his inner world. Her inspiration was to defy the advice of professionals, and focus on what captured Jake's interest and what he could do, rather than force him to do things that bored him or went against his nature. Emphasizing strengths rather than weaknesses also proved useful in aiding other autistic or mentally retarded children. At the same time, Kristine had to contend with economic hardship (particularly when her husband lost his job during the Great Recession), health problems, and the needs of Jake's siblings. Captivating and inspirational, The Spark is highly recommended not only for public library audiobook collections, but also for parents, educators, and professionals who work with autistic or mentally disabled children. 9 CDs, 10 1/2 hours.

The Kalevala
Translated and read by Keith Bosley
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843797142 $73.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Expert Finnish translator and Corresponding Member of the Finnish Literature Society Keith Bosley presents The Kalevala, an unabridged audiobook of myths and folklore from Finland. Bosley reads aloud the his personal translation of the classic text, originally compiled by Elias Lonnrot in the 19th century. Kalevala is quite different from the legends of other Nordic nations in that its fabled heroes apply magic more often than violence to solve their challenges. A storytelling treasury embodying some 2000 years' worth of Finnish tradition, culture, and heritage in a thoroughly accessible format, The Kalevala is highly recommended especially for public and college library audiobook collections. 12 CDs, 13 hours 23 min.

Ancient Greek Philosophy: An Introduction
Compiled by Tom Griffith and Hugh Griffith
Read by Bruce Alexander, Oliver Ford Davies, Crawford Logan and cast
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
$41.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Ancient Greek Philosophy: An Introduction (6 CDs, 7 hours 16 min.) is a listener-friendly audiobook anthology of the fundamentals of ancient Greek philosophy - ideas destined to profoundly shape Western culture up to the modern day. From the Socratic method, to the concept of Stoicism, to early means of rational enquiry, Ancient Greek Philosophy not only collects the ideas of Greece's greatest minds, but also provides an accessible commentary to help listeners from all walks of life better understand the ideas in both theory and application. The multi-person performance Ancient Greek Philosophy truly brings venerable ideas to life! Ancient Greek Philosophy is enthusiastically recommended especially for public and college library audiobook collections. Also worthy of the highest praise is Hugh Griffith's "Aristotle: An Introduction" ($28.98, 4 CDs, 5 hours 1 min.), which explores the teachings of the immortal Greek philosopher Aristotle in his classic texts "Ethics" and "Politics".

Vanity Fair
William Makepeace Thackeray, author
Georgina Sutton, narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843797067 $137.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Vanity Fair is the unabridged audiobook rendition of Thackeray's classic historical novel, set during the era of Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo. Amelia Sedley is the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and her protective mother guides her search for a suitable husband, but the events of history are destined to obliterate her family fortune. Meanwhile Becky Sharp, an orphan, has only her wits and her self-reliance to the point of ruthlessness. An extraordinary masterpiece of characterization brought to vivid life by the voice of veteran theater actress Georgina Sutton, Vanity Fair is a treasure for public library audiobook collections and a high-class gift for audiobook lovers! 25 CDs, 32 hours 17 min.


The Library CD Shelf

Awakening the Fire
R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman
Canyon Records Productions
3131 West Clarendon Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85017
$13.99 www.canyonrecords.com

Grammy nominees R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman present Awakening the Fire, a beautiful, instrumental music CD fusing the Native American flute with rhythms hearkening to African, Native American, and Asian tradition. Moving and spiritual, Awakening the Fire is a superb choice to play while meditating, or seeking balance both within and beyond the physical realm. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Oasis" (5:52), "Kindling the Essence" (6:17), "Endless Journey" (6:40), "First Morning" (6:53), "Portal" (6:05), "Shaman's Trance" (6:08), "Caldera" (6:40), "Standing Stones" (6:02), "The Fountain" (5:46), and "Convergence" (4:47).


The Library DVD Shelf

Beyond Hate
Bill Moyers
Athena Learning
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598289244 $34.99 www.acornonline.com

Originally shown on PBS, Beyond Hate is a DVD documentary hosted by Emmy and Peabody-winning career journalist Bill Moyers, about the negative emotion of hatred and the devastating toll it has taken on humanity throughout the centuries, as seen in anti-Semitism, homophobia, misogyny, sectarianism, and more. But what are the true origins of hatred? How has it affected the evolution of human society, and why does it persist as a universal experience? Does hatred ever do anything for people, rather than to them? Moyers travels across the world, from Jerusalem to South Central Los Angeles to the "Anatomy of Hate" conference in Norway, and more. He also speaks to those who have dedicated their lives to transcending hate, including Elie Wiesel, Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Myrlie Evers-Williams, and Vaclav Havel, among others. Bonus materials include a "Facing Hate" program with Elie Wiesel and Bill Moyers, and a 12-page viewer's guide. Beyond Hate is highly recommended especially for public and college library DVD collections, though viewers should be forewarned that there is some coarse language and violence, simply due to the nature of the human phenomena being studied. 87 min. plus 58 min. bonus program, full screen, SDH subtitles.

Loot: The Plundered Heritage
Robert Schyberg, executive producer, director & writer
Arlen F. Chase & Diane Z. Chase, archaeological directors
Left Coast Press, Inc.
1630 North Main Street, #400
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
9781611322613 $84.95 www.LCoastPress.com

Part of the "Archaeological Methods and Practice" educational film series, Loot: The Plundered Heritage is a brief yet disturbing documentary on DVD, about the harm that trade with Western museums and collectors has inflicted upon the heritage of pre-Columbian peoples. From a striking look at the looted tombs of Caracol, Belize - where valuable information about the Mayans may well have been permanently lost - to the testimonies of art dealers, collectors, museum curators, and government ministers, Loot is an unforgettable lesson in ethics as well as the high cost of human carelessness. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections as well as archaeology courses. (In addition to private home use, closed-circuit viewing of Loot: The Plundered Heritage for educational purposes is permitted for colleges, universities, and schools). 26 min.

Leonie
Starring Emily Mortimer
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
9781569943670 $26.95 www.montereymedia.com

Also available via digital download or video-on-demand, Leonie is an inspirational DVD movie based on the true story of Leonie Gilmour (played by Emily Mortimer), the strong-willed mother of acclaimed twentieth century Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi. Though Leonie lived at the turn of the century, a time when women were restricted heavily in America and even more so in Japan, she defied and adapted to the constraints of life. Working for the famous Japanese poet Yone Noguchi, their relationship evolved into a love affair, but he refused to marry her when she became pregnant. Though she followed Yone to Japan for a time, she remained a hardworking single mother in an era when such women faced enormous societal disapproval in both America and Japan. Above all, she cherished and nurtured the brilliant artistic talent of her son Isamu. The vivid portrait of a resilient woman and compassionate mother, Leonie is inspiring, involving, and highly recommended. Bonus features include a "Making of Leonie" segment, and an interview with the director (the interview is in Japanese). 103 min., rated PG-13.

Tokyo Waka
A film by John Haptas & Kristine Samuelson
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772446 $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Featuring a wealth of personal testimonies (in Japanese audio with English subtitles) Tokyo Waka is a poetic DVD about the precarious balance between the 13 million citizens of Japan's capital of Tokyo, and over 20,000 crows. A population boom in the crows has prompted the people of Tokyo to trap them, destroy nests, and secure their trash. But crows are notoriously intelligent and adaptive, and have thwarted efforts to reduce their dominance. Tokyo Waka reflects on the uneasy stalemate in the ongoing conflict between man and crow - a Buddhist priest notes that the garbage that feeds the birds is the remnants of desire; a gardener notes that nature itself is persistent and hardy; a homeless woman helps form a community in her tent village; and the owner of an ornamental carp notes that the crow that ate his beautiful fish was only trying to survive. Tokyo Waka raises more questions than answers, yet portrays a captivating glimpse into the secret lives of crows and people alike. Highly recommended. 63 & 53 min. versions on one DVD, English SDH captions.

Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth
Frauke Sandig & Eric Black
Bullfrog Films
PO Box 149, Poley, PA 19547
1937772454, $295.00, www.bullfrogfilms.com

The Mayan culture may not be around today, but their spirit remains. "Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth" is a DVD documentary that seeks to speak to the conservation of the planet, protection of the environment by looking at the Mayan lifestyle and the strong reverence for nature and standing against the wanton destruction of the environment as they know it. "Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth" is strongly recommended viewing for those with a concern about the environment and seeking more perspectives. Color, 98 minutes, Subtitles for English, Spanish, French.

Doc Martin Special Collection
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
$124.99 www.acornonline.com

Doc Martin Special Collection: Series 1-5 + The Movies is the definitive, "must-have" DVD set for fans of British medical drama-comedy. Doc Martin is ill-tempered, set in his ways, and has a caustic attitude, but he's the only doctor available to the (themselves somewhat eccentric) residents of a seaside town. The doctor's abrasive personality is redeemed only by his skill at medicine! This special collection features all five complete series of this award-winning and often sidesplitting show, plus two feature-length movies that portray the character in a slightly different interpretation as Dr. Martin Bamford, a stubborn obstetrician attempting to sort out his marriage and career in a remote location! It should be noted that the Doc Martin Special Collection is meant for more mature viewers due to partial nudity, graphic medical scenes, and sexual situations. Bonus materials include 62 min. of behind-the-scenes glimpses, photo galleries, cast trivia, and cast filmographies. 13 DVDs, 33 hours plus bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles. Also highly recommended for connoisseurs of popular and beloved British television is three-time Emmy nominee "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (9781598289312, $29.99, 136 min., full screen, SDH subtitles), a superbly acted and presented adaptation of the classic novel about the bloody French Revolution, and the principled young Englishman who risks his life to rescue some of France's despised aristocrats from certain death.

Augustine: A Voice for All Generations
Hosted by Mike Aqualina
Vision Video
P.O. Box 540
Worcester, PA 19490
$19.99 www.visionvideo.com

Augustine: A Voice for All Generations is a DVD documentary about Augustine of Hippo (354-430), a great Christian saint and theologian whose writings, including "The City of God", "On the Trinity", and "The Confessions" have had enormous influence on the Christian faith and therefore also general Western Civilization. But Augustine himself was not always a devout Christian; in his younger years, he sought money and power, and lived with a concubine. The story of his transformational conversion is an eye-opening tale of looking beyond the self to discover the wonders of God and His creation. An extraordinary glimpse into the life of a pious man and the fourth century world he lived in, Augustine: A Voice for All Generations is highly recommended, especially for public and church library collections. 55 minutes, English and Spanish languages and subtitles.


The Psychology Shelf

Beyond Significance Testing
Rex B. Kline
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
9781433812781, $59.95, www.apa.org/books

Behavioral studies often carry many difficulties. "Beyond Significance Testing: Statistical Reform in The Behavioral Sciences" is a scholarly discussion of significance testing from author Dr. Rex B. Kline who touches on these topics and the biases that ma be inherent within them. Offering an informed and well sourced breakdown of his arguments, analyzing models, taking notes on the effects of certain drugs, and much more. "Beyond Significance Testing" is a core addition to any psychological studies collections in community or college library collections.


The Large Print Shelf

The Canon of Maverick Brands
Frank Bonham
Sagebrush
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230
West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9780753190074, $29.99, www.ulverscroftusa.com

The old west left plenty of opportunity for the ambitious cattlemen and those who would bend what they thought of the law. "The Canon of Maverick Brands" is a collection of three novellas set in the sweeping old western period with plenty of thrills and the time of lawlessness and discovery. Containing The title story of a man trying to restore his family ranch, 'The Mustanger' following a search across the prairie for stolen horses and the intrigue of Spanish California. "The Canon of Maverick Brands" is a riveting addition to western fiction collections, highly recommended.

Funeral Sites
Jessica Mann
Magna Large Print Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230
West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9780750536592 $35.50 www.ulverscroftusa.com

Printed in an easy-to-read large font size, Funeral Sites is a dark myster-thriller in which cosmopolitan socialite Rosamund investigates the mysterious Swiss Alps climbing accident that caused the death of her sister Phoebe, and uncovers far more than she bargained for. Phoebe's husband Aiden has a sinister secret buried twenty years in the past, one that he will go to any brutal lengths to cover up. Could he be involved in Phoebe's death? And can Rosamund survive long enough to find out, when Aiden sets a small legion of thugs on her trail? Tense and riveting to the very end, Funeral Sites is highly recommended, especially for public library Large Print collections.


The International Studies Shelf

Becoming Plural
Richard Boggs
Garnet Publishing
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781859642979, $60.00, www.amazon.com

The Sudan (officially the Republic of the Sudan) is an Arab state in North Africa and the Middle East bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west and Libya to the northwest. Internally, the Nile divides the country into eastern and western halves. The population of Sudan is a combination of indigenous inhabitants of the Nile Valley and descendants of migrants from the Arabian Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of the population today adhere to Islam. "Becoming Plural: A Tale of Two Sudans" by Richard Boggs is a 232 page compendium dedicated to describing a nation that has been torn by war these past few decades, the practical result of which was to divide the Sudan into two ethnic-based countries. Boss's informed and informative text is enhanced with a profusion of full color photographs of the land and the people, making it highly recommended for academic library Sudanese Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Race and Immigration in the New Ireland
Julieann Veronica Ulin, Heather Edwards, & Sean O'Brien
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556
9780268027773, $35.00, www.undpress.nd.edu

The world is changing, and many countries are coping with these many sweeping changes in their own way. "Race and Immigration in the New Ireland" analyzes modern Ireland's struggles with the issues of immigration, looking at both halves of the Irish nation and their unique approaches to these critical issues that grow ever more intriguing and important. From women's issues, religious concerns, the place of language, and the presence of racism, "Race and Immigration in the New Ireland" is a strongly recommended addition to social and international issues collections, highly recommended.


The Native American Studies Shelf

Hopi Kachinas: History, Legends, and Art
Ron Pecina & Bob Pecina, authors
Schiffer Books
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764344299 $49.99 www.schifferbooks.com

"Hopi Kachinas: History, Legends, and Art" is an extended background and history of the Hopi kachina dolls and the Hopi Katsina cult filled with color photographs of carved wooden kachina dolls and other artworks by contemporary Hopi artists. Included are thumbnail sketches of many of the famous Hop artists, particularly in Chapter 12: Documentarians. Many beautiful photographs of Hopi pottery and coiled baskets are also shown in exquisite detail. Due to a custom and tradition of intense privacy and respect of the sacred, much of the history and lore of the Hopi kachinas is little known by members of the dominant culture. Perhaps part of the mission of "Hopi Kachinas" to is further educate all regarding this highly stylized, culturally connected evolved Native American art expression. Certainly the audience of appreciation is growing for this art form and expression. All narrative chapters and photo notes and descriptions are very valuable, and seem to be written in a respectful way. Further, the pervasive sense of humor of Neil David and many other of the Kachina carvers is unmistakable. "Hopi Kachinas" is filled with illuminating Hopi history, myths and legends, traditions, and artistic representations of the deities and entities represented by the Hopi kachinas. All this is presented from the viewpoint of two visiting art appreciators, from the dominant culture, who are privileged to share this amazing glimpse of Hopi Kachina creation and lore.


The Art Shelf

Carpets from Islamic Lands
Friedrich Spuhler
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500970430 $31.95 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Brilliantly illustrated with full-color photography on almost every page (including some of carpets that have never before had printed reproductions), Carpets from Islamic Lands is the third volume in a series cataloguing the al-Sabah Collection in Kuwait. Over forty carpets embodying the rich artistic history of Egypt, Turkey, Persia, the Caucasus and India. The text goes well beyond thumbnail captions, delving into the histories behind particular patterns and designs. Carpets from Islamic Lands is an artbook treasure, highly recommended especially for college library collections.

Fabric Surface Design
Cheryl Rezendes, author
Storey Publishing
210 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603428118 $29.95 www.storey.com

"Fabric Surface Design" is a beautiful craft text for fabric designers and enhancers. Here are specific instructions illustrated with color photographs for fabric painting, stamping, rubbing, stenciling, silk-screening, soy wax and flour resists, image transfer, marbling crayons and colored pencils, batik, nature prints, and monotype printing, plus further suggestions to inspire fiber artists to explore new techniques and mediums. Additional instructions for using fabric paints instead of dyes are provided. An emphasis on innovation and use of layering techniques to achieve complex and pleasing results is featured, as well as a chapter on choosing colors informed by color theory. "Fabric Surface Design" is a treasure trove of ideas for the novice or experienced fabric designer/textile artist.

Yue Minjun
Francois Jullien and Ouyang Jianghe
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500970485 $45.00 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Featuring text in both French and English, Yue Minjun is an artbook showcasing the prodigious Chinese artist, considered a founder of the "Cynical Realism" art movement that followed the violent suppression of the 1989 student demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. Yue Minjun's striking to the edge of notorious art style involves laughing male figures, usually twisted self-portraits or multiplied through repetition, often distorted into bizarre poses or staged in faux executions scenes. The result is disturbing, at times evoking the uncanny valley, and a biting satire of modern Chinese society. A wealth of Yue Minjun's sketches, drawings, and full-color painting are showcased, alongside an extensive and nuanced interview. An absolute "must-read" for anyone seeking to better understand this offbeat yet influential artist, ideal for college library collections.

Boaz Vaadia: Sculpture 1971-2012
Wendy Steiner, essayist
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
www.hudsonhills.com
9781555953768, $60.00, www.amazon.com

Boaz Vaadia (born November 13, 1951 in Gat Rimon, Israel) is an accomplished figurative art sculptor best known for working with bluestone slate. In 2009, Vaadia installed the large sculpture "Asa & Yehoshafat - 2000 - Bronze, Bluestone, Boulder" in Independence Park, Tel Aviv, Israel. The piece was donated to the city by a private donor as part of the Tel Aviv Centennial Celebration. In 2004, Vaadia installed the large sculpture "Asaf and Yo'ah - 2000 - Bluestone, Boulder" at the Time Warner Center in New York City. In 1995, Vaadia's sculpture "Zur With Dog - 1989 - Bronze, Bluestone" was selected from the Norton Museum of Art in Florida and shown in the Twentieth Century American Sculpture exhibit in the White House Rose Garden. Enhanced with the inclusion of an informed and informative essay on the artist and his work by Wendy Steiner, "Boaz Vaadia: Sculpture 1971-2012" is a 284 page coffee table art book compendium showcasing Vaadia's sculptures in full color and with captions. An impressive body of work beautifully reproduced by Hudson Hills Press, "Boaz Vaadia: Sculpture 1971-2012" is a highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Modern Art and Sculpture reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Phaidon Focus Series
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor
New York, NY 10014
$22.95 each www.phaidon.com

Phaidon Press continues its tradition of eye-opening, unforgettable visual art books with the Phaidon Focus Series, a reader-friendly collection of books profiling modern (post-WW II) artists. Designed to be well-rounded introductions, each book features both black-and-white and full-color illustrations of the selected artist's works on practically every other page, as well as accessible, in-depth text about the artist's life, creative processes, and contributions. Titled after the artists they survey, the first six volumes of this exceptional series are "Andy Warhol" (9780714861586) by Joseph D. Ketner II, "David Smith" (9780714861562) by Joan Pachner, "Anselm Kiefer" (9780714861432) by Matthew Biro, "Robert Rauschenberg" (9780714861517) by Catherine Craft, "Francis Bacon" (9780714861333) by Martin Hammer, and "Brice Marden" (9780714861449) by Eileen Costello. Another six titles about Joseph Beuys, Jasper Johns, Henri Matisse, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackson Pollock and Cindy Sherman are forthcoming in this superb and accessible series, worthy of the highest recommendation especially for public and college library Art History shelves.


The Mathematics Shelf

Essentials of Mathematical Statistics
Brian Albright
Jones & Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive
Sudbury, MA 01776
9781449685348 $175.95 www.jbpub.com

Featuring a wealth of examples and over 700 exercises, Essentials of Mathematical Statistics is a textbook created especially for introductory probability and statistics courses for mid to higher level mathematics and science majors. Chapters cover both conceptual and theoretical understanding of discrete and continuous random variables, hypothesis testing, simple regression, nonparametric statistics, and more. Appendices include detailed proofs of selected theorems, and the basics of using software such as Minitab, R, Excel, or TI-83/84 Calculators when working with statistical problems. A complete solution manual, PowerPoint lecture outlines, and a Test Bank are available to instructors, but do not come with the Essentials of Mathematical Statistics student textbook. Essentials of Mathematical Statistics is an excellent choice for college and university mathematics libraries, and a choice pick as a core text for classroom learning.


The Language Studies Shelf

A Cicero Reader
James M. May
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
www.bolchazy.com
9780865167131, $19.00, www.amazon.com

One of the true pleasures of becoming fluent in Latin is being able to enjoy the writing speeches and writings of Marcius Tullius Cicero in his own language. A gifted orator, statesman, and philosopher, Cicero was a contemporary of such luminaries as Julius Caesar, Pompey, Crassus, marc Antony, and Octavian during the final years of the Roman Republic and witness to the events that were to give rise to the Roman Empire. "A Cicero Reader: Selections from Five Essays and Four Speeches, With Five Letters" by James M. May (Professor of Classics, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota) is a superbly presented, 136 page compendium that begins with an introduction to Cicero's life, accomplishments, and world. Comprised of 605 lines of unadapted Latin text selected from eleven of Cicero's orations and writings, "A Cicero Reader" is augmented for the student informative notes, a complete vocabulary, suggested readings, a chronological appendix, two maps, and an illustration. An excellent curriculum supplemental resource, "A Cicero Reader" is very highly recommended for personal and academic library Latin Language instructional reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Architecture Shelf

Maya Architecture
Kenneth Treister
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
www.upf.com
9780813042466, $34.95, www.amazon.com

"Maya Architecture: Temples in the Sky" by architect and photographer KenneithTreister is a superbly reproduced, 240 page compendium descriptively showcasing Mayan temple constructions and how those distinctive buildings incorporated form, function, sculpture and art that inspired a roster of American architects that includes the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright. A seminal body of impressive detail and full color photography, "Maya Architecture: Temples in the Sky" is informed, informative, and strongly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library Mayan Studies, as well as Architectural History Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Mythology Shelf

Dragonslayers
Joseph A. McCullough
Osprey Adventures Books
4301 21st St, Suite 220B
Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781780967301 $17.95 print / $9.39 Kindle

Featuring classic artworks reproduced black-and-white or full color on virtually every other page, Dragonslayers from Beowulf to St. George is a compendium of plain-English retellings of the legendary exploits of dragon-killers throughout human myth and history. From Hercules' task of destroying Ladon, the Hundred-headed Dragon, to Beowulf, St. George, John Lambton and the Lambton Worm, and even some exotic foreign legends such as that of the Native American hero Manabozho and the Fiery Serpents, Dragonslayers tells of sixteen mythological heroes, some of widespread fame, others (such as the Russian dragonslayer Dobrynya Nikitich) celebrated by their native cultures yet little-known worldwide. Entertaining and a joy to page through, Dragonslayers is a choice pick for personal browsing or public library mythology shelves. Also highly recommended are other books in Osprey's "Myths and Legends" series, including Neil Smith's "Jason and the Argonauts" (9781780967226, $17.95 print / $9.39 Kindle), a faithful examination of the legendary quest for the Golden Fleece in the context of history and (sometimes discongruous) classical sources, and David McIntee's "The War of Horus and Set" (9781780969022, $17.95 print / $9.99 Kindle), an amazing exploration into the classic clash of opposing gods in Egyptian mythology.


The Reference Shelf

America's Ranking Among Nations
Michael D. Dulberger
Bernan Press
4611-F Assembly Drive
Lanham, MD 20706-4391
9781598886030 $65.00 www.bernanpress.com

America's Ranking Among Nations: A Global Perspective of the United States in Graphic Detail lives up to its title with full-color, easy-to-read charts and graphs on almost every page, accompanied by text spelling out the finer details. All the information is collected from the public databases of U.S. federal agencies or vetted international sources. The reference material has been gathered expressly to reveal America's standing among the nations of the world in a diversity of areas, from education to infant mortality, currency exchange rates, recoverable natural resources and much more. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library reference shelves.


The Photography Shelf

A Photojournalist's Field Guide
Stacy Pearsall
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321896612 $39.99 www.peachpit.com

Author Stacy Pearsall brings her years of experience as a professional photographer in both combat and domestic proceedings in A Photojournalist's Field Guide, a no-nonsense career kickstarter for aspiring or practicing photojournalists. From how to prepare for survival (and taking care of one's equipment) in rugged or dangerous conditions, to tips, tricks and techniques for capturing a shot in just the right way, to earning a respectable living at home in tough economic times, A Photojournalist's Field Guide is an absolute must-have. "Be sure to protect your lenses with a high-quality UV filter. As photojournalists, we expose our equipment to multiple hazards, from flying projectiles to dust and debris. Instead of allowing our expensive glass elements to take the brunt of the scratches, why not let a much cheaper filter take the hit?" Illustrated with striking full-color photographs throughout, A Photojournalist's Field Guide is highly recommended, especially for public and vocational school library collections.

The Last Layer
Bonny Pierce Lhotka
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.thelastlayerbook.com
9780321905406 $49.99 www.newriders.com

Co-founder of the digital artist collaborative "Digital Atelier" Bonny Pierce Lhotka presents The Last Layer: New Methods in Digital Printing for Photography, Fine Art, and Mixed Media, an in-depth guide to adding original touches to a final print to create a look that cannot be copied digitally. Means for crafting modern-day renditions of anthotypes, cyanotypes, tintypes, and daguerreotypes are discussed, as well as ways to blend these historical techniques with modern images to recreate the appearance of times past. No exorbitantly expensive (or physically hazardous!) substances are required for the methodologies in The Last Layer, which primarily rely upon a desktop inkjet printer that uses pigment inks. Full-color illustrations on almost every page illuminate the tips, tricks, and techniques for The Last Layer, making it a joy for connoisseurs of photographic art to browse as well as an excellent hands-on resource for intermediate to advanced digital artists. Highly recommended.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

A Shifting Empire
Uma Suthersanen and Ysolde Gendreau, editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781781003084 $115.00 www.e-elgar.com

A Shifting Empire: 100 Years of the Copyright Act 1911 is an anthology of essays by a diversity of scholarly authors, examining how the 1911 Copyright Act, also known as the "Imperial Copyright Act", completely transformed copyright law in the United Kingdom and its empire, directly influencing copyright law's evolution in Australia, Israel, India, Singapore, South Africa, and New Zealand. The result is a modern history of how the first global "common law copyright system" transformed the world; of particular interest are the queries of how ethical the 1911 Copyright Act is in the context of indigenous laws. An excellent resource for historians and legal scholars, as well as an instructive text for policy-makers and international copyright associations, A Shifting Empire is enthusiastically recommended especially for college libraries and reference collections with a focus on copyright law.


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Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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