 |
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Library Bookwatch |
Library Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Number One Observatory Circle
Charles Denyer
Cambridge Klein Publishers
PO Box 8338, Atlanta, GA, 31106
www.cambridgeklein.org
9780998764207, $49.99, HC, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Quietly situated on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) in our nation's
capital lies Number One Observatory Circle, the official residence of the vice president of the
United States. Built in 1893, the handsome and stately Queen Anne-style home is surrounded by
a forest-like setting, complete with lush greenery, wildlife, and the serene sounds of nature, yet
sits just footsteps away from the bustling traffic on Massachusetts Avenue. From
never-before-seen photos to candid conversations with former vice-presidents, family members,
political power players of their time, and others, "Number One Observatory Circle: The Home of
the Vice President of the United States" by Charles Denyer (a federal cybersecurity and national
security expert, and a noted vice-presidential historian) brings to life untold stories and
memorable moments of the three-story, green-shuttered mansion covered in layers of off-white
paint, and the people who were privileged to call it home. A unique history of a political
residence, "Number One Observatory Circle" is an extraordinarily informative and highly
recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library collections.
Good Arguments
Richard A. Holland Jr. & Benjamin K. Forrest
Baker Academic
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780801097799, $17.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
The collaborative work of Richard A. Holland Jr. (Assistant Professor of Apologetics and
Theology at Liberty University School of Divinity in Lynchburg, Virginia) and Benjamin K.
Forrest (Associate Dean of the College of General Studies and Professor of Christian education
at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia), "Good Arguments: Making Your Case in Writing
and Public Speaking" offers a brief introduction to making effective arguments helps readers to
understand the basics of sound reasoning and to learn how to use it to persuade others. Practical,
inexpensive, and easy-to-read, "Good Arguments" enables students in a wide variety of courses
to improve the clarity of their writing and public speaking. "Good Arguments" will equip readers
to formulate firmly grounded, clearly articulated, and logically arranged arguments, avoid
fallacious thinking, and discover how to reason well. "Good Arguments" is supplemental text
that is especially suitable for use in Christian colleges and seminaries and includes classroom
discussion questions. Whether preparing sermons for the pulpit, opinion pieces for publication,
or a persuasive book on any given social or political issue, "Good Arguments" will prove to be
exceptionally 'user friendly' in tone, organization and presentation. While very highly
recommended for community, seminary, and academic library collections, it should be noted for
the personal reading lists that "Good Arguments" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Aging Well with Diabetes
Editorial Staff
Bottom Line Inc.
c/o Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139, Naperville, IL 60563
www.sourcebooks.com
9781492650713, $19.99, PB, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Diabetes is epidemic in the United States, especially if among men and women over the age of
50. Even if you're already being diligent about your health, a diagnosis can feel like an
overwhelming extra burden. The editors of Bottom Line Inc. present "Aging Well with Diabetes:
146 Eye-Opening and Scientifically Proven Secrets That Prevent and Control Diabetes", which is
the first instructional manual for mature men and women who are seeking to prevent and control
diabetes with insight drawn from over 500 of the world's top health experts. "Aging Well with
Diabetes" provides easy access to the trusted collection of information on a vast array of topics,
including: Foods that fight diabetes; Weight loss and exercise essentials; Heart health and blood
pressure secrets; Natural treatments and the right tests. Whether hoping to get better control of
diabetes, or facing the first shock of a diabetes diagnosis, "Aging Well with Diabetes" will enable
you to confidentially and successful deal with diabetes while living live to the fullest. Of special
note are the chapters devoted to 'Delicious Diabetes-Friendly Recipes' and 'Complications: What
Diabetes Can Cause'. While strongly and unreservedly recommended for both community and
academic library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Diabetes supplemental reading lists
in particular, it should be noted that "Aging Well with Diabetes" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Person-Centred Healthcare Research
Brendan McCormack, et al.
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
9781119099604, $63.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
"Person-Centred Healthcare Research" is a compendium of 18 erudite and insightful articles that
collectively provide an innovative and novel approach to exploring a range of research designs
and methodological approaches aimed at investigating person-centred healthcare practice within
and across healthcare disciplines. With contributions from internationally renowned experts in
the field, this engaging resource challenges existing R&D methodologies and their relevance to
advancing person-centred knowledge generation, dissemination, translation, implementation and
use. It also explores new developments in research methods and practices that open up new
avenues for advancing the field of person-centred practice. "Person-Centred Healthcare
Research" will: Enables students, practitioners, managers and researchers to gain a solid
understanding of the complexity of person-centred thinking in research designs and methods;
Explores the theories and practices underpinning a topical subject within current healthcare
practice; Is edited by an internationally recognized team who are at the forefront of
person-centered healthcare research. While unreservedly recommended as a critically important
addition to college and university library Health/Medical collections, it should be noted for
students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Person-Centred
Healthcare Research" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $41.59).
The Science Shelf
Hubble's Universe, second edition
Terence Dickinson
Firefly Books Ltd.
50 Staples Avenue, Unit 1, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada L4B 0A7
www.fireflybooks.com
9781770859975, $35.00, HC, 332pp, www.amazon.com
The first edition of "Hubble's Universe" displayed 300 pages of high-resolution celestial portraits
selected by bestselling astronomy writer Terence Dickinson from the initial 22 years of the
Hubble Space Telescope's exploration of distant galaxies. With the telescope now at the apex of
its imaging capabilities, this newly revised and expanded second edition adds still another
chapter featuring more than 36 completely new images, including the first publication of a
four-page fold-out of the Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest spiral galaxy to Earth, revealing more
than one million individual stars. Thanks to Dickinson's expertise with Hubble's history and
discoveries and his access to top Hubble scientists for insight and accuracy, the text of "Hubble's
Universe" includes facts and tidbits not found in any other study of this iconic space-based
instrument. Combined with 330 brilliant images, the clear, succinct and illuminating narrative
brings to life the fascinating forces at work in the universe, making "Hubble's Universe: Greatest
Discoveries and Latest Images" an absolutely essential and unreservedly recommended addition
to personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Astronomy collections
and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the Hubble telescope that this new edition of "Hubble's Universe" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.49).
Biofuels from Food Waste
Antoine P. Trzcinski
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138093720, $69.95, HC, 135pp, www.amazon.com
According to the UN's Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO), one third of food produced
globally for human consumption (nearly 1.3 billion tons) is lost annually. Food waste has often
been incinerated with other combustible municipal wastes for possible recovery of heat or other
forms of energy, however, incineration is not cost-effective, and can cause air pollution. Due to
its organics- and nutrient-rich nature, food waste could be viewed as a useful resource for
production of high-value platform chemicals through fermentation. "Biofuels from Food Waste:
Applications of Saccharification using Fungal Solid State Fermentation" by Antoine P. Trzcinski
(who developed a novel process for producing biogas from municipal solid waste and for the
treatment of landfill leachate, and as a Senior Research Fellow in the Nanyang Environment &
Water Research Institute continued working on solid waste treatment such as waste activated
sludge and wastewater treatment in anaerobic membrane bioreactors) examines the
bioconversion of food wastes to energy and the recent developments in ethanol, hydrogen,
methane, and biodiesel production from food wastes. Exceptionally well written, documented,
organized and presented, "Biofuels from Food Waste" is especially recommended as a
curriculum supplemental studies textbook and an essential and critically important addition to
professional, college, and university library Biofuel collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Biofuels from Food Waste" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $58.69).
Ethnobotany of India
T. Pullaiah, K. V. Krishnamurthy, Bir Bahadur, eds.
Apple Academic Press
c/o CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781771885508, $169.95, HC, 516pp, www.amazon.com
Part of the five volume "Ethnobotany of India" series from Apple Academic Press, "Ethnobotany
of India: Western and Central Himalayas" covers the ethnobotanical aspects of many plants of
the region. Collaboratively compiled and edited by the team of T. Pullaiah (a former Professor at
the Department of Botany at Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Andhra Pradesh, India, where he
has taught for more than 35 years); K. V. Krishnamurthy (who is a former Professor and Head of
Department, Plant Sciences at Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli, India, and is at
present an adjunct faculty at the Institute of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, Bangalore); and
Bir Bahadur, PhD, (Chairman and Head of the Department, and Dean of the Faculty of Science at
Kakatiya University in Warangal, India), "Ethnobotany of India: Western and Central Himalayas"
covers the ethnic diversity of people; ethnic food plants and food preparation; ethnomedical
aspects of plants; psychedelic plants and their possible link to soma, a vedic ritual drink whose
plant origins are a mystery; ethnoveterinary medicinal plants; ethno-conservation practices; and
biodiversity heritage sites. Also included are the details of the plants used, their scientific names,
the parts used, and how the plants are used, providing the what, how, and why of plant usage.
"Ethnobotany of India: Western and Central Himalayas" is well illustrated with 20 color and 67
b/w illustrations. While very highly recommended for academic library Ethnobotany collections
and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Ethnobotany of India: Western and Central
Himalayas" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $124.17).
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
What Are You Laughing At?
Brad Schreiber
Allworth Press
www.allworth.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781621536000, $16.99, PB, 280pp, www.amazon.com
With more than seventy excerpts from such expert prose and screenwriters as Woody Allen,
Steve Martin, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., as well as unique writing exercises for all situations, "What
Are You Laughing At?: How to Write Humor for Screenplays, Stories, and More" is a basic and
comprehensive tutorial will teach aspiring authors how to write humor prose for any literary
form, including screenwriting, story writing, theater, television, and audio/radio. Additionally,
novice writers are given sage advice on different tactics for writing comedic fiction versus
comedic nonfiction. Some of the topics discussed in "What Are You Laughing At? include: Life
experience versus imagination; How to use humor to develop theme/setting, character, and
dialogue; Rhythm and sound of words; Vulgarity and bad taste, Of special note is the information
provided on how to market humor prose in the digital market. Thoroughly revised and updated,
and with new information on writing short, humorous films, "What Are You Laughing At?" is
extraordinarily 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. While unreservedly recommended
for community and academic library Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for the
personal instructional reference lists of aspiring writers that "What Are You Laughing At?" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.57).
Bring Your Fiction to Life
Karen S. Wiesner
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440349829, $17.99, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com
Karen Wiesner is an accomplished author with 113 titles published in the past 18 years, which
have been nominated for or won 134 awards, and has 39 more releases contracted for spanning
many genres and formats. In "Bring Your Fiction to Life: Crafting Three-Dimensional Stories
with Depth and Complexity" to teaches aspiring authors on how to build a solid narrative
structure and layer in lush, textured scenes to create a story that rings true. "Bring Your Fiction to
Life" explains how to: Master the three-dimensional aspects of characters, plots, and settings
using detailed sketches that define the past, present, and future aspects of each element; Develop
complex opening, resolution, and bridge scenes that expertly lead readers through your fictional
world: Construct and analyze an outline for your manuscript, using tools and techniques to
analyze scenes that lack dimensionality: Brainstorm, research, and draft efficiently and
effectively, and juggle multiple projects with ease. Packed from cover to cover with
story-development charts, worksheets, and checklists, "Bring Your Fiction to Life" when enable
even the most novice and inexperience of writers just how to craft a vivid story world that
readers (and publishers!) will instantly recognize as remarkable. While especially recommended
for both community and academic library Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Bring Your Fiction to Life" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Make a Scene, revised edition
Jordan Rosenfeld
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440351419, $17.99, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com
Scenes are the building blocks for any work of fiction, basically they are the DNA sequence that
makes a novel un-put-downable and unforgettable reading experience. When writers are able to
craft effective, engaging scenes, they can develop a complete, cohesive story -- and a
mesmerizing experience for readers. Now in a significantly revised and newly expanded edition,
"Make a Scene: Writing a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time" by Jordan Rosenfeld takes
aspiring writers step-by-step through the elements of strong scene construction and demonstrates
how the essential aspects of a compelling story (including character, plot and dramatic tension)
function within the framework of individual scenes to give momentum to the whole narrative.
"Make a Scene" show how to: Craft an opening scene that hooks readers and foreshadows
conflict; Develop various scene types--from contemplative to suspenseful to flashback--that are
distinct and purposeful; Establish characters' intentions within a scene that drive the plot;
Transition into new scenes by clearly establishing details of setting, character, and point of view;
Create resonating climactic and final scenes that stay with readers long after they've finished your
story. This newly revised and expanded edition includes brand-new examples, an increased focus
on advancing plot and character development, making it an essential part of any personal,
community, or academic library's Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections. It
should be noted that "Make a Scene" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.31).
Grammar For People Who Hate Rules
Kathleen A. Watson
Ruthless Editor Press
www.RuthlessEditor.com
9780997664607, $8.95, PB, 166pp, www.amazon.com
Writing and grammar expert Kathleen Watson, fondly known as The Ruthless Editor, has nearly
three decades of experience in the corporate and academic worlds. As a fiction and non-fiction
book editor, she has helped many authors hone their writing skills. In "Grammar For People Who
Hate Rules: Killer Tips From The Ruthless Editor" she draws upon her years of experience and
expertise to create an succinctly comprehensive instruction manual focusing on the effective use
of grammar in writing and speaking. The easy-to-follow tips in "Grammar For People Who Hate
Rules", enhance this straightforward guide that will provide practical 'real world' help in avoiding
many of today's common word and punctuation errors. Even if English is one's original language
(and even more so for those to whom English is a secondary language) English grammar and
usage can be (and all to often is) confusing! Even the best writers sometimes pause to consider
word and punctuation choices. Whether writing for work, for school, for publication, or even
creating a knockout profile for LinkedIn or a dating website -- "Grammar For People Who Hate
Rules" will bring the reader quickly up to speed with respect to today's English grammar. Writers
will build their reputation as they build their mastery, impressing their clients, their boss, their
professor, their editors, -- or maybe even their potential spouse! Exceptionally well written,
organized and presented, "Grammar For People Who Hate Rules" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in
content and tone, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference
collections. It should be noted that "Grammar For People Who Hate Rules" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
The Political Science Shelf
From Oligarchy to Republicanism
Forrest A. Nabors
University of Missouri Press
113 Heinkel Bldg., 201 S. 7th St., Columbia, MO 65211
www.umsystem.edu/upress
9780826221353 $45.00 hc / $36.00 Kindle amazon.com
Forrest A. Nabors (Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Alaska) presents From
Oligarchy to Republicanism: The Great Task of Reconstruction, a scholarly analysis of the
American Civil War, and especially the Reconstruction afterward. From Oligarchy to
Republicanism argues that the Confederacy was in fact an oligarchy - a nation ruled by a small
group (wealthy slaveholders) - and that the goal of the Civil War and Reconstruction was to
return American governance to a true Republic, ruled by representatives of all the people.
Evidence for this claim includes the provision that slaves counted as three-fifths a human for
representation, which shifted the balance of power from areas with few slaves to areas many
slaves; the forced conscription of non-slaveholder whites into unpaid "slave catcher" patrols to
hunt down escaped slaves; and much more. Nabors also examines the writings and speeches of
Republicans in the Thirty-Eighth, Thirty-Ninth, and Fortieth Congress (1863-69) to better
understand their political view of the antebellum South. Unlike scholars who postulate that black
citizenship was the central concern of these Republicans, Nabors reveals that Southern oligarchy
(which was inextricably entwined with slavery) was the central issue of their era. From Oligarchy
to Republicanism is highly recommended especially for public and college library political
science and American history collections.
American Cities And The Politics Of Party Conventions
Eric S. Heberlig, Suzanne M. Leland, David Swindell
State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
www.sunypress.edu
9781438466392, $90.00, HC, 243pp, www.amazon.com
"American Cities And The Politics Of Party Conventions" is the collaborative project of Eric S.
Heberlig (Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte), Suzanne M. Leland (Professor of Political Science and Public
Administration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte), and David Swindell (Director of
the Center for Urban Innovation and Associate Professor in the School of Public Affairs at
Arizona State University) and is an impressively informative study on the competitive
solicitations of how cities have gone about trying to hosting major political conventions, the
often unexpected side affects of those competitions and their aftermath, as well as how the major
political party conventions have essentially evolved into day long infomercials. A notable work
of original scholarship, "American Cities And The Politics Of Party Conventions" features thirty
pages of Appendices, twelve pages of Notes, a sixteen page Bibliography, and a six page Index.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "American Cities And The Politics Of Party
Conventions" is extraordinarily informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking read and
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Political
Science collections and supplemental studies lists.
Votes from Seats
Matthew S. Shugart & Rein Taagepera
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
www.cambridge.org
9781108417020, $99.99, HC, 343pp, www.amazon.com
Take the number of seats in a representative assembly and the number of seats in districts
through which this assembly is elected. From just these two numbers, "Votes from Seats: Logical
Models of Electoral Systems" by Matthew S. Shugart (Professor of Political Science at the
University of California, Davis, and an Affiliated Professor of the University of Haifa, Israel) and
Rein Taagepera holds (Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, University of
California, Irvine, and Professor Emeritus, Skytte Institute, University of Tartu, Estonia) show
that it is possible to deduce the number of parties in the assembly and in the electorate, as well as
the size of the largest party. Inside parties, the vote distributions of individual candidates likewise
follow predictable patterns. Four laws of party seats and votes are constructed by logic and
tested, using scientific approaches rare in social sciences. Both complex and simple electoral
systems are covered, and "Votes from Seats" offers a set of 'best practices' for electoral system
design. The ability to predict so much from so little, and to apply to countries worldwide, is an
advance in the systematic analysis of a core institutional feature found in any democracy, and
points the way towards making social sciences more predictive. Set against today's emotionally
charged issues of Russian misinformation attacks seeking to manipulate the 2016 and subsequent
election cycles, and the Gerrymandering case currently in front of the U. S. Supreme court,
"Votes from Seats: Logical Models of Electoral Systems" is a timely and unreservedly
recommended addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Political Science
collections in general, and Electoral Systems supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that
"Votes from Seats: Logical Models of Electoral Systems" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781108404266, $31.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.90).
The Business Shelf
The Complete Guide to Selling a Business, fifth edition
Fred S. Steingold
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413324549, $34.99, PB, 488pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a fully updated fifth edition featuring all the latest tax considerations, "The Complete
Guide to Selling a Business" is packed from cover to cover with practical advice and invaluable
insights (as well as dozens of key legal forms) shows the non-specialist general reader how to:
get a business ready to sell; value assets; set the best price for a business; find the right buyer;
anticipate and resolve tax issues; negotiate a payment plan; limit personal liability; work with
lawyers, accountants, and brokers; and close the deal and transfer the business to its new owner.
Of special note is the provision of 'real world practical' advice on marketing the sale of any kind
of business. Impressively informative, exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, "The Complete Guide to Selling a Business" is an absolute 'must' as an instructional
reference for anyone contemplating the sale of a business and should be a core addition to all
community and academic library Contemporary Business Management collections.
The Photography Shelf
Villager Jim's Garden Wildlife
Villager Jim
White Owl
c/o Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781526706713, $39.95, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Over the past few years, Villager Jim has been avidly photographing wildlife in his own garden
as well as in the beautiful countryside that surrounds his home. Birds, bees, and a whole host of
other flora and fauna that share Villager Jim's garden in the tiny Peak District village of Foolow,
are featured in "Villager Jim's Garden Wildlife" which is a truly stunning book of beautiful full
color photographs. Bobbin Robin is just one of the regular visitors to the garden; she and her
friends have a huge social media audience, with tens of thousands of viewers. Now anyone can
open up "Villager Jim's Garden Wildlife" to see the daily goings on of these wildlife friends in
some of Jim's very best pictures taken in this beautiful setting. They illustrate the close
relationship Jim has formed with some of the regular wildlife visitors to his garden. His quirky
captions capture the mood and spontaneous character of each individual shot and are an essential
element of what makes Villager Jim's pictures so special. While unreservedly and
enthusiastically recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary
Photography collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of both photography
fans and gardening wildlife enthusiasts that "Villager Jim's Garden Wildlife" is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $23.97).
The American History Shelf
Resistance to the Spanish-American and Philippine Wars
Charles Quince
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9781476669748 $35.00 pbk / $18.99 Kindle amazon.com
In 1898, after the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor, pro-war arguments in the
American press induced public opinion to favor fighting what would become the Spanish-
American War. However, not of all America were war hawks; Resistance to the Spanish-
American and Philippine Wars presents the views and voices of those members of the American
public who tried to halt the conflict. Analyzing anti-war arguments that preceded the Spanish-
American War and persisted through the war in the Philippines, Resistance to the Spanish-
American and Philippine Wars distills news articles, letters to editors, opinion pieces, and other
mouthpieces of the anti-war groups who tried and failed to stop a war with Spain. Highly
recommended, especially for public and college library American history collections.
Predicting Pearl Harbor
Ronald J. Drez
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781455623150, $29.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
While it's common to say that the most predictable thing about the next war is its
unpredictability, "Predicting Pearl Harbor: Billy Mitchell and the Path to War" by author, lecturer
and historian Ronald J. Drezz reveals that this did not apply to the run-up to war with Japan.
From Commodore Matthew Perry's voyage into Japanese waters in 1853 to the attack on Pearl
Harbor in 1941, the United States and Japan were on a collision course. The saga is here brought
to vivid life using primary source documents, memoirs, and firsthand testimonies of those who
lived during that era. It was Gen. Billy Mitchell who recognized the signs and foresaw the
eventual showdown between the two nations twenty-eight years before the tragedy of Pearl
Harbor, but his spot-on predictions were dismissed out of hand. Discover one of the most
exciting periods in American history through General Mitchell's prescient reports, providing new
insight into an ages-old conflict. Even more than fifty years later, the question of whether or not
President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew ahead of time that the Japanese were going to attack Pearl
Harbor -- an even that plunged American into World War II. An inherently fascinating,
informative, documented, and compelling read from beginning to end, "Predicting Pearl Harbor"
is a welcome and valued contribution to community and academic library 20th Century American
History collections in general, and World War II supplemental studies lists in particular. It should
be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Predicting Pearl Harbor" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.18).
American Freemasonry
Alain de Keghel
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620556054 $30.00 hc / $19.99 Kindle amazon.com
American Freemasonry: Its Revolutionary History and Challenging Future is both an in-depth
history and a thoughtful sociological appraisal of Freemason fraternal organizations in America,
with comparisons made to French Freemason organizations. Two of the greatest differences are
that unlike French lodges, American lodges prohibit women from membership (although para-
Freemason organizations that allow female members have been established) and that belief in
God is a prerequesite for membership in American lodges. These factors and others have caused
a stark decline in Freemasonry membership over time, especially in the context of changing
American demographics and immigration patterns. Author Alain de Keghel (who served as chair
of Supreme Council of the Grand Orient of France from 2002 to 2008) examines ways in which
the principles of Freemasonry could become relevant to American society once again, centuries
after Freemasons played notable roles in the American Revolution. Extensive appendices, a
bibliography, and an index round out this highly recommended contribution to public and college
library American History shelves.
Journal of the American Revolution Annual Volume 2016
Westholme Publishing
904 Edgewood Road, Yardley, PA 19067
www.westholmepublishing.com
c/o Pen & Sword Books (distribution)
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781594162534 $35.00 allthingsliberty.com
Journal of the American Revolution Annual Volume 2016 is part of an annual series published
by the online resource allthingsliberty.com, collecting research by a diverse array of professional
historians and peer-reviewed articles written by experts in American Revolution studies. The
annual volume 2016 gathers the journal's finest contributions from the previous year, offering an
excellent overview of recent scholarly findings and historical understanding of America's
founding. Individual writings include "A Fast Ship from Salem: Carrying the News of War",
"Benjamin Franklin's Failed Diplomatic Mission", "Russia and the American War for
Independence", "Enlisting Lasses: Women Who Aspired to be Soldiers", and many more. Journal
of the American Revolution Annual Volume 2016 is a welcome contribution to public and
college library history collections, highly recommended.
The World History Shelf
The Life of Saint Clement: A Translation of La Vie de Seint Clement
Daron Burrows
ACMRS
Arizona State University
PO Box 874402, Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
http://acmrs.org/publications
9780866985437, $65.00, HC, 270pp, www.amazon.com
In "The Life of Saint Clement", Daron Burrows (a Fellow of St. Peter's College and Associate
Professor of Medieval French, University of Oxford) presents the first translation of the Vie de
seint Clement, an early-thirteenth-century Anglo-Norman verse narrative which combines
versions of the Pseudo-Clementine Recognitiones and Epistola Clementis ad Iacobum and of the
Passio Petri et Pauli of Pseudo-Marcellus. With its stirring account of the separation and reunion
of the family of Pope St Clement I, and of his adventures in the company of St Peter as he battles
against the heretical necromancer Simon Magus, "The Life of Saint Clement" stands as one of
the longest and most memorable vernacular hagiographical texts composed in medieval Britain.
A truly exceptional work of seminal scholarship, "The Life of Saint Clement: A Translation of
La Vie de Seint Clement" is unreservedly recommended for college and university library
Medieval Studies reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Eastern Front in World War II
Will Fowler
Amber Books
c/o Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781782745594, $29.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
With 30 million soldiers and civilians killed, the Eastern Front proved to be World War II's
bloodiest conflict. Drawing on rare photographs from the Ukrainian State Archive, "Eastern
Front in World War II: Hitler's Russian War in Photographs" presents a unique and visually
outstanding account of one of history's most ferocious campaigns, telling the story from the
perspective of ordinary men and women, both military and civilian, who took part in the struggle.
Although major battles such as Stalingrad and Kursk are covered in some depth, "Eastern Front
in World War II" focuses on individual soldiers' points of view, with attention paid to irregular
forces such as partisans and Cossacks. Each individual chapter charts the progress of the war on
land, air, and sea, and each photograph is put in context with detailed captions. Expertly written
and featuring more than 450 rarely seen photographs, "Eastern Front in World War II" is a simply
outstanding visual history that will appeal to anyone interested in 20th century military history.
An inherently fascinating and impressively informative visual study, "Eastern Front in World
War II" is an especially recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library
World War II Military History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The International Studies Shelf
Restless Continent
Michael Wesley
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
www.overlookpress.com
9781468312980, $27.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
The world has never seen economic development as rapid or significant as Asia's during recent
decades. Home to 60% of the world's population, this restless continent will soon produce more
than half of the world's economic output and consume more energy than the rest of the globe
combined. But surprisingly little hard thinking has been done about the future of Asia. "Restless
Continent: Wealth, Rivalry, and Asia's New Geopolitics" by Michael Wesley (Professor of
International Affairs and Director of Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian
National University) deftly examines the economic, social, political and strategic trends across
the world's largest continent, presenting a modern day roadmap for thinking about not only Asia's
future, but also how it affects the entire world. Professor Wesley is one of the world's leading
experts on Asian and international affairs and insightfully examines the psychology of countries
becoming newly rich and powerful, and explores the "corridors of blood" -- the geography and
politics of conflict and he makes a case for how to avert a plunge into dispute, conflict, or even
war. There is therefore no more important challenge to policymakers, academics, and the public
then understanding the drivers of Asia's new geopolitics. Impressively informative, exceptionally
well written, featuring a map of Asia's strategic geography, eighteen pages of endnotes, and an
eleven page index, "Restless Continent" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
addition to community and academic library Contemporary International Studies collections. If
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "Restless Continent" is available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$23.74).
Cultural Borders of Europe
Mats Andrewn, Thomas Lindkvist, Ingmar Sohrman, Katharina Vajta, eds.
Berghahn Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 512, Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.berghahnbooks.com
9781785335907, $120.00, HC, 218pp, www.amazon.com
The cultural borders of Europe are today more visible than ever, and with them comes a sense of
uncertainty with respect to liberal democratic traditions: whether treated as abstractions or
concrete realities, cultural divisions challenge concepts of legitimacy and political representation
as well as the legal bases for citizenship. Thus, an understanding of such borders and their
consequences is of utmost importance for promoting the evolution of democracy. "Cultural
Borders of Europe: Narratives, Concepts and Practices in the Present and the Past" (the newest
volume in the 'Making Sense of History' series provides a wide-ranging exploration of these lines
of demarcation in a variety of regions and historical eras, providing essential insights into the
state of European intercultural relations today. Comprised of twelve erudite and impressively
informative articles by experts in the field which are deftly organized into four major sections:
The Challenges of Religious Borders; Linguistic Borders in Practice; Mental Spaces and
Barriers; Scholars Making Borders, "Cultural Borders of Europe" also features figures and tables,
an informative introduction, a seven page Index, and two page listing of all thirty volumes in the
outstanding Berghahn Books 'Making Sense of History' series. A seminal work of scholarship
throughout, "Cultural Borders of Europe" is an especially and unreservedly recommended
addition to both community and academic library Contemporary International Studies
collections.
The Psychology Shelf
A Formal Theory of Commonsense Psychology
Andrew S. Gordon & Jerry R. Hobbs
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
www.cambridge.org
9781107151000, $94.99, HC, 584pp, www.amazon.com
Commonsense psychology refers to the implicit theories that we all use to make sense of people's
behavior in terms of their beliefs, goals, plans, and emotions. These are also the theories we
employ when we anthropomorphize complex machines and computers as if they had humanlike
mental lives. In order to successfully cooperate and communicate with people, these theories will
need to be represented explicitly in future artificial intelligence systems. The collaborative work
of Andrew S. Gordon (Research Associate Professor of Computer Science and Director of
Interactive Narrative Research at the Institute for Creative Technologies at the University of
Southern California) and Jerry R. Hobbs (Chief Scientist for Natural Language Processing,
Information Sciences Institute, and a Research Professor, University of Southern California) "A
Formal Theory of Commonsense Psychology: How People Think People Think" provides a
large-scale logical formalization of commonsense psychology in support of humanlike artificial
intelligence. It uses formal logic to encode the deep lexical semantics of the full breadth of
psychological words and phrases, providing fourteen hundred axioms of first-order logic
organized into twenty-nine commonsense psychology theories and sixteen background theories.
Providing an in-depth exploration of human commonsense reasoning for artificial intelligence
researchers, linguists, and cognitive and social psychologists will serve as a foundation for the
development of humanlike artificial intelligence, "A Formal Theory of Commonsense
Psychology" is an ideal curriculum textbook and unreservedly recommended for academic library
Contemporary Psychology collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A
Formal Theory of Commonsense Psychology" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$57.49).
Prescriptions for Children With Psychological and Psychiatric Problems, fourth edition
David F. Bogacki, et al.
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398091828, $42.95, PB, 278pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a fully updated and expanded fourth edition, "Prescriptions for Children With
Psychological and Psychiatric Problems: A Consultant's Desk Reference" is intended to fill a
specific need of school and clinical psychologists, guidance counselors, social workers, school
personnel, and graduate students with respect to medicines appropriate for use with children
experiences psychology and/or psychiatric problems. This newly revised edition of "Prescriptions
for Children with Psychological and Psychiatric Problems" now features several new chapters
that collectively reinforce what experienced psychologists know -- that even the best prescriptive
intervention will be ineffective if the teacher, parent or primary caregiver dealing with the child
who is disabled is resistant to changes or too reluctant to help the child. An ideal supplemental
curriculum textbook, "Prescriptions for Children With Psychological and Psychiatric Problems"
is especially recommended to the attention of child and adolescent psychiatrists, pediatricians,
child neurologists, and nurse practitioners working with children. Of special note is the inclusion
of a fourteen page Bibliography and a fourteen page Index. Simply stated, this new fourth edition
of "Prescriptions for Children With Psychological and Psychiatric Problems" is an essential, core
addition to both college and university library Contemporary Psychology/Psychiatric reference
collections.
Psychological Treatment of Patients With Cancer
Ellen A. Dornelas
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433828058, $54.95, PB, 159pp, www.amazon.com
Mental health providers working in oncology encounter a broad spectrum of patients and
situations. From innumerable forms of disease at various stages of progression, to the wide range
of medication side effects and varying prognoses, cancer treatment is incredibly complex. And
practitioners (just like the patients they serve) can be easily overwhelmed. "Psychological
Treatment of Patients With Cancer" by Ellen A. Dornelas (who is the director for cancer clinical
research at Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute in Connecticut and associate professor of clinical
medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine) offers a succinct but
comprehensive guide to psycho-oncological practice. Designed to build a foundation of
knowledge that tackles the depth and breadth of the field, this volume includes a range of
psychological interventions aimed at helping patients cope with cancer treatment. Individual
chapters describe assessment and treatment of common problems including depression, anxiety,
fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and cover broader themes in cancer care including the impact on
families. Brief, easy to digest, and highly approachable, "Psychological Treatment of Patients
With Cancer" is an essential resource for practitioners and advanced graduate students in the
field of psycho oncology. While an absolute 'must' for medical school, college and academic
library Contemporary Psychology collections in general, and Cancer Treatment supplemental
studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for psychology and medical students, as well
as non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, the "Psychological Treatment of
Patients With Cancer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $38.99).
The Art Shelf
Fauna: The Art of Jewelry
Patrick Mauries & Evelyne Posseme
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500519981, $24.95, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com
The animal kingdom has been a source of inspiration for jewelers since the days of antiquity.
Chosen for their symbolism, beauty, or personality, "Fauna: The Art of Jewelry" showcases a
whole menagerie of creatures has been depicted in gemstones and precious metals, ranging from
fantastical dragons, griffins, and sphinxes to wild beasts such as boars and big cats, to the
delicate forms of birds, fish, and even insects. The 130 pieces featured in the pages of "Fauna:
The Art of Jewelry" have been specially selected from the magnificent jewelry collection of the
Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris and include necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and brooches by
legendary names such as Boucheron, Falize, and Lalique. They stretch from the Renaissance
revival of the nineteenth century to the elegant lines of Art Nouveau and beyond, through to the
playful naivety of modernist designs by Jean Lurcat and Line Vautrin. Beautifully photographed
by renowned photographer Jean-Marie del Moral, "Fauna: The Art of Jewelry" is second title in
the series that began with "Flora" and is packed from cover to cover with clever and witty works
of art that will delight all lovers of jewelry and nature. Illustrated with more than 100 full color
photographs, "Fauna: The Art of Jewelry" is an inherently fascinating and impressively
informative volume that is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
and academic library Art History collections in general, and Art Jewelry supplemental studies
lists in particular.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Shark Bytes
John Bantin
Fernhurst Books
c/o Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781909911451, $30.60, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
The popular image of sharks, reinforced by the movies, is one of a dorsal fin cleaving the surface
as it rushes to its next kill -- but this is a very limited and limiting caricature. There are over 500
species of sharks, most of whom are far more frightened of humans than vice versa. "Shark
Bytes: Tales of Diving with the Bizarre and the Beautiful" by John Bantin (an experienced scuba
diver and the former Technical Editor of the long-established Diver magazine) is an impressively
beautiful book in which as a diving veteran he recounts many tales of his diving with several
species of sharks and other marine animals over the last 4 decades. Accompanied by his own
stunning photography, the captivating, spectacular and sometimes shocking encounters show the
reader what it is like to get up close and personal to these bizarre and beautiful creatures. The
sharks covered range from the great whale sharks to the small blacktip reef shark, in locations
extending to all corners of the globe. "Shark Bytes" is an extraordinary and informative read from
cover to cover, making it an especially recommended addition to both community and academic
library Pets/Wildlife collections in general, and Shark oriented supplemental studies lists in
particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "Shark Bytes" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$25.48).
The Technology Shelf
X-Ray Repair, third edition
Joseph J. Panichello
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398091910, $49.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "X-Ray Repair: A Comprehensive Guide to
the Installation and Servicing of Radiographic Equipment" reflects the often difficult to predict
advances in the field of radiology. The most notable change relates to the way images are
recorded and stored. Film and film processing, which had been used in the field since the very
beginning, are becoming a thing of the past. Radiography has progressed dramatically to using
digital technology, and that is the focus of this new edition. A goal of this text has always been to
prepare the student who wishes to enter the x-ray servicing profession. This third edition focuses
on equipment currently in use and to address the latest in digital imaging. In addition, with new
illustrations and a revised chapter order, "X-Ray Repair: A Comprehensive Guide to the
Installation and Servicing of Radiographic Equipment" is more approachable to students and
includes chapters on the history and development of radiographic equipment; types of equipment
found in the general radiographic room; fundamentals of radiography; safety practices in
servicing; installation processes; preventive maintenance; image quality; troubleshooting and
repair; theory, service, maintenance, and calibration of tomographic equipment; and the
servicing, electronic calibrating, and troubleshooting of mammography units. In addition, there is
expanded discussion on mobile x-ray units, paired with digital receptors, a growing trend in x-ray
services. "X-Ray Repair: A Comprehensive Guide to the Installation and Servicing of
Radiographic Equipment" is further enhanced with many illustrations, including some new to
this edition. The text continues to serve as a unique and timely universal manual for x-ray service
and biomedical engineers and students as well as a helpful resource for radiologists. Impressively
well written, organized and presented, "X-Ray Repair: A Comprehensive Guide to the
Installation and Servicing of Radiographic Equipment" is an especially recommended addition to
professional, technical college, corporate, and academic library instructional reference
collections.
The Agriculture Shelf
Urban Soils
Rattan Lal & B. A. Stewart, editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781498770095, $179.95, HC, 422pp, www.amazon.com
Urban soils are composed of geological material that has been drastically disturbed by
anthropogenic activities and compromised their role in the production of food, aesthetics of
residential areas, and pollutant dynamics. Properties of urban soils are normally not favorable to
plant growth the soils are contaminated by heavy metals and are compacted and sealed.
Therefore, the quality of urban soils must be restored to make use of this valuable resource for
delivery of essential ecosystem services (e.g., food, water and air quality, carbon sequestration,
temperature moderation, biodiversity). Part of the Advances in Soil Sciences Series, "Urban
Soils" explains properties of urban soils; assesses the effects of urbanization on the cycling of
carbon, nitrogen, and water and the impacts of management of urban soils, soil restoration, urban
agriculture, and food security; evaluates ecosystem services provisioned by urban soils, and
describes synthetic and artificial soils. Knowledgeably compiled and co-edited by Rattan Lal,
(Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science and Director of the Carbon Management and
Sequestration Center, The Ohio State University) and B.A. Stewart (Director of the Dryland
Agriculture Institute and a distinguished professor of soil science at West Texas A&M
University, Canyon, Texas), "Urban Soils" is comprised of eighteen deftly organized and
presented articles by experts in the field, making it unreservedly recommended for professional,
corporate, governmental, and academic library Agricultural Science collections in general, and
Soil Sciences supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Urban Soils" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $151.07).
The Education Shelf
Growing Global Digital Citizens
Lee Watanabe Crockett & Andrew Churches
Solution Tree
555 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
www.solution-tree.com
9781945349119, $29.95, PB, 164pp, www.amazon.com
"Growing Global Digital Citizens: Better Practices That Build Better Learners" is practical guide
that explores how to transform education through the concept of global digital citizenship
(GDC). Embraced by thousands of schools, global digital citizenship practices empower students
to effectively and ethically participate in and contribute to the digital world around them.
"Growing Global Digital Citizens" provide a clear path for establishing a global digital
citizenship program in your school and give guidance on how K 12 teachers and administrators
can grow global citizens who are respectful and responsible critical thinkers equipped with the
21st century skills necessary for an interconnected world. "Growing Global Digital Citizens" is
deftly written guidebook will allow you to: Discover the characteristics and 21st century skills of
global digital citizens and what these citizens stand for; Consider the limitations of conventional
acceptable use policies and instead embrace ethically driven digital citizenship agreements; Learn
how to address the various stakeholder communities involved in developing students into global
digital citizens; Use tools, rubrics, and resources for gauging the effectiveness and progress of
your global digital citizenship practices; Review digital citizenship agreements for students at the
elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as for professionals and the wider
community. Featuring an eleven page listing of References and Resources, as well as a three page
Index, "Growing Global Digital Citizens" is unreservedly recommended for college and
university library Educational Policy & Practices collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of teachers, administrators, school board members, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Growing Global Digital Citizens" is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45).
Teaching Statistics: A Bag of Tricks
Andrew Gelman & Deborah Nolan
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780198785699, $95.00, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Students in the sciences, economics, social sciences, and medicine are required to take an
introductory statistics course. And yet statistics can be notoriously difficult for instructors to
teach and for students to learn. To help overcome these challenges, Andrew Gelman (Professor
of Statistics and Professor of Political Science and Director of the Applied Sciences Center at
Columbia University) and Deborah Nolan (Professor of Statistics at the University of California,
Berkeley), have put together "Teaching Statistics: A Bag of Tricks". Based on years of teaching
experience "Teaching Statistics: A Bag of Tricks" provides a wealth of demonstrations, activities,
examples, and projects that involve active student participation. Part I presents a large selection
of activities for introductory statistics courses and has chapters such as 'First week of class'-- with
exercises to break the ice and get students talking; then descriptive statistics, graphics, linear
regression, data collection (sampling and experimentation), probability, inference, and statistical
communication. Part II gives tips on what works and what doesn't, how to set up effective
demonstrations, how to encourage students to participate in class and to work effectively in
group projects. Course plans for introductory statistics, statistics for social scientists, and
communication and graphics are provided. Part III presents material for more advanced courses
on topics such as decision theory, Bayesian statistics, sampling, and data science. Exceptionally
well written, organized and presented, "Teaching Statistics: A Bag of Tricks" is an extraordinary
and unreservedly recommended addition to academic library collections in general, and would
prove to be an enduringly valued supplementary text book for Statistics Education curriculums.
For students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject it should be noted
that "Teaching Statistics: A Bag of Tricks" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780198785705, $32.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.35).
Write This Way from the Start
Kelly Boswell
Maupin House
c/o Capstone Press
151 Good Counsel Drive, Mankato, MN 56001
www.capstonepub.com
9781496608413, $24.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
The beginning of each school year presents classroom teachers, home schooling parents, and the
conductors of writing workshops with fresh starts and opportunities. How will they build
community and create a culture that values thinking, learning, and risk-taking? How can they
create a safe environment where all young learners feel welcome and valued? Particularly for in
the task of teaching writing, it is of the utmost importance that students are launched into the
world of writing in a way that engages them and helps to build their confidence. In"Write This
Way from the Start: The First 15 Days of Writer's Workshop", Kelly Boswell draws upon her
years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, and district literacy
specialist to share a variety of ways to kick-start the school year or to initiate a writer workshop,
and invite students and participants to engage in meaningful, purposeful and joyful writing
experiences. Exceptionally well organized and presented, informative and 'real world practical',
"Write This Way from the Start" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and academic library Teacher Education and Writing/Publishing instructional
reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Literary Studies Shelf
A History of Children's Books in 100 Books
Roderick Cave & Sara Ayad
Firefly Books Ltd.
50 Staples Avenue, Unit 1, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada L4B 0A7
www.fireflybooks.com
9781770859579, $29.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Roderick Cave is a print historian and librarian who has worked with rare book collections and
developed information science courses in libraries and universities around the world. In "A
History of Children's Books in 100 Books" he draws upon his years of experience and expertise
to take a global perspective and trace the development of the children's book genre from ancient
stories, such as Aesop's Fables and the Indian Panchatantra, through the Puritan primers of the
17th century to the Harry Potter series and books as technology. "A History of Children's Books
in 100 Books" is about children's books as cultural artifacts, as well as the texts they contain, and
the industry and society that produced them. It covers aspects of selection, design, production and
marketing of books for children. For the most part, illustrations are key components of children's
stories, visualizing fantastic scenes and making them instantly recognizable, and such artwork is
beautifully reproduced throughout. As inherently fascinating as it is impressively informed and
informative, "A History of Children's Books in 100 Books" is an extraordinary literary study that
is unreservedly recommended for both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an
interest in the subject. A uniquely thoughtful and thought-provoking read from beginning to end,
"A History of Children's Books in 100 Books" is unreservedly recommended for both community
and academic library collections.
The Autism Shelf
Autism: The Movement Sensing Perspective
Elizabeth B. Torres & Caroline Whyatt, editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781482251630, $139.95, HC, 408pp, www.amazon.com
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, impaired
verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior. Parents usually
notice signs in the first two years of their child's life. These signs often develop gradually, though
some children with autism reach their developmental milestones at a normal pace and then
regress. The diagnostic criteria require that symptoms become apparent in early childhood,
typically before age three. Collaborative compiled and co-edited by Elizabeth B. Torres
(Psychology Department, Rutgers University) and Caroline Whyatt (Psychology Department,
Rutgers University), "Autism: The Movement Sensing Perspective" is comprised of twenty-seven
informative articles by experts in the field that collectively present the movement approach to
autism in a comprehensive way, integrating scientific methods and results with the experience of
affected people, ways to improve their experiences, and the societal integration of autism.
"Autism: The Movement Sensing Perspective" will assist readers in understanding how people
with autism think differently, based on how they move and are moved differently, and how, on
the basis of this novel understanding, a better fit is possible between people with autism and their
often non-autistic context. A seminal volume of simply outstanding scholarship, "Autism: The
Movement Sensing Perspective" is unreservedly recommended as a critically important and core
addition to professional and academic library Autism collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of psychology students, academia, and the non-specialist general reader
with an interest in the subject that "Autism: The Movement Sensing Perspective" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $95.96).
The Cookbook Shelf
The Cozy Table
Dana DeVolk
The Countryman Press
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.countrymanpress.com
9781682680926, $24.95, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com
In "The Cozy Table", Dana DeVolk draws upon her years of experience and expertise as a
professionally trained chef who blogs at This Silly Girl's Kitchen to assembly a simply
outstanding compendium of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly recipes for
dishes that will accommodate dining for one, two, or a small gathering of friends or family and
make the meal truly memorable. Beautifully illustrated throughout, the recipes comprising "The
Cozy Table" range from a Romaine Wedge Salad; Slow Cooker Chunky Beef Stew; Caprese
Pizza; and Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Corn Bread Crust; to Hasselback Sweet Potatoes;
Fried Apple Crumble; German Chocolate Brownie Bites; and Classic Red Velvet Cupcakes. Of
special note is the section devoted to Sauces 'N' Condiments. A delight to browse through and
plan menus with, "The Cozy Table" is unreservedly recommended, especially for personal,
family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "The Cozy Table" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
The Royal Chef at Home
Darren McGrady
Bright Sky Press
2365 Rice Blvd., Suite 202, Houston, TX 77005
www.brightskypress.com
9781942945529, $32.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
An actual Royal Chef, Darren McGrady was the personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II and Princess
Diana, and in that capacity had curated and created delicious, easy recipes that add an elegant
touch to any meal without requiring hours of laboring in the kitchen. He has compiled a culinary
treasury of such recipes in the beautifully illustrated pages of "The Royal Chef at Home: Easy
Seasonal Entertaining". These are thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for dishes that will
prove perfect for entertaining no matter what the time of year -- all dining occasions including
midday lunches and brunches, teas, indoor and outdoor sit-down and buffet dinners, and cocktail
parties. "The Royal Chef at Home: Easy Seasonal Entertaining" is also organized by season with
events including a Children's Easter Egg Roll, Valentine's Day for Two, a proper Sunday dinner,
Christmas open house, and Thanksgiving. Of special note are the tips on ingredients,
substitutions, and alternatives, making "The Royal Chef at Home: Easy Seasonal Entertaining"
an easy but comprehensive "go-to" party-planning resource -- including the five page, 'real world
practical', "Notes on Entertaining". Simply stated, "The Royal Chef at Home: Easy Seasonal
Entertaining" will prove to be an enduringly popular and unique addition to family, personal,
professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Simple Real Food, second edition
Amanda Cushman
Privately Published
www.amandacooks.com
9780615214863, $24.95, 156pp, www.amazon.com
Now in a newly revised and expanded second edition, "Simple Real Food" provides an illustrated
culinary compendium of thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes that even the most novice of
family chefs can take advantage of to prepare truly memorable dishes that are as palate pleasing
as they are appetite satisfying. The delicious and nutritious recipes range from Vegetable
Samosas; Arugula Watercress Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette; Asian Chicken with Soy Sesame
Glaze; and Grilled Turkey Burgers with Caramelized Onion Relish; to Pork Tenderloin with Soy
Ginger Glaze; Grilled Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Salad; Tempeh Saute with Miso Dressing;
and Stuffed Acorn Squash with parsley Walnut Pesto. Of special note are the recipes for
Chocolate Biscotti and Pear Almond Tart. Each individual recipes includes serving size, a list of
ingredients, cooking procedures. A delight to browse through and inspiring to plan menus with,
"Simple Real Food" is very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library
cookbook collections.
Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer
Susie Martinez, Vanda Howell, Bonnie Garcia
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800730550, $14.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
The collaborative project of Susie Martinez (who is the elementary director of Southern Gables
Church in Littleton, Colorado), Bonnie Garcia (who is a graduate of Grace College, a pediatric
nurse, and the busy mother of three sons), Vanda Howell (who attended Colorado State
University, is a real estate appraiser, and now serves as the administrator for the performing arts
ministry at her church and sings on the praise team), "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer:
Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead" is an exceptionally well organized and presented
compendium of recipes for palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly dishes that
can be frozen and served at any convenient meal time. The recipes range from Kansas City Hot
Wings; Orange Beef Lettuce Wraps; North Woods Wild Rice Soup; Grilled Turkey Breast with
Peanut Sauce; and Baked Steak in Tangy Tomato Sauce; to Sassy Sloppy Joes; Aunt Clara's
Dutch Apple Pie; Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies; Gooey Caramel Cinnamon Rolls; and
Western Slope Peach Cobbler. A delight to browse through and inspiring to plan meals with,
"Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead" is a truly
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, family, and community
library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer:
Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Best Simple Suppers for Two
Laura Arnold
The Countryman Press
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.countrymanpress.com
9781682680360, $14.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Best Simple Suppers for Two: Fast and
Foolproof Recipes for One, Two, or a Few" is an impressive culinary compendium compiled by
Laura Arnold. An inherently fascinating collections of recipes to browse through, and inspiring to
plan menus with, the quick and easy dishes range from a Grilled Corn Fiesta Salad; Honey-Lime
Skewers; Blackened Tilapia with Mango; and Portobello Burgers; to Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Sandwiches; Baked Penne with Ricotta; Watermelon Salad with Feat & Mint; Flank Steak with
Easy Chimichurri; and Shrimp Jambalaya. Of special note is an entire section of recipes devoted
to vegetarian dishes. Of particular value to any home chef with limited time available for cooking
a meal for themselves and/or a loved one, "Best Simple Suppers for Two" will prove to be an
enduringly popular addition to personal and community library cookbook collections. It should
be noted that "Best Simple Suppers for Two" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
The Genealogy Shelf
Tips & Quips for the Family Historian
Elizabeth Shown Mills & Ruth Brossette Lennon
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806320410, $14.95, HC, 173pp, www.amazon.com
"Tips & Quips for the Family Historian" is a treasury of wise words and insightful sayings for
everyone who pursues genealogy. Whether you are a researcher in need of inspiration, or a
speaker or writer in search of a zinger to punctuate your thoughts, "Tips & Quips for the Family
Historian" can be your muse. The sayings and writings found here are divided into no fewer than
86 categories relevant to genealogists. Categories from Analysis, Ethnic Research, and Genetic
Genealogy, to the Internet, Land, and Names; and from Photographs, Plagiarism, and Proof, to
Research, Sources, and Tax Records. It's easy to find just the quip you need from the book's
detailed table of contents, or you can search the author index or consult the glossary of key words
at the back. The collaborative effort of genealogists Elizabeth Shown Mills and Ruth Brossette
Lennon, "Tips & Quips for the Family Historian" is entertaining, inspiring, and informative,
making it that rarity among genealogy books -- bedside reading. Here are just one example:
Ancestors: "To forget one's ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root." --
Chinese Proverb. Simply stated, "Tips & Quips for the Family Historian" is unreservedly and
enthusiastically recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library
Genealogy instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Architecture Shelf
Essential Sustainable Home Design
Chris Magwood
New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
www.newsociety.com
9780865718500, $39.99, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com
In the pages of "Essential Sustainable Home Design: A Complete Guide to Goals, Options, and
the Design Process", Chris Magwood (Co-Founder and Director the Endeavour Centre for
Innovative Building and Living and Co-Editor of the Sustainable Building Essentials series from
New Society Publishers) deftly walks potential homebuilders through the process starting with
key concepts, principles, and a project vision that will guide the house to completion. "Essential
Sustainable Home Design" includes: How to clarify your ideas and create a practical pathway to
achieving your dream; A criteria matrix to guide design, material, and systems decisions;
Creating a strong, integrated design team and working with professionals and code officials to
keep the project on track from start to finish; Key building science concepts that make for a
high-performance, durable building; Primer on building logistics, material sourcing, and
protocols to ensure that the initial vision for the project comes to fruition; One-page summaries
and ratings of popular sustainable building materials and system options. Ideal for
owner-builders and sustainable building contractors working with clients aiming to design and
build a sustainable home, "Essential Sustainable Home Design" will prove to be a welcome and
enduringly valued addition to professional, community, and academic library Contemporary
American Architecture collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Essential
Sustainable Home Design" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.19
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Manga Classics
Mark Twain, author
Adapted by Crystal S. Chan
Art by Kuma Chan
Udon Entertainment
www.mangaclassics.com
9781772940169 $24.95 hc
9781772940176 $17.99 pbk amazon.com
Part of the "Manga Classics" series that faithfully adapts timeless works of great literature to
black-and-white graphic novels drawn in the style of manga (Japanese comics), Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn: Manga Classics is a new way to experience this beloved work of high
adventure and biting social satire by legendary American author Mark Twain (1835-1910).
Although the original novel has occasionally been criticized or even banned for its use of racial
slurs, such condemnation is short-sighted at best. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a biting
satire of the innate racism and dehumanization embedded in the slaveholding American South,
and deserves to be recognized as a groundbreaking anti-slavery and anti-racism book. The Manga
Classics vision is beautifully drawn, with expressive characters, yet stays extremely close to the
original narrative chapter by chapter (one of very few deviations from the novel is that Huck
doesn't smoke tobacco in the adaptation). The story follows young Huckleberry Finn, who
escapes from his abusive father by faking his own death, and befriends the runaway slave Jim.
Together they meet robbers and rapscallions; would-be slave catchers; viciously feuding families;
and much more. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Manga Classics is worthy of the highest
recommendation for public and school library collections, as well as personal reading lists.
The Stories of Edgar Allen Poe: Manga Classics
Edgar Allan Poe, author
Adapted by Stacy King
Art by Virginia-Nitouhei, Chagen, Pikomaro, Uka Nagao, and Linus Lui
Udon Entertainment
www.mangaclassics.com
9781772940206 $24.95 hc
9781772940213 $17.99 pbk amazon.com
Part of the "Manga Classics" series that faithfully adapts timeless works of great literature to
black-and-white graphic novels drawn in the style of manga (Japanese comics), The Stories of
Edgar Allen Poe presents five of the American author's best-known tales of horror and suspense,
each drawn by a different artist. The stories are "The Tell-Tale Heart", the confession of a mad
murderer; "The Cask of Amontillado", a chilling revenge story; "The Raven", Poe's classic poem
about a lover's grief over the loss of his beloved; "The Masque of the Red Death", which
personifies the horrors of plague; and "The Fall of the House of Usher", a saga of illness, mental
degeneration, and destruction. Each adaptation brilliantly captures the dark spirit of the original
work, offering a new way to experience these classics. The Stories of Edgar Allen Poe: Manga
Classics is highly recommended especially for public and school library graphic novel
collections.
For Better or For Worse: The Complete Library, Volume One 1979-1982
Lynn Johnston
IDW Publishing
2765 Truxton Road, San Diego, CA 92106
www.idwpublishing.com
9781631409820 $39.99 amazon.com
For Better or For Worse: The Complete Library, Volume One 1979-1982 is a hardcover
compilation of the first three years of the popular, long-running newspaper comic strip For Better
or For Worse, about the trials and travails of an ordinary family. The strip is especially well
known for how it showed the family age and children grow up in real time; the in first three
years, baby Elizabeth grows into a toddler and learns how to talk. Meanwhile husband John has
to balance work as a dentist and home life as a father, while wife Elly eventually becomes a
student while looking after the needs of her family and lending a ear to her friends when they
need it. "Elly: 'You didn't really appreciate me going out on the town last night, did you? But it's
perfectly all right for you to go out 'till all hours with the boys!' John: 'That's different. When I'm
out... I know where you are!'" For Better or For Worse: The Complete Library, Volume One is a
treasure sure to prove a popular lend for public library collections, and makes an excellent gift to
anyone who loves a good laugh and gentle, slice-of-life humor.
Bloom County: Brand Spanking New Day
Berkeley Breathed
IDW Publishing
2765 Truxton Road, San Diego, CA 92106
9781684050970 $19.99 www.idwpublishing.com
Bloom County: Brand Spanking New Day is a new compilation of Bloom County comic strips,
brimming with over-the-top craziness and outright absurdity. From Bill the Cat's helpful advice
about how to tell the difference between a zombie cat and a normal cat (zombie cats don't poop
in a box), to Opus' tryout for the MetLife mascot role, to a sick little boy's adoption of a crippled
shelter dog, Bloom County: Brand Spanking New Day blends wild humor with heartwarming
positive affirmations. Bloom County: Brand Spanking New Day is sure to prove a popular pick
for public library collections, and is highly recommended for personal reading lists or holiday
gift-giving.
Celebrating Snoopy
Charles M. Schulz
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
9781449487881, $75.00, HC, 560pp, www.amazon.com
Cartoonist Charles Schulz is a pop culture legend. He was the hand and heart behind 50 years of
Peanuts, which featured one of the world's most beloved and recognizable cast of cartoon
characters, until his death in 2000. One of the most beloved of those characters was a dog named
Snoopy. Enhanced with the inclusion of a Foreword by Michael Cavna ("ComicRiffs" columnist
for The Washington Post) and an Introduction by Steve Martino (who was the director for The
Peanuts Movie), the publishing firm of Andrews McMeel has published"Celebrating Snoopy", an
elegant boxed hardcover volume that is packed from cover to cover with memorable Snoopy
strips drawn from each of Peanuts' five decades, making this collection not only a heartwarming
tribute, but also a true collector's item. Unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists
of all dedicated Peanuts fans, it should be noted that "Celebrating Snoopy" would be an
enduringly popular and appropriate Memorial Fund acquisition for community and academic
library collections.
Monet: Itinerant of Light
Salva Rubio and EFA
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781681121390 $24.99 amazon.com
Monet: Itinerant of Light is a hardcover, full-color graphic novel biography of Claude Monet
(1840-1926), a founder of French Impressionist painting. Monet's passion for his art estranged
him from established academic and professional channels, because their rigid requirements
stifled his vision. This made it very difficult for Monet to earn a living through his talent; Monet
spent much of his life in poverty, struggling to support his wife and children. In the course of his
life he experienced friendship, love, and tragic loss. Monet: Itinerant of Light takes some mild
poetic license for the sake of storytelling, and is not intended to be a strictly historic biography,
yet its candid and essentially accurate depiction of Monet's life reveals the human side of a
legendary classical artist. Monet: Itinerant of Light is highly recommended, especially for public
library graphic novel collections.
The Audiobook Shelf
Fishing: How the Sea Fed Civilization
Brian Fagan, author
Read by Shaun Grindell
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781541406612 $44.99 www.tantor.com
Archaeologist Brian Fagan presents Fishing: How the Sea Fed Civilization, a fascinating history
of fishing for sustenance (as opposed to fishing for sport). Unlike agriculture, which encouraged
stationary farms, fishing for food pushed individuals and civilizations to search for new and
better fishing grounds. Fishing-related technology prompted the creation of better boats, and fish
itself (when dried and salted) was an excellent, long-lasting source of nutrition for travelers,
traders, and conquering armies. This unabridged audiobook edition of Fishing: How the Sea Fed
Civilization, fluidly read by award-winning audiobook narrator Shaun Grindell, is fascinating,
edifying, and enthusiastically recommended for public library collections and personal audiobook
lists. 11 CDs, 13 hours.
The Assembled Parties
Richard Greenberg
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
$29.95 www.latw.org
The Assembled Parties is a "theater of the mind" audiobook of a full-cast performance of an
award-winning play. The story opens with a Christmas dinner in 1980, shared by a secular, well-
educated Jewish family. Yet buried grudges bubble to the surface, and the legacy of the family's
bitter acrimony is acutely evident twenty years later, in the year 2000, when the dinginess of the
formerly opulent apartment reveals how severely the family fortunes have declined. An intensely
character-driven drama, The Assembled Parties is a choice pick for public library and personal
audiobook collections. 2 CDs, 1 hour 47 min. Also highly recommended is "Seven" (2 CDs, 2
hours 11 min), an audiobook rendition of a theater anthology of seven brief, documentary-plays
by seven different female authors around the globe; each performance is an inspiring true story
about efforts to improve the lives of women.
Lost Boy
Christina Henry, author
Samuel Roukin, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
www.recordedbooks.com
9781501952470, $17.95
On an island lives a boy called Peter and his band of merry lost boys, young forever. That is
unless they get sick or killed by pirates or eaten by crocodiles, or fall victim to the many-eyes, or
unless (inexplicably) they grow old. For some of them do grow old, and nobody knows why. One
of these boys is called Jamie, and he was the first boy that Peter ever brought to the island.
Jamie's lived there for longer than he can remember, and it's not all fun and games. Peter thinks
the boys are replaceable, that if one dies or grows up, he can swap in another from the Other
Place, the place where he collects new playmates. Jamie looks out for the boys and takes care of
them. He does everything Peter does not. Jamie tries to keep them alive because to him they
matter. When Peter steals a boy named Charlie who is too young, Jamie takes the boy under his
wing. But Peter won't have that, for nobody will ever take Jamie from him. Ever. "Lost Boy: The
True Story of Captain Hook" turns the classic fantasy tale of Peter Pan upside down and inside
out, revealing the unforgettable and true origin story of Captain Hook. This complete and
unabridged audio book edition of "Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook" is impressively
narrated by Samuel Roukin and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community
library audio book collections and an absolute 'must' for the legions of fans that have heretofore
only been exposed to a Disney version of Never Never Land and the eternal boy who lives there
still. (7 Discs, 7.75 Hours).
The Lunar Cat
Lynne Truss, author
Mike Grady, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781501967795 (CPO557), $TBA, www.recordedbooks.com
When you are an inoffensive retired librarian with bitter personal experience of Evil Talking
Cats, do you rescue a kitten from the cold on a December night? Do you follow up news items
about cats digging in graveyards? Do you inquire into long-ago cats who voyaged around the
world with Captain Cook? Well, yes. If you are Alec Charlesworth, that is precisely what you
do-with unexpected and terrifying consequences. Superbly narrated by Mike Grady, and
flawlessly produced by Recorded Books, "The Lunar Cat" by Lynne Truss offers an original,
unabridged, and exceptionally entertaining 'theatre of the mind' experience and will prove to be
an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library fantasy fiction audio book
collections. (6 CDs, 6.25 Hours).
The Library CD Shelf
Stardust
Kerani
Kerani Music Production
$15.00 CD / $11.00 download cdbaby.com
Recorded with a symphonic orchestra, a mixed vocal ensemble, and a wide range of synthesizers,
Stardust is a cosmically inspired, space-themed album by award-winning New Age pianist,
keyboardist, and composer Kerani. The sweeping flow of music inspires wonder for the grand
majesty of the universe, in this extraordinary and highly recommended contribution to personal
and public library music collections. The tracks are "Stardust" (6:09), "Cosmic Sunrise" (7:42),
"Rosetta" (8:07), "Perpetuum Mobile" (6:12), "Beyond" (6:25), "The Next Step" (5:16),
"Infinity" (5:49), "Gravity" (6:19), "Worlds Unknown" (6:34), and "Stars (Remix)" (5:31).
From the Darker Seasons
Jeff Pearce
www.jeffpearcemusic.com
Privately Published
$12.97 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com
From the Darker Seasons is an new age album by award-winning music artist Jeff Pearce,
featuring his signature ambient guitar stylings. Inspired by contemplating the seasons of fall and
winter, From the Darker Seasons stirs the soul with its thoughtful reflections on the beauty of
natural renewal through the quieter, colder months. Highly recommended! The tracks are "A
Walk Through the Leaves" (4:13), "Sun on Frost" (2:42), "Constellations" (6:13), "The River in
Late Autumn" (4:57), "Downdrift" (10:31), "Midnight Snow" (4:29), "A Long Winter's Sleep"
(17:45), and "Cold Comfort" (3:29).
Resonance
Peter Kater
New Earth Records
PO Box 3388, Ashland, OR 97520
www.newearthrecords.com
$15.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Resonance is an astonishingly beautiful, instrumental new age album, performed with piano,
synthesizers, gongs, chimes, and sampled strings. Music artist Peter Kater has created a free-
folding soundscape, fluid and moving like waves lapping at the ocean shore. Resonance is a
choice pick for new age connoisseurs, highly recommended. The tracks are "Resonance" (5:17),
"Twilight Star" (6:37), "Echo Inside" (9:00), "Night's Cavern" (9:47), "One Flame" (6:21),
"Venus in Pisces" (9:11), "Rebirth" (9:57), and "Resonance (Reprise)" (3:55).
The Library DVD Shelf
Murder on the Orient Express
Adapted from the novel by Agatha Christie
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$19.99 www.acornonline.com
Murder on the Orient Express is a DVD re-release of the British television adaptation of the
(in)famous murder mystery by celebrated author Agatha Christie. The story follows the intrepid
investigator Hercule Poirot aboard a luxury train. When an unsavory businessman is stabbed to
death, Poirot searches for the culprit. Could the killer have stowed aboard in the night, or could
the killer be one of the train's passengers? A masterpiece of suspense and deduction, Murder on
the Orient Express is a "must" for connoisseurs of the genre, and sure to prove a popular library
lend. 98 min., SDH subtitles.
Gray Matters
A documentary by Marco Orsini
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
Gray Matters is a DVD documentary about Irish architect and furniture designer Eileen Gray
(1878-1976), well known for her pioneering work in modernism. Her striking decorations
designs earned her critical acclaim before she became an architect. Though much of her work
was done privately, her visionary creations have been re-discovered and command extraordinary
market prices today. Gray Matters is a fascinating glimpse into the life of an extraordinarily
talented woman, and is highly recommended especially for public library DVD collections. 76
minutes.
The Philosophy Shelf
What Is Philosophy?
Giorgio Agamben
Stanford University Press
425 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA 94063-3126
www.sup.org
9781503602205, $55.00, HC, 136pp, www.amazon.com
In attempting to answer the question "What Is Philosophy?', Giorgio Agamben (a contemporary
Italian philosopher and political theorist whose works have been translated into numerous
languages) does not address the idea of philosophy itself. Rather, he turns to the apparently most
insignificant of its components: the phonemes, letters, syllables, and words that come together to
make up the phrases and ideas of philosophical discourse. A summa, of sorts, of Agamben's
thought, "What Is Philosophy?" consists of five essays on five emblematic topics: the Voice, the
Sayable, the Demand, the Proem, and the Muse. In keeping with the Agamben's trademark
methodology, each of the individual essays weaves together archaeological and theoretical
investigations: to a patient reconstruction of how the concept of language was invented there
corresponds an attempt to restore thought to its place within the voice; to an unusual
interpretation of the Platonic Idea corresponds a lucid analysis of the relationship between
philosophy and science; and of the crisis that both are undergoing today. In the end, there is no
universal answer to what is an impossible or inexhaustible question, and philosophical writing (a
problem with which Agamben has never ceased to grapple with) assumes the form of a prelude
to a work that must remain unwritten. An impressively thoughtful and thought-provoking read, of
special note is the appendix entry 'The Supreme Music. Music and Politics', as well as the
inclusion of a four page Bibliography and a two page Index. While unreservedly recommended
for both community and academic library Contemporary Philosophy collections, it should be
noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject that "What Is Philosophy?" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781503602212, $18.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.19).
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Hook's Tale
John Leonard Pielmeier
Scribner
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.simonsays.com
9781501161056, $25.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Long defamed as a vicious pirate, Captain James Cook (a.k.a Hook) was in fact a dazzling
wordsmith who left behind a vibrant, wildly entertaining, and entirely truthful memoir. His
chronicle offers a counter narrative to the works of J.M. Barrie, a "dour Scotsman" whose
spurious accounts got it all wrong. Now, award-winning playwright John Pielmeier is proud to
present this crucial historic artifact in its entirety for the first time. Cook's story begins in
London, where he lives with his widowed mother. At thirteen, he runs away from home, but is
kidnapped and pressed into naval service as an unlikely cabin boy. Soon he discovers a treasure
map that leads to a mysterious archipelago called the "Never-Isles" from which there appears to
be no escape. In the course of his adventures he meets the pirates Smee and Starkey, falls in love
with the enchanting Tiger Lily, adopts an oddly affectionate crocodile, and befriends a charming
boy named Peter -- who teaches him to fly. He battles monsters, fights in mutinies, swims with
mermaids, and eventually learns both the sad and terrible tale of his mother's life and the true
story of his father's disappearance. A deftly written and inherently fascinating read from
beginning to end, "Hook's Tale" is unreservedly recommended for community library collections
and is a 'must' for the legions of Never Never Land fans. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that "Hook's Tale" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99). Librarians
should be aware that "Hook's Tale" is also available in a complete and unabridged audio book
edition (Brilliance Audio, 9781543601466, $14.99, MP3).
Chimera
C.D. Bell
Chooseco
www.cyoa.com
www.weregirl.com
9781937133580 $17.99 hc / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com
The sequel to "Weregirl", Chimera: A Weregirl Novel is written especially for young adults, yet
fantasy connoisseurs of all ages will enjoy this character-driven story of a strong-willed teenage
girl who has unexpectedly become a werewolf. In Chimera, Nessa Kurland has gained more
strength and control over her transformations, but her life becomes more complicated when her
mother is arrested by the FBI and held without bail. Anti-wolf sentiment has spread in her
hometown in the wake of wolf attacks, and the shadowy corporation Paravida has unwittingly
released genetically mutated wolves into the woods. At the crux of science and magic, a war is
brewing, with Nessa at the center of the gathering storm! A captivating read with a self-reliant
heroine, Chimera is a choice pick for public library fantasy collections and personal reading lists.
Also highly recommended is the previous novel, "Weregirl" (9781937133559 $17.99 hc / $9.99
Kindle).
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Booking In
Jack Batten
Dundurn
c/o The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
www.dundurn.com
9781459736917, $16.99, PB, 328pp, www.amazon.com
Fletcher Marshall is a Toronto antiquarian book dealer, internationally respected in the business.
One night, someone blows the safe in his office and makes off with the contents, which include
an infamous forged first edition of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese
that is in itself a collector's item. Fletcher, who was still in the process of verifying the book,
doesn't even know whether it was the real thing or a clever forgery (of a forgery). But rather than
summon the cops to investigate the theft, he turns to his pal Crang, the nervy criminal lawyer,
hoping he can retrieve the books before their owner gets wind of the crime. The owner happens
to be the richest woman in Canada and a tough cookie who could ruin Fletcher's career. Crang
gets on the hunt, learning much about the trade in musty books and the lucrative business it
makes for forgers. Just as he seems to be getting close to answers, a shocking development
makes things much more complicated -- and a great deal more dangerous! Another deftly crafted
mystery from the pen of Jack Batten, "Booking In" will prove to be a popular addition to every
community library Mystery/Suspense collection and is a 'must' for fans of the mystery-solving
criminal lawyer. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Booking In" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.38).
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Shooting Better Movies
Paul Dudbridge
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932719, $26.95, PB, 252pp, www.amazon.com
A one-stop film school, "Shooting Better Movies: The Student Filmmakers' Guide" by British
director, producer, cinematographer, and educator Paul Dudbridge is simply packed from cover
to cover with 'real world' practical information, tips, techniques, and advice covering all aspects
of filmmaking as gathered from the author's years of experience working in short films, features,
commercials, and music videos, as well as delivering workshops and lectures to film students of
all ages. Everything the aspiring film maker needs to know, from generating an idea to delivering
a finished film, is accessibly laid out in an informal and easy to read style. Covering everything
from script formatting, choosing lenses, and location scouting, to where best to put the camera to
film your scenes, working with actors, recording sound, and editing your shots, "Shooting Better
Movies" is a complete course of instruction under one cover. While unreservedly recommended
for community and academic library film making instructional reference collections and
supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for film students and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "Shooting Better Movies" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $16.66).
The Fiction Shelf
Pistolero
Paul Bedford
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444830385, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 288pp, www.amazon.com
With his own hand-picked gang, deadly and ruthless gunman Brett Dalton is hired to assassinate
President Ulysses S. Grant as the president embarks on a re-election campaign across the western
states. The President will be travelling via the Union Pacific Railroad, and when his locomotive
stops to take on water at an isolated pumping station, the lethal plot will be launched. With
hostile Lakota also planning to attack the train, it is up to Thaddeus McEvoy, a special
investigator in the newly formed Department of Justice, and his partner Jud Parker, to save
Grant's life. A true master of the western genre, Paul Bedford has written an original and gripping
action/adventure story with "Pistolero" -- a novel that will prove to be an enduringly popular
addition to community library collections generally, and the personal reading lists of all
dedicated western novel fans in particular!
Garrett's Trail To Justice
Terrell L. Bowers
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444830392, $20.99, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Dayton Garrett is a roving trouble-shooter, taking on jobs from town-taming to bringing down a
counterfeiting ring. Charged with searching for a missing child, he fetches up in Shilo, where his
attorney brother Knute provides him with helpful information - and requests a favour in return.
Alyson Walsh has been convicted of murder in a kangaroo court, and faces the noose in two days'
time. Knute wants her broken out of jail while he endeavors to get her a fair trial - and Dayton is
just the man for the job. But what starts out as a simple and relatively straight forward task of
finding a lost child and rescuing an unjustly condemned woman because down right complicated
when Dayton stumbles across a child slavery ring and the pleading eyes of a small girl. A riveting
western of the first order, this large print edition of "Garrett's Trail To Justice" by Terrell L.
Bowers is an especially recommended addition to community library Western Fiction collections
and a 'must' for the personal reading lists of truly dedicated fans of deftly crafted action/adventure
western novels.
The Military Shelf
In the Shadows of Victory II
Thomas D. Phillips
Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612005461 $32.95 hc amazon.com
In the Shadows of Victory II: America's Forgotten Military Leaders, The Spanish-American War
to World War II is the second volume in a series about the accomplishments of great American
military leaders whose achievements have been overshadowed or downplayed in the public's
consciousness. From the end of the 19th century to the mid-20th century, In the Shadows of
Victory II tells the story of 20 worthy yet oft-overlooked individuals. In the Shadows of Victory
II also notes the lesser-known yet exemplary actions of leaders whose particular renown is
closely associated with a specific war (such as John J. Pershing, who is best known for his World
War I service while his leadership in the Philippine Insurrection is largely forgotten). A list of
references, a selected bibliography, and an index round out this welcome contribution to public
and college library military history shelves. Also highly recommended is the first volume of the
series, "In the Shadows of Victory: America's Forgotten Military Leaders, 1776-1876"
(9781612003603, $32.95).
The Gardening Shelf
The Wildlife Gardener
Kate Bradbury
White Owl Books
www.whiteowlbooks.co.uk
c/o Pen & Sword Books (distribution)
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526712899 $29.95 pbk / $19.77 Kindle amazon.com
The Wildlife Gardener is a practical, easy-to-follow guide to creating a helpful habit for wildlife
in one's own garden. Chapters cover how to ensure one's garden provides shelter, food, and water
for natural creatures; the optimal nectar and pollen plants to grow; the do's and don'ts of bird
feeding; organic methods to keep pests under control; and more. Ten step-by-step projects, a mini
field guide to identify the wild creatures attracted to one's garden, and plenty of photographs, The
Wildlife Gardener is a pleasure to browse and highly recommended especially for nature
enthusiasts.
The Biography Shelf
First Founding Father
Harlow Giles Unger
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306825613 $28.00 hc / $18.99 Kindle amazon.com
Journalist, educator, and historian Harlow Giles Unger presents First Founding Father: Richard
Henry Lee and the Call to Independence, a biography of Richard Henry Lee, one of America's
lesser-known yet vital founding fathers. Indeed, Lee is arguably the first Founding Father - he
worked with Samuel Adams to organize intelligence networks to spy on British troop
movements, joined George Washington and Patrick Henry at the First Continental Congress in
Philadelphia to back a total trade embargo on British goods, and made the resolution before
Congress in 1776 to sever ties with Britain. Congress approved Lee's resolution, and dubbed Lee
the Father of American Independence. During the Revolutionary War, Lee almost singlehandedly
supervised the fledgling American nation's military, foreign, and financial affairs, doing his best
to secure Washington's troops the supplies they needed. Despite his crippled hand, Lee personally
went into battle to stop a British landing along Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. After the Revolution,
Lee won election to the U.S. Senate and fought to amend the Constitution with a Bill of Rights to
limit federal powers and secure the people's liberty. Researched and indexed with scholarly
accuracy, yet accessible to readers of all background, First Founding Father is highly
recommended especially for public and college library biography collections.
The Music Shelf
Completing the Circle
Bud Beyer
GIA Publications, Inc.
7404 South Mason Avenue, Chicago, IL 60638
www.giamusic.com
9781622771035, $19.95, PB, 196pp, www.amazon.com
"Completing the Circle" is amazing and practical account based upon author Bud Beyer's years of
experience while working with musicians from around the world and beginning with
Northwestern's own legendary conductor, John Paynter. The topics covered in "Completing the
Circle" include musicianship as communication, memorization, the art of practice, the act of
performance, and the connections between musicians and audiences. Central to "Completing the
Circle" are the creative exercises specifically designed to help musicians reconnect emotionally
to themselves, to their colleagues, to their work, and to their audiences. An impressively
informative and exceptionally well written, organized and presented study, "Completing the
Circle" is a truly remarkable and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and academic library American Music History collections and supplemental studies
reading lists.
The Travel Shelf
Japan Traveler's Companion
Rob Goss
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805313886, $16.95, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Rob Goss is an award-winning British writer and long-term Tokyo resident focusing on Japan,
travel writing, and creative writing that ranges from short fiction to short-form poetry. In "Japan
Traveler's Companion: Japan's Most Famous Sights From Okinawa to Hokkaido" he draws upon
his years of experience and expertise to shows tourists and other visitors where to experience the
country's rich culinary traditions, pop culture, Samurai heritage, and so much more. Delving
beyond the scope of traditional guidebooks, "Japan Traveler's Companion" showcases the
insider's Japan, offering detailed itineraries for each region as well as: Information on the
country's 100 most important tourist sights, including 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites;
Illustrated introductions to Japanese cuisine, popular culture, and Samurai history; A map of each
region with suggested walks; Tips for getting off the beaten path and finding Japan's
lesser-known treasures, such as the contemporary "art island" of Naoshim and Yakushima's
breathtaking flora and fauna. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with hundreds fo
full color photos, "Japan Traveler's Companion" is an ideal resource to plan truly memorable
experiences with the culture, history, and beauty of the Japanese islands. A fascinating and
informative browse for the armchair traveler, "Japan Traveler's Companion" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, community, and academic library World Travel instructional
reference and guide book collections.
The Parenting Shelf
Raise Your Kids to Succeed
Chris Palmer
Rowman & Littlefield
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781475829839, $59.99, HC, 168pp, www.amazon.com
Chris Palmer is a father, speaker, author, and wildlife film producer, who gives speeches and
workshops on a variety of topics, including how to achieve success and productivity, how to
parent effectively, and how to motivate and engage students. In "Raise Your Kids to Succeed:
What Every Parent Should Know" he lays out a thoroughly 'parent friendly' instruction manual
that is deftly organized into three major sections: Create a Strong Foundation for Learning; Give
Your Child a Head Start at Home; Support Your Child at School. Of special note is what Palmer
offers concerning helping a child resist bullying, the importance of reading with a child, creating
family traditions and rituals. Impressively informed and informative, exceptionally well written,
organized and presented, "Raise Your Kids to Succeed: What Every Parent Should Know" also
includes six pages of Notes and an eight page Index. While unreservedly recommended for both
community and academic library Parenting instructional reference collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Raise Your Kids to Succeed: What Every Parent Should Know" is
also available in a paperback edition (9781475829846, $27.00) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.49).
The Automotive Shelf
Professional Driving Techniques, fifth edition
Anthony J. Scotti
PhotoGraphics Publishing
www.securitydriver.com
9780982973035, $22.95, PB, 298pp, www.amazon.com
"Professional Driving Techniques" by Anthony J. Scotti is an impressively well written,
organized and presented instructional textbook that walks you step by step through the intricacies
of the Driving System -- the Driver, the Vehicle and the Driving Environment. You'll learn how
to maintain your vehicle (and its driver) in optimum condition for taking to the road, and how to
maintain vehicle control in both everyday and emergency situations in a variety of road and
weather conditions. Newly added for this updated and expanded features for this fifth edition
include: Crash Prevention Systems; Tire Pressure Monitoring; Security; Potholes Covers; How to
recognize the five major accident situations and the human and mechanical failures that usually
cause them. Of special note are the sections on: The basics of vehicle dynamics and why the
vehicle sometimes does what it wants to do, not what the driver wants it to; The finer points of
vehicle control in everyday driving (timing, maneuvering, spotting hazards) and in emergency
situations such as when there are five seconds or less between the driver and a potentially serious
situation; How to operate the controls with precision, accuracy, and in the proper sequence; The
necessity of both mental and physical readiness and the adverse effects of fatigue and stress;
Road Rage, Braking and Traction Systems, including Electronic Stability Control, Air Bags, Seat
Belts and Child Safety Seats; plus Safe Driving and Auto Maintenance Tips. "Professional
Driving Techniques" is an ideal driver education curriculum textbook. Also very highly
recommended for driver education curriculums is Anthony Scotti's "Driver's Education Teacher's
Guide For Use With Professional Driving Techniques" (9780979381324, $35.00).
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