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Library Bookwatch

Volume 6, Number 11 November 2011 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Civil War Shelf Business Shelf
Gaming Shelf International Studies Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Biography Shelf Parenting Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Poetry Shelf
Sports Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Journalism Shelf Library Science Shelf Photography Shelf
Fiction Shelf Architecture Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Agriculture Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Science Shelf Autism Shelf Art Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf Language Studies Shelf Native American Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Humor Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Military Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf Education Shelf
Nautical Shelf Martial Arts Shelf Computer Shelf
Music Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Reference Shelf
Psychology Shelf Economic Studies Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes And Other Stories
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Canterbury Classics
c/o Baker & Taylor Publishing Group
10350 Barnes Canyon Road, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 93121
9781607102113, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's literary character Sherlock Holmes is a cultural icon and has no need of an introduction here. What should be addressed is how elegant this edition of "The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes And Other Stories" is its gilding, its ribbon bookmark, its embossed cover, and its informed and informative introduction by Michael A. Cramer. This outstanding anthology includes all the Sherlock Holmes tales of this master of deductive reasoning from 'A Study in Scarlet', to 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'. A simply beautiful volume, "The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes And Other Stories" would adorn the bookshelves of any Sherlock Holmes enthusiast and would make an enduringly popular edition for all school and community library collections.

Chocolate Wars
Deboarah Cadbury
Douglas & McIntyre
130 Spadina Avenue, Suite 405
Toronto, ON M5V 2L4, Canada
9781553659259, $19.95, www.douglas-mcintyre.com

Chocolate can be a vicious game. "Chocolate Wars: The 150-Year Rivalry Between the World's Greatest Chocolate Makers" discusses the clashes many of the giants of chocolate told from the perspective of Cadbury. Telling of marketing war from the strange dominance of Quakers who place their pacifism aside for a quite pitched business battle. In England, only Cadbury survived of the original chocolate dynasties, and "Chocolate Wars" proves an intriguing breakdown of chocolate and business throughout the twentieth century.

A Carpenter's Life as Told by Houses
Larry Haun
Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, PO Box 5506
Newtown, CT 06470-5506
9781600854026, $22.95, www.taunton.com

A home becomes the stage for much of life. "A Carpenter's Life as Told by Houses" is a blend of history and memoir from Larry Haun, as he covers one hundred years of homes, showing the changes of America and life during that time. From the schoolhouse of the late nineteenth century to homes built for charity throughout the country. Looking at the simplicity of life and what we all desire out of something called home, "A Carpenter's Life as Told by Houses" proves to be a fascinating and much recommended read for community library history and memoir collections.


The Civil War Shelf

The Untold Civil War
James Robertson
National Geographic
1145 17th Street N. W.
Washington, DC 20036-4688
9781426208126, $40.00, www.nationalgeographic.com

The camera gained ground just in time to capture the faces of men at war. "The Untold Civil War; Exploring the Human Side of War" is a delve into the hidden history behind the war, from its participants to the technological innovations to the very human stories behind it all. The heartbreak of losing all of one's sons, the aftershock of murder, the squeamish men in charge, and the heroes and nefarious individuals on both sides of the conflict. "The Untold Civil War" is a remarkable coffee table book sized read for community library photography and history collections.


The Business Shelf

The Corporate Whistleblower's Survival Guide
Tom Devine & Tarek F. Maassarani
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650,
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605099866, $19.95, www.bkconnection.com

The truth can be hard sometimes. "The Corporate Whistleblower's Survival Guide" is a guide to stopping violations done by corporations in a time where there is much fear to be had from above, leading some allowing such things to go about untended due to fear of reprisal. Pointing out the support options available to those who want to call in the authorities. From who to report to, finding allies, and dealing with hostility, "The Corporate Whistleblower's Survival Guide" is a must for anyone who wants to do what's right but doesn't want to live in fear of corrupt repercussions.


The Gaming Shelf

Play the Benko Gambit
Nicolai V. Pedersen
Everyman Chess
PO Box 480, 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437-0480
9781857446340, $26.95, www.everymanchess.com

Chess is about strategy above all else, and taking measured risks. "Play the Benko Gambit" is a guide to this useful chess strategy, using the delayed start of the black side to maximum effect, and build to situation, creating bait that will undoubtedly throw white off its game. With wise wisdom on using the plot and defending against it on both sides, "Play the Benko Gambit" is a must for anyone who wants to improve their chess playbook.


The International Studies Shelf

Protecting Heritage in the Caribbean
Peter E. Siegel & Elizabeth Righter
The University of Alabama Press
PO Box 870380
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
9780817356675, $27.50, www.uapress.ua.edu

The blend of two cultures has led to an undeniably unique culture. "Protecting Heritage in the Caribbean" discusses the nationalism and reverence of culture for many Caribbean nations trying to keep their own culture in today's rapidly globalizing world Many minds and writers come together to provide perspective on the greater picture of the debates and the measures some nations are taking. "Protecting Heritage in the Caribbean" is a fine study, very much recommended reading for culture and history collections.


The American History Shelf

The Suppressed History Of America
Paul Schrag & Xaviant Haze
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591431220, $15.00, www.amazon.com

There is far more to American history than is ever encountered in school classrooms! The collaborative work of Paul Schrag and Xaviant Haze, "The Suppressed History of America: The Murder of Meriwether Lewis and the Mysterious Discoveries of the Lewis and Clark Expedition" is a 176-page compendium focusing upon obscure, overlooked, (and perhaps suppressed) issues brought about and/or ignored by famous 18th century explorations of Lewis and Clark. The authors highlight such controversial issues as the pre-Columbian Olmec culture, the legendary Floridian 'Fountain of Youth', the evidence of a Mississippi Mound Builders culture, the possible incursions of pre-Columbian Europeans upon the Americas, and more! Of special note is the chapter dealing with the authors perspective on the mysterious death of Meriwether Lewis. Enhanced with a wealth of footnote documentation, an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "The Suppressed History of America" is a unique and seminal contribution highly recommended for community and academic library collections, as well as the personal reading lists of non-specialist general readers with an interest in American History as it is never taught in public education courses.

Against The Gallows
Paul Christian Jones
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road
Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
www.uiowapress.org
9781609380489, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Capital punishment, the taking of a life by the state, has been a continuing and controversial issue in American society, culture, politics, and law. In "Against the Gallows: Antebellum American Writers and the Movement to Abolish Capital Punishment", Paul Christian Jones (Associate Professor, Department of English, Ohio University) focuses upon the role played by 19th century writers and poets in creating a national debate over capital punishment. This 256-page compendium is a model of seminal scholarship. Of special note is the chapter devoted to 'Women's Anti-Gallows Writing', as reform movements of the day often shared similar proponents and opponents to the issues of the day -- including the movement seeking to abolish capital punishment for capital crimes. Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Against The Gallows" is highly recommended for academic library "American History" collections, as well as the personal reading lists for non-specialist general readers with an interest in capital punishment from an historical perspective.

The Mormon War
Brandon G. Kinney
Westholme Publishing
904 Edgewood Road
Yardley, Pennsylvania, 19067
www.westholmepublishing.com
9781594161308, $28.00, www.amazon.com

When Joseph Smith Jr. founded a new religion in 1831 that he called "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints", he and his followers would commonly become referred to as 'Mormons' after a sacred scripture claimed to be a translation of ancient records concerning pre-Columbian peoples. The early history of the Mormon movement saw Smith and his people moving creating what they hoped would be a utopian community in Navoo, Illinois. But Smith was constantly embroiled in conflicts with non-Mormon neighbors, ultimately resulting in the formation of a Mormon militia, armed clashes with non-Mormon communities, Smith's arrest upon the orders of Missouri governor Liburn William Boggs, and the murder at the hands of a mob of Smith and his brother while they were in custody at a Missouri jail. "The Mormon War: Zion and the Missouri Extermination Order of 1838" by Brandon G. Kinney is a detailed chronological history of this unique conflict in American history. Of special note are the political ramifications that underlay the conflict, including the obscure fact that at the time of his death Joseph Smith Jr. was a candidate for the presidency of the United States. Enhanced with a wealth of footnotes, an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "The Mormon War" is very highly recommended for academic library 19th Century American History collections, as well as to non-specialist general readers with an interest in Mormon History.

To Hazard Our Own Security
Michael Cecere
Heritage Books
100 Railroad Ave, Suite 104
Westminster, Maryland 21157-4826
www.heritagebooks.com
9780788451744, $27.00, www.amazon.com

Because Maine did not become a state in its own right until 1820, the role played in the American Revolution by of the fighting men of what was to become Maine has been understandably obscured. At the time of the American Revolution Maine was a part of the state of Massachusetts, and men from Maine fought in units historically identified as Massachusetts troops. Nevertheless, Main men fought in a number of key battles including the ill-fated U.S. invasion of Canada, the defense of Boston against the British siege of that critically important deepwater harbor, the battles for New York, Tenton, Princeton, Hubbardton, Saratoga, Monmouth, Rhode island, Newton, Stony Point, and Yorktown. Now proper, documented, and long overdue notice is provided in "To Hazard Our Own Security: Maine's Role in the American Revolution", a 358-page compendium compiled and written by Michael Cecere, and is an exceptional history, making it a seminal and highly recommended addition to community and academic library American History collections, and the personal reading lists for non-specialist general readers with an interest in the American Revolution.

A History of Utah Radicalism
John S. McCormick and John R. Sillito
Utah State University Press
7800 Old Main Hill
Logan, Utah 84322
9780874218145 $37.95 www.USUPress.org

A History of Utah Radicalism: Startling, Socialistic, and Decidedly Revolutionary lives up to its title as a thorough scrutiny of historic radicalism in one of America's most conservative states. Chapters especially note the Socialist Party of America, which gained its peak political influence in 1900-1920. At least 115 Socialists in over two dozen Utah towns held elected office, and Socialists controlled governments of five separate municipalities at seven different points of time. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this scholarly, well-researched chronicle, highly recommended for college library and Utah state history collections.


The World History Shelf

The First Sultan of Zanzibar
Beatrice Nicolini
Markus Wiener Publishers
231 Nassau Street
Princeton, NJ 08542
9781558765443, $24.95, www.markuswiener.com

The Middle East, India, and China all call the Indian Ocean their port, and with some European imperialism, you have an intriguing stage of history. "The First Sultan of Zanzibar: Scrambling for Power and Trade in the Nineteenth-Century Indian Ocean" discusses the meeting of these many powers in their pursuit of power and wealth in the region. From slave trade to pirates to the emergence of America, "The First Sultan of Zanzibar" provides a fascinating read of world international in the early nineteenth century.

From Empire to Empire
Abigail Jacobson
Syracuse University Press
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110
Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
9780815632559, $34.95, www.SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu

Jerusalem's importance is well known to those who have gone to war for it. "From Empire to Empire: Jerusalem Between Ottoman and British Rule" delves into the crisis that Jerusalem faced during the period between the decline of the Ottoman Empire and when Britain claimed the holy land. Telling the story of World War I and the after affects as Jerusalem faced the walk from Palestine to the modern state of Israel, "From Empire to Empire" is an insightful and intriguing study of a period of history that isn't often spoken of.

The Crown Jewels
Anna Keay
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500515754, $65.00, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

A symbol of the wealth of royalty, the Crown Jewels have captivated people throughout their history. "The Crown Jewels" discusses and shows with full color photographs all of the sights of the royalty's lavish and fine items in fine gems and jewelry, as well as set pieces throughout. Discussing the history surrounding the concept of the Crown and the wealth that comes with ruling over England back into the Iron Age, it provides a fascinating trace over the history behind these gems and what has spurred their accumulation. "The Crown Jewels" is a must for those with a fascination of British royalty and history, along with those who have a fascination with fine jewelry as well.

Writing the Mughal World
Muzaffar Alam & Sanjay Subrahmanyam
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231158114, $29.50, http://cup.columbia.edu

Through stability, culture thrives. "Writing the Mughal World: Studies on Culture and Politics" analyzes this pillar of culture in Southern Asia which blended studies from the known world over to become a center of knowledge and ideas. Discussing the politics and the effects of clash of culture on the area had on the area, this scholarly discussion speaks on its effects on history, and how its influence is still felt strongly even in the twenty first century. "Writing the Mughal World" is a treasure of world history, a core addition to any collection looking to empower its selection on India and its neighbors.

Big History
Berkshire Essentials
Berkshire Publishing Group
120-122 Castle Street,
Great Barrington, MA 01230-1506
9781933782928, $29.95, www.berkshirepublishing.com

Where does human history stand in the massive picture of the universe? "Big History" looks at human history in a much wider scope of thousands maybe millions of years. From ice ages, extinctions, to climate change, the writers at Berkshire provide an intriguing look at the march of history in the eyes of the planet instead of humanity. "Big History" is a fine and much recommended read for community and college library collections focusing on world history and science.

The Emperor and the Saint
Richard F. Cassady
Northern Illinois University Press
2280 Bethany Road
DeKalb, IL 60115
9780875804392, $35.00, www.niupress.niu.edu

Men of power often turn their attention to knowledge. "The Emperor and the Saint: Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, Francis of Assisi, and Journeys to Medieval Places" looks at the historical relationship between Frederick II and Saint Francis of Assisi, as the enlightened ruler sought to engage the religious figure to seek greater knowledge in his world. A unique friendship over many years, and Richard Cassady does much in providing a look at the influences that the two had on each other and in their work. "The Emperor and the Saint" and is a choice pick and very much recommended addition to community and college library history collections.

The Ephemeral History of Perfume
Holly Dugan
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421402345 $65.00 www.press.jhu.edu

The Ephemeral History of Perfume: Scent and Sense in Early Modern England is a scholarly yet accessible history of how people created and applied perfumes in history, with particular emphasis on perfumes in early modern England. Defining "perfume" in a broad sense to include spices, flowers, herbs, animal parts, trees, resins, and other ingredients for creating artificial smokes, balms, scents, liquids and more, The Ephemeral History of Perfume covers how perfumes were used in everything from shut-in households to luxury markets and pleasure gardens. Especial attention is paid to the perfumes of frankincense, sassafras, rosemary, ambergris, and jasmine in this thoughtful, close study to the role that the human sense of smell has played in history. The result is an extraordinary and thoughtfully presented addition to British history shelves, covering an almost universally overlooked topic.


The Biography Shelf

Grant's Final Victory
Charles Bracelen Flood
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
9780306820281 $27.50 www.perseusbooksgroup.com

Celebrated author Charles Bracelen Flood presents Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year, an unusual biography in that it focuses entirely on the final year of Civil War general and two-term American president's Grant's life. In 1884, Grant lost all his wealth to the cheating machinations of his business partner, and was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer. In a final bid to support his family, he endeavored to finish his memoirs before his time ran out. He was honored with sympathy and support not only from the North, which hailed him as a war hero, but also the South, who remembered him as the man who treated General Lee honorably during Lee's surrender at Appmattox Courthouse. A handful of black-and-white photographic plates illustrate this absorbing, vivid tale of one man's struggle against the inevitable, highly recommended.

Cecil Andrus: Idaho's Greatest Governor
Chris Carlson
Caxton Press
312 Main Street
Caldwell, ID 83605-3299
9780870045059 $17.95 www.caxtonpress.com

Andrus' long-time press secretary Chris Carlson presents Cecil Andrus: Idaho's Greatest Governor, the life story of an ordinary yet courageous man - he dropped out of college, married his girlfriend in Reno, raised three daughters, and served in the Navy during the Korean War. His career path took him from gypo logging to selling industrial accident insurance, but he would eventually become Idaho's four-term governor and the mastermind behind conservation efforts to preserve the "Crown Jewels" of Alaska. Carlson offers an up-close and personal testimony of Andrus' life and accomplishments, as well as an insider's view of the "political rules" Andrus followed and his most exceptional qualities that ultimately benefitted the state of Idaho as a whole. The result is an excellent addition to both biography and Idaho state history shelves.

Stay By Me, Roses
Alice Blackmer Skinner
Swedenborg Publishers
320 North Church Street
West Chester, PA 19380
9780877853381, $19.95, www.swedenborg.com

The desire to create never truly dies. "Stay By Me, Roses: The Life of American Artist Alice Archer Sewall James, 1870-1955" chronicles the story of 'Grandma Moses of the Midwest', a woman who while abandoning her dreams of being an artist early in life to be a housewife, later refound her calling. Alice Blackmer Skinner, a research psychologist, tells her story well with attention to history and detail. "Stay By Me, Roses" is a fine artistic biography, very much recommended reading.

Omar Bradley
Jim DeFelice
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
9781596981393, $29.95, www.regnery.com

It's the more quiet people who focus on work not glory that truly win wars. "Omar Bradly: General at War" is a biography of America's last five star general who through dedication worked through the European theater of the war to gain many victories in Northern Africa as well as in France, providing much support to his more famous contemporaries in Patton and Eisenhower. Jim DeFelice argues that Bradley's contributions outweigh the actions of both, despite receiving little of the renown of the era, even today. A fine biography of a soldier who maybe did more than any other in beating Hitler, "Omar Bradley" is a choice and much recommended read for any community library biography collection.

Monsieur Bernar Nahum
Adrian Streather
Citlembik
kitap@citlembik.com.tr
National Book Network (distribution)
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9789944424851 $22.95 www.nbnbooks.com

Monsieur Bernar Nahum: A Pioneer of Turkey's Automotive Industry is the life story of an exceptional and intelligent patriot who worked tirelessly to create and promote a thriving automotive economy in Turkey. Unwilling to see Turkey as only an importer or assembler of automobiles, Nahum sought to build a manufacturing industry from the ground up, in a republic that had little in the way of resources, infrastructure, or field know-how. Nahum's accomplishments include turning around how Ford saw Turkey from arm's-length reticence to a full partnership; and promoting the production and sales of tractors. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate captivating true tale of an entrepreneurial leader.

Becoming Ray Bradbury
Jonathan R. Eller
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6903
9780252036293, $34.95, www.press.uillinois.edu

Life influences more than any teacher, and looking at life offers perspective on a writer. "Becoming Ray Bradbury" looks at the life of this figure who came in his adult life to become quite the writer of fiction film, television, and other mediums for his work. Looking at history at looking for influences throughout his life, Jonathan R. Eller provides an excellent literary biography of the man, making "Becoming Ray Bradbury" is a strong addition for community library biography collections.


The Parenting Shelf

Nutrition: What Every Parent Needs to Know
William H. Dietz & Loraine Stern, editors
American Academy of Pediatrics
141 Northwest Point Blvd.
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098
9781581103212, $14.95, www.healthychildren.org

Good nutrition is what every parent wants for their kids, but it can quite hard to obtain at times. "Nutrition: What Every Parent Needs to Know" is a guide for nutrition and related health topics for parents, proving as a comprehensive reference for parents that discusses everything from breastfeeding to dealing with picky eaters to exercise. "Nutrition" is well worth it for any family health resource, a grade-A pick.

Dr. Sandy's Top to Bottom Guide to Your Newborn
Sandy L. Chung
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
9781591811688, $17.95, www.sentientpublications.com

Parenting is a job that gets dumped on you all at once. "Dr. Sandy's Top to Bottom Guide to Your Newborn: Answers to the Questions Every New Parent Asks" is a guide for new parents to help them with the utterly daunting task of becoming a new parent and dealing with the load of knowledge needed to give the best for the baby and being responsible for the life of another. "Dr. Sandy's Top to Bottom Guide to Your Newborn" is a fine pick for any parent who feels overwhelmed.


The Christian Studies Shelf

An Introduction To The New Testament, second edition
Charles B. Puskas & C. Micahel Robbins
Cascade Books
c/o Wipf & Stock Publishers
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
9781606087855, $43.00, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated second edition, "An Introduction To The New Testament" is a 394-page compendium divided into three major sections: 'The World of the New Testament' (providing an historical context); 'Interpreting the New Testament' (providing insights into the individual gospels, acts, epistles, and apocalyptic writings); 'Jesus and Early Christianity' (the transition from Judaic Christianity to Paulinian Christianity, from the historical Jesus to the influence of Paul). Of special note are the appendices on 'The Formation of the New Testament Canon'; 'English Translations of the new Testament', and an extensive forty-four page bibliography. "An Introduction To The New Testament" is a masterpiece of Biblical scholarship, superbly organized, thoroughly 'reader friendly', informed, informative, and highly recommended for personal, academic, church, and community library Christian Studies and New Testament Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Still, The Small Voice
Tom Mould
Utah State University Press
7800 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322
www.USUPress.org
9780874218176, $39.95, www.amazon.com

One of the things that originally distinguished The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly referred to as The Mormons) was the concept of personal revelation. "Still, the Small Voice: Narrative, Personal Revelation, and the Mormon Folk Tradition" is a 416-page compendium by Tom Mould (Associate Professor of Anthropology and Folklore, Elon University, North Carolina) and is based upon ethnographic research, archival records, and published accounts by Mormons of their personal experiences with the divine within the context of Mormon traditions and communities. Professor Mould extends his findings to address cogent questions regarding folklorist aspects of these personal experiences in terms of performance, genre, and narrative. Of special note are the case examples of oral versus written traditions with respect to personal revelation. A work of seminal research, replete with copious notes, a list of cited works, and a comprehensive index, "Still, The Small Voice" is a valued and original contribution to academic library Mormon Studies, Christian Studies, Cultural Anthropology Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Continuum Companion to Hindu Studies
Jessica Frzier, editor
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704
New York, NY 10038
9780826499660 $190.00 www.continuumbooks.com

The Continuum Companion to Hindu Studies is an in-depth academic text studying the faith of Hinduism, featuring commissioned essays from international experts worldwide. Topics covered include the history of Hinduism, research methodologies applied to Hinduism (including anthropological, archaeological, art historical/visual approaches, philosophical/theological approaches, interdisciplinary approaches and more), regional perspectives of Hinduism including an assortment of localized traditions, and much more. The Continuum Companion to Hindu Studies is an excellent resource and enhancement to religious studies shelves, and especially recommended for academic and college library collections.

The Carmelite Tradition
Steven Payne & Phyllis Zagano
Liturgical Press
PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814619124, $16.95, www.litpress.org

Throughout history, there have been many ways to follow one's way to devotion. "The Carmelite Tradition: Spirituality in History" discusses the teacher Albert of Jerusalem and the hermit-penitents of Mount Carmel eight hundred years ago. Discussing what these lessons were and the importance of prayer and devotion, Steven Payne offers an intriguing study into historical study of Christ and the many different ways of faith. "The Carmelite Tradition" is an excellent addition to any religious history collection.


The Poetry Shelf

Imaginary Menagerie
Ailbhe Darcy
Bloodaxe Books
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781852249014, $21.95, www.bloodaxebooks.com

With humor and seeing a good chunk of the world, "Imaginary Menagerie" is a humorous study of life and everything else from Ailbhe Darcy who speaks with a frank passion in her debut volume. With plenty of metaphor and food for thought, "Imaginary Menagerie" is a fine assortment of poetry that shouldn't be overlooked for world poetry collections. "Silt Whisper": That summer one-eyed jacks were wild:/we learned new rules, left tea to brew.//Smoke stilled air. Leaves lay unturned./Unemployment was another high./I had been a storm in a polystyrene cup,/seeking scald, steam, instance, but now//we drew up lists, mapped out desire lines skipped/interviews to collect blooms paused before flight.//The only record of that time the silt of prophecy,/the memory of weight in our cupped hands.//For a short while we held the one breath:/I could never set it down.

Midnight Lantern
Tess Gallagher
Graywolf Press
250 Third Avenue N, Suite 600
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781555975975, $28.00, www.graywolfpress.org

The sum of experiences reflect within each other well. "Midnight Lantern" is a wide anthology of the best and newest work from Tess Gallagher, a prolific, storied, and respected writer of Ireland, who spins her experiences with her country's unique status in the world into thoughtful work. "Midnight Lantern" is a fine and much recommended collection for world poetry collections. "Embers": He was suffering from too much light/the way our afternoons recover from/ morning rain by slicing the room/in half. I read to him to bring a voice/sideways, to touch him more, and join/our listening or laughter or mutual derision./To be one and none. Sometimes a rhyme can/snuff its substance, yet release/a second lasting. To speak aloud at a grave/breaks silence to another heat/shows through. Not Speaking, but the glow/of that we spoke.


The Sports Shelf

On Bicycles
Amy Walker, editor
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781608680221, $16.95, www.neworldlibrary.com

With the concerns of fuel, bicycles are making a serious come back. "On Bicycles: 50 Ways the Bike Culture Can Change Your Life" looks the evolution of bike life in today's society where much of the world now calls cities home. Bicycles have become a culture all their own, as Amy Walker compiles thoughts on many topics surrounding the bicycle in the modern day and bringing others into the world of biking. "On Bicycles" is useful work for anyone who wants to understand or get into serious biking.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Plot Whisperer
Martha Alderson
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor
Avon, MA 02322
www.adamsmedia.com
9781440525889, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Few things are as difficult for the novice author (or even seasoned professional writers) as developing an effectively engaging plot for their readers. In "The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master", Martha Alderson draws upon her more than fifteen years of experience and expertise working with hundreds of writers in writer workshops, retreats, and plot consultations to compile a 256-page compendium of commentary, advice, and instruction on creating plot lines and subplots, scene trackers, character development and transformation, and all the other elements that go into good story telling from beginning to end. Thorough, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Plot Whisperer" is a highly recommended instruction manual that will prove to be of enduring value for aspiring authors regardless of what literary genre they find themselves working in.

Books, Crooks, and Counselors
Leslie Budewitz
Quill Driver Books
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
9781610350198, $14.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com

Courtroom drama has been a favorite genre for quite some time, "Books, Crooks, and Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure" is a style writing guide for those who want to write crime thrillers from the crime scene to the court room procedure. From the characters to avoiding stumbling over the fallacies of writing these scenes and how to blend realism with drama, "Books, Crooks, and Counselors" is a fine pick for anyone who wants to create a mystery that is true to life yet still hard to put down, recommended.

Uncreative Writing
Kenneth Goldsmith
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231149914 $22.50 http://cup.columbia.edu

Author and "uncreative writing" teacher of the University of Pennsylvania Kenneth Goldsmith presents Uncreative Writing: Managing Language in the Digital Age, a thoughtful examination of how writing techniques traditionally thought to be separate from those of creating literature, such as cutting and pasting, databasing, identity ciphering, and programming, can provide authors new inspiration for rethinking how they use language and creativity. From using Internet searches to craft poetry, to applying courtroom testimony, to generating poetry through use of artificial intelligence, Uncreative Writing connects the most unorthodox of methods to practices employed by famous writers and artists including Walter Benjamin, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, and Andy Warhol. The result is an invigoratingly different style of writing guide, that reveals how jump-starts to one's imagination can be achieved through what seems (at first glance) to be the unlikeliest of means. "If we think of words as both carriers of semantic meaning and as material objects, it becomes clear that we need a way to manage it all, an ecosystem that can encompass language in its myriad forms."

Relaxing the Writer
Amber Polo
Wordshaping Press
info@RelaxingtheWriter.com
9781463727055 $11.99 www.relaxingthewriter.com

Yoga teacher, librarian, and novel writer Amber Polo presents Relaxing the Writer: Guidebook to the Writer's High, a guide to putting oneself in the best possible mood to write. Chapters cover everything from ergonomics to easy-to-use stretches, aromatherapy, massage, meditation, using music or sound to one's benefit, tai chi, weight training, and even "apps to relax" that can be found on iPhones, iPods, or iPads. An easy-to-follow resource for improving the quality of surroundings outside the writer, the better to coax out the writer's internal creativity, Relaxing the Writer is highly recommended.


The Social Issues Shelf

9-11, Was There an Alternative?
Noam Chomsky
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street
New York, NY 10013
9781609803438, $13.95, www.sevenstories.com

9-11 is a major turning point in history, and has led to much debate on the function of war. "9-11, Was There an Alternative?" is a collection of essays from famed political philosopher Noam Chomsky as he reprints his earlier work ten years after the attacks and offers follow up thinking on the war on terror, ideology, the clash of east and west, and thoughts on the future of the war on terror after the death of Bin Laden. "9-11" is a much recommended and scholarly discussion of social science and the war on terror.


The Journalism Shelf

Investigative Journalism in China
Jingrong Tong
Continuum
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704
New York, NY 10038
9781441101044, $110.00, www.continuumbooks.com

With no guaranteed freedom of the press, journalism in China is a very different beast. "Investigative Journalism in China: Journalism, Power, and Society" discusses this unique system under authoritarian rule where the urge for truth still can win out in situations where people can disappear not to be seen again without question. From understanding how journalism functions under the regime, finding legitimacy where much of the media is controlled by the state, analyzing many papers throughout the country, cultural issues, and why investigative journalism may be the key to reforming the China of the future. "Investigative Journalism in China" is a fine and much recommended study for any community or college library collection studying modern China, civil rights, and international journalism.


The Library Science Shelf

Guide to Security Considerations & Practices
Everett C. Wilkie
Association of College & Research Libraries
c/o American Library Association
50 East Hurton Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838985922, $65.00, www.ala.org/aclr

Not every book is so easily replaced. "Guide to Security Considerations & Practices: For Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collection Libraries" advises readers on how to best equip their libraries to protect their rare treasures of history, be they a thousand years old or merely a hundred. From the basics of standard physical security, setting up access permissions, vetting staff, and how to recover something when it is lost, "Guide to Security Considerations & Practices" is an absolute must for any librarian and library administrator who is tasked with protecting their treasures of history from the ravages of time, curiosity, and greed.

Understanding Librarians
Barbara Hull
Chandros
c/o Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038-4512
9781843346159, $75.00, www.neal-schuman.com

You can't assume a great deal of knowledge on others when teaching. "Understanding Librarians: Communication is the Issue" discusses the role of librarians and their librarians in the eyes of the public and how to work through such notions. Barbara Hull outlines the purpose of librarians, the stereotypes, dealing with language issues, disabilities, the purpose of education and information, and what libraries can do to get their message out there and working with the internet instead of competing without it. "Understanding Librarians" is a strongly recommended read for any librarian who wants their library to get their message out there and much more well known pillar of the community.


The Photography Shelf

People Pictures
Chris Orwig
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson
1249 Eighth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9780321774972, $29.99, www.peachpit.com

A good picture is more than simply that. "People Pictures: 30 Exercises for Creating Authentic Photographs" is guide to creating worthy photographs and capturing the spirit and soul of the subjects in said pictures. Chris Orwig advises readers on how best to work their photography to be something truly special, use the environment around the subject, and how to capture a moment that is a memory. "People Pictures" is a must for any photography enthusiast.


The Fiction Shelf

Boardinghouse Stew
E. E. Smith
Phoenix International, Inc.
17762 Summer Rain Road
Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
Gulotta Communications (publicity)
341 Lexington St., Newton, MA 02466
9780983561514, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Along the American west coast during the years of World War II the American Japanese were evacuated to camps in the country's interior. One unforeseen result of this fear-based governmental policy was the creation of a serious and enduring labor shortage. That's why Mrs. Mumson found herself hiring a young girl by the name of Eileen to perform housework and cooking for the diverse and colorful people under Mrs. Mumson's roof. "Boardinghouse Stew" by E. E. Smith is a masterful compilation of individual stories of those residences as reported by Eileen from her unique and effective vantage point as the maid and kitchen cook. Smith is an expert novelist and storyteller, who is a master of her literary craft. "Boardinghouse Stew" is a riveting read, rich in characters and crises that fully engage the reader's attention form first page to last. Also very highly recommended for both community library American Fiction collections and personal reading lists is E. E. Smith's novel "Times Like These" (9780982429594, $24.95, Phoenix International).

The Yellow Emperor's Cure
Kunal Basu
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
9781590207086, $26.95, www.overlookpress.com

Love complicates everything. "The Yellow Emperor''s Cure" is a historical novel following surgeon Antonio Maria, as in an effort to save his father from syphilis, heads east to China to study their medicine. At first finding no value in their traditional medicine, he finds something more in Fumi, who takes over his life, and with war on the horizon, Antonio finds himself split between his father and his practice and his own love. "The Yellow Emperor's Cure" will prove to be quite the riveting and much recommended read for any historical fiction collection, highly recommended.

The Vices
Lawrence Douglas
Other Press LLC
2 Park Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10016
9781590514153, $15.95, www.otherpess.com

Friendship can come in many forms. "The Vices" is humorous and thoughtful tale from Lawrence Douglas as he writes of the search of the narrator who shall not be named as he looks for philosopher Oliver Vice and finds that his hero worship may not be as clear as he thought as he meets with the Vice family and all their eccentricities with it. "The Vices" is an excellent and top pick for any literary fiction collection.


The Architecture Shelf

Drawing For Landscape Architecture
Edward Hutchison
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500342718, $65.00, www.amazon.com

Formal gardens and elegant estate landscapes don't just happen -- the best of them are planned with all the elements of lawns, bushes, flower beds, trees, walkways, walls, water features, and buildings being the results of careful and imaginative planning. That's why "Drawing for Landscape Architecture: Sketch to Screen to Site" by Edward Hutchison is such a valuable instructional introduction for landscape architecture students and enthusiasts. In this fully illustrated, 240-page compendium, Hutchison draws upon his many years of experience and expertise as a landscape architect to methodical go through all the stages and aspects of designing a landscape beginning with assessing what is present, to on-site studies; creating sketches and design elements; the role of perspective and isometrics; developing the drawings and recording construction details. Of special note is the final chapter concerning 'real world' projects (St. John's College, Cambridge, and Coventry Peace Gardens) as thoroughly illustrated examples. Strongly recommended for professional and academic library Landscape Architecture and Garden Design instructional reference collection, "Drawing For Landscape Architecture" will also prove to be informed and informative reading for non-specialist general readers with an interest the landscaping their own estates.

Nano House
Phyllis Richardson
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500342732 $29.95 www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Featuring full-color photography throughout, Nano House: Innovations for Small Dwellings an architectural showcase of practical and ecologically responsible homes, each of which has fewer than 650 feet of living space. Rising to the challenge of creating flexible, energy-efficient places to live with modern standards of style as well as comfort, Nano House is a wonderful font of new ideas and techniques made possible with modern digital tools. Highly recommended as a resource for anyone designing homes where space is strictly limited, or the natural environment must be respected as much as possible, as well as a general repository of eco-friendly design tips, tricks, and techniques.

Housing Reclaimed
Jessica Kellner
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island
BC V0R 1X0, Canada
9780865716964, $24.95, www.newsociety.com

Home is what you make of it. "Housing Reclaimed: Sustainable Homes for Next to Nothing" is a delve for the creative and resourceful who want to claim homes from the most unlikely of places. Through repairing a home with recycled materials, re-purposing buildings into homes for many, creating something from nothing, and taking the condemned and restoring them to prominence. "Housing Reclaimed" is a fascinating read about the perseverance of making a home, with many lessons to be learned.

The Architecture of Alfred Browning Parker
Randolph C. Henning
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813036779, $50.00, www.upf.com

Modernism embraces utility alongside style. "The Architecture of Alfred Browning Parker: Miami's Maverick Modernist" delves into the unique work of Alfred Browning Parker who over many decades left his mark on Miami's suburbs with his unique style for both homes and businesses. Presented in full color with diagrams of much of his work, Randolph C. Hennig provides an informed walk through his work in all of its forms. "The Architecture of Alfred Browning Parker" is a fine pick for coffee tables and community library photography and architecture collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

Vegan Holiday Kitchen
Nava Atlas
Sterling House Publisher
3468 Babcock Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15237-2402
www.sterlinghousepublisher.com
9781402780059, $24.95, www.amazon.com

A veritable culinary showcase for a vegan approach to holiday dining (as well as special occasion meals anytime of the year!), "Vegan Holiday Kitchen: More than 200 Delicious, Festive Recipes for Special Occasions" is a 320-page compendium of outstanding and distinctively 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes specifically suitable for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, Easter, and Independence Day. There is a veritable cornucopia of palate pleasing, appetite recipes ranging from Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tortilla Casserole; Banana Chocolate-Chip Mini Loaves; New World Wassail; and Coconut-Almond Macaroons; to Lemony Asparagus Risotto; Grilled Tempeh with Green Beans and Pineapple; and Pan-Grilled Polenta. Of special note are the chapters showcasing recipes for summer entertaining, brunches, appetizers, and potluck dishes. "Vegan Holiday Kitchen: More than 200 Delicious, Festive Recipes for Special Occasions" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to the growing library of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks for personal, family, and community library collections.

Piece Of Cake!
Camilla V. Saulsbury
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778802778, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Tired of making a cake out of a box? Want to try your hand at some homemade culinary excellence to share with family and friends but are pressed for time and hoping to avoid a lot of pot washing and bowl cleaning? Then "Piece of Cake!: One-Bowl, No-Fuss, From-Scratch Cakes" by Camilla V. Saulsbury is the 'kitchen cook friendly' cookbook for you! After an informed and informative preface and introduction on making cakes, "Piece Of Cake!" provides instructive commentary, instruction, and advice on such relevant issues as 'One-Bowl Cake-Making Mastery', Keey ingredients, and equipment needed. The recipes comprising this spiral bound culinary anthology range from a Hot Fudge Brownie Cake; Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cake; Spiced Yogurt Bundt; and Buttermilk Cake with Cheesecake Filling; to Rum Butter Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream; Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Candied Kumquat Sauce; Hazelnut Mascarpone Pound Cake; and Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Icing. Of special note are all the recipes for frostings that go along with so many of these wonderful cakes -- and each cake being made from scratch using just one mixing bowl. Simply stated, "Piece Of Cake!" will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular addition to any and all personal, family, and community library cookbook collections!

Culinary Mexico
Daniel Hoyer
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
9781423609605, $24.99, www.amazon.com

There is so much more to Mexican cuisine than the taco, the enchilada, and the burrito! Daniel Hoyer's "Culinary Mexico: Authentic Recipes and Traditions" is a superbly illustrated, thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', 216-page compendium of recipes reflecting the diversity and richness of Mexico's culinary culture and history. From Queso Fundido (Warm Cheese Dip); to Sopa Seca (Bread Soup); to Pollo en Escabeche Oriental (Eastern-Style Soused Chicken); to Salpicon de Res (Shredded Beef Salad); to Loma de Cerdo Negro a la Queretaro (Pork Loin with Black Prune Sauce), "Culinary Mexico offers up a cornucopia of dishes suitable for every dining occasion from the family meal to a celebratory feast. With each recipe graced with a succinct introduction, an organized list of ingredients, and careful step-by-step preparatory instructions, "Culinary Mexico" is a highly prized addition to personal, family, professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.

Just Tacos
Shelley Wiseman
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781600854071, $19.95, www.amazon.com

What began in Mexico as a peasant dish, then graduated to a street vendor staple, then crossed over into the U. S. in the form of fast food restaurant chains such as Taco Bell and Taco John. These fast food versions of the taco have seriously mislead the American public into a limited appreciation of the taco. That's why Shelley Wiseman's "Just Tacos: 100 Delicious Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner" is such a timely and appreciated specialized cookbook collection. A master of Mexican cuisine, Shelly Wiseman has compiled a superbly illustrated, thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' anthology of taco recipes that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite, all while expanding American consumer awareness of how versatile, adaptable, nutritious, and delicious the taco can be. From Tacos with melted Cheese and Poblano Strips; Seared Scallop Tacos with Jicama-Peanut Slaw; Yucatecan Pulled Pork Tacos; and Grilled Garlic-Marinated Skirt Steak Tacos; to Scrambled Eggs with Chorizo Tacos; Cheese Quesadillas; Chicken Tostadas; and Breakfast Burritos, "Just Tacos" will prove to be a popular addition to any and all personal, family, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.

The Easy Pressure Cooker Cookbook
Diane Phillips
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
9780811872560, $27.50, www.amazon.com

The pressure cooker can be one of the best tools the modern, time-limited, kitchen cooks can have in their culinary toolbox. Especially when there is Diane Phillips "The Easy Pressure Cooker Cookbook", a 480-page compendium of more than 300 wonderfully delicious and nutritious recipes specifically designed for use with a pressure cooker. The recipes range from Bacon and Potato Soup; Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Butter; Tropical Hawaiian Chicken; and Pork Rib Cassoulet; to Korean Barbecue Sirloin; Sun-Dried Tomato and Wild Mushroom Risotto; Mixed Bread Pudding with Orange Custard Sauce; and Ameretto Peach Conserve. "The Easy Pressure Cooker Cookbook" truly showcases both the versatility and ease with which gourmet quality meals can be prepared with confidence and reliability by means of a pressure cooker. "The Easy Pressure Cooker Cookbook" is strongly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Viennese Kitchen
Monica Meehan & Maria von Baich
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street
Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781566568654, $30.00, www.amazon.com

Every family cookbook collection should have at least one that is a dedicated showcase of recipes for elegant dining occasions. "The Viennese Kitchen: Tante Hertha's Book of Family Recipes", a 224-page, profusely illustrated compendium and the collaborative effort of food writer Monica Meehan and her mother, Maria von Baich, is just exactly that. Based on an old, tattered, brown cooking notebook by BaronessTante Hertha (who was a beloved cousin of Maria's own mother and in her day ran a very popular catering service) "The Viennese Kitchen" reflects the culinary charms of Vienna in the early 1900s. The dishes range from Kaseauflauf (Cheese Souffle); Fisch im Bierleig (Beer-Battered Fish); and Kurbisgemuse (Creamed Pumpkin); to Krensuppe (Cream of Horseradish Soup); Bechamelstrudel (Bechamel Strudel); and Kartner Reindling (Carinthian Ring Cake). From appetizers to desserts, "The Viennese Kitchen" offers one elegant, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, 'kitchen cook friendly' recipe after another, making it a prized addition to any personal, family, or community library cookbook collection.

Delicious Dishes for Diabetics
Robin Ellis
Skyhorse Publishing
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
9781616084585, $12.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

Diabetes is not the end of enjoyment of food. "Delicious Dishes for Diabetics: Eating Well with Type 2 Diabetes" is a guide to conquering diabetes with good diet that will appeal to anyone with any problems with their diet, with plenty of tips and tricks for making it work when you can't prepare a big meal. Straightforward recipes for use of every persuasion, "Delicious Dishes for Diabetics" is a choice collection of recipes who wants to keep on eating well.

Gluten Free Makeovers
Beth Hillson
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus
11 Cambridge Center,
Cambridge, MA 02142
9780738214610, $19.00, www.dacapopress.com

When there's gluten intolerance present, the menu available to you seems to shrink. "Gluten Free Makeovers: Over 175 Recipes - From Family Favorites to Gourmet Goodies - Made Deliciously Wheat-Free" is a cookbook designed to expand the family chef's gluten free horizons, as Beth Hillson presents many useful alternatives to wheat even in foods that traditionally feature them. "Gluten Free Makeovers" is a straightforward and excellently composed cookbook, it can't be missed for gluten free cooks.

Rustic Italian
Domenica Marchetti
Weldon Owen
415 Jackson Street, Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94111
9781616281656, $29.95, www.wopublishing.com

Complex recipes are not the choice for everyday life. "Rustic Italian: Simple, Authentic Recipes for Everyday Cooking" is a cookbook from Domenica Marchetti as she walks readers through a grand assortment of cooking advice and wisdom on how to make a grand assortment of to the point daily dishes for everyday life, inspired by traditional Italian cooking. "Rustic Italian" is packed cover to cover with plenty of culinary wisdom with full color photographs throughout and an easy to follow style of recipes.

One-Dish Wonders
Gwen McKee & Barbara Moseley
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123
Brandon, MS 39043
9781934193686, $24.95, www.quailridge.com

One dish is more than just casseroles. "One-Dish Wonders" is a cookbook from the Recipe Hall of Fame as Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley present a wide array of recipes with the only restriction of fitting into one dish. Chilies, soups, cakes, salads, and so much more, this to the point recipe guide promises to be easy to use and result in excellent food throughout. "One-Dish Wonders" is an excellent cookbook that shouldn't be ignored for any collection.


The Agriculture Shelf

Raising Chickens for Dummies
Kimberly Willis
Wiley
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470465448, $19.99, www.dummies.com

Chickens aren't known for their intelligence, but caring for them can prove more troublesome than you would think. "Raising Chickens for Dummies" is an agricultural guide for anyone who wants to do their part in eating locally by raising their own chickens for whatever purpose they are seeking, be it for meat, eggs, or sale. From feed, housing, breeding, and much more, "Raising Chickens for Dummies" is a must for anyone who wants to get back to understanding this more and more acceptable practice in today's world.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Anonymous: William Shakespeare Revealed
Roland Emmerich
Newmarket Press
18 E. 48th Street, New Yorkm NY 10017
9781557049926, $22.95, www.newmarketpress.com

William Shakespeare may be more legend than man. "Anonymous: William Shakespeare Revealed" is a film companion for the upcoming Roland Emmerich film surrounding the theory that Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford, as the true identity of the famous bard. With nearly two hundred color photos spread throughout, many bits and pieces discussing the legend of de Vere and Shakespeare, production notes, and much more, "Anonymous" is a fascinating period piece with much care put into the history of a man who revolutionized English literature.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

What Nurses Know... Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Lorraine Steefel
Demos Health
11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10036
9781932603873, $16.95, www.demoshealth.com

Fatigue is natural. Chronic fatigue however, disables your life. "What Nurses Know... Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Answers You Need From the People You Trust" is full of advice and wisdom from many accomplished nurses on how to better deal with Chronic fatigue syndrome, to make the condition liveable with and beatable so one does not have to shut down their entire lives. Sage and much recommended reading, "What Nurses Know...Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" is a strong pick for any health and home remedy collection.


The Science Shelf

Introduction to Information Science and Technology
Charles H. Davis & Debora Shaw, editors
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874236, $59.50, www.infotoday.com

The information age is empowered by being connected and knowing the best options for the job. "Introduction to Information Science and Technology" discusses how to maximize the use of such technology in today's importance of connecting information to all those involved. Chapters grant a comprehensive overview of information technology, who needs the information, organization, use of the internet, and theories for more effective use in our future. "Introduction to Information Science and Technology" is a fine delve into the fast combining concepts of information and technology, and how to apply it to one's own endeavors, a core addition for community and college library technology collections.

Designing and Building Mini and Micro Hydropower Schemes
Luis Rodriguez and Teodoro Sanchez
Practical Action Publishing
Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781853396465, $59.95, www.styluspub.com

The power of water hasn't caught on in the national level, but can be invaluable to certain communities. "Designing and Building Mini and Micro Hydropower Schemes: A Practical Guide" is a collection of advice for those who are pursuing this sort of power for their community. Ideal for remote communities that are far from the traditional power of the modern day, these works can provide enough power for small communities, with materials and manpower that can be acquired locally. Ideal for anyone who is in charge of managing public works for their community, "Designing and Building Mini and Micro Hydropower Schemes" is a vital addition to any engineering or power management collection.

Bioactive Compounds From Natural Resources, second edition
Corrado Tringali, editor
CRC Press
Suite 300
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW
Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781439822296, $189.95, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Corrado Tringali (Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of California), "Bioactive Compounds from Natural Sources: Natural Products as Lead Compounds in Drug Discovery" is now in a newly updated and expanded second edition and continues to be a 648-page compendium of seminal articles and contributions by an impressive roster of academicians and specialists in their respective fields. Comprised of seventeen major academic papers, the subjects range from 'Strategies and Methods for a Sustainable Search for Bioactive Compounds', to 'Natural Products as Treatments for and Leads to Active Compounds in Viral Diseases', to 'Endo Microorganisms as a Source of Bioactive Compounds'. Enhanced with a Natural Source Index and a Subject Index, "Bioactive Compounds from Natural Sources" is an essential and core addition to professional and academic library Organic Chemistry reference collections and instructional supplemental reading lists.


The Autism Shelf

A Picture's Worth
Andy Bondy & Lori Frost
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817
9781606130155, $19.95, www.woodbinehouse.com

Communication is perhaps the most importance you can teach a child. "A Picture's Worth: PECS and Other Visual Communication Strategies in Autism" is a guide to helping one's autistic child better grasp communication through PECS, the picture exchange communication system, an easy to use system that help an autistic child grasp communication at a higher level. "A Picture's Worth" is a strong pick for educators and parents who want to work the PECS system into a child's education, highly recommended.


The Art Shelf

Cultural Memories
Pamela McCallum
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
9781552382714, $34.95, www.uofcpress.com

Withheld from one's culture, one learns to appreciate it just that much more. "Cultural Memories: And Imagined Futures: The Art of Jane Ash Poitras" discusses the work of Jane Ash Poitras, a woman of the First Nations who was raised by a German widow and didn't come to embrace her home culture until later in life. Embracing in wholly, she begun to understand it and through her art, expressed many of the concerns about her people. A fine study of Alberta Native Culture, "Cultural Memories" is filled with color photographs and makes for a much recommended read and addition to world and cultural art collections.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Changing Of Knowledge In Composition
Lance Massey & Richard C. Gebhardt, editors
Utah State University Press
7800 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322
www.USUPress.org
9780874218206, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Composition is the organizing of language in the format of the written word to convey information to a reader. There is a divergence of opinion and practice in academia with respect to composition and that is the focus of "Changing of Knowledge in Composition: Contemporary Perspectives", a 320-page knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Lance Massey (Assistant Professor of English, Bowling Green State University) and Richard C. Gebhardt (Professor Emeritus of English, Bowling Green State University) compendium of sixteen papers by academicians and researchers focusing on pertinent elements of the composition controversies within an academic context. informed and informative, an impressive body of impeccable scholarship by experts in this specialized field of study, "The Changing Of Knowledge In Composition" is especially recommended for academic library collections.

The Animal Side
Jean-Christophe Bailly
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L
Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823234448, $18.00, www.fordhampress.com

Mankind quickly learned to cooperate with its animal neighbors. "The Animal Side" is a study of humanity and its connection to the rest of the animal kingdom, our differences, and countless similarities. Translated from the original French by Jean-Christophe Bailly by Catherine Porter, Bailly analyzes literature form around the world and the fascination that all of it blends together. "The Animal Side" is an insightful and much recommended addition to any literary studies and philosophy collection in community libraries.


The Language Studies Shelf

A Seneca Reader
James Ker
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road
Mundelein, IL 60060
9780865167582, $19.00, www.bolchazy.com

Seneca the Younger was a major writer of the classical era, and understanding his work understands literature that much better. "A Seneca Reader: Selections from Prose and Tragedy" delves into Seneca's work, granting him a brief biography, going over choice writings of his text, mapping important vocabulary, and much more to better understand the Latin language and command a better mastery of those important historical language. "A Seneca Reader" is a must for any student of Latin language and history.


The Native American Shelf

The Encyclopedia Of North American Indian Wars
Spencer C. Tucker, editor
ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
www.abc-clio.com
9781851096978, $310.00, www.amazon.com

For some three hundred years, right up until the closing decade of the 19th century, the North American continent was the battleground between European settlers and Native Americans. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by academician and historian Spencer C. Tucker, "The Encyclopedia of North American Indian Wars, 1607-1890: A Political, Social, and Military History" is a 1318-page, three-volume compendium covering all of America's 'Indian Wars' ranging from the early 1600s on the eastern coast, to the final subjugation of the American Plains Indian tribes in the late 1880s. From detailed biographies of key Native American figures; to the diverse social, cultural, and religious aspects of Native American life; to an historical roster of significant battles, skirmishes, and treaties between the whites and the Native Americans, "The Encyclopedia Of North American Indian Wars" is informed, informative, superbly organized, splendidly presented, thoroughly 'reader friendly', and a very high value addition to both community and academic library Native American Studies reference collections.

Sustaining the Cherokee Family
Rose Stremlau
University of North Carolina Press
116 South Boundary Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3808
9780807872048 $24.95 www.uncpress.unc.edu

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the American federal government strived to forcibly integrate Native American nations into American society through a policy of systematic land allotment. Sustaining the Cherokee Family: Kinship and the Allotment of an Indigenous Nation is the fascinating true story of how this policy impacted the Cherokee Nation, with especial focus on individual families and communities in contemporary northeastern Oklahoma. Chapters focus on how Cherokee family's organization, cultural values, economic and social practices enabled them to survive under the government's policy, by blending the new system into economies of their current community. Author Rose Stremlau (assistant professor of history and American Indian studies, University of North Carolina at Pembroke) purports that extended family bonds among the Cherokee helped the communities retain a strong collective spirit and resist federal assimilation policy, even as they endeavored to survive. Highly recommended, especially for Native American history and studies shelves.

Ahtna Travel Narratives
Jim McKinley & collaborators
University of Alaska Press
PO Box 756240
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
9781555001056, $20.00, www.uaf.edu/uapress

The native people of the Americas provide a cultural study that is unique among the world's interests. "Ahtna Travel Narratives: A Demonstration of Shared Geographic Knowledge among Alaska Athabascans" discusses the Athabascans, a people unique in their reliance on foraging in the difficult lands of Alaska, as Jim McKinley & other scholars of these people, provide a unique and fascinating study of these people and their culture, language, and lore. With plenty of black and white photography throughout, "Ahtna Travel Narratives" is an excellent pick, very much worth considering for community and college library collections focusing on culture and language.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

K-9 Trailing
Jeff Schettler
Alpine Publications, Inc.
38262 Linman Road
Crawford, CO 81415
9781577791195, $34.95, www.alpinepub.com

The dog's superior sense of smell is quite useful, but it needs to be trained, for both dog and trainer. "K-9 Trailing" discusses the details of modern canine training to get them to track something down by sense of smell. This training program outlines all the details of tracking by scent, the details to pick up on along the way, and reading the dog's communications. "K-9 Trailing" is a strong pick for those curious in how scent trails work or for those who will soon be dealing with tracking dogs in the future.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Bad Moon Rising
Ed Gorman
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street,5th Floor
New York, NY 10004
9781605982601, $25.00, www.pegasusbooks.com

It's easy to point to others as the enemy. "Bad Moon Rising" is a mystery novel from Ed Gorman as he tells of a Hippie Commune finding its home in Black River Falls. The community tolerates their presence, and when a murder happens, fingers are quickly pointed towards them. Investigator Sam McCain believes something is amiss and that the witch hunt the town is embarking on is not entirely justified. A story of facing justice for the unpopular, "Bad Moon Rising" is a riveting blend of town drama, mystery, and legal thriller, highly recommended.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Healing
Wanda E. Brunstetter, author
Jaimee Draper, narrator
Oasis Audio
289 Main Place
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781598599831 $29.99 www.oasisaudio.com

Award-winning author Wanda Brunstetter presents The Healing, a gentle, unabridged audiobook novel about the long and difficult road to recovery after losing a loved one, as well as the tangled web that human hearts can become. When Samuel Fisher of Pennsylvania loses his wife at far too early an age, his brother Titus talks him into moving to Kentucky, along with his four children. In his new home, he works with English contractor on a bed-and-breakfast. Esther Beiler helps take care of Samuel's children and develops feelings for Samuel himself, but will his heart remain closed from grief? Or could he already have fallen for the beautiful innkeeper? God's loving presence fills the background of this heartwarming tale of relearning the spiritual as well as the mortal joy of true love, highly recommended. An included PDF offers a Fisher Family Tree, discussion questions, and a recipe for boyfriend cookies. 8 CDs.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson, author
Roy McMillan, narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843794455 $22.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Stevenson's classic dark fable of a scientist whose experiments unleash a monstrous, murderous alter ego. At once both exhilarated by his other side yet fearfully constrained to hide it lest he suffer discovery or even execution, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde remains as tense and chilling today as ever, even as it depicts the eternal contest between good and evil. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is especially recommended as an excellent addition to public library audiobook collections. 3 CDs, 3 hours 21 min.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Book of Human Insects
Osamu Tezuka
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor
New York, NY 10016
9781935654209 $21.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Suggested for readers age sixteen and older due to nudity, violence, and mature situations, The Book of Human Insects is a full-length graphic novel by Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989), who is known internationally as the godfather of manga (Japanese comics) due to his pioneering efforts in the art form. Tezuka's provocative and enduring literary contributions to what was once considered a trivial medium transformed how Japan, and arguably the world perceived comics as a whole; his most well-known works include "Astro Boy", "Kimba the White Lion", and his eight-volume biographical epic "Buddha". Begun in 1970, The Book of Human Insects is a more grim example of Tezuka's work, as it spotlights the career of a multitalented sociopath. The twentysomething protagonist Toshiko Tomura (b. 1947) has achieved fame and wealth for her novel "The Book of Human Insects"; her previous accomplishments have also included the prestigious New York Design Academy Award, and a star-studded career with a theater troupe. Yet beneath her ever-metamorphosing exterior lies an empty, selfish, inward-focusing soul, unwilling or incapable of feeling empathy for her fellow human beings, and therefore unable to reciprocate the true love of one of the few honest men who crosses her path (amid the cavalcade of paparazzi, political extremists, crooked corporate cronies and even outright murderers she tends to encounter). Ultimately a deconstruction of the worst elements of humanity's predatory and competitive nature - and what competition or "survival of the fittest" truly mean when taken to their logical conclusion - The Book of Human Insects is as much a cautionary tale as it is a fascinating portrait of the postmodern culture's dark side. Highly recommended.

How to Master the Art of Selling
Tom Hopkins
Smarter Comics
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
9781610660037, $12.95, www.hachettebookgroup.com

Selling is a skill for more than getting someone to buy a product. "How to Master the Art of Selling" is a motivational guide in comic form as Tom Hopkins walks readers through a humorous and informative lesson in business and sales. It's as much about the salesman as it is about the product, and Tom Hopkins more than explains the process. "How to Master the Art of Selling" is a fine choice for any business person who never gave up his comics.


The Library CD Shelf

Songs from Yeats' Bee-loud Glade
Poems by W.B. Yeats
Music by Kyle Alden
Hearth Music
zach.hearthmusic@gmail.com
$18.97 www.kylealden.com www.hearthmusic.com

Songs from Yeats' Bee-loud Glade sets the lyrics of thirteen of W.B. Yeats' poems to modern-folk music composed by the talented Kyle Alden. Expert mandolin player Mike Marshall, former Frank Zappa bassist Scott Thunes, and violinist Athena Tergis of the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra perform the music that perfectly balances the Irish poet's immortal musings. The result is a treasure for any music lover who also relishes classic poetry. The tracks are "Brown Penny" (3:03), "Running to Paradise" (3:39), "Colonel Martin" (5:21), "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" (3:20), "The Song of Wandering Aengus" (2:09), "The Cloak, the Boat and the Shoes" (2:31), "The Valley of the Black Pig" (3:46), "The Mask" (2:37), "The Pilgrim" (5:08), "The Heart of the Woman" (2:32), "The Cap and Bells" (3:40), "The Blessed" (5:59), and "The Well and the Tree" (2:16).

New Deli
TriBeCaStan
Evergreene Music
450 W. 31st St., 7th Fl.
New York, NY 10001-4608
$TBA www.evergreenemusic.com www.TriBeCaStan.tv

New Deli is the latest irreverent music album by TriBeCaStan, a band so eclectic they practically form their own musical nation. Freely borrowing rhythm, instruments, traditions, and the simple love of music from cultures across the world, their performance includes melodies of the charango (a stringed instrument) and the marimbula (a large thumb piano) drawn from jams with Cuban musicians, to the baritone saxophone strains of Claire Daly, the newest addition to TriBeCaStan's tight-knit group. The extraordinary, world-spanning nature of New Deli is a perfect snapshot of an increasingly interconnected world as reflected in music, and an excellent, fresh addition to international music CD collections. The tracks are "Song for Kroncha" (4:24), "Louie's Luau" (4:20), "Freaks for the Festival" (4:37), "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (3:44), "Dive Bomber" (3:23), "A Crack in the Clouds" (4:29), "Bed Bugs" (5:22), "Jovanka" (4:01), "Daddy Barracuda" (5:18), "Two for Ornette" (4:27), "Guinea" (3:46), "His Axe Fell into Honey" (5:48), "El Bumpa" (3:41), "The Brain Surgeon's Wife Serves Lunch" (3:07), and "The Mystery of Licorice McKechnie" (3:41).


The Library DVD Shelf

Dracula: The Vampire and the Voivode
Directed by Michael Bayley Hughes
Narrated by Jason Walford Davies
Walking Shadows and Virgil Films & Entertainment
c/o Greenleaf & Associates (publicity)
vicki@greenleafandassociates.com
$19.99 www.draculadocumentary.com www.walking-shadows.com

Dracula: The Vampire and the Voivode is an amazing documentary about author Bram Stoker and his legendary novel, Dracula, that spawned an immortal legend. Filmed in Transylvania, Whitby, London and Dublin, Dracula: The Vampire and the Voivode was produced in association with the Transylvanian Society of Dracula; interviews with historical experts help the viewer separate the legend of the vampire from the historical facts of the violent ruler Vlad "The Impaler" Draculea III (1431-1476), whose iron-fisted rule is widely credited for inspiring the horror mythos. Anyone who truly loves vampire stories will find Dracula: The Vampire and the Voivode a "must-see" about how it all began. 84 min.

Between Two Worlds
Alan Snitow & Deborah Kaufman
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
$295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

A choice pick of multiple film festivals, Between Two Worlds: The American Jewish Culture Wars is a documentary that closely examines recent turmoil in American Jewish identity. What does it truly mean to be Jewish? To what extent can one criticize Israel while remaining loyal to it? How does a Jewish hero of World War II and Holocaust concentration camp liberator cope when his grandchildren are Muslims? Tempers flare at a Jewish film festival that dares to show a movie about a Jewish protestor of the Palestinian occupation who was killed by Israeli bulldozers, and at a college campus when both sides argue over monetary divestment from Israel as a form of protest against Israel's policy. Between Two Worlds a close and critical examination of morals, ethics, religious and cultural identity, and what it truly means to have a dialogue about all these things, and is worthy of the highest recommendation especially for high school, college, and public library collections. 70 min.

Butterflies & Bulldozers
A film by Ann & Steve Dunsky
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
159458902X $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Butterflies & Bulldozers is the story of San Bruno Mountain and its rare butterflies, the site of America's first Habitat Conservation Plan. The Habitat Conservation Plan is actually a compromise that allows development in exchange for habitat preservation; can a system of such difficult choices and trade-offs sustainable or effective? Participants and observers of the delicate balance offer their insight, in this captivating, even-handed documentary enthusiastically recommended especially for high school and public library DVD collections. 62 minutes, SDH captions.

An Ecology of Mind
A film by Nora Bateson
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1594589054 $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

An Ecology of Mind is the award-winning documentary of Gregory Bateson's life, as constructed by his youngest daughter, Nora Bateson. Bateson made great contributions to science with his theories of "the double bind" and "the pattern which connects"; his ideas influenced anthropology, psychiatry, information science, urban planning, biology, ecology, and more. His story is presented with black-and-white footage of films he shot in the 1930s with his wife, photographs, filmed lectures, and contemporary interviews. The keen yet personal portrait of an extraordinary man, An Ecology of Mind also looks to the future, and draws upon Bateson's way of thinking to reveal practical approaches to humanity's tremendous modern-day challenges. 60 min., SDH captions, licensed for public performance.

We Still Live Here / As Nutayunean
Anne Makepeace
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
$295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

We Still Live Here / As Nutayunean is an extraordinary DVD documentary about a cultural revival among the Wampanoag Tribes of Cape Cod, known in history as the tribe that aided the survival of the Pilgrims, originating the holiday known as Thanksgiving. Linguist Jessie Little Doe Baird, the winner of a MacArthur 'genius' award, has sparked efforts to revitalize and reclaim the Wampanoag language. With the language restoration comes the reinvigoration of culture, traditions, and roots; Jessie's own daughter Mae is the first Native speaker of Wampanoag in a century. We Still Live Here is a powerful and emotionally moving documentary, highly recommended for public, high school, and college library DVD collections. 56 min., SDH captions.


The Humor Shelf

When Parents Text
Lauren Kaelin & Sophia Fraioli
Workman Publishing
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014
9780761166047, $10.95, www.workman.com

Texting is like learning a new language to some. "When Parents Text: So Much Said...So Little Understood" is a collection of humor as Lauren Kaelin & Sophia Fraioli collect wisdom and thought from their parents and their combats with this new technology. With humor and heartwarming moments, "When Parents Text" is a fine pick for any parent or kid who are dealing with technology in their own way.

The Secret Book of CIA Humor
Ed Mickolus
Pelican
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LO 70053
9781589809048, $24.95, www.pelicanpub.com

Not even the top level of espionage can resist cracking a joke. "The Secret Book of CIA Humor" delves into the humor through the eyes of ex-CIA officer Ed Mickolus as he provides a breakdown of the real CIA, a place where there is much on the line, but above else, people are still human being who need a laugh and an outlet for their evil intentions. With much humor and an original take of what goes on inside the lives of CIA agents, "The Secret Book of CIA Humor" is not to be overlooked.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Constables, Marshals, and More
Lorie Rubenser and Gloria Priddy
Publicity Department
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336
Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574413274 $19.95 www.unt.edu/untpress

Constables, Marshals, and More: Forgotten Offices in Texas Law Enforcement is a detailed description of the careers and duties of Texas' lesser-known police workers, such as constables and marshalls, as well as little-known offices such as railroad police, racing commission, cattle brand inspector, university police, fire marshall, city marshall, game warden, bailiff, game warden, and much more. Though invaluable to anyone researching information about these posts, Constables, Marshals, and More is especially useful to students and others seeking a prospective career in one of these areas. Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Constables, Marshals, and More focuses especially on the duties and qualifications of each post, as well as its modern-day role, and is highly recommended especially for vocational college libraries.


The Philosophy Shelf

Philip K. Dick and Philosophy
D.E. Wittkower, editor
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60601
9780812697346 $19.95 www.opencourtbooks.com

Part of an extraordinary series concerning elements contemporary culture and philosophy, Philip K. Dick and Philosophy: Do Androids Have Kindred Spirits? is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing philosophy inherent in and concerning this legendary science fiction author's works. From issues of identity crisis, to the implications time travel has on causality, to how science fiction technology could potentially transform morality, to even two philosophical essays by Philip K. Dick himself, Philip K. Dick and Philosophy offers a broad range of thought-provoking viewpoints. Highly recommended especially for thinking fans of Philip K. Dick's classic works.


The Military Shelf

The Elusive Enemy
Douglas Ford
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591142805 $22.95 www.navalinstitute.org

The Elusive Enemy: U.S. Naval Intelligence and the Imperial Japanese Fleet studies U.S. naval operations and intelligence-gathering in the Pacific theater during World War II, with particular emphasis on the struggle to obtain qualitative intelligence about the military capabilities of the Japanese Navy. Drawing upon historical case studies as well as recently declassified intelligence documents to support its analysis, The Elusive Enemy posits that only through combat did the U.S. Navy garner a complete understanding of its foe - all other efforts yielded information that might be useful but was otherwise lacking. Chapters explore everything from initial perceptions of the Japanese Navy to how those views changed during the course of the war, to the necessary evolutions in U.S. Naval air combat doctrine, and more. A methodical and serious-minded contribution to military and naval history shelves, The Elusive Enemy is especially recommended for college library collections.

The Final Mission of Bottoms Up
Dennis R. Okerstrom
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard
Columbia, MO 65201
9780826219480 $29.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress

Part of The American Military Experience series, The Final Mission of Bottoms Up: A World War II Pilot's Story tells the story of B-24J Liberator "Bottoms Up" and its crew of eight young men. Near the end of World War II, an anti-aircraft shell crippled "Bottoms Up", and despite the crew's desperate efforts, further German fire over what is now Croatia spelled the plane's doom. Co-pilot Lee Lamar expected to die that day, yet miraculously survived his bailout; he would endure as a prisoner of war at a stalag on the Baltic Sea until the war ended, and he would never see most of his fellow crewmen again. In 2006, more than sixty years later, Croatian archaeologist Luka Bekic discovered the wreckage of "Bottoms Up", and searched out more about the crew's identities and fates. Bekic contacted Lee Lamar, who had married and raised and family; with Bekic's help, Lamar was able to visit the crash site and meet the Croatian Partisans who had helped some members of his crew escape. The Final Mission of Bottoms Up is a meticulously accurate reconstruction of the plane's final, fateful voyage and the heroism of its crew, absorbing to the final page, and a welcome addition to military biography and history shelves.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Dalai Lama's Little Book of Compassion
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
65 Parker St., Ste. 7,
Newburyport, MA 01950
9781571746702 $12.95 www.hrpub.com

The Dalai Lama's Little Book of Compassion: The Essential Teachings is a compact book written by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, condensing the distilled essence of his most important teachings into plain terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Chapters address how to confront the real and inevitable specter of death; how to deal with anger and emotion; the interconnected nature of reality; and more. A question-and-answer segment expounds and clarifies the Dalai Lama's core message - that the way to overcome suffering is through the guidance of compassion. "While the most important thing in family life is children, birth control is also extremely important. Of course, from the Buddhist viewpoint, each individual human life is very precious. From that viewpoint, birth control is not good. But at the same time, the world's population is simply getting too great... the conclusion is quite clear that we have to use birth control for the benefit of all humanity. Birth control is very necessary."


The Education Shelf

Developing 21st Century Literacies
Mary Jo Langhorne, et al.
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038-4512
www.neal-schuman.com
9781555707521, $75.00, www.amazon.com

Their library is a key component of a school's educational resources. One of the main duties of a school librarian is to teach academic skills such as research and critical thinking. The collaborative work of Mary Jo Langhorne, Denise Rehmke, and the Iowa City Community School District, "Developing 21st Century Literacies" is a superbly organized 300-page compendium providing school libraries with an informed and informative 'real world' guide to providing students with the entire roster of library learning tools. Of special note is the wealth of sample lessons and units for both individual and group learning. "Developing 21st Century Literacies" will prove to be an enduringly valued addition to college and university Library Science curriculums; in-service training programs for K-12 school librarians; and as a personal reference for home schooling parents as well.

How To Co-Teach
Elizabeth Potts & Lori A. Howard
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624
Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com
9781598571691, $34.95, www.amazon.com

Nothing is more vital to a successful democracy than an education citizenry. And that education begins in the school classroom and the presence of an effective classroom teacher -- especially working in collaborative classroom settings with another instructor. "How to Co-Teach: A Guide for General and Special Educators" is the collaborative work of special education academicians Elizabeth Potts and Lori A. Howard. This 224-page compendium provides a thoroughly 'user friend' instructional guide of commentary, advice, techniques, and insights for novice educators that will improve the effectiveness of their classroom co-teaching strategies, practices, and approaches. Of special note is the chapter on 'Working with Parents'. Informed and informative, "How to Co-Teach" should be considered mandatory reading by classroom teachers at all grade levels, and a core addition to academic library Education Studies reference collections.

Guided Research In Middle School
LawDawna Harrington
Linworth Books
c/o ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
www.abc-clio.com
9781598848601, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Teaching a child how to do methodical research on a subject is to teach that child skills fundamentally critical for problem solving, critical thinking, and organizing both thought and information. Developed by LawDawna Harrington, "Guided Research in Middle School: Mystery in the Media Center" is a thoroughly 'kid friendly', 120-page compendium of basic lessons plans (complete with reproducible handouts) that can be smoothly incorporated into any middle-school educational curriculum. "Guided Research in Middle School: Mystery in the Media Center" is not only highly recommended as a Middle School curriculum supplement, but would also prove to be ideal for use by home schooling parents in teaching children how to best utilize the resources of school and community libraries to carry out research assignments on any subject.

Kindergarten Magic
Kathy MacMillan & Christine Kirker
ALA Editions
50 East Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
9780838910696 $50.00 www.alastore.ala.org

Kindergarten Magic: Theme-Based Lessons for Building Literacy and Library Skills lives up to its title as a planner for librarians and teachers to create lessons that will help young students develop their basic literacy and library skills. Over six hundred lesson seeds are presented, from fingerplay rhymes to writing activities, reading activities, take-home projects, simple crafts and much more. For example, one counting-themed activity is: "Print a variety of [paper] owls and write different numbers on their chests. Place each owl in its own nest. Have the children place the appropriate number of eggs, corresponding to the owl's number, in its nest." Kindergarten Magic is an excellent, creative, and easy-to-use supplementary resource of activities, ideal not just for librarians and educators, but also parents, babysitters, and homeschoolers!

Mometrix Media LLC
3827 Phelan, #179, Beaumont, TX 77707
www.mo-media.com

Mometrix Media is a premier publisher of professional certification preparatory study and exam guides. Each instructional and practice test guide is painstakingly prepared by experts in their particular fields. Of special note is that each one is founded upon original research revealing test weaknesses that can be capitalized upon by test takers for maximum exam scores. The Mometrix Media instructional text taking exam guides include "ISEE Exam Secrets Study Guide: Practice & Review for the Independent School Education Exam" (9781609710057, $77.99); "GED Exam Secrets Study Guide: GED Test Review for the General Educational Development Test" (9781609718442, $48.99); "NCE Secrets Study Guide: NCE Exam Review for the National counselor Examination" (9781610722315, $77.95); ACCUPLACER Exam Secrets Study Guide: ACCUPLACER Test Review for the ACCUPLACER Exam" (9781609710026, $62.99); "Secretds of the PTCB Exam: PTCB Test Review for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Examination" (9781610727990, $48.99); "Adult CCRN Exam Secrets: CCRN Test Review for the Critical Care Nurses Certification Examinations" (9781609712709, $91.99); "CEN Exam Secrets: CEN Test Practice & Review for the Certification for Emergency Nursing Examination" (9781609712990, $91.99); "NCLEX-RN Secrets Study Guide: NCLEX Test Review for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses" (9781610722414, $62.99); "COMPASS Exam Secrets: COMPASS Test Review for the Computer Adaptive Placement Assessment and Support System", (9781609710125, $62.99); ASVABD Secrets Study Guide: ASVAB Test Review for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery" (9781609712136, $77.99). Superbly organized, expertly presented, and thoroughly 'user friendly', each guide is highly recommended for aspiring certification test takers, and the entire series should be a part of every academic library study guide instructional reference collections.


The Nautical Shelf

Full Steam Ahead
Rita Kohn, editor
Indiana Historical Society Press
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
450 W. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
9780871952936 $19.95 www.indianahistory.org

Full Steam Ahead: Reflections on the Impact of the First Steamboat on the Ohio River, 1811-2011 is an amazing look at the historical and epic journey of the steamboat "New Orleans", which left from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in October of 1811. The "New Orleans" was the first of its kind: a steamboat that could actually travel upriver! Its maiden voyage was marked by turbulent events, from the appearance of the Great Comet to the New Madrid Earthquake that shook the Mississippi River. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this involving, meticulously researched, extensively detailed chronicle of a turning point in American nautical history. Highly recommended especially for steamboat buffs!


The Martial Arts Shelf

Shin Gi Tai
Michael Clarke
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480
Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594392177 $22.95 www.ymaa.com

Okinawan Goju-ryu Karate teacher and Kyoshi 7th dan black belt Michael Clarke presents Shin Gi Tai: Karate Training for Body, Mind, and Spirit, which lives up to its title as a resource about not only the mechanics of karate, but also the essence of what karate truly is - a means to hone the mind as well as the body, and to realize the art's greater purposes of achieving balance, controlling one's own ego, and learning how to successfully avoid conflict. Chapters are structured around the physical, mental, and spiritual techniques of Karate training, as well as speculations on the future of karate, and true stories of three great karate experts. Black-and-white photographs add a visual dimension to the explanations of physical techniques in this solidly well-rounded reference and resource. Shin Gi Tai is a choice pick for readers of all skill and experience levels, from novices curious to learn more about karate to advanced practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding. Highly recommended.


The Computer Shelf

Introducing HTML5, second edition
Bruce Lawson & Remy Sharp
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780321784421, $34.99, www.amazon.com

Now in a completely updated and expanded second edition, "Introducing HTML 5" is the cooperative work of computer experts Bruce Lawson and Remy Sharp. This 312-page compendium covers every aspect of HTML5 including new semantics and structures, JavaScript APIs, controlling native multimedia, building intelligent web forms, storage options, Web SQL, IndexedDB, mobile app with geolocation, offline storage options, subtitling formats, in-browser web conferencing, browser history controls, and more. Thoroughly 'user friendly' and superbly organized, "Introducing HTML5" is an ideal instruction manual for novice HTML5 users and a welcome addition to personal, professional, school, community, and academic Computer Science instructional reference collections.


The Music Shelf

Thematic Catalogue Of Troubadour And Trouvere Melodies
Donna Mayer-Martin & Dorothy Keyser
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, Hillsdale, NY 12529
www.pendragonpress.com
9780918728821, $120.00, www.amazon.com

Medieval troubadors were more than itinerant or court entertainers, they were vessels by which culture and custom, ideals and ideologies were propagated through their poetry and music. Trouvere's did much the same a few generations later, but are distinguished in that they wrote in Old French. "Thematic Catalogue of Troubadour and Trouvere Melodies" is a 369-page compendium developed by the late musicologist Donna Mayer-Martin who was unable to see the completion of her project. Fortunately academician Dorothy Keyser was able to complete the project and bring it to publication for the enduring benefit of academia. This is an impressive body of seminal scholarship and will prove to be a valued and appreciation contribution to the growing library of Medieval Studies reference works. Graced with a lengthy, informed, and informative introduction, "Thematic Catalogue of Troubadour and Trouvere Melodies" is superbly organized beginning with a thematic catalogue of troubadour melodies, and index of trouvere composers and their songs, and the contents of both troubadour and trouvere manuscripts. Of special note for scholars is the inclusion of a 'List of Works Cited' and an extensive bibliography. A masterwork of specialized research, "Thematic Catalogue of Troubadour and Trouvere Melodies" will prove to be a prized addition to academic library reference collections.


The Money/Finance Shelf

How The Stock Market Really Works, fifth edition
Leo Gough
FT Press
1330 Avenue of the Americans, 35th floor
New York, NY 10019
www.mcp.com
9780273743552, $24.99, www.amazon.com

Investing in the stock market can not only be confusing, it can be financially disastrous for those novice investors that are unaware of possible pitfalls or potential opportunities. Now in a fully updated and expanded fifth edition, "How The Stock Market Really Works" compiled and written by personal finance and investment authority Leo Gough, offers an thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction manual covering every aspect of the stock market including choosing competent financial advisors, stock shares, investment bonds, assessing company finances, various investment strategies, the foreign exchange system, overseas investments, and more. Of special note are the chapters devoted to derivatives, to fraud, to the current financial crisis that has battered the American in general and the stock market in particular. Simply stated, "How The Stock Market Really Works" is an essential addition to community library collections and invaluable for non-specialist general readers considering or already investing in stocks and bonds.


The Reference Shelf

Federal Street Press
25-13 Old Kings Highway North, #277
Darien, CT 06820
www.federalstreetpress.com

Federal Street Press is justifiably acclaimed for publishing inexpensive dictionaries. They go to great pains every year to keep their titles fully up to date, economical, thoroughly 'user friendly', and imminently portable. Their nine new titles continue the Federal Street Press reputation of inexpensive excellence with: Webster's Dictionary for Students: 4th Edition (9781596951235, $3.99); Webster's Dictionary for Students: Special Encyclopedic Editions: Four Edition (9781596951259, $4.49); Webster's For Students Dictionary/Thesaurus Set (9781596951273, $7.99); Webster's Rhyming Dictionary (9781596951129, $3.99); Webster's American English Dictionary/Webster's American English Thesaurus Set (9781596951167, $6.99); Webster's Dictionary & Thesaurus for Students: 2nd Edition (9781596951075, $12.98); Webster's Everyday Spanish-English Dictionary (9781596951174, $3.99). Of special note for educators and parents are two new Federal Street Press titles: Webster's Essential Literacy Skills: Grade 2 Reading (9781596951099, $9.98) and Webster's Essential Liteary Skills: Grade 3 Reading (9781596951112, $9.98). Each and every one of them is highly recommended, so much so that no student, no family, and no school library, should be without one or more of these superbly produced titles.


The Psychology Shelf

The Social Psychology Of Morality
Mario Mikulincer & Phillip R. Shaver, editors
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433810114, $79.95, www.amazon.com

The definition of good and bad, moral and immoral, ethical and unethical, is heavily determined and shaped by a combination of psychological, social, and cultural influences both overt and cover. It is the complex combination of these factors that provide the foundation for personal morality and moral judgments. "The Social Psychology of Morality: Exploring the Causes of Good and Evil" is a 416-page compendium knowledgeable compiled and deftly edited by the team of Mario Mikulincer (Professor of Psychology, New School of Pychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliy, Israel) and Phillip R. Shaver (Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of California, Davis). Composed of twenty-two articles by experts in their respective fields of study and practice, "The Social Psychology Of Morality" is organized into five major sections: Basic Issues and Controversies; Motivational and Cognitive Processes; Developmental, Personality, and Clinical Aspects; Good and Evil: Morality, Conflict, and Violence; Synthesis. A seminal body of original scholarship, "The Social Psychology Of Morality" is an informed, informative, and valued contribution to the growing body of literature on the subject of Morality and a very highly recommended addition to professional and academic library Psychology Studies reference collections, as well as commended to the attention of non-specialist general readers with an interest in ethics, morality, and psychology.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Capital And The Debt Trap
Claudia Sanchez Bajo & Bruno Roelants
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
www.palgrave-usa.com
9780230252387, $100.00, www.amazon.com

In every financial crisis there is also financial opportunity. What economists have known from the days of 19th Century 'Boom & Bust' cycles, through the 20th Century 'Great Depression' driven reforms, down to the economic disasters (both foreign and domestic) of the present day, is that debt can be a useful tool to regulate the economic system, bringing order and stability out of chaos and volatility. That is the central message of "Capital And The Debt Trap: Learning From Cooperatives In The Global Crisis", a 288-page compendium by the team of Claudia Sanchez Bajo and Bruno Roelants in which the authors draw upon four 'real world' case studies of how cooperatives have been able to generate wealth despite significant regional and global financial disruptions. Of special note is the concluding chapter 'The Global Crisis: Mother of All Warnings". Informed, analytical, and informative, "Capital And The Debt Trap" will prove to be thoughtful, thought-provoking, and usefully instructive, making it especially recommended for professional, governmental, and academic library Economic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


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Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
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