 |
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Library Bookwatch |
Library Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Disinformation and You: Identify Propaganda and Manipulation
Marie D. Jones
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road, #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
www.visibleinkpress.com
9781578597482,$46.95, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Disinformation-You-Identify-Propaganda-Manipulation/dp/157859748X
Synopsis: We live in an age of disinformation, misinformation, outright lies and false claims of Fake News. The modern
world blasts us with information, talking points, spin, advertising, and attempts to persuade. But what are we to believe
and whom should we trust?
People filled with fear and angst are fairly easy to manipulate. Is it any wonder that politicians tell voters that "they" are out
to get them, cable news foments division, and social media encourages outrage and anger in the hope of manipulating
people into action?
Examining the history of propaganda and disinformation in war, politics, polling, media, entertainment, cults, advertising,
science, medicine, today's media landscape, and even in our personal interactions, "Disinformation and You: Identify
Propaganda and Manipulation" helps you spot and counter the seductive and deceptive tactics to influence individual
behavior. It also provides a wealth of helpful suggestions and practical tips for identifying disinformation and fighting back
against manipulation and censorship.
The tools and methods of propaganda are dissected, such as Misdirection, Scapegoating, Gaslighting, False Flags,
Demonizing the Enemy, Half-Truths, Alternative Facts, Marginalization, Smears, Coercive Persuasion, Repetition,
Framing, Labeling, along with Influencers, Algorithms, Feedback Loops, Echo Chambers, Dog Whistles, Spin, and so
much more.
Engaging and useful, the helpful topics include: The money behind politics and the media; Predictive programming as a
form of social engineering; Advertising sales tactics; How things go viral; The power of memes and hashtags to push a
story or idea; Censorship in the media and on social media networks; Sponsored news, fake news, and the mainstream
media; Cult mentality and group think; Disinformation campaigns and false flags; How conspiracy theories work; How to
identify fake news and propaganda.
"Disinformation and You: Identify Propaganda and Manipulation" shows all the tricks used to influence your behavior. It
will happily help you avoid being manipulated.
Critique: Timely and timeless, the perfect DIY course of instruction on spotting disinformation and combating 'Fake News'
allegations, "Disinformation and You: Identify Propaganda and Manipulation" is enhanced with the inclusion of photos,
illustrations, and graphics, a helpful bibliography, and extensive index. While recommended as a core and essential
addition to highschool, community, college and university library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Disinformation and You: Identify Propaganda and Manipulation" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781578597406, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Book Nerd
Holly Maguire
Workman Publishing Company
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4381
www.workman.com
9781523510269, $12.95, HC, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Nerd-Holly-Maguire/dp/1523510269
Synopsis: A book nerd is a dedicated bibliophile -- an individual who loves to read and collect books. And according to
"Book Nerd" by Holly Maguire, you know you're a Book Nerd when: You have a minimum of 5 books on your night table;
You never thought one the movie was better than the book it was based upon; Your favorite mug says "I'd rather be
reading."; You use words like librocubicularist in casual conversation (though no conversation about books is ever
casual").
Critique: Charming, affectionate, entertaining, and memorably unabashed in its celebration of bookishness, "Book Nerd" is
the ideal gift for every avid reader, writer and publisher -- and should be a part of every community, college and university
library collection for the benefit of student and community bibliophiles everywhere!
Editorial Note: A dedicated bibliophile and book nerd herself, Holly Maguire is also a freelance illustrator based in Bristol,
UK. Holly's work tends to have intricate detail, lots of color, and playful imagery made using gouache, pen and ink. Holly
has worked on a variety of projects such as clothing, editorial, board games and stationery. Her clients include Boden, HP,
Birchbox, Vivetta, Little Brown Books, Radio Times, and DMC Embroidery.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Writing the Novella
Sharon Oard Warner
University of New Mexico Press
1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826362551, $19.95, PB, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Novella-Sharon-Oard-Warner/dp/0826362559
Synopsis: A novella is a short novel, that is, a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than that of most novels, but
longer than most short stories. No official definition exists regarding the number of pages or words necessary for a story to
be considered a novella or a novel. US-based Writers of America defines novella's word count to be between 17,500 and
40,000 words. (Wikipedia)
While the novella has existed as a distinct literary form for over four hundred years, "Writing the Novella" by Sharon Oard
Warner is the first craft book dedicated to creating this intermediate-length fiction. Innovative, integrated journal prompts
inspire and sustain the creative process, and classic novellas serve as examples throughout.
Part 1 defines the novella form and steers early decision-making on situation, character, plot, and point of view. Part 2
provides detailed directions for writing the scenic plot points that support a strong but flexible narrative arc. Appendix
materials include a list of recommended novellas, publishing opportunities, and blank templates for the story map, graphs,
and charts used throughout the book.
By turns instructive and inspirational, "Writing the Novella" will be a welcome resource for new and experienced writers
alike.
Critique: A complete and comprehensive course of instruction under one cover, "Writing the Novella" must be considered
essential reading for any aspiring or experience author wanting to explore and practice this very special form of fictional
literature. Especially well organized and presented, "Writing the Novella" is an especially and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, college and university library Fiction Writing instructional reference
collection. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Writing the Novella" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $8.49).
Editorial Note: Sharon Oard Warner is a professor emerita of English and creative writing at the University of New
Mexico. She is the author of several books, including Sophie's House of Cards: A Novel (UNM Press).
The Hollywood Standard, third edition
Christopher Riley
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933228, $29.95, PB, 220pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Standard-Complete-Authoritative-Script/dp/1615933220
Synopsis: Intended to be kept at a screenwriter's fingertips!
Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to
Script Format and Style" by professional script writer Christopher Riley provides what even the best script software cannot
-- clear, concise instructions and hundreds of examples to take the guesswork out of a multitude of formatting questions
that perplex even seasoned screenwriters.
"The Hollywood Standard" includes: When a new scene heading is appropriate and when it isn't; How to format shot
headings, dialogue, direction and transitions; How to control pace with formatting; How to make a script page visually
inviting to the reader; What to capitalize and why; How to get into and out of a POV shot; How to handle text messages
and Zoom meetings; How Hollywood's most innovative screenwriters are pushing the boundaries of format; How format
for animation differs from live action formats.
Critique: Simply put, Riley knows more about script format than anyone in Hollywood and shares it all in this
indispensable guide for any aspiring script writer wanting their project to be picked up and produced. Comprehensive and
thoroughly 'user friendly' in commentary, content, organization and presentation, this new third edition of "The Hollywood
Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, college and university library Screenwriting instructional reference
collections.
Editorial Note: Christopher Riley is an American screenwriter whose first film, After The Truth, (a
multiple-award-winning courtroom thriller) sparked international controversy when it was released in Germany in 1999.
Other credits include 25 To Life, written for Touchstone Pictures, The Other White House, written for Sean Connery's
Fountainbridge Films, Aces, written for Paramount Pictures and Emmy-winning producer Robert Cort, and an adaptation
of the book Actual Innocence, for Mandalay Television Pictures and the Fox television network. Riley is also a 14-year
veteran of the Warner Bros. script department, and from 2005 through 2008, served as director of the acclaimed Act One
Writing Program in Hollywood. He executive produced the groundbreaking 2010 web series Bump+ and produced the
2013 feature film, Red Line. He teaches screenwriting at John Paul the Great Catholic University.
The Education Shelf
Really Good Schools
James Tooley
The Independent Institute
100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1428
www.independent.org
9781598133387, $29.95, HC, 424pp
https://www.amazon.com/Really-Good-Schools-High-Caliber-Education/dp/1598133381
Synopsis: Almost overnight and for more than a year now, the COVID virus shut down America's schools and has brought
into question America's nearly 200-year-old government-run K-12 school-system -- and prompted an urgent search for
alternatives. But where should we turn to find them?
A distinguished scholar of education and the world's foremost expert on private, low-cost innovative education, in the
pages of "Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education", James Tooley takes readers to
some of the world's most impoverished communities located in some of the world's most dangerous places -- including
such war-torn countries as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and South Sudan.
And there, in places where education "experts" fear to tread, Tooley finds thriving private schools that government,
multinational NGOs, and even international charity officials deny exist.
Why? Because the very existence of low-cost, high-quality private schools shatters the prevailing myth in the U.S., U.K.,
and western Europe that, absent government, affordable, high-quality schools for the poor could not exist.
But they do. And they are ubiquitous and in high demand. Founded by unheralded, local educational entrepreneurs, these
schools are proving that self-organized education is not just possible but flourishing - often enrolling far more students
than "free" government schools do at prices within reach of even the most impoverished families.
In the course of his analysis Tooley asks the key questions: What proportion of poor children is served?; How good are the
private schools?; What are the business models for these schools?; Can they be replicated and improved?
The evidence is in. In poor urban and rural areas around the world, children in low-cost private schools outperform those in
government schools. And the schools do so for a fraction of the per-pupil cost.
Thanks to the pandemic, parents in America and Europe are discovering that the education of their children is indeed
possible (and likely far better) without government meddling with rigid seat-time mandates, outdated school calendars,
absurd age-driven grade levels, and worse testing regimes. And having experienced the first fruits of educational freedom,
parents will be increasingly open to the possibilities of ever greater educational entrepreneurship and innovation.
Critique: "Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education" is an impressively timely,
informative, iconoclastic, and much needed contribution to our on-going national dialogue over the reforms needed with
respect to inequities that the COVID pandemic have exposed with respect to America's school systems throughout the
country. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library Contemporary
Education Theory collections and supplemental studies curriculum lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
educators, academia, local school administrators, state and federal government school policy makers, political activists,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for
High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: James Tooley is vice-chancellor and president at the University of Buckingham and formerly was director
of the E. G. West Centre and professor of education policy at Newcastle University. Philanthropy Magazine has described
him as "a 21st-century Indiana Jones" traveling to "the remotest regions on Earth researching something that many regard
as mythical: private, parent-funded schools serving the Third World poor."
Pursuing Quality, Access, and Affordability
Stephen C. Ehrmann
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781620369906, $125.00, HC, 228pp
https://styluspub.presswarehouse.com/browse/book/9781620369913/Pursuing-Quality-Access-and-Affordability
Synopsis: Whether they recognize it or not, virtually all colleges and universities face three Grand Challenges:
Improve the learning outcomes of a higher education: A large majority of college graduates are weak in capabilities that
faculty and employers both see as crucial.
Extend more equitable access to degrees: Too often, students from underserved groups and poor households either don't
enter college or else drop out without a degree. The latter group may be worse off economically than if they'd never
attempted college.
Make academic programs more affordable (in money and time) for students and other important stakeholder groups: Many
potential students believe they lack the money or time needed for academic success. Many faculty believe they don't have
time to make their courses and degree programs more effective. Many institutions believe they can't afford to improve
outcomes.
These challenges are global. But, in a higher education system such as that in the United States, the primary response must
be institutional. Pursuing Quality, Access, and Affordability: A Field Guide to Improving Higher Education" by Stephen C.
Ehrmann analyzes how, over the years, six pioneering colleges and universities have begun to make visible, cumulative
progress on all three fronts.
Critique: A seminal and meticulous study, "Pursuing Quality, Access, and Affordability: A Field Guide to Improving
Higher Education" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented -- making it an essential, timely and invaluable
contribution to college and university library Contemporary Education collections and supplemental studies curriculum
lists. It should be noted for students, academia, education administrators, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject that "Pursuing Quality, Access, and Affordability: A Field Guide to Improving Higher Education" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9781620369913, $35.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $35.00).
Keeping Us Engaged
Christine Harrington
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781642670813, $27.50, PB, 151pp
https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Engaged-Perspectives-Research-Based-Strategies/dp/1642670812
Synopsis: "Keeping Us Engaged: Student Perspectives (and Research-Based Strategies) on What Works and Why" by
Christine Harrington (and with the contributions of fifty college students) offers faculty practical strategies to engage
students that are research-grounded and endorsed by students themselves. Through student stories, a signature feature of
this book, readers will discover why professor actions result in changed attitudes, stronger connections to others and the
course material, and increased learning.
Structured to cover the key moments and opportunities to increase student engagement, "Keeping Us Engaged" covers the
all-important first day of class where first impressions can determine students' attitudes for the duration of the course,
through to insights for rethinking assignments and enlivening teaching strategies, to ways of providing feedback that build
students' confidence and spur them to greater immersion in their studies, providing the underlying rationale for the
strategies she presents. The student narratives not only validate these practices, offering their perspectives as learners, but
constitute a trove of ideas and practices that readers will be inspired to adapt for their particular needs.
Conscious of the changing demographics of today's undergraduate and graduate students (racially more diverse, older, and
many employed) "Keeping Us Engaged" highlights the need to engage all students and shares numerous strategies on how
to do so. While many of the ideas presented were used by faculty teaching face to face classes, a number were developed
by faculty teaching online, and the majority can be adapted to virtually any teaching environment.
Based on student-centered active learning principles, structured to allow readers to quickly identify practices that they may
need in particular instances or to infuse in a course as a whole, and presented without jargon, "Keeping Us Engaged" is a
springboard for all faculty looking for ideas that will engage their students at any level and in any course.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Keeping Us Engaged:
Student Perspectives (and Research-Based Strategies) on What Works and Why" is a seminal contribution to education
theory and practice. While especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, school district, college and
university library Higher Education Administration, Career Development Counseling, and Vocational Guidance
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Keeping Us Engaged" is also readily available in a digital
book format ($18.95). Librarians should note that there is a hardcover edition of "Keeping Us Engaged" (9781642670806,
$125.00, 151pp).
Editorial Note: Dr. Christine Harrington is a national expert in student success and teaching and learning (visit
www.scholarlyteaching.org for teaching resources). She has worked in higher education for almost 20 years.
Teaching Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities
Brittany L. Hott, Kathleen M. Randolph, and Leslie Raymond
Plural Publishing
www.pluralpublishing.com
9781635502251, $89.95, PB, 397pp
Synopsis: "Teaching Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities" provides a comprehensive resource for pre-
service and in-service educators to teach and support academic, social, and behavioral development. The text focuses on
implementation of evidence-based interventions, strategies, and practices. Dedicated chapters address quality service
delivery models including individual, classroom, and school-wide supports. In addition, academic intervention chapters
concentrate on reading, mathematics, writing, and study skills. Finally, "Teaching Students with Emotional and Behavioral
Disabilities includes step-by-step directions for conducting Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA), developing Behavior
Intervention Plans (BIP), and monitoring student progress.
"Teaching Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities" features: Case studies written by PreK-12 practitioners
based on their experiences supporting students with EBD; Numerous worksheets and examples to support implementation
of evidence-based practices; Accessible and consistent format across all chapters; Pedagogical aids reinforce
understanding: chapter objectives, key terms, chapter summaries, discussion questions, and lists of additional resources
and readings; A PluralPlus companion website with instructor resources including PowerPoints, test banks, and sample
class activities and student resources including links to videos, online learning modules, and printable forms.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "Teaching Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities" will
serve as a valuable reference for educators supporting students with challenging behaviors and is an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to school district, college and university library Teacher Education and Classroom
Management collections and supplemental studies curriculum reading lists.
Editorial Note #1: Brittany L. Hott, PhD is an Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Oklahoma.
She teaches assessment and interventions methods courses for the Department of Educational Psychology. Dr. Hott's
interests include school-based interventions, evidence-based practice, and single case research design.
Editorial Note #2: Kathleen M. Randolph, EdD, BCBA-D is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Colorado
Springs. Her research interests include coaching teachers to increase use of evidence-based practices in classroom
management, applied behavior analysis, and support students with emotional and behavior disabilities in the general
education classroom.
Editorial Note #3: Lesli Raymond, MS has worked for the past 25 years as an educator in the same large, suburban school
district she attended as a public school student. She currently works as an educational diagnostician at two elementary
school campuses and has taught both general and special education at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Her
research interests include evidence-based interventions for teaching students with disabilities as well as algebra readiness
interventions for students with or at risk for mathematics disabilities.
The Parenting Shelf
Raising Boys With ADHD, second edition
Mary Anne Richey
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781646321100, $17.95, PB, 300pp
https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Boys-ADHD-Parenting-Successful/dp/1646321103
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Raising Boys With ADHD: Secrets for Parenting
Successful, Happy Sons" by school psychologist Mary Anne Richey features the latest information on research and
treatment for boys with ADHD.
The purpose of "Raising Boys With ADHD: Secrets for Parenting Successful, Happy Sons" is to: Empower parents to help
their sons with ADHD find success in school and beyond; Cover topics not often found in other parenting guides; Provide
a strength-based approach to helping boys discover their strengths and abilities; Help boys become motivated, successful,
and independent adults; Discuss the preschool years, early diagnosis, and strategies for teens transitioning to work and
college.
A compendium of practical knowledge, a dynamic action planning guide, resources, and tools needed to help parents
address the many strengths and challenges of boys with ADHD, "Raising Boys With ADHD: Secrets for Parenting
Successful, Happy Sons" provides parents with encouragement and hope for the future.
Critique: Effectively written for the non-specialist general reader, "Raising Boys With ADHD: Secrets for Parenting
Successful, Happy Sons" is the ideal introduction for parents to the subject of raising boys having to deal with ADHD at
home, at school, and everywhere else. A complete introductory course of parenting information, instruction, tips and
techniques, "Raising Boys With ADHD: Secrets for Parenting Successful, Happy Sons" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for family, community, college and university library Parenting Skills collections in general, and ADHD
supplemental studies curriculums in particular. It should be noted for personal reading lists of parents, behavioral studies
students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Raising Boys With ADHD: Secrets for
Parenting Successful, Happy Sons" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Mary Anne Richey, M.Ed., is a Licensed School Psychologist and works as a school psychologist in private
practice evaluating children with learning disabilities and for gifted eligibility. She consults with teachers and schools and
has presented workshops at schools, as well as at state and national organizations on ADHD, executive functioning
difficulties, and learning disabilities. She brings years of experience in working with children in many different capacities
including as a middle school teacher, administrator, high school guidance counselor, and adjunct college instructor. She
has assisted many students with ADHD and learning disabilities to learn to use their strengths to accommodate their
weaknesses.
The Science Shelf
Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey
John Barnett
No Starch Press
245 - 8th Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-3910
www.nostarch.com
9781718501225, $17.99, HC, 64pp
https://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Atoms-Odyssey-John-Barnett/dp/1718501226
Synopsis: "Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey" is an illustrated adaptation by John Barnett of 'Carbon,' a short story from Italian
chemist, writer, and Auschwitz survivor Primo Levi. It traces the life story and many molecular manifestations of a single
atom of this life-essential element.
You'll follow one atom from its spectacular birth 14 billion years ago through its harrowing journey on planet earth where
it has become a basic building block of nearly 10 million known compounds in living things.
"Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey" reveals that carbon: Is breathed in by the Peregrine Falcon; Helps trees grow strong and
tall; Lets a moth's eye make sense of light; Is found in your pencil as well as in your liver; And even helps convert grapes
into wine
In this wondrous graphic journey, clever narrative and detailed art help bring to life the natural world and teach you a thing
or two about how it was created. For anyone with a general interest in chemistry, physics, and the science of the universe,
"Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey" is a simply beautiful book that will both educate and inspire.
Critique: Especially appropriate for STEM based science curriculums, "Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for school and community library Popular Science collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Environmental Science students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in these subjects that "Carbon: One Atom's Odyssey" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: John Barnett is a life-long, self-taught lover of science. For the past decade he has called himself a graphic
designer and illustrator, skills he has applied toward many books. The drawings comprising "Carbon: One Atom's
Odyssey" were done 'old-school' with fine-tipped mechanical pencils on paper.
The Blue Wonder
Frauke Bagusche, author
Jamie MacIntosh, translator
Greystone Books
www.greystonebooks.com
9781771646048, $26.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Wonder-Glows-Astonishing-Insights/dp/1771646047
Synopsis: In "The Blue Wonder: Why the Sea Glows, Fish Sing, and Other Astonishing Insights from the Ocean", marine
biologist and veteran diver Frauke Bagusche brings readers on a fascinating and beautiful deep-sea dive into the
ocean.
Drawing on scientific discoveries and her own research, she uses photographs and playful prose to reveal: Deep-sea reefs
that glitter like glass; Fish that converse with each other by singing -- loudly; An octopus that imitates more than fifteen
other animals; The secret behind why the sea glows at night; "Weddings" that happen amongst the coral; underwater
"drugstores"; A fish that clean her own teeth!
Humans know more about the moon's surface than we do about the ocean. There is so much to be discovered, under the
sea. With the literary skills of a poet and the fact-based mind of a scientist, Frauke Bagusche re-awakens our love for the
sea and ignites a desire to protect this vital habitat.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative account of the beauty, mystery, and amazing science of
the ocean, "The Blue Wonder: Why the Sea Glows, Fish Sing, and Other Astonishing Insights from the Ocean" is
significantly enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a large insert section of full color photographs. Given the rising
concerns over the impact of pollution and climate change on the oceans and seas of the world, "The Blue Wonder: Why the
Sea Glows, Fish Sing, and Other Astonishing Insights from the Ocean" is an especially and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, community, college and university library Oceanography, Marine Life, and Marine Ecosystems
collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"The Blue Wonder: Why the Sea Glows, Fish Sing, and Other Astonishing Insights from the Ocean" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.49).
Editorial Note: Dr. Frauke Bagusche is a marine biologist and diver, who, with a colleague, founded TheBlueMind.org in
2018. Bagusche also works as a freelance lecturer and provides training on the subjects of plastic pollution in the oceans,
the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems, and the over fishing of the oceans.
The Military Shelf
Diversion and Deception
Whitney T. Bendeck
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806168463, $45.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Diversion-Deception-Dudley-Clarkes-Operations/dp/0806168463
Synopsis: Among the operations known as Plan Bodyguard, the deception devised to cover the Allies' Normandy landing,
was the little known but critical Plan Zeppelin, the largest and most complex of the Bodyguard plans. Zeppelin, in
conjunction with the Mediterranean Strategy, succeeded in pinning down sixty German divisions from southern France to
the Balkans in time for D-Day. This was the work of "A" Force, Britain's only military organization tasked with carrying
out both strategic and tactical deception in World War II. Whitney T. Bendeck's Diversion and Deception finds "A" Force
at its finest hour, as the war shifted from North Africa to Europe.
Focusing on the years 1943 to 1945, Bendeck describes how "A" Force, under the leadership of Dudley Clarke,
orchestrated both strategic and tactical deception plans to create notional threats across the southern perimeter of Europe,
with the chief objective of keeping the Germans pinned down across the Mediterranean, "Diversion and Deception: Dudley
Clarke's "A" Force and Allied Operations in World War II" by Professor Whitney Bendeck offers a close and clarifying
look at "A" Force's structure and command, operations and methods, and successes and failures and, consequently, its
undeniable contribution to the Allies' victory in World War II.
By shining a light on the often overlooked Mediterranean theater and its direct connection to European plans and
operations, "Diversion and Deception" also provides a deeper understanding of Allied grand strategy in the war.
Combining military and deception histories (so often viewed in isolation) "Divrsion and Deception" provides context for
the deceptions and adds a layer of knowledge regarding the planning of military operations. The result is a more complete
and nuanced view of Allied operations than is to be found in most histories of World War II.
Critique: An impressively meticulous, detailed and informative study, "Diversion and Deception: Dudley Clarke's "A"
Force and Allied Operations in World War II" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended contribution to the
growing library of World War II histories in general, and the D-Day invasion of Europe in particular. Also available for
personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.49), "Diversion and Deception: Dudley Clarke's "A" Force and
Allied Operations in World War II" is core addition to community, college and university library World War II Military
History collections.
Editorial Note: Whitney T. Bendeck is a professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies (International Affairs Program)
at Florida State University and the author of "A" Force: The Origins of British Deception during the Second World
War.
Other People's Wars
Brent L. Sterling
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647120597, $119.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Other-Peoples-Wars-Challenge-Conflicts/dp/1647120594
Synopsis: Preparing for the next war at an unknown date against an undetermined opponent is a difficult undertaking with
extremely high stakes. Even the most detailed exercises and war games do not truly simulate combat and the fog of war.
Thus, outside of their own combat, militaries have studied foreign wars as a valuable source of battlefield information. The
effectiveness of this learning process, however, has rarely been evaluated across different periods and contexts.
Through the series of in-depth case studies of the US Army, Navy, and Air Force comprising "Other People's Wars: The
US Military and the Challenge of Learning from Foreign Conflicts" by Professor Brent L. Sterling creates a better
understanding of the dynamics of learning from "other people's wars", determining what types of knowledge can be gained
from foreign wars, identifying common pitfalls, and proposing solutions to maximize the benefits for doctrine,
organization, training, and equipment.
"Other People's Wars" also explores major US efforts involving direct observation missions and post-conflict
investigations at key junctures for the US armed forces: the Crimean War (1854 - 56), Russo-Japanese War (1904 - 5),
Spanish Civil War (1936 - 39), and Yom Kippur War (1973), which preceded the US Civil War, First and Second World
Wars, and major army and air force reforms of the 1970s, respectively.
These case studies identify learning pitfalls but also show that initiatives to learn from other nations' wars can yield
significant benefits if the right conditions are met. Sterling puts forth a process that emphasizes comprehensive qualitative
learning to foster better military preparedness and adaptability.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of maps, a list of abbreviations, a fourteen page Select Bibliography,
and a fourteen page Index, "Other People's Wars: The US Military and the Challenge of Learning from Foreign Conflicts"
is an extraordinary contribution to community, college and university library Military Strategy and National/International
Security collections and supplemental studies curriculums. For the personal reading lists of students, academia, military
personnel, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist readers with an interest in the subject that "Other People's
Wars: The US Military and the Challenge of Learning from Foreign Conflicts" is also readily available in a paperback
edition (9781647120603, $39.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note: Brent L. Sterling is an adjunct professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown
University. He is the author of Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? What History Teaches Us about Strategic Barriers
and International Security (Georgetown University Press, 2009). He has spent the past thirty years as a defense analyst,
including positions at the Central Intelligence Agency and consulting firms that support the US Department of
Defense.
Special Forces Operator
Robert W. Brown
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526785497, $42.95, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Special-Forces-Operator-Serving-SAS/dp/1526785498
Synopsis: "Special Forces Operator: Serving with the SAS and MRF" is the story of Robert W. Brown's military career. As
he notes -- "The killing part is the easy bit; the tricky part is finding the right people to kill."
1974 saw Rob Brown in Rhodesia as a member of the internationally acclaimed C Squadron SAS, where he was wounded
on operations twice. This was a turning point in Rob's life as he surrendered to Christ becoming a Christian. He was to
carry on as an operator, but now with a biblical world view. Rob was recruited in 1980 by the South African Defense Force
and was a member of 6 Reconnaissance Commando Special Forces and later became an operative with what was
commonly called 'the funnies' or CSI Chief of Staff Intelligence.
From 1996 to 2007 Rob was in South Sudan and Iraq, receiving a letter of commendation from the United States Army.
Still active today, Rob specializes in close protection and tactical security training for civilian personnel.
Critique: An inherently absorbing read that will be especially appreciated by military history buffs and anyone who has
seen war up close and personal, "Special Forces Operator: Serving with the SAS and MRF" is exceptionally well written
and presented from first page to last. While a seminal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, college and university library Military History and Military Memoirs collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Special Forces Operator: Serving with the SAS and MRF" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Robert W. Brown was a Special Forces operator with some of the world finest regiments and served in four
national armies over a career that has spanned forty years and continues today. In 1965 he earned the converted Green
Beret as a member of 2 Commando Australia. He left in 1968 to Southeast Asia. Finding work of a military nature in Laos,
(in the war that never was). The end of the contract found him in England where he joined the British Parachute Regiment
and completed three tours in Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles, taking part in Operation Demetrius. On his last
tour, he was detached from his battalion and worked covert operations with a little-known group called the MRF (Military
Reaction Force).
The American History Shelf
Cowboy Presidents
David A. Smith
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806168487, $36.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Presidents-Frontier-Politics-since/dp/080616848X
Synopsis: For an element so firmly fixed in American culture, the frontier myth of the Cowboy is surprisingly flexible.
How else to explain its having taken two such different guises in the twentieth century -- the progressive, forward-looking
politics of Rough Rider president Teddy Roosevelt and the conservative, old-fashioned character and Cold War politics of
Ronald Reagan?
This is the conundrum at the heart of "Cowboy Presidents: The Frontier Myth and U.S. Politics since 1900", in which
David A. Smith fully explores the deployment and consequent transformation of the frontier myth by four U.S. presidents:
Theodore Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush.
Behind the shape-shifting of this myth, the historian Smith finds major events in American and world history that have
made various aspects of the "Old West" frontier more relevant, and more useful, for promoting radically different political
ideologies and agendas. And these divergent adaptations of frontier symbolism have altered the frontier myth. Theodore
Roosevelt, with his vigorous pursuit of an activist federal government, helped establish a version of the frontier myth that
today would be considered liberal. But then, Smith shows, a series of events from the Lyndon Johnson through Jimmy
Carter presidencies - including Vietnam, race riots, and stagflation - seemed to give the lie to the progressive frontier
myth.
In the wake of these crises, Smith's analysis reveals, the entire structure and popular representation of frontier symbols and
images in American politics shifted dramatically from left to right, and from liberal to conservative, with profound
implications for the history of American thought and presidential politics. The now popular idea that "frontier American"
leaders and politicians are naturally Republicans with conservative ideals flows directly from the Reagan era.
For the first time, "Cowboy Presidents" gives us a new, clarifying perspective on how Americans shape and understand
their national identity and sense of purpose; at the same time, reflecting on the essential mutability of a quintessentially
national myth, this in-depth study suggests that the next iteration of the frontier myth may well be on the horizon.
Critique: An impressively meticulous and seminal work of original scholarship, "Cowboy Presidents: The Frontier Myth
and U.S. Politics since 1900" is enhanced for academia with an informative Introduction (The Frontier Myth), thirty pages
of Notes, a fourteen page Bibliography, and a twelve page Index. While especially and unreservedly recommended for
community, college and university library American Political History collections, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Cowboy
Presidents: The Frontier Myth and U.S. Politics since 1900" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$29.95).
Editorial Note: David A. Smith is History Librarian at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. He has published
articles in the Journal of American Culture, Pacific Northwest Quarterly, and South Dakota History.
The World History Shelf
A History of Tourism in Africa
Todd Cleveland
Ohio University Press
215 Columbus Road, Suite 101, Athens, OH 45701
www.ohioswallow.com
9780821424339, $29.50, PB, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/History-Tourism-Africa-Exoticization-Exploitation/dp/0821424335
Synopsis: Since the nineteenth century, foreign tourists and resident tourism workers in Africa have mutually relied upon
notions of exoticism, but from vastly different perspectives. Many of the countless tourists who have traveled to the
African continent fail to acknowledge or even realize that skilled African artists in the tourist industry repeatedly
manufacture "authentic" experiences in order to fulfill foreigners' often delusional, or at least uninformed,
expectations.
These carefully nurtured and controlled performances typically reinforce tourists' reductive impressions (formed over
centuries) of the continent, its peoples, and even its wildlife. In turn, once back in their respective homelands, tourists'
accounts of their travels often substantiate, and thereby reinforce, prevailing stereotypes of "exotic" Africa.
Meanwhile, Africans' staged performances not only impact their own lives, primarily by generating remunerative
opportunities, but also subject the continent's residents to objectification, exoticization, and myriad forms of
exploitation.
Critique: A seminal and meticulously presented study, "A History of Tourism in Africa: Exoticization, Exploitation, and
Enrichment" by Professor Todd Cleveland is an inherently fascinating and impressively informative history. Exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, "A History of Tourism in Africa: Exoticization, Exploitation, and Enrichment" is an
original and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college and university library
African History Cultural Anthropology collections in genera, and African Hospitality, Travel & Tourism supplemental
curriculum studies lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Todd Cleveland is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Arkansas. His books published by
the Ohio University Press include: Sports in Africa, Past and Present (2020), Following the Ball: The Migration of African
Soccer Players across the Portuguese Colonial Empire, 1949 - 1975 (2018), Diamonds in the Rough: Corporate
Paternalism and African Professionalism on the Mines of Colonial Angola, 1917 - 1975 (2015), and Stones of Contention:
A History of Africa's Diamonds (2014).
Henry VIII in 100 Objects
Paul Kendall
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526731289, $44.95, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Henry-VIII-100-Objects-Tyrant/dp/1526731282
Synopsis: Henry VIII (28 June 1491 - 28 January 1547) is one of history's most memorable (and infamous) British
monarchs. Popularly known for his six wives, and the unfortunate fate which befell Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard,
Henry initiated many reforms and changes which still affect our lives today.
The annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon set in motion the separation of the English church from Rome and
the establishment of the Church of England, which in turn led to the dissolution of the monasteries, the hauntingly
evocative remains of which can be seen across the United Kingdom. Henry also oversaw the legal union between England
and Wales, and he is also known as 'the father of the Royal Navy', with one of his great warships, the Mary Rose, lost in
1545 and recovered in 1982, becoming one of the most famous wrecks in maritime history.
In addition to the monasteries, other buildings around the UK continue to remind us of the times of the Tudors -- there is
the site of Greenwich Palace at the Royal Naval College Greenwich, where Henry was born; his great palace at Hampton
Court; Lambeth Palace where Thomas More refused to sign the oath to make Henry the Head of the Church, and the Bell
Tower in the Tower of London where More was imprisoned before he was beheaded.
Henry's breach with the Pope led to the threat of war with Catholic France and Spain, which prompted Henry to construct a
series of powerful forts around the English and Welsh coasts. These elegant and symmetrical defensive structures are still
awe-inspiring.
"Henry VIII in 100 Objects: The Tyrant King Who Had Six Wives" by Paul Kendall is an engaging and hugely informative
book, that embarks the reader on a journey across the country, from Deal Castle on the south coast, to Tower Green where
Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard lost their heads, and far north to Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire. Along the way we see
places where Henry stayed, where the Mary Rose was recovered, the homes of his consorts and Smithfield where
prominent individuals convicted of heresy were burned at the stake. Travel, then, not just across the country, but also back
in time through 100 objects from the days of the second Tudor monarch - Henry VIII.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Henry VIII in 100 Objects: The Tyrant King Who Had Six
Wives" is an extraordinarily informative and inherently fascinating introduction to the life and times of Henry VIII. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library British History collections in
general, and Henry VIII supplemental studies curriculums in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Henry VIII in 100 Objects: The
Tyrant King Who Had Six Wives" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Educated at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, where he also served as an
Honorary Midshipman with the University of London Royal Naval Unit, Paul Kendall is a military historian and author
from Kent specializing in the First World War.
Bohemond of Taranto: Crusader and Conqueror
Georgios Theotokis
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526744289, $32.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bohemond-Taranto-Conqueror-Georgios-Theotokis/dp/1526744287
Synopsis: The Lord of Antioch, Bohemond of Taranto (c. 1054 - 3 March 1111), was the unofficial leader of the First
Crusade. A man of boundless ambition and inexhaustible energy -- he was, in the words of Romuald of Salerno, 'always
seeking the impossible'. While he failed in his quest to secure the Byzantine throne, he succeeded in founding the most
enduring of all the crusader states. Yet few substantial accounts of the life of this remarkable warrior have been written and
none have been published in English for over a century.
"Bohemond of Taranto: Crusader and Conqueror" is an absorbing new study by military historian Georgios Theotokis who
concentrates on Bohemond as a soldier and commander, covering his contribution to the crusades but focusing in particular
on his military achievements in Italy, Sicily, the Balkans and Anatolia. Since medieval commanders generally receive little
credit for their strategic understanding, he examines Bohemond's war-plans in his many campaigns, describes how he
adapted his battle-tactics when facing different opponents and considers whether his approach to waging war was typical
of the Norman commanders of his time.
Critique: A seminal and meticulous work of simply outstanding scholarship, "Bohemond of Taranto: Crusader and
Conqueror" is enhanced for academia with maps, a section of color plates, and informative Introduction, an Epilogue
(Death and Heritage), 20 pages of Notes, a six page Bibliography, and a three page Index. An inherently fascinating and
impressively informative study throughout, "Bohemond of Taranto: Crusader and Conqueror" is a very highly
recommended addition to community, college and university library history collections in general, and Crusader Biography
reading lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "Bohemond of Taranto: Crusader and Conqueror" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$10.99).
Roman Britain's Missing Legion
Simon Elliott
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526765727, $39.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Roman-Britains-Missing-Legion-Happened/dp/1526765721
Synopsis: The Roman empire's Legio IX Hispana had a long and active history, later founding York from where it guarded
the northern frontiers in Britain. But the last evidence for its existence in Britain comes from AD 108. The mystery of their
disappearance has inspired debate and imagination for decades. The most popular theory in academia is that the legion was
sent to fight the Caledonians in Scotland and wiped out there.
But more recent archaeology (including evidence that London was burnt to the ground and dozens of decapitated heads)
suggests a crisis, not on the border but in the heart of the province, previously thought to have been peaceful at this time.
What if IX Hispana took part in a rebellion, leading to their punishment, disbandment and damnatio memoriae (official
erasure from the records)? This proposed 'Hadrianic War' would then be the real context for Hadrian's 'visit' in 122 with a
whole legion, VI Victrix, which replaced the 'vanished' IX as the garrison at York. Other theories are that it was lost on the
Rhine or Danube, or in the East.
Critique: "Roman Britain's Missing Legion: What Really Happened to IX Hispana?" is a seminal and landmark study in
which archeologist and historian Simon Elliott considers the evidence for these four theories, and other possibilities. A
meticulous work of detailed and document scholarship, "Roman Britain's Missing Legion: What Really Happened to IX
Hispana?" includes and informative Introduction, an eight page Bibliography, and a five page Index. Of immense value for
historical scholarship and an inherently fascinating read for the non-specialists general reader with an interest in the
subject, "Roman Britain's Missing Legion: What Really Happened to IX Hispana?" is recommended as a core addition to
British History and Roman Military History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Roman Britain's
Missing Legion: What Really Happened to IX Hispana?" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$11.49).
Editorial Note: Simon Elliott is an historian, archaeologist and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent where
he studied for his PhD in Archaeology on the subject of the Roman military in Britain. He also has an MA in War Studies
from KCL and an MA in Archaeology from UCL. For a day job he runs his own PR company, and is a former defense and
aerospace journalist at titles including Jane's Defence Weekly and Flight International. He frequently gives talks on Roman
themes and is co-Director at a Roman villa excavation.
The Field Campaigns of Alexander the Great
Stephen English
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526796608, $26.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Field-Campaigns-Alexander-Great/dp/1526796600
Synopsis: Alexander the Great (20/21 July 356 BC - 10/11 June 323 BC) is one of the most famous men in history, and
many believe he was the greatest military genius of all time (Julius Caesar wept at the feet of his statue in envy of his
achievements). Most of his thirteen-year reign as king of Macedon was spent in hard campaigning which conquered half
the then-known world, during which he never lost a battle. Besides the famous set-piece battles (Granicus, Issus,
Gaugamela, Hydaspes), Alexander's army marched thousands of miles through hostile territory, fighting countless smaller
actions and calling for a titanic logistical effort.
There is a copious literature on Alexander the Great, but most are biographies of the man himself, with relatively few
recent works analyzing his campaigns from a purely military angle. "The Field Campaigns of Alexander the Great" by
Stephen English combines a narrative of the course of each of Alexander's campaigns, with clear analysis of strategy,
tactics, logistics etc.
Combined with "The Army of Alexander the Great" and "The Sieges of Alexander the Great" also by Stephen English,
"The Field Campaigns of Alexander the Great" completes a very compelling examination of one of the most successful
armies and greatest conquerors ever known.
Critique: A superbly written, organized and presented study, "The Field Campaigns of Alexander the Great" will prove a
seminal and enduringly appreciated addition to community, college and university library Military History collections in
general, and Alexandrian curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Field Campaigns of Alexander the Great" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Country Durham in North East England, Dr Stephen English was recently awarded his
PhD for his thesis on the military career of Alexander the Great. His first book, "The Army of Alexander the Great", was
published by Pen & Sword in 2009.
England in the Age of Austen
Jeremy Black
Indiana University Press
https://iupress.org
9780253051929, $90.00, HC, 356pp
https://www.amazon.com/England-Age-Austen-Jeremy-Black/dp/0253051924
Synopsis: Dedicated fans of Jane Austen's novels will delight in accompanying historian Jeremy Black through the
drawing rooms, chapels, and battlefields of the time in which Austen lived and wrote in his newest history, "England in the
Age of Austen".
In this exceedingly readable and sweeping scan of late 18th- and early 19th-century Britain, Professor Black provides a
historical context for a deeper appreciation of classic novels such as "Pride and Prejudice", "Emma", and "Sense and
Sensibility". While Austen's novels bring to life complex characters living in intimate surroundings, "England in the Age
of Austen" provides a fuller account of what the village, the church, and the family home would really have been like.
In addition to seeing how Austen's own reading helped her craft complex characters like Emma, Professor Black also
explores how recurring figures in the novels, such as George III or Fanny Burney, provide a focus for a historical
discussion of the fiction in which they appear. Jane Austen's world was the source of her works and the basis of her
readership, and understanding that world gives fans new insights into the multifaceted narratives she created.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of Jan Austen fans, "England in the Age of Austen" is an extraordinarily well
written history, impressively detailed, and a seminal work of original scholarship that is enhanced for academia with the
inclusion of a four page bibliography (Selected Further Reading) and a seventeen page Index. While an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library English History collections in general,
and Jane Austen supplemental studies curriculum in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "England
in the Age of Austen" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780253051936, $30.00) and a digital book format
(Kindle, $16.19).
Editorial Note: Jeremy Black is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Exeter and a Senior Fellow both of
Policy Exchange and of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He is the author of many books including A Subject for
Taste: Culture in Eighteenth-Century England; George III: America's Last King; England in the Age of Shakespeare; and
Charting the Past: The Historical Worlds of Eighteenth-Century England. Professor Black is also a recipient of the Samuel
Eliot Morison Prize from the Society for Military History.
Elizabeth I's Last Favourite: Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Sarah-Beth Watkins
O Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789045956, $9.95, PB, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Last-Favourite-Robert-Devereux/dp/1789045959
Synopsis: Despite widespread interest in Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex by scholars and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the life of Queen Elizabeth the First, little has been written about him in decades past. In the
pages of "Elizabeth I's Last Favourite: Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex", author and historian Sarah-Beth Watkins
brings the story of his life, and death, back into the public eye.
In the later years of Elizabeth I's reign, Robert Devereux became the ageing queen's last favorite. The young upstart
courtier was the stepson of her most famous love, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Although he tried, throughout his life,
to live up to his stepfather's memory, Essex would never be the man he was. His love for the queen ran in tandem with
undercurrents of selfishness and greed. Yet, Elizabeth showered him with affection, gifts and the tolerance only a mother
could have for an errant son.
In return, for a time, Essex flattered her and pandered to her every whim. But, one disastrous commission after another
befell the earl, from his military campaigns, to voyages seeking treasure, to his stint as spymaster. Ultimately, his
relationship with the queen would suffer and his final act of rebellion would force Elizabeth I to ensure her last favorite
troubled her no more.
Critique: Reading with all the inherent fascination of a BBC historical drama, "Elizabeth I's Last Favourite: Robert
Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex" is an extraordinary and meticulously documented, informed and informative read. While
very highly recommended, especially for community, college, and university library Historical British Biography
collections in general, and Queen Elizabeth I supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Elizabeth I's Last Favourite: Robert
Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Co. Wexford, Ireland, Sarah-Beth Watkins' life-long love of history and writing has
seen her publish articles in several magazines and online, and she has quickly established herself as one of the world's most
eminent figures in the field of Tudor and Stuart biographical expertise. Sarah-Beth also tutors creative writing and
journalism.
The Civil War Shelf
Meade and Lee at Rappahannock Station
Jeffrey William Hunt
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215397, $32.95, HC, 324pp
https://www.amazon.com/Meade-Lee-Rappahannock-Station-Post-Gettysburg/dp/1611215390
Synopsis: Contrary to popular belief, the Eastern Theater during the late summer and fall of 1863 was anything but
inconsequential. Generals George Meade and Robert E. Lee continued where they had left off, boldly maneuvering the
chess pieces of war to gain a decisive strategic and tactical advantage. Cavalry actions and pitched battles made it clear to
anyone paying attention that the war in Virginia was a long way from having been decided at Gettysburg. This period of
the war was the first and only time Meade exercised control of the Army of the Potomac on his own terms, but historians
and students alike have all but ignored it. Historian and academician Jeffrey Hunt brilliantly rectifies this oversight in
"Meade and Lee at Rappahannock Station: The Army of the Potomac's First Post-Gettysburg Offensive, from Kelly's Ford
to the Rapidan, October 21 to November 20, 1863".
It was a fascinating time in north-central Virginia. After recovering from the carnage of Gettysburg, the Richmond War
Department sent James Longstreet and two divisions from Lee's army to reinforce Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee,
where they helped win the Battle of Chickamauga. Washington followed suit soon thereafter by sending two of Meade's
corps (the XI and XII) to reinforce William Rosecrans' Army of the Cumberland. Despite his weakened state, Lee took
advantage of the opportunity and launched a daring offensive that drove Meade back on Washington but ended in a bloody
defeat at Bristoe Station on October 14.
What happened next is the subject of "Meade and Lee at Rappahannock Station", a fast-paced and dynamic account of
Lee's bold strategy to hold the Rappahannock River line as the Army of the Potomac retraced its steps south. Pressured by
Washington to fight but denied strategic flexibility, Meade launched a risky offensive to carry Lee's Rappahannock
defenses and bring on a decisive battle. The dramatic fighting included a stunning Federal triumph at Rappahannock
Station (which destroyed two entire Confederate brigades) that gave Meade the upper hand and the initiative in his deadly
duel with Lee, who retreated south to a new position behind the Rapidan River. It seemed as though Lee's vaunted Army of
Northern Virginia had lost its magic after its defeat in Pennsylvania.
This third installment in of Professor Hunt's award-winning Meade and Lee series is grounded upon official reports,
regimental histories, letters, newspapers, and other archival sources. Together, they provide a day-by-day, and sometimes
minute-by-minute, account of the Union army's first post-Gettysburg offensive action and Lee's efforts to repel it. In
addition to politics, strategy, and tactics, Hunt's pen ably examines the intricate command relationships, Lee's questionable
decision-making, and the courageous spirit of the fighting men. Complete with original maps and outstanding photographs,
"Meade and Lee at Rappahannock Station" is a significant contribution to Civil War literature.
Critique: A meticulously presented and impressively informative work of seminal scholarship and exhaustively detailed
research, no personal, professional, community, college or university library's American Civil War History collection can
be considered comprehensive or up to date without the inclusion of Professor Jeffrey Hunt's "Meade and Lee at
Rappahannock Station: The Army of the Potomac's First Post-Gettysburg Offensive, From Kelly's Ford to the Rapidan,
October 21 to November 20, 1863". It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Civil War
historians, and American Civil War buffs that "Meade and Lee at Rappahannock Station" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $14.29).
Editorial Note: Jeffrey William Hunt is the Director of the Texas Military Forces Museum, the official museum of the
Texas National Guard in Austin, Texas, and an Adjunct Professor of History at Austin Community College, where he has
taught since 1988. He had also served for many years as the Curator of Collections and Director of the Living History
Program at the Admiral Nimitz National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas. He is also the author of
several books on the Civil War, including the critically acclaimed and award-winning "Meade and Lee After Gettysburg:
The Forgotten Final Stage of the Gettysburg Campaign, from Falling Waters to Culpeper Court House, July 14-31, 1863"
as well as "Meade and Lee at Bristoe Station: The Problems of Command and Strategy after Gettysburg, from Brandy
Station to the Buckland Races, August 1 to October 31, 1863".
The Biography Shelf
Themistocles: The Powerbroker of Athens
Jeffrey A. Smith
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526790453, $34.95, HC, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/Themistocles-Powerbroker-Athens-Jeffrey-Smith/dp/1526790459
Synopsis: "Themistocles: The Powerbroker of Athens" by academician and biographer "Jeffrey A. Smith is an exciting
new study of Themistocles of Athens, the architect of the Greek victory over the Persian invasions of 490 BC and 480 to
479 BC.
While his role in the Persian wars is naturally a major theme, Themistocles' career before and after those conflicts is also
considered in detail. Themistocles was a leading exponent of a new kind of populist politics in the young democracy of
Athens, manipulating the practice of ostracism (exile) to get rid of his political rivals. Jeffrey Smith explains Themistocles'
rise to a position of virtual hegemony which allowed him to institute his far-sighted policy of preparation against the
growing Persian threat. In particular he strengthened Athens' fleet and thereby secured the support of the poor thetes, who
found employment as rowers.
During the first invasion, Themistocles fought, and possibly held joint command, at the decisive battle of Marathon. When
the Persians struck again in 480, he commanded the fleet at Artemisium and Salamis. The latter battle he won by
subterfuge and secured Athens' liberation and survival. Ironically he was himself eventually ostracized by his fellow
citizens and ultimately entered Persian service, ending his days as governor of Magnesia in Asia Minor.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a Note On Sources, a Chronoloy, an informative Introduction, a
Conclusion (The Legacy of Themistocles), a glossary, a Character List, Notes, References, and an Index, "Themistocles:
The Powerbroker of Athens" is a masterpiece of historical scholarship and an unreservedly recommended addition to
community, college and university library biography collections in general, and Ancient Greek History supplemental
curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Themistocles: The Powerbroker of Athens" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Jeffrey A. Smith has an undergraduate degree in religion, with a focus on the ancient world, from
Dartmouth College (USA) and a master's degree in history from the University of Birmingham (UK). He has taught
humanities and ancient history at The Stony Brook School, a boarding school on the North Shore of Long Island, for the
past decade.
The Notorious John Morrissey
James C. Nicholson
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813167503, $40.00, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Notorious-John-Morrissey-Bare-Knuckle-Congressman/dp/0813167507
Synopsis: An Irish immigrant, a collection agent for crime bosses, a professional boxer, and a prolific gambler, John
Morrissey (February 12, 1831 - May 1, 1878) was, if nothing else, an unlikely candidate to become one of the most
important figures in the history of Thoroughbred racing. As a young man, he worked as a political heavy in New York
before going to San Francisco in search of fortune at the height of the Gold Rush. After returning to the east coast, he was
hired by Tammany Hall and was soon locked in a deadly rivalry with William Poole, better known as "Bill the
Butcher."
As time went on, Morrissey (nicknamed 'Old Smoke) parlayed his youthful exploits into a remarkably successful career as
a businessman and politician. After establishing a gambling house in Saratoga Springs, the hard-nosed entrepreneur
organized the first Thoroughbred race meet at what would become Saratoga Race Course in 1863. Morrissey went on to be
elected to two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and two terms in the New York State Senate.
"The Notorious John Morrissey: How a Bare-Knuckle Brawler Became a Congressman and Founded Saratoga Race
Course" is an impressively detailed biography in which James C. Nicholson explores the improbable life of the man who
brought Thoroughbred racing back to prominence in the United States.
Though few of his contemporaries did more to develop the commercialization of sports in America, Morrissey's colorful
background has prevented him from getting the attention he deserves. An entertaining and long-overdue biography, "The
Notorious John Morrissey: How a Bare-Knuckle Brawler Became a Congressman and Founded Saratoga Race Course"
finally does justice to his astounding rags-to-riches story while exploring an intriguing chapter in the history of horse
racing.
Critique: Of special and particular interest to fans of thoroughbred racing, 19th century bare knuckle boxing, and American
rags to riches stories, "The Notorious John Morrissey: How a Bare-Knuckle Brawler Became a Congressman and Founded
Saratoga Race Course" by James C. Nicholson (who received a PhD and JD from the University of Kentucky, and who
practices law and teaches US history in Lexington) is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college
and university library 19th Century American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The
Notorious John Morrissey: How a Bare-Knuckle Brawler Became a Congressman and Founded Saratoga Race Course" is
also readily available in a paperback edition (9780813180991, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Gorilla in the Room and Other Stories
Ed Tracy
Koehler Books
3705 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
www.koehlerbooks.com
9781646633074, $29.95, HC, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Room-Other-Stories-Tracy/dp/1646633075
Synopsis: Ed Tracy was the perfect candidate for cancer. Intensely motivated and a tireless innovator, the non-stop pace led
to high anxiety, erratic sleep patterns and a life-altering medical diagnosis unlike that of anybody else. Rule No.1:
Nobody's cancer journey is the same.
Growing impatient and irritable, he began to imagine an oncology ward on a Broadway stage with costumes and music and
patients and hope. When he needed to check out of chemotherapy, he checked into imaginary rehearsals of a musical
comedy.
Along the way, he realized the treatments made his memories sharp. He began to periodically track his cancer journey and
encouraged friends to get cancer screenings. Soon he was delving into his past-growing up in farm country, acting in
college theatre and remembrances of inspirational friends and mentors. Each scene found its place in an act of the musical,
and the result is "Gorilla in the Room and Other Stories."
These wide-ranging, homespun stories, mixed with family drama and the humor of a skilled storyteller, will appeal to
lovers of nature, theater fans, and military enthusiasts and honors the courageous patients, family members and service
providers facing life-threatening challenges, aging and a future where they are themselves becoming mentors for the next
generation.
Critique: An exceptional, extraordinary, entertaining, thought-provoking, and inherently memorable work of true-life storytelling, "Gorilla in the Room and Other Stories" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Gorilla in the Room and Other Stories" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781646633050, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks
Mike Loades
White Owl /Pen & Sword
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526742308, $49.95, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Working-Origins-Traditional-Tasks/dp/1526742306
Synopsis: With his signature hands-on style, Mike Loades experiences what it is like to handle various dogs engaged in
their traditional tasks. These adventures take him to the Jordanian desert, where he shares the saddle of his camel with a
Saluki and to the green hills of Wales, where he works cattle with a Corgi. He mushes Huskies in Alaska, drives carriages
with Dalmatians and flies falcons with Spaniels. Each encounter not only highlights the bond between humans and dogs, it
also frames that connection in its historical context. Different types of dogs appear the way they do because, at some stage
in their development, they were bred selectively for a specialist job.
In the illustrated pages of "Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks", Loades takes key types on a walk through
history. Along the way he explores the methods and practices of their original occupations. He delves into when, where
and why they were first bred as the types we recognize today. The fascinating and engaging text is supported by over 250
stunning color photographs of dogs in action. It results in an illuminating journey through many cultures and time periods.
"Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks" is a personal and heartfelt tribute to the enduring partnership between
humans and dogs.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and exceptionally interesting survey of canine history, breeds, and cultural history,
"Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks" is an extraordinarily informative and exceptionally well presented study.
While an impressive and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college and university
library Canine Studies & History collections, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $22.49).
How Stella Learned to Talk
Christina Hunger
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780063046832, $27.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Stella-Learned-Talk-Groundbreaking/dp/0063046830
Synopsis: When speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger first came home with her puppy, Stella, it didn't take long
for her to start drawing connections between her job and her new pet. During the day, she worked with toddlers with
significant delays in language development and used Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to
help them communicate. At night, she wondered: If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn't they be able to
say words to us? Can dogs use AAC to communicate with humans?
Christina decided to put her theory to the test with Stella and started using a paw-sized button programmed with her voice
to say the word "outside" when clicked, whenever she took Stella out of the house. A few years later, Stella now has a bank
of more than thirty word buttons, and uses them daily either individually or together to create near-complete
sentences.
Part memoir and part how-to guide, "How Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World's First Talking
Dog" chronicles the journey Christina and Stella have taken together, from the day they met, to the day Stella "spoke" her
first word, and the other breakthroughs they've had since. It also reveals the techniques Christina used to teach Stella,
broken down into simple stages and actionable steps any dog owner can use to start communicating with their pets.
Filled with conversations that Stella and Christina have had, as well as the attention to developmental detail that only a
speech-language pathologist could know, "How Stella Learned to Talk" will be the indispensable dog book for the new
decade.
Critique: Inherently fascinating, impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "How
Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World's First Talking Dog" will prove to be of special interest to
anyone who has a canine companion of their own. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library
Pets/Wildlife collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "How Stella Learned to Talk: The
Groundbreaking Story of the World's First Talking Dog" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99)
and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781665076555, $29.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Christina Hunger is a speech-language pathologist and the creator of the project Hunger for Words. She is
known for her groundbreaking work in being the first person to teach a dog to talk using a customized communication
device and speech therapy techniques. Hunger has a graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Illinois
University and has professional expertise in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She works with young
children with significant delays in language development as an early intervention speech therapist.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
A Rebellious Woman
Claire J. Griffin
Brandylane Publishers
5 South 1st Street, Richmond, VA 23219
www.brandylanepublishers.com
9781951565473, $20.95, PB, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rebellious-Woman-Claire-J-Griffin/dp/1951565479
Synopsis: "A Rebellious Woman" is an historical novel by Claire J. Griffin that is based on the life story of Belle Boyd
(1844-1900), whose coming of age coincided with the opening shots of the Civil War. Debutante, teenaged spy, seductress,
actress, divorcee, cross-dresser, and self-promoter, she carried a pistol and wasn't afraid to use it. In a century when a
woman was meant to be nothing more than a well-behaved wife and mother, Belle Boyd stands out as a scandalous woman
of history defying all the rules.
Critique: A deftly crafted and inherently fascinating novel by an author with an impressive flair for narrative storytelling
and exceptional attention to historical detail, "A Rebellious Woman" clearly establishes Claire Griffin as an extraordinarily
gifted novelist. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library Historical
Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Rebellious Woman" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Alien Stories
E. C. Osondu
BOA Editions, Ltd.
www.boaeditions.org
9781950774319, $17.00, PB, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Alien-Stories-American-Reader-36/dp/1950774317
Synopsis: A compendium of short stories by celebrated Nigerian-born writer E.C. Osondu, "Alien Stories" showcases his
nimble dexterity and startling originality.
Comprised of eighteen startling stories, each centered around an encounter with the unexpected, "Alien Stories" deftly
explores what it means to be an alien. With a nod to the dual meaning of alien as both foreigner and extraterrestrial,
Osondu turns familiar science-fiction tropes and immigration narratives on their heads, blending one with the other to call
forth a whirlwind of otherness.
With wry observations about society and human nature, in shifting landscapes from Africa to America to outer space and
back again, "Alien Stories" breaks down the concept of foreignness to reveal what unites us all as 'aliens' within a complex
and interconnected universe.
Critique: Exceptionally entertaining, extraordinarily well written, inherently absorbing, thoughtful and thought-provoking,
"Alien Stories" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library
Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Alien Stories' is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).
Editorial Note: E.C. Osondu is the author of Alien Stories (BOA, 2020), which won the BOA Short Fiction Prize; Voice of
America (HarperCollins, 2011); and the novel This House Is Not For Sale (HarperCollins, 2015). He is also a winner of
the Caine Prize for African Writing and the Allen and Nirelle Galso Prize for Fiction, among other awards. His fiction has
appeared in The Atlantic, AGNI, n+1, Guernica, Kenyon Review, McSweeney's, Zyzzyva, The Threepenny Review,
Lapham's Quarterly, New Statesman, and many other places, and his work has been translated into over half a dozen
languages including Icelandic, Japanese, and Belarusian. He lives in Rhode Island and teaches at Providence College.
Bells for Eli
Susan Beckham Zurenda
Mercer University Press
1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 31207-0001
www.mupress.org
9780881467376, $25.00, HC, 282pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bells-Eli-Susan-Beckham-Zurenda/dp/0881467375
Synopsis: First cousins Ellison (Eli) Winfield and Adeline (Delia) Green are meant to grow up happily and innocently
across the street from one another amid the supposed wholesome values of small-town Green Branch, South Carolina, in
the 1960s and 70s. But Eli's tragic accident changes the trajectory of their lives and of those connected to them.
Shunned and even tortured by his peers for his disfigurement and frailty, Eli struggles for acceptance in childhood as Delia
passionately devotes herself to defending him. Delia's vivid and compassionate narrative voice presents Eli as a confident
young man in adolescence (the visible damage to his body gone) but underneath hides indelible wounds harboring pain and
insecurity, scars that rule his impulses. And while Eli cherishes Delia more than anyone and attempts to protect her from
her own troubles, he cares not for protecting himself. It is Delia who has that responsibility, growing more challenging
each year.
Critique: "Bells for Eli" by Susan Beckham Zurenda is a lyrical. tender, and deftly crafted exploration of the relationship
between cousins drawn together through tragedy in a love forbidden by social constraints and a family whose secrets must
stay hidden. As a gifted and talented novelist, Zurenda is able to masterfully transport her readers into a small Southern
town where quiet, ordinary life becomes extraordinary. A fully engaging, entertaining, and compelling coming of age story,
culture, family, friends, bullies, and lovers propel two young people to unite to guard each other in a world where love,
hope, and connectedness ultimately triumph, "Bells for Eli" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community,
college and university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that "Bells for Eli" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780881467741, $18.00) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $10.49).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Susan Beckham Zurenda taught English for thirty-three
years and now works as a book publicist for Magic Time Literary Publicity. A recipient of several regional awards for her
fiction, including The South Carolina Fiction Project, The Porter Fleming Literary Competition, and The Southern Writers
Symposium, she has also published numerous stories and nonfiction pieces in literary journals.
Under the Gaze of Angels: Stories
Said Habib
Interlink Publishing Group
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781623718992, $15.00, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Under-Gaze-Angels-Said-Habib/dp/1623718996
Synopsis: "Under the Gaze of Angels" is a compilation of four erudite short stories by Said Habib (is a Toronto-based
writer of Palestinian descent) who offers treasured views of family and neighborhood life, native to the Galilee, in the
years leading up to and following the upheavals of 1948.
Each of four stories are told with simplicity and warmth. They also include three set during the time of British mandate
rule: "Zuha and the Book Vendor," "The English Gramophone," and "Yildiz the Turkish Woman." These are followed by
the book's title work, "Under the Gaze of Angels", a remembrance that travels from childhood to elder years, pursued by
loss. Imagined or recalled in exile, these vivid, evocative mementos quietly disarm the violence that surrounds them,
restoring a stolen past to memory under the gaze of angels.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that this consistently entertaining, remarkably original, and compelling
short story collection is author Said Habib's debut as a published writer, "Under the Gaze of Angels: Stories" is a simply
outstanding and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college and university library Literary
Fiction collections.
Instructor
Beth Follett
Breakwater Books
www.breakwaterbooks.com
9781550818666, $22.95, PB, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Instructor-Beth-Follett/dp/155081866X
Synopsis: When Ydessa Bloom's husband dies in a Cessna crash in a mid-Ontario lake, she rents a cottage at that lake,
without really comprehending why, and stays for three months. There she meets three people who will influence her life
dramatically -- her landlady, a yoga teacher, and a precocious eight-year-old boy named Henry Rattle.
Years later, at the age of twenty-five and reeling from personal tragedy, Henry seeks Ydessa out once again, and they find
themselves alone on the day of the Northeast blackout, drawn into an encounter that will change them both.
In her latest novel, "Instructor", Canadian author Beth Follett magnificently follows the natural tendencies of the human
mind to dart and drift, to leap and eddy, creating an utterly compelling narrative at once patient and enthralling. Through
grief, wonder, and introspection, Instructor captures the fluidity of the self, carrying readers away in the current of an
inescapable prose style.
Critique: Erudite, literate, polished, and inherently engaging, "Instructor" is a seminal work of deftly crafted literature by
an author with a flourishing gift of storytelling that is original and entertaining. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for community, college and university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Instructor" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.80).
Editorial Note: Canadian author and poet Beth Follett is the founder and publisher of Pedlar Press, a Canadian literary
house. Her first novel, Tell It Slant (Coach House Books, 2001), a retelling of Djuna Barnes's 1936 novel Nightwood, met
with critical acclaim. Her poetry, prose and nonfiction work have appeared in Brick, Best Canadian Poetry 2019, and
elsewhere.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Promise of Spring
Beth Francis
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444845723, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Spring-Beth-Francis/dp/1444845721
Synopsis: After the breakdown of her relationship with Justin, Amy moves out of town to a small village. In her cosy
cottage, with her kind next-door neighbour Meg, she's determined to make a fresh start. But there are complications in
store. Though Amy has sworn never to risk her heart again, she finds her friendship with Meg's great-nephew Mike
deepening into something more. Until Mike's ex-girlfriend Emma reappears on the scene - and so does Justin!
Critique: A wonderfully entertaining and expertly crafted novel that will have special appeal for all romance novel
devotees, this large print paperback edition of "Promise of Spring" by Beth Francis from the Linford Romance Library
collection is especially recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance
Fiction collections!
The Western Fiction Shelf
Blood Feud
Bill Grant
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444845419, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Feud-Bill-Grant/dp/1444845411
Synopsis: When Montana gold prospector Luke Driscoll receives a letter from his estranged brother Nate urgently asking
for help, he returns to his home in Garrison, Texas. There he learns that Nate has become embroiled in a land dispute with
cattle baron Robert McTavish - and it's about to turn deadly. But Luke also meets the lovely Miranda, McTavish's eldest
daughter, and cannot help his feelings for her. Now Luke must balance family loyalty and his budding love for Miranda to
fight the determined and resourceful McTavish and his crew of hired killers.
Critique: Featuring a number of catastrophic cliff hanger plot twists, "Blood Feud" fully lives up to its title as author Bill
Grant rolls out still another riveting western packed with the smell of gunsmoke and a growing need for vengeance. Now
in a new large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library collection, "Blood Feud" will prove to be an
enduringly popular addition to the personal reading lists of all western action/adventure fans, and a 'must' for community
library Western Fiction collections.
The Sins of Motherlode
Gillian F. Taylor
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846669, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sins-Motherlode-Gillian-F-Taylor/dp/1444846663
Synopsis: Sin is a profitable commodity in a mining town like Motherlode. Lust makes money for the brothel madam Miss
Jenny; wrath and avarice create targets for man hunter Jonah Durrell; and newspaperman Hulton Robinson is greedy for
stories. When Louise Waterford, one of Miss Jenny's workers, is raped during a stagecoach robbery, Jonah Durrell seems
to be the only man who cares. He's determined to see justice done - and so are Miss Jenny and her women -- along with the
twin guns of Jonah Durrell.
Critique: As an author of western novels, Gillian F. Taylor ranks among the very best. This large print paperback edition of
"The Sins of Motherlode" from the Linford Western Library large print collection, showcases his ability to create
memorable characters, cliff-hanger plot twists, and riveting gun fights. A fun read from first page to last, "The Sins of
Motherlode" is an especially recommended addition to the personal reading lists of western novel fans and community
library Western Fiction collections.
Montana Masquerade
Allan Vaughan Elston
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785418662, $32.00, PB, Large Print, 264pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781785418662
Synopsis: A gunslinger by the name of Perry Hamil, is a fugitive from Texas who is headed for the Canadian border in
order to escape the law. Riding through Montana, he witnesses the massacre of a stagecoach and all its passengers by the
Sioux -- and when he investigates what's the dead and mutilated bodies in what's left of the stagecoach, he's inspired with
an idea. What if one of the five mutilated bodies were him? No more wanted posters or crazy gunfights. No more threat of
the gallows. So Perry becomes Barry Rodman, a young Virginian who'd been bound for Bozeman to inherit a fortune --
more money than he's ever dreamed of. All he has to do is wait around for six months. But Barry's fiancee back in
Roanoke, Virginia is keen to come stake her claim on her man. Then there is Harry De Shon, a trigger-happy sheriff who
knows a younger Perry from the old days and could expose the deception. Add to all that is a lovely local girl from a
wealthy family, a deadly conflict between the ranchers of Bozeman and gun toting rustlers, and several face-to-face gun
slinging showdowns.
Critique: Once again with the publication of this large print edition of "Montana Masquerade" from the Sagebrush Large
Print Westerns series, continues to confirm author Allan Vaughan Elston as a true and practiced master of the western
action/adventure novel. An absorbing read that has a surprising and sudden 'reveal' at the end, "Montana Masquerade" will
prove to be an immediate and enduringly welcome addition to the personal reading lists of dedicated western novel fans
and community library Western Fiction and Large Print Fiction collections.
Stagecoach to Serenity
Steven Gray
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846638, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Stagecoach-Serenity-Steven-Gray/dp/1444846639
Synopsis: After Darren Norton impulsively shoots Arthur Hamlin dead during a card game, he goes on the run, leaving
behind his girlfriend Sal the Gal -- an ambitious prostitute with plans of her own that definitely include Darren. A reward is
put up for his capture, and bounty hunter Gustavus Greeley is soon on his trail. He catches Norton in the hills, and intends
to take him back to Serenity by stagecoach to stand trial. But a fierce and deadly storm create catastrophe and the
unexpected.
Critique: Once again with the publication of "Stagecoach To Serenity", author Steven Gray has penned a fully original
action/adventure western with more unexpected plot twists and turns than an Oklahoma twister -- and one with a totally
unexpected ending that will linger on in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book is finished and set back
upon the shelf. This large print edition of "Stagecoach To Serenity" from the Linford Western Library collection is very
highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections.
Dead Man's Gold
Lee Hoffman
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785418709, $32.00, PB, Large Print, 162pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Mans-Gold-Lee-Hoffman/dp/178541870X
Synopsis: Vern sure had the knack of getting into a parcel of trouble. First the damfool cattle had stampeded, and he and
his two cattle drive companions, Snuffy and Pike, had been sent to find and bring back the twenty-odd beefs that had gone
and lost themselves. Then they discovered the dead Spaniard -- with old leather bags full of gold! Dead man or not, gold
was gold, and Vern, Pike and Snuffy and were not about to let this opportunity pass them by. So Vern, Snuffy and Pike
would hunt down the source of that lost gold mine, and that was the real beginning of his trouble. Because how far can a
man get in rugged country without his horse, his gun and his boots -- and with a mad and lethal old prospector seeing them
as claim jumpers after that old Spanish gold he felt was his own tracking them all down to take them out one by one!
Critique: A simply riveting story of gold, greed, betrayal and vengeance, this large print paperback edition from the
Sagebrush Large Print Western collection of "Dead Man's Gold" by veteran western novelist Lee Hoffman will prove a
popular and welcome addition to the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fans and community library Western
Fiction collections.
A Sack Full Of Dollars
Lee Lejeune
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444845969, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 280pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444845969
Synopsis: John Smiley is a traveling entertainer. As he and his son, John Junior, and daughter, Katie, are approaching the
small township of Silver Spur in Kansas, they run up against Black Bart and his gang. Bart, a notorious gunman, demands
money, and carbine-whips John Junior. Smiley, however, is a skilled boxer and humiliates the outlaw, leaving Bart
hell-bent on revenge -- which leads to a series of dark and bloody events when the family reach their destination. But John
Junior dies of a head wound inflicted by the infamous Black Bart and his father vows vengeance. But it's going to need the
help of Marshal Adam Kirk, his friend Charlie the Medic, and a whole lot of gunplay to accomplish.
Critique: Once again western author Lee Lejeune demonstrates his total mastery of the genre with this large print
paperback edition of "A Sack Full Of Dollars". A ripping great read from first page to last, "A Sack Full Of Dollars" is a
terrific and unreservedly recommended addition to the personal reading lists of all western novel fans and community
library Western Fiction collections.
The Crooked M Killings
Frank Ellis Evans
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781444846751, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Crooked-Killings-Frank-Ellis-Evans/dp/1444846752
Synopsis: Marshal Reuben Kane is charged with finding the men who have spread terror and violence in an unprecedented
bank robbing spree. It's a routine, albeit dangerous, assignment - until he discovers Sal McIntyre, badly beaten, physically
abused, and left to die by a gang of outlaws who murdered her husband Ed. Reuben postpones his search in order to nurse
Sal back to health. But whilst he wishes to bring her husband's killers to justice, Sal is consumed by hatred, wants revenge,
and with her own considerable skills with firearms, just might be able to succeed.
Critique: A classic western vengeance novel but with a twist that it's a female leading the hunt, "The Crooked M. Killings"
by Frank Ellis Evans is a simply riveting read from first page to last. This paperback large print edition from the Linford
Western Library collection is particularly and especially recommended for personal reading lists and community library
Western Fiction collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Rage of the Assassin
Edward Marston
Isis Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785419232, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 366pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781785419232
Synopsis: Sir Roger Mellanby attends a performance of MACBETH at Covent Garden, featuring Hannah Granville. It is
the final performance of what has been a triumphant production and both the Prince Regent and Hannah's love, Bow Street
Rival Paul Skillen, are in the audience. After the show, both Mellanby and the Prince Regent make their way to the stage
door for a glimpse of Hannah. As the crowd jostles around them, a shot is fired and Mellanby is killed, but Paul Skillen
quickly deduces that the assassin was really after the Prince Regent. Will Paul and his twin brother Peter be able to stop
him from killing Prinny?
Critique: Set in London, 1818, "Rage of the Assassin" by Edward Marston is an impressively original, inherently
compelling and compulsive page turner of suspense thriller mystery from first page to last. This large print paperback
edition from Isis is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections and the
personal reading lists of all dedicated fans of historical mystery fiction.
Lady Joker
Kaoru Takamura, author
Marie Iida and Allison Markin Powell, translators
Soho Crime
c/o Soho Press
853 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
www.sohopress.com
9781616957018, $28.95, HC, 600pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Joker-1-Kaoru-Takamura/dp/1616957018
Synopsis: Set in Tokyo, 1995, "Lady Joker" is the story of five men who meet at the racetrack every Sunday to bet on
horses. They have little in common except a deep disaffection with their lives, but together they represent the social
struggles and griefs of post-War Japan: a poorly socialized genius stuck working as a welder; a demoted detective with a
chip on his shoulder; a Zainichi Korean banker sick of being ostracized for his race; a struggling single dad of a teenage
girl with Down syndrome. The fifth man bringing them all together is an elderly drugstore owner grieving his grandson,
who has died suspiciously after the revelation of a family connection with the segregated buraku community, historically
subjected to severe discrimination.
Intent on revenge against a society that values corporate behemoths more than human life, the five conspirators decide to
carry out a heist: kidnap the CEO of Japan's largest beer conglomerate and extract blood money from the company's
corrupt financiers.
Inspired by the unsolved true-crime kidnapping case perpetrated by "the Monster with 21 Faces," and translated into
English for an American readership by the team of Marie Iida and Allison Markin Powell, "Lady Joker" by Kaoru
Takamura has become a cultural touchstone since its original publication in 1997, and is acknowledged as the magnum
opus by one of Japan's literary masters, twice adapted for film and TV, and often taught in high school and college
classrooms.
Critique: Of special interest to fans of Sports Journalism, Kidnapping and Organized Crime Suspense Thrillers, Kaoru
Takamura's "Lady Joker" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university
library Mystery/Suspense and Japanese Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Lady
Joker" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Kaoru Takamura was born in Osaka in 1953 and is the author of thirteen novels. Her debut, "Grab the
Money and Run", won the 1990 Japan Mystery and Suspense Grand Prize, and since then her work has been recognized
with many of Japan's most prestigious awards for literary fiction as well as for crime fiction: the Naoki Prize, the Noma
Literary Award, the Yomiuri Prize, the Shinran Prize, the Jiro Osaragi Prize, the Mystery Writers of Japan Award, and the
Japan Adventure Fiction Association Prize. "Lady Joker" is her first novel to be translated into English, received the
Mainichi Arts Award, and has been adapted into both a film and a television series.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Voyagers: Twelve Journeys through Space and Time
Robert Silverberg
Three Rooms Press
www.threeroomspress.com
9781953103048, $16.00, PB, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Twelve-Journeys-through-Space/dp/1953103049
Synopsis: Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science
fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of
Fame, and a Grand Master of SF. He has attended every Hugo Awards ceremony since the inaugural event in 1953.
(Wikipedia)
In the pages of "Voyagers: Twelve Journeys through Space and Time", Robert Silverberg collects twelve of his finest
science fiction short stories and novellas, each and all of which will carry his readers to the next level of imagination and
into a new universe of the mind.
This new collection spans 60 years of work by Silverberg, traveling from one end of the universe to the other, from the
dawn of time to its final hours. A journey through its pages reveals time-travelers from the future come back to witness a
catastrophe of our own time, Spanish conquistadores looking for (and finding) the Fountain of Youth, a tourist in Mexico
stepping into an alternative universe, and spacefarers among the stars making a surprising discovery.
The range of these stories, the kinds of voyages they describe, just begins to demonstrate the scope of science fiction, and
the lengths to which Silverberg's sparkling imagination can leap.
Critique: As a critique this one is easy! An absolute 'must' for the legions of Robert Silverberg fans and all dedicated
science fiction buff, "Voyagers: Twelve Journeys through Space and Time" is a core and unreservedly recommended
addition to community, college and university library Science Fiction collections.
The Last Watch
J. S. Dewes
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250236340, $18.99, PB, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Watch-Divide-1/dp/1250236347
Synopsis: The Divide is the edge of the universe and now it's collapsing and taking everyone and everything with it. The
only ones who can stop it are the Sentinels -- the recruits, exiles, and court-martialed dregs of the military. But at the
Divide, Adequin Rake commands the Argus. She has no resources, no comms -- nothing except for the soldiers that no one
wanted. Her ace in the hole could be Cavalon Mercer -- a genius, asshole, and exiled prince who nuked his grandfather's
genetic facility for "reasons". She knows that they are humanity's last chance to survive.
Critique: A veritable saga of a novel, "The Last Watch" by J. S. Dewes is a dedicated science fiction fans delight from first
page to last. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections, it should
be noted for personal reading lists that "The Last Watch" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
The Philosophy Shelf
Bald: 35 Philosophical Short Cuts
Simon Critchley
Yale University Press
PO Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040
http://yalebooks.com
9780300255966, $25.00, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bald-35-Philosophical-Short-Cuts/dp/0300255969
Synopsis: The moderator of the New York Times' Stone column and the author of numerous books on everything from
Greek tragedy to David Bowie, Professor Simon Critchley has been a strong voice in popular philosophy for more than a
decade. Now with the publication of "Bald: 35 Philosophical Short Cuts" he brings together thirty five essays, originally
published in the Times, on a wide range of topics, from the dimensions of Plato's academy and the mysteries of Eleusis to
Philip K. Dick, Mormonism, money, and the joy and pain of Liverpool Football Club fans.
In an engaging and jargon free style, Professor Critchley writes with honesty about the state of world as he offers
philosophically informed and insightful considerations of happiness, violence, and faith. Stripped of inaccessible academic
armatures, these short pieces bring philosophy out of the ivory tower and demonstrate an exciting new way to think in
public.
Critique: An inherently thoughtful and thought-provoking compendium of erudite insight and contemplative cognition,
"Bald: 35 Philosophical Short Cuts" will have an immense appeal to both academia and the non-specialist general reader.
While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library Contemporary Philosophy
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Bald: 35 Philosophical Short Cuts" is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Simon Critchley is the Hans Jonas Professor of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research and the
moderator of the New York Times' Stone column. He is a board member of the Onassis Foundation, and his most recent
book is "Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us".
The Cookbook Shelf
Anyone Can Cook
Kitchen Stories
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791387512, $30.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Anyone-Can-Cook-Kitchen-Stories/dp/3791387510
Synopsis: Since its launch in 2014, the Kitchen Stories app has acquired a dedicated following among seasoned and
beginner cooks alike. Now the best of their recipes, expertise, and tips are distilled into "Anyone Can Cook", an essential
culinary compendium that will help even novice and inexperienced home chef prepare meals like a pro.
Designed with the elegant simplicity their fans have come to expect, "Anyone Can Cook" focuses on dinners -- which for
many family cooks is the most important and stressful meal to prepare. Profusely illustrated throughout, "Anyone Can
Cook" offers recipes that take no more than one hour from kitchen to table, and many can be cooked in a single pot or pan.
Most importantly, "Anyone Can Cook" is specifically designed to help beginner cooks develop basic skills, stock their
kitchens and pantries, and master easy yet elegant meals.
From the correct way to hold a knife, the art of sauteing vegetables, and composing the perfect salad bowl, to popular
basics such as stir fries, chicken cutlets, meatballs, and sheet pan salmon, the instructions throughout "Anyone Can Cook"
are clear, concise, and accompanied by large full-color photographs to match. Best of all, "Anyone Can Cook" demystifies
many techniques and dishes that new cooks think are beyond their skill level, and even encourages adaptations based on
diet and preference.
If the words "chiffonade" or "homemade pesto" make you nervous, the chefs and editors at Kitchen Stories are here to tell
you that anyone, including you, can cook, and cook well.
Critique: Truly exceptional in organization and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "Anyone Can Cook" is an ideal
introduction to the culinary arts -- making it an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community library cookbook collections. "Anyone Can Cook" would also be an extraordinary instructional textbook for
highschool and technical college Home Economy cooking class curriculums.
Editorial Note: Kitchen Stories founders Mengting Gao and Verena Hubertz share a passion for great food. They generated
the Kitchen Stories platform and a video-based, user-friendly, and design-oriented cooking app to empower its
international community to cook, share, and come together around a common interest and idea: Anyone can cook!
California Vegan
Sharon Palmer
The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493050505, $29.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/California-Vegan-Inspiring-Recipes-Plant-Based/dp/1493050508
Synopsis: Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, and an associated
philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a
vegan. (Wikipedia)
In "California Vegan: Inspiration and Recipes from the People and Places of the Golden State", plant-powered dietitian
Sharon Palmer tells the diverse story of California veganism with recipes showcasing local produce and celebrating the
cultural roots, historical legacy, and future of plant-based pioneers in the state. California is where vegan culture all began,
and where a diverse group of innovators continue breaking new ground. From the first glimpses of California cuisine in the
1970s to today's Silicon Valley startups revolutionizing the way America eats, the Golden State starts the veggie trends the
rest of the country follows.
Featuring over 100 plant-based recipes with full nutritional information and illustrated with original photography,
"California Vegan" welcomes Californians into veganism and vegans all over the world into California.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with full color images throughout, "California Vegan: Inspiration and
Recipes from the People and Places of the Golden State" will prove to be an enduringly welcome and appreciated addition
to personal, family, professional, and community library Vegan/Vegetarian cookbook collections. It should be noted that
his simply outstanding culinary compendium is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.49).
Editorial Note: Known as The Plant-Powered Dietitian, Sharon Palmer (MSFS, RDN) has established an award-winning
career in the field of nutrition and sustainability. One of the most widely recognized registered dietitians in the world,
Sharon is an accomplished writer, editor, blogger, author, speaker, and media expert. In particular, she has gained
recognition for her expertise in plant-based nutrition and sustainability. Sharon has authored over 1000 articles in a variety
of publications, including Better Homes and Gardens and Oprah Magazine.
Low Sodium, Big Flavor
Lara Ferroni
Sasquatch Books
1904 Third Ave, Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98101
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632172860, $22.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Low-Sodium-Big-Flavor-Recipes/dp/1632172860
Synopsis: A lack of salt often means that food tastes bland, which can ruin your appetite and adversely affect your quality
of life. Yet the reality is that sodium levels in packaged and processed foods (such as ketchup, canned broths, and soups, to
name just a few) are shockingly and unhealthily high. To stick with a low-sodium diet long-term you want to savor the
food you're eating (so important!), which means finding new ways to replace the flavors that salt naturally highlights.
Author and culinary expert Lara Ferroni (who adheres to a low-sodium diet herself) has spent years creating naturally
flavorful recipes everyone will love. Her latest cookbook, "Low Sodium, Big Flavor" is a compendium showcasing 115
recipes for homemade condiments, spice blends, dressings, cheeses, breads, prepared meats, and other foods to be found in
ordinary pantries and kitchen cupboards.
In addition, "Low Sodium, Big Flavor" offers daily meal plans (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert) which contain
less than a total of 2,000 mg of sodium, typically the daily amount allowed on a low-sodium diet. Ferroni, who is also a
food photographer, has filled the pages of "Low Sodium, Big Flavor" with enticing photos and shares her experiences of
maintaining (and making peace with) a low-sodium diet. There is no need to feel deprived on a low-sodium diet. These
recipes will help you love the food you eat while at the same time feel good about taking care of your health.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated with mouth-watering images of delicious, low-sodium dishes suitable for any and all
dining occasions, "Low Sodium, Big Flavor" recipes run the range from Green Goddess Dressing; Oatmeal Batter Bread;
Roasted Turkey Lunch Meat; and Cashew Chicken, to Barbecue Ribs; Vegetarian Bolognese; Spice Roasted Carrots; and
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presenation, "Low Sodium,
Big Flavor" is unreservedly recommended for family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should
be noted for personal culinary resource lists that "Low Sodium, Big Flavor" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Lara Ferroni is a tech geek turned food geek who spends her days exploring food and cocktail culture. As a
writer and photographer, she can be found learning to make kimchi in the back room of a local church, foraging for wild
berries or snapping away in some of the finest kitchens and bars. She is the author of five cookbooks, including
Doughnuts, An Avocado a Day, Real Snacks and Put an Egg on It.
Baked to Perfection
Katarina Cermelj
Bloomsbury Press
www.bloomsbury.com
9781526613486, $28.00, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Baked-Perfection-Delicious-gluten-free-recipes/dp/1526613484
Synopsis: Compiled by culinary expert Katarina Cermelj, "Baked to Perfection" is the only gluten-free baking book a
family kitchen cook will ever need as it showcases delicious and illustrated recipes that will work out perfectly every
time.
"Baked to Perfection" begins with a thorough look at the gluten-free baking basics: how different gluten-free flours
behave, which store-bought blends work best, and how to mix your own to suit your needs. Covering cakes, brownies,
cookies, pastry and bread in turn, Katarina shares the best techniques for the recipes in that chapter, and each recipe is
accompanied by expert tips, useful scientific explanations and occasional step-by-step photography to help you achieve
gluten-free perfection.
Recipes include classic bakes like super-moist chocolate cake, caramel apple pie and chocolate chip cookies, the softest,
chewiest bread, including crusty artisan loaves, baguettes, brioche burger buns and soda bread, and mouth-watering
showstoppers like toasted marshmallow brownies, coffee cream puffs and strawberries + cream tart.
Critique: From proper crusty bread, pillowy soft cinnamon rolls and glorious layered cakes to fudgy brownies, incredibly
flaky rough puff pastry and delicate patisserie (everything that once seemed impossible to make gluten-free) can now be
baked successfully be even the most novice of kitchen cooks -- making "Baked to Perfection" an ideal and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted
that "Baked to Perfection" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
A Chronology of Film
Ian Haydn Smith
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500023693, $29.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Chronology-Film-Cultural-Timeline-Lantern/dp/0500023697
Synopsis: Ian Haydn Smith is the author of Selling the Movie and Cult Filmmakers and the update editor on "1001 Movies
You Must See Before You Die". He is also the editor of BFI Filmmaker Magazine and Curzon Magazine.
In his latest cultural history of the movies, Ian Smith's "A Chronology of Film: A Cultural Timeline from the Magic
Lantern to Netflix" presents a fresh perspective on the medium by tracing the complex links between technical innovations,
social changes, and artistic interventions in the order that they occurred.
Organized around a central timeline that charts the development of film from the earliest moving images to present-day
blockbusters, this detailed and profusely illustrated study features key films, film commentaries, and contextual
information about the period in which they were produced. By revealing the social, political, and cultural environments in
which these films were created, this book reveals new insights into great directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Federico Fellini,
Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Jane Campion, Barry Jenkins, Pedro Almodo var, and Bong Joon-ho and films
such as Bonnie and Clyde, The Godfather, Moonlight, and Parasite.
"A Chronology of Film" also features lavish film stills, commentaries, and a lively "In Focus" feature with information
about the social, stylistic, technical, political, and cultural events of each period.
Critique: Enhanced with an informative Introduction, some 300 color illustrations, a six page listing of Awards, a one page
Further Reading bibliography, a four page Index, "A Chronology of Film: A Cultural Timeline from the Magic Lantern to
Netflix" compiled is an inherently interesting, impressively organized, and accessibly presented compendium of insightful
and detailed commentary that is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, college, and university library Film, Movie & Video History and Reference collections and curriculum studies
lists.
Producer to Producer
Maureen A. Ryan
www.ProducerToProducer.com
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
www.dreamscapeab.com/audiobooks
9781615932665, $41.95, PB, 350pp
https://www.amazon.com/Producer-Step-Step-Low-Budget-Independent/dp/1615932666
Synopsis: "Producer to Producer: A Step-by-Step Guide to Low-Budget Independent Film Producing" by Maureen A. Ryan
is a comprehensive instruction guide and manual for low-budget film producing and specifically designed for emerging
and professional producers.
Structured to guide the reader through production meetings, every aspect of the film-production pro-cess is outlined in
detail. Invaluable checklists -- which begin 12 weeks before shooting and continue through principal (and secondary)
photography and postproduction -- keep the filmmaker on track and on target.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Producer to Producer: A Step-by-Step Guide to
Low-Budget Independent Film Producing" is an ideal DIY instruction guide and offers a complete and comprehensive
course under one cover, making it an ideal film school curriculum textbook. While highly recommended for community,
college and university library Film & Video Production collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of film
students and aspiring film/video producers that "Producer to Producer: A Step-by-Step Guide to Low-Budget Independent
Film Producing" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.04) and as a complete and unabridged audio
book (Dreamscape Media, 9781690599715, $22.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Maureen A. Ryan is a New York - based producer concentrating on narrative and documentary feature
films. She is co-producer of James Marsh's Man on Wire, winner of the 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary and
the 2009 BAFTA for Best British Film. She is also the co-producer of Project Nim and the production advisor on the
Netflix 10-part series Making a Murderer by Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi. She is co-executive producer of the
television pilot Stanistan for USA Network / Universal Cable Productions. She is the executive producer on The Penny
Black, a nonfiction episodic series with a pilot episode already produced, and is the re-creations producer for both Johanna
Hamilton's new feature documentary, 1971, and for Alex Gibney's feature documentary, Mea Maxima Culpa: Si-lence in
the House of God. The author is also a producer of the independent narrative film BOMBER, which premiered at the
SXSW Film Festival and won numerous film festival awards. It should be noted that there is a companion website:
www.ProducerToProducer.com
Directing Actors
Judith Weston
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933211, $29.95, PB, 380pp
https://www.amazon.com/Directing-Actors-Anniversary-Performances-Television/dp/1615933212
Synopsis: Collaborating with actors is, for many filmmakers is the scariest part of the job, and het the part they long for
most -- the place where connection happens.
Now newly published by Michael Wiese Productions as a 25th Anniversary Edition, "Directing Actors: Creating
Memorable Performances for Film and Television" by Judith Weston (who has been a teacher of directors, actors, and
writers since 1985) covers the challenges of the actor-director relationship, including the pitfalls of "result direction";
breaking down a script; how to prepare for casting sessions; when, how and whether to rehearse -- but with updated
references, expanded ideas, more detailed chapters on rehearsal and script analysis (using a scene from The Matrix), as
well as a whole new chapter on directing children.
For twenty-five years the industry standard for instilling confidence in filmmakers, "Directing Actors" perseveres in its
mission to bring directors, actors and writers deeper into the exhilarating task of creating characters the world will not
forget.
Critique: An essential and core addition to film school curriculums and an esteemed DIY instructional reference for
aspiring filmmakers for the past two and a half decades, "Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film
and Television" is an absolutely and unreserved recommended for personal, professional, community, film school, college
and university library Theatrical/Movie/Video Direction & Production instructional reference collections. It should be
noted that the 25th Anniversary edition of "Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.95).
The Business Shelf
Entrepreneurship in Theory and Practice: Paradoxes in Play, third edition
Suna Lowe Nielsen, et al.
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781789908039, $175.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurship-Theory-Practice-Paradoxes-Play-dp-1789908035/dp/1789908035
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, "Entrepreneurship in Theory and Practice: Paradoxes in
Play" by the academic team of Suna Lowe Nielsen, Kim Klyver, Majbritt Rostgaard Evald and Torben Bager from the
University of Southern Denmark, this continuingly creative and successful textbook provides a broad overview of
entrepreneurship from both a theoretical and a practical perspective.
With an engaging text specifically designed for undergraduates, "Entrepreneurship in Theory and Practice: Paradoxes in
Play" embeds theories of entrepreneurship with tensions and dilemmas, presented as paradoxes for each chapter. It also
offers insights into the entrepreneurial process and challenges readers to assess the paradoxes and pitfalls encountered on
an entrepreneurial journey.
"Entrepreneurship in Theory and Practice: Paradoxes in Play" showcases: Opportunities for student involvement through
theory, paradoxes, actions, and exercises; Real-life international case stories by high profile entrepreneurship scholars,
such as William B. Gartner, Saras Sarasvathy, Alain Fayolle, Benson Honig; Latest thinking on phenomena such as
sustainability, nascent entrepreneurship, design thinking, the circular economy and technology entrepreneurship.
All undergraduate students with or without prior entrepreneurship education can enjoy the many benefits, puzzles, and
insights that "Entrepreneurship in Theory and Practice: Paradoxes in Play" has to offer. It is an ideal curriculum textbook
for undergraduate students on introductory courses in entrepreneurship, as well as more advanced students interested in
entrepreneurial opportunities and processes.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Entrepreneurship in Theory and Practice: Paradoxes in
Play" must be considered an essential and core addition to college and university library Entrepreneurship, Economics, and
Contemporary General Business collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, academia,
entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Entrepreneurship in Theory and Practice: Paradoxes in Play" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781789908053, $49.95).
UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work
Stacey A. Gordon
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781119779049, $25.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/UNBIAS-Addressing-Unconscious-Bias-Work/dp/1119779049
Synopsis: Dismantling unhealthy workplaces involves much more than just talking about it, and so much more than charts,
graphs, and statistics. Dismantling unhealthy workplaces requires action. Although it's increasingly common for businesses
of all shapes and sizes to appreciate the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, many are often unaware of
bias in the cultures they've created. Others might know there's a problem, but don't know how to properly address it.
"UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias At Work" by Stacey Gordon (CEO of Rework Work, a company on a mission to
reduce bias in global talent acquisition and management) will helps the corporate executive to understand concepts of
workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion, and shows how to identify bias, and provides the tools for actively removing
barriers and ensuring equity throughout any organization.
Offering step-by-step guidance on creating workplace cultures where employees feel they belong, "UNBIAS: Addressing
Unconscious Bias At Work" shows how to: Identify and address bias in the workplace; Understand what you can do to be
more inclusive; Handle potentially uncomfortable conversations; Discuss race in an authentic and meaningful way; Use
workplace-proven tools that make concepts of diversity and equity actionable; Help employee resource groups without
giving them extra work; Place accountability on organizational policies that allow biased behavior.
Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally well organized, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "UNBIAS:
Addressing Unconscious Bias At Work" is an essential resource and reference for all employers, managers, and HR
professionals seeking to create and sustain healthy, inclusive, and equitable workplace environments. While very highly
recommended for corporate, community, college and university library Business Management/Business Ethics collections,
it should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, academia, corporate executives, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias At Work" is also readily
available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $15.00).
Editorial Note: Stacey Gordon combined her diversity & inclusion knowledge with her recruiting expertise to create
education workshops, leadership development and provide other resources to help companies with their 'pipeline' problem.
Stacey is also the creator of the number one resume course at LinkedIn learning which is well on its way to accumulating 1
million views. Her unconscious bias course has been translated into several languages and has been featured by LinkedIn,
Microsoft, and Virgin America (now Alaska Airlines). As a consultant and career strategist, Stacey has written career and
diversity related articles and provided content for SHRM, Fast Company, Skillsoft, Forbes, NPR Radio, BBC Radio,
Essence Magazine, and Monster.com, to name a few.
The Native American Studies Shelf
The Moundbuilders, second edition
George R. Milner
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500295113, $29.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Moundbuilders-Ancient-Societies-Eastern-America/dp/0500295115
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "The Moundbuilders: Ancient Societies of Eastern North
America" by Professor George R. Milner is comprehensive and richly illustrated volume that covers the entire prehistory of
the Eastern Woodlands and the thousands of earthen mounds that can be found there, built between 3100 BCE and 1600
CE.
This new edition of "The Moundbuilders" has been brought fully up-to-date, with the latest research on the peopling of the
Americas, including more coverage of pre-Clovis groups, new material on Native American communities in the thirteenth
to sixteenth centuries CE, and new narratives of migration drawn from ancient and modern DNA.
Critique: An exceptionally informative, organized and presented study, "The Moundbuilders: Ancient Societies of Eastern
North America" is the perfect visual guide to the region for students, tourists, archaeologists, and non-specialist general
readers interested in ancient American history, making it an essential and core addition to community, college and
university library Native American Studies collections. It should be noted for students, academicians, and anyone with an
interest in Moundbuilder culture and history that "The Moundbuilders: Ancient Societies of Eastern North America" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.67).
Editorial Note: George R. Milner is Professor of Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University, specializing in the history
of eastern North America and human osteology. His previous books include "The Cahokia Chiefdom" and "In the Wake of
Contact".
Bkejwanong Dbaajmowinan/Stories of Where the Waters Divide
Monty McGahey II, editor/translator
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
http://msupress.org
9781938065125, $24.95, PB, 188pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bkejwanong-Dbaajmowinan-Stories-Waters-Divide/dp/1938065123
Synopsis: Bkejwanong means "where the waters part," but the waters of St. Clair River are not a point of separation. The
same waters that sustain life on and around Bkejwanong (formerly known as Walpole Island, Ontario, Canada) flow down
into Chippewas of the Thames, the community to which author Monty McGahey II belongs.
While there are no living fluent speakers of Anishinaabemowin in this community, McGahey has fostered relationships
with fluent speakers from nearby Bkejwanong. Bkejwanong. Compiled, edited and translated by McGahey, this bilingual
edition of "Bkejwanong Dbaajmowinan/Stories of Where the Waters Divide" is a collection of stories from these elders,
who understand the vital importance of passing on the language to future generations in order to preserve the beloved
language and legacy of the community.
Like the waters of St. Clair River, the relationships between language speakers and learners have continued to nourish
Anishinaabe communities in Bkejwanong and Chippewas of the Thames, particularly in language revitalization. With
these new English translations by McGahey, "Bkejwanong Dbaajmowinan/Stories of Where the Waters Divide" is an
invaluable and essential resource for Anishinaabemowin learners, teachers, linguists, and historians.
Critique: Expertly translated, written and edited, "Bkejwanong Dbaajmowinan/Stories of Where the Waters Divide" is a
unique, seminal, extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, college and university
library Native American and Canadian Aboriginal linguistic and culture collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: Monty McGahey II is of Anishinaabe and Oneida descent and was raised in Chippewas of the Thames,
where he currently works in language revitalization. He is a second-language speaker of Anishinaabemowin and holds a
master's of professional education in Indigenous educational leadership from Western University in London, Ontario.
The Political Science Shelf
The Socialist Manifesto
Bhaskar Sunkara
Basic Books
www.basicbooks.com
c/o Hachette Book Group
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781541647107, $17.99, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Socialist-Manifesto-Radical-Politics-Inequality/dp/1541647106
Synopsis: In the pages of "The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality",
Bhaskar Sunkara explores socialism's history since the mid-1800s and presents a realistic vision for its future. With the
stunning popularity of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Americans are embracing the class politics of
socialism. But what, exactly, is socialism? And what would a socialist system in America look like?
As the editor of Jacobin magazine, Sunkara shows that socialism, though often seen primarily as an economic system, in
fact offers the means to fight all forms of oppression, including racism and sexism. The ultimate goal is not Soviet-style
planning, but to win rights to healthcare, education, and housing, and to create new democratic institutions in workplaces
and communities.
Critique: An erudite and comprehensive primer on socialism for the 21st century, "The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for
Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality" is recommended reading for anyone seeking an end to the many and
severe inequities of our time. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for
Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and
university library Political Science collections in general, and Socialism supplemental studies curriculums in particular. It
should be noted for students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781549180224,
$35.00, CD).
Editorial Note: Bhaskar Sunkara is the founder and editor of Jacobin, which he launched in 2010 as an undergraduate at
George Washington University. He has written for the New York Times, the Guardian, VICE, and The Washington Post.
Sunkara is also the publisher of Catalyst and the UK-based Tribune.
The Genealogy Shelf
Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond
David Dobson
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 229, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806321134, $28.45, PB, 172pp
https://www.amazon.com/Scottish-Genealogy-Basics-David-Dobson/dp/080632113X
Synopsis: "Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond" by David Dobson identifies the major sources and repositories for
those just getting started on their genealogical research, and it also focuses on the other, less commonly used, sources that
exist, which will allow more advanced researchers to put the basic facts they have gathered into context.
With an emphasis on publications, manuscript sources, and archival records, Dobson highlights ways to trace Scottish
ancestors using alternative sources, primarily those covering the years between 1550 and 1850. For each research topic --
including statutory registers, church records, tax records, sasines and land registers, court records, military and maritime
sources, burgh and estate records, emigration records, and much more.
Dobson has compiled an extensive list of the publications and archival records that will enable family historians to
advance their research. Another unique feature of "Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond" is the inclusion of
numerous excerpts from publications and archival records, which will help lead researchers to the sources most applicable
to their research.
Critique: An absolute 'must' as an instructional guide and reference manual for novice (and even experienced) genealogists
wanting to work with and research Scottish records, "Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond" is an ideal and
unreservedly recommended resource for personal, professional, community, college and university library Genealogical
Studies collections.
Editorial Note: Genealogist and historian David Dobson is the author of more than 200 books including "Scottish
Emigration to Colonial America 1607-1785", "Scottish Trade with Colonial Charleston 1683-1783.
The Audiobook Shelf
Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier
Bob Drury, author
Tom Clavin, author
George Newbern, narrator
Macmillan Audio
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250788122, $39.99, 9 CDs
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Treasure-Daniel-Americas-Frontier/dp/1250788129
Synopsis: It is the mid-eighteenth century, and in the 13 colonies founded by Great Britain, anxious colonists desperate to
conquer and settle North America's "First Frontier" beyond the Appalachian Mountains commence a series of bloody
battles. These violent conflicts are waged against the Native American tribes whose lands they covet, the French, and
finally against England, the mother country itself, in an American Revolution destined to reverberate around the
world.
This is the setting of "Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier", and the guide to this
epic narrative is America's first and arguably greatest pathfinder, Daniel Boone -- but not the coonskin cap-wearing
caricature of popular culture but the flesh-and-blood frontiersman and Revolutionary War hero whose explorations into the
forested frontier beyond the great mountains would become the stuff of legend. Now, thanks to painstaking research by
two award-winning authors, the story of the brutal birth of the United States is told through the eyes of both the ordinary
and larger-than-life men and women, white and red, who witnessed it.
Critique: Complete and unabridged, this extraordinary audio book edition of "Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the
Fight for America's First Frontier" is deftly narrated by the vocal talents of George Newbern who brings to life authors Bob
Drury and Tom Clavin's inherently fascinating and impressively informative history. Simply stated, "Blood and Treasure:
Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier" should be considered a core addition to community library audio
book collections on American history.
The Library CD Shelf
Happy Again
Bill & the Belles
billandthebelles.com
Privately Published
$10.00 digital
https://billandthebelles.bandcamp.com/releases
Happy Again is a completely original album of roots music by Bill & the Belles. As the titular song "Happy Again (I'll
Never Be)" ironically expresses, Happy Again is about divorce. Its songs delve into the emotionally wrenching subject
with tongue-in-cheek reflections on love and loss. Profound, powerful, and keenly written, Happy Again is an
unforgettable album especially recommended for roots music collections. The tracks are "Happy Again (I'll Never Be)",
"Make It Look Easy", "Taking Back My Yesterday", "That'll Be Just Fine", "The Corn Shuckin' Song", "Bye Bye Bill",
"People Gonna Talk", "Blue So Blue", "Sobbin' the Blues", "Get Up and Give It One More Try", and "Good Friends Are
Hard To Find".
The Library DVD Shelf
Discoveries... Costa Rica: Manuel Antonio National Park & Quepos
Bennett-Watt Entertainment
www.Bennett-Watt.com
$24.95, 53 min.
https://www.bennett-watt.com/products/discoveries-costa-rica-manuel-antonio-national-park-quepos
Part of the Discoveries... Costa Rica series of beautifully filmed DVD documentaries, Discoveries... Costa Rica: Manuel
Antonio National Park & Quepos showcases one of Costa Rica's most striking destinations. Manuel Antonio National Park
is both one of the most popular and one of the smallest parks in the nation. Situated near the town of Quepos, the park is
within a true rainforest, and includes jungle terrain, white sand beaches, and coral reefs. Well-known for its diversity of
tropical fauna and plants, including three-toed sloths, endangered white-faced capuchin monkeys, and hundreds of bird
species, Manuel Antonio National Park is an extraordinary nature preserve. The documentary also introduces viewers to
the Gaia Hotel & Reserve, a five-star luxury eco-lodge that has dedicated over 12 acres of their 14-acre property to the
preservation and reintroduction of the Scarlett Macaw to the area (after it disappeared from the region 40 years ago).
Discoveries... Costa Rica: Manuel Antonio National Park & Quepos is a treasure for both armchair travelers and public
library DVD collections, highly recommended.
The Technology Shelf
High-Throughput Satellites
Hector Fenech
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630818258, $159.00, HC, 274pp
https://www.amazon.com/High-thoroughput-Satellites-Hector-Fenech/dp/1630818259
Synopsis: "High-Throughput Satellites" by Hector Fenech discusses the motivation for the evolution of a new breed of
High Throughput Satellites (HTS) that have emerged from traditional communications satellites. It also explores the
commercial sectors and technical context that have shaped HTS. The historical underpinnings of HTS are provided to
highlight the requirements that dimension these satellites. A survey of operational GEO HTS systems is also included.
Readers will understand the technical, operational and commercial context of HTS systems, as well as the performance of
the current HTS system.
This initial breed of satellites was limited to geostationary satellites, but it is quickly projecting into low earth orbit (LEO)
constellations, often referred to as mega-constellations. The industrial and operational facets of LEO constellations are
challenging. The characteristics of GEO and LEO systems are presented to understand the differences between the two
systems. The book also explores the evolution of the current HTS payload architectures, as well as theoretical methodology
is presented for the capacity estimation for both the FORWARD link and RETURN link, which can be used for
preliminary HTS dimensioning and can be adapted to practical scenarios.
Critique: Informed and informative, exceptionally well written,, "High-Throughput Satellites" by satellite technology
expert Hector Fenech offers a complete course of instruction that is impressively organized and presented, making it an
ideal curriculum textbook on the subject and unreservedly recommended for professional, governmental, corporate, college
and university library Satellite Technology collections.
Editorial Note: Hector Fenech is an electrical engineer and director of the Future Satellite Systems group at Eutelsat in
Paris, France. He was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2014 for
contributing to the definition of telecommunications satellite architectures and systems through innovation and
technological exploitation. He was also named a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the
Institution of Engineering and Technology.
The Art Shelf
Luise Kaish: An American Art Legacy
Maura Reilly, et al.
D. Giles Limited
https://gilesltd.com
c/o Consortium (distribution)
www.cbsd.com
9781911282518, $54.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Luise-Kaish-American-Art-Legacy/dp/1911282514
Synopsis: Expertly compiled by curator and art authority Maura Reilly, "Luise Kaish: An American Art Legacy" is a major
new study and celebration of the career and legacy of the modernist sculptor, painter, collagist and educator Luise
Clayborn Kaish (1925 - 2013).
Kaish was a key figure in the New York art scene of the late 20th century, whose multidisciplinary and process oriented
practice contributed to various artistic discourses at the time. The strength and breadth of her work, her influential role in
education, and the prestigious awards she received in recognition of her practice set her apart as an early female leader in
the arts.
She will be remembered for her immense talent, highly individual point of view, pursuit of the sublime, keen execution,
and passion for life, which, despite the tides of changing tastes, will remain forever significant.
This superbly produced and lavishly illustrated volume brings together nearly of her works. Featured are a number of
informative essays covering Kaish's life and career, her artistic practices, her lifelong interest in the spiritual and
metaphysical, and her work as an educator are followed by a main plate section.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of an Illustrated Chronology and an Exhibition History, "Illustrated
Chronology and Exhibition History" fully and effectively showcases the life and work of a gifted and talented artist and is
expressively, especially, and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college and university
library Sculpture Appreciation, Arts & Photography Criticism, 20th Century Artist Biography collections in general, and
Luise Kaish supplemental studies curriculum reading lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Maura Reilly is a curator and arts writer, based in New York. Gail Levin is an American art historian,
biographer, artist, and a Distinguished Professor of Art History, American Studies, Women's Studies, and Liberal Studies
at Baruch College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Daniel Belasco is executive director of the
Al Held Foundation, New York. Samuel D. Gruber is visiting associate professor of Jewish Studies, Cornell University.
Eleanor Heartney is a contributing editor for Art in America. Norman L. Kleebatt is a fine art curator, critic, and consultant
based in New York City, and was the Susan and Elihu Rose Chief Curator at the Jewish Museum in New York until 2017.
Roger Lipsy is a biographer, art historian, editor, and translator.
Pewabic Pottery
Thomas W. Brunk
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
http://msupress.org
978161186386, $55.95, HC, 496pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pewabic-Pottery-American-Movement-Expressed/dp/1611863864
Synopsis: Pewabic Pottery is a ceramic studio and school at 10125 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. Founded in
1903, the studio is known for its iridescent glazes, some of which grace notable buildings such as the Shedd Aquarium and
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The pottery continues in operation today, and was
designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991. (Wikipedia)
"Pewabic Pottery: The American Arts and Crafts Movement Expressed in Clay" by Thomas Brunk is a detailed
chronological history of Pewabic work -- and the most extensive study published to date. The focus of this exhaustive
study is primarily on the pottery as operated by Perry and Caulkins, and then goes up through the beginning of the Pewabic
Society Inc. in 1979.
This nicely illustrated and definitive study also offers a fascinating and in-depth exploration of the various aspects of the
history of Pewabic Pottery, ranging from the personal lives of its founders and prominent potters, to discussions of tiles
and glazes, and finally to Pewabic Pottery's place at Michigan State University.
Authored by the most recognized scholar on Pewabic Pottery, this study relies heavily on archival sources to achieve a
comprehensive history of one of Michigan's most interesting art studios.
Critique: A seminal work of simply outstanding scholarship, "Pewabic Pottery: The American Arts and Crafts Movement
Expressed in Clay" must be considered the definitive study on the subject and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, college and university library Ceramic Arts & Pottery collections and supplemental studies
curriculum reading lists.
Editorial Note #1: Thomas W. Brunk (1949 - 2018) was curator and archivist of Michigan State University's Pewabic
Pottery from 1974 to 1981 and cofounder of the Pewabic Society Inc. in 1979, serving as its president in 1988 - 1989. He
was considered Detroit's foremost chronicler of subjects such as Pewabic Pottery, the Scarab Club, and the Masonic
Temple, among others.
The Economic Studies Shelf
Between Capitalism and Community
Michael A. Lebowitz
Monthly Review Press
134 W. 29th Street, Suite 706, New York, NY 10001
www.monthlyreview.org
9781583678879, $89.00, HC, 192pp
https://monthlyreview.org/product/between_capitalism_and_community
Synopsis: In "Between Capitalism and Community", Professor Michael Lebowitz deepens the arguments he made in his
award-winning study "Beyond Capital" which focused on capital and the capitalist class that is its embodiment. It is the
endless accumulation of capital, its causes and consequences that are central to Marx's analysis. In taking this approach,
Marx tended to obscure not only the centrality of capital's "immanent drive" and "constant tendency" to divide the working
class but also the political economy of the working class ("social production controlled by social foresight").
In "Between Capitalism and Community", Professor Lebowitz demonstrates that capitalism contains within itself elements
of a different society, and one of community. Whereas Marx's intellectual construct of capitalism treats it as an organic
system that reproduces its premises of capital and wage-labor (including a working class that looks upon the requirements
of capital "as self-evident natural laws"), Professor Lebowitz argues that the struggle of workers in common and activities
based upon solidarity point in the direction of the organic system of community, an alternative system that produces its
own premises, communality, and recognition of the needs of others.
If we are to escape the ultimate barbarism portended by the existing crisis of the earth's climate system, the subordination
of the system of capitalism by that of community is essential. Since the interregnum in which capitalism and community
coexist is marked by the interpenetration and mutual deformation of both sides within this whole, however, the path to
community cannot emerge spontaneously but requires a revolutionary party that stresses the development of the capacities
of people through their protagonism.
Critique: Erudite, seminal, iconoclastic, thoughtful and thought provoking, "Between Capitalism and Community" is an
extraordinary work of exhaustively detailed and meticulous scholarship. While an essential and unreservedly
recommended addition to community, college and university library Contemporary Economics collections and
supplemental studies curriculums, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, economists,
governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Between Capitalism
and Community" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781583678862, $24.00) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $17.00).
Editorial Note: Michael Lebowitz is Professor Emeritus of Economics at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada,
and the author of several books including The Socialist Imperative, The Contradictions of "Real Socialism," and The
Socialist Alternative. He was also the Director, Program in Transformative Practice and Human Development, Centro
Internacional Miranda, in Caracas, Venezuela, from 2006-11.
Lincolnomics
John F. Wasik
Diversion Books
https://diversionbooks.com
9781635766936, $31.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lincolnomics-President-Lincoln-Constructed-American/dp/1635766931
Synopsis: A unique contribution to the growing library of Lincoln histories and literature, and the only biography of its
kind, "Lincolnomics: How President Lincoln Constructed the Great American Economy" by John F. Wasik freshly
explores the foundational ideas and policies on infrastructure rooted in society and government by America's sixteenth
president.
Lincoln's view of the right to fulfill one's economic destiny was at the core of his governing philosophy - but he knew no
one could climb that ladder without strong federal support. Some of his most enduring policies came to him before the
Civil War, visions of a country linked by railroads running ocean to ocean, canals turning small towns into bustling cities,
public works bridging farmers to market.
In the pages of "Lincolnomics", Wasik tracks Lincoln from his time in the 1830s as a young Illinois state legislator pushing
for internal improvements; through his work as a lawyer representing the Illinois Central Railroad in the 1840s; to his
presidential fight for the Transcontinental Railroad; and his support of land-grant colleges that educated a nation. To
Lincoln, infrastructure meant not only the roads, bridges, and canals he shepherded as a lawyer and a public servant, but
also much more.
These brick-and-mortar developments were essential to how the nation could lift citizens above poverty and its isolating
origins. "Lincolnomics" revives the disremembered history of how Lincoln paved the way for Eisenhower's interstate
highways and FDR's social amenities. With an informative Afterword addressing the failure of American infrastructure
during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how Lincoln's policies provide a guide to the future, "Lincolnomics" makes the case
for the man nicknamed "The Rail Splitter" as the Presidency's greatest builder.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Lincolnomics: How President Lincoln Constructed the
Great American Economy" is an impressively unique, extraordinarily informative, and a seminal work of simply
outstanding scholarship. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of four Appendices, a two page Author's Note (My
Stake in Lincolnomics--A Full Disclosure), a twelve page Bibliography, and an eight page Index, "Lincolnomics: How
President Lincoln Constructed the Great American Economy" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, college and university library American Economic History collections in general, and
Abraham Lincoln supplemental studies curriculums in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, economists,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Lincolnomics: How President Lincoln Constructed
the Great American Economy" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: John F. Wasik is the author of nineteen books, including Lightning Strikes: Timeless Lessons in Creativity
from the Life and Work of Nikola Tesla. His columns, blogs, and articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New
York Times, Reuters, Forbes, and Bloomberg News. In 2018, Wasik was named an Illinois Road Scholar for the Illinois
Humanities Council. He is a sought after speaker on technology, history, investing, and innovation who reaches global
audiences.
The Psychology Shelf
Reassembling Models of Reality: Theory and Clinical Practice
Aldrich Chan
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9781324015970, $42.50, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Reassembling-Models-Reality-Clinical-Practice/dp/1324015977
Synopsis: Therapists must rely on their clients' reporting of experience in order to assess, treat, and offer help. Yet we all
experience the world through various filters of one sort or another, and our experiences are transformed through several
nonconscious processes before reaching our conscious awareness. Science, philosophy, and wisdom traditions share the
belief that our awareness is very restricted. How, then, can anyone accurately report their experience, let alone get help
with it?
In "Reassembling Models of Reality: Theory and Clinical Practice", neuropsychologist Aldrich Chan examines how our
experience of reality is assembled and shaped by biological, psychological, sociocultural, and existential processes. Each
individual chapter deftly explores processes within these domains that may act as "veils". The topics covered in
"Reassembling Models of Reality: Theory and Clinical Practice" include: the default mode network, cognitive distortions,
decision-making heuristics, the interconnected mind, memory, and cultural concepts of distress. By understanding the ways
in which reality can be distorted, clinicians can more effectively help their clients reach their personal psychotherapeutic
goals.
Critique: Enhanced for practicing professional and academia with the inclusion to Tables, Figures, eight Appendices, and a
thirty-four page Index, "Reassembling Models of Reality: Theory and Clinical Practice" is expertly written, organized and
presented study of meticulous and detailed scholarship -- making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition
to professional, college and university library Clinical Psychology collections in general, and Cognitive
Neuroscience/Neuropathology supplemental curriculum lists in particular. It should be noted for psychology students,
academia, clinical counseling practitioners, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Reassembling Models of Reality: Theory and Clinical Practice" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$22.99).
Editorial Note: Aldrich Chan is a clinical neuropsychologist and founder of the Center for Neuropsychology and
Consciousness, a practice in Miami, Florida that provides neuropsychological and psychological services. He is also an
Adjunct Professor for Pepperdine University and conducts research on the default mode network and trauma at the
University of Miami. He has publications on topics including Alzheimer's disease, memory, imagination, mindfulness,
play, and creativity.
Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome, second edition
Dennis McGuire & Brian Chicoine, MD
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817
www.woodbinehouse.com
9781606132852, $29.95, PB, 466pp
https://www.woodbinehouse.com/product/mental-wellness-in-adults-with-down-syndrome-a-guide-to-emotional-and-beha
vioral-strengths-and-challenges
Synopsis: Now in a newly and thoroughly updated second edition, "Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome" by
the team of Dennis McGuire and Brian Chicoine continues to reflect both the breadth of the authors' knowledge (acquired
as cofounders of the first medical clinic dedicated solely to the care of adults with Down syndrome) and the number of
psychosocial issues and mental disorders that can affect people with Down syndrome. This is the essential, single volume
information and reference guide for parents, health practitioners, and caregivers who support teens and adults with Down
syndrome.
"Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome" emphasizes that understanding and appreciating both the strengths and
challenges of people with Down syndrome is the key to promoting good mental health. It shows readers how to distinguish
between bona fide mental health issues and common characteristics of Down syndrome -- quirks or coping strategies. For
example, although talking to oneself can be a sign of psychosis, many adults with Down syndrome use self-talk as an
effective problem-solving strategy.
The new expanded second edition includes new chapters on sensory issues (written by Dr. Katie Frank) and regression,
expanded and now separate chapters on communication, concrete thinking, and visual memory, and an extensively updated
chapter on Alzheimer's disease citing abundant new research. Other chapters cover a range of conditions and assessment
and treatment options: What Is Normal?; Self-Esteem & Self-Image; Self-Talk; Grooves & Flexibility; Life-Span Issues;
Social Skills; Mood & Anxiety Disorders; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Psychotic Disorders; Eating Refusal;
Challenging Behavior; Self-Injurious Behavior; Autism; Tics, Tourette Syndrome & Stereotypies.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, and an essential, core addition to community, college and
university library collections, "Mental Wellness in Adults with Down Syndrome: Second Edition" is an ideal and
unreservedly recommended textbook for Down Syndrome curriculums and supplemental studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Dennis McGuire, Ph.D., is Director of Psychosocial Services for the Adult Down Syndrome Center of
Lutheran General Hospital outside of Chicago. Brian Chicoine, M.D. is the medical director of the Adult Down Syndrome
Center. Together they founded The Center in 1992 and have served nearly 3,000 adults with Down syndrome since its
inception. Both Drs. McGuire and Chicoine are frequent speakers at conferences around the U.S. and abroad regarding
their work and expertise.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design