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

Library Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 11 November 2012 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Agriculture Shelf Economic Studies Shelf
Jobs/Career Shelf Education Shelf Science Shelf
Psychology Shelf Business Shelf Military Shelf
Large Print Shelf Cookbook Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Parenting Shelf Fiction Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Biography Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Library Science Shelf Memoir Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Civil War Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Language Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Political Science Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Music Shelf Art Shelf Genealogy Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf International Studies Shelf Native American Studies Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Roadmap to Resilience
Donald Meichenbaum
Crown House Publishing
6 Trowbridge Drive Suite 5
Bethel, CT 06801
9780969884026, $35.00, www.crownhousepublishing.com

There are many terrible things to see in a combat situation, and few truly know how to fully cope. "Roadmap to Resilience: A Guide for Military, Trauma Victims, and Their Families" is a guide to help those who have faced traumatic situations and how to foster the principle of resiliency - the ability to function and live life in spite of awfulness. Donald Meichenbaum presents suggestions for physicians and psychologists encourage many finesses out of people and how to foster better life. "Roadmap to Resilience" is a strong pick for anyone catering to the military, their families, or anyone else who often is coping with PTSD.


The Agriculture Shelf

The Global Farms Race
Michael Kugelman & Susan L. Levenstein
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-1148
9781610911870, $25.00, www.islandpress.org

Food is an incredibly important resource that is often all too underrated when discussing global politics. "The Global Farms Race: Land Grabs, Agricultural Investment, and the Scramble for Food Security" discusses the place that food and agriculture have when discussing worldwide current events. Michael Kugelman & Susan L. Levenstein edit a gathering of many writers offering scholarly opinion on these ideals, presenting a history of food's impact, the environment, and how the world can move to a more harmonious decision for the world. "The Global Farms Race" is a must for environmental studies and international studies collections, highly recommended.

Innovation in Healthy and Functional Foods
Dilip Ghosh, et al.
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781439862674, $139.95, www.amazon.com

Over the past few decades there has been a decided shift of emphasis from improving food safety and enhancing food taste to the provision of healthy and functional foods for today's consumers. The demand is for foods that include not only basic nutrition, but also will promote better health and even prevent or ameliorate disease. The editorial collaboration of Dilip Ghosh, Shantanu Das, Debasis Bagchi, and R.B. Smarta, "Innovation in Healthy and Functional Foods" is a 616 page compendium thirty-four major articles by experts in the diverse fields providing insight and overviews of developments in the international food industry ranging from food safety and regulation innovations, to marketing trends, consumer perspectives and reactions, technological developments in food production and preservation, advances in functional food ingredients, and more. Of special note is the extended section on 'Future Trends' ranging from food tourism, to nanotechnologies, to the environmental sustainability of local food production. Informed and informative, enhanced with a comprehensive index, and a collective example of impressive, seminal scholarship, "Innovation in Healthy and Functional Foods" is strongly recommended as an essential, core addition to professional, governmental, corporate, and academic library Food Product Development reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Economic Studies Shelf

The Endless Crisis
John Bellamy Foster & Robert W. McChesney
Monthly Review Press
146 West 29th Street, Suite 6W
New York, NY 10001
9781583673133, $24.95, www.monthlyreview.org

The business of money has some very fierce problems it creates. "The Endless Crisis: How Monopoly-Finance Capital Produces Stagnation and Upheaval from the USA to China" discusses the financial industry and its effects on the economy as a whole. Defining the problem, the monopoly that has risen, political pressures, and with a focus on the big role that America and China play in the global economies future. "The Endless Crisis" is written by professors of sociology and communications, offering important insights on this conflict and its weight on the future of our world, and proves to be very much enthusiastically recommended reading for economics and international issues collections.


The Jobs/Career Shelf

The Safe Hiring Manual
Lester S. Rosen
Facts On Demand, Inc.
c/o Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10001
9781889150598, $24.95, www.factsonfile.com

Hiring an employee is inviting them into your business, and implies a certain level of trust. "The Safe Hiring Manual: The Complete Guide to Employment Screening Background Checks for Employers, Recruiters, and Jobseekers" is a reference guide for employers on how to more effectively scan their potential employees for problems, such as finding up to date criminal records, background checks, and optimizing the hiring process in general. A core and highly useful resource, "The Safe Hiring Manual" is a strong addition to business management collections.


The Education Shelf

The Global School
William Kist
Solution Tree
555 North Morton Street
Bloomington, IN 47404
www.solution-tree.com
9781935543695, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Not only is the world is growing increasingly diverse, it is also increasingly interconnected thanks to continued advances in computer science and electronic communications. It is clear that if this and future generations of American students are to be able to compete in a globalized economy and interconnected political, cultural, and social environment, they will need to become proficient in dealing with an internationalized world. That's why "The Global School: Connecting Classrooms and Students Around the World" by academician and literacy educator William Kist is so timely. Teachers will be able to adapt and adopt curriculums that explore innovative ways to embrace globalization and connect K-12 classrooms and learners worldwide, understand the significant impact of the Common Core State Standards on instruction for 21st century skills, and identify applicable projects, strategies, and assessments to shift traditional classrooms into global education centers. Enhanced with the inclusion of a glossary of specialized terms, an extensive listing of references and resources, as well as a comprehensive index, "The Global School: Connecting Classrooms and Students Around the World" will prove an invaluable and appreciated addition to personal, professional, school academic library Education Resources collections and supplemental reading lists.

Getting to Graduation
Andrew P. Kelly & Mark Schnieder
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421406220, $45.00, www.press.jhu.edu

Completing education can often seem like quite the daunting task. "Getting to Graduation: The Completion Agenda in Higher Education" explores the completion agenda, the proposal laid out by President Obama as he seeks to drive the United States to become the most educated nation in the world by 2020, encouraging higher education. This endeavor holds many implications on the economic and political front, as well as the methods of post-secondary education. Andrew P. Kelly & Mark Schneider present a scholarly look at the educational future of America in these pursuits. "Getting to Graduation" is a must for educational studies collection or public policy discussion, enthusiastically recommended.

Try Reading Again
DeAnna Horstmeier
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
9781606130285, $24.95, www.woodbinehouse.com

A love of reading is best begun early, but one can be turned off early too. "Try Reading Again: How to Motivate and Teach Older Beginners, Age 10 and Up" is a guide to encouraging young people to read when they have already given up on their own literacy, due to it being too hard or other distractions, struggles with language, learning disabilities, or otherwise. "Try Reading Again" is filled with activities and advice to help get through to potential readers to embrace it at any stage of their young lives, complete with expanded learning resources.

Dual-Language Learners
Angele Sancho Passe
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court
St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605541013, $24.95, www.redleafpress.org

Learning in two languages can be beneficial, but one must have a mastery over both. "Dual-Language Learners: Strategies for Teaching English" is an early childhood education advisory from Angele Sancho Passe, as she advises how youth educators can best provide for their students who are learning English along with the normal curriculum. With tips and wisdom on facing the challenges that come with such a child and plenty of activity ideas, "Dual-Language Learners" is a strong addition to education and teacher's reference collections.

Digital Connections with the Classroom
David Marcovitz
International Society for Technology in Education
180 West 8th Avenue, Suite 300
Eugene, OR 97401-2916
9781564843166, $31.95, www.iste.org

The internet has become vital to education. "Digital Connections with the Classroom" is a guide for educators and education professionals is better implementing digital connections within the classroom to better implement internet use, social media, Wikipedia, and other modern internet topics for use in the traditional educational process that will teach curriculum while promoting information literacy. "Digital Connections with the Classroom" is a strong addition to education and technology collections, especially those that seek to better integrate both with one another.


The Science Shelf

Non-Stationary Electromagnetics
Alexander Nerukh, Nataliya Sakhnenko, Trevor Benson, & Phillip Sewell
Pan Stanford Publishing
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
270 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
www.garlandscience.com
9789814316446 $149.95 www.panstanford.com

Non-Stationary Electromagnetics compiles the exhaustive research by four electromagnetic and radioelectronic experts concerning non-stationary electromagnetic processes, with a particular spotlight on the Volterra integral equation. A highly technical and mathematical work, Non-Stationary Electromagnetics is a source of cutting edge findings ideal for graduate and post-graduate students, field professionals, and university science libraries. Sections such as "Non-Stationary Electromagnetic Processes in Time-Varying Dielectric Waveguides" discuss how different types of moving boundaries or changing time parameters affect electromagnetic fields in fine detail, supported by a wealth of calculus equations and the occasional graph. "This book systematises and collects almost all results obtained by the authors since the 1970s. Some of these results were published in Russian, and some were not published at all but may be interesting for [the] wider electromagnetic community." A handful of appendices, color inserts of graphs, and an index round out this excellent contribution to electromagnetic science and reference shelves.

Evolution's Purpose
Steve McIntosh
Select Books
1 Union Square West, Suite 909
New York City, NY 10003
9781590792209, $24.95, www.selectbooks.com

Evolution has brought many concepts to the thought of the world beyond the ideas of biology. "Evolution's Purpose: An Integral Interpretation of the Scientific Story of Our Origins" presents an intriguing take on the ideas of evolution, as he takes the concept of random and accidental and how evolution presents a progressive ideal of an advancement to something better in our life, how science's selection has led to a unique beauty of the world. "Evolution's Purpose" presents powerful and optimistic take on the often considered sterile and faithless concept of Darwin's theories.


The Psychology Shelf

The Self Under Siege
Robert Firestone, et al.
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, NY, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9780415520331, $40.95, www.amazon.com

The psychological concept of 'self' or personal identity is key to understanding human behavior. Our identity in this modern age is under stress from several diverse sources including the impact of rejection and emotional pain in developmental years, relationship problems throughout out lives, 'detrimental societal forces', and universal existential realities that impinge upon our personal circumstances. The collaborative work of clinical psychologists Robert W. Firestone Lisa Firestone, in cooperation with author and lecturer Joyce Catlett, "The Self Under Siege: A Therapeutic Model for Differentiation" is a 296 page compendium that draws upon a number of case studies and personal stories revealed through a 35 year observational study illustrating how 'voice therapy' is utilized in psychological counseling. The theory presented in "The Self Under Siege" offers practitioners and counselors a new perspective in their work, and will prove to be of immense interest in non-specialist general readers with an interest in their own personal psychological development. An impressive and seminal work, "The Self Under Siege" is an especially recommended addition to professional and academic library Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy instructional reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Internships in Psychology, updated edition
Carol Williams-Nickelson, Mitchell J. Prinstein, and W. Gregory Keilin
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
9781433812101, $27.95, www.apa.org/books

Psychology is not a profession to be learned through reading alone. "Internships in Psychology: The APAGs Workbook for Writing Successful Applications and Finding the Right Fit" is a guide to the internship phase of the education, including this updated edition covering changes to the application phase. For both interns and those who are charged with training them during this important process, "Internships in Psychology" is a strong pick for everyone involved in the training process, a wise and thorough reference, highly recommended.

Bipolar Disorder
Janelle M. Caponigro & Sheri L. Johnson
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
9781608821815, $15.95, www.newharbinger.com

A diagnosis of bipolar disorder can be very confusing for those who don't fully understand what it implies. "Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed" is a guide for those who have received this diagnosis. James M. Caponigro & Sheri L. Johnson, experts in their psychological fields, offer advice for those who want to better cope with the disorder and live their life to the fullest in spite of the diagnoses. From dealing with the episodes and keeping the symptoms under control, "Bipolar Disorder" is a sage resource with plenty to consider, very much recommended reading.


The Business Shelf

How to Say Anything to Anyone
Shari Harley
Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869
Austin, TX 78709
9781608324095 $19.95 www.greenleafbookgroup.com

How to Say Anything to Anyone: A Guide to Building Business Relationships that Really Work lives up to its title as a user-friendly, step-by-step guide to communicating well, building trust, obtaining honest feedback on one's performance in the workplace, and much more. Especially valuable for its phrasing recommendations that emphasize politeness, confidence, and respect, How to Say Anything to Anyone is also extraordinarily useful as a self-help book to improve one's relationships outside of the business sphere. "...my recommended answer to feedback is 'Thank you,' even if you think the person has no idea what he is talking about and is dead wrong. How accurate he is doesn't matter. What matters it that you find out how you and your department are being perceived. Once you receive and digest that information, you can figure out how to respond. But during the initial conversation, 'Thank you' is the right answer." From how to respond if one is suddenly promoted and put in charge of one's former peers, to dealing with chronically absent bosses, or even what to say to a co-worker who cc's every emailed request she makes to the whole team, How to Say Anything to Anyone is packed with indispensable tips, tricks, techniques, and suggestions from cover to cover. Highly recommended.

Face 2 Face
David Lee King
Cyber Age Books
c/o Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9780910965996, $24.95, www.infotoday.com

Social media presents an enticing opportunity for many businesses. "Face 2 Face: Using Facebook, Twitter, and Other Social Media Tools to Create Great Customer Connections" is a business guide for forging relationships with customers with social media, keeping customers informed, building brand loyalty, and how to avoid the minefields and backlash that come with it all. "Face 2 Face" is sage business advice not to be overlooked for those who want their business to build a better internet presence.

Marketplace Lifestyles in an Age of Social Media
Lynn R. Kahle & Pierre Valette-Florence
M.E. Sharpe
80 Business Park Drive, Armonk, NY 10504
9780765624618, $74.95, www.mesharpe.com

Lifestyles develop and change throughout history. "Marketplace Lifestyles in an Age of Social Media: Theory and Methods" is a scholarly study on the changes time and how they are reflecting trends in marketing. Marketing professors Lynn R. Kahle & Pierre Valette-Florence provide a scholarly break down of how the internet, in particular, social media, is revolutionizing people's habits and lifestyles. A fascinating breakdown on the priorities of human nature as a sociology view, the goal of the authors is provide a marketing driven breakdown to understand the future of advertising and how to reach people and their shifting natures. "Marketplace Lifestyle in an Age of Social Media" is a core addition to any reference collection for business and marketing collections.

Bankruptcy Not Bailout
Kenneth E. Scott & John B. Taylor
Hoover Institution Press
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford, CA 94305
9780817915148, $19.95, www.stanford.edu

Too Big To Fail has many bizarre connotations. "Bankruptcy Not Bailout: A Special Chapter 14" discusses said problem of major financial institutions that make the economy face serious issues if they were to declare bankruptcy. Kenneth E. Scott & John B. Taylor head a collection of economic thinkers as they present Chapter 14, an unused Chapter in the Bankruptcy code for a special method of allowing these companies to face bankruptcy without immense damage to the economy, allowing them to be on the same playing field as smaller businesses. "Bankruptcy Not Bailout" is a strong addition to any economics discussion collection as well as financial law assortments.

The Moonlight Effect
Simon Moss, John Callanan, & Samuel Wilson
Tilde University Press
c/o International Publishers Marketing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9780734611024, $24.95, www.tup.net

A bad decision in business can have a snowball effect. "The Moonlight Effect: Debunking Business Myths to Improve Wellbeing" discusses what the authors describe as the Moonlight Effect, where reverence of senior leaders and other long tenured individuals can actually be harmful to the business by creating complacency, inequality of employees, imbalanced performance measurements, and many other problems. Advising how to break this poisonous culture, "The Moonlight Effect" is a strong addition to any business collection focusing on improving business success and its culture.

SAP ERP Financials Quick Reference Guide
Surya Padhi
Mercury Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166
9781936420315, $49.95, www.internationalpubmarket.com

Finances are often difficult things to fully understand. "SAP ERP Financials Quick Reference Guide" is a business finance guide in which Surya Padhi provides his expertise with as an accountant of nearly two decades of experience, providing a comprehensive guide book to fully understanding the methods of the SAP ERP. Chapters cover managing accounts in both direction, dealing with assets, calculating profits, foreign currencies, and much more. "SAP ERP Financials Quick Reference Guide" is a must, enhanced with graphs and additional information all throughout for anyone dealing with these programs and wants to optimize their understanding.


The Military Shelf

Dog Company
Patrick K. O'Donnell
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
9780306820298 $26.00 www.perseusbooksgroup.com

Dog Company is the heroic true story of the sixty-eight soldiers of the U.S. Army's 2nd Ranger Battalion, D Company ("Dog Company") and their profound contributions to battles in World War II. From scaling ninety-foot cliffs to protect Allied landings from German guns atop Pointe du Hoc, to engaging in a risky bayonet charge across an open field to capture a critical hill in Germany's Hurtgen Forest, Dog Company proved their valor and toughness over and over. Notes and an index round out this excellent contribution to military history shelves, thoroughly accessible to scholars and lay readers alike.

Unflinching Zeal
Robin Higham
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781612511115, $39.95, www.navalinstitute.org

The military blitz of the Luftwaffe frightened Britain and France with its ferocity. "Unflinching Zeal" is a look back at the chronicle of these conflicts, the Battles of France and Britain to maintain the control of their skies from their would be conquerors. Author and historian Robin Higham breaks down the campaigns on both ends, looking at the mindsets and tactics, and commentary on what ultimately led to the victory, stalemate, and comeback. "Unflinching Zeal" is a very much recommended who seek in-depth history surrounding early World War II.

The Great Bicycle Experiment
Kay Moore
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399
Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425938, $12.00, www.mountain-press.com

Across the country before such a thing was commonplace. "The Great Bicycle Experiment: The Army's Historic Black Bicycle Corps, 1896-97" seeks to tell the story of this regiment of black soldiers who traveled across the country from Montana to Missouri and testing the potential that bicycles, a recent invention in the late nineteenth century, and what it could hold for military purposes as a potential replacement for the horse. Exploring military history and black history in an unsung way, "The Great Bicycle Experiment" is a strong addition to any American military history collection.


The Large Print Shelf

Snuff
Terry Pratchett
F.A. Thorpe Publishing
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230
West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781444811599 $35.50 www.ulverscroftusa.com

Now available in an excellent hardbound, large print edition perfect for public libraries or nearsighted individuals, Snuff is Terry Pratchett's latest novel set in the chaotic Discworld, a fantastic land "at the far end of the probability curve." Following the stalwart Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch during his countryside vacation, Snuff takes a dark turn as the bodies of victims abruptly turn up - en masse. Vimes must confront a horrendous ancient crime worse than murder, but no matter how far he may be over his head, Vimes is relentless in his pursuit of justice. If his wits, his jurisdiction, and his bacon sandwich rations fail him, he still has his predatory sense of cunning, an indispensable asset in a world where humans are only one of many predators! As engaging, witty, and caustically sardonic as the rest of the Discworld novels, as well as carrying on the series' trademark of high accessibility (Discworld novels tend to be relatively independent stories, and readers who are new to the series can begin with any book and not feel lost or confused), Snuff is highly recommended and thoroughly worthy of Pratchett's worldwide popularity!

The Street
Kay Brellend
Magna
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230
West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9780750535786, $35.50, www.ulverscroftusa.com

We can only hurt the ones we love so much until they hurt us back. "The Street" is a family drama from Kay Brellend, as she tells the story of troubled Alice Keiver as she tries to make a better life for herself and her siblings under an abusive mother and uncle. But she has a breaking point, and when it's reached, the Keiver family will never be the same. Presented in large print for those with sight difficulties, "The Street" is a riveting read that won't be easy to put down, much recommended.


The Cookbook Shelf

1,000 Low-Calorie Recipes
Jackie Newgent, RD
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470902578 $35.00 www.wiley.com

"1,000 Low Calorie Recipes" is an informed collection of healthful, low-calorie recipes that can sustain a determined dieter's efforts at weight management through many perils and pitfalls. Showing an emphasis on use of fresh, natural, organic ingredients, the recipes represent both vegetarian and "flexitarian" choices for preferred lifestyle diets. A plethora of menus, helps, suggestions, and categories of recipes are presented, with flexible options for adaptation. Categories of recipes include Breakfasts and Brunches, Small Plates, Dips, Salads, Soups and Stews, Main Dishes: Vegetarian and Flexitarian, Main Dishes: Poultry, Meat and Game, Main Dishes: Fish and Shellfish, Sandwiches, Pizzas, Sides, Desserts, Beverages, and Cocktails. A perfect description of "1,000 Low-Calorie Recipes" is presented in the introduction, under "following the recipes:" "...I aim for the perfect balance of lusciousness and calorie friendliness to keep your palate pleased and your body healthy...The goal is to provide recipes that are lower in calories than you might expect while focusing on flavor and nutritional richness (p. xxxiv)." Delicious recipes are included for Curry Lentil Stew with Spinach (labeled F for 5 g dietary fiber or more per serving) (p. 240), Shrimp Pad Thai Noodles (F) (p.368), Wild Yellowfin Salad Nicoise (F) (p. 194), Ancho Chili Barbecue Sauce (p. 105), Lime Peanut Zucchini Noodles (F) (p. 261), and Springtime Strawberry-Rhubarb Angel Food Shortcake (labeled S for 250 mg. sodium or less per serving) (p.509). In short, "1,000 Low Calorie Recipes" is the new and improved "Joy of Cooking" for modern, health conscious cooks. A handy definition is included of flexitarians, vegetarians, vegans and ecotarians on pp. xxxv-xxxvi of the Introduction.

Theo & Co.: Take 2
Theo Kalogeacos
UWA Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9781742583532, $34.95, www.amazon.com

Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, round bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings. Pizza was originally invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish has since become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria". Many varieties of pizza exist worldwide, along with several dish variants based upon pizza. In 2009, upon Italy's request, Neapolitan pizza was safeguarded in the European Union as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed dish. Some mass produced pizzas by food chains have been criticized as having an unhealthy balance of ingredients. Some studies have linked consumption of the antioxidant lycopene, which exists in tomato products that are often used on pizza, as having a beneficial health effect. "Theo & Co. Take 2: The Search for the Perfect Pizza Continues" by pizza connoisseur and expert Theo Kalogeacos is a pizza themed combination cookbook and travel guide. Organized into three major sections covering how to properly make and bake a pizza; regional pizzerias and pizzas in Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago; and pizzas recommendations for breakfast, or as starters, made with meat, seafood, or veggies, and even pizza as a dessert, "Theo & Co. Take 2: The Search for the Perfect Pizza Continues" is superbly enhanced with the full color photography of Craig Kinder, making it a very highly recommended and enduringly popular addition to family, community library, and pizza lover cookbook collections.

Viva La Cucina Italiana
Joe Famularo & Christopher Laus
CreateSpace
100 Enterprise Way, Suite A200
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
www.createspace.com
9781470170431, $22.95, www.amazon.com

"Viva La Cucina Italiana: Long Live the Italian Cooking! Over 300 Wonderful Recipes from the North, Central, and South of Italy" is a 414-page compendium of authentic Italian dishes that would grace any dinner table and satisfy any appetite. The recipes range from Peppers with Almonds, Basilicata Style; Risotto, the Milan Way; and Grilled Swordfish with White Wine and Sage; to Braised Pork Tenderloin with Marsala Sauce; Cheese Tray with Mostardo, Parmigiano-Reggiano, smoked Mozzerella, and Robiola; Broccoli Rape and Goat Cheese Pizza; and Tiramisu with Amaretto from Caffe Poliziano in Montepulciano. Enhanced with short succinct instructions on basic preparations such as making a basic meat and poultry broth, or cleaning a whole fish, and a concluding chapter on 'Basics' including the art of a homemade cappuccion or the creation of a fruit vinegar, "Viva La Cucina Italiana" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library ethnic cookbook collections!

Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen
Michael Smith
Pintail
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780670066919, $25.00, www.penguin.com

Cooking isn't some daunting task that takes years to get something good out of. "Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen: 100 of My Favorite Easy Recipes" is a cookbook from famed Chef Michael Smith, who advises readers on how to get good recipes everyday, without taking hours and an encyclopedic knowledge to complete. With recipes for every type of dish and full color photographs for each entry, "Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen" is a fine compendium of starter knowledge to ensure anyone gets something good out of the kitchen.

Simply Lebanese
Ina'am Atalia
Garnet Publishing
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781859642870, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Drawing upon her many years of experience and expertise as the Head Chef of the successful Simply Lebanese restaurant in London, Ina'am Atlaia has compiled a culinary wealth of recipes showcasing authentic Lebanese cuisines in this thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' collection. Nicely illustrated, "Simply Lebanese" is enhanced with the inclusion of Conversion Tables; 'A-Z of Tools and Equipment'; 'A-Z of Essential Ingredients'; 'Preparing the Basics'; and a comprehensive Index. The recipes include those for soups, starters, savory snacks, pastries, meat dishes, fish, rice, grills, drinks, cakes, desserts cakes, bread and pizzas. A truly impressive collection, "Simply Lebanese" is highly recommended for personal, family, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

London Stage In The Nineteenth Century
Robert Tanitch
Carnegie Publishing Ltd.
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781859362082, $38.95, www.amazon.com

From the era of Shakespear down to the present day, London has been a center for theatrical innovation and excellence. Superbly illustrated throughout with historical images of actors, productions, theatre buildings, and playbills, "London Stage in the Nineteenth Century" by playwright, author, critic, and theatre historian Robert Tanitch is a 348 page compendium providing a fascinatingly detailed decade by decade history of London's theatrical productions including actors, major premiers, revivals, and more. Of special note are the acerbic quotes from contemporary critics! Informed, informative, and a sheer pleasure to simply browse through, "London Stage in the Nineteenth Century" is a seminal work of impressive scholarship and very strong recommended for academic library Theatrical History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Hollywood Myths
Joe Williams
Voyageur Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760342411, $21.99, www.voyageurpress.com

Hollywood has only been in existence for a hundred years or so, but it has created thousands of years worth of scandal. "Hollywood Myths: The Shocking Truths Behind Film's Most Incredible Secrets and Scandals" explores the history of Hollywood and the conflicts and scandals throughout history, touching on conspiracy, curse, theft, and everything else. With plenty of black and white and color photos all throughout, critic Joe Williams presents a debunking of act and fiction, making "Hollywood Myths" is a must for anyone intrigued by Hollywood's seedy underworld.

Comediennes
Darryl & Tuezdae Littleton
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201
New York, NY 10010
9781557838421, $19.99, www.halleonard.com

With the advent of the television, comedy has taken hold in culture, and women are right there beside men making their presence felt. "Comediennes: Laugh Be a Lady" is an analysis of the iconic women comedians throughout the past fifty years from legends Lucille Ball to more modern masters such as Sarah Silverman, and everyone in between, providing an intriguing chronicle that touches on all genres from stand up to acting, improv, and everything else. "Comediennes: Laugh Be a Lady" is a must for anyone who seeks a bit of comedy history, highly recommended.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Complete Guide to Figure Drawing for Comics and Graphic Novels
Daniel Cooney
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9781438000985, $24.99, www.barronseduc.com

Comic drawing requires a solid knowledge on composing the human form. "The Complete Guide to Figure Drawing for Comics and Graphic Novels" is a guide for more effectively drawing people, from body composition to facial construction, and everything else about the scene that can really make comic art come together for the better. With plenty of full color example work within on how the details can bring a work together, "The Complete Guide to Figure Drawing for Comics and Graphic Novels" is a must for artistry, comic and graphic novels collections.


The American History Shelf

The Cuban Missile Crisis In American Memory
Sheldon M. Stern
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
www.sup.org
9780804783774, $24.95, www.amazon.com

The Cuban missile was a 13-day confrontation occurring in October 1962 between the Soviet Union and Cuba on one side and the United States on the other. In August 1962, after some unsuccessful operations by the US to overthrow the Cuban regime (Bay of Pigs, Operation Mongoose), the Cuban and Soviet governments secretly began to build bases in Cuba for a number of medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles with the ability to strike most of the continental United States. One of the most dangerous incidents during the 'Cold War' competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, this crisis had reverberations that would have an ultimate impact upon the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War era. The latest addition to the outstanding Stanford Nuclear Age series, "The Cuban Missile Crisis in American Memory: Myths versus Reality" by historian Sheldon M. Stern is a 208 page compendium revealing in detail the misconceptions, half-truths, exaggerations, lies, and myths of the Kennedy Administrations role and performance during the two weeks of secret Cuban missile crisis deliberations with Premier Krushev and draws upon the White House tape recordings made during the event. Informed and informative, "The Cuban Missile Crisis in American Memory: Myths versus Reality" is a seminal work of impressive scholarship and a highly recommended addition to academic library 20th Century American History reference collections in general, and "U.S. - Soviet Union Cold War Studies" supplemental reading lists in particular.

Custer, The Seventh Cavalry, And The Little Big Horn
Michael O'Keefe
The Arthur H. Clark Company
c/o University of Oklahoma Press (distributor)
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com www.ahclark.com
9780870624049, $125.00, www.amazon.com

George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 - June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class. However, with the outbreak of the Civil War, all potential officers were needed, and Custer was called to serve with the Union Army. Custer developed a strong reputation during the Civil War. He fought in the first major engagement, the First Battle of Bull Run. His association with several important officers helped his career, as did his success as a highly effective cavalry commander. Custer was eventually promoted to the temporary rank (brevet) of major general. (At war's end, he reverted to his permanent rank of captain.) At the conclusion of the Appomattox Campaign, in which he and his troops played a decisive role, Custer was on hand at General Robert E. Lee's surrender. After the Civil War, Custer was dispatched to the west to fight in the Indian Wars. His disastrous final battle overshadowed his prior achievements. Custer and all the men with him were killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, fighting against a coalition of Native American tribes in a battle that has come to be popularly known in American history as "Custer's Last Stand". "Custer, the Seventh Cavalry, and the Little Big Horn: A Bibliography" compiled by Michael O'Keefe (President of the Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Association" is a two volume, 720 page compendium of entries for approximately 3,000 books and 7,000 articles and pamphlets making it an impressive work of seminal scholarship and an extraordinary contribution to personal and academic library 19th Century Western American History reference collections.


The World History Shelf

A History Of Malawi: 1859-1966
John McCracken
James Currey
c/o Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781847010506, $99.00, www.amazon.com

Malawi (officially the Republic of Malawi), is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Malawi is over 118,000 km2 (45,560 sq mi) with an estimated population of more than 13,900,000. Its capital is Lilongwe, which is also Malawi's largest city; the second largest is Blantyre and the third is Mzuzu. The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name of the Nyanja people that inhabit the area. The area of Africa now known as Malawi was colonized by migrating tribes of Bantu around the 10th century. In 1891 the area was colonized again, this time by the British. In 1953 Malawi, then known as Nyasaland, became part of the semi-independent Central African Federation (CAF). The Federation was dissolved in 1963 and in 1964, Nyasaland gained full independence and was renamed Malawi. Upon gaining independence it became a single-party state under the presidency of Hastings Banda, who remained president until 1994, when he was ousted from power. Joyce Banda (no relation) is the current president, raised to that position after president Bingu Mutharika died in 2012. She is the first female leader in Malawi. Malawi has a democratic, multi-party government. Malawi has a small military force that includes an army, a navy and an air wing. Malawi's foreign policy is pro-Western and includes positive diplomatic relations with most countries and participation in several international organizations. Malawi has a culture combining native and colonial aspects, including sports, art, dance and music. "A History of Malawi: 1859-1966" by John McCracken (Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Stirling University, Scotland) is a 526 page compendium providing an historical overview of the land, people, commerce, colonial experience, religion, culture, society, and politics of this African nation from its inception in 1859 down through its emancipation and governance in 1966. Enhanced with an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index, "A History of Malawi: 1859-1966" is an impressive work of detailed scholarship and a highly recommended addition to academic library International Studies and African History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Remembering the Forgotten War
Michael Scott Van Wagenen
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429
Amherst, MA 01004
9781558499300 $28.95 www.umass.edu/umpress

Remembering the Forgotten War: The Enduring Legacies of the U.S.-Mexican War is a close examination of not only the history of the U.S.-Mexican War - a conflict that resulted in the U.S. claiming approximately half of Mexico's territory - but also how both nations have remembered that conflict in over 150 years since. In America, the U.S.-Mexican War was overshadowed by the bloodshed of the Civil War, and has since been all but forgotten; but in Mexico, the war has remained a bitter and antagonistic cultural memory for generations, up to the present day. Why is this war so shunned by American cultural consciousness, yet embraced by that of Mexico? Even today, in an era of global free trade when America and Mexico are more dependent on each other for survival than ever, competing memories of the war threaten a rift in international diplomacy. Remembering the Forgotten War treats a potentially thorny subject with an evenhanded, scholarly approach, and offers a valuable lesson on how the needs of present-day culture tend to shape that culture's views of history. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this excellent study and analysis, highly recommended especially for public and college library world history collections.

Modern Japan, fifth edition
Mikiso Hane & Louis G. Perez
Westview Press
c/o Perseus
2465 Central Avenue
Boulder, CO 80301
9780813346946, $50.00, www.westviewpress.com

Japan has evolved much in the past fifty years. "Modern Japan: A Historical Survey" is a scholarly analysis of the development of the modern Japanese people, culture, politics, and more, from the Tokugawa Shogunate to World War II, to its recent emergence as a technological juggernaut. The fifth updated edition covers the post 9/11 period, and the recent natural disasters and nuclear problems provide an up to date context for those who want to understand the most recent overview of Japan. Enhanced with indexes covering useful information such of heads of state, political information, and much more, "Modern Japan" is a core addition to cultural and modern history collections, not to be overlooked.

Assassins of the Turquoise Palace
Roya Hakakian
Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
841 Broadway, 4th floor
New York, NY 10003
9780802145970, $16.00, www.groveatlantic.com

Murder across international lines is still murder. "Assassins of the Turquoise Palace" tells the history behind the brutal 1992 slaying of Iranian and Kurdish exiles in Berlin, and how the pursuit of justice by German prosecutors brought new challenges to the country's criminal law, and the scope of federal law as it applies to international affairs. Author Roya Hakakian presents an important tale of European history, and makes "Assassins of the Turquoise Palace" a strongly recommended pick for history and law collections.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Rendition
Albert Ashforth
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G
Longboat Key, FL 34228
9781608090594, $25.95, www.oceanviewpub.com

War can often happen with the world entirely ignorant of the conflict. "The Rendition" is a novel of the Serbian-Kosovo war set among the United States' involvement in this conflict and struggle from freedom. Alex Klear, an intelligence offer delving into the conflict, and seeing that his missteps might make the United States catch international heat. With plenty of twists, turns, and betrayals at every turn, "The Rendition" is a strong pick for those who enjoy international espionage thrillers, highly recommended.

Hot Rocks
Randy Rawls
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive
Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
9780738734132, $14.99, www.midnightinkbooks.com

No one likes being accused, and when you bring murder into it, it can get personal. "Hot Rocks" is a mystery following Beth Bowman, private investigator, as she realizes she has been set up as a murder suspect in a recent crime. Finding a chance at romance, she finds that the people who don't like her might be numerous and might not stop at simply seeing her in prison. "Hot Rocks" is a fine collection, not to be overlooked for general fiction and mystery collections.


The Parenting Shelf

Bottled Up
Suzanne Barston
University of California Press
2120 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720
www.ucpress.edu
9780520270237, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Before the last half of the 20th century, if a woman was not able to breast feed her infant, then she had to secure the services of a wet nurse or watch the baby die. Then came the industrial revolution and the advances in post-natal care that included the invention of baby formulas so that infants could be bottle feed as an alternative to breast feeding. This in turn became so popular that it created a cultural backlash in the mid-20th century with advocacy of breast feeding over formula based bottle-feeding. Unfortunately this advocacy all to often led to women who were medically unable to breast feed to be stigmatized by their peers. That's why "Bottled Up: How the Way We Feed Babies Has Come to Define Motherhood, and Why It Shouldn't" by Suzanne Barston is such a timely and much needed contribution to the national discussion of breast feeding vs. bottle feeding. Informed, informative, articulate, and personal, "Bottled Up" is a blend of social commentary, health-based infant nutritional science, and autobiography. Exceptionally well written, "Bottled Up" is critically important reading for women on both sides of the issue philosophically, but especially recommended for any mother who finds breast feeding her infant problematical. Simply stated, "Bottled Up" is a unique contribution to this social and medical issues that is thoroughly 'reader friendly' and should be a part of every academic and community library Health & Medicine reference collection.

Family Science Night
Shelley Connell
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West
Larchmont, NY 10538
9781596672222, $29.95, www.eyeoneducation.com

Learning can be fun in itself, so it can be fun to do with others. "Family Science Night: Fun Tips, Activities, and Ideas" is a guide for parents who want to make the family get togethers more educational for all those involved, as Shelley Connell advises parents on how to come together for everyone. With plenty of ideas for fun for the whole family, how to make it fun with step by step instructions and more, "Family Science Night" is an educational activity book that any science-encouraging parent shouldn't overlook, highly recommended.

Your Family Compass
Jenny Hanlon
Beaver's Pond Press
7108 Ohms Lane
Edina, MN 55439
9781592984893, $19.95, www.BeaversPondPress.com

Parenting is a very tough task that many often underestimate. "Your Family Compass: A Parenting Guide for the Journey" is a guide for parents in the modern day and help them cope with the modern day for all the efforts and struggles that can come with raising children. Encouraging a healthy relationship that builds through the life, Jenny Hanlon takes her expertise in child psychology, "Your Family Compass" has plenty of sage advice for life, well worth considering and highly recommended.


The Fiction Shelf

Emerson's Brother
Philip Lee Williams
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue
Macon, GA 31207-0001
9780881462746, $20.00, www.mupress.org

Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the most celebrated writers of the nineteenth century. "Emerson's Brother" examines the relationship between Ralph and his mentally challenged brother Bulkeley, as author Philip Lee Williams presents a work of historical fiction to detail the ideas of family life and the struggles of the mentally challenged in this era, as well as other aspect of Emerson's life. "Emerson's Brother" is an insightful and much recommended addition to historical fiction collections with a focus on literary figures.

Napi's Dance
Alanda Greene
Second Story Press
20 Maud Street, Suite 401
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5V 2M5
9781926920870, $19.95, www.secondstorypress.on.ca

There are things we hold dear more than our own lives. "Napi's Dance" is a historical novel in which a white and a Native American woman come together in the ongoing thing out to settle and exploit the prairie they hold dear. Eleanor and Snake Woman, a Blackfoot Blood tribeswoman both hold the prairie dear, and despite their origins, they join to resist the oncoming changes that would irrevocably take from them. "Napi's Dance" is a unique historical novel with plenty of twists and turns, set amid the West's natural beauty.

The Shelter of Neighbors
Eilis Ni Dhuibhne
Black Staff Press
c/o DuFour Press
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9780856408861, $26.95, www.blackstaffpress.com

The moment in our lives where our decision will change everything. "The Shelter of Neighbors" is a collection of short fiction from Irish writer Eilis Ni Dhuibhne as he presents a collection of short stories surrounding people at moments of crisis, moments that they make choices, and moments that those choices have created. A fine addition to any international literature collection, "The Shelter of Neighbors" is enthusiastically recommended, a thought provoking insightful work.

A Place in Time
Wendell Berry
Counterpoint Press
1919 Fifth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710-1916
9781619020498, $26.00, www.counterpointpress.com

As the Civil War looms, there are many simply trying to live their lives. "A Place in Time: Twenty Stories of the Port William Membership" is a collection of short fiction from Wendell Berry. The stories are set in Port William, a small town on the Kentucky River in the Antebellum south, and center around a very different time with problems still relevant in the modern day. "A Place in Time" is a treasure for those who enjoy historical fiction from the pre-Civil War era, highly recommended.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Accelerating Progress In Obesity Prevention
Institute of Medicine
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309221542, $49.00, www.amazon.com

Obesity continues to increase in America's adult population. But what is truly alarming is the rapid rate of increase in childhood obesity among American children. In addition to its detrimental impact on personal health, obesity is also becoming a huge financial drain on the American economy in the form of increasing health care costs. "Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation" is a major, 462 page report by the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention. Organized into ten major sections with entries ranging from an 'Overview of the Report'; 'Obesity Prevalence and Trends'; and 'Practical and Policy Considerations'. With the inclusion of four appendices, "Accelerating Progress In Obesity Prevention" is a seminal body of meticulous work and highly recommended for professional, governmental, and academic library Health & Medicine reference collections and Contemporary American Obesity Studies supplemental reading lists.

The Complete Arthritis Health, Diet Guide and Cookbook
Kim Arrey & Michael R. Starr
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
www.robertrose.ca
9780778804192, $24.95, www.amazon.com

It has been long noted that an appropriate diet, along with medication, can have a tremendously beneficial impact upon the condition of rheumatoid arthritis. "The Complete Arthritis Health, Diet Guide and Cookbook" by consulting dietitian who draws upon her more than twenty years of experience and expertise to create a 352 page compendium organized into two major sections. The first part focuses upon the symptoms, causes and diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis with special attention to the nature of join and muscle inflammation. The second part showcases foods known to help reduce inflammation, 125 recipes, sample menus, all combining to provide nutrients and energy for physical peak performance. Of special note is the chart offering a quick guide to the diverse forms of arthritis. Informed, informative, thoroughly 'user friendly, "The Complete Arthritis Health, Diet Guide and Cookbook" is detailed, definitive, and highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Health & Medicine reference collections.

The Healthcare Handbook
Elisabeth Askin & Nathan Moore
Washington University in St. Louis
660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093
9780615650937, $15.99, www.healthcarehandbook.com

The American Healthcare system can potentially deliver great quality care, if you can navigate the bureaucratic jungle. "The Healthcare Handbook: A Clear and Concise Guide to the United States Healt Care System" is a guide to more efficiently traversing the difficult and confusing American healthcare system surrounding the numbers behind insurance, buying medication, recent developments, and much more. "The Healthcare Handbook" is a strong addition to general health studies collections, not to be missed.

What You Must Know About Dialysis
Rich Snyder
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road
Garden City Park, NY 11040
9780757003493, $17.95, www.squareonepublishers.com

Dialysis can be very trying for one's health. "What You Must Know About Dialysis: The Secrets to Surviving and Thriving on Dialysis" explains the dialysis process, a life saving process for those with serious kidney problems. Rich Snyder advises readers on how to best cope with the process and health, and how to increase one's general well-being for the long term. "What You Must Know About Dialysis" is a strong pick for health and wellness collections, especially for those who are facing dialysis or have a loved one fearing it.


The Biography Shelf

Jefferson In His Own Time
Kevin J. Hayes, editor
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road
Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
www.uiowapress.org
9781609381202, $32.50, www.amazon.com

Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 - July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the third President of the United States (1801 - 1809). At the beginning of the American Revolution, he served in the Continental Congress, representing Virginia and then served as a wartime Governor of Virginia (1779 - 1781). Just after the war ended, from mid-1784 Jefferson served as a diplomat, stationed in Paris. In May 1785, he became the United States Minister to France. Jefferson was the first United States Secretary of State (1790 - 1793) serving under President George Washington. With his close friend James Madison he organized the Democratic-Republican Party, and subsequently resigned from Washington's cabinet. Elected Vice President in 1796, when he came in second to John Adams of the Federalists, Jefferson opposed Adams and with Madison secretly wrote the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which attempted to nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts. Compiled and edited by Keven J. Hayes (Professor of English, University of Central Oklahoma), "Jefferson in His Own Time: A Biographical Chronicle of His Life, Drawn from Recollections, Interviews, and Memoirs by Family, Friends, and Associates" is a 254 page compendium based upon thirty personal accounts of Jefferson by his granddaughters, fellow politicians, visiting dignitaries, neighbors and friends. The result is a seminal picture of Thomas Jefferson as a family man, a public servant, an intellectual, and a builder of enduring institutions. Enhanced with a bibliography and a comprehensive index, "Jefferson in His Own Time" is a unique and seminal contribution to the growing body of literature concerning the life, times, achievements, and legacy of Thomas Jefferson.

Called To Justice
Warren K. Urbom
Bison Books
c/o University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street
Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0255
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
9780803239838, $36.95, www.amazon.com

Warren Keith Urbom (DOB: December 17, 1925) is a United States federal judge. Born in Atlanta, Nebraska, Urbom was a Technical Sergeant in the United States Army during World War II, from 1944 to 1946. He received an A.B. from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1950 and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1953. He was in private practice in Lincoln, Nebraska from 1953 to 1970. On March 11, 1970, Urbom was nominated by President Richard Nixon to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska vacated by Robert Van Pelt. Urbom was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 23, 1970, and received his commission on April 24, 1970. He served as chief judge from 1972-1986. He was also an adjunct instructor at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln College of Law from 1979 to 1990. He assumed senior status on December 31, 1990. "Called to Justice: The Life of a Federal Trial Judge" is Judge Urborn's 384 page illustrated memoir that provides significant insights into the role and responsibilities of the federal judicial system in general, and Judge Urborn's experiences and rendered judgements in particular. Informed and informative, enhanced with extensive notations and an appendix, "Called to Justice: The Life of a Federal Trial Judge" is a unique, impressively written, and highly recommended addition to academic library Judicial Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Collected Letters Of Jane Morris
Frank C. Sharp & Jan Marsh
Boydell Press
c/o Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781843836766, $165.00, www.amazon.com

Jane Burden Morris (19 October 1839 - 26 January 1914) was an English artists' model who embodied the Pre-Raphaelite ideal of beauty. She was a model and muse to the artists William Morris, whom she married, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, with whom she had an extended affair, along with other romantic liaisons such as her relationship withWilfrid Scwen Blunt. Compiled and deftly edited by the team of Victorian Studies scholar Frank C. Sharp and Pre-Raphaelite expert Jan Marsh, "The Collected Letters of Jane Morris" is a 528 page compendium organizing the personal correspondence of Jane Morris into five section: 1869-79 (Jane Burden becomes Jane Morris); 1880-89 (her political years); 1890-96 (William Morris's last years); 1897-1903 (the Morris heritage); and 1904-14 (the last decade of her life). Enhanced with lists of illustrations, abbreviations, locations of manuscript sources, a bibliography, frequently cited sources, a chronology, an editorial statement, 'The Times Obituary', and index of correspondents, and a General Index, "The Collected Letters of Jane Morris" is an impressive undertaking and will prove to be a welcome addition to academic library collections.

Edward Hunter Snow
Thomas G. Alexander
The Arthur H. Clark Company
c/o University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.ahclark.com
9780870624155, $34.95, www.amazon.com

Born in St. George, Utah, to Julia Spencer and Mormon apostle Erastus Snow, Edward Hunter Snow (1865 - 1932), was a second-generation leader in Mormon Utah. Edward Hunter Snow was instrumental both in the development of southern Utah and in the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during a period of rapid change. "Edward Hunter Snow: Pioneer-Educator-Statesman" by Thomas G. Alexander is a definitive 432 page biography that reveals Snow as a devoted family man, an active member of his church, a capable politician, and a key influence on the development of St. George from a small colony engaged in the production of cotton to a thriving city. A seminal work of impressive biographical scholarship, "Edward Hunter Snow" is highly recommended for academic library American Biography and Utah History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Saint That Would be Santa Claus
Adam C. English
Baylor University Press
One Bear Place, #97363
Waco, TX 76798-7363
9781602586345, $24.95, www.baylorpress.com

Santa Claus has more history than a guy in a garish red suit. "The Saint Who Would be Santa Claus: The True Life and Trials of Nicholas of Myra" delves into deep history behind the story of Saint Nicholas, a bishop who in the future area of Turkey, escalated to be revered a s a saint through his deeds and words. Taking notes from history both secular and Christian in origin, the account is highly researched and proves to be highly educational to readers of any faith. "The Saint Who Would be Santa Claus" is a strong pick for biography and history collections.

Twitch Upon a Star
Herbie J. Pilato
Taylor Trade Publishing
c/o Rowman
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781589797499, $24.95, www.rowman.com

Life's journey is never simple. "Twitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery" is a biography from Herbie J. Pilato as he tells the Bewitched star's life story that spanned much of Hollywood, forming friendships, romances, enemies, and everything in between. An advocate with her own problems, her story is one of who tried to make a difference with her stardom. "Twitch Upon a Star" is a strongly recommended addition to Hollywood and television history biography collections, highly recommended.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Scaling Force
Rory Miller & Lawrence A. Kane
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480
Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781504302504, $18.95, www.ymaa.com

It's not wise to respond to an insult with a bullet. "Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision-Making Under Threat of Violence" is a martial arts and self-defense guide from Rory Miller & Lawrence A. Kane as they offer advisory on better dealing with hostile situations we often run into, and suggesting how to best measure the situation and responding accordingly. "Scaling Force" is strongly recommended for anyone whose life commonly takes them into difficult situations where important decisions must be made, from body language to when deadly force is necessary.


The Philosophy Shelf

Starting With Kant
Andrew Ward
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704, NY, NY 10038
www.continuumbooks.com
9781847061850, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Immanuel Kant (22 April 1724 - 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher from K”nigsberg in Prussia (today Kaliningrad, Russia) who researched, lectured and wrote on philosophy and anthropology during the Enlightenment at the end of the 18th century. Kant's major work, the Critique of Pure Reason (1781), aimed to unite reason with experience to move beyond what he took to be failures of traditional philosophy and metaphysics. He hoped to end an age of speculation where objects outside experience were used to support what he saw as futile theories, while opposing the skepticism of thinkers such as Berkeley and Hume. "Starting With Kant" by Andrew Ward (Lecturer in Philosophy, University of York, United Kingdom) is a 192 page, non-technical introduction and overview to Kant's principle philosophical contribution to moral philosophy. Thoroughly 'reader friendly', enhanced with Endnotes, and extended Bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Starting With Kant" is an especially recommended addition to school, community, and academic library Philosophy reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Pessimism Of The Intellect, Optimism Of The Will
David Rondel & Alex Sager, editors
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
www.uofcpress.com
9781552385302, $34.95, www.amazon.com

Kai Nielsen (born 1926) is adjunct professor of philosophy at Concordia University in Montreal and professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Calgary. Before moving to Canada, Nielsen taught at New York University (NYU). He specializes in metaphilosophy, ethics, and social and political philosophy. Nielsen has also written about philosophy of religion, and is an advocate of contemporary atheism. He is also known for his defense of utilitarianism, writing in response to Bernard Williams's criticism of it. Nielsen got his B.A. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his Ph.D. at Duke University. He is the author of some 32 books and 415 articles. Member of the Royal Society of Canada, and past president of the Canadian Philosophical Association. Nielsen is also one of the founding members of the Canadian Journal of Philosophy. The collaborative editorial work of David Rondel (Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Ryerson University) and Alex Sager (Assistant Professor of Philosophy and University Studies, Portland State University), "Pessimism of the Intellect, Optimism of the Will: The Political Philosophy of Kai Nielsen" is a 350 page compendium composed of thirteen Kai Nielsen essays organized into three major sections: Metaphilosophy: Critical Theory and Wide-Reflective Equilibrium; Egalitarianism and Socialism; Cosmopolitanism, Nationalism, and Global Justice. Enhanced with an informative Introduction, an Afterword (in the form of an interview with Kai Nielsen on Political Philosophy), a list of selected writings by Kai Nielsen; an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Pessimism of the Intellect, Optimism of the Will: The Political Philosophy of Kai Nielsen" is a highly recommended acquisition for academic library Philosophy and Political Science reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Library Science Shelf

Grassroots Library Advocacy
Lauren Comito, et al.
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838911341, $40.00, www.amazon.com

Libraries, be they school libraries, public libraries, or university libraries, are the cornerstones of an informed public and a vital necessity for the cultural, educational, and economic advancement of the communities they serve. All too often libraries are the first victims when hard times reduce their revenues or social/cultural conflicts break out. Any library's first line of defense are the men and women who recognize the importance and value of the library. Whether as interested individuals or members of a 'Friends of the Library' group, or a library staff member with the responsibility of marshaling community support, "Grassroots Library Advocacy" by the team of Lauren Comito, Aliqae Geraci, and Christian Zabriskie, will prove to be a valued source of instructive information and examples covering everything from starting a library support movement from scratch, to effective messaging and raising a library's profile, to the 'nuts & bolts' of advocacy. Informed, informative, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "Grassroots Library Advocacy" should be in the reference collection of every library in every community, school, or university in the country.

The Tibrarian Handbook
Christine Varachi
Upstart Books
PO Box 14410
Madison, WI 53708-0410
9781602130630, $17.95, www.highsmith.com

A library is just another place to learn for many young people. "The Tibrarian Handbook: A Teacher-Librarian's Guide to Transforming the Library into a Center of Learning" is a guide for librarians who want to follow the path of the teaching librarian as she suggests how to advise students to foster their own love of learning with the help of the books and newer library resources that have come to light in recent years. With plenty of advice for librarians to enhance the learning experience libraries can provide, "The Tibrarian Handbook" is a must for library science and education collections, highly recommended.


The Memoir Shelf

My Life Has a Price
Tina Okpara
Amalion Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213
9782359260168, $19.95, www.isbs.com

A chance at a better life should never be overlooked, but occasionally something foul lurks under opportunity. "My Life Has a Price: A Memoir of Survival and Freedom" is a memoir from Tina Okpara, a Nigerian teenager who gained the chance to go to France to attend to school, an opportunity she had high hopes for, but when she arrived, she found something very different. She shares her horrific tale, and presents much to consider, making "My Life Has a Price" a read to be very much considered for international memoir collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Honoring God in Red or Blue
Dr. Amy E. Black
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60610
9780802404879, $13.99, www.moody.edu

Faith has no political affiliation. "Honoring God in Red or Blue: Approaching Politics with Humility, Grace, and Reason" is a guide to harmonious relationships with Christians across the political aisle, where discussions occasionally might get more turbulent and cause social rifts. Dr. Amy E. Black advocates how to bridge the political gap with faith and following politics in honor of God and treating faith as a conscience to politics. "Honoring God in Red or Blue" is worth considering for any politically charged Christian who is often at odds with other Christians.


The Poetry Shelf

Prayers Of A Young Poet
Rainer Maria Rilke
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
www.paracletepress.com
9781612610764, $22.99, www.amazon.com

Rene Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 - 29 December 1926), better known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was a Bohemian-Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language. His haunting images focus on the difficulty of communion with the ineffable in an age of disbelief, solitude, and profound anxiety: themes that tend to position him as a transitional figure between the traditional and the modernist poets.
He wrote in both verse and a highly lyrical prose. Among English-language readers, his best-known work is the Duino Elegies; his two most famous prose works are the Letters to a Young Poet and the semi-autobiographical Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge. He also wrote more than 400 poems in French, dedicated to his homeland of choice, the canton of Valais in Switzerland. Ably translated into English by Mark S. Burrow, "Prayers of a Young Poet" is a 96 page compendium showcasing what are arguably Rilke's 'prayer poems'. Of special note is the 'Afterword' commentary 'On Reading and Translating Rilke. Enhanced with endnotes, "Prayers of a Young Poet" is highly recommended reading and a core addition to academic library Literary Studies and Poetry Studies reference collections.

Collected Verse Of John Shaw Neilson
Margaret Roberts, editor
UWA Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9781742584454, $39.95, www.amazon.com

John Shaw Neilson (22 February 1872 - 12 May 1942), was an Australian poet. Slightly built, for most of his life John Shaw Neilson worked as a labourer, fruit-picking, clearing scrub, navying and working in quarries, and, after 1928, working as a messenger with the Country Roads Board in Melbourne. Largely untrained and only basically educated, Neilson became known as one of Australia's finest lyric poets, who wrote a great deal about the natural world, and the beauty in it. Deftly compiled, edited, and offering an informative introduction on the life and accomplishments of John Shaw Neilson by Margaret Roberts, "Collected Verse of John Shaw Neilson" is a 538 page compendium of his poetry from 1890 to 1942. Most are organized into four chronological periods, with the remaining verses divided into two sections: those that cannot be assigned a date and those of 'doubtful attribution'. Enhanced with note son the poems, editorial emendations and conjectural readings, appendices, verses listed within periods, a chronology, and an index of titles, "Collected Verse of John Shaw Neilson" is an impressive anthology and highly recommended for academic library Poetry collections and personal reading lists.

A Penance
CJ Evans
Western Michigan University
c/o New Issues Poetry & Prose
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5463
9781936970100, $15.00, www.wmich.edu

The world is not so simple for many of us. "A Penance" is the debut collection of poetry from CJ Evans as he presents the insight of a man who seen many stages of the world and presents his own attempts to understand it all. "A Penance" is a strong pick for poetry collections, highly recommended. "Trespass": Wrapped up in lace, the edges/recede from me. It's striking/how much dark there is//in this world that houses/diamonds and rivers./I only see the cellars, ovens//and stormdrains as the days/die younger and younger./Come back home.//October is here once again/and the dates on the stone/are hidden by drifted leaves.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Literary Studies And The Pursuits of Reading
Erick Downing, et al.
Camden House
668 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.camden-house.com www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781571134318, $75.00, www.amazon.com

The collaborative editorial project of Eric Downing (Hanes Distinguished Term Professor of German, English, and Comparative Literature, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Jonathan M. Hess (Professor of German and Moses M. and hannah L. Malkin Distinquished Term Professor of Jewish History and Culture, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), and Richard V. Benson (Visiting Professor of German, Valparaiso University), "Literary Studies and the Pursuits of Reading" is a 192 page compendium comprised of thirteen erudite and learned articles contributed by expert academicians in their fields. Deftly organized into four major sections: Medieval and Early Modern Practices of Reading; Reading, Secularization, and Transcendence in the Long Nineteenth Century; Theories and Practices of Reading in the Twentieth Century and Beyond; and Postscript: The Ends of Reading. Enhanced with a bibliography of 'Works Cited', extensive notes on the contributors, and a comprehensive index, "Literary Studies and the Pursuits of Reading" is an anthology of seminal works and consistently impressive scholarship, rendering it strongly recommended for academic library Literary Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Dickens And Modernity
Juliet John, editor
D.S. Brewer
c/o Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781843843269, $50.00, www.amazon.com

Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 - 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic who is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period and the creator of some of the world's most memorable fictional characters. During his lifetime Dickens's works enjoyed unprecedented popularity and fame, and by the twentieth century his literary genius was fully recognized by critics and scholars. His novels and short stories continue to enjoy an enduring popularity among the general reading public. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by academician Juliet John (Hildred Carlile Chair of English Literature, Royal Holloway, University of London), "Dickes And Modernity" is a 208 page compendium of literary essays and studies of Dickens as an icon of both English literature and Victorian era culture. The nine essays range from Jay Clayton's 'The Dickens Tape: Affect and Sound Reproduction'; to Michael Hollington's 'Dickens and the Circus of Modernity'; to Dominic Ramsford's Out of Place: David Copperfield's Irresolvable Geographies'. Of special note is the concluding contribution of Florian Schweizer's 'Afterword: The 2012 Bicentenary'. Enhanced with a comprehensive index, "Dickens And Modernity" is a seminal body of outstanding scholarship and a welcome, highly recommended addition to academic library 19th Century English Literary Studies collections in general, and Charles Dickens Literary Studies supplemental reading lists in particular.

Must Read
Sarah Churchwell & Thomas Ruys Smith, editors
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704
New York, NY 10038
9781441162168, $29.95, www.continuumbooks.com

Every country has its classics, and America is no exception. "Must Read: Rediscovering American Bestsellers" explores the American literary classics and the books hat make it up, focusing on the books that have flourished outside of their short popularity and have become literary classics worthy of being the icons of American fiction, as well as a scholarly analysis of literature, what makes up the American bestseller, and how the bestsellers have shaped America right back. "Must Read" is a strong addition to any literary studies collection, highly recommended.

The Red Flare
Marcus Tullius Cicero, author
G. B. Cobbold, translator
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
www.bolchazy.com
9780865167827, $15.00, www.amazon.com

Marcus Tullius Cicero (January 3, 106 BC - December 7, 43 BC) was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul and constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists. His influence on the Latin language was so immense that the subsequent history of prose in not only Latin but European languages up to the 19th century was said to be either a reaction against or a return to his style. Cicero introduced the Romans to the chief schools of Greek philosophy and created a Latin philosophical vocabulary (with neologisms such as humanitas, qualitas, quantitas, and essentia) distinguishing himself as a linguist, translator, and philosopher. "The Red Flare: Cicero's on Old Age", translated into English by G. B. Cobbold (Assistant headmaster of the Classics Department, Tabor Academy, Marion, Massachusetts) is a 92 page compendium that begins with an introduction that includes a brief framework of Cicero's importance in history, his literary work 'On Old Age', and a note on the translation for an English language readership. This is followed by the translated work itself. Enhanced with the inclusion of a glossary of names, places, and technical terms; memorable passages quoted by Cicero in this work; and 'Old Age in Literature', "The Red Flare: Cicero's on Old Age" is a seminal work of impeccable scholarship, and a strongly recommended addition to academic library Classical Studies reference collections in general, and Cicero Studies supplemental reading lists in particular.


The Civil War Shelf

The Great Hanging at Gainesville, 1862
Thomas Barrett and George Washington Diamond, authors
Richard B. McCaslin, introduction
L.D. Clark, afterword
Texas State Historical Association
1155 Union Circle #311580
Denton, TX 76203-5017
9780876112557 $34.95 www.TSHAonline.org

The Great Hanging at Gainesville, 1862: The Accounts of Thomas Barrett and George Washington Diamond presents two primary sources of a horrific mob massacre in Texas, carried out with the blessing of Confederate Army Colonel James Bourland, during the American Civil War. The Cooke County community of Gainesville, Texas was sharply divided between slaveholders and Confederacy supporters, as opposed to those who were indifferent or hostile to the Confederacy. Eventually these tensions broke out into a mass roundup of 150 suspected Unionists, who were arrested and given a sham trial before a "citizen's court" of twelve jurors, at least seven of whom were cherry-picked. The masses were assigned flimsy charges of "conspiracy" and forty of them were hanged. None of the perpetrators of the hanging were ever punished after the Civil War or during reconciliation. The Great Hanging at Gainesville, 1862 gathers the memoir writings of Minister Thomas C. Barrett, who served on the jury and struggled to calm the bloodthirst of his neighbors, and an account based on court records by George Washington Diamond, whose brother helped to organize the trial. An introduction and an afterword by two learned historians helps set in perspective the biases and quirks of the original authors, and numerous footnotes clarify details for the modern-day reader in this sobering and highly recommended contribution to public and college library American History and Civil War reference shelves.

No Cause of Offence
Lewis F. Fisher
Maverick Publishing Company
PO Box 6355, San Antonio, TX 78209
9781893271616 $24.95 www.maverickpub.com

No Cause of Offence: A Virginia Family of Union Loyalists Confronts the Civil War tells the exceptional true story of a Southern family in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, who believed firmly in the Union, and managed to peacefully (if uneasily) coexist with their Confederate neighbors. Although they adopted a practical-minded policy of "no cause of offence by overt act or anything of the sort," they did not hide their convictions, which were plainly apparent to Confederate General Stonewall Jackson when he used their home as his headquarters. In 1862, the Battle of Port Republic forced them to flee from their homes, and afterward, they tended to wounded Union soldiers even as their neighbors aided wounded Confederates. After the war's end, they were a voice for compromise, and worked to help Virginia resume its former place in the Union; family members earned the high ranks of lieutenant governor, chief justice of Virginia's Supreme Court, U.S. minister to Portugal, and U.S. senator. A wealth of notes and an index round out this engaging history of a politically savvy and socially skilled family that used their leadership and influence to push for unity, both during and after the devastating war. Highly recommended, especially for Civil War history collections.


The Audiobook Shelf

Measure for Measure
William Shakespeare
Blackstone Audiobooks
PO Box 969
Ashland, OR 97520
9781455137527 $24.95 www.BlackstoneAudio.com

Based on the 2011 stage production directed by Bill Rauch, Measure for Measure is the audiobook adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic play about sex, religion, politics, and morality. Angelo, the authoritarian deputy of the duke, is adamantly cracking down on all real and perceived moral decay, reviving drastic, outdated laws with brutal punishments. He even sentences to death a young man whose fiancee is pregnant. It seems that nothing can give pause to his campaign, until he encounters the religious novice Isabela, whose beauty stirs buried passions within him. Live music from the mariachi band Las Colibri enhances this timeless and engaging blend of tragedy and comedy, highly recommended especially for public library audiobook collections and the personal listening libraries of Shakespeare fans everywhere. 2 CDs, 2 1/2 hours.

The Time Keeper
Mitch Albom, author
Dan Stevens, narrator
Hyperion Audio
77 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401326340 $25.99 www.hyperionbooks.com

The Time Keeper is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of Mitch Albom's novel of the man destined to become Father Time. A brilliant inventor, creator of the world's first clock, suffers a terrible punishment for daring to measure God's ineffable gift of Time: banishment to a lonely cave, where for centuries he hears the longings of all who seek more days and years of Time to themselves. Then Father Time gets a precious chance at freedom, with the mission to teach two mortals about the true meaning of time. A fable of not only human pride and fallability, but also about the essence of Time itself and its true, enduring value, The Time Keeper is both wonderful and memorable, highly recommended. 4 CDs, 4 hours.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Darynda Jones, author
Lorelei King, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
www.daryndajones.com
9781427225948 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of bestselling author Darynda Jones' novel about an ordinary women tasked with the extraordinary - and stressful! - job of being a grim reaper. When Charley Davison takes couple months off from her dark job to recover from the shock of her last case, a woman in terror for her life suddenly appears on Charley's doorstep. Everyone who knows the woman is convinced that she is insane, but the more Charley learns, the more she believes that the threat is real. At times suspenseful, at times hilarious, Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet continues the series' blend of the wry and the macabre. 9 CDs, 10.5 hours.


The Library CD Shelf

A Celebration of Diz and Miles
The Mike Longo Trio
Consolidated Artists Productions
290 Riverside Drive, Suite 11-D, New York, NY 10025
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$12.97 cdbaby.com

A Celebration of Diz and Miles is the second live album of The Mike Longo Trio, consisting of jazz pianist Mike Longo, bass player Paul West, and drummer Ray Mosca. Created to honor Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, two of the most renowned jazz trumpet masters in human history, A Celebration of Diz and Miles features highlights from two different sets performed on June 26, 2012 to an excited crowd (virtually every song is followed by a few seconds of exuberant audio reaction). A grand tribute two music world legends, and a wonderful exultation of the jazz art form itself, A Celebration of Diz and Miles is highly recommended. The tracks are "All Blues" (8:29), "Con Alma" (6:54), "Milestones" (6:29), "Ow" (8:43), "Freddie Freeloader" (7:24), "Here Tiz" (6:37), "Summertime" (6:37), "Tour de Force" (6:15), "You Don't Know What Love Is" (6:06), "So What" (4:56), and "A Night in Tunisia" (7:25).

Once Upon a Time
Musaner
Lucent Music
c/o FlipSwitch (publicity)
PO Box 2207, Bloomington, IN 47404-2207
$20.09 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

The band Musaner blends traditional Armenian music with jazz-style musical storytelling in their album Once Upon a Time, a collection of works composed and arranged by classical pianist Ara Sarkissian. A wondrous excursion into Armenian culture, Once Upon a Time embraces singsong tale-weaving alongside the harmonious fluidity of its cultural rhythms, resulting in an unforgettable listening experience. Once Upon a Time is enthusiastically recommended for international or public library music CD collections. The tracks are "A Ride Through the Mountains" (5:42), "All in a Day" (6:31), "Once Upon a Time" (9:13), "Jetsetter" (5:35), "Strewn by the Wind" (5:16), "Circle Dance at Midnight" (5:02), "Memory Box" (4:24), "Two Way Ticket Across the Black Sea" (5:30), "Overnight Train" (2:55), and "Goodnight Datevik" (2:54).

Tremor Fantasma
DeLeon
www.ilovedeleon.com
Privately Published
c/o FlipSwitch (publicity)
PO Box 2207, Bloomington, IN 47404-2207
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Tremor Fantasma is an album in which the popular band DeLeon transforms the genre of Sephardic folk music. DeLeon asked a broad cross-section of international fans of Sephardic folk music to recommend their favorite songs to be given the band's signature style treatment. The result is a re-imagining of beloved classic favorites of Jewish music, performed with vivacious energy. Tremor Fantasma is an excellent pick for international music collections, highly recommended. The tracks are "Ya Ribon Alam", "Bre Sarika", "La Muerte Chiquita", "Hamavdil", "Los Bilbilicos", "Buena Semana", "Lamma Bada", "Ansi Dize La Novia", "Para Que Quero", "Barminan", "A La Nana", and "Uskudara".

Tromper le Temps
Le Vent du Nord
leventdunord.com
Borealis Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$11.70 CD / $6.99 MP3 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Quebec's four-man band Le Vent du Nord ("The North Wind") presents Tromper le Temps ("Fooling Time"), a music album that blends fluid French lyrics with lively ballad-style music. The result is brimming with passion for Quebec's storied culture, as it draws upon both old and modern conundrums to weave modern fables into the stongs. A proud celebration of Francophone culture, Tromper le Temps is an excellent addition to both public library and private international music collections. The tracks are "Lettre a Durham" (5:13), "Le Dragon de Chimay" (4:39), "Toujours Amants" (3:30), "Le Winnebago" (3:09), "Le Souhait" (4:07), "Manteau D'Hiver" (4:08), "Adieu Marie" (3:26), "Le Coeur de Ma Mere / Le Reve D'Adrien" (4:50), "Le Vigneron" (4:05), "Le Diable et le Fermier" (3:39), "Dans les Cachots" (4:23), "La Soiree du Hockey" (5:06), and "Souffle D'Ange" (3:03).

Ya Amar
The Egyptian Project
Six Degrees Records
PO Box 411347, San Francisco, CA 94141-1347
Press Junkie PR (publicity)
www.togezerproductions.com
$12.16 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Three years in the recording, Ya Amar is the debut album of The Egyptian Project, a group whose signature style is a blend of Egyptian music with electronic music, hip hop, and even classical music. Ya Amar is not about forcing one type of music into the mold of another, but rather finding just the right counterbalance of harmony. Ya Amar is also about venerating tradition and sharing the storied cultural legacy of Egyptian music, as well as experiencing its sounds in new ways. The result is an exceptional pick for international music shelves and public library CD collections. The tracks are "Takasim Salama" (2:01), "Ya Amar" (3:38), "Anta Ana" (3:58), "Besharis" (3:48), "Kawala Time" (2:26), "Ya Sahbi" (4:36), "Soufi" (3:49), "Nessma" (1:51), "Menen Aguibak" (5:57), and "Rouhi (live)" (4:46).

Eleven Drops
Paz del Castillo
Oniria International
c/o The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$22.15 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.pazdelcastillo.com

Spanish solo pianist Paz del Castillo presents Eleven Drops, a beautiful music CD featuring a variety of melodies reflecting the myriad aspects of Castillo's life and personality. The sweeping waves of mellifluous sound bring to mind the cycles of nature, in this wondrous listening experience highly recommended especialy for aficionados of great piano performances. The tracks are "Latiendo" (4:48), "El abrazo del mar" (4:07), "From the beginning" (5:58), "Cafe Espana" (3:16), "Improvisacion sobre las aguas tranquilas" (4:29), "Lost in you" (4:18), "Por encima de los acantilados" (3:35), "Nana para Luis" (3:30), "Mientras duermes" (4:15), "Life goes on" (3:45), and "Lo que siento" (2:16).

Tales of a Gypsy
Johannes Linstead, guitar
Special guests Nicholas Gunn, Gisele Fredette, and Vasyl Popadiouk
Earthscape Media
c/o The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$13.99 www.johanneslinstead.com

Award-winning Latin guitar master Johannes Linstead presents Tales of a Gypsy, an anthology of original guitar compositions that draw upon worldwide influences, including jazz, new age, and the traditions of a multitude of cultures. Special Nicholas Gunn (pan pipes), Gisele Fredette (vocals), and Vasyl Popadiouk (violin) lend their talents to a select few tracks, further enhancing his sensual and uplifting album. A lasting treasure, Tales of a Gypsy is worthy of the highest recommendation for devotees of quality guitar music. The tracks are "Jungle Love" (3:58), "Noche de la Juerga" (3:35), "Swaying Palms" (3:44), "September Remembered" (3:28), "La Lunada" (4:02), "Vagabond Stomp" (4:27), "Bella! Bella!" (3:11), "Sosua Bay Sunset" (4:03), "Tales of a Gypsy" (6:41), "Flows Like Water" (7:08), and "Caravan of Desire" (4:12).

Somewhere is Here!
Isra-Alien
Privately Published
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
www.rockpaperscissors.biz
$TBA CD / $8.91 MP3 www.amazon.com

Somewhere is Here! is a high-energy fusion of Israeli music, rock, jazz, and Balkan rhythm. Performed by the eclectic band Isra-Alien, Somewhere is Here! transforms klezmer songs into fluid guitar. The result is klezmer like you've never heard it before, celebrating Israeli musical traditions in a refreshing and energized new way. Highly recommended especially for international music collections. The tracks are "Schuna" (4:22), "Reah Tapuach" (2:47), "Eishes Chayil" (4:40), "Valentine" (5:19), "Tavas Hazahav" (2:13), "Pney Hayam" (8:32), "Horah-Alien" (2:45), "Brogez Sholem" (6:58), and "Isra-Freilach" (4:46).


The Library DVD Shelf

Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie
A film by Sturla Gunnarsson
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
1937772349 $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

Part biographical documentary, part dire foreshadowing of the peril humanity as a whole is in, Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie focuses on the ideas, discoveries, and warnings of Canadian scientist, educator, and activist David Suzuki. Blending scenes from the locations and events that shaped Suzuki's life with his Last Lecture, which he considered to be a fine distillation of the most vital culmination of his life's wisdom that he wished to communicate, Force of Nature reveals how precarious humanity's current situation is. Human beings have become so numerous and so consumptive that they are putting immense pressure on the biosphere, prompting mass extinctions of unnatural proportions, and exhausting resources of fresh water and fertile farmland. Change will be absolutely necessary if humanity is to survive and maintain a standard of life worth living; to these ends, Suzuki offers several blueprints to promote long-term sustainability. A film licensed for (and deserving of) public performance, Force of Nautre is worthy of the highest recommendation especially for public and school library DVD collections. 93 min., closed captioned.

Cornwall with Caroline Quentin
Athena
c/o Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
www.acornonline.com
9781598288452 $39.99 http://athenalearning.com

Award-winning actress Caroline Quentin hosts Cornwall with Caroline Quentin, a simply gorgeous eight-episode documentary on DVD that guides the viewer on a wonderful summer vacation in the coastal British county of Cornwall, a land well-known for its hospitality and strong tourism trade. Episodes feature everything from the daily life of hardworking locals who catch and cook seafood delicacies, to regatta composed of "creative" (rather than emphatically seaworthy) vessels, to the daily work put in by a husband, wife, and son team of award-winning winemakers, to centuries-old manors that aristocrats used to call home. A small town's participation in the "Cornwall in Bloom" flower-growing contest, and even a supremely challenging annual iron-swim at a remote island enliven this warm, engaging show. Bonus features include a 12-page viewer's guide with articles on the storied history of Cornwall and recent efforts to preserve the Cornish language, and photo galleries. Cornwall with Caroline Quentin is the next best thing to personally taking a summer vacation in Cornwall! 176 min., SDH subtitles, widescreen.


The Language Studies Shelf

Grammar in Plain English, fifth edition
Harriet Diamond, M.A. and Phyllis Dutwin, M.A.
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764147869 $14.99 www.barronseduc.com

Now in an expanded fifth edition, Grammar in Plain English is an easy-to-follow, user-friendly instructional manual, especially ideal for adults preparing themselves for the GED, students learning English as a second language, and as a classroom text for remedial English courses. The twenty-two lessons cover the parts of the sentence, descriptive phrases, pronouns and punctuation, capitalization and spelling, basic writing skills for essays, and much more. Each lesson has pages of practice exercises and an answer key. An index rounds out this extremely helpful "hands-on" reference and resource.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition With Notes
Edward Engelbrecht, general editor
Concordia Publishing House
3558 South Jefferson Avenue
Saint Louis, MO 63118-3968
www.cph.org
9780758625472, $39.99, www.amazon.com

The Biblical apocrypha (from the Greek word apokruphos, meaning "hidden") denotes the collection of ancient books found, in some editions of the Bible, in a separate section between the Old and New Testaments or as an appendix after the New Testament. Although the term apocrypha had been in use since the 5th century, it was in Luther's Bible of 1534 that the Apocrypha was first published as a separate intertestamental section. Luther was making a polemical point about the canonicity of these books. As an authority for this division, he cited St. Jerome, who in the early 5th century distinguished the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments, stating that books not found in the Hebrew were not received as canonical. Although his statement was controversial in his day, Jerome was later titled a Doctor of the Church and his authority was also cited in the Anglican statement in 1571 of the Thirty-Nine Articles. "The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition With Notes" is a 544 page compendium providing the Christian community with an English Standard Version translation and includes the books of the Apocrypha appearing in the German Luther bible, Lutheran Editions of the Vulgate, and the King James Tradition. In addition to the apocryphal books themselves, "The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition With Notes" is enhanced with an outstanding and detailed introduction, ten appendices, and an extensive and extended reference guide. An outstanding contribution to Christian Studies reference collections, "The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition With Notes" is especially recommended for inclusion into personal, seminary, church, community, and academic library collections.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Columbia Guide To Social Work Writing
Warren Green & Barbara levy Simon, editors
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, NY, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231142953, $34.50, www.amazon.com

The writing of reports and the recording of records is a vital part of the daily responsibilities of practicing social workers. Researching in an academic setting or applying for grants in a community service organizational setting are just two of the major areas where good writing skills within the conditions, confines, and standards of the social work profession are absolute necessities for success. The collaboratively editorial work of Warren Green (founder of the Writing Center at Columbia university School of Social Work) and Barbara Levy Simon (Associate Professor of Social Work, Columbia University School of Social Work), "The Columbia Guide To Social Work Writing" is a 336 page compendium designed to ensure that students in social work curriculums, practicing social workers in the field, and social work administrators both in government and in the private sector, adhere to the highest standards and make their writing as effective as possible. Fifteen articles contributed by experienced professionals are deftly organized into three major sections: The Foundations of Good Writing; Applied Professional Writing; and Writing in Distinct Fields of Practice. Enhanced with an informative introduction, copious notations, and a comprehensive index, "The Columbia Guide To Social Work Writing" is a seminal contribution and highly recommended addition to professional and academic library Writing Skills Studies in general, and Social Work Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists in particular.

Writers' & Artists' Guide To How To Write
Harry Bingham
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, NY, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781408157176, $22.95, www.amazon.com

Writing novels and non-fiction for publication is competitive, hard work, and requires a certain amount of talent combined with practical skill. Simply stated, "The Writers' and Artists' Guide to How to Write" by Harry Bingham (founder of the Writer's Workshop and the author of six successful novels) is an essential, practical, instructive, and thoroughly 'user friendly' guide for aspiring authors wanting to become good enough that their work will be published and their readership satisfied. Novice authors will learn the core skills necessary for effective storytelling including the creation of characters, prose style choices, and all of the diverse tools that can come into play with writing fiction and non-fiction. Of special note is the section on manuscript editing and getting help when needed. Practical, realistic, informed and informative, "The Writers' and Artists' Guide to How to Write" is especially recommended for novice writers, but will also prove an enduringly invaluable reference for even the more experienced author.


The Political Science Shelf

Political Theory After Deleuze
Nathan Widder
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704, NY, NY 10038
www.continuumbooks.com www.amazon.com
9781441150882, $29.95, paperback
9781441197955, $100.00, hardcover

Gilles Deleuze (18 January 1925 - 4 November 1995) was a French philosopher who, from the early 1960s until his death, wrote influentially on philosophy, literature, film, and fine art. His most popular works were the two volumes of Capitalism and Schizophrenia: Anti-Oedipus (1972) and A Thousand Plateaus (1980), both co-written with Felix Guattari. His metaphysical treatise Difference and Repetition (1968) is considered by some scholars to be his magnum opus. "Political Theory After Deleuze" by Nathan Widder (Reader in Political Theory, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK) is a 216 page compendium providing the reader with a thoroughly accessible account of why Deleuze continues to be significant with respect to the philosophical underpinnings of contemporary political thought and to rank in importance along side such iconic figures as Nietzsche, Lacan and Foucault. An impressive work of scholarship, enhanced with the extensive inclusion of notes, a bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Political Theory After Deleuze" is a strongly recommended addition to academic library Political Science reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Land Of Extremes
Alex Huryn & John Hobbie
Snowy Owl Books
c/o University of Alaska Press
PO Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
www.uaf.edu/uapress
9781602231818, $29.95, www.amazon.com

The only arctic tundra in the United States is the North Slope of Alaska. The collaborative work of Professor Alex Huryn (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa) and academician John Hobbie (Senior Scholar at the Ecosystems Center, marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts), "Land of Extremes: A Natural History of the Arctic North Slope of Alaska" is a 356 page compendium covering the geological history, flora, and fauna of this arctic region from the Pleistocene era through the mid-twentieth century. Of special note is an appendix providing the reader with a framework for a tour of North Slope natural history features along the Dalton Highway running between the Brooks Range with Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic Ocean. Superbly illustrated with color photography throughout, "Land of Extremes: A Natural History of the Arctic North Slope of Alaska" is informed, informative, a seminal work of impressive scope and scholarship, and a core addition to professional and academic library Environmental Studies reference collections in general, and North Slope Alaskan Studies supplemental reading lists in particular.

Major Soil Groups
Jean-Paul Legros
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, #300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781578087839, $139.95, www.amazon.com

Ably translated from French by V.A.K. Sarma, "Major Soil Groups of the World: Ecology, Genesis, Properties and Classification" by agricultural scientist and academician Jean-Paul Legros is a 478 page compendium descriptively and analytically surveying all of the principle categories of planetary soil. Profusely illustrated throughout with photos and diagrams, "Major Soil Groups" is exhaustively comprehensive, informed, informative, superbly organized and a model of seminal scholarship making it ideal as a curriculum textbook and highly recommended for professional academic library Agricultural Science and Environmental Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Music Shelf

The Real Toscanini
Cesare Civetta
Amadeus Press
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, NY, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781574672411, $22.99, www.amazon.com

Arturo Toscanini (Italian pronunciation: (March 25, 1867 - January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory. He was at various times the music director of La Scala Milan, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Later in his career he was appointed the first music director of the NBC Symphony Orchestra (1937-54), and this led to his becoming a household name (especially in the United States) through his radio and television broadcasts and many recordings of the operatic and symphonic repertoire. Compiled from interviews by orchestra conductor Cesare Civetta with some fifty musicians and colleagues who worked with Toscanini, "The Real Toscanini: Musicians Reveal the Maestro" is a 256 page compendium that bring forth first-hand observations of a man tormented by the emotions of anger and depression, but who sought to overcome his personal demons to achieve the widely acknowledged status of a true master of his art and craft. "The Real Toscanini" is a seminal work that is strongly recommended addition to academic library Music History reference collections and the personal reading lists for anyone who has admired Toscanini's performances and career.


The Art Shelf

Wari: Lords of the Ancient Andes
Susan E. Bergh
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500516560 $60.00 www.amazon.com

"Wari, Lords of the Ancient Andes" is a magnificent scholarly work published in conjunction with an exhibition organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art of 170 objects representative of the elite art accomplishment of the Wari, a pre-Columbian indigenous empire in south Central Peru that existed from AD 600 to AD 1000. The Wari are regarded as the first empire in the Andes, although much remains to be uncovered about their history. Essays by 13 eminent art historians and curators are included in "Wari, Lords of the Ancient Andes," as well as over 275 color and black and white illustrations of the many art objects, including tapestry-like textiles, elaborate, ornate ceramics and carved wooden containers, and stone, pottery and other media creations. Because the Wari did not leave a written legacy, their artistic creations of valuable art objects were crucial to preserve and communicate important or sacred cultural information. The Wari are regarded as important ancestors of the later Incas, and as such their influence and culture is of great significance to future understanding of this great regional cultural legacy. "Wari, Lords of the Ancient Andes" is also a tribute to the massive effort to organize the featured exhibit, containing items from collections in Canada, Europe, Peru, and the United States. "Wari, Lords of the Ancient Andes" is an important document, sampling the collected knowledge that underlies this fascinating exhibition.

Seekers and Travellers
Gary Wyatt, author
Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebec Street, Suite 201
Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 4S7
University of Washington Press
P.O. Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145
www.douglas-mcintyre.com www.washington.edu/uwpress
9780295992372 $29.95, www.amazon.com

"Seekers and Travellers: Contemporary Art of the Pacific Northwest Coast" is a stunning collection studies of contemporary art works by Northwest indigenous artists, mostly from western coastal parts of British Columbia, Canada. Impeccably presented, each photograph is displayed against a black background on one page, while the facing page displays the title of the work, name of the artist, tribal origin, complete with media and dimensions description. The artist composed a further description of the origin and significance of the art work, with additional native traditional tales, stories or cultural thoughts. The artworks are grouped into Traditional, Cross-cultural, and Contemporary categories and chapters. At the end are artist biographies of 35 selected artists represented in "Seekers and Travellers." The beauty of this sensitive and expressive collection of contemporary indigenous art is not only its authenticity of origin and design but also its representation of outside interaction and cross cultural stimulation derived from (global) awareness of other indigenous groups and traditions. In the informative introduction, aboriginal art is defined as follows: "Arguably, aboriginal art is defined as a continuous representation of a place and history, and these artistic forms might be viewed as a new way to document tribal history. There is no agreement, however, on how to preserve these cultural traditions: some believe individual groups should remain separate (from each other and from non-aboriginals) to preserve their uniqueness, whereas others believe it is important to stay current and modern by embracing all new ideas...Thanks to new technologies, artists can be based in their home communities and still keep up with trends and ideas, galleries and collectors in urban centres around the world (p. 6)." Further discussion reveals common themes in contemporary First Nations art, such as respect for and interaction with the environment and representation of modern environmental protection issues, plus use of more modern materials including metals, glass, and others, and finally the use of formline design, including ovoids, U and split-U forms, T-forms and S forms (skeletal or muscular derivative). Thus this collection represents a vanguard of artistic interpretations using traditionally sourced cultural interpretations and ideas in formline design with contemporary emphasis on issues, mediums, and expressions, including a melding of influences. "Seekers and Travellers" is a fabulous contemporary art collection book, filled with rich contributions of art creations and their descriptions by a talented trove of First Nations artists. Some of the artists whose works are represented in "Seekers and Travellers" include, Richard Adkins, Eugene Alfred, Joe David, Chuck Heit (Ya Ya), Richard, Shawn, and Tom Hunt, Isabel Rorick, Teri Rofkar, Dempsey Bob, Susan Point and Tim Paul. One of the striking artworks represented is the Chilkat Moon, 2006, by Wayne Alfred; a carved, painted wooden mask in alder and acrylic paint, commonly danced as of the ancestor Emos, who observes family relationships and approves ceremonies and watches information transmitted from one generation to the next (p.52-53).

The Early Durer
Daniel Hess & Thomas Eser
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500970379, $65.00, www.amazon.com

Albrecht Durer (21 May 1471 - 6 April 1528) was a German painter, printmaker, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since. His vast body of work includes altarpieces and religious works, numerous portraits and self-portraits, and copper engravings. His woodcuts, such as the Apocalypse series (1498), retain a more Gothic flavour than the rest of his work. His well-known works include the Knight, Death, and the Devil (1513), Saint Jerome in his Study (1514) and Melencolia I (1514), which has been the subject of extensive analysis and interpretation. His watercolours mark him as one of the first European landscape artists, while his ambitious woodcuts revolutionized the potential of that medium. Durer's introduction of classical motifs into Northern art, through his knowledge of Italian artists and German humanists, has secured his reputation as one of the most important figures of the Northern Renaissance. This is reinforced by his theoretical treatises, which involve principles of mathematics, perspective and ideal proportions. "The Early Durer" is a superbly illustrated, 656 page compendium compiled and organized by Germanisches Nationalmuseum curators Daniel Hess and Thomas Eser that showcases the artistic genius of Albrecht Durer. Featuring no less than eighteen informed and informative essays by experts in their fields, as well as appendices including 'Materials for a Durer matrix from 1471 to 1505' by Thomas Eser, an extensive bibliography, a roster of primary sources, a listing of works by Albrecht Durer, an index of persons and another of places, and Sebastian Gulden's article 'Durer's Neighborhood", making "The Early Durer" a seminal work of impressive scholarship and a very highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Art History reference collections.


The Genealogy Shelf

Jamestown People To 1800
Martha W. McCartney
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260
Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806318721, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 (O.S., May 24, 1607 N.S.), it followed several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Jamestown served as the capital of the colony for 83 years (from 1616 until 1699). The settlement was located within the territory of a political entity known as Tsenacommacah, the state of the Powhatan Confederacy, with around 14,000 native inhabitants, and specifically was in part of the subdivision known as the Paspahegh tribe. The natives initially welcomed the colonists with dancing, feasting and tobacco ceremonies, and they provided crucial provisions and support for the survival of the colonists, who were not agriculturally inclined, although relations with the newcomers also soured fairly early on, leading to the total annihilation of the Paspahegh in warfare within 3 years. Within a year of Jamestown's founding, the Virginia Company brought Polish and Dutch colonists to help improve the settlement. In 1619, the first documented Africans were brought to Jamestown, though the modern conception of slavery in the future United States did not begin in Virginia until 1660. When the colony was subdivided into the original eight shires of Virginia in 1634, the town became located in the eponymous James City Shire. In 1699, the capital was relocated from Jamestown to what is today Williamsburg, after which Jamestown ceased to exist as a settlement, existing today only as an archaeological site. "Jamestown People to 1800: Landowners, Public Officials, Minorities, and Native Leaders" by author and Jamestown expert Martha W. McCartney is a 556 page compendium providing succinct one-paragraph biographies of key members of the Jamestown population, including landowners, public officials, African-Americans, and Native Americans. An impressive and seminal work of research and scholarship, "Jamestown People to 1800: Landowners, Public Officials, Minorities, and Native Leaders" is recommended as a core addition to academic library Virginia History studies in general, and Jamestown Genealogical resource collections in particular.


The Needlecraft Shelf

First-Time Quiltmaking
Editorial Staff
Landauer Corporation
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
www.landauercorp.com
9781935726234, $21.95, www.amazon.com

Quilt making is one of the oldest needlecraft skills known, often producing coverings that were as practical as they were beautiful. In previous eras it was a skill passed down from mothers to their daughters, and even took place as a group activity by a community of women. In today's culture all too often those quilt making skills once enjoyed by former generations failed to make the transition to the present generation. That's way "First-Time Quiltmaking: Learning to Quilt in Six Easy Lessons" is such a valued and valuable instruction guide for the novice quilting student. Superbly illustrated throughout, the lessons include 'beginning basics', preparing the fabric, sewing accurate seams, assembling the quilt top, making the quilt sandwich, and finishing the quilt. Complete, accurate, 'user friendly', informed and informative, "First-Time Quiltmaking: Learning to Quilt in Six Easy Lessons" is highly recommended for personal and community library needlecraft reference collections.


The International Studies Shelf

International Studies
Sheldon Anderson, et al.
Westview Press
c/o Pegasus Book Group
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
www.westviewpress.com
9780813345888, $55.00. www.amazon.com

The collaborative effort of Sheldon Anderson (Professor of History and International Studies, Miami University), Jeanne A.K. Hey (Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, University of New England), Mark Allen Peterson (Professor of Anthropology and International Studies, Miami University), and Stanley W. Toops (Associate Professor of Geography and International Studies, Miami University), "International Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Global Issues" is a 488 page compendium comprising a seminal and interdisciplinary approach to the global issues within the global context of today's 'networked world'. Now in a thoroughly updated and significantly expanded second edition, "International Studies" includes significant events of the past four years (including the global financial crisis), new coverage of South Asia, a perspective on the Sudan, and new information on global population. A seminal work of simply outstanding scholarship, "International Studies" is strongly recommended for professional, governmental, and academic library Contemporary International Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Ethnicity In Zimbabwe
Enocent Msindo
University of Rochester Press
668 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14472
www.urpress.com
9781580464185, $99.00, www.amazon.com

Zimbabwe (officially the Republic of Zimbabwe) is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest (making this area a quadripoint) and Mozambique to the east. The capital is Harare. Zimbabwe achieved recognized independence from Britain in April 1980, following a 14-year period as an unrecognized state under the predominantly white minority government of Rhodesia, which unilaterally declared independence in 1965. Rhodesia briefly reconstituted itself as black-majority ruled Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979, but this order failed to gain international acceptance. Zimbabwe has three official languages: English, Shona and Ndebele. The country today equivalent to Zimbabwe was first demarcated by the British South Africa Company in the late 19th century; it became the self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia in 1923. President Robert Mugabe is the head of State and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Morgan Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister. Mugabe has been in power since the country's internationally recognized independence in 1980. The newest addition to the outstanding 'Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora" series from University of Rochester Press, "Ethnicity in Zimbabwe: Transformations in Kalanga and Ndebele Societies, 1860-1990" by Enocent Msindo (Senior Lecturer in History, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa) is a 374 page comparative study of two large Zimbabwian ethnic groups beginning with the establishment of the Inyati mission station in what was then the Ndebele Kingdom, down to the late 20th Century post-colonial period. A seminal work of impressive investigative scholarship, "Ethnicity in Zimbabwe" is a critically important and highly recommended addition to academic library African History Studies reference collections in general, and Zimbabwe History supplemental reading lists in particular.


The Native American Studies Shelf

The Mankato Reconciliation Powwow
Loren Dean Boutin
North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.
P.O. Box 451, St. Cloud, MN 56302
9780878396290 $19.95 www.northstarpress.com

"The Mankato Reconciliation Powwow" is a complete gathering of accurate information about the cause for and formation of the tradition of the Mankato reconciliation powwow, begun in 1972 to begin to help heal some of the wounds caused by the U. S. government hanging execution of 38 Dakota warriors in August of 1862. Filled with color photos of founders and dancers, participants from the last 40 years, "The Mankato Reconciliation Powwow" presents a respectful but powerful case for continuing the effort of reconciliation between the dominant culture and First Nation Dakota descendants. A brief summary from the Epilogue continues: "...Where there is grief and loss, there is also room for strength and healing...The wrongs committed in 1862 before, during, and after the War were committed by both sides of the War and have not been completely corrected. They cannot be, but the genocidal acts of the United States against the American Indians and the slaughter of the settlers are history and must be put behind us. They should not be forgotten, but they must not be allowed to continue to cause pain (p.112)." The author continues to explain that the present goal and challenge for descendants of both races and sides of the conflict is to eliminate hatred, bigotry and turmoil, and also to make peace within ourselves. This begins with acknowledging terrible errors of the past and present, and proceeding to learn to live in harmony. "The Mankato Reconciliation Powwow" is an exceptional documenting of the ongoing effort to celebrate this need for acknowledgement and healing that is celebrated at this annual event, taking place in the community where the original executions occurred. Many of the influential founders of the original Powwow of 1972 are now retiring (including Bud Lawrence and Jim Buckley), so this book also serves as a memorial to their and others' valuable contributions and efforts at creating harmony, peace, understanding, and forgiveness.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design