Return to home
page Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
Home / Library Bookwatch

Library Bookwatch

Volume 1, Number 2 November 2006 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Library Science Shelf DVD Shelf
Parenting Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf
Native American Shelf Sports Shelf Education Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Economics Shelf Psychology Shelf
Music Shelf Cookbook Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Jobs/Careers Shelf Biography Shelf Literary Shelf
American History Shelf Business Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
World History Shelf Sociology Shelf Gardening Shelf
Civil War Shelf Art Shelf Photography Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Homeowner Shelf Philosophy Shelf Travel Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Military Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Real-World Nuclear Deterrence
David G. Coleman & Joseph M. Siracusa
Praeger
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275980987 $49.95 www.praeger.com

Real-World Nuclear Deterrence: The Making of International Strategy follows the post-Cold War threat of nuclear weapons, surveying the major powers which maintain about 27,000 nuclear weapons to date, and using new sources from international archives and scholarship to consider the latest issues revolving around deterrence strategies. One might anticipate such a book would be geared towards military specialists, but an attention to clear language and historical references lends to lay reader understanding.

Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
www.paladin-press.com

Gordon Hughes, Barry Jenkins and Robert Buerlein's KNIVES OF WAR: AN INTERNATIONAL GUIDE TO MILITARY KNIVES FROM WORLD WAR I TO PRESENT (9781581605167, $22.00) provides an excellent and in-depth survey of the military knife's changing role and appearance. Black and white drawings and specs represent one of the widest arrays of international fighting knives assembled, with three key names in historical military knives joining forces to blend historical facts and anecdotes with details on weaponry and fighting techniques. From knuckle knives and folding gravity and military productions to trench clubs, a wide range is featured. Major Townsend Whelen's THE AMERICAN RIFLE: A TREATISE, A TEXT BOOK, AND A BOOK OF PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE USE OF THE RIFLE (9781581505136, $30.00) is a weighty treatise gun collectors will relish indeed. It's written by a rifleman for riflemen and provides specific insights into marksmanship, elevation, shooting basics, and technological changes. Right down to cartridges and telescope sights, THE AMERICAN RIFE is as detailed as you can get. Captain Charles Benne, Ret.'s RIOT PREVENTION AND CONTROL: A POLICE OFFICER'S GUIDE TO MANAGING VIOLENT AND NONVIOLENT CROWDS (9781581605181, $20.00) comes from an officer who's handled hundreds of riots, protects, parades and large celebrations. His tenure with the San Francisco Police Department has earned him an expertise in crowd control techniques, which are imparted here for any police officer who would learn special tactics, equipment, and understanding crowd dynamics. All are top picks.


The Library Science Shelf

Outstanding Library Service to Children
Rosanne Cerny, Penny Markey, &Amanda Williams
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
0838909221 $25.00 www.alastore.ala.org 866-746-7252

Written by the team of Rosanne Cerny, Penny Markey, and Amanda Williams, all experts in children's library services, Outstanding Library Service to Children: Putting the Core Competencies to Work is a guide for librarians that delineates seven vital core competencies for successful service. The competencies discussed at length are Knowledge of Client Group, Administrative and Management Skills, Communication Skills, Materials and Collection Development, Programming Skills, Public Relations and Networking Skills, and Professionalism and Professional Development. Written for children's librarians of all experience levels from novice to seasoned, Outstanding Library Service to Children delivers distilled expertise in straightforward, no-nonsense terms with examples, suggested reading lists, and an index for quick and easy reference. An extraordinarily useful tool.

Small Change Big Problems
Herbert Snyder
American Library Association
PO Box 932501, Atlanta, GA 31193-7252
0838909213 $40.00 www.alastore.ala.org

Written by associate professor of accounting and Certified Fraud Examiner Herbert Snyder, Small Change Big Problems: Detecting and Preventing Financial Misconduct in Your Library is a no-nonsense guide is a no-nonsense discussion and practical guide to the unique fiscal vulnerability of libraries, and how to safeguard them from thieves - especially thieves who are in a position of trust. Chapters address what internal control is and why libraries need it, how to prevent fraud when making any type of change or improvement, specific types of fraud and how to uncover them, solid fraud preventative measures, and much more. An absolute "must-have" for library administrators everywhere.


The DVD Shelf

Mission: Possible
Christi Taylor
Bay View Entertainment
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
TF8051 $19.99 www.bayviewent.com

"Mission: Possible" is a fifty minute, full-color, high-energy exercise DVD with professional exercise teacher Christi Taylor that begins with a twenty-minute warm-up, followed by twenty minutes of specialized and energetic routines, and concludes with a ten-minute 'cool down'. "Misson: Possible" is characterized by an innovative choreography with lively musical accompaniment that offers a thoroughly 'user friendly' multi-impact workout. The routines are easy to master and using Christi's 'MoveMaster' technique can adapt to any personal comfort level. Also very highly recommended as an addition to personal, health club, and community library exercise DVD collections is Christi Taylor's Cardio Collectibles (TF8051, $19.99), a sixty minute innovative workout which addresses specific exercise-based benefits for the cardio-vascular system.

Dance Off The Inches: Fat Burning Jam
Michelle Dozois
Anchor Bay Entertainment
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
DV14640 $14.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com 1-800-546-1949

"Dance Off The Inches: Fat Burning Jam" features dance leader Michelle Dozois and her friends moving the viewer through three different dance sequences that provide an outstanding aerobic workout exercise resulting in a leaner, slimmer shape. What's especially nice about this approach is that it allows the viewer to infuse their own style and flair into the dance-oriented exercises and get in shape while having a terrific time. With a total running time of 36 minutes, "Dance Off The Inches: Fat Burning Jam" employs a ten minute, ten-step, dance step tutorial that will enable even the most novice viewer to successfully follow along and get the most out of their 'dance along' experience. A welcome and practical addition to personal and community library physical fitness and exercise DVD collection, "Dance Off The Inches: Fat Burning Jam" demonstrates and documents that firming up and slimming down has never been so easy – or so much fun!

Get Ripped! To The Core
Jari Love
Razor Digital Entertainment
12031 Ventura Blvd., Suite #3, Studio City, CA 91406
411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
RD 0364 $14.99 www.razorfitness.com

"Get Ripped! To The Core" is a 66 minute full-body workout presented by certified personal fitness trainer Jari Love and offers step-by-step exercises specifically designed to burn two to three times more calories (and is a whole lot more fun!) than traditional weight training programs. Utilizing dumbbells and/or their body weight, viewers will complete nine double-duty exercises that work multiple muscles simultaneously. The result is certain to be truly transformational as fitness goals are meet and even exceeded! The DVD format allows the addition of an interview with an exercise physiologist, the demonstration of a 57 year old 'Ripped' student being tested for caloric expenditure, a metabolic chart which tests how many calories and carbs are burned in each exercise segment, and even 'bloopers' for a hearty laugh. Fun and easy-to-follow, "Get Ripped! To The Core" is a welcome and practical addition to personal and community library fitness DVD collections. Also very highly recommended to dedicated fitness aspirants is the companion DVD by Jari Love, "Get Ripped! Slim & Lean (65 minutes, $14.99).

Gospel Of Liberty
Vision Video
PO Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490-0540
#500839D $19.99 www.visionvideo.com 1-800-523-0226

Produced by Colonial Williamsburg, "Gospel Of Liberty" is a 37 minute, full color, DVD documentary about the American religious revivals of the mid-eighteenth century and appropriate for viewers ages 14 through adult. These 'Great Awakenings' roused Britain's North American colonies during the 1730s, 40s, and 50s as they took place in meeting houses and open fields, drawing in the rich and the poor, black and white, men and women with powerful messages of a personal God and Christian salvation. Eventually it was in part these religious revivals that helped to set the political stage for the overthrow of hierarchal authority and state official religions, the American Revolution, and the collapse of British Rule over the colonies. The insights of Thomas Jefferson infuse a dramatic portrayal of colonial Virginia (against the backdrop of Colonial Williamsburg) as a lesson of 'faith in freedom'. An enthusiastically recommended addition to both school and community library DVD editions, this format enhances "Gospel Of Liberty" with the inclusion of closed captioning and optional English subtitles, chapter titles for easy scene access, a PDF study guide, and two bonus features: 'Colonial Clothing 1760-1770' and 'Tour Our Town'.

Emily Dickson: A Certain Slant Of Light
Julie Harris
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
#313322 $24.95 www.montereymedia.com 1-800-424-2593

Emily Dickinson was a gifted poet whose work has been appreciated from the time of her contemporaries down to the present day. Her poetry is filled with passion and descriptions of places and emotions which she (seldom leaving her home in Amherst, Massachusetts) could not have experienced first hand – but which resonate with experience none the less. The answer is that Emily Dickinson was one of those rare poets who traveled through an inner world of words, dreams and ideas which she was able to convey to others through the medium of words. Starring the award-winning actress Julie Harris as the fabled poetess and directed by Jean Mudge, "Emily Dickson: A Certain Slant Of Light" faithfully recreates Emily's personality and literary genius by reciting poetry in various settings that include Amherst College, Mount Holyoke Seminary, the town cemetery next door to Emily's childhood home, and on beautiful grounds providing a commanding views from the shores of the Connecticut River. Also very highly recommended from Monterey Media for personal, academic, and community library DVD collections are other newly released productions showcasing literary classics and their authors including Estelle Parsons, Sylvia Sidney, and Paul Newman in "Come Along With Me" (#308462, $24.95); Sean Young in "Under The Biltmore Clock" (#347132, $24.95); Susan Sarandon and Christopher Walken in "#300612, $24.95); and Fred Gwynne in "Any Friend Of Nicholas Nickleby Is A Friend Of Mine" (#300602, $24.95).

Ambient Space
Vat19.com
11783 Borman Drive, St.Louis, MO 63146
Vat19 JBS $14.95 www.vat19.com 1-800-476-1991

"Ambient Space: The Best of NASA Photos, Volume 1" offers an armchair journey into the vastness of space with spectacular images of galaxies, nebulae, the Solar System, Planet Earth, early scenes of NASA, space flight, the shuttle, and the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as other exotic sights and conceptual art. With a total running time of over two hours, "Ambient Space" is an upscale, technically flawless, video slideshow in a DVD format that incorporates Vat19's 'playlist' technology allowing the viewer to control the order of scenes and even the music for each individual scene selected – or viewers can just hit 'Play All' and enjoy the show. There's even the bonus of 'Desktop Wallpapers'. As engagingly entertaining as it is educationally informative, "Ambient Space" is the first of a planted series taken from NASA archives and a welcome addition to any personal, academic, or community library DVD collection.

Family Disaster Preparedness & Terrorism Awareness
TotalSource, Inc.
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
0974432512 $19.95 www.etotalsource.com

"Family Disaster Preparedness & Terrorism Awareness" is a 35 minute, full color, 2 disc DVD with a CD-Rom Disaster Preparation Kit which provides the viewer with a complete, comprehensive, accessible, methodical, step-by-step instructional guide to preparing themselves, their families, and even their pets for all manner of natural and man-made disasters. The basic message throughout is 'be aware and prepare'. Viewers will learn how to create a 'Family Disaster Supplies Kit'; devise a family communication plan; prepare and practice evacuation routes; learn when and how to 'Shelter-In-Place'; how to save pets in the even of an emergency; and become more aware of potential terrorist threats. Special features include more than one thousand pages of printable guides, checklists, and information packets. A very strongly recommended addition to family and community library DVD collections, "Family Disaster Preparedness & Terrorism Awareness" provides the non-specialist general viewer with superbly organized, presented, and in-depth information of the kind that was previously only available to police, fire, and other emergency responders.

Travel With Kids Hawai'i: The Island Of Maui & Moloka'i
The Roberts Family
Pro Active Entertainment
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
DVD $14.95 www.islandtots.com

"Travel With Kids Hawai'i: The Island Of Maui & Moloka'i" is a full color, 50 minute, beautifully produced travel guide specifically designed for families with young children and staring the Roberts family as they explore the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Molok'i. Young viewers (and older viewers too, for that matter!) will learn about ancient Polynesia and how the islands were formed in the Pacific Ocean; Maui's history of whaling; the natural surrounds on the road to 'Hana and on Ka'anapali Beach. Viewers will be introduced to Hawaiian foods and sunsets, trains rides through old sugar cane plantations, the undersea life at Maui Ocean Center, a snorkel tour of Lanai, and so much more. The DVD format allows for the addition of expanded videos of family-friendly accommodations and transportation; tips and resources when traveling with kids; a trip planner with itineraries; language, crafts and recipes; even a blooper reel! Also very highly recommended are two other Pro Active Entertainment DVDs for vacationing parents: "Travel With Kids: Caribbean" and "Travel With Kids Hawaii: The Island Of Oahu".

Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution
Exploration Films
PO Box 1069, Monument, CO 80132
EFW6045 $49.95 www.ExplorationFilms.com

"Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution" is a three volume DVD boxed set that showcases animals featuring sophisticated and complex designs that are not explained by traditional evolutionary theory. These are animals who provide examples of what creationists have termed the 'irreducible complexity' of life challenging the concept of classic evolutionary development. "Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution" is the result of Dr. Jobe Martin's twenty years of research and study. Dr. Martin was a traditional evolutionist whose medical and scientific training compelled him to challenge the commonly held assumptions underlying evolutionary development theory based upon his independent researches. "Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution" is a welcome contribution to the on-going scientific debate concerning the issues of creationism, intelligent design, and the theory of evolution.

Rosemary & Thyme
Acorn Media Group
801 Roeder Road, Suite 700, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Volume 1: AMP-7672 $49.99; Volume 2: AMP-8504 $49.95 www.acornmedia.com

"Rosemary & Thyme" is a superbly crafted, richly produced, brilliantly acted, cleverly scripted series of mysteries featuring two intrepid (if unlikely) amateur female sleuths who are in the gardening and landscaping business but can't seem to avoid getting involved in murder mysteries. Laura Thyme (Pam Ferris) is a former policewoman who has been abandoned by her philandering husband for a younger woman, and Rosemary Boxer (Felicity Kendal) is a plant biologist who lost her university teaching post. Together they are Rosemary & Thyme, and their adventures are played out against gorgeous English gardens, manorial landscapes, and the often stunning floral beauty of rural Britain. Volume 1 features six episodes, while Volume 2 has eight episodes. These are classic British-style 'whodunnits' with the viewer deeply engaged with every remarkable character, plot twist, and surprise ending. The DVD format allows for the inclusion of production notes, a photo gallery, cast filmographies, – and even a trivia quiz. If a community library budget can only allow for the addition of one new DVD series – make it the enduringly popular, flawless produced, enthusiastically recommended "Rosemary & Thyme"!


The Parenting Shelf

My Child Won't Eat!
Carols Gonzalez
La Leche League International
1400 North Meacham Road, Schaumburg, IL 60173-4808
0912500999 $12.95 www.illi.org

"My Child Won't Eat!: How To Prevent & Solve The Problem" by pediatrician Carols Gonzalez is a thoroughly 'parent friendly' introduction to the common problem of getting children to eat what they are served. Blending real-life stories of maternal anguish over a child's stubborn refusal to eat with up-to-date nutritional and child-development research, Dr. Gonzalez illustrates and explains why eating problems start and how they can be avoided and treated. Forcing children to eat more than what they require can lead to tears, tantrums and even obesity. But knowing what constitutes healthful choices and meal-time strategies will result in peaceful dining and well-nourished kids. "My Child Won't Eat!" is a "must read" for any parent having to deal with a food-reluctant or 'picky' kid – and a welcome much needed addition to community library 'how-to' Parenting reference book collections for non-specialist general readers.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz
Mordecai Richler
BTC Audio Books
c/o Goose Lane Editions
469 King Street, Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 1E5
0864923635, $35.00, www.gooselane.com 1-888-926-8377

Very highly entertaining listening and a strongly recommended addition to personal and community library audiobook collections, "The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz" is the story of a clever and rather roguish young Jewish man who manages to leave Montreal's Jewish ghetto and in his pursuit of money and reputation doesn't hesitate to lie, cheat, and hurt everyone who loves him. A charismatic anti-hero, Duddly must learn the hard way that what he thought he wanted and the way he went about getting what he wanted aren't the best way to make his personal dreams come true. A work of humor and insight, this audiobook edition of "The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz" features original music and sound effects, is abridged by the author Mordecai Richler, superbly narrated by Paul Hecht, and is the impressive reproduction of an archival recording which first aired on CBC Radio in 1980.

Moon Over Morocco
ZBS Foundation
174 North River Road, Fort Edward, NJ 12828
1881137864 $55.00 www.zbs.org 1-800-662-3345

"Moon Over Morocco" sees the return of that intrepid and suave adventurer Jack Flanders as he encounters a parallel in modern day Morocco when he steps through the 'Gate of Peacocks'. As with all the 'theatre of the mind' radio adventures of Jack Flanders, listeners will enjoy a full cast of talented performers, state-of-the-art sound effects, plus music recorded on location in Morocco – all contributing to ten hours of high adventure, imaginative storytelling, and perilous mystery. For dedicated fans of these flawlessly recorded ZBS productions, "Moon Over Morocco" is a must. For those new to Jack Flanders, these extraordinary audio adventure will leave them seeking out his earlier adventures – which can be obtained from the ZBS website.

Top Girls
Caryl Churchill
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
1580813518 $24.95 www.latw.org 1-800-708-8863

Marlene (Amy Brenneman) has just been made Managing Director of the 'Top Girls Employment Agency' in Maggie Thatcher's anything-goes England of the high-flying 1980s. But in pursuing her professional success, Maggie doesn't really have any friends – but she is in possession of a personal past she'd just as soon forget. At a party where famous women from history collects, Maggie discovers that life above the 'glass ceiling' of the business world isn't really all that satisfying. Supported by an outstanding cast that includes Megan Austin Oberle, Kirsten Potter, Samantha Robson, Kate Steele, Concetta Tomei, and Missy Yager, this Caryl Churchill play, "Top Girls", is professionally directed by John Rubinstein and presents the listener with a truly impressive 'theatre of the mind' experience – the kind that is special to the resonating imagination and epitomizes the best of what live theatre has to offer an appreciative audience. Flawless produced and recorded, "Top Girls" is a strongly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library audiobook and Theatrical Studies collections.

The Looming Tower
Lawrence Wright
Tantor Media, Inc.
114 Mill Rock Road East, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
140013305X $79.99 www.tantor.com 1-877-782-6867

Written by author and screenwriter Lawrence Wright (who is also a staff writer for 'The New Yorker' magazine) and professionally narrated by Alan Sklar, "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda And The Road To 9/11" is an informed and informative history of the events, personalities, and policies that provide insight about one of the truly formative episodes in American history – the attack by Islamic fundamentalists upon the United States on September 11, 2001. Here detailed are the people, ideas, events and intelligence failures told from both American and the Islamic viewpoints. The narrative interweaves the lives of our men: two of the leaders of al-Qaeda (Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri) and the FBI's counter-terrorism chief (John O'Neill) and the former head of Saudi intelligence (Prince Turki al-Faisal). Especially recommended reading for the non-specialist general American citizen wanting a sound understanding of the coordinated attacks which plunged America into a global war on Islamic fundamentalist driven terrorism, this complete and unabridged library edition (consisting of 14 CDS with a total running time of 16.5 hours) of "The Looming Tower" should be on the shelves of every academic and community library system in the country. "The Looming Tower" is also available from Tantor Media is a retail audiobook edition (1400103053, 14 CDs, $39.99) as well as an MP3 CD edition (1400153050, 2 CDs, $39.99).

Covet
Tara Moss
Bolinda Publishing, Inc.
48 Oxford Woods, Falmouth, ME 04105-3401
1740936019 $80.00 www.bolinda.com 1-888-235-2019

Eighteen months after her ordeal at the hands of the sadistic 'Stiletto Murderer', fashion model and forensic psychology student Makedde Vanderwall must confront her demons when she returns to Sydney for the trial. But just as the verdict is handed down, the unthinkable happens – the homicidal maniac escapes and Makedde is his target once again. This is the basic plot of a truly riveting suspense novel by award-winning mystery writer Tara Moss who draws upon her own expertise as a former international model to craft a well-honed romantic thriller that will engage the listeners's total attention from beginning to end. This flawlessly recorded, 9 hour 45 minute, 10 CD audiobook features the author's own narration and is an enthusiastically recommended addition for community library audiobook and mystery/suspense collections.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Marioneta
La Cumbiamba eNeYe
Chonta Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
PO Box 1788, Bloomington, Indiana 47402-1788
www.chontarecords.com www.rockpaperscissors.biz www.amazon.com

Marioneta is the musical creation of La Cumbiamba eNeYe, a group dedicated to discovering and transforming Afro-Columbian music. African-influenced rhythms by way of Cuba and Brazil blend with traditional Columbian flute playing in this exciting celebration of musical culture, history, and invention. Taking its name after Columbia's northwest coast, La Cumbiamba eNeYe delights the ear with vibrant music celebrating life and happiness. The tracks are Andando Vengo, El Camaron, Marioneta, Voz de Nicolas Hernandez, Pachanga, Chicharron Peluo, Fiestas de mi Tierra, No Lo Mates, El Indio, Marimbita 'e Chonta, Sapo (Tungala), Descaderada, Encarnacion, Maridita, and Manuelito Barrios.

Collectables Records Corporation
PO Box 35, Narberth, PA 19072-0035
www.oldies.com 1-800-446-6426

Collectables Records is a premier source for 'yesteryear' music in the country, jazz, pop, rock, and big band genres. Offering the original performers and bands in an inexpensive CD format, Collectables Records enables anyone to build up an impressive and extensive library of their own favorite singers, musicians, and groups. Among the latest additions to the Collectables Records rooster are "Horace Heidt & His Brigadiers Introducing The King Sisters 1937-1938" (Col-CD-7542) featuring twenty-two class numbers that range from Hot Lips to This May Be The Night. Flavor's "Sally Had A Party"(COL-CD-7648), a collection of twenty-one singles that include Dancing In The Street and Shop Around. "Venus" (COL-CD-9996) that showcases ten tunes by Bananarama that include Tripping On Your Love and The Wild Life. "Country Classics" offers ten unforgettable numbers by Highway 101 that range from Whiskey, If You Were A Woman, to Somewhere Between Gone And Goodbye". For these and literally hundreds of other outstanding, flawless recorded and remastered CD releases, dedicated music enthusiasts and community librarians seeking to enhance their CD music collections at economical bargain prices are encouraged to visit and browse the Collectables Records website at www.oldies.com

Possible Dreams
Elise Lebec
Lebec Entertainment Ltd.
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
LECD 41324 $6.50 1-888-866-5252 www.amazon.com www.eliselebec.com

Her third and very highly recommended CD album, "Possible Dreams" showcases fourteen original compositions by Elise Lebec who took her inspiration from nature, love, and an optimistic hope for the future. Superbly performing her solo piano pieces for the edification (and even inspiration) of her listeners, Elise's flawlessly artistic performances showcase elegantly produced pieces that include Before Awakening (5:47); Behold (3:14); The First Time (7:05); Meeting You Again (3:44); Letter From Elise (2:39); A Drive Through Sunflowers (3:46); Colors Of The Heart (4:04); Imaginary Kisses (4:33); Remember When... (4:05); Dark Before Light (3:53); Beyond Desire (4:13); Moonlight Dance (4:58); A Cloudless Sky (4:57); and the title number, Possible Dreams (4:00).

Winter Tidings
Al Petteway & Amy White
Maggie's Music
PO Box 490, Shady Side, MD 20764
MM234 $15.98 www.maggiesmusic.com

The musical team of All Petteway and Amy White are known and appreciated for their blends of contemporary, Celtic-influenced, original and traditional instrumental music employing acoustic guitars, the mandolin, the piano, Irish bouzouki, and incredible beautiful vocals. "Winter Tidings" is a CD collection providing their musical tributes to winter in the Southern Appalachian mountain country and includes Breakin' Up (4:09); Joy to the World/The Gift (4:34); The Holly and the Ivy (4:11); Bring a Torch Jeannete Isabella (3:05); People Look East (3:22); Cherry Tree Carol (5:05); Into the Light (5:15); Roving on a Winter's Night (5:27); Aerial (3:44); Gabriel's Message/I Wonder as I Wander (4:57); A New Year's Carol/Sussex Carol/Tomorrow Will Be My Dancing Day (4:59); Christ Child's Lullaby (4:10); and Star in the East/Born in Bethany (3:30). "Winter Tidings" is a wonderfully performed and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library Christmas Season CD music collections.


The Native American Shelf

Taos Pueblo Painted Stories
Jonathan Warm Day
Clear Light Publishing
823 Don Diego, Santa Fe, NM 87505
157416080X $16.95 1-800-253-2747 www.clearlightbooks.com

In "Taos Pueblo Painted Stories", Native American artist and Taos Pueblo resident Jonathan Warm Day draws from his childhood memories of Pueblo life in a visual presentation that follows the Taos Pueblo community through the fours seasons. The result is an impressive combination of imagery and story blended together to describe a culture of traditions and customs. "Taos Pueblo Painted Stories" is highly recommended for readers of all ages and would make a welcome, timeless, and enduringly popular addition to family, school and community library Native American collections.

Cut Nose
Loren Dean Boutin
North Star Press of St. Cloud Inc.
PO Box 451 St. Cloud, MN 56302
087839236X $14.95 www,cloudnet.com 320-558-9062

Written by Loren Dean Boutin, Cut Nose: Who Stands on a Cloud is the true story Cut Nose, a Dakotah Native American who was a primary instigator and leader in a merciless uprising against white settlers that massacred hundreds of men, women, children, and the elderly. This uprising was eventually crushed with brutal retaliation, and in retribution the native population as a whole was forcibly relocated, with numerous casualties. Cut Nose and thirty-seven others were hanged, and buried at an unknown grave site that was subsequently desecrated and robbed. Thoroughly documented, Cut Nose: Who Stands on a Cloud recounts the desperate times and broken treaty promises that helped spark the rebellion; Cut Nose's youth, marked by promiscuity and a burning desire to become a great hunter; and his adult attitude that only complete extermination of white settlers was acceptable; and the terrible uprising as well as its outcome, including the decree to hang thirty-eight alleged prisoners signed by President Abraham Lincoln. A fascinating close study of history and a recommended addition to Native American biography shelves.

Blue Stone
The Blue Stone Project
Canyon Records
3131 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85017
CR-7076 $15.98 www.canyonrecords.com 1-800-268-1141

The Blue Stone Project is a Native American musical group consisting of guitarist and flutist Aaron White, guitarist/bassist Gary Rasmussen, and drummer Ed Michaels who combine their talent to create a blues-tinged, rock-oriented sound reflecting contemporary Native American life in America. Their music in this superbly crafted recording is enhanced with the inclusion on one track (Heart Beat) by the poetry and voice of John Densmore (the drummer and founding member of the Doors). Very highly recommended and entertaining listening, "Blue Stone" has a total running time of 55:51 and features the original compositions Sacred Road (3:27); What I See (4:46); Heart Beat (4:08); Worth of Man (3:46); John Doe (4:41); Edge of the Rez Part 2 (4:09); Wild Horse Stomp (3:52); Hold on to Hope and Love (3:49); Moonlight Shadows (4:31); On the Back Roads of Life (3:34); Little East (3:14); Songs of Freedom (4:30); Cross Winds (3:40); concluding with Heart Beat (4:08)


The Sports Shelf

Ascent
Richard Yates
Van der Plas Publications
1282 7th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122
189249552X, $29.95, www.cyclepublishing.com 1-877-353-1207

The 'Tour de France' is an historic annual bicycling contest across the French countryside and through French communities that began in 1903 and in recent years (thanks in large part to Lance Armstrong) has become of great interest in America. In "Ascent: The Mountains Of The Tour De France", British cycling author and 'Tour de France' expert Richard Yates has written a history of this remarkable bicycle race with all its drama and competitive excitement in the mountain country expanses of the race course. Profusely illustrated with 150 duotone photographs and other historical illustrations, this superbly written and knowledgeably presented 160-page history is a 'must read' for all dedicated bicyclists and Tour de France enthusiasts, as well as a strongly recommended addition to community library Sports & Athletics collections.

Eric Bischoff: Controversy Creates Cash
Eric Bischoff with Jeremy Roberts
World Wrestling Entertainment
c/o Pocket Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
141652729X $26.00 www.simonsays.com, www.wwe.com

Eric Bischoff: Controversy Creates Cash takes a look at the life and career of easily the most controversial man in the professional wrestling industry. Bischoff doesn't dwell much on his personal life, knowing his audience will pick up this book for another side of the story. And that's exactly what Bischoff intends and does deliver. He offers his side of the story, opposing commonly accepted 'insider' info about himself and his various controversial business decisions such as firing the biggest star in the industry in the 1990s (Steve Austin), and why World Championship Wrestling was doomed no matter what he or anyone else did. Insights you cannot miss if you consider yourself a historian or hardcore fan of professional wrestling.


The Education Shelf

Staying On Track
Dale L. Baker & Larry D. Coble
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
1412939364 $27.95 www.corwinpress.com

Now in an updated second edition with two new chapters addressing the political realities of the No Child Left Behind Act, Staying On Track: An Educational Leader's Guide to Preventing Derailment and Ensuring Personal and Organizational Success is a guide written especially for educational administrators. Focusing especially upon the most likely threats to derail an educational leader, the potential accountability for high-stakes testing, and the most important skills for improving data-driven decision making, Staying On Track offers advice in plain terms, checklists of key points to remember and implement, and a season-by-season overview of what to expect in the career of educational administrator. A helpful and practical-minded guide to being the best administrator one can be.

Quick and Lively Classroom Activities
Linda Nason McElherne M.A.
Free Spirit Publishing
217 Fifth Avenue North, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1299
157542214X $29.95 www.freespirit.com 612-338-2068

Written by Linda Nason McElherne M.A., Quick and Lively Classroom Activities: Meaningful Ways to Keep Kids Engaged During Transition Time, Downtime, or Anytime is a compilation of 260 curriculum-based thematic activities suitable for 15 to 20 minute blocks of time during a school day. Intended for children in grades 3-6, the activities range from learning how to assert oneself and develop basic time management to building teamwork skills to teaming up to make a coloring book for younger kids or writing poetry. Discussion questions and a CD-ROM of the reproducible handouts round out this superb educational tool for kick-starting the day, or transforming homeroom into a positive learning experience.

Teaching Mathematics to Middle School Students with Learning Difficulties
Edited by Marjorie Montague & Asha K. Jitendra
The Guilford Press
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
1593853068 $25.00 www.guilford.com

Edited by Marjorie Montague ( Professor of Special Education at the University of Miami) and Asha K. Jitendra (a Professor and Coordinator of Special Education at Lehigh University), Teaching Mathematics to Middle School Students with Learning Difficulties is an anthology writings by experienced educators. Methodologies for helping middle school students with learning difficulties internalize basic mathematic skills are discussed at length, along with lesson plans, guidelines for teaching self-directed problem-solving strategies, recommendations for building foundational concepts, and much more. Examples and diagrams help clarify methodologies in this timely and enthusiastically recommended resource for public and private schoolteachers.

Supervision for Learning
James M. Aseltine, Judith O. Faryniarz, & Anthony J. Rigazio-DiGilio
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
1416603271 $27.95 www.ascd.org/books

Written by the expert team of James M. Aseltine, Judith O. Faryniarz, and Anthony J. Rigazio-DiGilio, Supervision for Learning: A Performance-Based Approach to Teacher Development and School Improvement is a resource especially for school leaders striving to improve upon traditional methods of teacher supervision and evaluation. Rather than focus upon the usual recourse of limiting examination to teacher lesson plans, instruction, and classroom management practices, Supervision for Learning presents methods for Performance-Based Supervision and Evaluation (PBSE), a data-driven, teacher-directed approach to uncovering just how effective teachers address the learning needs of their students. Chapters walk the reader through applying the PBSE model step-by-step, while honoring the judgment of teachers, empowering teachers to use the performance data as a basis for their instructional decisions, developing meaningful collaborative relationships with teachers, and much more. Enthusiastically recommended, especially with the changing and increasing educational demands of the twenty-first century.

Vocalis Ltd.
100 Avalon Circle, Waterbury, CT 06710
www.vocalis.com

Vocalist Ltd is a publishing company which specializes in the development and production of 'English as a Second Language' (ESL) multi-media products for the classroom. Vocalis Ltd. titles are routinely adopted as supplemental materials for public and private school bi-lingual curriculums, as well as for advanced academic library ESL development collections. Two of their newest titles have just been released and are especially recommended. "Conversation Pieces For Improving ESL Communication" (1932653678, $39.95) is a DVD designed to materially assist viewers in developing verbal language skills by focusing upon conversational flow; vocabulary development; informal expressions, idioms and contractions; and standard, regional, and foreign accent pronunciation. Nine topical scenes (greetings, food, health, work, shopping, weather, house, interview, and directions) are presented with everyday words related to common situations. Each is then repeated with a scrolling text/audio tract for listening comprehension. "Conversation Pieces" combines audio-visual elements with the written word for maximum accessibility for the student. The "ESL Toolkit: An English As A Second Language Collection" (1932653333, $84.95) is a two disc CD-Rom teaching English grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, idioms and verb conjugation. The English-instructional material includes 'The Grammar Cracker'; 'IPA Phonics'; 'Varsity Vocabulary'; 'A Boatload of Idioms'; and 'The Verb Conjugator'. Designed for intermediate level and advanced level ESL students, the "ESL Toolkit" is a complete and comprehensive resource with which to develop and hone the ESL student's linguistic sophistication and performance. For these and the other highly respected and strongly recommended learning aids, academic librarians, language instructors and student learners are encouraged to visit the Vocalis Ltd. Website at www.vocalis.com


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Catalyst
Bob Harvey
Synergy Books
2100 Kramer Lane, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78758
1933538384 $21.95 www.meandyoutoo.com

Homeopathic care-giver and devoted pet lover Bob Harvey presents Catalyst, the first book of the adventure tetrology "Me and You Too" in which "no people are allowed without pets!" In the wake of a terrible fire, a seemingly ordinary man "adopted" by an independent stray cat must combine his strengths with others on the brink of world-spanning transformations. Catalyst is an exceptional hardcover novel in that its story is told not simply with printed words, but also unique background colors on every two-page spread, and interjections of words in stand-out colors and fonts every few paragraphs. The lively attention-getting presentation complements an exciting adventure that practically leaps off the page.

September Snow
Robert Balmanno
Regent Press
6020-A Adeline Street, Oakland, CA 94608
1587900939 $15.95 www.regentpress.com www.blessingsofgaia.com

Written by Robert Balmanno, September Snow is a science fiction novel set in a dystopian future in which the Earth's climate is manipulated by nuclear-powered machines to disastrous effect. The ozone layer is all but gone, and a sun-poisoned population must seek shelter within protective Gaia Domes. The religion of Gaia, once dedicated to protecting the Earth, has been corrupted into an evil regime. One woman gifted in body and mind, September, spearheads the rebellion against the malevolent alliance's implacable rule, driven in part by the callous execution of her husband. Part cautionary tale, part sharply written adventure, September Snow is highly recommended.


The Economics Shelf

The Sarbanes-Oxley Debacle
Henry N. Butler & Larry E. Ribstein
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
1150 Seventeenth Street, NW Washington DC 20036
0844771945 $25.00 www.aei.org

Written by economics professor Henry N. Butler and law professor Larry E. Ribstein, The Sarbanes-Oxley Debacle: What We've Learned, How to Fix It is a sharp-tongued denouncing of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or SOX. SOX was a legal measure created in response to the misconduct of the Enron Corporation, with the intent of protecting investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures. Yet the strict new rules affecting financial practices and corporate governance regulation that comprise SOX cause a heavy direct and indirect cost - one so great, according to The Sarbanes-Oxley Debacle, that it harms the very investors it was supposed to protect as surely as the companies themselves. By creating opportunities for excessive litigation, increasing risk aversion by managers, and distracting executives' attention from maximizing shareholder value, among other flaws, SOX's disadvantages far outweigh its advantages according to the authors - who have come up with a far more viable plan to repeal or legally challenge SOX and address the issues SOX was meant to handle in a more effective manner. Especially recommended reading for policymakers and professionals in the field of corporate business law.


The Psychology Shelf

Contemporary Play Therapy
Charles E. Schaefer & Heidi Gerard Kaduson, editors
The Guilford Press
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
1593853041 $38.00 www.guilford.com

Edited by Charles E. Schaefer (Professor of Psychology at Farleigh Dickinson University) and Heidi Gerard Kaduson (specialist in evaluation and intervention services for children with behavioral, emotional, and learning problems), Contemporary Play Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice is an anthology of essays written by professionals, for professionals. Essays discuss current ideas and techniques concerning the helpful tool of play therapy, research evaluating the effectiveness of play therapy, and creative approaches for applying play therapy in situations ranging from parental divorce, maltreatment, and abuse, to surviving natural disasters and much more. A special section concerning cultural competence when treating Mexican-American children rounds out this invaluable compilation of the latest findings in the field.

Emotion Regulation in Couples and Families
Edited by Douglas K. Snyder, Jeffry A. Simpson, & Jan N. Hughes
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE Washington DC 20002
1591473942 $59.95 www.apa.org/books 1-800-374-2721

Edited by the team of Douglas K. Snyder (a professor and the director of clinical psychology training at Texas A&M University), Jeffry A. Simpson (a professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus), and Jan N. Hughes (a Professor of educational psychology at Texas A&M University), Emotion Regulation in Couples and Families: Pathways to Dysfunction and Health is a collection of essays by experts in social, developmental, and clinical disciplines of psychology. Essay topics range from theoretical perspectives, such as "Emotional Intelligence and the Self-Regulation of Affect", to links between emotional regulation and dysfunction or well being, such as "Marital Discord and Children's Emotional Self-Regulation", to clinical interventions in the emotional regulation process, such as "Promoting Emotional Expression and Emotional Regulation in Couples". Each essay draws upon cutting-edge research and theory with the common goal of broadening human understanding of not only how emotional regulation works, but how to effectively use that knowledge to aid patients most in need of help. Highly recommended.


The Music Shelf

Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated History of Gypsy Jazz
Michael Dregni with Alain Antonietto and Anne Legrand
Speck Press
PO Box 102004, Denver, CO 102004
193310810X $25.00 www.speckpress.com 1-800-996-9783

Gorgeously illustrated with black-and-white and color photographs and poster representations on almost every page, Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated History of Gypsy Jazz is the true story of a legendary figure in Gypsy Jazz, a music style that arose in the Jazz Age of the 1920's by blending the Romany violin and flamenco guitar with the trumpet and other jazz instruments. Django Reinhardt and the Illustrated History of Gypsy Jazz traces the style's evolution and the career of the man who embodied it through the horrors of World War II, when the Nazis severely persecuted the Gypsies in Europe, and onward to Gypsy Jazz's rhythm-and-blues legacy for the modern day. The lively text entertains as thoroughly as it enlightens, in this enthusiastically recommended volume for casual readers and music history buffs.


The Cookbook Shelf

As Fresh As It Gets
Christian Gaudreault and Star Spilos
Arsenal Pulp Press
341 Water Street, Suite 200, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6B 1BB
1551521997 $21.95 www.arsenalpulp.com

Christian Gaudreault and Star Spilos, owners Vancouver's award-winning Tomato Fresh Food Cafe, present As Fresh As It Gets: Everyday Recipes from the Tomato Fresh Food Cafe, a cookbook emphasizing recipes that can easily be made with ingredients available anywhere. From Heirloom Tomato Salad to Rigatoni with Chorizo, Brussel Sprouts with Chili Orange Maple Butter, Chocolate Mint & Pistachio Pesto, and much more, these delicious recipes balance succulent natural flavor and healthful living. Tomatoes are prominently featured of course, but As Fresh As It Gets is far from a mono-food themed cookbook; the available courses to delight the palate are sure to please homestyle chefs of all backgrounds, palates, and experience levels. Highly recommended.

The Lebanese Kitchen
Monique Bassila Zaarour
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
1566566428, $26.95, www.interlinkbooks.com

"The Lebanese Kitchen: Quick & Healthy Recipes" showcases recipes drawn from the Lebanese culinary heritage of food writer, nutritionist, and healthy eating expert Monique Bassila Zaarour. Enhanced with full-color photographs of each finished dish, the mouth-watering, palate-pleasing, body-healthy, instructive recipes range from Toasted Pine Nuts; Potato and Egg Salad; Moussaka; Artichoke Stew; and Stuffed Zucchini; to Shepherd's Pie; Chicken and Cilantro; Moughrabieh (chicken with pea-shaped dough); and Baked Fish Fillet. "The Lebanese Kitchen" is particularly recommended for ethnic cookbook collections in particular, and would make a welcome and much appreciated addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections in general.

The Good Home Cookbook
Richard J. Perry, editor
Collectors Press, Inc.
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
1933112255, $29.95, www.collectorspress.com 1-800-423-1848

Compiled and edited by classically trained chef Richard J. Perry, "The Good Home Cookbook" is a truly impressive compendium of more than one thousand traditional American recipes showcasing the very best of classic American cuisine drawn from cooks and chefs in all fifty states and reflecting the food and beverage culinary traditions of every region of the country. From Seafood Newburg; Apple-Stuffed Pork Crown Roast; Beer Brats; and Butternut Squash Casserole; to Hot Cross Buns; White Layer Cake; Cheese Bread; and Pina Colada, "The Good Home Cookbook" will prove to be the cornerstone volume of any family cookbook collection. Especially recommended for novice cooks and with much to commend it to even the more experienced family chef, each showcased recipe comes with a brief description, a list of ingredients, clear and easy instructions, and estimated servings. If you only have room, time, or money enough for one more family cookbook, you'd be best advised to make it "The Good Home Cookbook"!

Food Made Fast: Weeknight
Williams-Sonoma/Oxmoor House
Sunset Publishing Corporation
80 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025-3691
0848731379, $17.95, www.sunset.com 1-800-643-8030

Featuring a compilation of recipes by Melanie Barnard and superbly illustrated with the color photography of Tucker & Hossler, "Food Made Fast: Weeknight" a combination of quick and easy, 20-minute preparation time meals for busy nights, and delicious 30-minute 'start-to-finish' recipes for anytime that time is of the essence. Also included are simple but elegant recipes for making large batches of those dishes that can not only provide an immediate dinner, but serve as the foundation for two or three future meals as well. From Tandoori-Style Halibut; Lemongrass Chicken and Asparagus; Chimichurri Steak; and Sausages with White Beans; to Cuban Beef Picadillo; Moroccan Lamb Burgers; Herbed Spinach Frittata with Feta; and Italian Seafood Stew, "Food Made Fast: Weeknight"truly lives up to its title and would make an welcome addition to any kitchen cookbook collection. Also very highly recommended for time-stressed kitchen cooks are the other outstanding titles in the Williams-Sonoma 'Food Made Fast' cookbook series from Oxmoor House: "Slow Cooker"; "Baking"; Pasta"; and "Soup".


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Rosh Hashanah Readings
Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins, editor
Jewish Lights Publishing
PO Box 237, Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4, Woodstock, VT 05091
1580232396 $24.99 www.jewishlights.com

Edited by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins, Rosh Hashanah Readings: Inspiration Information Contemplation is an anthology of writings by esteemed Jewish religious leaders and scholars, meant to be experienced and shared during the High Holy Days that mark the Jewish New Year, and the accompanying challenge of faith to undertake spiritual and moral self-examination. Most individual passages are brief, only a few paragraphs long, and therefore suitable to be read aloud at gatherings and celebrations, or with family and friends. Enthusiastically recommended reading to enrich the mind and spirit, and a superb companion volume to Elkins' previous title, "Yom Kippur Readings".


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

The Training Design Manual
Tony Bray
Kogan Page LTD
525 South 4th Street, #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
074944570X $45.00 www.kogan-page.co.uk

Written by training course and workshop designer Tony Bray, The Training Design Manual: The Complete Practical Guide To Creating Effective and Successful Training Programmes is a solid, user-friendly manual offering both theoretical guidance and practical exercises to aid the reader in designing a successful training course for any field, business, or endeavor. Chapters address the importance of analysis for successful formal learning, the STAR design model, the impact of different learning styles, how to create effective course materials, how and when to use audio, visual aids, and e-learning, staging a successful pilot course before going live, and much more. Numerous helpful diagrams, recommended learning activities to stage, and an accompanying CD-ROM filled with templates and source materials round out this all-purpose tool for putting together an effective training workshop. Highly recommended.

Top 100 Health-Care Careers
Dr. Saul Wischnitzer & Edith Wischnitzer
Jist Works
8902 Otis Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46216-1033
159357178X $24.95 www.jist.com

Written by Dr. Saul Wischnitzer & Edith Wischnitzer, Top 100 Health-Care Careers: Your Complete Guidebook to Training and Jobs in Allied Health, Nursing, Medicine, and More is the updated second edition of a thorough, easy-to-use handbook for selecting a health care career best suited to one's interests, training, and aptitude. Listing training requirements, salary ranges, advancement opportunities, certification and license procedures, and much more for each of the 100 health care careers featured, Top 100 Health-Care Careers gets the reader started with extensive contact information for institutions that can provide training, along with details on admissions tests and obtaining financial aid, and solid advice for choosing the right path for one's future in the field. An up-to-date resource and a "must-have" for anyone planning their future in health care.


The Biography Shelf

This Is Our Place, This Is Our Home
Joan Edward
Breakwater Books Ltd.
100 Water Street, PO Box 2188, St. John's, NL A1C6E6
1550812107 $29.95 www.breakwaterbooks.com

Part memoir, part travelogue, This Is Our Place, This Is Our Home is the story of author Joan Edward's experience traveling through and living in Newfoundland, and perfectly captures the rhythm of daily life along the coast, in harmony with the gifts of the sea. Illustrated with black-and-white sketches, This Is Our Place, This Is Our Home celebrates the simple things in life, and the joy of being connected to land, water, and good neighbors. Expressly dedicated to all Newfoundlanders and Newfoundland itself, This Is Our Place, This Is Our Home uplifts the spirit and reminds the reader the importance of the most basic treasures of living day to day.

The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton
G.K. Chesterton
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
1586170716 $16.95 www.ignatius.com

Completed only a few weeks prior to the close of the author's long, successful and happy life, The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton is the life story of one the modern era's most prolific authors, credited with approximately one hundred books on topics ranging from philosophy, theology, poetry, literature, fiction, and history. Written in an amiable, accessible first-person voice, and illustrated with some forty rare black-and-white photographs, The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton is a "must-have" for researchers and students of Chesterton's literary work, and highly recommended for college and public library collections. A witty, insightful chronicle brimming with wisdom, experience, and more than a few life lessons learned the hard way.


The Literary Shelf

George Elliot U.S.
Monika Mueller
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
2010 Eastpark Boulevard, Cranbury, NJ 08512
0838640559 $52.50 www.fdu.edu/newspubs/fdupress.html

Written by Monika Mueller (teaches American and English literature at the University of Cologne, Germany), George Elliot U.S.: Transatlantic Literary and Cultural Perspectives is an extensive work of literary criticism and analysis that explores the complicated and reciprocal relationship between George Elliot's fiction and the writings of her American contemporaries, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Margaret Fuller, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. George Elliot U.S. also scrutinizes Elliot's lasting influence on American fiction to the modern day, and particularly contemplates modern American adaptions of her work. The evolution of a postdoctoral thesis, George Elliot U.S. is a highly scholarly and seminal contribution to literary criticism shelves, and particularly recommended for college libraries and students of Elliot's works.

Poets and Poems
Harold Bloom
Chelsea House 132 West 31st Street, 17th floor, New York, NY 10001
0791082253 $45.00 www.chelseahouse.com

Part of the Bloom's Literary Criticism 20th Anniversary Collection series, Poets and Poems gathers the twenty years' of literary criticism expertise of Harold Bloom (Sterling Professor of the Humanities at Yale University) into a single omnibus dedicates to scrutinizing some of the greatest known poets, including Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Hart Crane, William Shakespeare, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Butler Yeats, and many others. The spotlight on each covered author tends to span a dozen or fewer pages, yet concisely covers his or her strengths, weaknesses, backgrounds, passions, and favored modes of expression. Sample poems from each author illustrate the crystal clear points Bloom draws from the writing, in this quality literary survey and analysis. A genre-specific bibliography and an index complement this superb introduction to close readings of immortal poetry masters.


The American History Shelf

A Second Home
Sue Thomas
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, Mo 65201
0826216692 $14.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress

Written by former elementary school teacher Sue Thomas, A Second Home: Missouri's Early Schools is a fascinating history of Missouri's early schools and their role in taming the frontier, from the first one-room schoolhouses to charity schools for poor and Indian children, "dame schools", denominational schools, subscription schools, and more up until the 1850s and the rise of state-sponsored public education. Chapters address not only the basic facts about the construction and organization of Missouri's first schools, but also daily life for the educators and the students, including the difficulties of balancing schooling with the seasonal pioneer necessities of clearing fields, harvesting crops and providing shelter. A handful of black-and-white photographs and illustrations embellish this well-researched and thoroughly engaging tour of yesteryear.

American Speeches
The Library of America
14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
1931082979 $35.00 (Volume 1); 1931082987 $35.00 (Volume 2); www.loa.org

The Library of America presents a two-volume set collecting 128 of the greatest and most pivotal speeches in American history, complete and unabridged. "American Speeches: Political Oratory from the Revolution to the Civil War" (1931082979, $35.00) includes Patrick Henry's "liberty or death" speech, George Washington's appeal to mutinous officers, presidential inaugural addresses, Sojourner Truth's speech to Women's Rights Convention, Abraham Lincoln's address at Gettysburg, and much more. "American Speeches: Political Oratory from Abraham Lincoln to Bill Clinton" (1931082987, $35.00) includes Abraham Lincoln's Speech on Reconstruction, presidential addresses, Woodrow Wilson's address to the Senate on the League of Nations, Franklin Roosevelt's address to Congress on war with Japan, Martin Luther King's nobel prize address, Ronald Regan's address to the nation on the Challenger disaster, and much more. Extensive biographical notes, notes on the texts, and an index round out each volume, and both come bound with an inset ribbon bookmark for easy page marking. The complete two-volume set deftly preserves the voices of key Americans throughout history, and is a "must-have" for both school and public library reference collections.


The Business Shelf

Risk Intelligence
David Apgar
Harvard Business Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
1591399548 $29.95 www.hbspress.org

Written by David Apgar, a managing director of the Corporate Executive Board best-practices research organization which serves senior executives at over 2,500 institutions worldwide, Risk Intelligence: Learning To Manage What We Don't Know openly challenges the common presumption that risk management and related business judgments is a matter solely for technical specialists. Risk Intelligence teaches the reader how to distinguish learnable risks from random risks in business decisions, how to score one's own risk intelligence, how to conduct a solid risk strategy audit, how to build networks that can adapt dynamically to risk, and much more. Written in plain terms with clear examples, Risk Intelligence is enthusiastically recommended for business leaders seeking to sharpen their flexibility and adaptability when confronting unknown threats.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Too Much Stuff
Kathryn Porter
Beacon Hill Press
2923 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64109
0834122561 $13.99

Kathryn Porter (member of the National Association of Professional Organizers) presents Too Much Stuff is a "faith-based message on keeping a clean house", as told from the personal experience of a mother who learned to preserve hygiene and order for the sake of health, well-being, and as a means to increase her connection to God rather than to distracting material items and disorganization. Chapters include questions and guidelines for assessing the extent of one's clutter, prayer points to help focus on God while de-cluttering, and practical advice for ending the clutter cycle - not only cleaning up, but taking measures to prevent clutter accumulation. A solidly helpful book for improving one's quality of life, highly recommended.

Getting the Gospel Right
Cornelis P. Venema
The Banner of Truth
PO Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013
085151927X $6.00 www.banneroftruth.co.uk

Written by Cornelis P. Venema (President of Mid-America Reformed Seminary, Dyer, Indiana), Getting the Gospel Right: Assessing the Reformation and New Perspectives on Paul addresses the challenge of spreading the Gospel with integrity and in accordance with Scriptural teachings. Getting the Gospel Right explores what precisely the Scriptures teach with regard to the central message of the Gospel, and the difference of perspectives between the Reformers who insist that God's acceptance of sinners based on Christ's sacrifice lies at the core of the Gospel, and "new perspectives" on Paul's teaching advocated by those who have recently examined historical sources in a fresh light. Is redemption achieved through justification, through grace alone, or through faith alone? Getting the Gospel Right critically weighs the differences between views, though author Venema ultimately concludes that while the new perspective has shed some insight, the old doctrine of salvation through justification that reinforces the transformative power of Christ's sacrifice is the true heart of the Gospel and the Christian faith. A persuasive and thoughtfully argued religious text, written to be accessible to lay Christians as surely as to religious scholars.

United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
United States Conference of Bishops
USCCB Publishing
PO Box 73099, Baltimore, MD 21273-0099
1574554506 $24.95 www.usccbpublishing.com

Approved and authorized for publication by the full body of The United States Conference of Bishops, United States Catholic Catechism for Adults is an in-depth reference text written especially to aid in the instruction of Catholic doctrine in general, and the preparation of catechisms in particular. From a straightforward profession of the faith's core tenets, to the sacraments that celebrate the faith, to the Christian morality principles that embody the practice of the faith lived and prayer as taught by Jesus Christ, United States Catholic Catechism for Adults thoroughly describes and explains the Catholic creed in terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds, including and lay followers and students. A solidly written, straightforward, and definitive reference.

Evolution and Christian Faith
Joan Roughgarden
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20009
Dechant Hughes Associates (publicity)
1440 North Kingsbury, Chicago, IL 60622
1597260983 $14.95 www.dechnthughes.com

Written by evolutionary biologist and passionate Christian Joan Roughgarden, Evolution and Christian Faith: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist offers a bridge between the rigors of science and the spiritual commitment of faith. Chapters discuss evolution from a rationalist perspective in both religion and science, from what it really means to take the Bible literally to the Roman Catholic position to issues of intelligent design, gender and sexuality, species change and how change happens, and much more. A thoughtful, well-written, and highly accessible middle ground between disciplines.


The World History Shelf

A History of the World in 6 Glasses
Tom Standage
Walker & Company
104 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
0802714471 $25.00 www.amazon.com

Written by science and technology journalist Tom Standage, A History of the World in 6 Glasses offers a unique retelling of world history from ancient Mesopotamian civilizations to the modern-day - through the focuses of beverages. A gourmet-centric discussion contemplating the proliferation of beers, teas, coffees, wines, spirits, and the relatively recent invention of carbonated beverages, and their involvement in everything from wars to the slave trade, colonization, and the rise and fall of empires, A History of the World in especially engaging for lay readers but also deserves the attention of scholars for its esoteric and unique perspective. Highly recommended.

Galileo Observed
William R. Shea and Mariano Artigas
Science History Publishing International
PO Box 1240, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562-1240
0881353566 $30.00 www.shpusa.com

William R. Shea (professor of History of Science, University of Padua) and Mariano Artigas (Dean of the Ecclesiastical Faculty, University of Navarra, Spain) present Galileo Observed: Science and the Politics of Belief, a history written to set the record straight about what really happened at Galileo's famous trial, unmuddled by propaganda or novelizations. Skeptically examining all available historical sources, from claims that Galileo was port in chains and subjected to torture or that a forged document was brought forth at his trial, to numerous comparisons between Galileo and the friar Giordano Bruno, Galileo Observed strives to uncover the truth or its most likely estimation. A scholarly work illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs, Galileo Observed is nevertheless thoroughly accessible to lay readers and is therefore recommended for public library collections as well as those of college libraries.


The Sociology Shelf

Community Media
Ellie Rennie
The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
0742539253 $24.95 www.rowmanlittlefield.com

Written by Ellie Rennie (research fellow at the Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology), Community Media: A Global Introduction is a guide to community media theory, revealing how local media can challenge the mainstream and encourage communities to engage in greater participation and social change. A highly scholarly book drawing upon worldwide examples of digital broadcasting, community broadcasting (both legitimate and pirated), the interplay between community and network society, and much more. Community Media is a lynchpin to better understanding improved societal communications in the twenty-first century, and is a welcome addition to college library sociology shelves and media studies reference texts.


The Gardening Shelf

Teaming with Microbes
Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis
Timber Press Inc
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland, OR 97204-3527
0881927775 $24.95 www.timberpress.com/media

Written by lifelong gardeners Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis, Teaming With Microbes: A Gardener's guide to the Soil Food Web is a guide to using natural means to enrich the nutrients in soil and therefore the plants that grow in it, such as compost, mulches, and compost teas, rather than harshly toxic artificial fertilizers that destroy the very microbes that sustain healthy plants, therefore making plants increasingly dependent artificial nourishment. Color photographs illustrate the highly educational and practical text, which is divided into two parts. Part one is filled with information about the soil-food web from bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa to earthworms, gastropods, and mammals; part two describes in detail how to apply the soil-food web effectively in one's gardening, with the note that no one ever had to fertilize an old-growth forest. Enthusiastically recommended for gardeners of all skill and experience levels, as well as students and professionals in the fields of horticulture and agriculture.


The Civil War Shelf

Ghosts and Shadows of Andersonville
Robert S. Davis
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207-0001
0881460125 $35.00 www.mupress.org 1-800-634-2378

Historian Robert S. Davis presents Ghosts and Shadows of Andersonville: Essays on the Secret Social Histories of America's Deadliest Prison, an in-depth scrutiny that openly dispels commonly held misperceptions about the so-called "American Death Camp" of the Confederate prison of Andersonville, and the trial of its most famous figure, Captain Henry Wirz. Focusing keenly on the lives of Americans connected to Andersonville prison before and during the Civil War, Ghosts and Shadows of Andersonville does not minimize or excuse the starvation, mistreatment, and fatalities of the prison but simultaneously counters accusations of deliberate extermination with evidence that the prison also served as a hospital, and that the guards suffered from malnutrition and starvation as surely as the prisoners. A balanced scrutiny of a dark place in America's past, that draws heavily and directly from letters, journals, articles and other primary sources to present its case.


The Art Shelf

Roman Singer
Gerhard Mack, Paula van den Bosch, Jeremy Millar
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10014
0714844454, $39.95, www.phaidon.com

The collaborative work of architecture critic Gerhard Mack, Paula van den Bosch (Curator of Contemporary Art at Bonnefantunmuseum, Maastrict), and the artist, critic and curator Jeremy Millar, "Roman Singer" offers the reader an extended monograph covering the life and work of the Swiss artist and sculptor Roman Signer who is bet known for creating events in ;which simple materials such as rockets, balloons, and rushing water react with natural forces to create surprising lyrical and artistic results. The informed and informative text featuring an interview by Paula van den Bosch with Roman Signer, Gerhard Mack's discussion of the recurrent motifs and major themes in Signer's works, and a 1984 interview revealing Signer's attitude towards the danger inherit in his approach to (and involvement with) some of his projects is superbly enhanced with ninety color and 40 b/w illustrations. "Roman Singer" offers insightful reading into the man and his work, making it a welcome and important addition to personal, professional, and academic library collections of Art History, Contemporary Art & Artists, and Art Criticism.

Godard: Don't Drink & Draw
Enfantino Publishing
c/o Publisher Design Group, Inc.
PO Box 27, Roseville, Ca 95678
192917022X, PB, $34.95; 1929170238, HC, $79.95

Michael Godard is a contemporary American artist who arose from a troubled childhood to be enjoy celebrity, patronage and friendship with fans and collectors that include Chris Angel, Gloria Estafan, Cristina Applegate, Ozzy Osbourne, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jay Leno, Vince Neil, and so many others. "Godard: Don't Drink & Draw" is a biographical showcase of more than 250 original paintings and drawings, as well as numerous special projects for celebrities and rock stars. Now fans can learn how Godard was able to achieve 'rock-star-of-the-art-world' status while dealing with censorship, rejection, insult and poverty. "Godard: Don't Drink & Draw" is a 'must' for all Godard fans, as well as a welcome and highly recommended addition to academic and community library American Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Toppers and Flappers: The Art of Russell Patterson
Shane Glines and Alex Chun, editors
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
156097737X $19.95 www.fantagraphics.com

Toppers and Flappers: The Art of Russell Patterson is a snazzy coffee-table artbook featuring the 1920's and 30's magazine cartoons of Russell Patterson. Most illustrations are in black-and-white; some are color reproduction of magazine covers; nearly all feature the stylish "flapper" women of the era engaged in a wide variety of poses and activities, from reading tabloids on a bus to engaging in archery for the sake of showing off medieval costumes. The text introduces the reader to the mood of the era and Patterson's life and career, but most of Toppers and Flappers is dedicated to the vivacious, cutting, sometimes slightly lewd, and always eye-catching images themselves. Highly recommended for period piece artbook collections.

Great Women Of The Bible In Art And Literature
Dorothee Soelle & Joe H. Kirchberger
Fortress Press
c/o Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
PO Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
0800635574, $29.00, www.fortresspress.com

Benefitting from the professional art direction of Anne-Marie Schniper and an informative Foreword by herbert Haag, "Great Women Of The Bible In Art And Literature" by Dorothee Soelle (Professor of Theology, Union Theological Seminary, New York City) and historian Joe H. Kirchberger, offers and showcases biographical synopsis of the stories of the eleven women named in the bible, and one referred to only as the 'Woman with the Ointment', as represented in literature and art over the centuries. The women include Eve and Lilith (Adam's first wife referred to in Judaic commentaries on the Torah), Sara and Hagar, Tamar, Ruth the Moabit, Abigail, Judith, Esther, Mary and Martha, and Mary of Magdala. Enhanced with a bibliography, and a listing of literary sources, "Great Women Of The Bible In Art And Literature" offers an informed and informative text based upon biblical and non-biblical sources, along with superb paintings and visual images – perhaps the most unusual of which is a depiction of Lilith taken from a Persian amulet. A simply beautiful book from beginning to end, "Great Women Of The Bible In Art And Literature" is especially recommended for personal, church, seminary, and academic library collections – and would make an especially appropriate selection as a community library "Memorial Fund" acquisition.


The Photography Shelf

Like Sand From Orchid's Lips
A. K. Crump, editor
TCB Cafe Publishing & Media
PO Box 471706, San Francisco, CA 94147
0976768275, $39.95, www.cafeandre.com

Compiled and organized by A. K. Crump, "Like Sand From Orchid's Lips" is a 96-page compilation of 105 amazing photographs in both b/w and color. A compendium of images from more than thirty international photographs commissioned to capture the charismatic essence of orchids, the sensuality of sand, and the grace of the human form, "Like Sand From Orchid's Lips" presents photographic images as a fine art characterized by passion, reflection, and design. "Like Sand From Orchid's Lips" is a unique body of work and a strongly recommended contribution to personal, professional, academic, and community library Photographic Studies collections.

Life
Editors of Life Magazine
Time Inc. Home Entertainment
c/o Goldberg McDuffie Communications
444 Madison Avenue, Suite 3300, New York, NY 10022
1933405171, $29.95, www.life.com

Featuring an informative introduction by Robert Sullivan, "Life: 70 Years Of Extaordinary Photography - Platinum Anniversary Collection" showcases a comprehensive and representative series of photo essays and prized historical images, including a section presented every Life magazine cover published over seven decades. This 304-page, full-illustrated history is enhanced for contemporary readers with more than 300 amazing photographs and provides us with a kind of guided tour through seventy years of history ranging from domestic issues to foreign affairs. Here are our cultural and political leaders, along with ordinary men and women caught up in extraordinary events. Imaged features of personalities drawn from sports, movies, and everyday life, this extraordinary book is a true memorial celebration and tribute to one of America's most popular and influential magazines of its day. Simply stated, "Life: 70 Years Of Extaordinary Photography - Platinum Anniversary Collection" should be a part of the Photography and History collections of every academic and community library in the country.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Chan Handbook
Venerable Master Hsuan Hua
Dharma Realm Buddhist Association
c/o 3106 Crescent Avenue, Unit 7, Marina, CA 93933
0881399515 $6.95 www.amazon.com

The Chan Handbook condenses the essential principles of chan meditation as taught by the late Tripitika Master Hsuan Hua, former instructor at the Nan Hua Monastery in Canton, China, into straightforward quotes of the Master's words taken from a 40-year period during the course of his life. Pages relate in plain terms accessible to lay readers the benefits of meditation, how to meditate, the states of meditation, how to reach nirvana, and more. Subdivided sections of The Chan Handbook are only a few paragraphs or pages long, each clarifying a core principle such as "Only quiet contemplation can initiate Chan", "Concentrate on a single meditation topic", or "Enlightenment must be certified before it counts". An excellent introduction to the concept of chan meditation, preserving the wisdom of a teacher for those who never had the opportunity to learn from him directly.

Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice
Jonathan Landaw and Andy Weber
Snow Lion
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14850
1559392584 $24.95 www.SnowLionPub.com

Written by experts who spent years living in India to study Tibetan Buddhism and its art, Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice is a straightforward, plain-terms guide to the rich history, legends, and spirituality expressed through Tibetan Buddhist sacred art. 32 full-color plates illustrate Images of Enlightenment, while the text describes the symbolic self-transformation and expressions of enlightenment depicted. Chapters survey different paths and aspects of Buddhism as expressed through art, including the Bodhisattva Path, and the Path of Bliss and Emptiness. Images of Enlightenment is especially recommended for students, scholars, and practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.


The Political Science Shelf

Chasing the Sun
Morton Abramowitz & Stephen Bosworth
The Century Foundation
41 East 70th Street New York, NY 10021
0870785001 $15.95 www.tcf.org

Written by two of America's expert diplomats, Morton Abramowitz and Stephen Bosworth, Chasing the Sun: Rethinking East Asian Policy is a highly realistic assessment of America's recent, current, and future foreign policy in East Asia. From serious-minded concerns and recommendations concerning North Korea's nuclear threat - Chasing the Sun was published shortly before North Korea declared itself a nuclear power, yet its warnings about how best to deal with North Korea remain entirely relevant - to exhorting that the sleeping giant of China cannot be managed, controlled, or "contained" but can and should be influenced, to observing the poor attitude today's younger East Asian generation has toward America as a nation perceived to arrogantly ignore the ideas, preferences, and plans of others, Chasing the Sun gives an accurate and no-nonsense look at what exactly the current political situation is, and what America should do about it. Enthusiastically recommended for library politics and international studies shelves.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Toy Fox Terrier
John F. Davidson
Alpine Publications
Box 7027, Loveland, CO 80537
1577790774 $19.95 www.alpinepub.com

THE TOY FOX TERRIER: WIRED FOR ACTION provides a revised edition of the original TOY FOX TERRIER by different authors, and combines the shared experience of all authors into some eighty years of information for both novice owners and veteran breeders. From photos of faults and virtues to discussions of standards, THE TOY FOX TERRIER holds both history and breed-specific insights owners can't miss.

Rattlesnake Adventures
John W. Kemnitzer, Jr., editor
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
1575242788 $32.50 www.krieger-publishing.com

Edited by herpetologist John W. Kemnitzer, Jr., Rattlesnake Adventures: Hunting with the Oldtimers is an anthology of classic true stories about scientists in pursuit of Eastern rattlesnakes: timbers, E. diamondbacks, canebreaks, and massasaugas. Many of the tales have been excerpted from books out of print as long as 75 years. A handful of black-and-white photographs and a few color plates illustrate stories varying from survivors of snakebite to expeditions set up to discover what influences rattlesnakes in selecting a favorite den. Most writings are in plain terms, accessible to lay readers as well as herpetologists; Rattlesnake Adventures truly lives up to its title, and is just plain exciting to read as surely as it is an enlightening compendium of classic discoveries in rattlesnake natural history.


The Homeowner Shelf

Solar Water Heating
Bob Ramlow
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0
0865715610 $24.95 www.newsociety.com

Written by solar thermal consultant Bob Ramlow, Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide To Solar Water and Space Heating Systems is a straightforward guide to heating water with the sun in one's home for the sake of energy conservation and energy economics. Chapters discuss the costs of fossil fuels and the history of solar heating, types of solar collectors, how to choose and install the right system for one's needs, and much more. Black-and-white diagrams illustrate this handy, easy-to-follow guide to a facet of eco-friendly living, which can save significant money in the long run.

Making Mantels
David Getts
Linden Publishing
2006 S. Mary St., Fresno, CA 93721
0941936724 $25.95 www.lindenpub.com

Many, if not most, homes enjoy fireplaces and having a home with one is a selling point. MAKING MANTELS shows average homeowner/handymen they can build a fireplace mantel, providing all the details of so doing from design and mouldings to wood finishing and installation. One can even build in secret panels: MAKING MANTELS uses plenty of design tips and building specs to show how to build a wide range of working mantels.


The Philosophy Shelf

Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Friedrich Nietzsche, author; Adrian Del Caro, translator
Adrian Del Caro and Robert Pippin, editors
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of Americas, New York, NY 10013
0521602610 $17.99 www.cambridge.org

Part of the Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy series, Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a specially commissioned English translation of what the renowned philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche considered to be his most important work. Framed in the context of the story of the wandering Zarathustra, Thus Spoke Zarathustra applies homilies, parables, epigrams, and dreams to present philosophical doctrines. Written in a bullet-by-bullet style of short paragraphs and brief lines of dialogue, Thus Spoke Zarathustra solidly conveys Nietzsche's views of nihilism, theology, the role of compassion, and other complex subjects. An index rounds out this superb primary source of classic philosophical discussion and frame of reference. Highly recommended especially for philosophy and college library reference shelves.


The Travel Shelf

Naples, Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast
Marina Carter
Hunter Publishing
130 Campus Dr., Edison, NJ 08818
1588435784 $19.99 www.hunterpublishing.com

Naples and nearby coastal areas offer much in the way of different travel experiences, from fine resorts to street theatre and fishing villages – and Naples, Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast makes the most of the entire region, offering plenty of unforgettable adventures and covering not only walks and places to stay, but night life and historic sights. An excellent travel planner, it can't be beat.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Martingale & Company
20205 – 144th Ave. NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com

Bonnie A. Franz's DOUBLE EXPOSURE: KNIT IT BASIC, KNIT IT BOLD (1564776417, $27.95) teaches how to knit up an entire wardrobe using new show-stopping yarns for accents. Both vivid colors and more subdued hues can be brought to life with a blend of different textures and details: knitters with some prior experience who want to take the next step will find this perfect. Rachel W.N. Brown's ADORATION QUILTS: APPLIQUE NATIVITY PROJECTS (1564776700, $24.95) uses Christmas and the story of the Nativity as a theme, offering projects which blend Nativity themes into quilts. Table settings, fireplace mantle decorations, and more. A top pick for holiday decorators handy with the needle.

Applique Lace Patterns
Linda Pool
American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
1574329081 $24.95 www.aqsquilt.com

Linda Pool's applique creations are renowned in quilting circles, and you can duplicate her techniques using APPLIQUE LACE PATTERNS, an easy collection of patterns worked for only two pieces of fabric, scissors, and a needle. Blocks can be made for quilt projects from a lovely book packed with both patterns and color details.

C&T Publishing
Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549
www.ctpub.com

Shannon Mullen's MAKE IT YOU: SEW HIP (9781571203724, $21.95) comes with a dvd which illustrates the basics of the book's easy step-by-step instructions and unique projects. From a vivid designer belt to a slouched shoulder bag, projects are designed with young people in mind, encourage innovation and bright colors, and provide a diverse range of easy projects for home or person. BEAUTIFUL BEADED EMBROIDERY (9781571204066, $27.95) tells beaders with some experience how to make the next step in beading, creating professional-quality heirloom-style projects from slippers and sweaters to holiday decorations for the home. Seventeen patterns – full-sized – are accompanied by clear step-by-step direction in full color. The variety of projects is appealing and unique. Amy Barickman's THE VINTAGE WORKSHOP: ART-TO-WEAR (9781571203885, $29.95) tells how to use image transfer techniques to best advantage, adding images to fabric projects ranging from jackets and jeans to purses and totes. You can also customize the 40 original projects here: directions tell how. All are excellent recommendations.


The Military Shelf

Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South #806, New York NY 10016
www.ospreypublishing.com

Konstantin S. Nossov's INDIAN CASTLES 1206-1526: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE DELHI SULTANATE (184603065x, $16.95) joins others in Osprey's specific 'Fortress' reference series, narrowing the focus to the design and history of Indian castles which began to fall to a number of Muslim-Turkic rulers at the start of the 13th century. The period defines the Indian castle and its many influences and here is captured in a review of all major sites of the period. Angus Konstam's THE FORTS OF CELTIC BRITAIN (1846030641, $16.95) is also a spectacular addition to the reference series, packing photos, color maps and color artwork into a historical survey of the Iron Age Celtic fortresses whose remains still pepper the landscape of Britain. From types of fortifications to how they evolved and differed between regions, THE FORTS OF CELTIC BRITAIN will reach beyond military readers to earn a place in general early history collections. Carl Molesworth's VERY LONG RANGE P-51 MUSTANG UNITS OF THE PACIFIC WAR (1846030420, $22.95) provides a riveting combat history joining others in the 'Aviation Elite Units' series; this focusing on the pilots who called themselves the 'Tokyo Club', and who flew through monsoons and more to attack a heavily defended target at the heart of Japan's capitol. Black and white and some color photos liberally embellish the battle and technical descriptions.

Military's Strangest Campaigns and Characters
Tom Quinn
Robson/Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053-0257
1861059337 $13.00 www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com 1-800-423-4525

Military's Strangest Campaigns and Characters: Extraordinary But True Tales from Military History covers quite a long period of time – some two thousand years – and presents odd stories, from the Tsar who made his soldiers wear iron wigs to an officer who attended the funeral of his own leg. Tales come from around the world and are entertaining and bizarre.


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