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Library Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 11 November 2007 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Library Science Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Audiobook Shelf Music Shelf
Gardening Shelf Education Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Art Shelf Aviation Shelf Gardening Shelf
Education Shelf Fiction Shelf Travel Shelf
Poetry Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Social Issues Shelf World History Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Biography Shelf Political Science Shelf
Islamic Studies Shelf Military Shelf Psychology Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Gaming Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf Library CD Music Shelf
Architecture Shelf Business Shelf American History Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

The Great Tradition
Richard M. Gamble, editor
ISI Books
PO Box 4431, Wilmington, DE 19807-0431
9781933859255, $30.00 www.isibooks.org 1-800-526-7022

Historian Richard M. Gamble edits The Great Tradition: Classic Readings on What It Means to be an Educated Human Being is an anthology of essays written by great figures throughout history concerning what it truly means to be educated. Since ancient times, the Great Tradition has described education as the hard work the human soul undergoes in order to better understand itself and its maker. Individual writings quote Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, and many other historical, literary, religious, and scientific figures concerning the goals and true value of education. Each selection is prefaced by a brief yet insightful commentary about the author's life and identity, as well as comments about the selection itself and why it was chosen. The result is a cohesive picture offering much-needed insights into the ever-evolving education system, its purpose and its needs, particularly in today's era of debate concerning public schools and the rise of homeschooling. Highly recommended, especially for public and college libraries.

Memory and Myth
David B. Sachsman, S. Kittrell Rushing, and Roy Morris Jr.
Purdue University Press
1207 South Campus Courts, Bldg. E, West Lafayette, IN 47907
9781557534408, $29.95 www.thepress.purdue.edu 1-800-933-9637

Memory and Myth: The Civil War in Fiction and Film from Uncle Tom's Cabin to Cold Mountain is an anthology of essays concerning fiction and cinema created about the American Civil War and events leading up to it, as well as the issue of human slavery. Writings include "Beyond 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'", "Of Saints and Sinners: Religion and the Civil War and Reconstruction Novel", "Hollywood Themes and Southern Myths: An Analysis of 'Gone with the Wind'", "Alex Haley's Roots: The Fiction of Fact" and much more. An index rounds out this scholarly and well-researched compilation, especially recommended for the insight it provides into the distortions that American popular culture impose upon history.

Kitchen Literacy
Ann Vileisis
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009-1148
9781597261449, $26.95 www.islandpress.org 1-800-828-1302

Award-winning historian Ann Vileisis presents Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes from and Why We Need to Get It Back lives up to its title as a journey through the history of the simple act of making dinner. From eighteenth-century gardens and historic cookbooks to the rise of calculated advertising campaigns and the modern supermarket. As the distance between the creation of food and the table at which it was eaten grew, modern preparers gradually lost their understanding food's origins in exchange for believing advertiser's claims and government assurances. Today, most foods travel fifteen hundred miles before they are eaten. In this modern era of pesticide-drenched fruits, and meat from feedlots of fifty thousand animals, foodborne pathogens and water pollution loom as threats. A movement toward locally grown or raised food and organic fare offers a counterbalance, but now more than ever we need to know the basics about where food comes from in order to ensure optimal health for ourselves and our environment. A "must-read" for modern-day consumers in the post-family farm era.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Grammar Sucks
Joanne Kimes 7 Gary Robert Muschla
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor, Avon, MA 02322
9781593376260, $12.95 www.adamsmedia.com 1-800-872-5627

One of the things that will pretty much guarantee a book's rejection by a reviewer is that it is poorly written. Flawed writing comes in the form of typos and errors of grammar. Written with both wit and wisdom, "Grammar Sucks: What To Do To Make Your Writing Much More Better" is the collaborative work of Joanne Kimes (writer for a number of children's and comedy television shows, as well as coauthor of "Pregnancy Sucks" and "Pregnancy Sucks For Men") and Gary Robert Muschla (an expert and published author of several titles on writing, grammar, and reading instruction). This thoroughly 'reader friendly' compendium of instruction, advice, tips, and basic information, will prove to be invaluable for any writer who pretty much ignored all of those highschool English classes, and now wishes they'd paid attention to all that stuff about dangling modifiers, proper sentence structure, and run-on paragraphs. A truly enjoyable and practical read, "Grammar Sucks" is especially recommended for the novice writer and self-published author who keep wondering why their manuscripts are rejected and/or their books are refused a positive review -- or any review at all.

Writing Across Distances & Disciplines
Joyce Magnotto Neff & Carl Whithuas
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
0805858571, $30.00 www.routledge.com

The collaborative work of Joyce Magnotto Neff and Carl Whithuas, "Writing Across Distances & Disciplines: Research And Pedagogy In Distributed Learning" addresses questions that arise from the onsite, hybrid, and distributed learning environments, including places of higher education and the workplace; and between 'distance education' and 'composition pedagogy'. A slender (186-page) volume, "Writing Across Distances & Disciplines" informatively raises critical issues, clarifies key terms, reviews relevant history and theory, analyzes current research, reconsiders pedagogy, explores specific applications of WAC and WID in distributed environments, and considers what business and education might teach one another about writing and learning. "Writing Across Distances & Disciplines" is a seminal work that, while especially recommended to educators and administrators with respect to written communications, will prove of interest to non-specialist general readers, scholars, students, and professional writers with an interest in the technological future of writing and learning in higher education.

Wannabe A Writer?
Jane Wenham-Jones
Accent Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781905170814, GBP 7.99 www.dufoureditions.com 1-800-869-5677

Writer professionally is a daunting task for the uninitiated. In a single and comprehensive volume, 'Writing Magazine' columnist Jane Wenham-Jones uses solid information liberally laced with humor to help aspiring writers figure out where they need to start, how they are to finish, and that eternal question besetting all ambitious authors: 'Will anyone ever publish it when you have?' in "Wannabe A Writer?". This thoroughly 'reader friendly' instruction manual is as informed and informative as it is entertainingly demystifying. "Wannabe A Writer?" features a wealth of practical tips and insights on writing and getting published from a number of successful authors, professional literary agents, and commercial publishers. Of special note is the section 'Novels Are Not The Only Fruit' which examines writing as therapy, writing as revenge, words of warning, memoirs and life stories, other non-fiction, and a great deal more. Practical, accessible, written with flair and humor, Jane Wenham-Jones' "Wannabe A Writer?" is confidently and enthusiastically recommended to the attention of anyone who aspires to a professional career as a writer -- or simply can't help themselves from expressing thoughts on paper where other folk can read them!

The Right Way To Write, Publish And Sell Your Book
Patricia L. Fry
Matilija Press
323 East Matilija Street, Suite 110, Ojai, CA 93023
9780977357628, $19.95 www.matilijapress.com

Now in a newly revised and expanded second edition, The Right Way To Write, Publish And Sell Your Book: Your Complete Guide To Successful Authorship" by Patricia L. Fry continues to be an ideal, single-volume introduction to writing and getting published whether your literary project is fiction or non-fiction. Aspiring authors will learn how to write with clarity; actually incorporate promotion into their book; locate and evaluate an appropriate publisher (including the option of self-publishing); selecting an effective agent; write saleable book proposals and professional quality query letters; establish a platform, choose an editor; upon publication get their books into bookstores; obtain valid reviews; promote and sell their book; work with distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and internet book selling websites. It should be noted that the Midwest Book Review is twice referred to and recommended as a book review resource for small presses and self-published authors. If you are an aspiring author, no matter what your genre or project, you need to give Patricia Fry's "The Right Way To Write, Publish And Sell Your Book" a very careful reading. It will demystify the process of publication; alleviate anxiety through instruction, recommendation, and reference; and serve as a continuing informational resource at ever step of the process of going from manuscript to published book, and every aspect of book promotion and marketing, the responsibility for which, in today's highly competitive marketplace, will inevitable falls upon the author to perform. Also very highly recommended from Patricia Fry is "The Author's Workbook: Your Guide To Developing A Publishing And Marketing Plan", a spiral bound workbook specifically designed to accompany "The Right Way To Write, Publish And Sell Your Book" ($12.95) and is available directly from the Matilija Press website at www.matilijapress.com, as are her other truly exceptionally writer instruction titles: "How To Write A Successful Book Proposal In 8 Days Or Less" ($12.95); "The Successful Writer's Handbook" ($15.95); "Over 75 Good Ideas For Promoting Your Book" ($6.50); and "A Writer's Guide To Magazine Articles" ($6.50)

The Writer Behind the Words
Dara Girard
Ilori Press
PO Box 10332, Silver Spring, MD 20914
9780977019151, $12.95 www.iloripress.com

Award-winning author Dara Girard presents The Writer Behind the Words: Steps to Success in the Writing Life, a handy guide for aspiring and professional writers alike to achieving success and an honest living in the field. Chapters cover the seven traits of successful writers; how to make one's writing output more prolific; dealing with doubt, depression, and writer's block; forming a sensible strategy for success; and much more. A highly motivational resource for developing a writer's work ethic.

How I Got Published
Ray White & Duane Lindsay, editors
Writer's Digest Books
c/ o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
9781582975108, $16.99 www.fwpublications.com 1-800-726-9966

How I Got Published: Famous Authors Tell You in Their Own Words is an anthology of true anecdotes from a wide variety of successful authors telling how they managed to break into the business and launch a successful writing career, all in their own words. Editors Ray White and Duane Lindsay have also peppered How I Got Published with general tips, tricks, and techniques for would-be authors, including ten "absolute" rules to follow for publishing success. From the importance of sheer bloody-minded stubbornness, to making connections with literary agents and editors, to the value of joining a critique group, how to not take rejections personally, and much more, How I Got Published is both an inspirational text and a handy guidebook to how breaking into the publishing world really works.

Carmack's Guide To Copyright & Contracts
Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, CG
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
9780806317588, $15.95 www.genealogical.com 1-800-296-6687

A Certified Genealogist, Sharon DeBartolo Carmack is also an editor and one of the field's most prolific writers with sixteen books and hundreds of published articles to her credit. Therefore she brings a very special expertise to "Carmack's Guide To Copyright & Contracts: A Primer For Genealogists, Writers & Researchers". With a thoroughly 'reader friendly' conversational style of writing, Carmack clearly and accurately explains the basics of copyright, other rights, contracts, and how these all apply to the work of genealogists, writers, and researchers in genealogy or any other form of information gathering. "Carmack's Guide To Copyright & Contracts" addresses such questions as to whether or not permission is required to use something found on the Internet; can newspaper obituaries be reproduced without permission; how to determine when something is in the public domain; who owns the copyright to the client report; if an ancestor's diary can be published without permission; and whether lectures or lessons can be copyrighted. Of special note is what Carmack has to say about who owns the copyright to something written for a genealogical society by a volunteer. "Carmack's Guide To Copyright & Contracts" should be considered to be a highly recommended and indispensable reference for the professional and amateur genealogists, genealogical society volunteers and staff, instructors, writers, librarians, speakers, and anyone else wanting to clarify the copyright status of any material be it their own or another's.

Crafting The Travel Guidebook
Barbara Hudgins
The Woodmont Press
PO Box 16, Liberty Corner, NJ 07938
9780960776207, $17.95 www.woodmontpress.com

Travel writing in general, and the writing of travel guides in particular, is a very specialized genre for aspiring authors and is perhaps one of the most complicated areas in which to seek publication. Therefore it is especially satisfying to read travel writing expert Barbara Hudgins' practical, real-world, comprehensive compendium of sound advice and information on writing guidebooks, directories, travelogues, travel memoirs, in "Crafting The Travel Guidebook: How To Write, Publishing & Sell Your Travel Book". In addition to providing a wealth of useable information on traditional publishing, self-publishing, POD publishing, and subsidy publishing as it applies to travel oriented books, there are invaluable travel writing tips, advice on writing the book proposal, key information concerning publicity and promotion, and a list of publishers who specialize in producing travel books. More specifically to the advantage of the novice author seeking to write a travel guide or a travelogue is what "Crafting The Travel Guidebook" has to offer about finding a category to write about, creating a format, constructing the framework of the guidebook, finding an audience, and finding a 'voice' that will stand out from all the other travel books in competition for the traveler's attention. Simply indispensable reading for any beginning travel author, whether they are writing annotated directories, road guides, memoirs, outdoor recreation guides, destination and regional guidebooks, restaurant and winter guides, specialized audience guides, luxury or budget travel guides, guidebooks for the business traveler, or for the vacationer, "Crafting The Travel Guidebook" is also very highly recommended to seasoned travel journalists seeking to compile their magazine or newspaper travel columns into a travel book.

For Those About To Write
Dave Bidini
Tundra Books
75 Sherbourne Street, 5th floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5A 2P9
9780887767692, $9.95 www.tundrabooks.com 1-800-788-1074

Very strongly recommended for both school and community library collections, "For Those About To Write: How I Learned to Love Books And Why I Had To Write Them" is the personal story of rock musician and sports enthusiast Dave Bidini's efforts as a writer whose first book, 'On a Cold Road' was published in 1998 and was about what it was like to tour Canada as part of a popular rock 'n' roll band called the 'Rheostatics'. Dave went on to write more books including 'Trop of Hockey' (2001) and 'Baseballissimo' (2004). Dave's anecdotal history of himself as a reader and a writer will admirably serve to introduce children ages 10 and older to what it is like to be a writer, how they can become writers themselves, and the values writing has both as a pastime and as a profession. Although specifically written to interest young readers in the world of writing and publishing, "For Those About To Write" will also prove to be a quick, interesting, and relevant read for adults of all ages who are themselves considering the writing of a book.

Why, When, Where, & How To Write, Publish, Market, & Sell Your Book
Bill Thurwanger
Ripples On The Water
4750 East Union Hills, #1105, Phoenix, AZ 85050
978097968803, $17.95 www.ripplesonthewater2.com

Bill Thurwanger draws upon his real-world experiences as the author of five books to write "Why, When, Where, & How To Write, Publish, Market, & Sell Your Book", an instruction manual designed to provide aspiring authors yearning to become published with some useful strategies and effective tactics to achieve their goal. Some common problems that neophyte authors have to deal with are presented along with sage and practical advice for resolving or avoiding them. The eight succinct chapters comprising this spiral bound, 99-page reference, deal with such issues as a writer's qualifications and the kind of book to be written; the timing of when to write a book; how to write a book in terms of set-up, forms and formats, composition and substance; general information about copyrights, ISBN numbers, cover design, ordering page, book pricing, determining an appropriate publisher, book brokers, and more; pre-marketing a book through book reviews, press releases, contests, etc.; the role of an internet website and e-commerce; what to do with a book once it is published including the role of reviewers, media mail, book fairs, agents, book signings, and more; and selling the book through online book sellers, book stores, selling to major publishers, and the creation of proposals. "Why, When, Where, & How To Write, Publish, Market, & Sell Your Book" is instructive and recommended -- especially for authors who haven't got a clue about how to write, publish, and sell in today's highly volatile and competitive publishing industry. It won't be found in bookstores. The only way to obtain a copy is directly from the author through the website www.ripplesonthewater2.com -- but it is well worth the effort and the investment.

How To Publish Your Nonfiction Book
Rudy Shur
Square One Publishing
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
9780757000003, $16.95 www.squareonepublishing.com

Publishing books is always a highly competitive and volatile business. Fortunately, when it comes to aspiring authors of nonfiction, there is an excellent and thoroughly 'user friendly' how-to guide on how to get published. "How To Publish Your Nonfiction Book: A Complete Guide To Making The Right Publisher Say Yes" is that highly recommended instruction manual expertly written by Rudy Shur (co-founder of the Avery Publishing Group where he was responsible for the acquisition of more than one thousand nonfiction titles). Aspiring writers of nonfiction (regardless of its subject matter or category) seeking to be published will benefit from a true insider's perspective; learn just how they can create an effective submission package, write cover letters that will receive a serious reading; avoid common mistakes; utilize an easy-to-use, eight-step system for manuscript submission; read and understand a basic publishing contract; minimize time and cost while maximizing results; access and utilize up-to-date resources; and even some new ways to hone writing skills. Simply stated, if you are the author of a nonfiction book and are seeking publication, you need to read Rudy Shur's "How To Publish Your Nonfiction Book".


The Library Science Shelf

Academic Librarianship By Design
Steven J. Bell & John D. Shank
ALA Editions
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838909393, $50.00 www.alastore.ala.org 1-866-746-7252

"Academic Librarianship By Design: A Blended Librarian's Guide to The Tools And Techniques" is ably and informatively co-authored by Steven J. Bell (Associate University Librarians for Research and Instructional Services at Temple University) and John D. Shank (Instructional Design Librarian and Director of the Center for Learning Technologies for Pennsylvania State University's Berks Campus). Designed specifically for library staff members working in an academic setting, "Academic Librarianship By Design" features the authors' modified 'ADDIE Model' in improving librarian collaboration with faculty, researchers, and students in becoming an instructional partner; connecting with learners through applying design thinking to develop and enhance library services; provide effective and innovative tools for sahring information literacy and research process insights; and carry out a leadership level responsibility with respect to integrating the academic library and librarian into the teaching and learning process. "Academic Librarianship By Design" utilizes scenarios, case studies, and profiles to illustrate the successes that 'blended librarians' are having on academic campuses. Practical, applicable, and 'user friendly', "Academic Librarianship By Design" is especially recommended to the attention of academic librarians at all educational levels as an instruction manual, a reference on information literacy, and as a key addition to university level Library Science curriculums for library and information science students.

Institutions of Reading
Thomas Augst and Kenneth Carpenter, editors
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558495913, $28.95 www.umpress.usmass.edu 1-800-537-5487

Institutions of Reading: The Social Life of Libraries in the United States is an anthology of essays by learned authors concerning the evolution of the modern institution of the library, from the late eighteenth century to the modern digital era. Individual essays include "Subscription Libraries and Commercial Circulating Libraries in Colonial Philadelphia and New York", "Faith in Reading: Public Libraries, Liberalism, and the Civil Religion", "Women Writers and Their Libraries in the 1920s", "Scarcity or Abundance? Preserving the Past in a Digital Era", and many more. An astute and scholarly exploration of what composes a library and how libraries have affected modern culture, and a welcome addition to library history and library science shelves.

The Academic Library Manager's Forms, Policies, And Procedures Handbook With CD-ROM
Rebecca Brumley
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038-4512
9781555705978, $149.95 www.neal-schuman.com 1-866-672-6657

An essential, complete and comprehensive, single volume reference, "The Academic Library manager's Forms, Policies, And Procedures Handbook With CD-ROM" by experienced professional librarian Rebecca Brumley (currently with the Navarro College Library at the Waxahachie and Midlothian campuses in Texas, and a consultant to small libraries and communities on policy and procedure manuals) is specifically designed and intended to meet the needs of academic librarians select the best policies and procedures in over 300 different areas of library science and practice. Featuring examples of forms, policies and procedures ranging from mission and vision statements, to staff standards, to behavior guidelines, to special use rooms, to library incident forms, to collection and purchasing guidelines, and a great deal more, "The Academic Library manager's Forms, Policies, And Procedures Handbook With CD-ROM" should be considered an essential reference guide for library staff members and managers working in two-year colleges, four-year liberal arts schools, public and private universities and colleges, as well as research universities. Of special value is the accompanying CD-ROM with all of the forms readily available for customizing and reproduction.


The Library DVD Shelf

The Other Conquest
Union Station Media
ZDV72168, $29.97, www.unionsationmedia.com

Topiltzin is an Aztec survivor of the Spanish invasion of 1502 where his people and culture have been ruthlessly destroyed at the hands of Hernando Cortes and his Conquistadores in the name of Christianity. Topiltzin is the murdered Moctezuma's illegitimate son. Refusing to surrender to the Spanish, he struggles to preserve the cult of Tonantzin and adapt to a hostile new order imposed by raging battles and ruthless suppression. In the end, he is alone, depressed, and gravely ill. As fever-born hallucinations merge Christian and Aztec imagery together in the mind of Topiltzin, the viewers come to understand the complex and ambiguous origins of a new hybrid Latino culture that would come to be called "Mestizo', and which would still be a part of Mexican culture some five centuries later. Beautifully produced and very highly recommended for personal viewing and community library DVD collections, "The Other Conquest" is filmed in Spanish and Nahuatl (with English subtitles), and has a total running time of 105 minutes. The DVD format allows for the addition of special features including a featurette with cast and crew interviews, deleted scenes from the theatrical release, and a director's commentary.

Healthy Aging
Rene Burton
DC Entertainment Production
3807 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 335, Los Angeles, CA 90010
DVD, $19.95 each, www.dcefilms.com

Rene Burton is a senior citizen whose personal mission is to change popular misconceptions about aging. In her exercise DVD trilogy, "Healthy Aging: It's Never Too Late" which is specifically designed for use by seniors age 55 and over, she seeks to redefine what seniors are and what seniors can be called upon to do. The first DVD is Level 1 (DCE3001) and intended for beginners. Level 2 (DCE3002) is for seniors at the intermediate level of exercise ability. Level 3 (DCE3003) features an advanced level exercise regime. Each of these exercise DVDs will improve the physical agility, mobility, strength, posture, muscle tone, eye-hand coordination, and over-all well-being of seniors safely and methodically. The exercises employ standing and chair routines, the use of resistance bands and hand-held weights. Each program includes warm-ups and cool-downs, as well as stretching and breathing to relax. Thoroughly 'user friendly' and strongly recommended for personal workouts, the "Healthy Aging: It's Never Too Late" trilogy can be acquired as separate DVD volumes, but community center and community library exercise DVD collections should acquire the complete trilogy for the benefit of their patrons.

Agatha Christie's Marple: Volume 3
Acorn Media Group
801 Roeder Road, Suite 700, Silver Spring, MD 20910
AMP-9780, $59.95 www.acornmedia.com

Simply stated, the BBC production of the Miss Marple mysteries based on the novels of Agatha Christie comprise some of the best theatrical productions ever to run on the PBS channel's "Mystery!" series. Now available are the four complete stories comprising the third volume of this outstanding DVD series available for personal and community library collections from Acorn Media. The four Agatha Christie novels featured in "Agatha Christie's Marple: Volume 3" are brilliantly scripted, superbly enacted (Geraldine McEwan is the consummate Miss Marple!), and impressively produced (right down to the set designs and costuming!) are 'Towards Zero'; "Nemesis'; 'At Bertram's Hotel', and 'Ordeal By Innocence'. As with all Agatha Christie 'whoddunit' mysteries, the plots are complex, the characters well fleshed out, and the clues there for the discerning viewer to pick up -- if they can! With a complete running time of 372 minutes, each of these expertly done British mysteries are in full color and are enhanced with photo galleries, an Agatha Christie biography, and cast member filmographies. But be warned, viewers for whom volume three of the 'Marple" mysteries is their first encounter will be compelled to obtain and view the previous two DVD volumes in this simply outstanding and enthusiastically recommended series from Acorn Media!


The Audiobook Shelf

Still Following the Trail of Breadcrumbs to Journal Your Way Back Home
Terry Marotta
Ravenscroft Press
PO Box 270, Winchester, MA 01890
9780963860347, $29.95

Still Following the Trail of Breadcrumbs to Journal Your Way Back Home is an unusual audiobook, as its entire text is on the two audio CDs that come with it. Author and syndicated columnist Terry Marotta recommends listening to the inspirational stories, anecdotes, and insights on the CDs before reading their transcripts in the book. Though Still Following the Trail of Breadcrumbs does not have any blank lines for the listener or reader to practice journaling, it is designed specifically to inspire one to take a blank journal and jot down thoughts or express creativity in response to the notes of wisdom. "In everything I have just described you will find writing that does what many a journal entry ends up doing. It starts in one place in other words and then cartwheels to another by associations that are themselves connected step by step in the writer's mind." An absorbing tool ideal for cultivating free-association writing and journaling skills.

Power to the People
Laura Ingraham
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781428166219, $102.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Power to the People is the unabridged audiobook rendition of the manifesto of nationally syndicated talk radio host Laura Ingraham, calling for Americans who embrace traditional values to reclaim control from politicians and pop culture icons. Firmly advocating a strong, patriotic, family oriented, and Christian nation, Laura Ingraham rebuts Hollywood celebrities and grasping politicians with an unapologetic, tell-it-like-it-is style laced with a dash of caustic humor. As entertaining as it is passionate, Power to the People is perhaps most valuable for its core message about the importance of staying true to one's values and reclaiming social mores from the dictates of strangers. Highly recommended.


The Music Shelf

Mel Bay's Complete Book of Guitar Chords, Scales And Arpeggios
William Bay
Mel Bay Publications
PO Box 66, Pacific, MO 63069
MB94792, $22.95 www.melbay.com 1-800-863-5229

Expertly compiled, organized, and presents by William Bay, "Mel Bay's Complete Book of Guitar Chords, Scales And Arpeggios" is a 298-page compendium of diagrams showing the aspiring guitar player how to produce just the right sounds from their instruments whether in practice or in performance. Each major and minor scale is presented in position on the guitar fingerboard with all scales being shown in diagram form, notation, and tablature. Of special not is the section on blues and rock scales. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Mel Bay's Complete Book of Guitar Chords, Scales And Arpeggios" is provides an ideal text for self-instruction, and is very highly recommended as a curriculum supplement for mastering classic, rock, blues, and other forms of guitar music.


The Gardening Shelf

Complete Roses
Field Roebuck
Creative Homeowner
PO Box 38, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458-0038
9781580113724, $16.95 www.creativehomeowner.com 1-800-631-7795

A beautifully illustrated 175-page compendium of information, instructions, and examples, Field Roebuck's "Complete Roses features one hundred gardener friendly species of roses that even the most novice horticulturalist can successfully grow by following the expert, step-by-step process for choosing, planting, and caring for the most popular flower in the country. Each rose is provided with a complete description of type, classification, and growing habits. Of special note are the tips for propagation and container planting, safe methods for pets and disease control, and best types of soil and fertilizers. With more than 280 color photos and illustrations, "Complete Roses" is a superbly organized and "user friendly" introduction, making it a particularly welcome addition for personal and community library gardening reference collections.


The Education Shelf

Amusement Park Math
Michael Cain
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
9781593632915, $19.95 www.prufrock.com 1-800-998-2208

Ably written and nicely illustrated with line drawings by academician and mathematician Michael Cain, "Amusement Park Math: A Ten-Minute Daily Math Adventure" offers students in grades 4 through 6 more than 120 challenging math lessons within the context of an entertaining and on-going storyline featuring such characters as Minerva, General Thumb, Flying Freda, Dr. Chin, Farmer Harrison, and others. The result is the acquisition by the student of the kinds of problem solving skills that will ensure success in basic mathematics. The range of math concepts the ten-minute exercises include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, multiple operations, fractions, decimals, and word problems. "Amusement Park Math" is highly recommended as a grade school level math curriculum supplement, and is especially appropriate for homeschooling math curriculums as well.

What Should I Read Aloud?
Nancy A. Anderson
International Reading Association
PO Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714-8139
9780872076792, $29.95 www.reading.org 1-800-336-7323

A thoroughly 'user friendly' guide to two hundred of the most popular children's picture books, "What Should I Read Aloud? is knowledgeably compiled and expertly presented by academician Nancy A. Anderson (University of South Florida - Tampa) for use by parents and teachers seeking to preschool second grade level children with entertaining story-telling and the joys of reading. Of special value are the first two chapters devoted to providing advice on how to best share books with young children and how to help children to develop and practice their own reading skills while doing so. Chapters 3 through 6 are organized by suggested age levels and featuring picture books for children from birth through age 8. Chapter seven advises on supplementing bestsellers with multicultural literature, nonfiction, magazines, and websites. Of special note are the comprehensive indexes for locating subjects, as well as authors, illustrators, and titles. Enhanced with a glossary for quick reference to literacy terms, "What Should I Read Aloud?" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to parental, preschool center, elementary school and community library reference collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

Yum!
Jeffrey Spear & Dara Bunjon
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
9781581826166, $28.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com 1-888-439-2665

An impressive collection of kitchen cook friendly, gourmet quality, nutritious and delicious recipes suitable for all dining occasions, "Yum!: Tasty Recipes From Culinary Greats" offers more than 100 dishes contributed by sixty of the best professional chefs in the culinary world who donated their recipes to food author Dara Bunjon and gourmet chef Jeffery Spear as a contribution to the American Kidney Foundation -- who receives the proceeds from the sales of this outstanding cookbook. Beautifully illustrated with color photography showing off not only the finished dishes but the chefs who created them (along with their brief biographies), "Yum!" truly lives up to its title with such offerings as: 'Nora Poullon's Carpaccio with Arugula, Shaved Parmesan & Mustard-Caper Sauce'; Caprial and John Pence's 'Pan-Fried Oysters with Ginger Creme Fraiche and Peppers'; Nick Malgieri's 'Gruyere and Bacton Tart'; Charlie Trotter's 'Cold-Poached Salmon with Hearts of Palm and Tamarind'; and Jennifer Bushman's 'Grilled Salmon Fillets with Lime Ginger Butter', just to name a few! If you only have room enough on your kitchen cookbook shelf for one more, make it "Yum!".

Recipe Of The Week: Cookies
Sally Sampson
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
9780471921905, $16.95 www.wiley.com 1-800-225-5945

A senior writer for 'Cooks Illustrated Magazine', Sally Sampson is the author of seven previous cookbooks and the co-author of six more. Now she has added another culinary title to her impressive list: "Recipe Of The Week: Cookies" showcasing fifty-two quick and easy recipes for turning out delicious cookies on a weekly basis all year long. Superbly illustrated with full color photography, this highly recommended and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' collection of recipes ranges from Gingersnaps; Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies; Espresso Shortbread; and Orange Almond Cookies; to Jenny deBell's Snickerdoodles; Annie Fischel's Meringues; Coco Toffee Chunk Cookies; and Almond Coconut Macaroons. Especially recommended for dedicated cookie enthusiasts, "Recipe Of The Week: Cookies" will prove to be an especially popular addition to family and community library cookbook collections!

The Vegetarian Passport Cookbook
Linda Woolven
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
311 Washington Street, Brighton, MA 02135-3303
1550413317, $24.95 www.fitzhenry.ca

Canadian master herbalist, certified acupuncturist, and expert in the field of natural health, Linda Woolven has compiled the recipes and instructions for more than 350 superb vegetarian dishes that are healthy, delicious, easy to prepare, gourmet quality, and healthy. Drawn from more than fifteen different countries and regions around the world, the recipes range from snacks and breads, to dips and desserts, to salads and stews, to desserts and beverages. Of special note is the grain and bean chart, and the tips on fats. From Chinese White Bean Pate (Asia); Chilled Cucumber Soup (Morocco); Ziti Pasta (Italy); and Chickpea Loaf (North America); to Spicy Beans (Portugal); Double Stuffed Peppers (Peru); Cheese Souffle (France); and Scalloped Potato with Kale (England), "The Vegetarian Passport Cookbook: Simple Dishes From Around The World" is an impressive and recommended addition to the vegetarian cookbook shelf -- and ethnic regional cuisine collections as well.

The 4-Ingredient Diabetes Cookbook
Nancy S. Hughes
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
9781580402781, $16.95 www.diabetes.org 1-800-342-2383

In "The 4-Ingredient Diabetes Cookbook" cookbook author, food consultant, and nutritionist Nancy S. Hughes has compiled simple and delicious recipes for entrees, side dishes and desserts using four ingredients (or less) that are especially suitable and suited to the dietary needs of diabetics. Quick and easy to prepare, the recipes range from Pineapple-Apricot Fizz; Lemony Asparagus Spear Salad; Peach Barbecued Chicken; and Chili Stuffed Potatoes; to Taco-Spiced Rice; Skillet Roasted Veggies; Zesty Beef Patties with Grilled Onions; and Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Layered Pie. Of special note are the 'Cook's Tips' that accompany each of the recipes. "The 4-Ingredient Diabetes Cookbook" is a welcome and very highly recommended addition to diabetes relevant cookbook collections.

Southern Living Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites
Elizabeth Taliaferro
Oxmoor House
c/o Leisure Arts Inc.
5701 Ranch Drive, Little Rock, AR 72223-9633
9780848731281, $24.95 www.leisurearts.com 1-800-643-8030

In "Southern Living Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites", Elizabeth Taliaferro has compiled 130 suppers suitable for family dinners. Each of these dinners is complete with a menu, a grocery list, nutrition information, and dependable, 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes. These easy-to-prepare dinners are especially notable for how quickly they can be put together making them ideal for time-stressed wives and mothers. Beautifully illustrated throughout with full-color photographs, the dishes range from Monte Cristo Sandwiches (Preparation time 10 minutes, cooking time 12 minutes); to Hearty Brunswick Stew (preparation time 5 minutes, cooking time 25 minutes); to Tuscan Pork Chops (preparation time 6 minutes, cooking time 11 minutes); to Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Thighs (preparation time 20 minutes, cooking time 60 minutes). Each one of these 130 suppers present palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, gourmet quality dishes that will grace any family table any night of the week.


The Art Shelf

The Society Portrait From David To Warhol
Gabriel Badea-Paun
The Vendome Press
1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
9780865651838, $75.00 www.amazon.com

Featuring two hundred full color photographic reproductions, "The Society Portrait From David To Warhol" by art historian Gabriel Badea-Paun showcases society portraits of the nineteenth and early twentieth century in terms of their images and iconography. An impressively diverse yet representative gallery of portraits dating from the early 1800s to the post-World War II era, many of these works of art were painted society portraits by artists for whom portraiture was a full-time occupation. The artist range from Jacque-Louis Davide (considered a master of Classicism); to Andy Warhol (the acknowledge and legendary guru of Pop Art); to Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingress 9known for his linear and rigorous portraits); to John Singer Sargent (who depicted the nobility and plutocracy associated with the Gilded Age); to Giovanni Boldini (noted for his renderings of literary and theatrical personalities). An impressive and seminal work, "The Society Portrait From David To Warhol" is a critically important and essential addition for personal, professional, and academic library History of Art reference collections and supplemental reading lists. Informed and informative, it is also very highly recommended and quite appropriate as a community library Memorial Fund acquisition.

Walter Baumhofer
John Gunnison
Adventure House
914 Laredo Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901
188693794X, $20.00 www.adventurehouse.com

In "Walter Baumhofer: Pulp Art Masters", John Gunnison showcases the pulp magazine artist who produced the first images for Doc Savage Magazine and a host of other publications in the 1920s and 1930s. His range of cover art included dramatic images for virtually all pulp magazine genres including gangsters, airmen, cowboys, soldiers, villains, and adventures. He is best remembered for his iconic characters such as Doc Save, The Man of Bronze. From his beginning work with the publishing firm of Street & Smith, to his last works done for Popular Publications, he raised the level of this specialized and commercial form of popular art to the level of fine art through his use of unified designs, color, and visual drama. This compendium of cover art images (each of which is noted as to its publication source and date) will prove to be a prized possession for pulp magazine art enthusiasts and a highly recommended addition to both academic and community library 20th Century American Art History reference collections.

Poussin
Christopher Wright
Chaucer Press
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9781904449584, $60.00 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756

Considered to be the founder of seventeenth century French classical painting, Nicholas Poussin is esteemed as one of the most influential artists of his time. "Poussin" by art historian Christopher Wright is the analytical biography of this great artist's life and work. Superbly illustrated throughout in full color, Poussin's stylistic development from his experimental early pictures in Rome through the uncompromising works of his later years is laid out beautifully in chronological order. From his birth in 1594 to his death in 1665, "Poussin" is a truly definitive work, the result of years of meticulous and original research translated for the non-specialist general reader by a master historian. Simply stated, no academic or community library Art History collection can be considered definitive or comprehensive without the inclusion of Christopher Wright's "Poussin".


The Aviation Shelf

50 Aircraft That Changed The World
Ron Dick & Dan Patterson
Boston Mills Press
c/o Firefly Books Ltd.
66 Leek Crescent, Richmond Hills, ON, Canada, L4B 1H1
9781550464658, $39.95 www.fireflybooks.com 1-800-387-5085

The collaborative work of aviation historians Ron Dick and Dan Patterson, "50 Aircraft That Changed The World" is a profusely illustrated, 208-page compendium providing an informed and informative survey of fifty of the most influential aircraft in the history of aviation to date. Beginning with the Wright Brothers' 1905 Flyer, then addressing and illustrating the strides in aircraft and aircraft production spurred on by the demands of World War I, then noting the trail-blazer aircraft of the inter-war years (including the first passenger flights and the great flying boats), to classic World War II era aircraft such as the Bf 109, the Spitfire, and the Mustang, to the coming of age of the jet aircraft in the Korean and Vietnam wars, to modern commercial carries, private jets, experimental aviation designs, and concluding with the new generation of combat fighters featuring Stealth technology. An impressive and encyclopedic history of influential aircraft, "50 Aircraft That Changed The World" truly lives up to its title and should be a part of every personal, professional, academic, and community library's Aviation History reference collection. Also very highly recommended for such library reference collections is Ron Dick and Dan Patterson's five volume 'Aviation Century Series'.


The Gardening Shelf

Fall Scaping
Nancy J. Ondra & Stephanie Cohen
Storey Books
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781580176804, $22.95 www.storeybooks.com 1-800-827-8673

It past years, the fall season was considered as one of harvesting and getting flower beds and gardens cleaned up and ready for the winter. However the autumn of the year with its rainbow of foliage colors, visually attractive fruits, berries, and seedheads, and mild climatic conditions have changed the thinking of dedicated gardeners and landscapers as to what can be accomplished before the setting in of winter snows. This new concept of continuing to garden and brighten late-season landscapes is called 'fall scaping'. Now there is an illustrated instruction manual called "Fall Scaping: Extending Your Garden Season Into Autumn" which is a collaboration by horticultural experts Nancy J. Ondra and Stephanie Cohen featuring ten complete garden plans that combine flowers, trees, shrubs, ground covers, and grasses that are not only visually impressive in the fall, but designed to provide three-season appeal over a wide range of post-summer growing conditions. Of special note is a 'Fall Garden Care Primer' offers tips and techniques on planting, transplanting, staking, pruning, and maintaining gardens all year long. There is also cogent counsel on preparing plants for winter, as well as properly cleaning and storing gardening hand tools and power equipment. Thoroughly 'user friendly' and profusely illustrated by the full color photography of Rob Cardillo, "Fall Scaping" is very strongly recommended for any gardener with an interest in continuing to maximize their gardens during September, October, and November.


The Sports Shelf

Minnesota North Stars
Bob Showers
Beaver's Pond Press
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 216, Edina, MN 55439
9781592981977, $34.99 www.BeaversPondPress.com 1-952-829-8818

When the 1992-93 National Hockey League season ended, the Minnesota North Stars franchise was moved from Bloomington, Minnesota to Dallas, Texas. The word 'North' was dropped from the team's name. Shortly afterwards, the Met Center (previously home base for the old Minnesota North Stars hockey team was demolished -- ending twenty-six years of Minnesota professional hockey. "Minnesota North Stars: History And Memories With Lou Nanne" by long time fan Bob Showers is an inherently fascinating history of those many years laced with anecdotal stories combined with vintage photographs, and official team stats, all graced with the personable narrative style of Lou Nanne. The result is informed and informative reading that is a 'must' for the legions of fans who remember the glory days of professional Minnesota ice hockey.


The Education Shelf

Curriculum Connections For Tree House Travelers For Grades K-4
Jane Berner, et al.
Linworth Publishing
3650 Olentangy River Road, Suite 250, Columbus, OH 43214
1586832816, $39.95 www.linworth.com

The collaborative work of academicians and teachers Jane Berner, Sabrina Minser, and Hellen Burkart Presser, "Curriculum Connections For Tree House Travelers For Grades K-4" provides unites of study that will enable students to enhance and apply their academic skills while learning about dinosaurs, knights, castles, Eygptian mummies, pyramids, pirates, buried treasure, and more. Literature-based, the units are specifically designed as hands-on activities for elementary students (but are also adaptable to interest middle school students as well), and feature high-interest topics that librarians and teachers can use all during the school year, and in summer reading programs as well. By using both fiction and non-fiction source material, students will engage in expository reading skills based on sound pedagogical practices. Profusely illustrated and drawing from the popular 'Magic Tree House' series by Mary Pope Osborne, "Curriculum Connections For Tree House Travelers For Grades K-4" is an ideal reading skills development curriculum supplement -- and is highly recommended for use by home schooling parents as well.


The Fiction Shelf

The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel
Amy Hempel
Scribner
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
9780743291637, $15.00 www.simonsays.com 1-800-223-2336

The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel is an award-winning anthology of Amy Hempel's complete work - an amalgamation of four previous collections of her stories ("Reasons to Live", "At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom", "Tumble Home", and "The Dog of the Marriage"), covering everything from marriage to minor disasters to moments of epiphany. A thought-provoking body of literature, offering tales that hinge upon heavily weighted choices and the uphill battle that is the human experience. Highly recommended. "In the Animal Shelter": Every time you see a beautiful woman, someone is tired of her, so the men say. And I know where they go, these women, with their tired beauty that someone doesn't want - these women who must live like the high Sierra white pine, there since before the birth of Christ, fed somehow by the alpine wind. They reach out to the animals, day after day smoothing fur inside a cage, saying, "How is Mama's baby? Is Mama's baby lonesome?"

Darkness Falls
Kyle Mills
Vanguard Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
Meryl L. Moss Media Relations (publicity)
155 Post Road East, Suite 8, Westport, CT 06880
9781593154592, $24.95 www.amazon.com

"Darkness Falls" is a riveting suspense novel by Kyle Mills with all the elements of a story that could have been ripped from today's newspaper headlines. Erin Neal is an expert in the use of genetically engineered bacteria for use in the cleanup of toxic spills. But the unexpected death of his girlfriend derailed him professionally and he took refuge in the isolation of the Arizona desert. Then Homeland Security came and found him. A catastrophic bioterrorist attack using a strain of crude-petroleum eating bacteria on Saudi Arabia's largest oil reserve threatens disaster for the world's fuel supplies. Tracking down the origins of this bacteria leads to Erin's confrontation with a homicidal environmentalist he had thought long gone. Clearly, nothing less that the destiny and fate of the industrialized world hangs in the balance as Erin seeks to halt the spread of this bioterrorist attack. Very highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library contemporary fiction collections, "Darkness Falls" is a superbly crafted thriller played out against a backdrop of energy dependence and the possible consequences should every oil well in the world suddenly going dry.


The Travel Shelf

Peter Pauper Press, Inc.
202 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601
www.peterpauper.com

Founded in 1928, Peter Pauper press is a family-owned publishing that has a well earned reputation for producing high quality books for an appreciative readership. Of special note is their line of pocket sized (4-4? wide x 5-3/4" high) travel guides called 'Little Black Travel Books'. Two of the newest additions to this remarkable series are "The Little Black Book of San Francisco" (9781593598679, $12.95) by Marlene Goldman, and "The Little Black Book of London" (9781593598860, $12.95) by Vesna Neskow. Both of these information packed travel guides feature illustrations by Kerren Barbas Steckler, and cartography by David Linroth. Both titles include full-color fold-out neighborhood maps, while featuring landmarks, museums, entertainments, hotels, transportation resources, and 'things to do'. If you are planning a visit to San Francisco, or preparing for a trip to London, begin with acquiring your own personal copy of "The Little Black Book Of San Francisco", or "The Little Black Book of London" respectively. Going somewhere else? Then visit the Peter Pauper Press website at www.peterpauper.com for a complete listing of their 'Little Black Travel Book' titles -- in terms of getting the most out of your trip, you'll be glad you did!


The Poetry Shelf

In Line for the Exterminator
Jim Daniels
Wayne State University Press
The Leonard N. Simons Building
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814333815, $17.95 http://wsupress.wayne.edu 1-800-978-7323

Award-winning poet and Professor of English Jim Daniels presents In Line for the Exterminator, an anthology of free-verse poetry that looks at postindustrial Detriot through weathered eyes. Daniels grew up near the Eight Mile Road boundary between Detriot and suburban Warren, Michigan; the poems of In Line for the Exterminator explores how ordinary citizens sustain human dignity in spite of economic and social upheaval, as well as the triple threat of drugs, guns, and crime. The character of Digger, portrayed in his search for a new future after retiring from his factory job, offers a personal viewpoint to the unfolding anthology, though other heroes from professional wrestler the Sheik to modern rapper Eminem also appear. A profound testimony to the spirit of an urban community. "Sunday Morning": A goldfinch bobs on a sunflower's head / picking out seeds behind Uncle Jimmy's Bar / where some guy got killed in a fight Friday night // before the Chinese restaurant next door / burned down. Investigations are taking place. / Details are sketched in chalk, erased by rain. / Graffiti codes indecipherable. // The sunflower, a volunteer from winter seeds, / gracefully allows itself to be picked apart, / gold blending into gold. Even the sparrows / are stunned by this yellow light.

Elegy
Mary Jo Bang
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
9781555974831, $20.00 www.graywolfpress.org 1-651-641-0077

The fifth collection of poetry by Professor of English Mary Jo Bang, Elegy uses free verse to communicate the loss of an only child in the prime of life. Eschewing self-pity, false comfort, or blame, Elegy burns with the power of heartbreak and the timelessness of memory. Highly recommended. "How Beautiful": A personal lens: glass bending rays / That gave one that day's news / Saying each and every day, // Just remember you are standing / On a planet that's evolving. / How beautiful, she thought, what distance does // For water, the view from above or afar. / In last night's dream, they were back again / At the beginning. She was a child // And he was a child. / A plane lit down and left her there. / Cold whitening the white sky whiter. // Then a scalpel cut her open for all the world / To be a sea.

Far Beyond Triage
Sarah Lantz
CALYX Books
PO Box B, Corvallis, OR 97339
9780934971911, $14.95 www.calyxpress.org 1-888-336-2665

CALYX is a non-profit press specializing in the publication of fine art and literature. Since its founding in 1976, CALYX has published the work of over 3,600 women authors and artists. Their latest book of poetry is "Far Beyond Triage" which admirably showcases the consistently impressive work of Sarah Lantz. This very highly recommended anthology of profoundly spiritual verse takes as its collective theme the penetrable boundary between the living world and the ethereal. Articulate, complex, thoughtful and thought-provoking, the poetry of Sarah Lantz arises from her own biographical experiences, as well as those of her family -- including some who were killed in the holocaust. It is through her free verse poetry that she seeks to understand the present. 'Moving Out': It's not like you think./More like//sitting up suddenly/in the night.//no mistaking/the sound of metal on metal.//A crash somewhere close,/which direction you can't tell.//Your heart slows a bit,/the children are okay,//you say to yourself,/in fact they're grown,//you say to yourself./At the windows, in your socks, you strain//to hear the sirens before they arrive./Surely someone has called an ambulance.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Fat Proof Your Family
J. Ron Eaker, M.D.
Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55438
9780764204135, $14.99 www.bethanyhouse.com 1-800-328-6109

Practicing ob-gyn J. Ron Eaker, M.D. presents Fat Proof Your Family: God's Way to forming Healthy Habits for Life, a guide especially for Christians to maintaining not only one's own health, but also teaching positive eating habits to the whole family. Fat Proof Your Family is not a "quick-fix" book, but rather emphasizes the importance of making lifelong changes for the better. From the basics of nutrition, to the importance of setting an example for one's children through one's actions ("Do as I say... and as I do!") to the value of exercise and what the Bible has to say about healthy eating, Fat Proof Your Family features both sound medical and spiritual backing. "No fad diet, miracle drug, exercise machine, or surgical procedure can be as comprehensive a solution to fat-proofing your family as God's Owner's Manual... Bible study is one cog in the wheel of the healing triad of mind, body, and spirit. It addresses specific spiritual needs that are frequently ignored in the healing process." Highly recommended.

Old Testament Survey, 2nd edition
Paul R. House and Eric Mitchell
B&H Publishing Group
127 Ninth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37234-0143
9780805440362, $39.99 www.bhpublishinggroup.com 1-800-251-3225

Now in a revised and updated second edition, Old Testament Survey is a textbook designed for Bible students. Written by professor of divinity Paul R. House and assistant professor of Old Testament and archaeology Eric Mitchell, Old Testament Survey focuses upon the literature and narrative of the Old Testament in its methodical overview, which walks the reader through the biblical stories as well as the motives and reactions of principle characters. Charts, illustrations, sixteen full-color maps, and an index round out this excellent Bible reading companion.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Philip Roth: Zuckerman Bound 1979-1985
Philip Roth
The Library of America
14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
9781598530117, $35.00 www.loa.org

Philip Roth: Zuckerman Bound 1979-1985 is the Library of America's fourth volume of Philip Roth's collected works. Presenting "The Ghost Writer", "Zuckerman Unbound", "The Anatomy Lesson", "The Prague Orgy", and "The Prague Orgy: A Television Adaptation" by Philip Roth, along with a chronology and extensive notes that help illuminate context and nuances of the text, Philip Roth: Zuckerman Bound 1979-1985 is the ideal edition for literature students, libraries, and casual readers alike. The particularly memorable title story, Zuckerman Bound, is set at the close of the sensational 60's and follows popular writer Zuckerman as he struggles to cope with the aftershock of literary celebrity. Highly recommended.

Multicultural and Ethnic Children's Literature in the United States
Donna L. Gilton
Scarecrow Press
4501 Forbes Boulevard., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9780810856721, $45.00 www.scarecrowpress.com 1-800-462-6420

Donna L. Gilton (Associate Professor of library and information studies, University of Rhode Island) presents Multicultural and Ethnic Children's Literature in the United States, an analysis of the history and characteristics of ethnic and multicultural children's literature in America, and associate materials published elsewhere. Specific cultures children's literature explored in depth include Pan-African, Latino/a, Native American, and Asian American children's literature. The story of multicultural children's literature from before 1940 to the modern day, and an astute observation of general trends in the field including mainstream responses to multiculturalism contribute to the heart and core of this thoughtful discussion.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Invasion of the Sea
Jules Verne
Wesleyan University Press
215 Long Lane, Middletown, CT 06459
9780819565587, $17.95 www.wesleyan.edu/wespress 1-800-421-1561

Invasion of the Sea is a science fiction literary classic by the famous author Jules Verne (1828-1905), perhaps best known for "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". Now available for the very first time in complete English translation, Invasion of the Sea is illustrated with the black-and-white woodcut prints that graced its original French printing, Invasion of the Sea chronicles a hypothetical French plan to construct a canal that would bring water to the Sahara Desert. Yet the local peoples resist such a plan, as such radical change would alter their way of life - Tuareg nomads and Islamic tribes initiate a war, and only a cataclysmic natural event can bring an end to the suffering. A vivid and exciting cautionary tale that has weathered the test of time, and stands as virtually prophetic in its description of tenaciously fierce militant Islam. Highly recommended as a worthy addition to literature and library collections.


The Social Issues Shelf

The Phenomenon of Torture
William F. Schulz, editor
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
9780812219821, $34.95 www.upenn.edu/pennpress 1-800-537-5487

The Phenomenon of Torture: Readings and Commentary is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing the widespread human rights crime that is torture, practiced in more than one hundred countries - now including the United States. Why is something so cruel and brutal so entrenched? Can anyone become a torturer? Are certain societies more prone to use torture? Are there any circumstances under which torture is justified? How can torture be stopped, or at least reduced? The readings seek to better understand this hot-button issue, and cover the history, experience, and dynamics of torture, who the torturers are, and what experience has shown ultimately can bring an end to torture and healing to victims. A sober, astutely assembled compilation and a much-needed contribution to modern-day discussions of government policy.

Negotiating Identities in Modern Latin America
Hendrik Kraay
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
9781552382295, $39.95 www.uofcpress.com 1-800-565-3770

Negotiating Identities in Modern Latin America is an anthology of essays by learned historians and anthropologists concerning the ways in which people define their membership in groups and the collective identity, as well as the obstacles posed by the difficulties involved in defining and maintaining that identity. Individual essays include "Playing with National Identity: Brazil in International Football, 1900-1925", "(Re)turning Home: Narratives of Bolivian Transnational Migrants", "Creating Identity Out of Place: An Indigenous Community in Argentina", and many more. A handful of black-and-white illustrations, notes for each essay, and an index round out this educated and scholarly assessment of Latin American social identity, recommended for anthropology and college library shelves.


The World History Shelf

The Roman Army
Pat Southern
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
9780195328783, $24.95 www.oup.com 1-800-451-7556

Now available in an affordable paperback edition published by Oxford University Press, The Roman Army: A Social & Institutional History remains a vivid, scholarly, and astute portrayal of one of history's most famous fighting forces. Written by Roman history expert Pat Southern, The Roman Army covers types of units, organization of infantry and cavalry, recruitment of soldiers and officers, terms of service, discharge and pensions for veterans, military law, the employment of the army in peacetime and wartime, and particularly examines the day-to-day life of the common soldier in Rome's ranks. A handful of black-and-white photographs and illustrations are interspersed within this top-notch reference sure to fascinate historians, students, and lay readers alike.

Diamonds, Gold, and War
Martin Meredith
Public Affairs
250 West 57th Street, #1321, New York, NY 10107
9781586484736, $35.00 www.publicaffairsbooks.com 1-877-782-1234

Journalist, biographer, and historian Martin Meredith presents Diamonds, Gold, and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa, a thorough history of the Cape Colony in southern Africa from when the British took possession of it in 1806 to the founding of modern South Africa in 1910. The chronicle heats up in 1871, when diamonds were discovered in southern Africa - in tremendous quantities. A massive struggle between the British and the Boers for control of the region erupted. Meredith's narrative is heavily researched yet comes alive with colorful portrayals of personalities ranging from rakish prospector Cecil Rhodes (founder of the DeBeers company) who absconded with a fortune manipulating diamond and gold markets, to nationalists like Paul Kruger who fought tirelessly for their land and people, to native kings like Lobengula who were trapped amid the Europeans' struggle. A gripping chronicle of greed and destruction unleashed, and the repercussions for the nation of South Africa for the century to come, highly recommended for world history shelves.

The Medieval Marriage Scene
Sherry Roush and Cristelle L. Baskins, editors
Arizona Center for Medieval & Renaissance Studies
Arizona State University, P.O. Box 874402, Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
9780866983433, $40.00 www.asu.edu/clas/acmrs 1-480-965-5900

The Medieval Marriage Scene: Prudence, Passion, Policy is an anthology of scholarly essays by twelve learned contributors discussing the fictive, artistic, legal, ethical, and economic aspects of the institution of marriage in Europe from roughly 500 to 1550. Individual writings include "Medieval Jewish Models of Marriage", "The Many Loves of Philip Augustus", "The Dilemma of the Widow of Property for Late Medieval London", and more concerning definitions of marriage, sexuality, and legislation of property and propriety alike. An index rounds out this thoughtful, well-researched and solidly presented compilation of insights into the historical context of marriage - a timely volume indeed even as the institution of marriage becomes an increasingly hot topic in the modern day.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood
Tom Lisanti
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786431724, $39.95 www.mcfarlandpub.com 1-800-253-2187

Contributing writer for "Cinema Retro" magazine Tom Lisanti presents Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood: Seventy-Five Profiles, an homage to seventy-five different models, Playboy centerfolds, beauty queens, and Las Vegas showgirls of the 1960s who moved on to become "decorative actresses" who showed off their scantily clad skin on film and television. Black-and-white photographs illustrate the profiles, each only a few pages long, which include a physical description of the actress in her prime, notes on which movies or shows the casual browser may remember her from, a list of her 60's credits, the "beginning" or origin of the woman's career in show business, and how she fared in the 70's and beyond. Sometimes the actress herself offers in-her-own-words interview concerning the highlights of her career. Interviewed women include Victoria Carroll, Melodie Johnson, Vicki London, Lee Meredith, Anne Randall, and more. A lightheartedly sexy treasury sure to delight 60's pop culture fans and cinema buffs.


The Biography Shelf

In Service of Emergent India
Jaswant Singh
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
9780253349361, $29.95 www.iupress.indiana.edu 1-800-842-6796

In Service of Emergent India: A Call to Honor is the true-life memoir of Jaswant Singh, whose service as Minister of External Affairs, Defense, and Finance in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led East Indian governments of 1996 and 1998-2004 made him the main foreign policy spokesman during the 1998 nuclear tests by India and Pakistan, the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 to Afghanistan, the Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan, and other major events in modern history. Blending Singh's memories with analysis of India's history and future prospects, In Service of Emergent India offers reflections upon the end of India's colonial period, tells the story of Singh's childhood, schooling, and military training, and speaks of Indian Independence as well as the unimaginably bloody Partition of India and Pakistan. In Service of Emergent India goes on to discuss ongoing modern tensions between India and Pakistan, Sino-Indian relations, and post-September 11th relations between America and India. Highly recommended as a primary source of Indian history as well as the vivid life experiences of a seasoned leader.

Cogito, Ergo Sum
Richard Watson
David R. Godine, Publisher
PO Box 450, Jaffrey, NH 03452
9781567923353, $21.95 www.godine.com 1-800-344-4771

Cogito, Ergo Sum: The Life of Rene Descartes is an in-depth biography of the "Father of Modern Philosophy", mathematician and architect Rene Descartes (1596-1650). From his childhood and schooling, to his contributions to science such as the invention of analytic geometry and his methods for testing hypotheses that formed the foundation of experimental science, to his piety as a Christian and much more, Cogito, Ergo Sum closely follows Descartes' life. A biography first and foremost, written for lay readers and scholars alike, Cogito, Ergo Sum brings alive the history of a truly remarkable and forward-thinking man. Highly recommended for biography and library shelves.

Forgotten Patriot
J. Lee Thompson
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
The Gatehouse M010C, 285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940
Associated University Presses (distributor)
2010 Eastpark Boulevard., Cranbury, NJ 08512
0838641210, $75.00 www.fdu.edu/newspubs/fdupress.html

Written by J. Lee Thompson (Associate Professor of History, Lamar University), Forgotten Patriot: A Life of Alfred, Viscount Milner of St. James's and Cape Town, 1854-1925 is the biography of a man who was singularly dedicated to duty, principle, and the British Empire. From middle-class origins, Alfred Milner earned the rank of South African High Commissioner, and after spending a decade amid the wilderness, became the right-hand man of David Lloyd George in the five-man War Cabinet of 1916-1918. Milner believed absolutely that any measures he took to further the imperial cause were fully justified, a self-righteousness that blinded him to the practical and political realities of the major events surrounding him. A scholarly and heavily researched account that paints an unforgettable portrait of an incomparably principled and unyielding man.


The Political Science Shelf

In Praise of Barbarians
Mike Davis
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
9781931859424, $15.00 www.haymarketbooks.org 1-773-583-7884

Historian and socialist activist Mike Davis presents In Praise of Barbarians: Essays Against Empire, a caustic collection of radical essays hurling blistering attacks on perceived yearnings for empire and other potentially fatal flaws within modern-day America. Chapters discuss social ills ranging from California's increasingly crowded prison system (due to the "Three Strikes" laws that add an ever-growing number lifetime convicts who committed nonviolent offenses), to a commemoration of "anarchist avengers" of the 1890s, to a stinging condemnation of the Pentagon as "Global Slumlord" and much more. Passionate, unapologetic, and relentless in calling out the ruthless side of industrial capitalism, In Praise of Barbarians deserves to be carefully considered as a compelling warning of worsening social ills, regardless of whether the reader agrees with the author's political ideology.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

The Great Arab Conquests
Hugh Kennedy
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780306815850, $27.95 www.perseusbooks.com 1-800-242-7737

Arabic history expert Hugh Kennedy presents The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In, the true story of Islam's expansion in the immediate centuries after the Prophet Mohammed's death, and the cultural and linguistic reverberations of Islam's spread which remain to the modern day. By the mid-eighth century, Arab armies had subjugated the Persian Empire, drastically reduced the size of the Byzantine Empire, and eliminated the Visigoth kingdom of Spain. The Great Arab Conquests illustrates how the Arab armies were able to obtain the upper hand, and offers insights into the distinctive governance Islam wielded over subjugated peoples, as well as how vast populations became converted to Islam. Told with a vividness that will appeal to lay readers and scholars alike, The Great Arab Conquests is a welcome addition to Islamic studies and history shelves.


The Military Shelf

Reaping the Whirlwind
Nigel Cawthorne
David & Charles
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
9780715327449, $16.99 www.fwpublications.com 1-800-726-9966

Reaping the Whirlwind: The German and Japanese Experience of World War II offers insight into the experience of war from the perspective of German and Japanese soldiers and civilians. Drawn from diaries, letters, interrogation reports, interviews and personal memoirs, Reaping the Whirlwind speaks with the authentic voices of those who followed delusional and power-hungry leaders to their nations' ruin. A vividly unforgettable anthology of primary sources, recommended for World War II scholars and lay readers alike.

Cinderella Army
Terry Copp
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
9780802039255, $45.00 www.utppublishing.com 1-800-565-9523

Department of History professor emeritus Terry Copp presents Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe 1944-1945, the follow-up to "Fields of Fire" and an in-depth examination of the operations carried out by the First Canadian Army during the last nine months of World War II. Continuing the argument in "Fields of Fire" that the achievement of Allied and Canadian armies has been underrated while the effectiveness of the German army has been decidedly exaggerated, Cinderella Army supports its proposal with research garnered from trips to the battlefields of France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany. With evidence of the battlefield terrain including maps and air photos, Cinderella Army reveals the challenging defensive positions that the Canadian soldiers had to overcome and illustrate just how impressive their achievements truly were. A welcome addition to Canadian military history shelves, along with the highly recommended "Fields of Fire".

Inferno
Joseph A. Springer
Zenith Books
c/o MBI Publishing Company
Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
9780760329825, $24.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

Retired Aircraft Weapons Specialist of the United States Air Force Joseph A. Springer presents Inferno: The Epic Life and Death Struggle of the USS Franklin in World War II, the true story of the aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13), known throughout the fleet as "Big Ben". One of twenty-four Essex-class fast carriers built during World War II and formed the backbone of the U.S. Navy during the war against Japan, Big Ben participated in island campaigns of the central and western Pacific, the Battle for Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, and strikes against Honshu and Kobe Harbor. Big Ben suffered casualties from the dreaded Japanese kamikaze, and was nearly sunk by a 250-kilogram bomb that set off a chain reaction of exploding aviation fuel and ordnance. Though Big Ben appeared mortally wounded and endured severe loss of life - a loss that would have been even greater if not for the heroism of the remaining crewmembers and the efforts of the USS Santa Fe to take the wounded to safety. A gripping true story of bravery and sacrifice, featuring the words of men who served aboard "Big Ben" as well as a handful of black-and-white photographs. A welcome addition to naval and World War II history shelves.

Charge!
Congressman Steve Israel, editor
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591143994, $32.95 www.navalinstitute.org 1-800-233-8764

U.S. Congressman Steve Israel has gathered together a collection of the most inspiring and influential military speeches in Charge! History's Greatest Military Speeches. From Moses' instructions to his people to march without him in Biblical times, to Queen Elizabeth I's support for her troops against the Spanish Armada, to Patrick Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech to Josef's Stalin call to "Defend Every Inch" in World War II to George W. Bush's rally of Americans after 9/11, each speech touches upon pivotal moments in history. Though a preponderance of the speeches are by Americans, an assortment of historic words from leaders of a variety of other origins including Napoleon Bonaparte, Pericles of Athens, and Giuseppe Garibaldi of Italy. A truly soul-stirring anthology, illustrated with black-and-white photographs of the notable speakers.

The Forgotten 500
Gregory A. Freeman
New American Library
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014-3658
9780451222121, $23.95 www.penguin.com 1-800-847-5515

Award-winning writer and experienced journalist Gregory A. Freeman presents The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission in World War II, the story of Operation Halyard - a mission to rescue American airmen who were shot down in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia, and sheltered by Serbian villagers who risked their lives. To pull off Operation Halyard, the starving Americans in Yugoslavia had to construct a landing strip large enough for C-47 cargo planes without tools, without alerting the Germans, and without endangering the villagers. And the cargo planes that came to their rescue would have to traverse enemy airspace without being shot down. Extensively researched, The Forgotten 500 brings the daring true saga to life with compelling detail. A welcome addition to World War II shelves, sure to intrigue laymen and military historians alike.


The Psychology Shelf

Human Behavior, Learning, and the Developing Brain
Donna Coch, Geraldine Dawson, and Kurt W. Fischer, editors
Guilford Publications, Inc.
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
9781593851378, $50.00 www.guilford.com 1-800-365-7006

Human Behavior, Learning, and the Developing Brain: Atypical Development is an anthology of essays by experts in the field concerning the latest research on brain-behavior connections in atypically developing children. Covering brain development in children with autism, Williams syndrome, learning and language disabilities, ADHD, and cognitive deficits (in the case of infants of mothers with diabetes), Human Behavior, Learning, and the Developing Brain addresses the molecular and genetic bases of brain development, as well as neural structure and function, behavioral manifestations, and sociocultural contexts. Applied tools range from genetic markers and functional brain imaging to classroom evaluations. The practical use of this congregated wisdom can facilitate the prediction, early identification, and professional intervention to the benefit of children with atypical brain development. An ideal text for graduate-level psychology students and college library shelves.


The Philosophy Shelf

Psyche: Inventions of the Other Volume 1
Jacques Derrida, author
Peggy Kamuf and Elizabeth Rottenberg, editors
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804747998, $24.95 www.sup.org

Psyche: Inventions of the Other Volume 1 is the first English-language publication of the essay collection that Professor of Humanities Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) originally published in two volumes in 1998 and 2003. The assembly of essays present Derrida's thinking on a wide assortment of topics including psychoanalysis, theater, translation, literature, representation, racism, and nuclear war. Also present are Derrida's engagement with the ideas of well-known thinkers and writers such as Barthes, Benjamin, de Man, Flaubert, Freud, Heidegger, Lacoue-Labarthe, Levinas, and Ponge. "Deliberate self-limitation gives psychoanalysis its only chance as a science. It isolates a context into which external randomness no longer penetrates. Biogenetics is not devoid of randomness and neither is the psyche, but the orders or the random sequences must not communicate or cross over within the same set, at least if one wants to distinguish between orders of calculable necessity. There must be no bastardizing or hybridization, no accidental grafts between these two generalities, genres, or genealogies. But one might ask the author of 'Leonardo,' how is one to eliminate the dice throws of bastardy? Is not the concept of sublimation, like that of the drive, precisely the concept of bastardy?" A highly analytical and thoughtful compendium of meticulous reasoning, and a welcome addition to philosophy shelves and college libraries.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Yoga Psychology and the Transformation of Consciousness
Don Salmon and Jan Maslow
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 7, St. Paul, MN 55113
9781557788351, $19.95 www.paragonhouse.com

Clinical psychologist Dr. Don Salmon and educator Jan Maslow present Yoga Psychology and the Transformation of Consciousness: Seeing Through the Eyes of Infinity, a guide to embracing the psychological benefits of yoga. Chapters explore how to prepare for the expansions of one's mental state, awakening to vital consciousness, the transformation of one's mind, being aware of karma, and much more. An accompanying audio CD walks the reader through simple meditation techniques. An excellent "get-started" guide to yoga for self-transformation.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick
Judith Hawkins-Tillirson, author
Nancy Wasserman, editor
Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781578634118, $12.95 www.redwheelweiser.com 1-800-423-7087

Herbalist and occultist Judith Hawkins-Tillirson offers both lore and practical instructions in the magickal use of plants in The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick, an easy-to-follow manual examining the mystic properties of plants ranging from mugwort, mandrake, and nightshade to olive, coconut, tiger lily, orchids, palm, and more. Chapters align different plants with corresponding planets of the solar system, and offer useful advice on preparing herbs for magick, gardening, and tips, tricks, and techniques for the successful performance of magick. "For magicians and astrologers alike, Water is the passive, receptive, magnetic element. Water acts as a physical Akashic record; it receives and holds all the energies exposed to it. This natural receptivity is the source of the psychic ability so often found in Water folk, and also of their infamous moodiness - those tides that Dion Fortune described are always moving." An excellent resource for anyone interested in exploring the wonders and benefits of herbal magick.


The Gaming Shelf

The Survival Guide to Competitive Chess
John Emms
Everyman Chess
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
9781857444124, $24.95 www.everymanchess.com 1-800-243-0495

Grandmaster and experienced tournament player John Emms reveals how to unlock one's full chess potential in The Survival Guide to Competitive Chess, a guide covering all aspects of practical play. Chapters cover maintaining concentration, behaviour at the chessboard, when and how to play for a win versus a draw, how to save a difficult position as well as how to win from a good position, dealing with time trouble, avoiding blunders, understanding one's own strengths and weaknesses, assembling an opening repertoire, using chess computers and software, and much more. Diagrams and sample games illustrate the points covered in this solid, hard-hitting guide, invaluable for prospective tournament chess players and highly recommended for anyone seeking to improve their skills.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest
William Neill
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399, Missoula, Montana 59806
9780878425372, $18.00 www.mountain-press.com 1-800-234-5308

Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest is a field guide beautifully illustrated with color photography throughout. Covering 118 of the most commonly encountered butterflies in Washington, Oregon, and parts of California, Nevada, Idaho, and Canada, Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest offers a quick summary of facts as well as an unmistakable color image of each species featured - many species also have a photograph of the butterfly in caterpillar or cocoon form as well. An easy-to-use guide for learning where and when to observe butterflies, and how to identify male and female adults as well as caterpillars, pupae, and eggs. Enthusiastically recommended for amateur butterfly enthusiasts and field professionals alike.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Treasury of Knowledge: Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy
Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, author
Elizabeth M. Callahan, translator
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559392778, $34.95 www.SnowLionPub.com 1-800-950-0313

The Treasury of Knowledge: Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy is the fourth of ten volumes of the classic "Treasury of Knowledge" series compiling the entire range of Buddhist teachings as they were preserved in Tibet. Written by nonsectarian Buddhist teacher Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye (1813-1900) and skillfully translated into English by expert and practicing Buddhist Elizabeth M. Callahan, The Treasury of Knowledge: Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy explores the broad themes and subtle points brought to light in Buddhist philosophical writings over the past fifteen hundred years. Offering an overview of the key points of each of Buddhism's four philosophical systems, The Treasury of Knowledge: Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy is an undeniable classic ideal for scholars and practitioners of Buddhism seeking to apply analytical inquiry to their understanding. Highly recommended for Buddhist studies shelves.


The Library CD Music Shelf

The Roots of Chicha
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$15.98 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru is an album of "cumbias amazonicas", a fusion of Peru's indigenous melodies, Colombia's cumbia rhythm, rock and roll organ-playing, and surf rock wah-wah pedals. The resulting music has become an audible symbol for the indigenous population's transition to urban living, and resonates with a vibrant originality. The Roots of Chicha showcases tracks by six different bands: Los Mirlos, Juaneco y Su Combo, Los Hijos del Sol, Los Destellos, Los Diablos Rojos, and Eusebio y Su Banjo. The thriving beat of the album, reminiscent of Jamaican Ska or Congolese Soukous, is sure to capture the pulse and spirit of the listener. The tracks are Sonido Amazonico (2:35), Linda Nena (3:45), Carinito (4:05), A Patricia (3:14), Sacalo Sacalo (3:04), Ya se ha muerto mi Abuelo (4:09), El Milagro Verde (2:43), Para Elisa (2:46), Linda Munequita (4:44), Muchachita del Oriente (3:19), Elsa (3:38), Vacilando con Ayahuesca (3:31), El Guapo (3:23), Mi Morena Rebelde (3:21), Si Me Quieres (3:09), Me Robaron mi Runa Mula (3:07), and La Danza de Los Mirlos (2:49). Highly recommended for public library and ethnic music collections.


The Architecture Shelf

The Timber Framing Book
Stewart Elliott & Eugenie Wallas
Alan C. Hood & Company
PO Box 775, Chambersburg, PA 17201
9780911469325, $30.00 www.hoodbooks.com

Profusely illustrated with diagrams by Linda Foss and photos by Jeremy Foss and Randy Hillner, "The Timber Framing Book" is a superbly written and organized 169-page instruction manual co-authored by timber framing experts Stewart Elliott and Eugenie Walls. Beginning with a historical and commentary on timber framing, individual chapters focus on 'Getting Started', 'The Frame', and then go on to the technical details of framing calculations and measurements, joinery, laying out and cutting joints, laying out and cutting braces, rafters, traditional decorative treatments of timbers, 'Raisin' Day', frame design and timber orders, then conclude with a chapter dedicated to building a 12' by 16' shed. Enhanced with the inclusion of a three page bibliography, a glossary of specialized terms, and an appendix of line-drawn illustrations, "The Timber Framing Book" is an exceptionally 'user friendly' introduction to the basics of timber framing and a very strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Architecture and Woodworking reference collections.


The Business Shelf

The Truth About Hiring The Best
Cathy Fyock
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780132381864, $18.99 www.fitpress.com

"The Truth About Hiring The Best" by employment strategist and consultant Cathy Fyock is organized into major sections dedicated to instructing human resource personnel and business managers on how to identify the best and most qualified candidates for hire; how to go about recruiting such employees; how to conduct the job interview; detailing the selection process in filling a vacancy; the use (and limitations) of panels, multiple interviews, background checks, tests, and other 'tools of the trade' in screening applicants and recruits; evaluating candidates and making effective offers of employment Showcasing fifty-three proven hiring principles, as well as numerous 'user friendly' techniques for recruiting the best employees as possible, "The Truth About Hiring The Best" should be considered as essential reading for anyone charged with the responsibility of recruiting and hiring employees for any local, regional, national, or international business.

Global Ambitions And Local Identities
Galit Ailon
Berghahn Books
150 Broadway, Suite 812, New York, NY 10038
1845451945, $60.00 www.berghahnbooks.com 1-800-540-8663

"Global Ambitions And Local Identities: An Israeli-American High-Tech Merger" by academician and organizational studies expert Galit Ailon (Lecturer at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Bar-Ilan University) is an articulate and informative study of a successful Israeli high-tech company's merger with an American competitor. Professor Ailon's research is based upon her considerable and in-depth fieldwork as she lays out the corporate realities underlying the statistics, balance sheets, and managerial prescriptions of the merger process. Of special note is the detailed account of everyday work life for those involved, and the debunking of myths often employed as arguments for (and against) globalization. The result is a superbly written descriptive analysis that is very strongly recommended, both as an acquisition to academic library collections in the fields of economics, business, politics, and anthropology, and also as an addition to the supplemental reading lists for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the process of contemporary multi-national corporate mergers.

Organization Change
W. Warner Burke
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781412926706, $46.95 www.sagepub.com 1-800-818-7243

Now in a completely updated and significantly expanded second edition, "Organization Change: Theory And Practice" by W. Warner Burke (Edward Lee Thorndike Professor of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he also serves as the Chair of the Department of Organization and Leadership) continues to be esteemed and recommended as a graduate school level text for university course work in the disciplines of industrial psychology, business administration, and organizational behavior. An invaluable resource for understanding and analyzing organizations be they corporate, governmental, or academic, this edition of "Organizational Change" is enhanced with a new chapter on 'Transformational Leadership' covering the fundamentals of leadership compared with management, transformational leadership, and the roles/responsibilities of the change leader. Also of note is the illuminating discussion on theories for understanding organization and change; as well as the evolutionary and revolutionary aspects of organization change. Professor Burke analytically discusses the nature of change and how organizational change is initiated by changing behavior, but not (as is commonly supposed) changes in mental sets or attributes. Enhanced with the inclusion of theoretical and illustrative models, as well as a model of meticulous and articulate scholarship, "Organizational Change" should be a part of every academic library reference collection and is especially recommended reading for students of the role of leadership in organizational evolution.


The American History Shelf

Days On The Family Farm
Carrie A. Meyer
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
9780816650330, $17.95 www.upress.umn.edu

"Days On The Family Farm: From The Golden Age Through The Great Depression" by Carrie A. Meyer (who grew up on an Illinois farm and went on to teach economics at George Mason University) is a memoir based history of life on a Midwestern farm from the beginning of the twentieth century to World War II as recorded in a daily chronicle kept by farm wife May Lyford Davis. The result is an entertaining and informative 'window into time' through which is revealed an American yesteryear when May and her husband Elmo experienced life on a farm through two decades of prosperity, the bleak years of the Great Depression, and the impact of two World Wars upon their Midwestern farming community of friends and neighbors. Articulate, detailed, personable, "Days On The Family Farm" is the story of a farmer's life marked by description of what was bought and sold, the evolution of farming practices and technologies from horse drawn plows to tractors, what was planted and harvested, temperatures and rainfall, births an deaths, even the impact of wind on the work of farming. Simply stated, "Days On The Family Farm" is an engaging and articulate read and a highly recommended addition to any personal or community library collection.

Creating Minnesota
Annette Atkins
Minnesota Historical Society Press
345 Kellogg Boulevard, West, St. Paul, MN 55102-1906
9780873515962, $27.95 www.mnhs.org/mhspress 1-800-647-7827

"Creating Minnesota: A History From The Inside Out" by Annette Atkins (Professor of History at Saint John's University and the College of Saint Benedict) is a superbly written history of how Minnesota evolved from a wilderness territory into a modern American state. In a model of accessible scholarship, Professor Atkins lays out Minnesota's achievement of statehood amidst the competing interests of indigenous natives, traders, farmers, townsmen, and politicians. There are illustrative and fascinating stories such as the family in St. Paul who managed to celebrate Christmas in 1898 with fruit that originated some 1,500 miles from their home. Professor Atkins also includes a photo essay of Minnesota communities as recorded by the cameras of local and itinerant photographers; the role of the railroads; even such culinary traditions as pan-fried walleye and walleye quesadillas. Very strongly recommended for personal, school, and community library American History collections in general, and Minnesota History shelves in particular, "Creating Minnesota" is an entertaining a read as it is informed and informative.


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Midwest Book Review
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