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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Spotting Danger Before It Spots You
Gary Quesenberry
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
9781594397370, $18.95, PB, 172pp
https://www.amazon.com/Spotting-Danger-Before-Spots-You/dp/1594397376
Synopsis: Spotting danger before it happens is an essential survival skill that can be developed and may even save your
life. It is a three part process that includes: Understanding the threat; Building situational awareness; Developing
personal defenses.
According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, there were an estimated 1.25 million violent crimes committed in the
United States in 2018. Make no mistake; in a world filled with crime and violence, you are your own last line of
defense.
In "Spotting Danger Before It Spots You: Build Situational Awareness To Stay Safe", author Gary Quesenberry breaks
down the basic techniques necessary to help you develop good situational awareness and increase your levels of
personal safety. Gary calls upon his extensive background as a Federal Air Marshal and defensive tactics instructor to
explain these methods in simple terms that will greatly improve your general understanding of how, when and where
violence occurs. He will then take the next critical step -- providing you with the tools you need to properly identify and
evade danger before it ever has a chance to materialize.
"Spotting Danger Before It Spots You" covers: The common traits of predatory behavior; How to conduct a personal
"safety check"; How to develop strong awareness skills; What to do when you spot potential trouble; Staying safe and
living life free of worry and fear.
Critique: A thoroughly 'user friendly', DIY instructional guide and manual, "Spotting Danger Before It Spots You:
Build Situational Awareness To Stay Safe" is a timely and appropriate acquisition for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Martial Arts and Personal Security collections and supplemental studies
curriculums. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Spotting Danger Before It Spots You: Build Situational
Awareness To Stay Safe" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Gary Quesenberry is a US Army veteran and a career Federal Air Marshal. As a defensive tactics trainer
for Federal and civilian services, he has devoted his life to studying the areas of violence and predatory behavior. Gary
serves as the CEO of Q-Series LLC and has developed numerous basic and advanced level training courses focused on
mental toughness, marksmanship, and defensive tactics. As a competitive pistol shooter, Gary has been featured on the
History Channel's hit television series Top Shot - Season 3 and Top Shot All-Stars. He has an extensive background in
domestic and foreign counter-terror training and has worked in both the private and corporate sectors to help educate
others on the importance of situational awareness, and personal safety.
Pure Space
Elisa Silva
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
355 Lexington Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10017
http://actar.com
9781948765428, $39.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Space-Expanding-Transformations-Settlements/dp/194876542X
Synopsis: "Pure Space: Expanding the Public Sphere through Public Space Transformations in Latin American
Spontaneous Settlements " by Elisa Silva may seem a simple accumulation of twenty-one public space projects in eight
Latin American cities. On closer inspection, the presentation of project descriptions, photographs, and annotated
drawings reflects a concern to analytically explain the operative aspects at work.
"Pure Space" is not intended to serve only as a catalogue, guide, or manual on how to produce public space in
spontaneous settlements. Rather, it goes beyond the aims of an index of best practices. It is intended, instead, as an
empirical base for a critical and theoretical engagement with the problematic of development, social inclusion, public
investment, (in)formal settlement, civil society and the public sphere.
"Pure Space" achieves its final function at this third level, by providing a compelling argument to expand the agency of
architects and urban designers and creatively find ways of justifying, financing, and building public spaces in
communities -- spaces that have a catalytic effectiveness in achieving significant urban and social transformation.
Critique: A meticulously presented, informed and informative study, "Pure Space: Expanding the Public Sphere
through Public Space Transformations in Latin American Spontaneous Settlements" is a seminal and extraordinary
volume that is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, corporate, college and
university library Urban Planning Studies & Latin American Architectural Studies collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Elisa Silva is director and founder of Enlace Arquitectura 2007 and Enlace Foundation 2017,
established in Caracas, Venezuela. Projects focus on raising awareness of spatial inequality and the urban environment
through public space, the integration of informal settlements and community engagement in rural landscapes. Public
space interventions in informal settlements through didactic and participatory methodologies are central to the firm s
practice and were awarded in the XX Architecture and Urbanism Biennial in Valparaiso, Chile 2017.
The Organ Thieves
Chip Jones
Gallery Books/Jeter Publishing
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781982107529, $28.00, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Organ-Thieves-Shocking-Transplant-Segregated/dp/1982107529
Synopsis: In 1968, Bruce Tucker, a black man, went into Virginia's top research hospital with a head injury, only to
have his heart taken out of his body and put into the chest of a white businessman.
Now, in "The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South", journalist
Chip Jones exposes the horrifying inequality surrounding Tucker's death and how he was used as a human guinea pig
without his family's permission or knowledge.
The circumstances surrounding his death reflect the long legacy of mistreating African Americans that began more than
a century before with cadaver harvesting and worse. It culminated in efforts to win the heart transplant race in the late
1960s.
Featuring years of research and fresh reporting, "The Organ Thieves" is a story that resonates now more than ever, when
issues of race and healthcare are the stuff of headlines and horror stories.
Critique: A revelatory piece of investigative journalism, "The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart
Transplant in the Segregated South" exposes the dark underbelly of racism as it is to be found in American medicine --
and why so many members of today's Black American community are hesitant to entrust their health and well-being to
the American medical profession -- even in this time of pandemic.
While absolutely and irrevocably recommended for all community and college/university library American Medical
History collections in general, and 20th Century African-American History supplemental curriculum studies, it should
be noted for personal reading lists that "The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the
Segregated South" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged
audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781797108322, $44.99, CD).
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
27 Essential Principles of Story
Daniel Joshua Rubin
Workman Publishing Company
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4381
www.workman.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781523507160, $19.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle, $39.99 Audio CD, 374pp
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Principles-Story-Storytelling-Shakespeare/dp/1664460829
Synopsis: Experienced author Daniel Joshua Rubin unlocks the secrets of what makes a story work and then shows
aspiring writers just how to understand and use these principles in their own writing. The result is nothing short of an
invaluable and practical writing resource that covers such literary issues as: Escalating risk (with an example from Pulp
Fiction); Writing characters to the top of their intelligence (from the Eminem song "Stan"); Earning transformations
(draw from Alison Bechdel's Fun Home); Attacking your theme (from The Brothers Karamazov).
Critique: Expertly written and a thoroughly 'user friendly' DIY instructional guide and 'how to' manual, "27 Essential
Principles of Story: Master the Secrets of Great Storytelling, from Shakespeare to South Park" is essentially a master
class in the art of written down storytelling and should be a part of every aspiring writer's reference shelf. While
unreservedly recommended for both community and college/university library Writing/Publishing collections, it should
be noted for personal reading lists that "27 Essential Principles of Story is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781664460829, $39.99, CD).
The Cookbook Shelf
Sustainable Kitchen
Heather Wolfe & Jaynie McCloskey
Herald Press
P.O. Box 866, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
www.heraldpress.com
9781513805818, $32.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sustainable-Kitchen-Heather-Jaynie-McCloskey/dp/1513805819
Synopsis: The collaborative work of Heather Wolfe and Jaynie McCloskey, "Sustainable Kitchen" will substantially aid
in cooking more healthfully, eating more sustainably, and living more faithfully.
We all know that daily food choices help or harm our bodies, families, communities, and planet. But its not always easy
to find resources that enable us to grow, shop for, prepare, cook, and eat food in ways that connect us to our
"Sustainable Kitchen" is the result of years of practical experience in holistic nutrition, health coaching, homesteading,
and scratch cooking to this practical guide for home cooks.
Abundant gifts of flavor, nourishment, and community shine through in this culinary handbook for those seeking to
prepare plant-based, planet-conscious meals their families will love. Vibrant color photographs and tantalizing step-by-
step recipes empower home cooks to: Cook using local, seasonally available foods Find flexibility in recipes Prepare
nourishing foods from scratch Decrease food waste and conserve energy Limit processed, refined foods Eat a
plant-based diet Reflect on food choices that matter.
Critique: Comprised of nourishing and tasty recipes that range from Split Pea Vegetable Stew; Winter Wheat Berry
Bowl with Agrodoce Sauce; Crispy Roasted Chickpeas; and Sprouted Wheat Crust Pizza; to End-of-Summer Quiche;
Cruciferous Cranberry Crunch Salad; Chipotle Pumpkin Chili; and Seitan Piccata, "Sustainable Kitchen" will prove to
be an immediately welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to personal, professional, and community library
cookbook collections. It should be noted for the family cook that "Sustainable Kitchen" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Jaynie McCloskey is a freelance graphic designer with a degree from The Ohio State University. She is
a self-taught cook and attributes her guidance to the generous food bloggers who shared their skills, knowledge, and
photography. Heather Wolfe is a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified health coach. Wolfe earned degrees from
the University of Vermont and The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. She has been providing
nutritional counseling at Dartmouth-Hitchcock since 2006 and health coaching for their employee wellness program
since 2009.
The Education Shelf
Teacher's Survival Guide: Gifted Education
Julia Link Roberts, author
Julia Roberts Baggess, author
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781646320714, $29.95, PB, 250pp
https://www.amazon.com/Teachers-Survival-Guide-First-Year-Introduction/dp/1646320719
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition "Teacher's Survival Guide: Gifted Education" is packed
from cover to cover with practical information, up-to-date resources, tips for success, and advice from experts in the
field.
"Teacher's Survival Guide: Gifted Education" is the perfect introduction to gifted education for beginning and early
career educators and provides field-tested, proven strategies. "Teacher's Survival Guide: Gifted Education" is
specifically designed to help classroom teachers build their understanding of gifted education and gifted learners and
covers topics essential to gifted education teachers, including identifying giftedness and encouraging creativity. Of
special note is the inclusion of practical tips for providing resources and opportunities to spur talent development.
Each chapter features a key question, making this instructional guide and manual ideal for an engaging in-service
curriculum book study, as well as a source of survival tips and a survival toolkit of resources to keep readers on course
as they navigate through gifted ed.
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in commentary, organization and presentation, "Teacher's Survival Guide: Gifted
Education" is an extraordinary and impressively useful DIY addition to personal, professional, school district, college,
and university library Teacher Education collections.
Editorial Note: Julia Link Roberts, Ed.D., and Julia (Julie) Roberts Boggess have worked with gifted students in many
roles: elementary teacher, middle school teacher, director of summer camps for gifted kids, librarian, and parent of
gifted kids. This mother-daughter team stays current in gifted education through their involvement at the local, state,
national, and international levels.
Chasing Aces in Middle-grade Math
Phil Atkinson, author
Pat Bochnak, illustrator
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
www.atlantic-pub.com
9781620237199, $24.95, PB, 96pp
https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Aces-Middle-School-Math/dp/1620237199
Synopsis: For most middle schoolers, math doesn't stand out as their favorite subject. It isn't as active as P.E. and can
feel useless in the real world. Included within is a lens of over 65 concepts embedded in 13 lessons to provide optimum
cross-curriculum learning, an excellent resource for home schoolers, public schoolers, and private schoolers alike.
The collaborative work of middle school math teacher Phil Atkinson and artist/illustrator Pat Bochnak, "Chasing Aces
in Middle-grade Math: A Guide to Teaching Through the Lens of Disc Golf" proves that math can be fun and
demonstrates how useful it is throughout our lives. Using the game of disc golf, teachers will discover new ways to
incorporate math problems in, and out, of the classroom.
Students will be introduced to math, science, and technology concepts that will require them to think outside the box.
By providing innovative exercises for students to attempt, they are given the opportunity to give math a second try.
Critique: Thoroughly kid (and teacher!) friendly in organization and presentation, "Chasing Aces in Middle-grade
Math: A Guide to Teaching Through the Lens of Disc Golf" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to
school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections in general, and middle school level
mathematics curriculums in particular. It should be noted that "Chasing Aces in Middle-grade Math: A Guide to
Teaching Through the Lens of Disc Golf" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.95).
College Success for Students With Learning Disabilities
Cynthia Simpson & Vicky Spencer
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781646320455, $19.95, PB, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/College-Success-Students-Learning-Disabilities/dp/164632045X
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded section edition, "College Success for Students With Learning
Disabilities: A Planning and Advocacy Guide for Teens With LD, ADHD, ASD, and More" by the team of Cynthia
Simpson and Vicky Spancer offers students and their parents the knowledge, guidance, and strategies they need to
effectively choose a college, prepare for university life, and make the most of their collegiate experience.
This newly revised edition of "College Success for Students With Learning Disabilities": Outlines the rights and
responsibilities of students with learning disabilities; Gives advice on talking to professors and peers, getting involved,
and asking for and receiving accommodations; Helps students utilize their strengths to meet and exceed academic
standards; Provides additional information on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and ADHD; Includes a handy guide to
universities with special programs and advice from current college students with disabilities.
Planning for college can be one of the biggest moments in any student's life, but for students with disabilities, the
experience can be challenging on many different levels. "College Success for Students With Learning Disabilities" will
empower future students and provide them with hope for success.
Synopsis: Expertly written, exceptionally well organized, and accessible presented, "College Success for Students With
Learning Disabilities: A Planning and Advocacy Guide for Teens With LD, ADHD, ASD, and More" is especially
recommended for personal, professional, highschool counselor, and community library College Placement information
resources collections.
Editorial Note: Cynthia G. Simpson, Ph.D., is the former Vice President of Academic Affairs at Houston Baptist
University and currently serves as an educational consultant in higher education with a focus on special education and
accreditation issues. Vicky G. Spencer, Ph.D., is an associate professor and director of the Graduate Program in Applied
Behavior Analysis at Shenandoah University.
Islamophobia in Higher Education
Shafiqa Ahmadi & Darnell Cole
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781620369746, $125.00, HC, 180pp
https://www.amazon.com/Islamophobia-Higher-Education-Discrimination-Understanding/dp/1620369745
Synopsis: Islamophobia is the fear, hatred of, or prejudice against the Islamic religion or Muslims generally, and
especially when seen as a geopolitical force or the source of terrorism.
While Islamophobia was present in our society before 9/11, it has become more pervasive in recent years. This is
evidenced by the current social and political climate, hate speech and hate crimes directed at Muslims, and the Supreme
Court's upholding of Presidential Proclamation 645 that effectively bans Muslim immigration from coming to the U.S.
What does this mean for Muslim students in college, and indeed for institutions of higher education as they navigate
law and policy on the one hand and adhere to their mission of achieving inclusive and equitable educational
environments on the other?
Two thirds of Muslims in the U.S. are vexed with current policy, and there has been an alarming increase in reports of
bigotry and discrimination against them since the 2016 presidential elections. The fear of Islam, in general, and
Muslims, specifically, not only compels non-Muslims to differentially treat Muslims, but also trade some of their own
civil rights and civil liberties under the guise of national security.
To address these issues, institutions require a nuanced understanding of laws and policies that institutionalize
Islamophobia, and a greater understanding of the diverse college students that identify as Muslim. "Islamophobia in
Higher Education: Combating Discrimination and Creating Understanding" fills what has been a dearth of research that
explores the experiences and navigation of Muslim students in colleges and universities, and addresses the even less
studied domain of the experiences of Muslim students who hold multiple marginalized identities (such as race,
ethnicity, and LGBTQ status) as well as the intersection of those identities that may create multiple burdens of
oppression and discrimination.
"Islamophobia in Higher Education: Combating Discrimination and Creating Understanding" begins by critically
engaging with how current laws and policies institutionalize Islamophobia and affect the intersectionality and diversity
within the Muslim community. It includes multidisciplinary voices, such as an international human rights attorney, a
civil rights attorney, a criminal law attorney, student affairs practitioners, and research faculty whose work on this
marginalized student population are traditionally not recognized within academic settings; and brings the voices of
female Muslim scholars to the fore. Each chapter includes a critical analysis of the literature, a legal analysis when
appropriate, a set of recommendations for policy and practice, and discussion questions.
Critique: A seminal work of documented and expertly presented scholarship, "Islamophobia in Higher Education:
Combating Discrimination and Creating Understanding" is the collaborative editorial work of Shafiqa Ahmadi (an
Associate Professor of Clinical Education at the Rossier School of Education (Rossier) and the Co-Director for the
Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice) and Dr. Darnell Cole (Associate Professor of Education with an
emphasis in higher education and education psychology) and comprised of eight informative articles by experts in their
respective fields. Enhanced for academia with a listing of the contributors and their credentials, along with an eight
page index, "Islamophobia in Higher Education: Combating Discrimination and Creating Understanding" is a critically
important, timely, and unreservedly recommended addition to both college and university library Higher Education
Administration, College & University Student Life, and Education Administration collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists that "Islamophobia in Higher Education: Combating Discrimination and Creating Understanding" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9781620369753, $29.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45).
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
What Birds Eat
Kim Long
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134-1161
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680513004, $24.95, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/What-Birds-Eat-Preserve-Behavior/dp/1680513001
Synopsis: The more than 900 bird species in North America have natural diets ranging from seeds, foliage, nectar, and
nuts to fish, insects, crustaceans, carrion, and mammals -- and sometimes other birds!
"What Birds Eat: How to Preserve the Natural Diet and Behavior of North American Birds" by Kim Long explores the
senses that birds depend on (sight, sound, odor, taste, and touch) and their food ingestion. Extensive feeding profiles
then detail what various species eat naturally and how we can support those diets in backyards and feeders.
"What Birds Eat" enriches our understanding, allowing us to engage more meaningfully with birds along the way.
Critique: Profusely illustrated in full color throughout, "What Birds Eat: How to Preserve the Natural Diet and Behavior
of North American Birds" is a comprehensively informative survey that is impressively organized and throughly 'reader
friendly' in presentation. Enhanced for academia and dedicated ornithologists, "What Birds Eat: How to Preserve the
Natural Diet and Behavior of North American Birds" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Aviary Wildlife and Bird Field Guide collections.
Editorial Note: Kim Long is a naturalist and the author or co-author of 22 books, including Owls (1998),
Hummingbirds (1997), and The Moon Almanac (2018). He also maintains an informative website at:
www.WhatBirdsEat.com.
Great Gray Owl: A Visual Natural History
Paul Bannick
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134-1161
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680513356, $18.95, HC, 128pp
Synopsis: The Great Gray Owl (also known as the Phantom of the North, Great, Gray Ghost, and Bearded Owl) is one
of the largest owl species and lives in the western mountains and boreal regions of North America.
With "Great Gray Owl: A Visual Natural History", award-winning author and photographer Paul Bannick delves into
the natural history of this owl species, including the latest research, providing readers with comprehensive yet
accessible looks at their preferred habitat, hunting and feeding behavior, mating and nesting actions, owlets and
fledglings, and more.
Bannick's unique and gorgeous full color photographic owl images are enhanced by additional images of the owls'
habitats and other species that share the Great Gray ecosystems. Throughout each narrative, his time in the field
observing and photographing these enigmatic birds comes to life in evocative, experiential passages.
Critique: Also very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Aviary
Wildlife collections is Paul Bannick's companion book, "Snowy Owl: A Visual Natural History" (Mountaineers Books,
9781680513158, $18.95, HC, 128pp). "Great Gray Owl" and "Snowy Owl" are two visually spectacular and
informatively captioned photographic compendiums that are a pure delight to browse through and a 'must' for the
growing legions of birdwatching enthusiasts and ornithologists.
The Reign of Wolf 21
Rick McIntyre
Greystone Books
www.greystonebooks.com
9781771645249, $26.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Reign-Wolf-Yellowstones-Legendary-Yellowstone/dp/1771645245
Synopsis: "The Reign of Wolf 21: The Saga of Yellowstone's Legendary Druid Pack" is the dramatic true story of a
remarkable wolf pack leader known as Wolf 21.
In this compelling wildlife study, author Rick McIntyre profiles one of Yellowstone's most revered alpha males, Wolf
21. Leader of the Druid Peak Pack, Wolf 21 was known for his unwavering bravery, his unusual benevolence (unlike
other alphas, he never killed defeated rival males), and his fierce commitment to his mate, the formidable Wolf 42.
Wolf 21 and Wolf 42 were attracted to each other the moment they met -- but Wolf 42's jealous sister interfered
viciously in their relationship. After an explosive insurrection within the pack, the two wolves came together at last as
leaders of the Druid Peak Pack, which dominated the park for more than 10 years.
In "The Reign of Wolf 21", McIntyre deftly recounts the pack's fascinating saga with compassion and a keen eye for
detail, drawing on his many years of experience observing Yellowstone wolves in the wild. His outstanding work of
science writing offers unparalleled insight into wolf behavior and Yellowstone's famed wolf reintroduction project.
"The Reign of Wolf 21" also offers an inherently fascinating and authentic wildlife love story.
Critique: Impressively informative, expertly written, organized and presented, "The Reign of Wolf 21: The Saga of
Yellowstone's Legendary Druid Pack" is an extraordinary story of an extraordinary wolf pack lead by an extraordinary
alpha male -- and one that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as both
community and college/university library Contemporary Wildlife collections.
Editorial Note: Rick McIntyre has spent more than fifty years watching wolves in America's national parks, twenty-five
of those years in Yellowstone, where he has accumulated over 100,000 wolf sightings and educated the public about the
park's most famous wolves. He has spoken about the Yellowstone wolves with 60 Minutes, NPR, and CBC, and he is
profiled extensively in Nate Blakeslee's American Wolf and in international publications.
Second-Chance Cats
Callie Smith Grant, editor
Revell
www.RevellBooks.com
9780800735722 $14.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Second-Chance-Cats-True-Stories-Rescue/dp/0800735722
Synopsis: There's no feeling quite like that of getting a second chance and a fresh start. When we adopt a homeless
cat--or that cat decides to adopt us--we're not just giving one of earth's most beautiful and inscrutable creatures a chance
at a good life, we're giving ourselves the gift of companionship, solace, and love. And plenty of laughter too!
This heartwarming collection includes more than 30 true, contemporary stories told by a variety of writers, including
Melody Carlson, Lauraine Snelling, and Kristin Billerbeck. Each feel-good story involves cat rescue, some in a typical
way and others in surprising--even miraculous--ways. Sometimes the question becomes: Really, who rescued
whom?
A thoughtful gift for the cat lover in your life, Second-Chance Cats is the purrfect companion for cozy nights, lazy
weekends, and any time you need a pick-me-up.
Critique: Second-Chance Cats is a wonderful anthology of true stories about choosing to share one's life with an animal
in desperate need of a home, and the joys of love and companionship obtained in return. Emotional and inspirational,
Second-Chance Cats is a must-read for animal lovers, and makes an excellent gift as well. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that Second-Chance Cats is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
The Economic Studies Shelf
When More Is Not Better
Roger L. Martin
www.rogerlmartin.com
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781647820060, $30.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/When-More-Not-Better-Overcoming/dp/1647820065
Synopsis: For its first two hundred years, the American economy exhibited truly impressive performance. The
combination of democratically elected governments and a capitalist system worked, with ever-increasing levels of
efficiency spurred by division of labor, international trade, and scientific management of companies. By the nation's
bicentennial celebration in 1976, the American economy was the envy of the world.
But since then, outcomes have changed dramatically. Growth in the economic prosperity of the average American
family has slowed to a crawl, while the wealth of the richest Americans has skyrocketed. This imbalance threatens the
American democratic capitalist system and our way of life.
"When More Is Not Better: Overcoming America's Obsession with Economic Efficiency" by Roger L. Martin is bracing
yet constructive book in which a world-renowned business thinker starkly outlines the fundamental problem: We have
treated the economy as a machine, pursuing ever-greater efficiency as an inherent good. But efficiency has become too
much of a good thing. Our obsession with it has inadvertently shifted the shape of our economy, from a large middle
class and smaller numbers of rich and poor (think of a bell-shaped curve) to a greater share of benefits accruing to a thin
tail of already-rich Americans (a Pareto distribution).
With lucid analysis and engaging anecdotes, Martin argues that we must stop treating the economy as a perfectible
machine and shift toward viewing it as a complex adaptive system in which we seek a fundamental balance of
efficiency with resilience. To achieve this, we need to keep in mind the whole while working on the component parts;
pursue improvement, not perfection; and relentlessly tweak instead of attempting to find permanent solutions.
Critique: Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, packed from cover to cover with keen economic
insight and advice for citizens, executives, policy makers, and educators, "When More Is Not Better" is a timely and
must-read guide for saving democratic capitalism -- especially in view of the present economic collapse initiated by the
current pandemic. While an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university
library Contemporary Economics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students,
academia, corporate executives, economists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"When More Is Not Better" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.49).
Editorial Note: Roger L. Martin is Professor of Strategic Management, Emeritus, at the University of Toronto's Rotman
School of Management, where he served as Dean (1998 - 2013) and as Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute (2013
- 2019). In 2017 Thinkers50 named him the world's #1 management thinker. He has published eleven books, including
Creating Great Choices with Jennifer Riel and Playing to Win with A.G. Lafley, as well as many Harvard Business
Review articles. Martin is a trusted strategy adviser to the CEOs of many global companies. He maintains a web site at
www.rogerlmartin.com and can be followed on Twitter at twitter.com/RogerLMartin
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
John Badham On Directing, second edition
John Badham
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933167, $28.95, PB, 220pp
https://www.amazon.com/John-Badham-Directing-Notes-Saturday/dp/1615933166
Synopsis: John MacDonald Badham (born August 25, 1939) is an English-born American director of film and
television, best known for the films Saturday Night Fever (1977), Dracula (1979), Blue Thunder (1983), WarGames
(1983), Short Circuit (1986), and Stakeout (1987).
Action and suspense movies have almost always been made by 'seat of the pants' with film makers crafting their
cinemas on gut instinct and intuition their innate talent often leads them to exciting results. In "John Badham On
Directing", Badham examines and explains the elements of action and suspense that are needed to make a great film.
Badham also dissects the elements of any good scene from any genre of film and gives valuable tools that the reader can
apply in directing and acting for maximum impact.
This newly updated and expanded second edition features a brand new section: The Director's Survival Guide to
Episodic Television and explores the political danger zones faced in the ever expanding world of Streaming, Cable and
Network television. Badham has created a much needed First Aid Kit for all directors and the newly expanded list of
"14 Must Ask Questions Before Rehearsal" - an absolute essential in any filmmakers toolbox.
Intended for actors, directors, cinematographers, production designers or other creatives, Badham gives you the tools to
deconstruct and understand your scenes. Continuing the work begun in Badham's best-selling book "I'll Be In My
Trailer" he shares more insights from talented directors on how they work with the difficult actor, rehearsal techniques
and getting the best performance from any actor whether novice or pro.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "John Badham On Directing" would make an ideal curriculum
textbook for directorial film classes and should be considered essential reading for anyone wanting to successfully craft
a movie from a writer's script. While an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
film school, community, and academic library Film/Television/Video/Movie Direction & Production collections, it
should be noted for the personal reading lists of film students, academia, aspiring film directors, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "John Badham On Directing" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $28.95).
The General Fiction Shelf
Something Worth Doing
Jane Kirpatrick
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800739249, $29.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Something-Worth-Doing-Jane-Kirkpatrick/dp/0800739248
Synopsis: Although a deftly crafted and riveting work of fiction by Jane Kirpatrick, "Something Worth Doing" is based
on the true story of pioneer Abigail Scott who denies herself the joys of a simpler life to achieve her dream of securing
rights for women, because running a controversial newspaper and leading suffrage efforts in the Northwest carries a
great personal cost.
Critique: An impressively entertaining novel, "Something Worth Doing" carries a relevant underlying message that is
appropriate for this present era of the #MeToo movement and the striving of women voters to restore decency and
competency to a heretofore male gender dominate society and culture. While especially and unreservedly recommended
for any and all community library general fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Something Worth Doing" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780800736118, $15.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Jubilee
Jennifer Givhan
Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781538556771, $25.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jubilee-Novel-Jennifer-Givhan/dp/1538556774
Synopsis: When Bianca appears late one night at her brother's house in Santa Ana, she is barely conscious, though not
alone. Jubilee, wrapped in a fuzzy pink romper, is buckled into a car seat. Jubilee, who Bianca feeds and clothes and
bathes and loves. Jubilee, who Bianca could not leave behind. Jubilee, a doll in her arms.
Told in alternating points of view, Jubilee reveals both the haunting power of our lived experiences and the surreal
possibility of the present to heal the past.
The first thread, ''Before Jubilee,'' follows Bianca in her girlhood home on the Mexicali border as she struggles with her
high school sweetheart, Gabe, and a secret they've shared since she was fifteen.
The second thread, With Jubilee, is told from the point of view of her new love, Joshua, who along with Bianca's family
helps her cope with a mysterious trauma by accepting Jubilee as part of the family. As Joshua's love for Bianca grows,
he fears that Jubilee has the power to tear his tiny family apart.
Alternating chapters give readers a unique perspective on Bianca's present and on her relationship with Jubilee as her
past life with Gabe comes to a catastrophic end.
Jubilee is at once a darkly suspenseful psychological drama and a luminous reflection on how beauty emerges from
even the most traumatic of experiences.
Critique: An elegantly crafted novel by an author with an impressive set of narrative driven storytelling skills, Jennifer
Givhan's "Jubille" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and
college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Jubille" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Out of Mesopotamia
Salar Abdoh
Akashic Books
232 Third Street, #A115, Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.akashicbooks.com
www.dreamscapeab.com/audiobooks
9781617758607, $26.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Out-Mesopotamia-Salar-Abdoh/dp/1617758604
Synopsis: Saleh, the narrator of "Out of Mesopotamia" by Salar Abdoh, is a middle-aged Iranian journalist who
moonlights as a writer for one of Iran's most popular TV shows but cannot keep himself away from the front lines in
neighboring Iraq and Syria. There, the fight against the Islamic State is a proxy war, an existential battle, a declaration
of faith, and, for some, a passing weekend affair.
After weeks spent dodging RPGs, witnessing acts of savagery and stupidity, Saleh returns to civilian life in Tehran but
finds it to be an unbearably dislocating experience. Pursued by his official handler from state security, opportunistic
colleagues, and the woman who broke his heart, Saleh has reason to again flee from everyday life. Surrounded by men
whose willingness to achieve martyrdom both fascinates and appalls him, Saleh struggles to make sense of himself and
the turmoil in his midst.
An unprecedented glimpse into "endless war" from a Middle Eastern perspective, "Out of Mesopotamia" follows in the
tradition of the Western canon of martial writers but then subverts and expands upon the genre before completely
blowing it apart. Drawing from his firsthand experience of being embedded with Shia militias on the ground in Iraq and
Syria, author Salar Abdoh gives agency to the voiceless while offering a meditation on war that is moving, humane,
darkly funny, and resonantly true.
Critique: An inherently fascinating read that echoes the devastated and devastating real world conditions of so many
war torn populations in the Middle East, "Out Of Mesopotamia" by Salar Abdoh is one of those novels that will linger
in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. An
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library Contemporary
Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Out Of Mesopotamia" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media,
9781662031649, $22.99, CD).
The Glass House
Beatrice Colin
Flatiron Books
120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271
https://www.flatironbooks.com
9781250152503, $26.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Glass-House-Novel-Beatrice-Colin/dp/125015250X
Synopsis: In 1912 Scotland, Antonia McCulloch's life hasn't gone the way she planned. She and her husband, Malcolm,
have drifted apart; her burgeoning art career came to nothing; and when she looks in the mirror, she sees
disappointment. But at least she will always have Balmarra, her family's grand Scottish estate, and its exquisite glass
house, filled with exotic plants that can take her far away.
When her estranged brother's wife, Cicely Pick, arrives unannounced, with her young daughter and enough trunks to
last the summer, Antonia is instantly suspicious. What besides an inheritance dispute could have brought her glamorous
sister-in-law all the way from India?
Still, Cicely introduces excitement and intrigue into Antonia's life, and, as they get to know one another, Antonia
realizes that Cicely has her own burdens to bear. Slowly, a fragile friendship grows between them. But when the secrets
each are keeping become too explosive to conceal, the truth threatens their uneasy balance and the course of their entire
lives.
Critique: A deftly crafted and absorbing novel populated with a cast of memorable characters and unexpected plot
twists, "The Glass House" by Beatrice Colin is an elegant story by an author with a genuine flair for originality and a
consistently entertaining and narrative driven storytelling style. While especially and unreservedly recommended for
both community and college/university library Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "The Glass House" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
A Cerebral Offer
Ken Janjigian
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama
Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
https://livingstonpress.uwa.edu
9781604892581, $21.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cerebral-Offer-Ken-Janjigian/dp/1604892587
Synopsis: Harry Gnostopolos is frantically trying to keep his beloved indie theater afloat while his frustrated girlfriend
implores him to let it go along with his other neuroses. Harry's fate suddenly changes with the arrival of an old
bohemian friend and an exotic woman who tempt him with a chance to save the theater and his life. All he has to do is
join a subversive cabal of thieves, who have planned a heist that will rewrite history!
Critique: Clearly showcasing author Kan Janjigian's natural flair as a novelist for originality and the kind of narrative
driven storytelling, "A Cerebral Offer" is populated with distinctive and memorable characters embedded in an ever
evolving plot with many and unexpected twist and turn -- making it especially and unreservedly recommended for
personal reading lists, as well as both community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Finding Cassie
Anna Jacobs
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444845518, $TBA, HC, Large Print, 354pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444845518
Synopsis: When the teenage girl who has been hanging around near the house knocks on the door and tells her she's her
granddaughter, Cassandra Bennington is shocked rigid. There's only one way this can be true: if Evie is the daughter of
the baby Cassie gave away for adoption when she was herself a troubled teenager. Is this a trick?
Or is Evie's tale true? When she discovers why the girl has come to find her, it brings a tangle of other problems that
she can't ignore. This was the last thing she expected to be dealing with as she moves into her new home in a leisure
village in Wiltshire.
Critique: Anna Jacobs is the author of eighty novels and is addicted to storytelling. She grew up in Lancashire,
emigrated to Australia in the 1970s and writes stories set in both countries. With "Finding Cassie", she has once again
created a finely crafted novel of romance, family ties, and the human condition. An original and absorbing story, this
large print edition of "Finding Cassie" is very highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community
library collections.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Bad Day In Greenville
Alex Frew
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444844733, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 24pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444844733
Synopsis: Sheriff Joe Flint wakes up to just another day in Greenville. But when you live in a border town in New
Mexico, every day is different, and this is a bad one. Who is the dead man on the mysterious coach that rides into town,
also carrying a badly injured woman and crying child? When Flint tries to investigate, the mystery deepens. He is soon
dragged into a fight for his own life -- but with the help of a stranger, Flint learns to fight for the answers he so richly
deserves.
Critique: Author Alex Frew is a master of the western novel and this large print edition of "Bad Day In Greenville"
from the Linford Western Library collection is a solidly entertaining and original story that combines a deftly scripted
mystery with all the western action/adventure that any western buff would ever want. "Bad Day In Greenville" is certain
to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library Western
Fiction collections.
Hunting Harker
Greg Mitchell
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444844894, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Harker-Greg-Mitchell/dp/144484489X
Synopsis: When Ollie Harker's wagon fails to arrive at Logjam Creek, his employer hires Tom Parry and Durango
Finch to find it. It appears that Harker has been killed by hostile Indians, but when a murder in town is linked to him,
Harker's mission is revealed to be something more than routine freighting. The trail leads Parry and Finch to an illegal
whiskey-running operation in which Logjam Creek's saloon owner is implicated -- and the two hunters find themselves
in deep peril when they come up against a ruthless gang of moonshiners.
Critique: Another thrill packed action/adventure western from the pen of Greg Mitchell, "Hunting Harker" is pure
entertainment -- western style! An inherently riveting read leading to a dramatic gun fire showdown, this large print
paperback edition of "Hunting Harker" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and
community western fiction collections.
The Adventures Of Hawke Travis
Eli Colter
Sagebrush Lare Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785417016, $30.59, PB, Large Print, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Hawke-Travis-Eli-Colter/dp/1785417010
Synopsis: The life of Hawke Travis began when the West was young. Born in Ohio, he moved West with his family
when he was nine years old, where he became a good shot even at that young age. Times were hard, but Hawke
dreamed of something better. He was sent to live with an uncle in Iowa, where he gained some education, improved his
gunmanship, and met a friend called Joe Towers. In 1877, he and his deadly gun started their journey, and now he drifts
from town to town as the law tries to catch up with him - though no one can rightly call him an outlaw. He never
double-crosses a friend, a partner, or even a sucker who trusts him, and to abuse a woman or a child is to invite his swift
and devastating rage.
Critique: One of the most unusual western novels you will ever read, "Hawk Travis" is actually a series of short stories
that are chronologically laid out and reveal a man who has his own code of conduct that compels him to defend women
and children, defend the oppressed against an oppressor, yet at the same time cheat at cards, rob banks, steal from
mining operations, attempt the holdup of trains, and live a life of one cliffhanger event after another. A simply
absorbing read from beginning to end, this large print edition of "The Adventures Of Hawke Travis" is strongly
recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction
Collections.
The Holmbury County Seat War
K. S. Stanley
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444844900, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Holmbury-County-Seat-War/dp/1444844903
Synopsis: Who really was involved in the Confederate's brutal massacre of a small village at the start of the American
Civil War, and what became of them? In this bitter tale, the truth doesn't finally emerge until 1887, when good men
turned bad fight ruthlessly to ensure that their town is elected as the Holmbury county seat.
Critique: With plenty of gun blazing action and a fair amount of detective investigation, "The Holmbury County Seat
War by K. S. Stanley has everything a western novel should have -- including a thoroughly unexpected and riveting
finale! This large print edition from the Linford Western Library will prove to be a welcome addition to the personal
reading lists of all dedicated western buffs and an enduringly popular addition to community library Western Fiction
collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Murder at the Manchester Museum
Jim Eldridge
Charnwood Large Print
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444845501, $TBA, HC, Large Print, 336pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444845501
Synopsis; The year is 1895 when former Scotland Yard detective Daniel Wilson (famous for working the notorious
Jack the Ripper case), and his archaeologist sidekick Abigail Fenton are summoned to investigate the murder of a
young woman at the Manchester Museum.
Though staff remember the woman as a recent and regular visitor, no one appears to know her and she has no
possessions from which to identify her.
When the pair arrive, the case turns more deadly when the body of a second woman is discovered hidden in the depths
of the museum. Seeking help from a local journalist, Daniel hopes to unravel this mystery, but the journey to the truth is
fraught with obstacles and the mistakes of the past will not be forgotten.
Critique: A deftly scripted and thoroughly engaging mystery by a true master of the genre, this large print edition of
novelist Jim Eldridge's "Murder at the Manchester Museum" is an extraordinarily entertaining read from first page to
last -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to the personal reading lists of all dedicated
mystery/suspense fans and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
A Deception at Thornecrest
Ashley Weaver
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
www.dreamscapeab.com/audiobooks
9781250159793, $27.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Deception-Thornecrest-Amory-Ames-Mystery/dp/1250159792
Synopsis: Amory Ames is alone at her country house Thornecrest, enjoying her last few weeks of peace and quiet as she
prepares for the imminent arrival of her baby. Her husband, Milo, is in London on business, and Amory is content to
catch up on her correspondence, organize the nursery, and avoid the well-meaning if rather overbearing company of the
ladies in the village as they prepare for the Springtide Festival. But then a woman appears on her doorstep, claiming to
be another Mrs. Ames, Milo's wife.
Amory's marriage has had its ups and downs in the past, but her faith in her husband has been restored, and Milo has
been nothing but thrilled about becoming a father. Though the alleged second Mrs. Ames seems earnest, Amory is
convinced she must be mistaken, a belief that Milo confirms upon his homecoming. However, when another
unexpected visitor arrives at Thornecrest, secret identities and whirlwind romances appear to be becoming par for the
course.
It's not until the day of the festival, when Milo's stable hand Bertie is found dead, that the strange characters appearing
in town begin to seem more sinister, and Amory is determined to uncover the killer in the crowd.
Critique: A deftly scripted mystery that plays fair with the reader, "A Deception At Thorncrest" is a mystery lover's
delight. A compelling and exceptionally entertaining read from beginning to end, "A Deception At Thorncrest" by
novelist Ashley Weaver will prove to be an immediate and enduringly welcome addition to community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs (especially
those that appreciate a little romance along with the mayhem) that "A Deception At Thorncrest" is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media,
9781662031922, $22.99, CD).
In a Midnight Wood
Ellen Hart
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250308443, $26.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Wood-Jane-Lawless-Mysteries/dp/1250308445
Synopsis: Minnesota private investigator Jane Lawless is headed on a little getaway. She and her best friend, Cordelia
Thorn, plan to visit their old friend Emma in her hometown of Castle Lake, while also participating in the small town's
local art festival. Between the festival and an upcoming high school reunion for the class of 1999, no one in Castle Lake
is quite sure who will make an appearance.
But back in 1999, Emma's boyfriend and Castle Lake high school senior Sam Romilly went missing. Everyone thought
he ran away, though the town rumor mill has always claimed his father murdered him. Today, within a week of his
class's 20th reunion, Sam's remains are found in someone else's burial plot. Suddenly the case is warming up fast.
People who knew Sam (friends and enemies alike) will be in town for the much anticipated reunion. It's up to Jane to
sort the innocent from the guilty, before it's too late.
Critique: The latest novel in author Ellen Hart's 'A Jane Lawless Mystery' series, "In A Midnight Wood" is a true
mystery lover's treat from beginning to end. With more plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster ride, "In A
Midnight Wood" continues to showcase Ellen Hart's originality and storytelling style as a novelist and no community
library's Mystery/Suspense collection would be complete with it. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all
dedicated mystery buffs that "In A Midnight Wood" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$13.99).
The Parenting Shelf
What They Don't Teach Teens
Jonathan Cristall
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
www.quilldriverbooks.com
9781610353588, $19.95, PB, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/What-They-Dont-Teach-Teens/dp/1610353587
Synopsis: Young people coming of age today face new risks, expectations, and laws that didn't exist when their parents
were young. "What They Don't Teach Teens: Life Safety Skills for Teens and the Adults Who Care for Them" provides
teens, tweens, and young adults, and their parents with up-to-date, realistic strategies to protect young people against
the pitfalls of modern adolescence.
Author Jonathan Cristall, who was once a troubled teen himself and is now a veteran prosecutor for the City of Los
Angeles and a sexual violence prevention instructor, works extensively with teenagers and their families to teach
physical, digital, emotional, and legal safety skills. Drawing on Cristall's hands-on experience, "What They Don't Teach
Teens: Life Safety Skills for Teens and the Adults Who Care for Them" gives parents and other caregivers techniques
for talking to their children about these urgent issues.
"What They Don't Teach Teens: Life Safety Skills for Teens and the Adults Who Care for Them" is a compendium of
sound advice on police interactions and personal safety (your constitutional rights, what to do/not do when stopped by
the police while driving, situational awareness, street robberies, gun violence); sexual violence and misconduct (sexual
consent, sexual harassment prevention, dating violence, sextortion); and staying safer online (digital footprint and
citizenship, cyberbullying, underage sexting, online porn).
"What They Don't Teach Teens: Life Safety Skills for Teens and the Adults Who Care for Them" is packed from cover
to cover with practical guidance, thoughtful insight, and simple-to-use tips and tactics that will empower young people
to make good choices now and into the future.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "What They Don't Teach Teens: Life Safety Skills for Teens and
the Adults Who Care for Them" is a comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide and manual that is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary Parenting
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of parents, teens, and young adults that "What They Don't
Teach Teens: Life Safety Skills for Teens and the Adults Who Care for Them" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $10.99).
Potty Time for Kids with Down Syndrome
Terry Katz & Lina Patel
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817
www.woodbinehouse.com
9781606132951, $22.95, PB, 164pp
https://www.amazon.com/Potty-Time-Kids-Down-Syndrome/dp/1606132954
Synopsis: Whether as a parent just getting started potty training a child having Down syndrome or as one who has been
at it for months or years, "Potty Time for Kids with Down Syndrome: Lose the Diapers, Not Your Patience" offers the
specialized guidance needed for both the parent and the Down Syndrom child to be successfully toilet trained.
In "Potty Time for Kids with Down Syndrome: Lose the Diapers, Not Your Patience", authors Terry Katz and Lina
Patel have created a customizable developmental-behavioral model based on a thorough understanding of how the
behaviors of children with Down Syndrome are affected by their neurodevelopment.
For instance, the low muscle tone common in children with Down syndrome can affect bladder and bowel control. Or a
child may be motivated to continue using a diaper because he enjoys the interaction while being changed. The
empathetic and encouraging tone of "Potty Time for Kids with Down Syndrome: Lose the Diapers, Not Your Patience"
is effectively coupled with its positive behavior-based strategies geared specifically to children with Down Syndrome
and will help parents to avoid typical challenges encountered with toilet training a Down Syndrome child.
"Potty Time for Kids with Down Syndrome: Lose the Diapers, Not Your Patience" covers medical & physical issues,
behavioral & cognitive challenges, collecting data to inform the training plan, behavioral principles, prepping the
bathroom, supports & strategies to increase success, desensitization for children who are anxious, troubleshooting,
working with the school team, using public toilets, and much more.
With its effective potty-training strategies, helpful planning and tracking forms, examples of visual supports, and lists
of training products and resources, parents will be well prepared to help Down Syndrome children achieve this
important milestone toward greater independence.
Critique: Thoroughly 'parent friendly' in commentary, organization and presentation, "Potty Time for Kids with Down
Syndrome: Lose the Diapers, Not Your Patience" should be considered an essential 'must read' DIY instruction guide
and manual for all parents of Down Syndrome children having to be toilet trained. "Potty Time for Kids with Down
Syndrome: Lose the Diapers, Not Your Patience" is a critically essential addition to personal, family, professional,
community, and college/university library Parenting & Down Syndrome collections and supplemental curriculum
studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Terry Katz is a licensed psychologist who has worked with children with developmental disabilities and
their families for over thirty years. She co-founded a sleep behavior clinic in 2009 and a toileting clinic in 2011 for
children with special needs at Children's Hospital Colorado. She is also a co-author of Solving Sleep Problems in
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Woodbine House, 2014).
Lina Patel is a licensed psychologist and the Director of Psychology for the Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down
Syndrome at Children's Hospital Colorado and has worked with hundreds of children, adolescents, and young adults
with Down syndrome. She provides consultation with schools, parent training for management of challenging
behaviors, evaluation for dual diagnoses (Down syndrome and autism), toilet training, and desensitization to medical
devices.
The Sports Shelf
Latinos and Latinas in American Sport
Jorge Iber, editor
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
www.ttupress.org
9781682830406, $39.95, PB, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Latinos-Latinas-American-Sport-Peloteros/dp/1682830403
Synopsis: An anthology comprised of an informative Introduction and Conclusion by the editor, Jorge Iber, and thirteen
inherently interesting articles comprised by experts in the field of Latino/Latina sports and athletics, "Latinos and
Latinas in American Sport: Stories Beyond Peloteros" expands upon the significance of sport in U.S. Latino
communities by looking at sports as diverse as drag racing and community softball, the rise of Latinas in high school
athletics -- and their use of sports to protest social injustice.
Critique: A seminal project of meticulous scholarship, "Latinos and Latinas in American Sport: Stories Beyond
Peloteros" is an extraordinary series of studies. Of special note is the inclusion of a listing of all the contributors and
their credentials. Impressively informative, thought-provoking, and timely, "Latinos and Latinas in American Sport:
Stories Beyond Peloteros" is an especially an unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university
library Sociology of Sports collections in general, and History of American Sports supplemental curriculum studies lists
in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that 'Latinos and Latinas in American Sport: Stories Beyond Peloteros" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Jorge Iber is a professor of history and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas Tech
University. Over the past ten years, he has written and published widely on the role of Latinos/as in the history of US
sports.
The Biography Shelf
A Champion Cyclist Against the Nazis
Alberto Toscano
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526753397, $34.95, HC, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Cyclist-Against-Nazis-Incredible/dp/1526753391
Synopsis: Although allied with Hitler, in 1943 Italy there were those who refused to accept the fascist policies of racial
discrimination and deportation. Among them was Gino Bartali.
A champion cyclist, he won the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) three times and the Tour de France twice. But these weren't
his only achievements. Deeply religious, Bartali never spoke about what he did during those dark years, when he agreed
to work with the Resistance and pass messages from one end of the country to the other. Despite the dangers, Bartali
used his training as a pretext to crisscross Italy, hiding documents in the handlebars and saddle of his bicycle, all the
while hoping that each time he was searched they wouldn't think to disassemble his machine.
As a result of his bravery, 800 Jews (including numerous children) were saved from deportation. He died in Florence in
2000 and was recognized as one of the 'Righteous Among the Nations' in 2013. In the pages of "A Champion Cyclist
Against the Nazis: The Incredible Life of Gino Bartali", journalist and biographer Alberto Toscano shares the incredible
story of this great sportsman and recalls the dramatic moments in Italy and Europe in the twentieth century.
Critique: An informative testament to the kinds of risks and sacrifices the anti-Nazis in Mussolini's Italy during World
War II, "A Champion Cyclist Against the Nazis: The Incredible Life of Gino Bartali" is an extraordinary story of an
extraordinary man in extraordinary times. While especially and particularly recommended for both community and
college/university library Biography collections and World War II European Theatre supplemental curriculum studies, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Champion Cyclist Against the Nazis: The Incredible Life of Gino
Bartali" is readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Alberto Toscano is an Italian journalist, writer and political scientist. He moved to France in 1986 and
has worked with both Italian and French media. Awarded the French National Order of Merit, he was also a researcher
at the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), Milan, has served as the president of the Foreign Press
Association in France, and is president of the European Press Club, Paris.
Edith: The Rogue Rockefeller McCormick
Andrea Friederici Ross
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809337903, $29.95, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Edith-Rockefeller-Andrea-Friederici-Ross/dp/0809337908
Synopsis: Edith Rockefeller McCormick (August 31, 1872 - August 25, 1932) was a daughter of America's foremost
industrialist, John D. Rockefeller, and her life story involves sex, money, mental illness, and opera divas. A woman
who strove for the independence to make her own choices, Edith rejected the limited gender role carved out for her by
her father and society, Edith forged her own path, despite objections from her family and her ultimate financial
ruin.
Young Edith and her siblings had access to the best educators in the world, but the girls were not taught how to handle
the family money; that responsibility was reserved for their younger brother. A parsimonious upbringing did little to
prepare Edith for life after marriage to Harold McCormick, son of the Reaper King Cyrus McCormick. The rich young
couple spent lavishly. They purchased treasures like the jewels of Catherine the Great, entertained in grand style in a
Chicago mansion, and contributed to the city's cultural uplift, founding the Chicago Grand Opera. They supported free
health care for the poor, founding and supporting the John R. McCormick Memorial Institute for Infectious Diseases.
Later, Edith donated land for what would become Brookfield Zoo.
Though she lived a seemingly enviable life, Edith's disposition was ill-suited for the mores of the time. Societal and
personal issues (not least of which were the deaths of two of her five children) caused Edith to experience phobias and
panic attacks. Dissatisfied with rest cures, she ignored her father's expectations, moved her family to Zurich, and
embarked on a journey of education and self-examination. Edith pursued analysis with then-unknown Carl Jung. Her
generosity of spirit led Edith to become Jung's leading patron. She also supported up-and-coming musicians, artists, and
writers, including James Joyce as he wrote Ulysses.
While Edith herself became a Jungian analyst, her husband, Harold, pursued an affair with an opera star. After returning
to Chicago and divorcing Harold, Edith continued to deplete her fortune. She hoped to create something of lasting
value, such as a utopian community and affordable homes for the middle class. Edith's goals caused further difficulties
in her relationship with her father and are why he and her brother cut her off from the family funds even after the 1929
stock market crash ruined her. Edith's death from breast cancer three years later was mourned by thousands of
Chicagoans.
Respectful and truthful, biographer Andrea Friederici Ross presents the full arc of this amazing woman's life and
expertly helps readers understand Edith's generosity, intelligence, and fierce determination to change the world.
Critique: Meticulously researched and featuring a number of black/white historical photos, "Edith: The Rogue
Rockefeller McCormick" is an inherently fascinating life story of a remarkable woman who lived a wealthy yet
unconventional life. While certain to be a welcome addition to community and college/university library American
Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Edith: The Rogue Rockefeller McCormick" is
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.17).
Editorial Note: Andrea Friederici Ross is the author of Let the Lions Roar! The Evolution of Brookfield Zoo. A native
of the Chicago area and a graduate of Northwestern University, Ross works in a grade school library, where she
encourages young readers to develop a lasting love of books.
Bavinck: A Critical Biography
James Eglinton
Baker Academic
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9781540961358, $44.99, HC, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bavinck-Critical-Biography-James-Eglinton/dp/1540961354
Synopsis: Dutch Calvinist theologian Herman Bavinck, (13 December 1854, Hoogeveen, Drenthe - 29 July 1921,
Amsterdam) was a significant voice in the development of Protestant theology, and remains relevant many years after
his death. His four-volume Reformed Dogmatics is one of the most important theological works of the twentieth
century.
His biographer, James Eglinton, is widely considered to be at the forefront of contemporary interest in Bavinck's life
and thought. After spending considerable time in the Netherlands researching Bavinck, Eglinton brings to light a wealth
of new insights and previously unpublished documents to offer a definitive biography of this renowned Reformed
thinker.
"Bavinck: A Critical Biography" follows the course of Bavinck's life in a period of dramatic social change, identifying
him as an orthodox Calvinist challenged with finding his feet in late modern culture. Based on extensive archival
research, this critical biography presents numerous significant and previously ignored or unknown aspects of Bavinck's
person and life story. A black-and-white photo insert is included.
Of special note is that this volume complements other Baker Academic offerings on Bavinck's theology and ethics.
Critique: An exceptionally detailed and documented work of meticulous scholarship, "Bavinck: A Critical Biography"
will prove to be a welcome and highly valued addition to community, seminary, and college/university library Calvinist
collections in general and Herman Bavinck supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for
students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Bavinck: A Critical
Biography" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.72).
Editorial Note: James P. Eglinton is the Meldrum Senior Lecturer in Reformed Theology at the University of
Edinburgh. He is the author of Trinity and Organism (Bloomsbury, 2012), edited and translated Herman Bavinck on
Preaching and Preachers (Hendrickson, 2017), co-edited and co-translated Christian Worldview (Crossway, 2019), and
co-edited Neo-Calvinism and the French Revolution (Bloomsbury, 2012). He has written for Christianity Today, The
Times, The Herald, The Scotsman, Nederlands Dagblad, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The Art Shelf
Cy Twombly: Making Past Present
Anne Carson, et al.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
www.mfa-publications.org
9780878468744, $65.00, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cy-Twombly-Making-Past-Present/dp/0878468749
Synopsis: Cy Twombly's first visit to Italy as a young man ignited a lifelong passion for classical culture that is
everywhere present in his art. Painted canvases, works on paper and small-scale sculptures reveal the historical soul of
Twombly's abstract compositions. Taking on myths and heroes as personal guides, he created a psychologically
complex dialogue with the visual and literary art of antiquity.
"Cy Twombly: Making Past Present" is sumptuously illustrated publication that flawlessly reproduces a carefully
chosen and representative selection of the artist's paintings, drawings and sculptures alongside works of classical
antiquity, including a number from his personal collection.
"Cy Twombly: Making Past Present" also features illuminating essays by leading scholars and writers, including Anne
Carson, Jennifer R. Gross, Brooke Holmes and Mary Jacobus that collectively explore the often enigmatic engagement
of Twombly's art with the world of the past.
Critique: A beautiful reproduced, impressively informative, exceptionally well organized and presented coffee-table
style (9.5 x 1.25 x 11 inches) volume celebrating and showcasing the artwork of this impressively talented artist, "Cy
Twombly: Making Past Present" would grace any personal, professional, community, and college/university library Art
History collection.
Editorial Note: Cy Twombly (1928-2011) was born in Lexington, Virginia, and lived and worked in New York in the
early 1950s and at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. After traveling around North Africa, Spain and Italy, he
settled in Rome, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Rookwood
Bob Batchelor
Rockport
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9781631598630, $45.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rookwood-Rediscovery-American-Icon-Illustrated/dp/1631598635
Synopsis: Published to coincide with Rookwood's 140th anniversary, "Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an
American Icon -- An Illustrated History", author and historian Bob Batchelor tells the compelling story of this artisanal
ceramics company, still operating in the heart of the Ohio River Valley, from its founding to present day. Filled with
behind-the-scenes artist and creator interviews, stories of Rookwood's avid collectors, as well as never-before-seen
images and documents from the company's historic archives, pottery enthusiasts will see why Rookwood remains a
pillar of true craftsmanship to this very day.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout in full color, "Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an
American Icon -- An Illustrated History" is an extraordinary, informative, and delightful volume to page through. This
coffee-table style (10.5 x 0.88 x 11.63 inches) volume would grace any personal, professional, community, or
college/university library Ceramic Arts collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists.
Editorial Note: Bob Batchelor is a critically acclaimed cultural historian and biographer. He has published widely on
American culture and literature. His latest book is The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus,
Prohibition's Evil Genius (Diversion) won the 2020 Independent Press Award for Historical Biography. Bob also wrote
Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel (the first full-scale biography of the Marvel Universe legend), as well as books on
Bob Dylan, Mad Men, John Updike, and The Great Gatsby, among others.
The Science Shelf
The Secret Language of Cells
Jon Lieff, MD
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781948836043, $26.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Language-Cells-Biological-Conversations/dp/1948836041
Synopsis: While cells are commonly considered the building block of living things, it is actually the communication
between cells that brings us to life, controlling our bodies and brains, determining whether we are healthy or sick, and
directly influencing how we think, feel, and behave.
In "The Secret Language of Cells: What Biological Conversations Tell Us About the Brain-Body Connection, the
Future of Medicine, and Life Itself", doctor and neuroscientist Jon Lieff lets us listen in on these conversations, and
reveals their significance for everything from mental health to cancer. He explains the surprising science of how very
different cells (bacteria and brain cells, blood cells and viruses) all speak the same language. This overarching principle
has been long overlooked because scientific journals use impenetrable jargon that makes it hard to be understood across
disciplines, much less by the general public.
Dr. Lieff presents a fascinating and accessible look into cellular communication science -- a groundbreaking and
comprehensive exploration of this biological phenomenon. In these pages, discover the intriguing lives of cells as they
ask questions, get answers, give feedback, gather information, call for each other, and make complex decisions. During
infections, immune T-cells tell brain cells that we should "feel sick" and lie down. Cancer cells warn their community
about immune and microbe attacks. Gut cells talk with microbes to determine which are friends and which are enemies,
and microbes talk with each other and with much more complicated human cells in ways that determine which
medicines work and which will fail.
With applications for immunity, chronic pain, weight loss, depression, cancer treatment, and virtually every aspect of
health and biology, cellular communication is revolutionizing our understanding not just of disease, but of life itself.
"The Secret Language of Cells" is required reading for anyone interested in following the conversation.
Critique: An ideal and comprehensive introduction to the subject for both the non-specialist general reader and
members of the medical community alike, "The Secret Language of Cells: What Biological Conversations Tell Us
About the Brain-Body Connection, the Future of Medicine, and Life Itself" is extraordinarily informative and
impressively presented, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Medical Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for students, academia, and the general public that "The Secret Language of Cells: What Biological
Conversations Tell Us About the Brain-Body Connection, the Future of Medicine, and Life Itself" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio,
9781721365814, $24.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Dr. Jon Lieff is a nationally recognized neuro-psychiatrist, a former president of a national medical
subspecialty organization, founder of a major scientific journal, and was the medical director for 25 years of a large
network of psychiatric care for the elderly. He was a pioneer in several medical fields including geriatric psychiatry,
brain injury, computer applications in psychiatry, and the integration of medicine, psychiatry, and neurology. Five years
ago, he established his acclaimed and popular scientific website, Searching for the Mind, about the topic of cellular
communication. With weekly posts, he reviewed and synthesized the latest scientific literature in neuroscience and cell
biology.
The American History Shelf
Organized Labor & The Black Worker 1619-1981
Philip S. Foner
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
www.haymarketbooks.org
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781608467877, $22.00, PB, 520pp
https://www.amazon.com/Organized-Labor-Black-Worker-1619-1981-dp-1608467872/dp/1608467872
Synopsis: "Organized Labor & The Black Worker 1619-1981" is classic study by the late historian Philip Foner that
traces the radical history of Black workers' contribution to the American labor movement. A contribution too often
devalued, under reported, and discounted.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "Organized Labor & The Black Worker 1619-1981" is a
comprehensive and documented labor history that is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of twenty-seven pages of
Notes, a four page Select Biography, and a twenty-page Index. A core addition for community and college/university
library American Labor History collections in general, and Black Studies supplemental curriculum lists in particular, it
should be noted that "Organized Labor & The Black Worker 1619-1981" is also available as a complete and unabridged
audio book (Brilliance, 9781713507956, $29.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Philip S. Foner (1910-1994) was an American historian and professor who taught and lectured all over
the world. He wrote and edited more than a hundred books, including the ten-volume History of the Labor Movement
in the United States and The Black Panthers Speak.
The Business Shelf
Hyper-Learning
Edward D. Hess
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
1333 Broadway, Suite 1000, Oakland CA, 94612
www.bkconnection.com
9781523089246, $29.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hyper-Learning-How-Adapt-Speed-Change/dp/1523089245
Synopsis: Our new Digital Age raises the question of how we humans can stay relevant in the workplace. To stay
relevant, we have to be able to excel cognitively, behaviorally, and emotionally in ways that technology can't.
In "Hyper-Learning: How to Adapt to the Speed of Change", Professor Ed Hess believes that requires us to become
what he calls Hyper-Learners: continuously learning, unlearning, and relearning at the speed of change. To do that, we
have to overcome our reflexive ways of being: seeking confirmation of what we believe, emotionally defending our
beliefs and our ego, and seeking cohesiveness of our mental models.
Hyper-Learning requires a new way of being and a radical new way of working. In Part 1 of this how-to instructional
book, Professor Hess takes a practical workbook approach and helps readers create their Hyper-Learning Mindset,
choose and embrace their needed Hyper-Learning Behaviors, and adopt their daily Hyper-Learning Practices. In Part 2,
Hess focuses on how to humanize the workplace to optimize Hyper-Learning.
Featuring case studies of three business leaders and two public companies, "Hyper-Learning: How to Adapt to the
Speed of Change" shows how to harness the power of human emotions, choices, and behaviors to enable the highest
levels of human cognitive, emotional, and behavioral performance -- individually and organizationally.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "Hyper-Learning: How to Adapt to the Speed of Change" is
especially relevant and critically important reader for entrepreneurs, business managers, and corporate executives if they
are to succeed and survive in this new and global digital age. While an exceptional and seminal study that is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.17) for MBA students, academia, those engaged in corporate commerce,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, "Hyper-Learning: How to Adapt to the Speed of
Change" is highly recommended for corporate, community, and college/university library Business Management
collections.
Editorial Note: Edward D. Hess is a professor of business administration and Batten Faculty Fellow at the University of
Virginia Darden School of Business. His professional experience includes twenty years as a business executive and
eighteen years in academia. His research and thirteen books have a common theme: high individual and organizational
performance. His work has been featured in over 400 global media outlets.
The Architecture Shelf
Being the Mountain: Productora
Carlos Bedoya, et al.
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
355 Lexington Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10017
http://actar.com
9781948765510, $34.95, HC, 96pp
https://www.amazon.com/Being-Mountain-Productora-Carlos-Bedoya/dp/1948765519
Synopsis: Collaboratively published by the Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture & Actar Publishers,
"Being the Mountain: Productora" casts new light on the relationship between modernism and the ground, calling into
question received assumptions and liberating new possibilities for how a building relates to its site.
"Being the Mountain" examines the relationship between architecture and the ground it occupies, an interaction so
obvious (a building must touch the ground) that it often remains under-explored. Richly illustrated contributions by
Carlos Bedoya, Frank Escher, Wonne Ickx, Veronique Patteeuw, and Jesus Vassallo revisit significant moments in
architectural history that cast new light on the techniques and legacies of modernism, especially in settings like Mexico
and California, where architects such as Ricardo Legorreta and John Lautner incorporated dramatic natural topography
in their agendas. Additional essays investigate the role of the ground in the thought of Kenneth Frampton in the 1980s
and Luis Moreno Mansilla in the 1990s, as well as point to important parallels between premodern land practices,
twentieth-century art, and today's architecture.
Together, these episodes call into question our received assumptions and present new possibilities for the connection
between a building and its site. A portfolio of related projects by Productora concludes the volume, further drawing out
the idea of architecture as a form of constructed ground.
Critique: A seminal collection of insightful commentary, "Being the Mountain: Productora" will prove to be a core
addition to personal, professional, corporate, college and university library Contemporary Architectural Studies
collections and reading lists.
Editorial Note: Productora is a Mexico City - based architectural studio founded in 2006 by Carlos Bedoya (1973,
Mexico), Wonne Ickx (1974, Belgium), Victor Jaime (1978, Mexico), and Abel Perles (1972, Argentina). The studio's
work is distinguished by an interest in precise geometries, the production of clearly legible projects with limited
gestures, and the search for timeless buildings. Productora has been recognized by the Architectural League of New
York with the Young Architects Forum (2007) and Emerging Voices (2013) awards. In 2016, they received the Mies
Crown Hall Americas Prize for Emerging Practice from Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago for the Pavilion on
the Zocalo. In 2018, Productora was recognized with the Oscar Niemeyer Award for Latin American Architecture for
the Teopanzolco Cultural Center, a project realized in collaboration with Isaac Broid.
Chateau La Coste: Art and Architecture in Provence
Robert Ivy, author
Alistair Hicks, author
Alan Karchmer, photographer
Merrell Publishers
8755 Lookout Mountain Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
www.merrellpublishers.com
9781858946818, $70.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ch%C3%A2teau-Coste-Art-Architecture-Provence/dp/1858946816
Synopsis: Chateau La Coste, near Aix-en-Provence, France, is a unique property that combines sculptural artworks by
leading contemporary artists alongside works by some of the world's best-known architects, all within the grounds of a
working organic vineyard. Since 2004 the estate, which occupies an ancient site, has been transformed into an
exceptional plein-air museum, and the number of installations grows every year.
The spreading collection lies within the walk of a spectacular Art Centre, designed by the world-renowned Japanese
architect Tadao Ando. On the reflecting pool in front of the building is one of Louise Bourgeois' giant arachnoid
sculptures, Crouching Spider. To the north lies a futuristic winery by Jean Nouvel.
By taking one of several routes to the south or west, the visitor encounters such monumental installations as Sean
Scully's sculpture of stacked blocks of limestone, Wall of Light Cubed; Richard Serra's steel sheets, AIX; and Oak
Room by Andy Goldsworthy, a cave of interwoven oak branches, integrated into an old stone wall. Installations by
Liam Gillick, Kengo Kuma, Paul Matisse, Sophie Calle and many others punctuate the pathways. And by an ancient
Roman route, Ai Weiwei has created another new path up the hillside, using paving stones salvaged from the renovated
port at Marseilles.
Overlooking the site is a 16th-century chapel restored by Ando and enclosed by a framework of steel and glass. The
music and exhibition pavilions, close to the 'village' of buildings at the heart of the property, have been designed by
Frank Gehry and Renzo Piano respectively.
"Chateau La Coste: Art and Architecture in Provence" is stunning new collaborative study by Robert Ivy of the
American Institute of Architects and the curator Alistair Hicks explore each work of architecture and art installation in
depth. Their insightful commentaries are accompanied by specially commissioned photographs by architectural
photographer Alan Karchmer.
"Chateau La Coste: Art and Architecture in Provence" is deftly arranged into sections covering all areas of the property,
so that the reader is able to experience and discover Chateau La Coste as a visitor would. In the introduction, Ivy relates
the conception, creation and further development of Chateau La Coste by its owner, Patrick McKillen; while, to
conclude this study, Hicks considers the site's ever-increasing exhibition programme. Throughout the pages, the reader
will feel transported to idyllic Provence, to this most remarkable and significant collection of modern and contemporary
art and architecture.
Critique: A delightful pleasure to browse through beautifully illustrated and informative page at a time, "Chateau La
Coste: Art and Architecture in Provence" is an armchair traveler's delight and an architectural student's inherently
fascinating read. Impressively informed and informative, "Chateau La Coste: Art and Architecture in Provence" is the
next best thing to an on-site visit and is especially recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Architectural Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Dark Side of the Ocean
Albert Bates
GroundSwell Books
c/o BPC
https://www.bookpubco.com
https://groundswellag.com/books
9781570673948, $12.95, PB, 158pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Side-Ocean-Destruction-Matters/dp/1570673942
Synopsis: Ocean biodiversity is being decimated on par with the fastest rates of rain forest destruction. More than 80
percent of pollutants in the oceans come from sewage and other land-based runoff (some of it radioactive). The rest is
created by waste dumped by commercial and recreational vessels. In many areas and for many fish stocks, there are no
conservation or management measures existing or even planned.
In "Dark Side of the Ocean: The Destruction of Our Seas, Why It Matters, and What We Can Do About It", climate
author Albert Bates explains how ocean life maintains adequate oxygen levels, prevents erosion from storms, and
sustains a vital food source that factory-fishing operations cannot match--and why that should matter to all of us,
whether we live near the ocean or not. Bates presents innovative companies and organizations working to change the
human impact on marine reserves, improve ocean permaculture, and put the brakes on the ocean heat waves that
destroy sea life and imperil human habitation at the ocean's edge.
Along with eye-opening revelations of serious environmental concerns, "The Dark Side of the Ocean" conveys a deep
appreciation for the fragile nature of the ocean's majesty and compels us to act now to preserve it. We can make a
difference.
Critique: A clarion call to action if the oceans and the marine life it contains and/or supports are to be rescued from the
depredations of humans and the impact of climate change, it is critically imporant that "Dark Side of the Ocean: The
Destruction of Our Seas, Why It Matters, and What We Can Do About It" have as wide a readership as possible. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Environmental Studies and
Oceanic Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists, it should be noted for students, academia, environmental
activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Dark Side of the Ocean: The
Destruction of Our Seas, Why It Matters, and What We Can Do About It" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Albert Bates is an influential figure in the intentional community and ecovillage movements and a
groundbreaking author on climate change. His 1990 title, "Climate in Crisis" (with a forward by then-senator Al Gore),
was one of the first books to sound the clarion call. He is also the author of "Transforming Plastic" (2019) and "Carbon
Cascades" (2019).
The Audiobook Shelf
Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her
Melanie Rehak
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887; Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713525431, $24.99, MP3 CD
https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Sleuth-Nancy-Women-Created/dp/1713525437
Synopsis: The plucky "titian-haired" teenage sleuth now known world wide as Nancy Drew solved her first mystery in
1930 -- and eighty million books later she is still as popular as ever. Nancy Drew has survived the Depression, World
War II, and the sixties (when she was taken up with a vengeance by women's libbers) to enter the pantheon of American
culture. As beloved by girls today as she was by their grandmothers, Nancy Drew has both inspired and reflected the
changes in her readers' lives. Here, in a narrative with all the page-turning pace of Nancy's adventures, Melanie Rehak
solves an enduring literary mystery: Who created Nancy Drew? And how did she go from pulp heroine to icon?
Critique: Impressively narrated by author Melanie Rehak, "Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her"
will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, community library, and college/university
library audio book collections. A 'must hear' for the legions of Nancy Drew fans, "Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the
Women Who Created Her" is a flawless recorded audio book in an MP3 CD format (1 Disc, 9 hours 31 minutes) from
Brilliance Audio.
The Immortal Words
Jeff Wheeler, author
Emily Woo Zeller, narrator
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887; Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713506737, $14.99, MP3 CD
https://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Words-Grave-Kingdom/dp/1713506734
Synopsis: As kingdoms fall, brave young warrior Bingmei fights to fulfill a prophecy and save what's left of the world
from the coming darkness. Should she fail, Echion, the diabolical Dragon of Night, and his queen will hold sway over
the next thousand years. With Echion comes his unstoppable army of dragons -- powerful, vengeful, and under his
control.
Accompanied by her loyal friend Quion, Bingmei journeys toward her last hope. It lies among the savage beasts just
beyond the ancient Death Wall - an uninhabited realm from which no one has ever returned alive. Bingmei's mission is
to find the phoenix shrine and learn the Immortal Words that will allow her to harness eternal magic. With Echion and
his legions in pursuit, Bingmei must choose her words wisely to break Echion's spell and accept her fate.
Bingmei knows what she must do. She must join the ranks of the dead as well. For a fearless and selfless warrior, it's
the ultimate sacrifice. But Bingmei is about to discover that even in death, the greatest sacrifices are yet to come.
Critique: Another great action/adventure fantasy novel from the imaginative mind of novelist Jeff Wheeler, "The
Immortal Words" is virtually brought to life in a true theatre of the mind experience for the listener by the narrative
skills of Emily Woo Zeller in this compact, complete and unabridged MP3 CD edition that is unreservedly and
enthusiastically recommended for personal listening lists and community library fantasy fiction audio book collections.
(1 Disc, 11 hours, 20 minutes).
Hunted: An Avalon Novella
Steve McHugh, author
Simon Hattacks, narrator
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887; Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781799761761, $9.99, MP3 CD
https://www.amazon.com/Hunted-Avalon-Novella-Chronicles-dp-1799761762/dp/1799761762
Synopsis: Cursed by witches centuries ago, Remy Roax was content with living his long life as a half-man/half-fox. But
when he learned he had undiscovered powers, he had no choice but to learn how to use them.
After relocating to North Dakota in order to practice his new-found abilities, he soon finds himself in the targets of
Louis Bonne, a man who wants to understand how the curse placed on Remy worked, so that he can use the souls of
innocent people to make himself immortal.
Since Remy has no interest in helping, Louis sends a group of murderers intent on convincing him. But Remy isn't
some helpless bystander, and these people will soon discover that Remy isn't the kind of fox who runs from a hunt.
Critique: Brilliantly narrated by Simon Hattacks, "Hunted" by Steve McHugh is an exceptionally entertaining fantasy
novella that set in the universe of the author's Avalon Chronicles series. This exceptionally entertaining, 'theatre of the
mind' audio book is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal listening lists and community library MP3
CD audio book collections. (1 Disc, 2 hours 59 minutes)
Infamous Reign: A Hellequin Novella
Steve McHugh, author
Simon Hattacks, narrator
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887; Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781799761747, $9.99, MP3 CD
https://www.amazon.com/Infamous-Reign-Hellequin-Novella-Chronicles/dp/1799761746
Synopsis: In late 15th century England, two young princes are given over by Merlin to the protection of their uncle,
King Richard III. They soon vanish from sight, igniting tales of their demise at Richard's hand and breeding unrest
throughout the land.
Nathanial Garrett, also known as Hellequin, is sent to London to decipher fact from rumor and uncovers a plot to
replace the king. But his investigation quickly becomes personal when he learns that an old nemesis is involved. He
soon finds himself racing against time to rescue the boys before their fate, and the fate of all England, is sealed in
blood.
Critique: "Infamous Reign" is a novella author Steve McHugh's inherently fascinating Hellequin Chronicles historical
fantasy series in a story that deftly combines gritty and action-packed historical fantasy with elements of ancient
mythology. The result, as skillfully narrated by Simon Hattacks is a fully entertaining and very highly recommended
MP3 CD complete and unabridged audio book addition to personal listening lists and community library audio book
collections. (1 Disc, 2 hours, 6 minutes).
The Library CD Shelf
Old Soul
Kelly Lang
kellylang.net
Leopard Entertainment
$10.98 CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com
Old Soul is a music album of popular, beloved classics superbly performed by the debonair Kelly Lang. Her smooth-as-
silk performance is an audio treasure. Old Soul is highly recommended for both personal and public library music
collections, and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are "Drive", "Let's Stay Together", "I've Got To Use My
Imagination", "Me and Mr. Jones", "Your Love Is Lifting Me Higher", "Get Here", "Every Breath You Take", "Can't
Take My Eyes Off Of You", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", "Quando, Quando, Quando (feat. TG Sheppard)", "Let's
Give 'em Something To Talk About", "At This Moment", "Easy", and "All By Myself".
Double Helix
Peter Manning Robinson
Heart Dance Records
$15.98 CD / $18.98 MP3 amazon.com
Double Helix is the debut two-CD music album by award-winning composer and pianist Peter Manning Robinson,
showcasing his original songs drawing upon a technique that he terms "Refracted Music". He does not employ
prerecorded tracks, triggered samples, external sounds, or MIDI instruments, but rather an acoustic piano that is
"refracted" during live performances. The mellifluous results are a wonder to immerse onself in. Highly recommended
for both personal and public library music collections. The tracks are "Surfing the Sunrise", "Secret Sauce", "Moon
Vines", "Fugitive Heart", "Catch Your Breath", "Dark Moon", "Invisible Highway", and "Emergence" on the first CD,
and "Labyrinth of Petals", "Fresh Light", "Enigma", "Swimming With Ghosts", "Undying Spirit", "River of Mirrors",
"Sweet Shadows", and "Inside Out" on the second CD.
The Library DVD Shelf
For They Know Not What They Do
A film by Daniel Karslake
First Run Features
$24.95 firstrunfeatures.com
For They Know Not What They Do is a documentary about the backlash against marriage equality and LGBTQ rights
in modern America. Showcasing how religious conservatives and politicians have collaborated to undo civil rights
gains in the name of "religious freedom", For They Know Not What They Do is especially disturbing when it spotlights
threats and incidents of violence against LGBTQ people. Tackling a deadly serious issue head-on, For They Know Not
What They Do is a "must-have" especially for public library documentary collections, highly recommended. 91
min.
Hip Hop: The Songs that Shook America
AMC Networks
https://www.amcnetworks.com
$34.97 DVD / $34.97 Blu-ray amazon.com
Available as a 2-disc set on DVD or Blu-ray, Hip Hop: The Songs that Shook America is a documentary series in which
each of the six episodes focuses on a different hip-hop song that influenced American music and culture. The
spotlighted songs are "Jesus Walks" by Kanye West; "Alright" by Kendrick Lamar; "Rock Box" by Run-DMC;
"Elevators" by OutKast; "The Bridge" by Marley Marl and MC Shan; and "Ladies First" by Queen Latifah. Special
features include a Barbershop freestyle and bonus interviews with music icons. Hip Hop: The Songs that Shook
America lives up to its title as a "must" for fans of the genre and music scholars alike! Highly recommended. 6 episodes
on 2 DVDs or 2 Blu-ray discs, 4 hours 12 min., SDH subtitles.
Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile
Starring David Suchet
Acorn
www.acornonline.com
$19.99 DVD / $19.99 Blu-ray
Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile is the classic crime drama adaptation
of Agatha Christie's mystery novel, featuring the impeccable Poirot (superbly played by David Suchet). While Poirot
vacations in Egypt, he encounters a perilous quarrel between a spurned woman and her former friend. Death stalks the
cruise, and Poirot must investigate a web of deception and betrayal! Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile is a "must-
have" for connoisseurs of British mysteries in general, and Agatha Christie's cherished works in particular. Highly
recommended! 102 min., SDH subtitles.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
A Therapist's Guide to Treating Eating Disorders in a Social Media Age
Shauna Frisbie
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393714456, $25.95 PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Therapists-Treating-Eating-Disorders-Social/dp/0393714454
Synopsis: All humans need space to think, to be, and to process without constant distraction. This is especially true of
adolescents and young adults, for whom identity formation is a consuming task. Social media has generated both a
place for the creation of identity and an audience. But constant connection leaves little space without intrusion from
others. For those with body dissatisfaction and/or eating disorders, living in today's world can be especially challenging,
and viewing images on social media and other online formats can be devastating.
In "A Therapist's Guide to Treating Eating Disorders in a Social Media Age", therapist Shauna Frisbie utilizes
phototherapy techniques to view client-selected images (whether they be of themselves or others) to help uncover
underlying messages that are impacting their relationship to their bodies. Integrating concepts of healing narratives,
neuroscience, and phototherapy, "A Therapist's Guide to Treating Eating Disorders in a Social Media Age" will be
instrumental in helping any therapist promote self-compassion, self-reflection, and healing in their clients in this age of
Social Media.
Critique: An ideal instructional guide and manual for both the therapeutic practitioner and the non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject, "A Therapist's Guide to Treating Eating Disorders in a Social Media Age" will
prove to be a welcome and valued addition to both community and college/university library Health/Medical collections
in general, and Contemporary Psychology & Counseling supplemental studies list in particular. It should be noted for
the personal reading lists of therapists, psychology students, and anyone else that "A Therapist's Guide to Treating
Eating Disorders in a Social Media Age" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.73).
Editorial Note: Shauna Frisbie, Ed.D, is a certified eating disorders specialist who integrates cognitive behavioral,
interpersonal, and mindfulness-based approaches in her clinical work. She is a professor in the graduate psychology and
counseling department of Lubbock Christian University (Lubbock, Texas).
Restart Your Heart
Aseem Desai, MD, FHRS
www.draseemdesai.com
Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781626347083, $21.95, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Restart-Your-Heart-Playbook-Thriving/dp/1626347085
Synopsis: Atrial fibrillation (AF or AFib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) characterized by the rapid and
irregular beating of the atrial chambers of the heart. (Wikipedia)
AFib patients, their family, friends, and caregivers are often misinformed about the latest research, advancements, and
treatments. "Restart Your Heart: The Playbook for Thriving With AFib" is a life-changing book by renowned cardiac
electrophysiologist Dr. Aseem Desai and diminishes the worry and confusion that come with an AFib diagnosis by
presenting the reader with the latest medical information in a concise and positive way.
Dr. Desai has made it his mission to significantly improve the lives of those diagnosed with AFib and to offer hope and
encouragement to patients and their loved ones. Filled with innovative knowledge and vivid illustrations, "Restart Your
Heart" will empower and inspire the reader by providing straightforward answers and options to deal with this complex
disease.
A comprehensive guide to living the best life possible with AFib, "Restart Your Heart" covers:
What AFib is, why it happens, and simple steps to take after being diagnosed; Dealing with the diagnosis and condition
on mental and emotional levels, and creating a toolbox for resilience in challenging times; Gaining crucial knowledge
about trigger and risk factor modifications, the latest treatment options, and how to monitor the disease for progression
or recurrence.
"Restart Your Heart" delivers cutting-edge information, options, and solutions that will afford you a newfound sense of
comfort, confidence, and control.
Critique: Expertly written and thoroughly reader friendly in organization and presentation, "Restart Your Heart: The
Playbook for Thriving With AFib" should be considered essential reading for anyone having to deal with this medical
condition within themselves or a loved one. While unreservedly recommended for both community and
college/university library Health & Medicine collections in general, and Cardiac supplemental studies lists in particular,
it should be noted for medical professionals and non-specialist general readers alike that "Restart Your Heart: The
Playbook for Thriving With AFib" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Dr. Aseem Desai is a cardiac electrophysiologist (EP), a physician specializing in heart rhythm
disorders. He has been caring for people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) for over seventeen years and currently practices
in Orange County, California. Dr. Desai served as Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of Implantable Device
Therapy at the University of Chicago Hospital. As an author of several scientific manuscripts, he has published in
peer-reviewed journals such as HeartRhythm Journal, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, American
Journal of Medicine, and Annals of Internal Medicine. Dr. Desai maintains a website at: www.draseemdesai.com
That's Why I'm a Doctor
Mark Bulgutch
Douglas & McIntyre
c/o Harbour Publishing
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
9781771622523, $24.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Thats-Why-Doctor-Physicians-Memorable/dp/1771622520
Synopsis: Doctors hold a pretty special place in our lives. They're often there when we're born, and they're usually there
when we die. They're there for a lot of the scary or weird stuff that happens in between, too.
In the pages of "That's Why I'm a Doctor: Physicians Recount Their Most Memorable Moments", journalist Mark
Bulgutch brings together forty-six stories drawn from a diverse group of physicians that includes pediatricians,
interventional radiologists, general surgeons, psychiatrists, family doctors, gastroenterologists, ophthalmologists,
gynecologists, neurologists and more. Each doctor's individual story describes the moment that left them thinking,
"That's why I became a doctor."
"That's Why I'm a Doctor" includes stories of innovation (developing a treatment for cholera); rare and fascinating
medical cases (the separation of conjoined twins); the less dramatic but still quietly satisfying times when the doctor
was able to have a lasting positive impact on the life of a patient or their family; and, of course, those unexpected
moments when the patient taught the doctor an important life lesson that would inform their practice for years to
come.
These stories, big and small, are tied together by a sense of caring. It's impossible to read what these doctors have to say
and not come away with a new understanding of what goes through the mind of the person on the other end of the
stethoscope and how dedicated doctors must be to do what they do.
Critique: Memorably inspired and inspiring, "That's Why I'm a Doctor: Physicians Recount Their Most Memorable
Moments" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, medical school, and college/university Health
& Medicine collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of medical students, academia, medical
practitioners, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "That's Why I'm a Doctor: Physicians
Recount Their Most Memorable Moments" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Canadian journalist Mark Bulgutch worked for CBC News for over thirty-five years. He is the recipient
of fourteen Gemini awards, four Radio Television News Directors Association awards, the Canadian Journalism
Foundation Award of Excellence and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Gold Ribbon Award. His previous
book, "That's Why I'm a Journalist" (Douglas & McIntyre), was released in 2015.
The Archaeology Shelf
Egyptologists' Notebooks
Chris Naunton
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606066768, $40.00, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Egyptologists-Notebooks-Exploration-Pictures-Letters/dp/1606066765
Synopsis: For centuries, the ancient ruins of Egypt have provided an endless source of fascination for explorers,
antiquarians, archaeologists, and the public. All, from the very earliest travelers down to the present, were entranced by
the beauty of the landscape and the remains of tombs, temples, and cities consumed by drift sand. Many of those early
adventurers were gripped by the urge to capture what they saw in writings, sketches, paintings, and photographs.
While it was always the Egyptologists who were in charge, they depended on the assistance of architects, artists,
engineers, and photographers. Yet when we read about Flinders Petrie and Norman de Garis Davies, we rarely hear
about their wives, Hilda and Nina, or how the work of Amelia Edwards helped to fund their explorations. Only through
diaries, letters, and other archival discoveries have we come to realize how important these other partners were.
Similarly, the contributions of Egyptians, such as Hassan Effendi Hosni, are only now coming to light.
Compiled with commentary by Chris Naunton, "Egyptologists' Notebooks: The Golden Age of Nile Exploration in
Words, Pictures, Plans, and Letters" is a visual celebration of Egypt's ancient past, featuring evocative sketches,
paintings, and photographs from pioneering explorers' and archaeologists' journals. Reproduced in their original form,
they provide intimate, behind-the-scenes access to the archaeological discovery of Egypt.
Critique: A unique and impressively informative contribution to the growing library of Egyptology, "Egyptologists'
Notebooks: The Golden Age of Nile Exploration in Words, Pictures, Plans, and Letters" is gorgeously illustrated
throughout, making it an exceptionally and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community,
and college/university library Archaeology collections in general, and Egyptology supplemental curriculum studies
reading lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Chris Naunton is an Egyptologist and the author of Searching for the Lost Tombs of Egypt (2018). He
studied ancient history, archaeology, and Egyptology at the University of Birmingham and Swansea University and has
presented many TV programs on Egypt, including The Man Who Discovered Egypt (2012), Ancient Mysteries (2016),
King Tut's Treasure (2018), and Egypt's Lost Pyramid (2019). He was director of the Egypt Exploration Society from
2012 to 2016.
The Military Shelf
Battle of Berlin
Martin W. Bowman
Air World
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526786388, $52.95, HC, 362pp
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Berlin-Bomber-Command-1943-1945/dp/1526786389
Synopsis: "Battle of Berlin: Bomber Command over the Third Reich, 1943 - 1945" by Martin W. Bowman is the story
of the bombing of the 'Big City' as it was known to the crews of RAF Bomber Command, and raged from 18 November
1943 to the end of the war in Europe in 1945. It is recalled in this volume of military history both by those in the air
over capital of the Third Reich, as well as those who suffered under the bombing onslaught.
At the start of the Battle of Berlin, Sir Arthur Harris had predicted that the 'Big City' would 'cost between 400-500
aircraft', but that it would also 'cost Germany the war'. He was proved wrong on both counts. Berlin was not 'wrecked
from end to end', as Harris predicted on 3 November 1943 ('if the USAAF will come in on it') although a considerable
part of it was destroyed. And the 'Main Battle of Berlin' did not cost Germany the war; a grinding land campaign had
yet to be fought. More than 9,000 bombing sorties were flown during the battle on round trips of about 1,200 miles to
Berlin and back.
Berlin was bombed by four Allied air forces between 1940 and 1945. British bombers alone dropped 45,517 tons of
bombs, whilst the Americans a further 23,000 tons. By 1944, some 1.2 million people, 790,000 of them women and
children, about a quarter of Berlin's population, had been evacuated to rural areas. An effort was made to evacuate all
children from Berlin, but this was defeated by parents and many evacuees who soon made their way back to the city.
However, by May 1945, 1.7 million people some 40% of the population had fled the city.
"Battle of Berlin: Bomber Command over the Third Reich, 1943 - 1945" is a fitting tribute to those who died in the
relentless struggle to knock Berlin (and hopefully Germany), out of the war and resonates with eyewitness accounts and
background information which has painstakingly investigated and methodically researched. The result is a hugely
fascinating and highly readable narrative containing very real and unique observations by British and Commonwealth
aircrew and, equally importantly, the long-suffering citizens of Berlin, and well as the capital's defenders.
Up to the end of March 1945, there had been a total of 314 air raids on Berlin, eighty-five of these in the last twelve
months. Estimates of the total number of dead in Berlin from air raids range from 20,000 to 50,000; the relatively low
casualty figure in Berlin is partly the result of the city's formidable air defenses and shelters.
The Battle of Berlin was not a defeat in absolute terms, but in the operational sense it was an offensive that Air Marshal
Sir Arthur Harris and his aircrews could not win. 'Berlin won' concluded Sir Ralph Cochrane, the Air Officer
Commanding 5 Group RAF Bomber Command. 'It was just too tough a nut.'
Critique: An impressively informative, deftly written, exceptionally well documented, and expertly organized history,
"Battle of Berlin: Bomber Command over the Third Reich, 1943 - 1945" is a seminal work of original scholarship and
one that is especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and college/university library World War II
European Theatre collections in general, and WWII aerial warfare supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be
noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Battle of Berlin: Bomber Command over the Third Reich, 1943 - 1945" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $32.95).
Editorial Note: Martin Bowman is one of Britain's leading aviation authors and has written a great deal of books
focusing on aspects of Second World War aviation history. He is the author of many Pen and Sword Aviation titles,
including all releases in the exhaustive Air War D-Day and Air War Market Garden series.
North Vietnam's 1972 Easter Offensive: Hanoi's Gamble
Stephen Emerson
Pen & Sword
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526757128, $22.95, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/North-Vietnams-1972-Easter-Offensive/dp/1526757125
Synopsis: By the end of 1971, in what Hanoi called the American War and at the height of the Cold War, the fighting
had dragged on for eight years with neither side gaining a decisive advantage on the battlefield and talks in Paris to the
end the war were going nowhere. While the United States was steadily drawing down its ground forces in South
Vietnam, Washington was also engaging in a grand effort to build up and strengthen Saigon's armed forces to the point
of self-sufficiency. Not only had the ranks of Saigon's forces swelled in recent years, but they were now being equipped
and trained to use the latest American military equipment. Perhaps now was the time for Hanoi to take one last gamble
before it was too late.
With the rumble of men and mechanized equipment breaking the early morning silence, some 40,000 North Vietnamese
troops advanced across the demilitarized zone into South Vietnam on March 30, 1972 in what would become the
largest conventional attack of the war. Ill-prepared and poorly led, South Vietnamese troops in the far north were
quickly routed in the face of the ensuing onslaught.
Likewise, coordinated attacks across the Cambodian border northwest of Saigon and into the central highlands in the
coming weeks gained steam and in due course as many as 200,000 men along with T-54/55 main battle tanks, 130mm
towed artillery, ZSU-57 self-propelled ant-aircraft guns, and hundreds of trucks and armored personnel carriers were
engaged across three battlefronts.
Soon Saigon's beleaguered forces were being pushed to the brink of defeat in what appeared to be the end for the Thieu
government. Ultimately, however, the timely and massive intervention by U.S. and South Vietnamese air power, along
with the bravery of some South Vietnamese commanders and their American advisers saved the day. Hanoi's gamble
had failed and in its wake lay up to 100,000 dead and South Vietnamese roads littered with the smoldering wrecks of
North Vietnamese military equipment. Moreover, it would be another three years before the North had recovered
enough to try again.
Critique: A part of the outstanding Pen & Sword 'Cold War 1945-1991' series, "North Vietnam's 1972 Easter Offensive:
Hanoi's Gamble" informatively presents an episode of the Vietnam War that has otherwise lapsed into obscurity,
crowed out of the history books by North Vietnam's ultimate victory against the U.S. and South Vietnamese military.
Illustrated throughout with black/white historical photographs, "North Vietnam's 1972 Easter Offensive: Hanoi's
Gamble" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library Vietnam
War collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military history
buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "North Vietnam's 1972 Easter Offensive:
Hanoi's Gamble" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Stephen Emerson worked as intelligence analyst covering political-military affairs in Africa and the
Middle East. He served as Security Studies Chair at the National Defense University's Africa Center for Strategic
Studies and previously as an associate professor of National Security Decision-making at the U.S. Naval War College
in Newport, Rhode Island. As the author of more than 100 classified and unclassified publications, Steve has written
widely on subjects from American national security affairs and political instability to terrorism, African conflicts, and
counter-insurgency. Chief among these are his critical assessment of U.S. counter-terrorism policy in Africa, 'The Battle
for Africa's Hearts and Minds', and his comprehensive military history of the Mozambican civil war in The Battle for
Mozambique.
The Travel Shelf
Mystical Places
Sarah Baxter, author
Amy Grimes, illustrator
White Lion Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9781781319581, $19.99, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mystical-Places-Inspired-Traveller-Guides/dp/1781319588
Synopsis: In "Mystical Places", travel writer Sarah Baxter expertly curates the world's most wonder-filled sites where
magic is made manifest. Her readers will discover the history and geography for each of twenty-five mystical sites and
learn their most significant and spellbinding stories, with suggestions of features to look out for and information on
ceremonies.
Filled with beautifully bewitching illustrations, this unique travel guide aims to transport you, in the comfort of your
own armchair, to sacred and mystical spots, digging into their legends and evoking their supernatural essence.
Seeking a transcendent travel experience? Take a magical pilgrimage to Alfaborg, the City of Elves; marvel at the
otherworldly splendour of Xandadu, the heart of a lost dynasty; and discover the gateway to the afterlife in the
Alepotrypa Cave. In the pages of "Mystical Places" we will encounter mythical kings, explore sacred summits and
enchanted architecture, and find a cast of giants, ghosts, golems and sea creatures.
Critique: Beautifully enhanced with the mystic artwork of Amy Grimes, "Mystical Places" is a unique and extraordinary
travel guide that will have special appeal for students and practitioners of the metaphysical arts. Inherently fascinating
and impressively informative, Sarah Baxter's "Mystical Places" is especially and unreservedly recommended for
personal reading lists, as well as both community and college/university library collections.
Editorial Note: Sarah Baxter grew up in Norfolk, England and now lives in Bath. Her passion for travel and the great
outdoors saw her traverse Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the United States before settling into a writing career. She
was Associate Editor of Wanderlust magazine, the bible for independent-minded travellers, for more than ten years and
has also written extensively on travel for a diverse range of other publications, including the Guardian, the Telegraph
and the Independent, plus160 newspapers. Sarah has also contributed to more than a dozen Lonely Planet
guidebooks.
Amy Grimes is an artist and illustrator based in London. Drawing inspiration from nature and the natural world, Amy's
work often features bright and bold illustrated motifs, floral icons and leafy landscapes. As well as working on
commissioned illustrations, Amy also sells prints, textiles and stationery under the brand of Hello Grimes.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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