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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Living Will
M. Dianne Godkin
The University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2EI
0888644949, $24.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca
No one is immortal, and the best way to deal with the unfortunate is preparation. "Living Will, Living Well" is a guide to responsibly dealing with the event of death. Aimed at those in their later years, the book speaks of the importance of a living will and how the document isn't enough. "Living Will" offers advice on encouraging communication with loved ones and friends, assistance in dealing with the legal paperwork of wills and other complications that arise, and dealing with oneself after a loved one has passed on. "Living Will" is a solid compendium of knowledge on one's own death, and should be highly considered by those who don't want complications for themselves or their loved ones.
East of the Storm
Hanna Davidson Pankowsky
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896726277, $19.95, www.ttup.ttu.edu
Expecting social justice and sanctuary in Stalinist Russia ranged from simple, desperate naivete
to a deliberately self-inflicted delusion but some unfortunate souls did just that, only to find
their very lives at risk. "East of the Storm: Outrunning the Holocaust in Russia" is the true story
of the Pankowsky family's ordeal of escaping their homeland for an uncertain fate in the Soviet
Union. Poland quickly fell to Nazi Germany, and was subject to its antisemitic practices almost
the same instant. Hanna and her family saw hope in making it to the Soviet-occupied portion of
Poland, and took their chances going for it. "East of the Storm" is a tale of bravery and risking it
all for just the chance to survive.
So Why Have You Never Been Married?
Carl Weisman
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931-0669
9780882823263, $14.95, www.newhorizonbookspress.com
Pressure into marriage is common in society, but why would some take their time or even
refuse? "So Why Have You Never Been Married? 10 Insights Into Why He Hasn't Wed" is a look
at the eternal bachelor, the man who has been married. Talking to many men who have yet to tie
to knot, he gets a wide range of answers from those who would simply like to continue playing
the field, to those who believe monogamy is a sham, to those who simply haven't found the right
one. "So Why Have You Never Been Married?" is a look into the male psyche and will provide
many answers to a woman who's wondering just why their desired man has yet to pop the
question.
Projected History Volume One 1929-1930
Phillip W. Stewart, editor
PMS Press
PO Box 1496, Crestview, FL 32536
9780979324383, $26.95 www.pmspress.com
Projected History: A Catalog of the U.S. National Stories Released by Universal Newsreel
Volume One 1929-1930 lists over 1275 nationally released newsreel titles, covering the first two
years of what was once known as the Universal Newspaper Newsreel. The reference to each
individual news story is no more than a title and one or a handful of sentences encapsulating the
story, such as "Runaway Train Plunges Down Mountain: New Castle, PA - 210,000 tons of coal
spilled, 32 cars wrecked, but nobody is hurt. Some of the derailed cars hung on the edge of a
steep embankment." A solid archive of history's highlights, compiled into an easy-to-use resource
for quick reference, and enhanced with an exhaustive title index.
The Christian Studies Shelf
No Atheists in Foxholes
Patrick McLaughlin
Thomas Nelson
565 Royal Parkway, Nashville, TN 37214
9780849919985, $19.99, www.thomasnelson.com
Chaplains are pastors who risk their lives to give soldiers a spiritual shoulder to lean on in the
crisis-filled area of the battle field. "No Atheists in Foxholes: Prayers and Reflections from the
Front" is a collection of thoughts and reflections on the importance of religion in the Iraq conflict
that rages on to this day. Telling stories of his times and offering poignant prayers, Chaplain
McLaughlin tells a moving story of his times with his marines unit. "No Atheists in Foxholes" is
a must for anyone who wishes to read about God in the Iraq conflict.
Angels and Wonders
Joan Wester Anderson
Loyola Press
3441 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
9780829427332, $14.95, www.loyolapress.com
Strange, unforeseen events that give people just what they need to get by, it's what referred to as
miracles. "Angels and Wonders: True Stories of Heaven on Earth" is a collection of more than
thirty true stories telling of God's servants and their presence on Earth. These stories tell of
people in need and how when they needed help most, they believe there's no one who went to bat
for them there except Angels. Touching stories of overcoming adversity and making it through
tough times, "Angels and Wonders" is inspiring and faithful reading, a great gift book for
Christians.
The Last Four Visions of Daniel
Thomas A. Daniels
Tate Publishing & Enterprising
127 E. Trade Center Terrace, Mustang, OK 73064-4421
159886775X, $22.99, www.tatepublishing.com
The Book of Daniel has some intriguing insights into our world indeed. "The Last Four Visions
of Daniel: Some Startling Revelations" is Thomas A. Daniel's scholarly examination of the book
of Daniel. Speaking of the 'seventy weeks' prophecy of the book and what it means to the world,
it is a work of top notch biblical scholarship. A strong choice for anyone who finds study of the
Bible enthralling, "The Last Four Visions of Daniel" is a choice that you can't go wrong
with.
The Master Carpenter
Hugh Poland
Judson Press
PO Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
9780817015299, $15.00, www.judsonpress.com
Whenever anyone creates anything by hand, heart and soul are poured into their creation. "The
Master Carpenter: Devotions for Woodworkers" is a look at the spiritual side of wood working,
containing much spiritual information to inspire readers to put their souls into what they craft.
Combining the wisdom of Christianity with the meditation of woodworking, "The Master
Carpenter" is a solid choice for any Christian who takes after the craft of Jesus Christ.
The Purity Code
Jim Burns
Bethany House
11400 Hampshire Ave., S., Bloomington, MN 55438
9780764202094, $11.99, www.bethanyhouse.com
The world is filled with things that may change how you are. "The Purity Code: God's Plan for
Sex and Your Body" is a heavily Christian influenced guide aimed at preteens and young
teenagers about the conflicts with faith that spring up around that age. Encouraging children to
find their faith and retain their faith toward the many 'impure' influences of the world, "The
Purity Code" is a consideration for Christian parents who want to keep their children to their
values as they age.
The Visible and the Revealed
Jean-Luc Marion
Fordham University Press
University Box L, 2546 Belmont Ave, Bronx, NY 10458
9780823228843, $30.00, www.fordhampress.com
Philosophy and religion have a lot in common. "The Visible and the Revealed" is one French
scholar's ideas about Christianity and the philosophy that comes along with it. Published before,
this new edition contains two chapters unreleased in the English language before this, expertly
translated by Christina M. Gschwandtner. "The Visible and the Revealed" asks many questions
and presents many answers, solidly recommended reading.
The Biography Shelf
Father Flanagan of Boys Town
Hugh Reilly & Kevin Warneke
Boys Town Press
14100 Crawford St., Boys Town, NE 68010
9781889322995, $14.95, www.boystownpress.org
Too often children are left to fend for themselves, and it takes a noble soul to defend them.
"Father Flanagan of Boys Town: A Man of Vision" tells of a man who looked after hundreds of
orphan boys in Nebraska. He founded Boy's Town, following his faith, looking after children of
any race or creed, supporting them to adulthood. Fighting his own poor health, his story is a
moving one, making "Father Flanagan of Boys Town" a solid read.
The Billionaire Who Wasn't
Conor O'Clery
Public Affairs
250 West 57th Street, Suite 1321, New York, NY 10107
9781586486426, $15.95, www.publicaffairsbooks.com
So often the rich seek to only get richer, getting more money to pad their wallets than they need
to survive. Is there any honor among the greedy? "The Billionaire Who Wasn't: How Chuck
Feeney Secretly Made and Gave Away a Fortune" is about a different kind of entrepreneur.
Chuck Feeney made billions with his company Duty Free Shippers, but never pursued the fame
and did very little pursuit of the fortune, instead becoming one of America's greatest reclusive
philanthropists. "The Billionaire Who Wasn't" is highly recommended reading for anyone who
has had a soured view on the wealthy.
Dream Homes
Joyce Zonana
The Feminist Press
365 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5406, New York, NY 10016
9781558615731, $15.95, www.feministpress.org
What is home, really? "Dream Homes: From Cairo to Katrina, An Exile's Journey" tells of the
author's history of being expunged from her beloved home twice. Once from his native land due
to intolerance of her people, and once by Mother Nature's fury in the form of the devastating
Hurricane Katrina. Enhanced with photographs and family recipes and tales of and from her
mother, Zonana paints a picture of a two-time exile who learns what home really is. "Dream
Homes: From Cairo to Katrina" is a top pick for academic and community library Women's
Studies and American Biography collections, as well as a 'must read' for anyone who is also
struggling with questions of who they are and what they aspire to.
Santiago's Children
Steve Reifenberg
University of Texas Press
2100 Comal Street, Austin, TX 78722
9780292717428, $24.95, www.utexaspress.com
The lessons of life are never laid out as if they were in a book. "Santiago's Children: What I
Learned About Life at an Orphanage in Chile" is one man's reflection of one of his great times of
learning in life. Santiago, Chile was where he went and fought a language barrier armed with
only his own good will. He met many children, each different from the next who gave him a
crash course in the harsh realities of life. "Santiago's Children" is poignant and inspiring, highly
recommended reading.
The Poetry Shelf
Anna, Washing
Ted Genoways
The University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
9780820332062, $16.95, www.ugapress.org
With the emergence of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, America's interest in Alaska is
higher than ever. "Anna, Washing" is an anthology of poetry set in the great northern state of
Alaska, telling the story of Anna and Abe Malm, two immigrants who came to the state from
Finland. Poignant and entertaining, Genoways' poetry makes "Anna, Washing" a recommended
read. "Wash-Day Song": This machine now is her only solace / machine whose wooden handle
is polished//by years of use, grooves that mirror her grip./Machine she chose, warranted not to
rip//your fineries but to wash tough clothes clean./Machine she fills with scalding water,
steam//fogging the window glass, and packs with shirts./Machine she hates so much her stomach
hurts.//Year she has given to route and routine,/machine washwoman and washing machine.//
Sud with lye, rinse, then dry twelve times, each day./Machine that kept their debtors
away,//machine Abe dubbed Anna's golden goose,/machine she cranked til it rocked like a
sluice.
Alpha Zulu
Gary Copeland Lilley
Ausable Press
1026 Hurricane Road, Keene, NY 12942
9781931337380, $14.00, www.ausablepress.org
"Alpha Zulu" is the fourth book from Gary Copeland Lilley, a native of North Carolina and artist of many types. His poems tackle the basics of the daily life many black Americans face each day, and how it isn't much different from the lives of the people in some parts of America. Philosophical and enlightening, "Alpha Zulu" is intriguing and recommended. "Three of Cups Reversed": In the parking lot she's washing her car, bending down to wipe the rims. Wide butt and showing waistline, always some man wanting to wax her trunk./Sitting on my back porch in a lounger/that's chained to the cast iron railing/I turn obstacles into stepping stones./Dispel the negative and focus/On the self that hangs off my bones./Beneath a ragged flag, the bare trees/in the departing winter, ashtray half full,/fresh pack of cigarettes, and three cans of beer/sweating beside me on the table.
This Dirty Little Heart
B.T. Shaw
Eastern Washington University Press
534 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, Suite 203, Spokane, WA 99202
9781597660402, $14.95, www.ewupress.ewu.edu
Prolific published poet B.T. Shaw brings poetry readers her debut anthology of poetry in "This
Dirty Little Heart". Holding nothing back, her verse is moving and inspiring to readers and offers
fresh prose. As a sign of things to come, "This Dirty Little Heart" leaves readers wanting more.
"The Invisible Woman vs. Mr. Fantastic": Honey, she said, it is not your fault./I saw everything
in you except myself.
Cage
Astrid Cabral
Host Publications
277 Broadway, Suite 210, New York, NY 10007
9780924047442, $12.00, www.hostpublications.com
One of Brazil's most famous poets, Astrid Cabral knows shows. In this new edition of "Cage"
from Host Publications, she demonstrates to English readers just why she deserves her well
earned literary fame. Bilingual, "Cage" contains both the original Portuguese and the deftly
translated English translation by Alexis Levitin. The poetry comprising "Cage" brings the reader
an unusual and exotic picture of Brazil, a picture that contains both the massive Amazon rain
forests and a piece of western civilization. Introducing a major Brazilian literary talent o
American poetry readers, "Cage" is worth reading for its tales of Brazil alone. "Gecko": Blessed
be the morning/of childhood when/I found myself/sister to the gecko/acrobat./On the wall of the
room/utterly at ease/just like me/tumbler/ on the edge of the planet.
Reality Check
Dennis O'Driscoll
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781556592805, $15.00, www.coppercanyonpress.org
Stereotypes are offensive because they assume, and Dennis O'Driscoll seeks to combat the Irish
stereotypes with "Reality Check". Writing about Ireland in a world of Globalization and what it
has done to his homeland, both positive and negative, his poetry is entertaining as it enlightening
about a modern people. "Reality Check" is a solid choice for poetry readers with an interest in
Irish culture. "Diversions": Lean on the green recycle bin/in the yard where roses run amok, scent
intensified by last night's rain.//Life your eyes to the sunlit hills, hedge/ perforated fields are first
day issues/tweezered askew in your childhood album.//Rest on the laurels of your
elbows./Consent to mind and body going/their ways amicably, a trial separation.
The Judaic Studies Shelf
The Chief Rabbi, the Pope, and the Holocaust
Robert G. Weisbord & Wallace P. Sillanpoa
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
1412807913, $29.95, www.transactionpub.com
The Catholic Church has declined in power over the centuries, but their presence is still strong.
"The Chief Rabbi, the Pope, and the Holocaust: An Era in Vatican-Jewish Relations" is the story
of how the Catholic Church related with the Jewish people during the tragic years of the
Holocaust. The Catholic Church's efforts to stave the Holocaust were not the best, yet for some
reason, Israele Zolli, the chief rabbi of Rome's Jewish community, praised their acts so much to
convert to Catholicism, a decision which causes uproar to this day. A picture of a strange time
and strange action with intellectual explanation, "The Chief Rabbi, the Pope, and the Holocaust"
is solid reading for religious students.
Rav Chesed
Rafael Medoff
KTAV
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602800434, $18.95, www.ktav.com
In the twentieth century, there have been many defenders of Judaism, and Rabbi Haskel
Lookstein has always been on the front line. "Rav Chesed: The Life and Times of Rabbi Haskel
Lookstein" is a biography of this champion of Israel, whose main efforts were to protect the
rights of Soviet Jews. Telling of his life, deeds, and his philosophies, anyone of the Jewish faith
looking for a role model need to look no further. A superbly researched and written biography by
Rafael Medoff, "Rav Chesed" is a story of a great man, highly recommended reading, and an core
addition to personal, academic, and community library Judaic Studies and Judaic Biography
collections.
The Jewish Bible
JPS Guide
The Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, 2nd Floor, PA 19103
9780827608511, $22.00, www.jewishpub.org
Judaism is a culture with a long history and a belief system that has endured millennia of
oppression, evolution, and influence. "The Jewish Bible" is a complete and comprehensive guide
to anyone who wants to learn about the Torah and the Talmud. With summaries of each of the
Bible's individual books, a glossary of terms, important diagrams and maps, along with scholarly
commentary from some of today's most influential Judaic scholars, "The Jewish Bible" is a
highly educational piece and essential reading for scholars, students, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in Judaism. No personal, community, or academic library's Judaic
Studies reference collections would be complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of The
Jewish Publication Society's edition of "The Jewish Bible".
Jewish Stories from Heaven and Earth
Dov Peretz Elkins
Jewish Lights Publishing
PO Box 237, Sunset Farm Offices, Rt. 4, Woodstock, VT 05091
9781580233637, $16.99, www.jewishlights.com
The body needs food to live, the soul needs food to believe. "Jewish Stories from Heaven and
Earth: Inspiring Tales to Nourish the Heart and Soul" is a collection of stories from figures who
speak on the Jewish soul to inspire and give readers something to believe in. The stories tackle
the values that are invariably important to Jewish readers, making "Jewish Stories from Heaven
and Earth: Inspiring Tales to Nourish the Heart and Soul" a highly recommended collection for
Jewish readers.
The Business Shelf
Make Meetings Matter
Charlie Hawkins
Career Press
3 Tice Road, PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
Connect Influential Public Relations (publicity)
24 Main Street, Warwick, NY 10990
9781601630155, $14.99, www.careerpress.com
People dread their business meetings . . . why? The answer is simple, most of the time, they
could skip it and not miss a thing. "Make Meetings Matter: Ban Boredom, Control Confusion,
and Terminate Time Wasting" is a guide for business leaders to make their corporate meetings
actually mean something, by keeping meetings as something that makes things get done instead
of simply being lip service to company unity. "Make Meetings Matter" is vital to those who want
their company rolling at maximum efficiency, and would be an excellent addition to community
library business collections.
Deduct It!
Stephen Fishman
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413307191, $34.99, www.nolo.com, 1-800-955-4775
We hear a lot about corporate taxes during this current political season. The average federal and
state tax rate of small businesses is around 35%. But what is not generally known is that through
the advantages of legal tax deductions most companies do not pay anywhere near that amount of
tax assessment on their general revenues. Where it was once necessary to employ a top flight tax
attorney, now anyone starting up an entrepreneurial venture in the form of a small business can
take full and lawful advantage of all their tax deductions associates with start-up expenses,
operating expenses, health and medical related expenditures, retirement commitments, as well as
costs associated with entertainment, meals, travel, inventory, equipment, operating a home office,
and so much more. They key to all this is "Deduct It!: Lower Your Small Business Taxes" by tax
attorney and specialist Stephen Fishman. Now in a newly updated and expanded fourth edition,
"Deduct It!" should be considered a thoroughly user friendly and instructive 'Tax Bible' for every
small business owner wanting to steer clear of the IRS while taking full and legal advantage of
every appropriate (and profitable) tax deduction allowed by law. Also highly recommended for
home-based entrepreneurs and also available from Nolo Press is Stephen Fishman's "Home
Business Tax Deductions: 5th Edition" (9781413309072, $34.99).
A Sense of Urgency
John P. Kotter
Harvard Business Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422179710, $22.00, www.harvardbusiness.org/press
Speed is an underrated and powerful aspect of business that oft goes ignored. "A Sense of
Urgency" is a guide to business urgency and keeping the sense of it going to increase productivity
and efficiency. Urgency brings speed, speed brings changes, and changes bring opportunities, and
opportunities bring profit. A must for improving one's business while not stressing employees
out, "A Sense of Urgency" is a solid read for any business manager.
Copywriting
Rob Bowdery
Ava
c/o Watson-Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
9782940373680, $29.95
You could have the greatest product in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one is going to
buy it. "Basics Advertising: Copywriting" is a simple crash course in basic fundamental skill of
advertising one's product. With ideas both combining the art of words and visual components
when creating an effective advertisement, it contains many examples to gain inspiration from
many established and successful marketing agencies. For anyone who wants to best understand
the art of copywriting, "Basics Advertising: Copywriting" is strongly recommended reading.
Engagement is Not Enough
Keith E. Ayers
Elevate
c/o Advantage Media Group
PO Box 272, Charleston, SC 29402
9781599320113, $24.99, www.engagementisnotenough.com
Cruise control is not the way to go through the world of business. "Engagement Is Not Enough:
You Need Passionate Employees to Achieve Your Dream" is a guide focusing on motivating
one's employees to work for one's desire with enthusiasm, instead of just coasting toward an easy
paycheck. Advising employers to give their employees what they need to feel respected, feel like
part of a team, love their job, and do what they can to improve the company because they care as
much as the owner. "Engagement is Not Enough" is solid reading about the value of being
motivated for one's job.
Positive Leadership
Kim Cameron
Berrett-Koehler
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781576756027, $14.00, www.bkconnection.com
A good leader can make mediocre workers good and good workers great. "Positive Leadership:
Strategies for Extraordinary Performance" is a leadership manual encouraging managers to
inspire and motivate their workers to new levels using the advice and tips contained within. With
four principle strategies, he goes over their implementation and also gives advice on motivating
oneself along with their employees. "Positive Leadership" is solid and recommended reading for
anyone in charge of the productivity of others.
The American History Shelf
Quelch's Gold
Clifford Beal
Potomac Books
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9781597972338, $16.95, www.potomacbooksinc.com
A victim of something he didn't understand, a sad fate indeed. "Quelch's Gold: Piracy, Greed, and
Betrayal in Colonial New England" is the tragic story of John Quelch. With a massively valuable
haul in his ship coming to the American colonies in 1704, Quelch finds himself charged with
piracy against ally Portugal. Baffled at the accusation, Quelch stood powerless as his fate was
decided. A history of a Massachusetts legend and look at the law of the early eighteenth century,
"Quelch's Gold" is a worthwhile acquisition for history buffs.
Israel and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman
Michael J. Devine, Robert P. Watson, & Robert J. Wolz
Truman State University
100 East Normal Street, Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
9781931112802, $28.95, tsup.truman.edu
One of the first government heads to recognize the existence of Israel, Harry Truman is a vital
figure in the history of modern Israel. "Israel and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman" tells of the man
and his involvement and inner conflict in his role in establishing the Jewish homeland. Alongside
the objective history are the voices of many who knew him and worked with him, from Israeli
ambassadors, scholars, representatives to aides. An impressive work of meticulous scholarship
throughout, "Israel and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman" is welcome addition to academic library
20th Century American History collections, as well as a recommended and informative read for
any who are studying Harry Truman's contribution to the establishment of the modern state of
Israel.
Copts in Michigan
Eliot Dickinson
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25 Manly Miles Building, East Lansing, MI 48823-5202
9780870138249, $12.95, www.msupress.msu.edu
There are many people and many cultures making up our country. "Copts in Michigan" is a look
at the ethno-religious group known as the Copts, Egyptian Christians. They have made their
home in and around Detroit, and Eliot Dickinson brings a focus on how these people came to
America and how they are making their place in society. An educating and enlightening picture
of a people, "Copts in Michigan" is high recommended.
For Members Only
Lisa Holton
Lake Claremont Press
PO Box 711, Chicago, IL 60690
9781893121287, $18.95, www.lakeclaremont.com
One could walk down a Chicago street and pass many of them, never knowing they passed an
important part of Chicago's history. Knowledgeably compiled and expertly written by Lisa
Holton, "For Members Only: A History and Guide to Chicago's Oldest Private Clubs" looks at
over a century of secrecy and how it is not always a bad thing. Identifying these clubs and their
contributions, examining how they were formed, and revealing how they exist in the modern
world which frowns on exclusionary practices, "For Members Only" a solidly informative and
educational study. Highly recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in
American History in general, and the city of Chicago in particular, "For Members Only" is a great
piece of history and a welcome addition to library reference collections.
The Native American Shelf
The Cherokee Trail of Tears
Duane King, author
David G. Fitzgerald, photography
Graphic Arts Books
PO Box 10306, Portland, OR 97296-0306
9780882407524, $19.95 www.gacpc.com 1-800-452-3032
Author and museum director Duane King presents The Cherokee Trail of Tears, a close
examination of the true story behind the catastrophe that the American government inflicted on
the Cherokee people. In 1838, fifteen thousand Cherokees were imprisoned in preparation for
forced transport to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Fifteen hundred died before the long, hard
march started. The Cherokee Trail of Tears draws heavily upon historical records ranging from
eyewitness diaries to newspaper accounts, nineteenth-century maps, oral traditions and more to
recreate the painful journey. Illustrated with inset sections of full-color photographic plates taken
by award-winning photographer David G. Fitzgerald, The Cherokee Trail of Tears is an
indispensable addition to high school, college, and public library Native American history
shelves.
Power Struggles
Thibault Martin and Steven M. Hoffman, editors
University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John's College, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2M5, Canada
9780887557057, $34.95, www.umanitoba.ca/uofmpress
All too often governmental and corporate concepts of progress and those of the aboriginal people
of Canadian lands have a history of conflict. "Power Struggles: Hydro Development and First
Nations in Manitoba and Quebec" is an informed and informative history of the growing areas of
dispute between the aboriginal peoples of Canada and the hydro corporations. A conflict growing
since the 1970s, it is symptomatic of Canada's relations with its indigenous people in general. A
work of seminal scholarship and recommended for academic library Native American Studies
and Contemporary Social Issues reference collections, "Power Struggles" is a solid read for
anyone who wants to fully understand the conflicts Canada faces with a group of its own Native
Americans whom they call the 'First Nation'.
The Psychology Shelf
Madness in Buenos Aires
Jonathan D. Ablard
Ohio University Press
19 Circle Drive, The Ridges, Athens, OH 45701
University of Calgary Press (distributor)
MLB 19, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB Canada T2N 1N4
9780896802599, $34.95, www.ohioswallow.com
The mentally ill have been treated in different attitudes throughout history, ranging from
compassion and tolerance to persecution and institutionalization. "Madness in Buenos Aires:
Patients, Psychiatrists, and the Argentine State, 1880-1983" by Jonathan D. Ablard carefully
examines the history of Argentina and how that country dealt with its mentally unstable for over
a century. Going over the history of the practices and what they did right and what they did
wrong, "Madness in Buenos Aires" presents a vivid and detailed picture of how a non-American
country dealt with its psychological health problems. A work of seminal scholarship, "Madness
in Buenos Aires" is a study worth reading for historians and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in mental health issues and history.
Dream Power
Mary Jo Davis-Grant
Sterling House
7436 Washington Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15218
1585010952, $17.95, www.sterlinghousepublisher.com
Some cultures believed that dreams were prophecies, visions of the future. "Dream Power: Can
Our Dreams Make Us Well?" is a look at the role of dreams and the subconscious in the healing
of the body. The power of the mind is high when it comes to healing, and dreams are
unadulterated pictures of one's mind. With thrilling advice on manipulating one's mind and
dreams to help one heal, "Dream Power" is a solid read for those looking for all tips on healing
from their injury.
Freud at 150
Joseph P. Merlino & collaborators, editors
Jason Aronson
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.
4501 Forbes, Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9780765705471, $29.95, www.rowmanlittlefield.com
If Sigmund Freud was still alive today, how would he be viewed? Compiled and principle edited
by Joseph P. Merlino, "Freud at 150: 21st Century Essays on a Man of Genius" is the
impressively informed and informative work arising from contributions by many psychotherapy
professionals who collectively offer a modern outlook on the works of one of the most influential
and controversial founding figures of their profession. Offering a new light and new thoughts on
his work, "Freud at 150" is an inspiring, gripping, insightful, and educational look at one of the
great minds of the past. No college or university Freudian Studies reference collection can be
considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of "Freud at 150: 21st Century
Essays on a Man of Genius".
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Ancestral Grace
Diarmuid O'Murchu
Orbis Books
Walsh Building, PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570757945, $22.00, www.orbisbooks.com
We have the records that Humanity has been around for much more than six thousand years,
contrary to the literal interpretation of the Bible. "Ancestral Grace: Meeting God in Our Human
Story" comes with a different perspective on God which blends the beliefs of many religions with
what humanity knows as a science. Thought provoking, well researched, and with a new
approach, "Ancestral Grace" is surely worth reading for those trying to balance their faith with
logic.
Finding Faith, Losing Faith
Scot McKnight & Hauna Ondrey
Baylor University
c/o B&B Media Group
109 South Main Street, Corsicana, TX 75110
9781602581623, $19.95, www.baylorpress.com
For some, faith is not life long. "Finding Faith, Losing Faith: Stories of Conversion and
Apostasy" is a scholarly look at conversion, evangelism, and those who change their faith and
those who encourage them. Saying that most conversion is the result of a crisis and people
responding to it, it is an explanation of the whole process, which will enlighten readers about
their faith and those who convert and try to convert others. "Finding Faith, Losing Faith" is
educational reading, a solid choice for religious collections.
The Economics Shelf
Economics Sanctions Reconsidered
Gary Clyde Hufbauer & collaborators
Peterson Institute
1750 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036-1903
9780881324082, $49.95, www.petersoninstitute.org
Military might is not the only way to fight a war, but there are downsides to alternative methods
to armed conventional conflict as well. "Economic Sanctions Reconsidered" looks at the
downside of using economic sanctions to persuade other nations to work with the United States.
Filled with countless studies, freshly updated for the new edition, it looks at some sanctions
failing to have the desired effect for the country, and how the end of the Cold War means the
United States actually has less power than it used to. "Economic Sanctions Reconsidered" is
worth reading for anyone who wants to understand the US Foreign Policies when it comes to
economics.
The Black Studies Shelf
Race and Remembrance
Arthur L. Johnson
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814333709, $24.95, www.wsupress.wayne.edu
Civil rights weren't always a given for black Americans. "Race and Remembrance" tells of
Arthur L. Johnson, a man who fought for civil rights during its toughest battle during the sixties,
and has spent much of his life since fighting those battles. A peer to Martin Luther King Jr., it's a
look into an old man's life and struggles through rough and turbulent times faced with such a
harsh struggle to make the progress that has been made today. "Race and Remembrance" is a top
pick for anyone who wants to read about the life of a civil rights warrior.
The Black Citizen Soldiers of Kansas 1864-1901
Roger D. Cunningham
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826218070, $34.95, www.press.umsystem.edu
The right to defend one's country isn't something that wasn't always permitted black Americans.
In "The Black Citizens Soldiers of Kansas 1864-1901" Roger D. Cunningham tells the story of
black Americans during the second half of the nineteenth century and the segregated military
units that many of these black soldiers proudly served in. Even for those who fought, bled, and
died gallantly in military service to their country, it took a long time for the American
Government to make up for its folly of having originally disallowed their service at all. A work
of impressively detailed and original scholarship, Cunningham brings his research to bear in
describing the lives and efforts of these valiant soldiers who fought for a country that hated them
-- only because it was their own. "The Black Citizen Soldiers of Kansas 1864-1901" is a fine read
and a recommended addition for academic library Military History, American History, and Civil
Rights Studies collections.
The Political Science Shelf
The Wicked Wine of Democracy
Joseph S. Miller
University of Washington Press
PO Box 50096, Seattle, WA, 98145-5096
9780295988016, $27.95, www.washington.edu/uwpress
Politics haven't changed much in the thousands of years it has existed. "The Wicked Wine of
Democracy" is the memoir of Joe Miller, a man who acted as a media relations professional for
the Democratic party for much of the twentieth century. A simple explanation on his belief on
how politicians get elected, and how to put the correct spin on the man you're fighting for, and
the wrong spin on the man you're fighting against, "The Wicked Wine of Democracy" is
intriguing, entertaining, and educational, despite its shady undertone. "The Wicked Wine of
Democracy" is an insider's look at a darker side of politics, recommended reading for those who
don't think American democracy is as pure as it can be.
The Computer Shelf
The Complete Guide to Torque X for XNA
John Kanalakis
GG Press
c/o AK Peters
888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482
9781568814216, $59.00, www.akpeters.com
The Xbox 360 is one of the major players in today's console gaming market, and many people
leap at the chance to develop for it. "The Complete Guide to Torque X for XNA" is a guide to
using the Torque X framework for creating games for the powerful home console. A framework
with many powerful and flexible tools for developers, mastering them is key to making an
excellent game for Microsoft's video game juggernaut. With samples of code and finished work,
"The Complete Guide to Torque X for XNA" is a must for any would be Xbox 360
programmer.
The Anthropology Shelf
Island Folk
Peter Oikarinen
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780816653362, $16.95, www.umn.edu
What's life like on a tiny island? "Island Folk: The People of Isle Royale" is a complete history
and examination of the people of Isle Royale. Covering the endeavors these people face daily, the
adventures of procuring food and fishing, tales of tourists, and a way of life that's fading over the
years. "Island Folk" is a snapshot of a people, and a strong recommendation for any who enjoy
reading about how other people live.
The Philosophy Shelf
Star Trek and Philosophy
Jason T. Eberl & Kevin S. Decker, editors
Open Court
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696493, $18.95, www.opencourtbooks.com
Does something besides entertainment lie in the famed Star Trek series? "Star Trek and
Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant" takes an educated view of the show and puts it under the
microscope of twenty-one different professionals who offer readers a dissection of the show's
topics and ideas. Star Trek, like much science fiction, commonly used present and past events
and presented them in a new perspective, giving much food for thought. "Star Trek and
Philosophy" is educational reading, a must for any Trekker and armchair philosopher.
Revelations
Harold W.G. Allen
Perspective Books
PO Box 6123, Spring Hill, FL, 34611
9780962455571, $24.95, www.cosmicperspective.com
The very question which has pounded at the psyche of mankind since he began to think why are
we here? "Revelations: A Scientific Quest to Comprehend Life and the Universe" is Harold
Allen's long and complex thoughts on the nature of the universe that surrounds us. Taking a
religious approach by saying that all scientific research may ultimately come back to the concept
of God, he explains his views with precision and tact. He then examines the Bible, and draws
many conclusions from that as well, and uses the ideas presented in his first two sets to turn to
the world itself, and how a world society may be humanity's best hope. Enlightening and
intelligent, "Revelations" is a solid read for those seek food for thought.
The Fiction Shelf
Case File: Union Pacific
Paul Colt
Durban House Press
7502 Greenville Avenue, Suite 500, Dallas, TX 75231
9780970006783, $15.95, www.durbanhouse.com
The expansion westward for America was filled with opportunities, with some countries rushing
for them more ruthlessly than the next. "Case File: Union Pacific" is the tale of US Marshal
Chance and his job to prevent a conspiracy of a business which seems to want to take the
competition out of the free market by monopolizing the railroad industry and the land around it.
A fast paced thriller of the Old West, "Case File: Union Pacific" is a must for those who love
themselves a tale of the frontier that used to be.
Rebels of Mindanao
Tom Anthony
Beaufort Books
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10011
9780825305146, $24.95, www.beaufortbooks.com
Retirement is sometimes too much to ask for. "Rebels of Mindanao" tells the story of Thomas
Thornton, a retired covert operative, or so he thought. Urged to pull one last mission, he agrees,
and must somehow push a group of tribesmen to stop a bloody civil war on the island of
Mindanao, which could lead to harm to all of the island's citizens. "Rebels of Mindanao" is a
gripping thriller, sure to keep the reader glued from first page to last.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Buying Annuities
Steve Weisman
FT Press
800 E. 96th St., 3rd Floor, Indianapolis, IN 46240
9780132353083, $18.99, www.ftpress.com
Retirement is expensive, and making the right decisions is incredibly important. "The Truth
About Buying Annuities" is a guide to avoiding bad choices in finances when planning one's
retirement. With cogent advice on minimizing risk when investing in annuities, avoiding the
hazards embedded in the fine print, identifying and utilizing new options that are emerging in the
modern market, and so much more, "The Truth About Buying Annuities" is solid and
recommended reading for anyone planning the finances of their retirement. An ideal addition to
the growing library of financial and money management literature, "Buying Annuities" is an
important acquisition for personal, professional, and community library instructional reference
collections.
The Education Shelf
Academic Advocacy for Gifted Children
Barbara Jackson Gilman
Great Potential Press
PO Box 5057, Scottsdale, AZ 85261
9780910707886, $26.95, www.giftedbooks.com
One could have all the intelligence in the world but it means nothing if it's not nurtured.
"Academic Advocacy for Gifted Children: A Parent's Complete Guide" is aimed at parents at
gifted children who want cut through the piles of bureaucratic red tape and give their child the
education they need to make the most of their gifted skill in the field of academics. Covering
everything from other parents experiences with gifted children, the definition of the subject,
testing, classes, what to do about under achievement and much more, "Academic Advocacy for
Gifted Children" is a solid and recommended guide for parents, a must for those who suspect
their child is more than just the average student.
Schoolwide Prevention Models
Charles R. Greenwood, Thomas R. Kratochwill, & Melissa Clements, editors
The Guilford Press
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
9781593858391, $40.00, www.guilford.com
The best way to solve a problem is to prevent it from ever happening. "Schoolwide Prevention
Models: Lessons Learned in Elementary Schools" is a collection of models for school
administrators for preventing discipline problems through observation, discipline, and other
tactics for making schools more harmonious. With ideas from psychologists, school
administrators, teachers, and more, "Schoolwide Prevention Models" is a brain trust and
reference principals can't be without.
Promising Practices for Partnering with Families in the Early Years
Mary M. Cornish, editor
Information Age Publishing
11600 North Community House Road, Suite 250, Charlotte, NC 28277
9781593119461, $45.99, www.infoagepub.com
It's not just a school's job to teach children, parents too must take a dedicated effort. "Promising
Practices for Partnering with Families in the Early Years" is a guide for parents who want to
ensure their child gets the best education possible. Advocating strong bonds between students,
parents, teachers and others to best communicate a child's needs and making the best decisions
possible, it's a different and effective approach to education which seems obvious but is so often
overlooked. "Promising Practices for Partnership with Families in the Early Years" is a strong
choice for any parent or enthusiastic educator.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Asthma-Free Naturally
Patrick McKeown
Conari Press
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781573243728, $14.95, www.redwheelweiser.com
Asthma doesn't need a barrage of chemicals to be dealt with. "Asthma-Free Naturally: Everything
You Need to Know to Take Control of Your Asthma" is a manual for asthma sufferers to take a
stand against their chronic ailment to help them overcome it. The tips are natural and make use of
suggestions that alter one's lifestyle to fight against complications. Diet, exercise, and enough
sleep are all basic factors, and "Asthma-Free Naturally" gives all the necessary advice, a must for
asthmatics or parents of asthmatic children.
Discharge Planning Handbook for Healthcare
Ali Birjandi & Lisa M. Bragg
CRC Press
600 Broken Sound Parkway, NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781563273926, $60.00, www.crcpress.com
Hospitals need money to continue to run, and increasing revenue is a way to keep the money
flowing. "Discharge Planning Handbook for Healthcare: Top 10 Secrets to Unlocking a New
Revenue Pipeline" is a guide for hospitals to channel new ways to increase their funds to more
efficiently run and provide care to those in need. A cold, business-like approach to health care, it
tells hospital administrators to revamp their discharge plans with several new ideas and
frameworks as presented in the book, backed up by a heavily researched study on the methods.
"Discharge Planning Handbook for Healthcare" is a top consideration for hospital
administrators.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Inukami! Volume 1
Mamizu Arisawa, author
Mari Matsuzawa, artist
Seven Seas
c/o Tor Books
1403 Flatiron Building, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765321466, $9.99 www.tor-forge.com 1-888-330-8477
Volume one of Inukami! is the debut graphic novel of a new manga (Japanese comic) series
about the unique relationship between a boy and a powerful spirit. Though their names would
suggest a canine connection, the only visibly doglike aspect of inukami spirits is their bushy tails.
Young Keita Kawahira is the scion of a long family line with a tradition of partnering with
inukami to fight against evil spirits. But Keita's selfish personality repulses all available inukami
except one - Yoko, an equally selfish outcast among her own kind, isolated for most of her young
life, who sees this supposed "partnership" as a golden opportunity to escape and explore the
human world! It's a raucous clash of personalities as boy and girl-dog-spirit vie for dominance,
but in the process, could it be that they just might learn to respect and care for one another?
(Perhaps, but not before she takes many an opportunity to punish Keita for real or perceived
infractions by stealing his clothes!) The relationship gets further confused when another inukami
comes to temporarily serve Keita, ostensibly to teach Yoko basic housekeeping skills, but
unwittingly sparking her jealous ire! An action-packed comedy, recommended for older teens
and adults (age 16 and up) due to raunchy humor and mature themes, Inukami! is great fun to
read from cover to cover. Highly recommended.
The Lindbergh Child
Rick Greary
ComicsLit
c/o NBM Publishing
40 Exchange Pl., Ste., 1308, New York, NY 10005
9781561635290, $15.95, www.nbmpublishing.com
There can often be a dark side to fame. "The Lindbergh Child: America's Hero and the Crime of
the Century" tells of the fateful tragedy of the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby. Lindbergh
is famous in the annals of aviation history for being the first man to fly across the Atlantic in an
airplane. "The Lindbergh Child" tells the entire story from the kidnapping to the following
investigation to the tragic conclusion in the form of a highly accessible graphic novel. "The
Lindbergh Child" is a uniquely entertaining way to learn history and highly recommended. for
personal, school, and community library American History collections.
Rosario + Vampire, Volume 1
Akihisa Ikeda
Viz Communications Inc.
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
9781421519036, $7.99 www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042
Part of Viz's "Shonen Jump Advanced" series collecting popular, action-packed manga (Japanese
comic) stories, volume one of Rosario + Vampire is the brainchild of unabashed monster fan
Akihisa Ikeda, and it shows! Ordinary fifteen-year-old boy Tsukune Aono is average at
everything, exceptional at nothing, and his straight C grades combined with horrible test
performance have denied him the chance to continue his schooling. In a stroke of "luck", he
comes across the one high school that will take students without rigorous examinations; it's
Yokai Academy, where every student is a monster in human disguise, studying how to peacefully
blend into the human world! The first Yokai Academy student Tsukune meets it the beautiful and
friendly vampire Moka, who finds his human blood simply irresistible. Moka is usually gentle
and charming, but only because her full vampire powers are held in check by the rosario around
her throat; when it's removed, the terrifying alternate personality of her vampire self emerges!
Survival is a haphazard endeavor at best for Tsukune, as he must evade the machinations of his
monstrous classmates - the beastly boys are jealous of his close relationship with the attractive
Moka, while some of the fiendish girls want him for themselves. Moka's ruthless vampire
personality has the power to defend Tsukune in (im)mortal combat, but at what price? More
humor than horror, Rosario + Vampire is a howling good read cover to cover, enthusiastically
recommended for monster fans everywhere. Rosario + Vampire is unflipped (it's read
right-to-left, just as it was originally drawn), and rated T+ for older teen due to violence and the
occasional panty shot.
The Library Science Shelf
POP Goes the Library
Sophie Brookover and Elizabeth Burns
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573873369, $39.50, www.infotoday.com
Libraries are viewed as antiques . . . I mean, who wants to read books? "POP Goes the Library:
Using Pop Culture to Connect With Your Whole Community" is a guide for librarians who want
to revitalize their library and making it valuable to society in at time where books are viewed as
geeky and the love of trivial things rules all. With plenty of fresh ideas for librarians to encourage
reading by using pop culture to advertise them, using information technology, and much more,
"POP Goes the Library" is solid and recommended reading for any librarian.
Even More Great Ideas For Libraries And Friends
Sally Gardner Reed & Beth Nawalinski
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038-4512
9781555706388, $69.95, www.neal-schuman.com
Every community library benefits from its 'Friends of the Library' support group. Not just in fund
raising, but in raising community awareness of what modern libraries have to offer everyone in
their service area from children's services to InterLibrary Loan Services. But for libraries to
maximize their usefulness to the community and to expand community support, every librarian
will need a range of ideas and 'best practices' specifically designed and implemented to build
enduring good relations between library staffs and the surrounding community. That's why Sally
Gardner Reed and Beth Nawalinski have collaborated in "Even More Great Ideas For Libraries
And Friends", a compendium of practical and 'user friendly' strategies, tactics, and events
designed to accomplish a number of specific goals ranging from raising money, developing
community appropriate services and outreach programs, creating and enhancing public awareness
in support of the library, building and maintaining active membership in their 'Friends' group, as
well as recruiting and utilizing volunteers. Enhanced throughout with samples and examples,
"Even More Great Ideas For Libraries And Friends" should be considered an essential addition to
all community library staff resource reference collections. Also very highly recommended is the
companion title published by Neal-Schuman, "101+ Great Ideas For Libraries And Friends".
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
A Book Inside
Carol Denbow
Plain & Simple Books
PO Box 1506, North Bend, OR 97459
www.BooksByDenbow.Weebly.com
9780615199245, $18.95, www.amazon.com
It seems that every season there are more and more 'how to' books being published for aspiring
writers yearning to be published. One of the latest is also one of the best. "A Book Inside: How
To Write, Publish, And Sell Your Story" is a succinct 104-page compendium packed from cover
to cover with practical, real-world information, strategies and techniques dealing with the
necessity for completing a saleable manuscript, compiling its pages into book form, identifying
and selecting an appropriate publishing option, selling the book in traditional and non-traditional
markets, and publicizing, promoting, and marketing the book without significant capital expense.
Carol Denbow writes with a particular, experienced-based expertise as the author of three books
and the editor of nine websites including 'A Book Inside' online. Especially appropriate for, and
recommended to, the novice author needing to master the 'learning curve' for become a
successfully published author in today's highly competitive marketplace, "A Book Inside" is a
welcome and highly recommended addition to personal and professional Writing/Publishing
reference shelves.
Writer's Block Busters
Velina Hasu Houston
Smith & Kraus, Inc.
PO Box 127, Lyme NH 03768
9781575255972, $17.95, www.smithandkraus.com
'Writer's Block' is the term used to describe the condition of being unable to come up with any
ideas -- and well articulated ideas are the core source of any professional writer's livelihood!
Drawing upon her many years of experience and expertise, Velina Hasu Houston (author of more
than 20 plays, and who is the Professor of Theatre, Director of Dramatic Writing, Resident
Playwright, and Associate Dean of Faculty at the University of Southern California School of
Theatre) offers "Writer's Block Busters: 101 Exercises To Clear The Deadwood And Make
Room For Flights Of Fancy". This compendium of succinct 'things to do' will break through this
often encountered author's nemesis and trigger the flow of creative ideas. Superbly organized and
thoroughly 'user friendly' in form and format, "Writer's Block Busters" should be considered a
high priority addition to the reference shelf of anyone seeking to make their living through the
written word.
Time To Write
Frank Milligan
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Avenue, Sanger, CA 93657
9781884956768, $16.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com
As we grow older, one of the best ways to create an enduring legacy for future generations is to
record in writing our own life stories, our experiences, observations, values, the products of our
imaginations and our perspectives. Frank Milligan draws upon his experience and expertise in
publishing fiction and nonfiction, as well as teaching creative writing and business writing in
"Time To Write: Discovering The Writer Within After 50", a comprehensive and 'user friendly'
instruction guide that will take aspiring older writers with an initial concept or idea and walk
them through each stage to crating a finished, ready-to-publish manuscript. "Time To Write" is a
304-page compendium of practical tips, techniques, insights and shortcuts that will enable the
reader's writing, talent, desire and drive to crate a written document with a minimum of
distraction. Although specifically intended for older readers, "Time To Write" has a great deal of
value for younger writers seeking to put their own ideas and stories down in a publishable
form.
Success
Maralyn D. Hill & Brenda C. Hill
Infinity Publishing.com
1094 New Dehaven Street, #100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2713
0741448483, $14.95, www.BooksByHills.com
It isn't necessary reinvent any wheels when it comes to the writing and publishing of books. Not
when there are so many experts in the field who have produced so many notable, practical,
informative, reality-based instructional guides for aspiring authors seeking to be published, and
novice publishers seeking to produce commercially viable works in the highly competitive
marketplace. Expertly co-authored by Maralyn and Brenda Hill "Success: Your Path To A
Successful Book" is a combination seminary and do-it-yourself workshop that covers cogent
information on writing, marketing, and publishing. Of special note setting "Success: Your Path
To A Successful Book" apart from other instruction manuals are the sections concerning
journaling, writing in tandem, and understanding target markets with respect to book sales. The
section focusing specifically on publishing covers agents, traditional publishing, print-on-demand
options, ebooks, and the 'vanity presses'. Enhanced for beginners with additional material dealing
with contact information and experience based tips by Maralyn and Brenda, "Success: Your Path
To A Successful Book" features workbook pages for notes and notations by the reader. "Success:
Your Path To A Successful Book" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' and strongly recommended
addition to personal and community library Writing/Publishing reference collections and
supplemental reading lists.
The Autobiographer's Handbook
Jennifer Traig
Holt Paperbacks
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780805087130, $15.00, www.henryholt.com
It has been said that everyone has one good book in them. "The Autobiographer's Handbook: The
826 National Guide to Writing Your Memoir" is a collection of tips and advice from masterful
writers on putting down one's life story onto paper, and in a format that would be appealing to
read for your audiences. A basic writing course with a focus on memoirs, "The Autobiographer's
Handbook" is a must for someone who wants the world to read their story.
The Art of The Personal Letter
Margaret Shepherd
Broadway Books
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780767928274, $16.00, www.randomhouse.com
The personal letter is a lost art in this day of quick e-mails and instant messaging. "The Art of the
Personal Letter: A Guide to the Connecting Through the Written Word" is a guide to bringing
back this lost skill and putting it to its best use, and doing what the internet can't do, provide
personality and feeling through the words. With advice and tips to making one's letter something
to be cherished and loved, "The Art of the Personal Letter" shows that snail mail isn't dead yet
and still has quite the value in the world of fast communication.
The Audiobook Shelf
Relieving Your Holiday Stress
Ronald G. Nathan, Ph.D.
UpwardPress.com
Publisher@UpwardPress.com
CD, $19.00 www.upwardpress.com
Practicing psychologist and award-winning teacher Ronald G. Nathan presents Relieving Your
Holiday Stress and Achieving Your New Year's Resolutions, a brief audiobook on CD discussing
the often unacknowledged stress of the holiday season, and ways to stay relaxed and focused
while enabling transformative change. In "Better Holidays & Resolutions", Nathan examines
research results and teaches therapeutic techniques such as counter-conditioning substitutions to
rise above tension caused by giving holiday gifts, carefully watching one's budget, jostling
competitive shopping crowds, and other stressors. "Holiday Relaxation" and "Mastering
Resolutions" are guided relaxation tracks ideal to prepare one against the fight-or-flight response,
reduce sensitivity to the ghosts of holidays past, and remain committed to one's New Year's
Resolutions. Accompanied by the gentle sound of a harp, Nathan speaks to the reader in quiet
tones conducive to easing the inevitable stress caused by the frantic rush of life. Highly
recommended, whether for one's own use or as a gift to the most stressed person in one's life. 59
minutes 31 sec.
The Decline And Fall Of Rome
Thomas F. Madden
The Modern Scholar
c/o Recorded Books
270 Skipjack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
UX125, $99.99, www.modernscholar.com, 1-800-636-3399
The empire of Rome was such a dominating phenomena that it continues to be a subject of
interest and study for modern students of history and politics today. Thomas F. Madden is a
Professor of History and Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint
Louis University. The author of a great many scholarly publications, in "The Decline And Fall Of
Rome" he has created a complete fourteen lecture series that presents, explores, and interprets
how the Roman Empire broke apart, overthrown, and ultimately supplanted. Beginning with the
problem of defining what is meant by 'Roman Empire', the transformation of a Republic into an
imperial state, the 'Augustan Revolution, the Julio-Claudian emperors, the eras of instability and
war, the restoration of order as exemplified by 'The Five Good Emperors (A.D. 96-180), the
emergence of military dictatorships, the decades of anarchy (A.D. 235-284), 'Diocletian and the
Reform of Empire', the Emperor Constantine and the legitimizing of Christianity, the impact of
heresy upon state stability, Theodosius and his successors, 'The Fall of Rome', and concluding
with a lecture on 'Rome after Rome', this superbly presented and produced lecture series is an
outstanding contribution and highly recommended for academic and community library World
History reference collections in general, and Roman History Studies curriculums in particular.
This flawlessly recorded 7 disk CD audio book collection is particularly recommended for
non-specialist general listeners with an interest in Roman history.
Lavinia
Ursula K. Le Guin, author
Alyssa Bresnahan, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781436157025, $92.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304
Lavinia is an unabridged audiobook adaptation of beloved author Ursula K. Le Guin's story about
a girl from Vergil's famous epic, "The Aeneid". Set in ancient times, when Rome was little more
than village, and the lands of what will one day be Italy are hostile and dangerous terrain, Lavinia
grows up as the daughter of King Latinus and Queen Amata. As she reaches the appropriate age
for marriage, she learns that prophets have predicted she will cause a horrendous war. Events are
set irrevocably into motion when she meets a man from Troy. A sweeping, historical fantasy epic
narrated by talented actress Alyssa Bresnahan, Lavinia is an excellent addition to public library
and private audiobook collections alike, and highly recommended. 10 CDs, 11.75 hours.
Undead And Unworthy
Mary Janice Davidson
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
C4706, $72.75, www.recordedbooks.com, 1-800-638-1304
The vampire genre has come a long way since the days of Bram Stoker and 'Dracula'. But it took
the storytelling talent and eccentric imagination of Mary Janice Davidson to create Betsy -- the
reluctant vampire Queen of the Dead. "Undead And Unworthy" is her latest adventure among the
ranks of the undead in which we find that she has become the target of the 'fiends' -- vampires
who have been brutalized by their original master into near mindless killing machines. The
problem is that when Betsy had defeated their original master and granted the fiends a safe (and
supervised) haven, they seem to see her benevolence as tyranny and mean to tear her limb from
undead limb. To complicate things even more, Betsy has to deal with her well-meaning but rather
high-handed vampire consort, a bothersome family ghost, and her usual assortment of all-to-loyal
friends -- plus one very hostile anti-vampire cop. Superbly narrated by Nancy Wu who makes
Betsy and the rest of her crew 'come alive'. "Undead And Unworthy" is an unabridged, flawlessly
recorded CD, rollicking and hysterically funny tale that is a must for her legions of fans and a
popular addition to any and all community library audio book collections.
The Library DVD Shelf
Stay Rich Forever & Ever with Ed Slott
WGBH Boston Video
SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781593758844, $24.95 www.ssapr.com
Stay Rich Forever & Ever with Ed Slott is a special edition DVD based on the popular, public
television show hosted by CPA Ed Slott. In today's era, corporate pensions are going the way of
the dinosaur, social security is troubled, and the baby boomer generation is reaching retirement.
How is one to protect one's retirement savings, especially when Uncle Sam is eager to take up to
70% of them for himself? Ed Slott walks to the viewer through how to protect one's money from
excess taxation, how to take advantage of laws enacted to protect one's tax-deferred savings, and
more. The special edition includes an overwhelming amount of bonus content, such as ten
questions to ask one's financial advisor, ten potential fiscal disasters to avoid,
question-and-answer sessions, and much more. An absolute must-see for all Americans,
especially in today's economic climate! 54 minutes plus 2 hours of bonus material.
Bayview Entertainment
pr@bayviewent.com
411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.411videoinfo.com www.bayviewentertainment.com
Two cardio kickboxing DVDs hosted by ACE certified fitness expert and black belt martial artist
Lynn Hahn make for a vigorous addition to workout DVD libraries. Punch & Firm: Cardio
Kickboxing ($19.99, 62 min.) is filled with user-friendly, martial arts stances designed especially
to build upper body strength, overall agility, and fitness. Two user-friendly workouts that can be
done individually or together comprise Punch and Firm, which can be enjoyed by any fitness
enthusiast regardless of personal familiarity with the art of kickboxing. In Kick: Cardio
Kickboxing ($19.99, 61 min.) the two workouts one can follow consist of kicking drills and
original combinations designed to keep one moving. Applying traditional methods in a format
designed to be challenging, but presented with the help of a monitor for anyone who needs the
intensity toned down a bit, Kick: Cardio Kickboxing is a high-impact experience sure to put
fitness buffs in high spirits!
Yoga to Have Fun
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.411videoinfo.com www.yogatohavefun.com
Two DVDs introduce people of all ages and experience levels to the joy and health benefits of
Yoga. In Yoga for Families ($19.95, 31 min.), Yoga to the Stars instructors Ingrid Von Burg and
Tom Morley host a family-friendly instructional video suitable for viewers of all ages from four
to one hundred and four. Filled with laughing, jumping, dancing, and singing, Yoga for Families
offers a choice of music in its dynamic sections: relaxing/meditative or high energy/silly. Shot in
hi-definition in Cancun, Mexico, Yoga for Families consists of a warm-up routine, a "karate
warrior" dynamic, a "cookie jar crunch" dynamic, breathing and relaxation sections, and namaste
(closing poses). A great way to spend family time together engaged in healthy activity. In Yoga
for Grandparents ($19.95, 40 min.) Ingrid Von Burg and Yves Vacheresse walk viewers through
a yoga routine designed especially to cultivate flexbility, fitness, and calm in seniors. The
dynamic track sections have a choice of music between contemplative/meditative or
instructional/traditional. Filmed in hi-definition overlooking the majestic Santa Monica
Mountains, Yoga for Grandparents includes the section for warming up, dynamic, a focus on
breathing and relaxation, and namaste (closing poses). A wonderful, easy-to-follow introduction
that is deliberately gentle on one's body and bones, Yoga for Grandparents is the perfect gift for
elderly relatives who enjoy the benefits of physical activity. Both DVDs are excellent additions
to public library or family fitness collections.
Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years
MVD Entertainment Group
H-840 North Circle Drive, Oaks, PA 19456
DVD, $14.95 www.MVDb2b.com
Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years is a DVD offering an inside perspective of how Bob Dylan, a
Jewish folk singer from the Midwest, came to embrace Jesus Christ and Christianity. Passionate
for his new faith, Dylan made three Gospel albums, and won a Grammy for "Gotta Serve
Somebody". Yet the Christian direction of his music alienated fans and sparked the ire of critics,
especially when he preached apocalyptic passages from the "Book of Revelation." Telling the
story of Bob Dylan's transformation through interviews with notable figures ranging from "Slow
Train Coming" producer Jerry Wexler to background singer Regina McCrary to San Francisco
Chronicle rock reporter Joel Selven and many more, Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years includes rare
photos, exclusive live concert footage from 1978-1981, and an interview from 1981 in which
Bob Dylan himself speaks of the impact Jesus Christ had on his art and soul. Bonus features
include full soundtrack MP3s! Highly recommended especially for Bob Dylan fans who wish to
better understand and appreciate this turning point in his life's work. 120 minutes.
Lascaux: A New Look
Crystal Productions
PO Box 2159, Glenview, IL 60025-6159
9781562905507 $29.95 www.crystalproductions.com 1-800-255-8629
Lascaux: A New Look is a DVD visit to the ancient Lascaux cave hosting paintings that are
evidence of the emergence of Home sapiens sapiens, modern man, roughly 35,000 years ago.
Breaking away from familiar interpretations of these early artworks, Lascaux: A New Look
examines four pivotal questions about the cave paintings: What precisely do we see? What do we
believe in our minds that we see? What do we truly know, as determined by evidence? What do
we believe we know, supported by conjecture as well as evidence? A stunning presentation of the
amazing experience shared only by those few permitted to enter the cave, Lascaux: A New Look
is a top-quality presentation, highly recommended especially for public and school library
collections, as well as for any individual curious about the earliest known history of art. 53
minutes, color.
Breaking the Maya Code
David Lebrun
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
DVD, $24.95, www.firstrunfeatures.com
Breaking the Maya Code: The 200-Year Quest to Decipher the Hieroglyphs of the Ancient Maya
is a DVD documentary about the scientific and linguistic quest to rediscover the literary heritage
of an entire civilization. In the 16th century, Spanish invaders burned Mayan books and
remorselessly exterminated their hieroglyphic literacy. For two hundred years, scientists and
linguists have worked to relearn the knowledge once lost, and uncover the mysteries and heritage
of an ancient civilization. Though scholars from around the world applied their brainpower to the
puzzle, the final breakthrough came from an 18-year-old boy who had been immersed in the
glyphs since his early childhood. Revealed, the ancient hieroglyphs tell of an astonishing cosmic
mythology, held by a people who burned their blood to invoke the Vision Serpent, that
interleaves the deeds of mythical heroes with the cycles of planets and stars. Recounting a
treasury of cultural heritage not only for history and archaeology, but also for the six million
Maya living today, Breaking the Maya Code is highly recommended especially for public library
DVD collections.
Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
www.woodworkerslibrary.com 1-800-345-4447
British-trained designer and furniture maker Ian Kirby hosts two excellent DVDs about
woodworking. "Sharpening Planes & Chisels with Ian Kirby: A Sharp Edge in 60 Seconds"
(9781933502212, $21.95, 65 min.) is an in-depth, how-to DVD for woodworkers of all skill and
experience levels to sharpening and adjusting one's planes and chisels for maximum success.
Grinding equipment, how to grind the blade, sharpening with waterstones, setting up a
sharpening table, back sharpening, and more are all discussed at length in this quality reference.
In "Using a Hand Plane with Ian Kirby: Tuning, Setting the Blade, and Planing Techniques"
(9781933502229, $21.95, 68 min.) the viewer learns step-by-step how to plane parts and turn the
plane, use the plane against a bench step, cross grain planing, edge and end planing, preparation
of stock, and more, culminating in an overall demonstration of techniques in the creation of a
kitchen cutting board. Both DVDs are the perfect gift for woodworking enthusiasts
everywhere!
Anchor Bay Entertainment
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
www.anchorbayentertainment.com
Two new fitness DVDs in the Crunch series are sure to add vigor, spice, and spirit to one's daily
exercise regimen! In "Crunch Yoga Body Sculpt: Perfect Yoga Poses to Tone & Sculpt Your
Entire Body" ($14.98, 41 min.), instructor Bethany Lyons guides the viewer through yoga poses
designed to promote not only relaxation, but also strengthen the body and core resulting in a
firmer belly, as well as buns and thighs. No equipment is necessary, although a suitable yoga mat
is recommended. Suitable for yoga practitioners of all ages and experience levels, "Crunch Yoga
Body Sculpt" is an excellent addition to personal fitness DVD libraries. In "Crunch Latin
Rhythms: Fat Blasting Dance" ($14.98, 38 min.), professional dancer and certified group fitness
instructor Jennifer Galardi demonstrates a zesty Latin dance cardio workout that blends
excitement and fun with sheer calorie burning. Moves from the mambo, cha cha, merengue,
samba, and more are incorporated into this enthusiastic celebration of the joy of movement. A
wonderfully fun high-energy workout, highly recommended.
The Minotaur's Island
Bettany Hughes
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
DVD, $24.99 www.acornmedia.com
Hosted by historian Bettany Hughes, The Minotaur's Island is an amazing documentary on DVD
about Europe's first civilization, Crete. The Minoans had a thriving culture nearly five thousand
years ago, more than two millennia before Homer created "The Iliad". Then their civilization
died, leaving behind little record. Archaeologists continue to discover new wonders that bring
insight into Minoan culture - magnificent palaces, hinged doors, flush toilets, painted designs of
acrobatic individuals leaping over bulls, and much more. Did Minoan society meet its doom from
natural disasters, foreign invaders, religious strife, or a perfect storm combination of factors? The
Minotaur's Island explore the many clues to the daily life and final end of this amazing ancient
civilization. Highly recommended. 98 minutes, color, full screen.
Inspector Lewis Series I
WGBH Boston Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
WG42609, $29.95, www.ShopPBS.org, www.ssapr.com
A spin off from the enormously popular Inspector Morse BBC mystery series, "Inspector Lewis Series I"
chronicles the adventures of British police inspector Robert Lewis (flawlessly portrayed by
Keven Whately) and his new partner Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox) where
they confront complicated and devious crimes from the streets of Cambridge to the halls of
Oxford University in three new mysteries. With sophisticated plots, populated with memorable
characters, and characterized by superb attention to set designs and backgrounds, the three
featured mysteries include 'Whom The Gods Would Destroy'; 'Old School Ties'; and 'Expiation'.
The DVD format allows for the additional features of scene selection, closed captions, and access
to the Masterpiece Theatre website. "Inspector Lewis Series I" will make a popular addition to any
community library DVD collection, and should be considered a 'must see' by the legions of
Inspector Morse fans.
The Real McCain
Robert Greenwald, et al.
The Disinformation Company
220 East 23rd Street, Suite 500, New York, NY 10010
DIS049, 9781934708132, $9.95, www.disinfo.com
All too often in the course of American political history, good and descent men have sacrificed
their own honor on the altar of presidential ambition. John McCain is simply the latest to do so.
"The Real McCain: Less Jobs, More Wars" is a one hour documentary DVD comprised of ten
shorts enhanced with commentary that include 'John McCain vs John McCain'; 'Less Jobs, More
War', 'Why Won't McCain Support the G.I. Bill?'; 'John McCain Sings Bomb Iran'; 'Big Oil Fuels
the Straight Talk Express'; 'McCain's Spiritual Guide Wants American to Destroy Islam'; 'John
McBush 2008'; Leaked - ABC's Stephanopoulos Interviews McCain'; 'Why Do Women Give
McCain a Zero?'; and 'McCain's Youtube Problem Just became a Nightmare. It's somewhat ironic
that the McCain campaign's descent into character assassination politics against his Democratic
opponent Barack Obama should come from a man who himself was the smear campaign target in
the Republican presidential primaries of 2008 from the team of George Bush, Dick Cheney, and
Karl Rove.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Restraint and Handling of Wild and Domestic Animals
Murray Fowler
Wiley-Blackwell
c/o John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
9780813814322, $120.00 www.wiley.com 1-800-225-5945
Now in an updated third edition, Restraint and Handling of Wild and Domestic Animals is an
in-depth resource of scientific and practical information concerning the most effective ways to
handle, hold, and restrain all sorts of animals from dogs and cats to mice, chickens, cattle,
snakes, and even exotic creatures like tigers or elephants. Featuring meticulous descriptions and
crystal-clear photography on virtually every page, Restraint and Handling of Wild and Domestic
Animals is an utterly invaluable resource for veterinarians, farmers, zookeepers, and any scientist
or researcher who works with animals. Worthy of the absolute highest recommendation for its
depth of professional experience and its highly accessible instructional style, Restraint and
Handling of Wild and Domestic Animals is an absolute must-have particularly for vocational
college libraries and the personal reference of any professional who interacts with animals on a
regular basis.
The Cookbook Shelf
Food Festivals of Italy
Leonardo Curti & James O. Fraioli
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423603320, $35.00 www.gibbs-smith.com 1-800-748-5439
Illustrated with color (or sometimes black-and-white) photography on virtually every page, Food
Festivals of Italy: Celebrated Recipes from 50 Food Fairs is an amazingly beautiful recipe and
coffee table book. Interspersing its easy-to-follow instructions to create celebratory Italian cuisine
with extensive images of the mouth-watering delicacies at each stage of preparation, from raw
ingredients to the people who devote themselves to culinary art to the finished feast, Food
Festivals of Italy is intended more for connoisseurs who love to linger over lavishly illustrated
cookbooks than for practical kitchen use (its sheer size makes it slightly difficult to fit on a
kitchen countertop while one cooks, though it enables the reader to see every last detail in the
captivating photos). A worthy centerpiece for upscale cookbook collections.
Home Grown Indiana
Christine Barbour & Scott Hutcheson
Indiana University Press
601 N. Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
9780253220196, $16.95, www.iupress.indiana.edu
If one resides in the Hoosier state, you don't have to travel far to get great food. "Home Grown
Indiana: A Food Lover's Guide to Good Eating in the Hoosier State" takes a look at the finest
food one can find in the state of Indiana. With an examination of how the best food starts with
the best livestock and best plants, it takes a farm to plate approach to good eating. With many
ideas presented as well in cookbook form, "Home Grown Indiana" offers much to read for even
those who live outside of Indiana.
The Library CD Music Shelf
The Decider
Benn Clatworthy, Chris Colangelo, and Ryan Doyle
No-Sound Studios
c/o Mixed Media Promotion (publicity)
20 Lockmere Rd., Cranston, RI 02910
$16.98 www.mixedmediapromo.com
The Decider is an exciting new jazz CD featuring Benn Clatworthy on soprano and tenor
saxophone as well as flute, Chris Colangelo playing bass, and Ryan Doyle's drum performance.
Clatworthy re-examines popular jazz classics, liberally applying his own music into the melodies
for a remixed twist on old favorites. A catchy collection that will have the listener tapping out
rhythms in no time, highly recommended. The tracks are "Afternoon in Paris" (8:37),
"Pannonica" (6:39), "Patterns" (6:56), "Off Minor" (6:01), "Tango Sentimental" (5:08), "The
Deicder" (3:44), "I Get a Kick Out of You" (5:36), "Bossa Mia" (5:32), "Sister Sarah" (5:58),
"This is New" (5:22) and "Short Story" 2:26). 62 minutes, 24 seconds.
Sound of the World Presents: Beyond the Horizon
Selected by BBC DJ Charlie Gillett
Warner Classics & Jazz
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
CD, $49.98, www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Sound of the World Presents: Beyond the Horizon is a two full-length CD music album of the
best contemporary international music by 34 artists from 28 countries worldwide. Chosen by
BBC DJ Charlie Gillett, who is responsible for music in the globally syndicated BBC World
Service (which also consists of talk radio and news), these pieces range from remote Russian folk
songs to Argentinean pop to a unique blend of guitar and trumpet from New Zealand. Beyond the
Horizon is not only the perfect gift album for international music lovers with a taste for the heady
spice of variety, but also a "must-have" for library music CD collections everywhere.
Economy Class
Frigg
Northside
PO Box 7367, Minneapolis, MN 55407
Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$11.98 noside.com www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Economy Class is the latest music CD album by power-string band Frigg, which blends elements
of traditional Finnish and Norwegian string music with no-holds-barred enthusiasm worthy of
rock stars, spiced with the unpredictable rhythms or even missing beats. The fiddle is the core
instrument featured, but Economy class draws upon a wide variety of acoustic instruments from
the mandolin and cittern to a Finnish bagpipe, a jaw harp, and even a dobro. A wonderful
collection of original tunes grown from the fusion of individual creativity and the eclectic
inspiration of jam sessions, Economy Class is a welcome addition to both personal and public
library music CD shelves. The tracks are"Jalla jalla", "Norrsken", "Polka International de
Louisiane", "When the time comes I'll be ready", "Viinalaulu", "Kind of Polka", "Kisapolska",
"Economy class", "Northern lights", and "Lars Lenkelifot". 35 minutes, 53 seconds.
Cinematic
Spencer Brewer
The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
$25.49 www.SpencerBrewer.com
Composer, pianist, and producer Spencer Brewer expresses his love for movie music in
Cinematic, a two-CD album celebrating classic film scores. The first CD, "Black & White", has
Brewer playing solo piano, with the inclusion of a guitar and a flute on the last track. The second
CD, "Technicolor", includes instrumental compositions by a diversity of artists led by Brewer on
piano, synthesizers, Hammond B-3, and a pump organ created in 1888. A wondrous medley
ranging from Brewer's own popular compositions to new material and some music that has
already been used in cinema, Cinematic is an emotionally rousing listening experience,
enthusiastically recommended to movie and music buffs everywhere. The tracks are
"Quintessence" (3:33), "Say What?!" (3:39), "Ode for Patricia" (3:54), "Fellini's Carousel"
(3:09), "Into the Mirror" (3:43), "Blueberry Street" (3:28), "Last Chance for Eden" (3:33),
"Morning Glory" (4:02), "Caravanserai" (4:41), "Lupin Swing" (2:36), "Satie's Forgotten Dream"
(3:56), "Walls that Move" (5:54), and "Heartwood" (4:25) on the first CD, and "Quintessence"
(3:57), "Morning Glory" (4:00), "Blueberry Street" (3:33), "Ode for Patricia" (4:01), "Fellini's
Carousel" (3:32), "Say What?!" (3:43), "Outer Limits" (5:24), "Trip to Glory" (4:24),
"Cinematic" (6:43), "Lupin Swing" (2:37), "Last Chance for Eden" (3:37), "Dreamgift" (3:43),
"Satie's Forgotten Dream (4:01), and "Heartwood" (5:35).
Portraits: Music for Classical Guitar
Gabriel Ayala
Canyon Records Productions
3131 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85017
$15.98 www.canyonrecords.com 1-800-268-1141
Gabriel Ayala, a member of the Yaqui people of southern Arizona, presents Portraits: Music for
Classical Guitar, an album revealing his prodigious talent and expertise playing classical and
popular guitar compositions. Ranging in flavor from widely beloved Spanish songs to folk
ballads to Bach, Portraits: Music for Classical Guitar is an absolute "must-have" for guitar music
enthusiasts. The tracks are "Asturias - 'Leyenda'" (6:13), "Gymnopedie No. 1" (2:56), "Go from
my window" (1:53), "Julia Florida" (4:17), "Evocacion" (1:53), "Introduction and Variations on a
Theme from 'The Magic Flute' by Mozart" (8:10), "Melancholy Galliard" (2:34), "Wild Mountain
Thyme" (2:10), "Fantasia Original" (5:25), "Toccata & Fugue in D minor" (9:00), and "Farewell
Stromness" (4:39). 50 minutes, 16 seconds.
From the Moon to the Sun
Kip Winger
MVD Audio
PO Box 280, Oaks, PA 19456
$14.95 www.MVDb2b.com 1-800-888-0486
Musician Kip Winger presents his latest album From the Moon to the Sun, a vibrant collection of
original pop/rock songs with Middle Eastern influences. Percussion teacher Rod Morgenstein
and guitarist Andy Timmons also contribute their talent to several tracks. The pulsing, almost
hypnotic rhythms captivate the listener in this unique and original album, enthusiastically
recommended for anyone eager to listen to something new. Highly recommended. The tracks are
"Every Story Told", "Nothing", "Where Will You Go", "Pages and Pages", "Ghosts", "In Your
Eyes Another Life", "Runaway", "California", "What We Are", "One Big Game", "Why",
"Reason to Believe", and "Holy Man". 53 minutes.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Sanctuary
Michael Tobias & Jane Gray Morrison
Council Oak Books Ltd.
2105 East 15th Street, Suite B, Tulsa, OK 74104
9781571782144, $60.00, www.counciloakbooks.com, 1-800-247-8850
An awareness of environmental issues is now universal throughout first world and third world
countries around the globe. That awareness of the diversity, beauty, and utility of what we
humans must rescue, preserve and protect has now been beautifully and dramatically illustrated
through the publication of "Sanctuary: Global Oases Of Innocence". The collaborative work of
Michael Tobias (President of the Dancing Star Foundation, a nonprofit organization to global
diversity conservation, animal protection, and environmental education) and Jane Gray Morrison
(the Executive Vice President of the Dancing Star Foundation), "Sanctuary" is a 338-page
compendium of full color photography showcasing twenty-four sanctuaries located throughout
twenty different countries. Some of them are in private hands, others are public preserves, all of
them are presented with an informed and informative text of description and explanation. Along
with stunningly beautiful images of the flora and fauna. "Sanctuary" is a seminal and superbly
produced volume of work that is enthusiastically recommended for personal, academic, and
community library Environmental Studies and Photographic Studies collections and
supplemental reading lists.
Trees & Forests Of America
Tim Palmer
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10011
9780810972940, $40.00, www.abramsbooks.com, 1-800-759-0190
The forests of America are as geographically diverse as the flora and fauna they shelter. In "Trees
& Forests Of America" author and photographer Tim Palmer showcases that diversity from the
towering redwoods on the edge of the Pacific Ocean to the magnificent oaks seen inland along
Atlantic coast. All the forest regions are magnificently represented including the Northern,
Central Hardwoods and Appalachians, South, Drylands/Grasslands, Rocky Mountains,
Drylands/Desert/Steppe; Sierra Nevada and Southern California; and the Northwest areas. An
informed and informative text is enhanced with a profusion of full color photographic images
providing illustration and example of the lives of the trees, the ecological workings of the forests,
as well as the challenges confronting our woodlands and the people who are working to preserve
and protect them for the sake of future generations. "Trees & Forests Of America" is a superbly
produced and instructive work that should be a part of every academic and community library
Environmental Studies reference collection and supplemental reading list. Also very highly
recommended for those same collections is Tim Palmer's earlier work, "Rivers Of America"
which is also published by Harry N. Abrams.
Gila Libre!
M.H. Salmon
University of New Mexico Press
MSC04 2820, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
9780826340825, $19.95 www.unmpress.com 1-800-249-7737
Written by New Mexico resident and novelist M.H. Salmon, Gila Libre! New Mexico's Last
Wild River is the true story of a river that has been part of New Mexico's history since ancient
times. Prehistoric Native American art, believed to be produced by the Mogollon culture, has
been found along the Gila river; since then, Apaches and a wide assortment of mountain men and
other rugged characters have considered the headwaters of the Gila to be their home. The Gila
region includes the largest national forest in the forty-eight contiguous states, and the only
undammed main-stem river currently left within New Mexico. A handful of black-and-white
photographs illustrate this thoughtful survey of the Gila's past, present, and potential future -
including the threat of a major state and federal water project. Highly recommended.
The Architecture Shelf
Expanding Architecture Design as Activism
Bryan Bell and Katie Wakeford, authors
Metropolis Books
c/o Distributed Art Publishers (distributor)
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
9781933045788, $34.95 www.artbook.com 1-800-338-2665
Expanding Architecture Design as Activism collects thirty in-depth essays about the concept of
"public-interest architecture", that is, building designs created explicitly with the benefit of the
public in mind. Illustrated with full-color photography on virtually every page, individual essays
discuss examples ranging from building housing or water systems to best serve the needs of a
refugee population, to participatory planning in a Taiwanese mountain village that transforms an
abandoned creek into swimming ponds for the village's future, to exploring different ways to
create strong designs with minimal environmental impact, all at a reasonable profit.
Enthusiastically recommended to anyone with a serious interest in expanding the humanitarian
role of modern architecture, from professionals in the field to any concerned citizen voting on
city planning projects.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Sew Fabulous Fabric
Alice Butcher & Ginny Farquhar, authors
David & Charles
c/o F&W Publications
4700 Gallbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
9780715328583, $22.99, 128 pp., www.mycraftivity.com
Not so crafty when it comes to sewing projects? For many of people sewing and creating
homemade projects can be a nightmare! That's why needlecraft authors and experts Alice Butcher
and Ginny Farquhar have collaborated in putting together "Sew Fabulous Fabric". Their aim, at
which they have so wonderfully succeeded, is to take the worry out of making personal
fabric-based gifts, items for the home, and so much more. Profusely illustrated throughout,
""Sew Fabulous Fabric" is a beautiful instructional 'how to' book enhanced with clear directions
and pictures. Environmentally friendly with great ideas for using every scrap of fabric, "Sew
Fabulous Fabric" is especially appropriate for aspiring needleworkers looking for new ways to
use their skills, as it is for the fabric crafter learning how to sew, embroider, do patchwork, and
applique. Go vintage, or retro, which every way you choose "Sew Fabulous Fabric" will provide
the aspiring needlecrafter with a unique collection of irresistible and memorable projects that
have a homespun feel. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Sew Fabulous Fabric" is enthusiastically
recommended for anyone wanting to learn to make extraordinarily creative home projects and
gifts with the deft use of ordinary fabrics.
The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
The International Art Markets
James Goodwin
Kogan Page USA
525 South 4th Street, #241, Philadelphia, PA 19147
9780749448356, $99.00, www.koganpage.com, 1-800-232-0223
The current Wall Street economic melt down underscores the value of investing in art as an
alternative to stocks and bonds. James Goodwin draws upon his many years of experience and
expertise in "The International Art Markets: The Essential Guide For Collectors And Investors",
a project for which he serves as the consultant editor and compiling informed and informative
contributions by fifty-eight of the finest minds working in the field today. Each alphabetically
arranged chapter showcases the international art markets of different countries and areas around
the world from Sub-Saharan Africa, Argentina, and Australia, to The United Kingdom, The
United States, and Venezuela. Included are the art shows and fairs, galleries and museums,
auctions and art market histories of the various nations. Packed with relevant and useful
information, "The International Art Markets" is strongly recommended reading for anyone
seeking to engage in the buying and/or selling of art internationally, as an invaluable reference
for art dealers, art collectors, and art investors, as well as a core and seminal addition to academic
and community library reference collections.
The Interior Design Shelf
The Sustainable Home
Cathy Strongman
Merrell Publishers Limited
740 Broadway, Suite 1202, New York, NY 10003
60 Cycle Media (publicity)
38 High Avenue, #1, Nyack, NY 10960
9781858944302, $34.95, www.merrellpublishers.com
Interior design is not restricted to considerations of decorative aesthetics, it also involves being
environmentally responsible and utilizing appropriate materials as part of the conceptual process
being realized with respect to wall coverings, furniture selections, lighting, appliances, and floor
surfaces. Renewable energy and energy efficient appliances for both kitchen and bathroom (and
any other room of the home or office) is also a fundamental aspect of modern interior design
work. A veritable compendium of ideas, concepts, examples and illustrations, "The Sustainable
Home: The Essential Guide To Eco building, Renovation And Decoration" by Cathy Strongman
(former Eco Editor at 'Insideout' magazine and a contributor of articles to such publications as
'Architects' Journal', 'Grand Designs Magazines', and 'House & Garden') is a welcome addition to
personal, professional, academic, and community library collections, as well as an informed and
informative, superbly illustrated reference for non-specialist general readers with an interest in
doing renovation and interior design within their own home setting. Also recommended for
Interior Design supplemental reading lists are three other excellent titles from Merrell Publishers:
"Dream Homes: 100 Inspirational Interiors" (9781858943497, $29.95); "More Dream Homes:
100 Inspirational Interiors" (9781858943770, $39.95); and "Vacation Homes And Perfect
Weekend Hideaways" (9781858943695, $49.95).
The Social Issues Shelf
Public Health Business Planning
Stephen N. Orton, Anne. J. Menkens, & Pamela Santos
Jones and Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
9780763746216, $66.95, www.jbpub.com
Taking the approach of business to many things can bring many benefits. "Public Health
Business Planning: A Practical Guide" offers much advice on the topic of planning through
public health issues with the tact and skill of a successful entrepreneur. Topics such as working
with non-profit status, the government, partnerships, risks, the advice is backed up with solid and
educational examples to fully illustrate the models laid out within. Enhanced with an index,
"Public Health Business Planning" is from a collection of scholarly minds, and very much
recommended to anyone who is faced with the issue of public health.
Street-Level Bureaucracy
Michael Lipsky
Russel Sage Foundation
112 East 64 Street, New York, NY 10021
9780871545268, $14.95
In public service, there's one part of the chain that matters a great deal the ones who deal with
the public. "Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Services" is a study
from 1980, praised for its content on what the street level public servants face when dealing with
the people and their higher ups. Worth reading for any curious or those on higher rungs of the
public service ladder who want to change it for the better, "Street-Level Bureaucracy" rings true
almost three decades later.
The Black White Divide in America ...Still
Marlin Foxworth & Ralph Gordon
Regent Press
2747 Regent Street, Berkeley, CA 94705
9781587901423, $25.00, www.regentpress.com
State sponsored segregation has been ended, but it doesn't means segregation vanished. "The
Black White Divide in America ...Still" takes an examination to the strong division that America
still faces racially. Race still plays a huge role in America, despite having potentially the first
black president in roughly a few weeks. A scholarly discussion on the subject and how the
country could move on to what many, but not enough, have dismissed as a petty issue, "The
Black White Divide in America" is solid and recommended reading for discussion on this touchy
social issue.
Life Sentences
Zohreh Bayatrizi
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, ON M4Y 2W8
9780802097552, $45.00, www.utpublishing.com
Death can be a complicated thing. "Life Sentences: The Modern Ordering of Mortality" takes a
look at the west attitude's on death, and more importantly the value of life. Looking at the
importance of the terminally ill, the vegetables, and the push for legalized euthanasia against the
willingness to let easily preventable diseases take otherwise healthy children, it offers much food
for thought for readers in pondering how much value they put on life themselves. "Life
Sentences" is an ideal choice for any social issues discussion group to bring much pondering to
the table.
Courageous Journey
Ayuel Leek Deng, Beny Ngor Chol, & Barbara Youree
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823348, $24.95, www.newhorizonspressbooks.com
The violence of Africa, despite being under reported in American news, is all too real.
"Courageous Journey: Walking the Lost Boys' Path from The Sudan to America" is two young
men's unwillingness to give up. Ayuel Leek Deng and Beny Ngor Chol have been through many
things many times that many Americans never hope to encounter once. The violence over race,
oil, money, all occurs as these two try to live their lives. A true story, "Courageous Journey" is
eye opening and thought provoking, a telling of what really matters.
The Women's Studies Shelf
Seeing Through the Lies
Vonda Skelton
Regal Books
1957 Eastman Avenue, Ventura, CA 93003
Kathy Cartlon Willis Communications (publicity)
1324 S. 10th Street Raymondville, TX 78580
9780830745012, $12.99, www.regalbooks.com
Old Wive's Tale, a term given to myths that are passed around, but totally false. "Seeing Through
the Lies: Unmasking the Myths Women Believe" is a guide to the myths and urban legends that
many Christian women are led to believe, but are totally false. A look at all things female and
how the Bible plays into it with quotes straight from scripture, "Seeing Through the Lies" is a
must for any Christian who also happens to be a woman.
The Travel Shelf
Living in China
Lin Wang & Xiaohua Wei
Pro Lingua Associates
c/o Alan C. Hood & Company, Inc.
PO Box 1348, Brattleboro, VT 05302
9780866472678, $12.50, www.hoodbooks.com
When you do more than visit, mixing into the culture is vital. "Living in China: How to Feel at
Home, Make Friends, and Enjoy Everyday Life" is a complete and comprehensive manual for
readers to better understand what it means to take up residency in the nation of China. With tips
on dealing with currency, help from Chinese neighbors, Eating customs, manners, day to day life,
embassies, and much more. If one is contemplating a move to the country, "Living in China" is
as vital as a plane ticket.
Lourdes for Today and Tomorrow
Jacques Perrier
New City Press
202 Cardinal Rd., Hyde Park, NY 12538
9781565483057, $14.95, www.newcitypress.com
Lourdes has become a religious center of the world for Catholicism, and "Lourdes for Today and
Tomorrow" takes a look at the city, a prime choice for pilgrimage. Around a century and a half
ago, the Virgin Mary appeared as an apparition to Bernadette Soubirous, an event which has
given Lourdes its status. Jacques Perrier tells of Lourdes and its many missions which embark on
the idea to help humanity as a whole, making "Lourdes for Today and Tomorrow" a scholarly
look at Lourdes and why it has become and stayed a major religious city.
The Self-Help Shelf
Overpower Pain
Mitchell T. Yass
Sentient Publications
1113 Liability Company, Boulder, CO 80302
KSB Promotions (publicity)
55 Honey Creek NE, Ada, MI 49301-9768
9781591810759, $15.95, www.sentientpublications.com
No one enjoys being in pain, but it doesn't have to be the focus of one's life. "Overpower Pain:
The Strength-Training Program that Stops Pain without Drugs or Surgery" is a guide to building
strength to dull the nagging pain, be it from age, injury, or whatever the circumstance. Chronic
pain can be overcome by working the affected muscle through the pain and therefore decreasing
the pain in everyday life. "Overpower Pain" is something to be strongly considered for those
facing daily, persistent pain.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Something in the Darkness
Stephen James Walker
Telos
david@telos.co.uk
9781845830243, $25.95, www.telos.co.uk
Doctor Who has been a wildly popular series, so it's no surprise Torchwood has carried much of
that same fan base. "Something in the Darkness: The Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to
Torchwood Series Two" is a complete and comprehensive guidebook to the second season
called series in the United Kingdom to the popular show. Discussing the concepts of the show
and what lays ahead from the hints layed out in the thirteen episodes, "Something in the
Darkness" is a solid gift for fans of the series.
The Sports Shelf
Climbing
Clyde Soles
The Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134
9781594850981, $18.95, www.mountaineersbooks.org
The thrill of conquering nature's toughest challenges, the high a mountain climber pursues. Now
in a newly expanded and updated second edition, "Climbing: Training for Peak Performance" is a
guide for mountain climbers to best train themselves for their ultimate goal of conquering the
mountain of their choice. A fitness guide to maximizing one's health and conditioning for the
harsh demands of the mountain climbing challenge, from exercise to eating right and taking
supplements, the advice is applicable to living well even if one is just looking to get in shape.
"Climbing" is a must for any climbing enthusiast.
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
The Career Coward's Guide to Job Searching
Katy Piotrowski
Jist Works
7321 Shadeland Station, Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN 46256
9781593573928, $19.95, www.jist.com
Security, the one thing hat will keep someone in a job that they despise with all of their being.
"The Career Coward's Guide to Job Searching: Sensible Strategies for Overcoming Job Search
Fears" is a guide designed for those in such a situation who want to move on with their careers
without the insane risk usually associated with such methods. Encouraging and insightful, it's an
ideal manual for the timid to get the courage they need, making "The Career Coward's Guide to
Job Searching" an essential addition.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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