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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Field Guide to Family Business Research
Keith H. Brigham & G. Tyge Payne, editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781800884137, $145.00, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Field-Family-Business-Research-Guides/dp/1800884133
Synopsis: Co-authored by professor of entrepreneurship Keith H. Brigham and G. Tyge Payne, "The Field Guide to Family
Business Research" is a concise and accessible guidebook that addresses the unique challenges associated with conducting
high-quality family business research. Intended for both new and more experienced scholars, experts provide essential
guidelines and insightful best practices for overcoming these challenges.
Comprehensive in scope and split into three key parts, the contributors to "The Field Guide to Family Business Research"
address general, qualitative and quantitative challenges and their various solutions. Individual chapters examine three
primary research challenges: failure to demonstrate a clear and unique contribution to the extant literature; failure to
properly frame and align an argument's theory and hypothesis; and finally, failure to measure and conduct appropriate
methodological and empirical approaches to a study. Ultimately, the solutions presented offer a better understanding of the
unique aspects of conducting research in the family business domain.
With a wealth of expertise and practical information, "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" is an invaluable
guide will be of great benefit to anyone conducting research in family business. It will be especially helpful to researchers
and students of business management, law, public policy and social policy as well as consultants and practitioners in the
field of family business.
Critique: Comprised of seventeen informative articles addressing various aspects of research and a family business (with
several cogent examples), "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" is an exceptionally well organized and
presented compendium of 'real world' practical introduction to approaching and applying research methodologies to family
business practices and policies to insure success. Exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
presentation, "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" is a solid pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Family Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for students, academia, and general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Field Guide to Family
Business Research" is also available from Edward Elgar Publishing in a paperback edition (9781035344475, $53.21,
Amazon).
Editorial Note #1: Keith H. Brigham is Professor of Entrepreneurship, Director, Tom Love Division of Entrepreneurship
and Economic Development, Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma.
Editorial Note #2: G. Tyge Payne is Professor of Entrepreneurship, Stephenson Department of Entrepreneurship &
Information Systems, Louisiana State University.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
How to Draw a Circle: On Reading and Writing
Dan Beachy-Quick
University of Michigan Press
www.press.umich.edu
9780472039708, $24.95, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Circle-Reading-Writing/dp/0472039709
Synopsis: What is it to write a poem? What work do words do when placed with care and vision into the intensely charged
space of poetic effort?
"How to Draw a Circle: On Reading and Writing" by Dn Beachy-Quick does not seek to answer those questions, but to
encounter them as fully and honestly as one can. The thread running through the essays is an ongoing investigation into
poetry as an epistemological experiment, one which binds the imagination to the worldly, and trusts that creative endeavor
is a form of participation in the ongoing creation of the world.
It does so in part by focusing on thinkers, poets, writers, and literary movements where such thinking for a while prevailed,
from Socrates to Melville, Mythology to Romanticism. Here the poem is approached as something deeply rooted in human
consciousness, done so not to make an atavistic claim about poetry's history, but to show the ways in which oldest tradition
gives us ever-new eyes.
The hope this study reveals that poetry (poetic expression, the wild wonder of working in words) turns us back toward the
world in more vibrant, more open, more ethical ways. "How to Draw a Circle" summons lyric powers -- not as an
argument, but as a participation in the ways poetry works in us and on us.
Critique: One of the best critiques and commentaries on the art and impact of poetry and verse upon the human mind and
emotions in many a year, this paperback edition of Dan Beachy-Quick's "How to Draw a Circle: On Reading and Writing"
from the University of Michigan Press is a thoughtful and thought-provoking study that is unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Literary/Poetry Criticism collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and anyone who has (or aspires to) crafting poetry of
their own that "How to Draw a Circle: On Reading and Writing" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$19.95).
Editorial Note: Dan Beachy-Quick is University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Colorado State University. His books
of poetry include, Circle's Apprentice (2011, Winner of the Colorado Book Award in Poetry), gentlessness (2015),
Variations on Dawn and Dusk (2019, long-listed for the National Book Award in Poetry) and Arrows (2020). In 2016 he
was named a Guggenheim Fellow in Poetry. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Beachy-Quick)
The AI Shelf
Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI
Mark Abraham & David C. Edelman
Harvard Business Review Press
http://hbr.org/books
9781647826277, $32.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Personalized-Customer-Strategy-Age-AI/dp/1647826276
Synopsis: Consumers want personalized experiences, but few companies are rising to the challenge. Those that succeed in
personalization build trusted relationships with millions of customers and engage with them at every step throughout their
journey. Through the power of AI, they rethink their operations and unleash the creativity of their teams to fine-tune every
interaction, delighting customers in the process.
But most companies are not doing personalization well, leading to wasted money, squandered effort, and missed
expectations. To be done effectively, personalization must be a critical element of an organization's strategy.
"Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI" is a playbook for delivering true personalization at scale. In this
comprehensive instructional guide, Boston Consulting Group's Mark Abraham and Harvard Business School's David C.
Edelman describe Five Promises of Personalization:
Empower Me: Understand each customer's needs and how best to meet them.
Know Me: Win customers' trust and permission to use their data to improve their experience.
Reach Me: Reach out to the right customer, in the right channel, at the right time.
Show Me: Tailor unique content to be relevant to each customer, enabled by generative AI.
Delight Me: Design new ways of working and ensure continuous improvement, so a customer's experience feels
magical.
With detailed examples across industries (including retail, health care, banking, technology, and travel) "Personalized:
Customer Strategy in the Age of AI" will help executives learn how to put personalization at the center of their strategy,
accelerate growth, and capture their share of the $2 trillion personalization prize.
Critique: There is no question but that artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting the corporate world of commerce and that
influence seems to be growing at an ever increasing (and expanding) rate. The edition of "Personalized: Customer Strategy
in the Age of AI", co-authored by Mark Abraham and David C. Edelman is timely and essential reading for corporate
executives, board members, business managers, and entrepreneurs. Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in style, organization and
presentation, "Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI" is an urgently timely, and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, business school, and college/university library AI and Contemporary
Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students,
academia, corporate/business professionals, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in either subject that
"Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.27) as
well.
Editorial Note #1: Mark Abraham is a senior partner at Boston Consulting Group and founder of the firm's Personalization
business. He and his team have accelerated the personalization efforts of more than a hundred iconic brands and built some
of BCG's largest ventures and AI platforms, including Fabriq by BCG, for personalization.
Editorial Note #2: David C. Edelman is a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, an executive advisor and board
member to brands and technology providers, and an advisor to BCG. Previously, he was chief marketing officer at Aetna.
He has worked with dozens of companies on personalization, AI, and agile marketing at both BCG and Digitas.
The Political Science Shelf
Watchdogs
Glenn A. Fine
University of Virginia Press
www.upress.virginia.edu
9780813952468, $29.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Watchdogs-Inspectors-Accountable-Government-Presidency/dp/0813952468
Synopsis: In the United States, an inspector general leads an organization charged with examining the actions of a
government agency, military organization, or military contractor as a general auditor of their operations to ensure they are
operating in compliance with generally established policies of the government, to audit the effectiveness of security
procedures, or to discover the possibility of misconduct, waste, fraud, theft, or certain types of criminal activity by
individuals or groups related to the agency's operation, usually involving some misuse of the organization's funds or credit.
In the United States, there are numerous offices of inspector general at the federal, state, and local levels; the Office of the
Inspector General of the United States Army is a military example. The framework of offices of inspector general within
the United States government was established with the Inspector General Act of 1978. (Wikipedia)
With the publication of "Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government", Glenn
Fine (who served as the inspector general of the Department of Justice from 2000 to 2011 and the acting inspector general
of the Department of Defense from 2016 to 2020) explains why all Americans should be familiar with this critical pillar of
our democracy.
Drawing on his own experiences in numerous high-profile investigations over two decades, from 9/11 to the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan, Fine provides a fascinating insider's view of government at the highest levels, illuminating how federal
officials spend our tax dollars and how inspector general oversight seeks to make government more honest and
accountable.
Full of revealing stories ranging from the FBI's handling of evidence in the Timothy McVeigh trial to the treatment of
post-9/11 detainees to investigating the US Navy's most infamous corruption scandal, "Watchdogs" fully illustrates the
mission of inspectors general in improving government operations, deterring wasteful spending, and curtailing corruption,
and the ways they work every day in America's unique system of oversight.
Critique: Simply stated, "Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government" is
essential reading for anyone with an interest in governmental accountability and reforms, especially in terms of protecting
governmental institutions and American citizens from corruption and misconduct on the part of public officials at every
level of local, state, and national government. "Watchdogs" is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Political Science collections. It should be
noted for students, academia, political activists, politicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Watchdogs" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.46) as well.
Editorial Note: Glenn A. Fine formerly served as the acting Inspector General of the Department of Defense and as the
Inspector General of the Department of Justice. He is a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution, an adjunct
professor at Georgetown Law School, and has taught at Stanford Law School.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Fine)
The Economic Studies Shelf
Countering the Financing of Terrorism
Chady El Khoury, editor
International Monetary Fund
https://www.imf.org/en/home
9798400204654, $30.00, PB, 210pp
https://www.amazon.com/Countering-Financing-Terrorism-Practices-Effectiveness/dp/B0C799L7ZZ
Synopsis: IMF member countries face significant challenges when it comes to improving the effectiveness of their fight
against terrorism financing. Compiled and edited by Chady El Khoury, "Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Good
Practices to Enhance Effectiveness" is intended to assist anti-money laundering and combating terrorism financing
(AML/CFT) policymakers and practitioners in identifying key challenges and good practices for strengthening the
effectiveness of counter terrorism financing frameworks.
The book's six chapters comprising "Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Good Practices to Enhance Effectiveness"
cover (1) improving the understanding of terrorist financing risks; (2) the role of the private sector in detecting and
disrupting terrorist financing activities; (3) the production and use of financial intelligence to counter terrorism and
terrorist financing; (4) investigating, prosecuting, and sanctioning terrorism financiers; (5) terrorism-related targeted
financial sanctions; and (6) international cooperation in combating the financing of terrorism.
"Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Good Practices to Enhance Effectiveness" presents contributions by experts from
the IMF, United Nations, Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, INTERPOL, and Europol.
Critique: Simply stated, "Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Good Practices to Enhance Effectiveness" is vitally
important and timely reading for anyone with a professional and/or personal interest in defeating terrorist organizations by
interdicting/preventing their financing through banking institutions through money laundering and other illegal
national/international financial forms of transactions. This paperback edition of "Countering the Financing of Terrorism:
Good Practices to Enhance Effectiveness" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, governmental, financial institution, and college/college Terrorism & Economics collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 190 countries, working to foster global
monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable
economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Emergencies Around Childbirth, fourth edition
Maureen Boyle, editor
Routledge
www.routledge.com
9781032465425, $49.99, PB, 286pp
https://www.amazon.com/Emergencies-Around-Childbirth-Maureen-Boyle/dp/1032465425
Synopsis: Supporting readers to perform effectively in urgent or emergency situations that can occur in a hospital, at a birth
centre or at home, this fully updated fourth edition of "Emergencies Around Childbirth: A Handbook for Midwives" by
Maureen Boyle (who is a Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at the University of West London, UK) presents the necessary
knowledge and skills for student and practising midwives.
With contributions from highly experienced midwives, "Emergencies Around Childbirth: A Handbook for Midwives" is
practical guidebook whose fourth edition now incorporates a new chapter on legal issues for safe practice, as well as
additional content on professional issues. Also included is an essentially new chapter on cardiac problems, recognizing that
midwives are often the lead professional caring for women with cardiac anomalies, as many are undiagnosed until the
emergency.
As with previous editions, "Emergencies Around Childbirth: A Handbook for Midwives" continues to provide key,
up-to-date information on high-risk medical and obstetric situations, from serious infection to uterine complications to
resuscitation.
Critique: Simply stated, "Emergencies Around Childbirth: A Handbook for Midwives, 4th Edition" is essential reading for
practicing and student midwives and those who teach them. It is also an invaluable informational resource for Women's
Health Rights activists with respect to the current national discussions over the necessity for providing health care services
to pregnant women with medical issues that can threaten their lives and/or create miscarriages. While especially and
unreservedly recommended for medical school and college/university library Midwifery collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this new 4th edition of "Emergencies Around Childbirth: A Handbook for
Midwives" from Routledge is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.99).
Adult Dysphagia
Yvette M. McCoy & Ed M. Bice
Plural Publishing
https://www.pluralpublishing.com
9781635506921, $74.95, PB, 131pp
https://www.amazon.com/Adult-Dysphagia-Clinical-Reasoning-Decision-Making/dp/1635506921
Synopsis: Co-authored by dysphagia experts Yvette M. McCoy and Ed M. Bice "Adult Dysphagia Clinical Reasoning and
Decision-Making Guide" from Plural Publishing is the ideal resource for assessing and treating swallowing disorders.
Readily accessible for day-to-day evaluation, this one-of-a-kind text gives clinicians quick access to key clinical
information to help them think critically and provide actionable solutions for their patients. With a focus on the clinical
process and implementing sound, clinical reasoning skills to inform decision-making, this resource aids speech-language
pathologists in developing situation-based assessment and treatment plans.
Compact and easy to use, this professional guide can be leveraged as a practical tool by clinicians to facilitate positive,
actionable patient outcomes for treating dysphagia in adults. Utilizing case studies with clinically relevant charts,
diagrams, and flow sheets, this text helps speech-language pathologists develop a clinical process that involves critical
thinking.
With essential, evidence-based material for swallowing assessment and treatment, as well as alternate treatment solutions
to implement in their clinical caseload, clinicians will acquire informed clinical reasoning and decision-making skills.
The PluralPlus companion website for this text includes interactive case studies. Recognizing that there are many possible
solutions to treating a particular problem, the interactive case studies expand on information within the resource with case
analysis and alternate solutions. Immediate feedback for choices will suggest further considerations and additional options
to guide clinicians to think critically about how clinical decisions are made.
The key features of "Adult Dysphagia Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making Guide" include:
Case studies
Simple diagrams to describe complex, abstract concepts
Features "Deeper Dive" opportunities to go beyond the essential material
Inclusion of clinical notes and boxed focal points for practical application
Critique: Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under "symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, in some
contexts it is classified as a condition in its own right. It may be a sensation that suggests difficulty in the passage of solids
or liquids from the mouth to the stomach, a lack of pharyngeal sensation or various other inadequacies of the swallowing
mechanism. Dysphagia is distinguished from other symptoms including odynophagia, which is defined as painful
swallowing, and globus, which is the sensation of a lump in the throat. A person can have dysphagia without odynophagia
(dysfunction without pain), odynophagia without dysphagia (pain without dysfunction) or both together. A psychogenic
dysphagia is known as phagophobia. (Wikipedia)
"This paperback edition of "Adult Dysphagia Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making Guide" from Plural Publishing is
exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, medical school, and college/university library medical reference collections and supplemental
Speech Pathology, Communications, and SpeechTherapy supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Yvette M. McCoy, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Speech-Language
Pathology in the College of Health at Moravian University. She currently holds her board certification in swallowing
disorders. Ms. McCoy has numerous peer-reviewed publications and serves on the American Board of Swallowing and
Swallowing Disorders Executive Committee as Secretary and the Pennsylvania Speech-Hearing Association as Vice
President of Membership and Ethics. (https://www.speakwellsolutions.com)
Editorial Note #2: Ed M. Bice, MEd, CCC-SLP, (https://dysphagiacafe.com/author/ebice) is a Clinical Consultant for IOPI
Medical and works clinically at a nonprofit speech and hearing clinic. He has experience in various settings, including
acute care, outpatient, home health, and skilled nursing. Mr. Bice has held various leadership positions, including Vice
President of Clinical Services and Chief Operating Officer. He has been a guest on national and international dysphagia
podcasts and has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. Mr. Bice teaches swallowing courses at the
University of Maryland, has served as an expert witness, and has been an invited speaker for universities, state, national,
and international conventions.
The Education Shelf
The Best 390 Colleges: 2025
Robert Franek
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
www.PrincetonReview.com
9780593517505, $26.99, PB, 896pp
https://www.amazon.com/Best-390-Colleges-2025-Depth/dp/0593517504
Synopsis: The Princeton Review's college rankings started in 1992 with surveys from 30,000 students. Over 30 years and
more than a million student surveys later, "The Best 390 Colleges: 2025" is an exhaustively comprehensive compendium
that offers aspiring students and their parents with 390 in-depth school profiles based on candid feedback from 160,000+
students, covering academics, administration, campus life, and financial aid; Insights on unique college character, social
scene, and more; Direct quotes from students about their school's professors, campus culture, career services, and
more.
"The Best 390 Colleges: 2025" also features lists of the top 25 colleges in 50 categories based on students' opinions of
academics, campus life, facilities, as well as ratings for every school on basis of Financial Aid, Selectivity, and Quality of
Life.
Of special note is the "Inside Word" on competitive applications, test scores, tuition, and average indebtedness, as well as
comprehensive information on selectivity, freshman profiles, and application deadlines at each school. Plus free access to 2
full-length practice tests online (1 SAT and 1 ACT) to help you prep for the important admissions-exams part of your
admissions journey.
Critique: Thoroughly 'user/researcher friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Best 390 Colleges: 2025" is a core
and unreservedly recommended addition to family, highschool counselor, community, and college/university library
College/Graduate School Reference & Resource collection.
Editorial Note #1: Robert Franek (http://www.robfranek.com) is the Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review, is a
nationally sourced expert on colleges and higher education issues. Over his 29-year career, he has been a test-prep
tutor/teacher, college admissions administrator, editor, publisher, author, lecturer, and media contributor. He has visited
more than 1,200 high schools and more than 1,000 colleges and grad schools. He has directed more than 95 of The
Princeton Review's education surveys. As Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review, Rob is the publishing director of a line
of more than 150 books published by Penguin Random House.
Editorial Note 2: The experts at The Princeton Review have been helping students, parents, and educators achieve the best
results at every stage of the education process since 1981. The Princeton Review has helped millions succeed on
standardized tests, and provides expert advice and instruction to help parents, teachers, students, and schools navigate the
complexities of school admission. In addition to classroom courses in over 40 states and 20 countries, The Princeton
Review also offers online and school-based courses, one-to-one and small-group tutoring, as well as online services in both
admission counseling and academic homework help.
Social Skill of the Week Curriculum
Amy Riccio, Laura Sokolofsky, and Beth McGraw
Boys Town Press
www.boystownpress.org
9798889070184, $37.95, PB, 210pp
https://www.amazon.com/Social-Skill-Week-Curriculum-Classrooms/dp/B0D7NP7DP5
Synopsis: "Social Skill of the Week Curriculum: 42 Weeks of Lesson Plans for K-6 Classrooms" provides a simple and
effective curriculum specifically designed to help classroom teachers empower all students with the skills they need to be
more successful at school and in life.
Created primarily for K-6 general education classrooms, the curriculum features forty-two life skills, allowing teachers to
focus on one skill per week during an average school year. Each lesson is divided into daily activities that can be taught in
five to fifteen minutes, depending on the chosen activities (role-plays, large- and small-group discussion, journaling, video
learning, and reading).
In addition to the forty-two primary skills, there are eight extension skills that closely align with and complement a specific
skill. Primary and extension skills can be taught together, during the same week, or the extension skill can be taught
separately.
The lessons are written to support daily Planned Teaching, an instructional strategy which draws upon the best
evidence-based instructional practices for behavior. The lessons also can be taught in any order, so educators can choose a
Skill of the Week schedule that best meets the needs of their learning community.
The curriculum includes basic skills, such as Introducing Yourself and Following Instructions, and more advanced skills,
such as Valuing Differences and Interrupting or Changing Negative or Harmful Thoughts. All of the skills are easily
adaptable to reflect a student's specific abilities and cultural norms, and each lesson can be shortened or expanded based on
time and student needs.
The lessons also include a skill poster that highlights the skill name, its behavioral steps, and a visual illustration of what
the skill looks like in practice. The posters are available as downloads, offering teachers the opportunity to post them in
their classrooms or distribute them to students to color and decorate.
Critique: In creating "Social Skill of the Week Curriculum: 42 Weeks of Lesson Plans for K-6 Classrooms", veteran
educators and seasoned counselors Amy Riccio, Laura Sokolofsky, and Beth McGraw have drawn upon their decades of
experience working with diverse student populations in elementary and middle schools, self-contained classrooms, and
alternative education settings. "Social Skill of the Week Curriculum" is highly recommended for use with students in
grades K-6 and an ideal contribution to in-service teacher education workshops. This large format (8.5 x 1 x 11 inches, 1
pound) paperback edition of "Social Skill of the Week Curriculum" from Boys Town Press is an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to elementary school, school district, and college/university library Education
Curriculum Development collections and supplemental Teacher Education curriculum studies lists.
The Cookbook Shelf
A Taste of the World: Celebrating Global Flavors
Rowena Scherer
Collective Book Studio
https://thecollectivebook.studio
9781685551728, $29.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-World-Celebrating-Global-Flavors/dp/1685551726
Synopsis: From Rowena Scherer, founder of Eat2Explore, "A Taste of the World: Celebrating Global Flavors" is a
carefully curated collection of recipes celebrating global cuisine and designed to be made by families with kids of all ages.
Each recipe is a full meal and includes step-by-step instructions so parents can safely have their kids join in the fun while
learning about other cultures through their traditional foods.
"A Taste of the World" offers: 64 kid-friendly recipes ranging from Pork Katsu from Japan and Vegetable Korma from
India to Lamb Kebabs from Morocco and Black Bean Enchiladas from Mexico; Short selections of facts of 20 different
countries as well as adorable in-color illustrations of their landmarks; Full-color photographs of each finished dish and the
steps along the way.
Critique: "A Taste of the World: Celebrating Global Flavors" is a fun way to plan memorable menus that begin as family
affairs in the kitchen where children can join their parents to make palate pleasing, appetite satisfying dishes to fit any and
all dining occasions both formal and informal. Beautifully illustrated, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, "A Taste of the World: Celebrating Global Flavors" is a prized and unreservedly recommended pick for
family, personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition
of "A Taste of the World: Celebrating Global Flavors" from the Collective Studio is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $16.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Rowena Scherer (https://eat2explore.com/pages/our-story) grew up in Malaysia and her fondest memories
are from when she cooked in the kitchen with her family. Years later, after working on Wall Street and living all over the
world, she decided she wanted to create the same lasting memories with her children. She attended the French Culinary
Institute, began to source hard-to-find non-perishable ingredients that highlighted her cherished foods, and started
eat2explore, an explorer box filled with authentic recipes, activities, and collectibles that offered a worldwide cultural
education through the exploration of food.
The Modern Hippie Table
Lauren Thomas, author
Kristy Horst, photographer
Collective Book Studio
https://thecollectivebook.studio
9781685550066, $35.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Hippie-Table-Recipes-Beautifully/dp/1685550061
Synopsis: "Simple and nostalgic" meets "new and sophisticated" in author and blogger Lauren Thomas' lifestyle cookbook,
"The Modern Hippie Table: Recipes and Menus for Eating Simply and Living Beautifully".
From tablescapes to menu planning to cocktail mixing, hosts are invited to slow down and create sanctuary at home, using
food and conversation to forge family bonds and lifelong friendships at the table.
"The Modern Hippie Table" offers: 70+ recipes including Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Tofu and Veggie Fried Rice,
Ten-Minute Smoky Tomato Penne, Vegan Chocolate Donuts with Strawberry Icing, and dozens more; A combination of
fresh ingredients and original takes on dinner staples; Gorgeous, accessible decorating ideas for aesthetic table setting.
With an array of suggested menus for easy meal planning and stunning photography from Kristy Horst, "The Modern
Hippie Table" encourages everyone to find joy and ease in the art of cooking and entertaining for gatherings big and
small.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated with full color photos of finished dishes by photographer Kristy Horst, this large format
(7.75 x 1 x 10 inches, 2.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Modern Hippie Table: Recipes and Menus for Eating
Simply and Living Beautifully" is an inspiring resource for planning memorable meals with family and friends for any and
all dining occasions and celebrations. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friend' in organization and presentation, and also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99), "The Modern Hippie Table: Recipes and Menus for Eating Simply and Living
Beautifully" will prove to be a prized pick for personal, professional, and community/public library lifestyle and cookbook
collections..
Editorial Note #1: Lauren Thomas (https://laurenthomas.org) began writing her debut lifestyle cookbook, The Modern
Hippie Table, after her creative journey as a lifestyle blogger inspired women to feel good in their own skin, reinvent their
passion for the home and to have fun in the kitchen. Whether she's working with flavors in the kitchen or setting the scene
for a beautiful evening, Lauren's passion for merging good food and conversation brings people together at the table and
can turn an evening into a lasting memory.
Editorial Note #2: Kristy Horst (https://fable.co/author/kristy-horst) is a seasoned photographer with an absolute love of
her trade. A pro with a critical perspective who has pursued her craft for over 20 years, she spent the bulk of her career as
lead photographer at top-tier creative agencies. Now heading up her own photography business, she enjoys the ability to
pursue projects that inspire and excite.
The American History Shelf
The Founding of English America
John May
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476695242, $29.95, PB, 269pp
https://www.amazon.com/Founding-English-America-Introduction-Jamestown/dp/1476695245
Synopsis: In 1577, John Dee, a scientist/philosopher who served as an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, proposed to her the
creation of colonies in the New World. Neither Elizabeth nor Walter Raleigh imagined the task would be so difficult or
take more than 30 years.
The effort started with an exploration of the coast of today's North Carolina and the settlement of a colony on Roanoke
Island in 1585. This ended tragically and became known as The Lost Colony, its fate a mystery to this day. James I
resumed the effort with the founding of Jamestown in 1607 on an island in the James River in today's Virginia.
With the publication of "The Founding of English America: An Introduction to the Lost Colony and Jamestown", John
May relates the histories of the Roanoke and Jamestown colonies to enable a full understanding of the founding of English
America. Important events in America's beginnings, including the wreck of the Sea Venture (which inspired William
Shakespeare's The Tempest), the Algonquin chief Powhatan's plans to make the newcomers useful to him, and the
relationship between Pocahontas and English Captain John Smith are highlighted.
Critique: Exceptional, informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Founding of English
America: An Introduction to the Lost Colony and Jamestown" also features a Tudor Family Tree, a ten page Dramatis
Personae, a six page Introduction, a fourteen page Epilogue, forty-eight pages of Chapter Notes, a six page Bibliography,
and a twelve page Index. A solid pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American
History collections, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Founding of English America: An Introduction to the Lost Colony and Jamestown" is also available from
McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99) as well.
Editorial Note: John May is an author and former business executive who resides in Pittsboro, North Carolina. His first
work, a historical novel, was a finalist for the Thomas Wolfe Prize.
The World History Shelf
Japanese Swords and Armor
Paul Martin
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805318386, $45.00, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Swords-Armor-Masterpieces-Warriors/dp/4805318384
Synopsis: Paul Martin is a world-renowned scholar of Japanese swords and with the publication of "Japanese Swords and
Armor: Masterpieces from Thirty of Japan's Most Famous Samurai Warriors" takes us on a journey of discovery of
samurai culture through an examination of valuable weapons and armor belonging to thirty of Japan's most celebrated
warriors, many of which are classified as Important Cultural Propertiesor National Treasures and therefore rarely seen by
the public.
"Japanese Swords and Armor" covers the entire development of the samurai class, from the 10th to the 19th centuries, and
offers a compelling journey into the minds and aesthetic sensibilities of the legendary warriors through a wealth of
iconography with art images, exclusive photographs and life-size reproductions of some of the most prestigious swords in
history.
"Japanese Swords and Armor" provides a close-up look at scores of magnificent blades, fittings and armor which belonged
to thirty of the most famous warriors and leaders in Japanese history including:
A wooden sword commissioned and owned by Miyamoto Musashi - Japan's greatest swordsman; an exact replica of the
sword he wielded at the legendary duel on Ganryu-jima Island
The tachi blade worn by Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the powerful unifier of Japan - which
was later presented to the Meiji Emperor
The katchu (armor) belonging to Minamoto no Yoshitsune, hero of the Genpei Wars and later gifted as a votive offering to
the Kasuga Shrine in Nara
The naginata (halberd) said to be the favored weapon of Tomoe Gozen, Japan's famous female Samurai, that was
immortalized in the classic book Tale of the Heike
And many more!
These masterful works of art are presented in 200 stunning color photos including eight double gatefolds. This is a
must-have work for all enthusiasts and experienced collectors, as well as for those approaching this fascinating subject for
the first time.
Critique: This large format (10 x 10 x 1.06 inches, 3.31 pounds), beautifully illustrated, hardcover, coffee-table style
edition of Paul Martin's "Japanese Swords and Armor: Masterpieces from Thirty of Japan's Most Famous Samurai
Warriors" will prove to be an enduringly popular and prized addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Japanese History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Japanese Swords and Armor:
Masterpieces from Thirty of Japan's Most Famous Samurai Warriors" is also readily available from Tuttle Publishing in a
digital book format (Kindle, $42.75).
Editorial Note: Paul Martin is a Tokyo-based Japanese sword and culture specialist who brings expertise from his tenure
as a curator at the British Museum, where he managed the Japanese arms and armor collections. With a Master's Degree in
Asian Studies, he's a Trustee for the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Sword Culture and founder of the
Shin-Gobankaji Project. He is the first non-Japanese recipient and two-time winner of Tokyo's sword appraisal
competition. Paul has translated for major Japanese sword exhibitions, authored key books and DVDs, and appeared on
global TV networks from the Discovery Channel, to History Channel, National Geographic, NHK World, and the
BBC.
They Did It First
Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr.
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
www.bolchazy.com
9780865168848, $19.00, PB, 238pp
https://www.bolchazy.com/They-Did-It-First-P3991
Synopsis: How did the ancients treat their pets? What did they do if they needed a quick bite to eat? What sorts of games
did their children play? Such details emerge in "They Did It First: The Skills of the Ancient Greeks and Romans" by
historian Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr.
This impressive compendium of "out-of-the-way" facts and amusing anecdotes, sheds light on daily life in classical Greece
and Rome. "They Did It First" also provides a multifaceted look at the ancient world, ranging from the obscure to the
surprisingly familiar, by deftly weaving together evidence from written sources and material culture. As author and
historian Kitchell proceeds through an assortment of topics, parallels between antiquity and the modern world become
clear.
Like its companion quotation collection, Kenneth Kitchell's "They Said It First The Wisdom of the Ancient Greeks and
Romans", this miscellany comprising his "The Did It First" is suitable for both casual readers and those looking for an
accessible reference guide. Well-considered citations of both primary and secondary sources encourage further research,
perfect for anyone curious about the activities and inventions of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Critique: A fun, informative, and fascinating read from start to finish, "They Did It First: The Skills of the Ancient Greeks
and Romans" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of numerous B/W illustrations, Notes on
the Text, a listing of References, an Appendix (Ancient Authors Cited), eighteen pages of Notes, and a twenty-three page
Bibliography. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "They Did It First" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Greco/Roman history
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr. is Professor Emeritus of Classics and former Director of the MAT Program at
University of Massachusetts. He received a PhD from Loyola University of Chicago. Kitchell has won several teaching
awards and has presented over 150 scholarly talks. He has been active in promoting the study of classics for such groups as
the Classical Association of the Middle West and South, where he served as president, and the American Philological
Association, as Vice-President for Education, and as the president of the American Classical League. With Thomas J.
Sienkewicz, Kitchell is the coeditor of the LEGAMUS series and coauthor of Disce! An Introductory Latin Course (2010).
Kitchell is coauthor with Sean Smith of Catullus: A LEGAMUS Transitional Reader (2006), author of Animals in the
Ancient World from A to Z (2014), as well as the author of numerous articles and book chapters.
The Civil War Shelf
The Atlanta Campaign: Volume 1: Dalton to Cassville, May 1-19, 1864
David A. Powell
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611216950, $39.95, HC, 624pp
https://www.amazon.com/Atlanta-Campaign-Dalton-Cassville-1-19/dp/1611216958
Synopsis: For scope, drama, and importance, the Atlanta Campaign was second only to Ulysses S. Grant's Overland
Campaign in Virginia. Despite its criticality and massive array of primary source material, it has lingered in the shadows of
other campaigns and has yet to receive the treatment it deserves. David A. Powell's "The Atlanta Campaign, Volume 1:
Dalton to Cassville, May 1-19, 1864" published by Savas Beatie is the first in a planned five-volume treatment will end
that oversight.
Once Grant decided to go east and lead the Federal armies against Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, he chose
William T. Sherman to do the same in Georgia against Joseph E. Johnston and his ill-starred Army of Tennessee.
Sherman's base was Chattanooga; Johnston's was Atlanta. The grueling campaign opened on May 1, 1864.
While Grant and Lee grappled with one another like wrestlers, Sherman and Johnston parried and feinted like fencers.
Johnston eschewed the offensive while hoping to lure Sherman into headlong assaults against fortified lines. Sherman
disliked the uncertainty of battle and preferred maneuvering. When Johnston dug in, Sherman sought his flanks and turned
the Confederates out of seemingly impregnable positions in a campaign noted Civil War historian Richard M. McMurry
dubbed "the Red Clay Minuet."
Contrary to popular belief Sherman did not set out to capture Atlanta. His orders were "to move against Johnston's army, to
break it up and to get into the interior of the enemy's country... inflicting all the damage you can against their war
resources." No Civil War army could survive long without its logistical base, and Atlanta was vital to the larger
Confederate war effort. As Johnston retreated, Southern fears for the city grew. As Sherman advanced, Northern
expectations increased.
This first installment of The Atlanta Campaign relies on a mountain of primary source material and extensive experience
with the terrain to examine the battles of Dalton, Resaca, Rome Crossroads, Adairsville, and Cassville -- the first phase of
the long and momentous campaign. While none of these engagements matched the bloodshed of the Wilderness or
Spotsylvania, each witnessed periods of intense fighting and key decision-making. The largest fight, Resaca, produced
more than 8,000 killed, wounded, and missing in just two days. In between these actions the armies skirmished daily in a
campaign its participants would recall as the "100 days' fight."
Like Powell's The Chickamauga Campaign trilogy, this multi-volume study will break new ground and promises to be this
generation's definitive treatment of one of the most important and fascinating confrontations of the entire Civil War.
Critique: The first book in a five-volume study of the Atlanta Campaign, "The Atlanta Campaign: Volume 1: Dalton to
Cassville, May 1 - 19, 1864" by author and American Civil War historian David A. Powell is informatively enhanced with
the inclusion of a number of Maps, an eleven page Order of Battle, an eleven page Bibliography, and a fifteen page Index.
A monumental beginning to an impressively researched and presented history of the Union army's Atlanta Campaign
against the Confederate army, this first volume must receive critical acclaim and a comprehensive work of meticulous
scholarship and leave the reader looking eagerly toward the next four installments in this simply outstanding series. While
also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99), "The Atlanta Campaign: Volume 1:
Dalton to Cassville, May 1 - 19, 1864" is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community,
and college/university library American Civil War History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: David A. Powell (https://emergingcivilwar.com/contributor/david-a-powell) is a 1983 graduate of the
Virginia Military Institute and the award-winning author of many books, including The Chickamauga Campaign
trilogy.
Holding Charleston by the Bridle
W. Clifford Roberts, Jr. & Matthew A. M. Locke
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611217148, $32.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Holding-Charleston-Bridle-Castle-Pinckney/dp/1611217148
Synopsis: On the eve of the Civil War, the London Times informed its readers that Castle Pinckney has "been kept
garrisoned, not to protect Charleston from naval attack from the ocean, but to serve as a bridle upon the city."
Located on a marshy island in the center of Charleston's magnificent harbor, the large cannons on the ramparts of this
horseshoe-shaped masonry fort had the ability to command downtown Charleston and the busy wharves along East Bay
Street. This inescapable fact made Pinckney an important chess piece in the secession turmoil of 1832 and 1850, and in the
months leading up to the 1861 bombardment of Fort Sumter.
"Holding Charleston by the Bridle: Castle Pinckney and the Civil War: by co-authors W. Clifford Roberts, Jr. and Matthew
A. M. Locke is the first book on the subject and ranges from the fort's innovative design as part of America's "Second
System" of coastal fortifications, to the modern challenges of preserving its weathered brick walls against rising sea
levels.
The impressive bastion was constructed as a state-of-the-art seacoast fortress on the eve of the War of 1812. Luminaries
including President James Monroe and Gens. Winfield Scott, Robert E. Lee, and P. G. T. Beauregard inspected its
casemates and barracks. The history of Pinckney is as impressive as its list of visiting VIPs.
Defending the fort was one of Winfield Scott's major concerns during the Nullification Crisis of 1832. Seminole Indians
and Africans from the illegal slave ship Echo were held there. In 1860, Maj. Robert Anderson knew Pinckney was the key
to protecting his small Federal garrison at Fort Moultrie, but his requests to Washington for troops to hold it went
unheeded. That December, three companies of Charleston militia scaled Pinckney's walls and seized the fort in a daring act
that pushed the nation to the edge of civil war.
After First Manassas (Bull Run), 156 captured Yankee officers and enlisted men were sent to the island, and in 1863,
members of the famous 54th Massachusetts were held there as POWs. The fort's guns helped defend Charleston during the
war's longest siege. By 1865, the old fortress had been transformed into an earthen barbette battery with a Brooke Rifle and
three giant 10-inch Columbiads. During Reconstruction Pinckney became an "American Bastille" for Southerners accused
of crimes against the government.
Co-authors Roberts and Locke rely on extensive primary research and archaeological evidence to tell the full story of
Castle Pinckney for the first time. Given its importance to America's history, it is a history long overdue.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study with occasional B/W illustrations, eighteen Appendices, a ten page
Bibliography, a one page listing of Abbreviations, and an eleven page Index, "Holding Charleston by the Bridle: Castle
Pinckney and the Civil War" is an extraordinary, comprehensive, and brilliant addition to the growing library of American
Civil War histories. While also available for the personal reading lists of students and Civil War buffs in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.99), "Holding Charleston by the Bridle: Castle Pinckney and the Civil War" is a welcome and
unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War
collections and supplemental Civil War History curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: W. Clifford Roberts, Jr. is a retired businessman and educator and co-author of Atlanta's Fighting 42nd:
Joseph Johnston's "Old Guard" (2020). Cliff was raised outside of Washington, D.C. He has a BA in Southern History
from Vanderbilt University (1981) and an MBA from Emory University (1983). Cliff is an active board member of several
historical, preservation, and genealogical associations.
Editorial Note #2: As a passionate student of the Civil War and living historian, Matthew Locke visited Charleston in
1999, fell in love with the city, and became fascinated with Castle Pinckney. He moved to South Carolina in 2001 and
began researching the history of the Castle and Shute's Folly Island. In 2021, he was appointed as a Guardian of Castle
Pinckney and works there with archeologists, historians, and conservationists.
Civil War Scoundrels and the Texas Cotton Trade
Walter E. Wilson
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476681276, $39.95, PB, 223pp
https://www.amazon.com/Civil-Scoundrels-Texas-Cotton-Trade/dp/1476681279
Synopsis: During the Civil War, scoundrels from both the Union and Confederate sides were able to execute illicit, but
ingenious, schemes to acquire Texas cotton. Texas was the only Confederate state that bordered a neutral country
(Mexico), was never forcibly conquered, and its coast was impossible to effectively blockade.
Using little known contemporary sources, with the publication of "Civil War Scoundrels and the Texas Cotton Trade",
Walter E. Wilson reveals how charlatans exploited these conditions to run the blockade, import machinery and weapons,
and defraud the state's most prominent political, military and civilian leaders in the process.
Best known for his role in the romantic entanglements of his co-conspirator William Sprague, Harris Hoyt stands out due
to his sharp intellect and fascinating character. Hoyt was able to draw most of Abraham Lincoln's inner circle into his web
of deceit and even influenced the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson.
"Civil War Scoundrels and the Texas Cotton Trade" is the first account to expose the depth and breadth of the many Texas
cotton trading scams and the sheer audacity of the shadowy men who profited from them, but managed to escape the
gallows.
Critique: A simply fascinating read from start to finish, "Civil War Scoundrels and the Texas Cotton Trade" is an
extraordinary and welcome addition to the growing library of American Civil War History & Biography studies.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this seminal and ground-breaking history is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, nonspecialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Civil War Scoundrels and the Texas Cotton Trade" is also available from
McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note: Walter E. Wilson is a retired Navy Captain and the former head of U.S. Naval Intelligence operations in
Europe. He has authored numerous articles and reviews.
The Military Shelf
The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire
Mick Ryan
Naval Institute Press
www.nip.org
9781682479520, $34.95, HC, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/War-Ukraine-Strategy-Adaptation-Under/dp/1682479528
Synopsis: The current Russo-Ukraine War is a vital learning opportunity for military strategists across the globe. The first
and clearest lesson to be gleaned from it is this: the soundness of a military's strategy and the nimbleness with which it can
adapt to unforeseen circumstances are the two most important factors in deciding victory or defeat.
With the publication of "The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire", retired major general (Australian
Army) Mick Ryan analyzes the war through these twin lenses of strategy and adaptation, detailing how each army has
succeeded or failed to plan for and adapt to this twenty-first century war.
Ryan examines the foundations of Ukrainian and Russian strategy for their ongoing war, looking back over several decades
to reveal how both sides have evolved their military strategy and force structure. Each has undertaken institutional-level
reforms of their military and national security enterprises in the decade leading up to this war. But because the emergent
behavior of military forces after fighting begins cannot be fully predicted, these prewar reforms only constitute a starting
point for adaptation during the war.
Part I of "The War For Ukraine" covers the role of strategic leadership, with a focus on evolution of strategy since
February 2022. From there, Part 2 of "The War For Ukraine" delves into how the Ukrainians and Russians have adapted
their tactics, organizations, operational approaches, and strategic foundations for war-making throughout the conflict.
Central to this discussion are the ways that, regardless of cutting-edge technology, human elements have remained a crucial
deciding factor in Ukraine. Ryan shows how good leadership allows a nation to navigate the ambiguity and uncertainty of
conflict, while poor leadership leaves it vulnerable to surprises.
Likewise, "The War for Ukraine" offers case studies of the importance of an institution's ability to nurture and reward
human learning as it relates to combat. This study provides strategists, policymakers, and military leaders with a basis from
which to plan for constant adaption in military organizations. General readers of contemporary global conflict will also
find "The War for Ukraine of great interest.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Chronology (February 2022 - July 2023),
sixty-eight pages of Notes, a thirty-two page Select Bibliography, and a nineteen page Index, "The War for Ukraine:
Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire" is a seminal and ground-breaking study. Essential reading for anyone with an interest
in contemporary military strategy and the present conflict between Russia and Ukraine, "The War for Ukraine: Strategy
and Adaptation Under Fire" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia,
military strategists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The War for Ukraine: Strategy
and Adaptation Under Fire" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.22).
Editorial Note: Mick Ryan is a retired major general in the Australian Army and a distinguished graduate of Johns Hopkins
University School of Advanced International Studies, as well as the USMC Command and Staff College and USMC
School of Advanced Warfare. Ryan is a passionate advocate of professional education and lifelong learning. He has
commanded at platoon, squadron, regiment, task force, and brigade levels. Ryan has also led strategic planning
organizations in the Australian Army and led several reform programs in the past decade. He is a Fellow at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies and the Lowy Institute. He is the author of War Transformed: The Future of
Twenty-First Century Great Power Competition and Conflict (Naval Institute Press, 2022).
The Wildlife Shelf
Frogs of the World: A Guide to Every Family
Mark O'Shea & Simon Maddock
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691248301, $29.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Frogs-World-Guide-Every-Family/dp/0691248303
Synopsis: With more than 7,600 known species, frogs exhibit an extraordinary range of forms and behaviors, from those
that produce toxins so deadly that they could kill a human many times over to those that can survive being frozen in
ice.
"Frogs of the World: A Guide to Every Family" by co-authors Mark O'Shea and Simon Maddock is an essential guide to
this astonishingly diverse group of animals. Offering an in-depth introduction that covers everything from the origins and
evolution of frogs to their life cycles and defense strategies, "Frogs of the World" is replete throughout with beautiful
illustrations that accompany profiles of species from each family, shedding invaluable light on the enormous range of
appearance, habitats, and behavior of these marvelous creatures.
In addition to featuring hundreds of stunning color photographs, "Frogs of the World: A Guide to Every Family" covers
taxonomy, anatomy, locomotion, reproduction, diet, and more. Also discussed is the conservation of the world's frogs.
Critique: Comprehensive, impressively organized, informative and fascinating, "Frogs of the World: A Guide to Every
Family" is a seminal and invaluable resource for herpetologists, naturalists, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in amphibians. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.17), "Frogs of the World: A Guide to
Every Family" from Princeton University Press is an extraordinary and recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Outdoors & Nature Reference collections and supplemental Amphibian/Frog
Biology curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Mark O'Shea (https://researchers.wlv.ac.uk/M.OShea) is professor of herpetology at the University of
Wolverhampton in the UK and the author of many books, including Snakes of the World and Lizards of the World (both
Princeton). Simon Maddock is a lecturer in ecology and evolution at Newcastle University in the UK. He works on the
ecology, evolution, and conservation of threatened amphibians and reptiles.
Grizzly Confidential
Kevin Grange
Harper Horizon
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9781400338252, $29.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-Confidential-Astounding-Americas-Fearsome/dp/1400338255
Synopsis: Kevin Grange is a former paramedic and park ranger at Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. "Grizzly
Confidential: An Astounding Journey into the Secret Life of North America's Most Fearsome Predator" is the story of his
quest which took him from his home in the Tetons to an eerie, mist-shrouded island of gigantic bruins; from the Bear
Center at Washington State University (where scientists believe the secrets of hibernation might help treat diabetes, heart
disease, and obesity in humans) to the dark underbelly of for-profit wildlife parks, illegal animal trade and black markets
hawking bear bile.
Along the way, he meets fascinating biologists and activists and discovers that everything he knew about grizzlies was
wrong. Ultimately, his odyssey leads him to find answers on a remote corner of the Alaskan Peninsula where, for the last
fifty years, humans have coexisted peacefully alongside the largest gathering of brown bears on the planet.
While "Grizzly Confidential" is about bears, iut is also about the inspiring people who look after them. This is a fast-paced,
gripping, true life story that educates, entertains, and gives a sneak peek into the secret life of a well-known species. Part
science, part travelogue, and a passionate plea for bear conservation, "Grizzly Confidential" is a lively account for anyone
who loves the outdoors and learning about the natural world.
Critique: A simply fascinating read from cover to cover, "Grizzly Confidential: An Astounding Journey into the Secret
Life of North America's Most Fearsome Predator" by Kevin Grange will be of special appeal to readers with an interest in
endangered species, the biology of bears, environmentalism, and wildlife naturalist biographies/memoirs. While available
for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), this hardcover edition of "Grizzly Confidential" from
Arcade Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Wildlife
Protection collections in general and Bears in particular.
Editorial Note: Kevin Grange is a firefighter paramedic in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He is the award-winning author of
Wild Rescues: A Paramedic's Extreme Adventures in Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton, Lights and Sirens: The
Education of a Paramedic, and Beneath Blossom Rain: Discovering Bhutan on the Toughest Trek in the World, He has
written for National Parks, Backpacker, Utne Reader, Yoga Journal, and the Orange County Register. He has worked as a
park ranger and paramedic at Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Teton National Parks.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
John Quincy Adams, Reluctant Abolitionist
Jeffrey A. Denman
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476693293, $14.99, PB, 260pp
https://www.amazon.com/John-Quincy-Adams-Reluctant-Abolitionist/dp/1476693293
Synopsis: As a Harvard alumnus, diplomat, U.S. President, member of Congress and attorney before the Supreme Court,
John Quincy Adams had a unique relationship with slavery. Prickly and curmudgeonly, he danced with abolitionists, but
never became one himself. However, Adams did harbor an intense hatred for the arguments of Southern slaveholders, and
eventually found himself in the center of America's greatest struggle.
Informed by Adams' revealing and often tormented musings from his vast diary, with the publication of "John Quincy
Adams, Reluctant Abolitionist", historian Jeffrey A. Denman provides the reader with a sweeping narrative that offers a
unique and gripping account of John Quincy Adams' battle with slavery, while exploring the many fault lines in American
society that led to the Civil War.
Of special note is the inclusion of the dramatic showdowns in the House of Representatives and Supreme Court, as well as
Adams' attempts at outsmarting Southern politicians and his efforts to keep slavery at the forefront of Congressional
activities.
Critique: A seminal and fascinating study, "John Quincy Adams, Reluctant Abolitionist" by Jeffrey A. Denman is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library American Abolition of
Slave History/Biography collections. Supported with twenty-six pages of Chapter Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a
seven page Index, "John Quincy Adams, Reluctant Abolitionist" is also available for students, academia, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note: Historian Jeffrey A. Denman (www.jeffreyadenman.com) is the co-author of Greene and Cornwallis: The
Pivotal Struggle of the American Revolution, 1780-1781. His research focuses primarily on the late eighteenth century and
early nineteenth centuries in American history. He has also written several articles dealing with various aspects of the
American Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II in various historical publications.
Lula
Fernando Morais
Verso
www.versobooks.com
9781804294925, $34.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lula-Fernando-Morais/dp/1804294926
Synopsis: "Lula" by Fernando Morais is the biography of Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Lula is among the greatest political figures in Brazilian history. The only president in the country with a working-class
background, combined with a party that was profoundly original in its roots, he exercised charismatic power and influence
in a more lasting way than any other public figure in the republican period.
Since 2011, Fernando Morais, one of Brazil's leading writers, has gained direct, frank and frequent access to Lula. To these
dozens of hours of testimonies, he has added a reporter's flair and captivating prose to compose a biography that paints a
picture in all its grandeur and complexity.
In a narrative that makes use of flashforwards and flashbacks to maintain an electrifying pace, Morais goes from Lula's
childhood to the annulment of his convictions, in 2021, passing through the new unionism, the ABC strikes, the foundation
of the PT and the first election campaign. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Lula is arguably among the greatest political figures in Brazilian history. The only president in the country with a
working-class background, combined with a party that was profoundly original in its roots, he exercised charismatic power
and influence in a more lasting way than any other public figure in the republican period.
Since 2011, Fernando Morais, one of Brazil's leading writers, has gained direct, frank and frequent access to Lula. To these
dozens of hours of testimonies, he has added a reporter's flair and captivating prose to compose a biography that paints a
picture in all its grandeur and complexity.
In a narrative that makes use of flashforwards and flashbacks to maintain an electrifying pace, Morais goes from Lula's
childhood to the annulment of his convictions, in 2021, passing through the new unionism, the ABC strikes, the foundation
of the PT and the first election campaign.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of some B/W photos, a fourteen page Appendix
(An X-ray of the Large Communications Companies' War against Lula and His Party", a three page listing of Political
Party and Public Agency Abbreviations, and a Map of the ABC Region (the largest industrial center in Latin America), this
edition of Fernando Morais' "Lula: A Biography" from Verso is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. While
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Lula: A Biography" is especially and unreservedly recommended
for personal, community, and college/university library Brazilian History & Biography collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Fernando Morais (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Morais) was born in Mariana, Minas Gerais, in
1946. Journalist, he worked for Jornal da Tarde, Veja, and several other Brazilian titles. He received the Esso Award three
times and the Abril Journalism Award four times. He was a deputy (1979-1987) and Secretary of Culture (1988-1991) and
Secretary of Education (1991-1993) of the State of Sao Paulo. He is the author of many books including The Last Soldiers
of the Cold War: The Story of the Cuban Five from Verso and which was turned into a film for Netflix under the title
Wasp Network - Who Were the Cuban Five?
The Second Shot: A Green Beret's Last Mission
Gene Yu
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662510564, $28.99, HC, 236pp
https://www.amazon.com/Second-Shot-Green-Berets-Mission/dp/166251056X
Synopsis: Evelyn Chang and her husband were vacationing in the Philippines when they were ambushed by terrorists.
Evelyn's husband was killed. She was kidnapped and disappeared into the lawless netherworld of the Sulu Archipelago.
There was no hope of a rescue.
Former Green Beret Gene Yu was five years out of the military, unemployed, and struggling with his transition back to the
real world when Evelyn's family asked for help. His improbable mission: infiltrate one of the most dangerous corners of
the world and get her back. Alone.
Mindful of "every young Asian kid in America struggling to fit into a dominant white culture," Gene's harrowing,
self-deprecating, and provocative memoir is really the story of two rescues. One, a personal liberation and the discovery of
self-identity beyond both literal and figurative battlefields. The other is set amid the excruciating ordeals of a jungle war
zone, where an Asian American man, once self-described as "nobody squared," defied all stereotypes and expectations to
become a woman's last hope of survival.
Critique: A true life memoir that reads like a bestseller action/adventure novel, "The Second Shot: A Green Beret's Last
Mission" by Gene Yu is the stuff of which block buster movies are made. A simply riveting, compulsive page turner of a
book, "The Second Shot: A Green Beret's Last Mission" is a unique, special, and unreservedly recommended pick for
community and college/university library American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that this hardcover edition of "The Second Shot: A Green Beret's Last Mission" from Little A (an Amazon Publishing
imprint) is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781662510540, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$1.99).
Editorial Note: Gene Yu was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1979, and entered the United States Military Academy at
West Point in 1997, where he majored in computer science and graduated top of his class. Gene served in Korea and Japan
as a US Army Armor and Special Forces officer. He deployed for four combat tours in Iraq and the southern Philippines,
and is a recipient of two Bronze Star Medals and the Combat Infantryman Badge. In 2015, Gene founded Blackpanda
Group, a cybersecurity insurance and emergency response services company headquartered in Singapore, and currently
serves as the CEO. Gene is also an alumnus of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Stanford
Graduate School of Business. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Yu)
The General Fiction Shelf
The Wedding People
Alison Espach
Henry Holt & Company
www.henryholt.com
9781250899576, $28.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-People-Novel-Alison-Espach/dp/1250899575
Synopsis: It's a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a
green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the
wedding people, but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn't here for the big event.
Phoebe is here because she's dreamed of coming for years -- she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her
husband, only now she's here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself.
Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well,
Phoebe and Phoebe's plan -- which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can't stop confiding in each
other.
In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach's "The Wedding People" is ultimately an incredibly
nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined -- and the chance encounters it
sometimes takes to reroute us.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, clever, memorable, emotionally engaging, and a fun read from start to finish, "The
Wedding People" by novelist and creative writing teacher Alison Espach will hold a very special attraction for readers with
an interest in contemporary fiction for women readers. While also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital
book format (Kindle, $14.99), "The Wedding People" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public
library General Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Alison Espach (www.alisonespach.com) is the author of the novels The Adults, a New York Times Editors'
Choice and a Barnes & Noble Discover pick, and Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, which was named a best book of
2022 by the Chicago Tribune and NPR. Her short stories and essays have appeared in McSweeney's, Vogue, Outside,
Joyland, and other places. She is also Professor of Creative Writing at Providence College in Rhode Island.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Christmas Crush
Noelle Douglas
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781639108886, $19.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Crush-Novel-Noelle-Douglas/dp/1639108882
Synopsis: Marketing executive Elena Voss's newest assignment for Sparkle Cookie, a large cookie conglomerate, was
meant to be a much-needed break from her toxic boss and the stressful city. She never expected to get into a public (and
embarrassing) argument with a sexy baker in New Hope, Pennsylvania. But the townsfolk aren't exactly thrilled about a
corporate chain bakery coming in to ruin their small-town feel.
Lawrence Higgins (and his dog Sugar) have been a beloved staple in New Hope for years. Their bakery specializes in
cookies, but with Sparkle Cookie's upcoming grand opening, he's worried about rent spikes and stolen customers. Elena
wants to write Lawrence off as an opponent she can crush, but his good looks and passion for baking make it difficult to
stay professional.
Elena and Lawrence immediately butt heads at a town hall meeting. When a cookie competition makes them join forces,
sparks fly, and they find first impressions are often wrong. Can their blossoming connection survive the ensuing cookie
war?
Critique: The stuff from which Hallmark 'feel good' rom-com movies are made, "The Christmas Crush" by author Noelle
Douglas from Alcove Publishing is a fun read from cover to cover and will have her readers looking eagerly towards her
next novel. While highly recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Christmas Crush" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798228249844, $44.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Noelle Douglas studied pastry and all things delicious in culinary school. After a few years in the industry,
she switched gears to pursue her love of reading and writing. Now she works at a library.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51111850.Noelle_Douglas)
The Western Fiction Shelf
Hopeman's Legacy
I. J. Parnham
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853261, $24.00, PB, Large Print, 202pp
Synopsis: When Leopold Hopeman bequeaths his fortune to the townsfolk of Little Creek, they use the money wisely and
found the prosperous Hopeman Town. But with the booming settlement attracting men who want only personal gain,
Mayor Tucker hires former Pinkerton detective Nimrod Dunn to find out why the fortune is now being squandered.
Nimrod soon uncovers the likely culprit, but his investigation takes a strange twist when he learns that Mayor Tucker has a
dark secret and that he might not be the benevolent man everyone thinks he is. With Nimrod both carrying out an
investigation for the mayor and at the same time investigating him, he'll need all his cunning to uncover the truth while
staying one step ahead of the many guns lining up against him.
Critique: An impressively original and carefully crafted western, this large print paperback edition of experienced
author/storyteller I. J. Parnham's riveting novel from the Linford Western Library collection is a fun and memorable read
from cover to cover. "Hopeman's Legacy" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections
and a 'must' for all dedicated western action/adventure fans.
Editorial Note: Ian Parnham is the author of 37 western novels published as I. J. Parnham, Scott Connor, and Ed Law.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/676220.I_J_Parnham)
Sundown Comes Twice
Art Isberg
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853414, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 231pp
Synopsis: Judd Miller and his brother work to start a small ranch outside the town of Red Bluffs. But other interests in
their valuable property lead to the powerful mayor of the town, working with other crooked officials, to fleece the brothers
of their deeded ground, culminating in the killing of Judd's brother, Randall.
Unknown to Judd, the transcontinental railroad is coming through, with an interest in buying his property to shorten their
route through the mountains. Judd flees attempts to kill him, turning instead to a gunfighter to avenge Randall's death,
while exposing the men who conspired against him. Can a young widow and a reformed preacher be enough to battle and
beat the odds?
Critique: A carefully crafted and impressively fun read from cover to cover, this large print paperback Linford Western
Library edition of "Sundown Comes Twice" by skilled author and storyteller Art Isberg is very highly recommended and
an ideal pick for community/public library Action/Adventure Western Novel collections and the personal reading lists of
all dedicated western fiction fans.
Editorial Note: Art Isberg has been a freelance writer for the past four decades. Over 300 of his short stories have featured
in west coast newspapers, state historical societies, and widely circulated in the outdoor press. His past western novels
have included Blood Red Star, Showdown in Badlands, Will Keen, Indian Scout, The Long Riders, and The Legend of
Link Bonner. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1681798.Art_Isberg)
Trooper Iron Eyes
Rory Black
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853131, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 223pp
Synopsis: Tracking down a wanted outlaw, the emaciated and heavily scarred bounty hunter called Iron Eyes finds himself
embroiled in the Indian wars. Badly wounded, he rides into Fort Liberty. Commanding office Colonel Brice Jay assumes
that the bounty hunter is near death and takes a shine to his magnificent palomino stallion.
When Iron Eyes recovers he finds that Jay has decided to take the stallion no matter what. Deviously, Colonel Jay decides
to send out a small party of troopers into the Indian-filled forest to rescue two abducted sisters from the hands of Sioux
warrior Red Feather.
Iron Eyes must lead the troopers or face execution for horse theft.
Critique: another amazing title in western author Rory Black's uniquely original 'Iron Eyes' series, "Trooper Iron Eyes" is
replete with unexpected plot twists and a riveting read from first page to last. This large print paperback edition from the
Linford Western Library collection will prove a welcome pick for personal reading lists and community/public librar
western action/adventure fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Rory Black has written more than 100 novels for Black Horse western under his own name, Michael D.
George, as well as numerous pen names such as Boyd Cassidy, John Ladd, Dean Edwards, Dale Mike Rogers, Walt Keene,
Ty Walker, Max Gunn, and Roy Patterson. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/273423.Rory_Black)
The Last Bounty
Doug Bluth
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853285, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 245pp
Synopsis: Grizzled bounty hunter Logan Slade travels to Wyoming territory in search of a bounty on lawman killer
Mordecai Hodges. Along the way he is waylaid and rescued by the beautiful young widow Louanne Merrigold. Now, the
fiercely independent Logan finds himself smitten, and in the middle of a land dispute between Louanne and her hostile
neighbor, the ambitious cattleman Derek Shaw. But Logan isn't the only one with eyes for the widow Merrigold. He must
overcome steep odds in the fight to win Louanne's heart in what may be his last bounty hunt.
Critique: Western action/adventure at its bounty-hunting best, this Linford Western Library large print paperback edition of
"The Last Bounty" by western novelist Doug Bluth is a fun read from start to finish and especially recommended for both
personal reading lists and community/public library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Doug Bluth (the pen name of James MacHaffie) lives and work in Okinawa Japan, where he teaches
English and writes fiction. He is the author of three previous western novels.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Murder Under Redwood Moon
Sherri Dodd
https://sherridodd.com
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685133887, $17.95, PB, 289pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Under-Redwood-Moon-Paranormal/dp/1685133886
Synopsis: At the age of eight, Arista Kelly was frantically swept up by her parents and whisked off to an isolated town in
the California redwoods. Two days later, her parents were gone.
Now at the age of twenty-three, she has settled quite nicely into an eclectic lifestyle, much like Bethie -- her great aunt, and
guardian since childhood. She enjoys the use of herbs and crystals to help her commune with the energy and nature around
her and finds pleasure in the company of her beloved pet, Royal.
Usually quite satisfied with her mundane life high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, things become unsettling when a new
recurring vision of an ominous tattoo as well as increased activity from the ghostly presence within her own cottage invade
her once-harmonious existence.
But life in this mountain sanctuary takes an even darker turn when the body of Arista's former classmate is found in the
nearby river. As other young women fall prey to a suspected serial killer, Arista realizes that the terror is coming to
her.
Critique: A brilliant and original blending of a supernatural suspense thriller and a deftly crafted murder mystery,
"Murder Under Redwood Moon" (the first title in her 'Murder, Tea & Crystals' trilogy) showcases author Sherri Dodd's
exceptional and distinctive storytelling talents. An inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "Murder Under
Redwood Moon" is one of those unique novels that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book
has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public
library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Murder Under Redwood Moon" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Sherri L. Dodd (https://sherridodd.com) was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and
catching crawdads as they swan the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant
with talk of ghosts, demons and back country folklore. Her first real step into writing was the non-fiction fitness book,
Mom Looks Great - The Fitness Program for Moms published in 2005, and its accompanying blog. Now, transmuting the
grief of her father's passing, she has branched into Fiction, specifically a Paranormal Witch Cozy with a bit of bite!
Murder She Wrote: A Killer Christmas
Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780593640722, $28.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-She-Wrote-Killer-Christmas/dp/0593640721
Synopsis: Christmas is not an easy time to sell a house, but in Boston tycoon John Bragdon, Cabot Cove Realtor Eve
Simpson has found a buyer for the old Jarvis homestead. Unfortunately, Eve gets a lump of coal in her stocking in the form
of Kenny Jarvis, who has been missing for years and presumed dead but has now come back to stop his sister from selling
their childhood home.
Eve presses on, organizing a welcome dinner for Bragdon and his wife, Rose Marie, to meet the leading citizens of the
town, including Jessica Fletcher. Dinner is interrupted by an uninvited guest -- not Santa Claus but Kenny, who
threateningly promises Rose Marie she will never live in his house.
When Rose Marie is found dead a few days later, Kenny is the natural suspect. But Jessica isn't so sure he's on the naughty
list!
Critique: Another fun read for the legions of Jessica Fletcher fans and deftly co-authored by novelist Terrie Farley Moran,
this hardcover edition of "Murder She Wrote: A Killer Christmas" from Berkley Prime Crime is a specifically
recommended pick for all community and public library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for Murder She
Wrote fans and cozy mystery devotees that "Murder She Wrote: A Killer Christmas" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798228249103, $39.99,
CD).
Editorial Note #1: Jessica Fletcher is a bestselling mystery writer and amateur female sleuth who has a knack for stumbling
upon real-life mysteries in her various travels. Award-winning writer Terrie Farley Moran co-authors this bestselling series
of 'whodunnit' mysteries.
A Merry Little Murder Plot
Jenn McKinlay
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780593639368, $28.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Murder-Library-Lovers-Mystery/dp/0593639367
Synopsis: During the most wonderful time of the year, famous author Helen Monroe arrives in Briar Creek to be the writer
in residence, but her "bah humbug" attitude excludes her from the many holiday celebrations the town residents enjoy.
To try to spread some Christmas cheer, library director Lindsey Norris invites the new writer in town to join her
crafternoon club. Helen politely refuses and when an altercation happens between Helen and another patron, Lindsey
begins to suspect the author has been keeping to herself for a reason.
Another newcomer, Jackie Lewis, reveals she's visiting Briar Creek to be near Helen because she believes they are destined
to meet. Having dealt with a stalker in the past, Lindsey feels compelled to tell Helen about Jackie, as she suspects that
Helen is unaware her "number one" fan is in town.
When Jackie's body is later discovered in the town park beneath the holiday-light display with a copy of Helen's latest
manuscript in her hand, the reclusive novelist becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her self-proclaimed mega-fan.
Helen's frosty demeanor melts when Lindsey offers her help, and now the librarian and her crafternoon pals must prove the
author innocent before "The End" becomes Helen's final sentence.
Critique: Another fun read for all dedicated cozy mystery fans, "A Merry Little Murder Plot" by award winning novelist
Jenn McKinlay raises the genre to an impressive level of literary excellence. While also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798228247215, $39.99, CD), this
hardcover edition of "A Merry Little Murder Plot" from Berkely Prime Crime is a high priority pick for the personal
reading lists of all Jenn McKinlay fans and community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Jenn McKinlay (https://jennmckinlay.com) is the author of several mystery and romance series. Her work
has been translated into multiple languages in countries all over the world.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Rogue Sequence
Zac Topping
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250322432, $28.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Sequence-Novel-Zac-Topping/dp/125032243X
Synopsis: Ander Rade is a super-soldier, a genetically engineered living weapon, and has been dutifully following orders
since he gave himself to Xyphos Industries' Gene-Mod Program several years ago. But when a mission goes sideways, he's
captured, imprisoned, and forced into brutally violent fighting pits for the better part of the next decade... until agents from
the Genetic Compliance Department of the United American Provinces appear in the visiting room.
Things have changed since Rade was captured. Shortly after his incarceration, the World Unity Council banned human
genetic engineering and deemed all modified individuals a threat to society. Overnight, an entire subculture of people
became outlaws simply for existing. But instead of leaving Rade locked behind bars, the GCD agents have come with an
offer: Freedom in exchange for his help tracking down one of his former teammates from that ill-fated mission all those
years ago.
It's an offer Rade can't refuse, but he soon realizes that the situation is far more volatile than anyone had anticipated, and is
forced to take matters into his own hands as he tries to figure out whose side he's really on, and why.
Critique: "Rogue Sequence" by Zac Topping is action/adventure science fiction at its very best. An original and fun read
from start to finish, "Rogue Sequence" will prove an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community library
Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated Sci-Fi fans with an interest in
stories featuring genetic engineering coupled with space marine style action/adventure that "Rogue Sequence" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9781250815026, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as
well.
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Manga Biographies: Charles M. Schulz
Yuzuru Kuki, author/artist
Udon Entertainment
https://store.udonentertainment.com
9781772943443, $13.99, PB, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Biographies-Charles-Creator-Peanuts/dp/1772943444
Synopsis: Charles M. Schulz (November 26, 1922 - February 12, 2000) is the creator of Charlie Brown, Snoopy,
Woodstock, and many more wonderful characters who inhabit the world of Peanuts. Now, in a Manga graphic novel style
format, readers learn how a shy, young Schulz first became a cartoonist and how he spent nearly 50 years drawing the
beloved newspaper comic strip which has captivated the hearts of readers worldwide.
Critique: The Manga Biographies series explores the fascinating lives of legendary figures who accomplished
extraordinary feats, all told through the fantastic lens of Japanese manga storytelling. This Udon Entertainment edition of
"Manga Biographies: Charles M. Schulz The Creator of Snoopy and Peanuts" by manga artist and author Yuzuru Kuki will
prove to be an extraordinarily popular addition to personal, middle school, highschool, and community/public library 20th
Century American Biography collection -- and is a 'must' for the legions of Charles M. Schulz fans!
Editorial Note: The characters of Peanuts and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 41%
owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and 20% owned by the family of
Charles M. Schulz, who first introduced the world to Peanuts in 1950, when the comic strip debuted in seven newspapers.
Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. In
addition to enjoying beloved Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand
worldwide through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media,
and comic strips available in all formats, from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year
Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of
students.
Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography
Fumiyo Kouno, author/artist
Udon Entertainment
https://store.udonentertainment.com
9781772943085, $12.99, PB, 132pp
https://www.amazon.com/Giga-Town-Guide-Manga-Iconography/dp/1772943088
Synopsis: Manga symbols - "manpu" in Japanese - are iconic or symbolic expressions used uniquely in manga, such as
sweat drops, popping veins, and smoke puffs.
"Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography!: by Fumiyo Kouno is an informative introduction and guide to Japanese
manga iconography, collecting and explaining these symbols, with a short manga featuring the frolicking animals of the
famous Japanese scroll Choju-jinbutsu-giga to explain each one!
"Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography" also includes an informative afterward that teaches the flow of manga
reading, a great addition for beginning manga readers!
Critique: A unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Manga Art & Graphic Novel collections, "Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography" by author and manga
aritst Fumiyo Kouno is impressively comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation --
making it an ideal pick for middle school, highschool, and public library collections.
Editorial Note: Fumiyo K no is an experienced Japanese manga artist from Nishi-ku, Hiroshima, Japan known for her
2004 manga Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms, as well as her 2007 manga In This Corner of the World
which got an anime film adaptation in 2016 by MAPPA. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumiyo_K%C5%8Dno).
The Library CD Shelf
Lumination
Joel Frahm Trio
joelfrahm.com
Anzic Records
anzicrecords.com
$20.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://joelfrahm.bandcamp.com/album/lumination
Lumination is a contemporary jazz album by the Joel Frahm Trio: Joel Frahm on tenor saxophone, Dan Loomis on bass,
and Ernesto Cervini on Drums. All songs are original compositions by individual members of the trio. Brimming with
creativity, exciting improvisations, and highly charged energy reflecting of the trio's adventurous global touring,
Lumination is highly recommended for instrumental jazz connoisseurs and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are The
Nurse Is In, Disco Nern, Loomie Nation, Moonface Lament, Loo-Lee, False Spring, Kern You Dig It?, Na Estrada, Vesper
Flights, and Catch 22.
Golden City
Miguel Zenon
miguelzenon.com
Miel Music
$TBA CD/ $10.00 digital
https://miguelzenon.bandcamp.com/album/golden-city
Grammy-winning alto saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenon presents Golden City, an album commissioned by SF
JAZZ and the Hewlett Foundation as a tribute to California history, and designed to be performed by an all-star, trombone-
focused nonet. A lively, engaging work, Golden City fully acknowledges the dark aspects of California's sometimes violent
and discriminatory past as well as the state's positive transformations. Golden City is an extraordinary musical tour worthy
of the Golden State, and highly recommended. The tracks are Sacred Land; Rush; Acts of Exclusion; 9066; Displacement
and Erasure; SRO; Wave of Change; Sanctuary City; Cultural Corridor; The Power of Community; and Golden.
Run the Gauntlet
The Kris Davis Trio featuring Robert Hurst & Johnathan Blake
krisdavis.net
Pyroclastic Records
pyroclasticrecords.com
$17.02 CD / $14.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Run-Gauntlet-Kris-Davis-Trio/dp/B0D87PNX6C
In the music album Run the Gauntlet, Grammy-winning pianist and composer Kris Davis combines her talents with bassist
Robert Hurst and drummer Johnathan Blake to celebrate the lives and musical accomplishments of six extraordinary
female pianists: Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Marilyn Crispell, Angelica Sanchez, Sylvie Courvoisier, and Renee Rosnes.
Inspirational, emotional, and memorable, Run the Gauntlet is a treasure for connoisseurs of creative piano playing, highly
recommended. The tracks are Run the Gauntlet; Softly, As You Wake; First Steps; Little Footsteps; Heavy-Footed; Beauty
Beneath the Rubble; Beauty Beneath the Rubble Meditation; Knotweed; Coda Queen; Dream State; and Subtones.
Pieces of Home
Dan and Claudia Zanes
https://danandclaudia.com
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
https://folkways.si.edu
$16.98 CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Home-Dan-Claudia-Zanes/dp/B0D775H1XX
Pieces of Home is an album steeped in American and Haitian folk traditions, by married music artists Dan and Claudia
Zanes. The harmony of their vocals adds an exceptional vibrance to old and new songs celebrating friendship, love, and
community. Heartwarming, empathetic, and down-to-earth, Pieces of Home is a welcome addition to personal and public
library folk music collections, and also makes a wonderful gift. The tracks are Little Pal of Mine; Breathe, I'm Here; Fly
Like a Raven; Tomorrow's Train; Friend in Springtime; Guide My Feet (for Ella Jenkins); Se On Tifi; Nobody Smells the
Way You Do; Sweet and Cool; Walkin' Talkin' Baltimore; Jump-O!; My God; Believe; Conversations; and Cranberry
Rock.
The Multimedia Shelf
Zen - Live In Katsuyama
Kitaro
Domo Music Group
www.domomusicgroup.com
$24.99
Zen - Live In Katsuyama is music CD and bonus DVD of a live performance by Kitaro and his ensemble at the Daishizan
Seidai-ji Temple of Fukui, Japan, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the temple's founding. The temple is especially
well-known for its 17-meter statue of the Birushana Nyorai, commonly known as the Great Buddha of Echizen. The DVD
shows the energetic performance on the temple's storied grounds, in front of the legendary statue. Zen - Live In Katsuyama
is an extraordinary musical tribute, and a priceless treasure especially for world music collections and armchair travelers.
Highly recommended! The tracks are Prayer For Mother Earth; Monks Prayer (DVD only); Mercury; Silk Road; Aqua;
Requiem; Hajimari; Sozo; Koi (DVD only); Orochi; Sitara; Gaia; Matsuri; and Reimei.
The Nautical Shelf
The Last Days of the Schooner America
David Gendell
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493084449, $34.95, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Days-Schooner-America-Annapolis/dp/1493084445
Synopsis: The schooner America was a technological marvel and a child star. In the summer of 1851, just weeks after her
launching at New York, she crossed the Atlantic and sailed to an upset victory against a fleet of champions. The silver cup
she won that day is still coveted by sportsmen.
Almost immediately after that famous victory, she began a decades-long run of adventure, neglect, rehabilitations, and hard
sailing, always surrounded by colorful, passionate personalities.
America ran and enforced wartime blockades. She carried spies across the ocean. And she was on the scene as yachtsmen
and business titans spent freely and competed fiercely for the cup she first won.
By the early twentieth century, she was in desperate need of a thorough refit. The old thoroughbred floated in brackish
water at the United States Naval Academy, stripped of her sails and rotting in the sun. Refitting America would be a
massive project -- expensive and potentially distracting for a nation struggling to emerge from the Great Depression and
preparing for a world war.
But the project had a powerful sponsor. On a windy evening in December 1940, the eighty-nine-year-old America was
hauled "groaning and complaining" up a marine railway at Annapolis: the first physical step in a rehabilitation rumored to
have been set in motion by President Franklin Roosevelt himself.
The haul-out brought the famous schooner into the heart of the Annapolis Yacht Yard, a privately owned company with a
staff capable of completing such a project, but with leadership determined to convert their facility into a modern warship
production plant on behalf of the United States and its allies.
With the publication of "The Last Days of the Schooner America: A Lost Icon at the Annapolis Warship Factory",
Annapolis sailor and author David Gendell traces the history of the famous vessel, from her design, build, and early racing
career, through her lesser-known Civil War service and the never-before-told story of her final days and moments on the
ground at Annapolis.
The schooner's story is set against a vivid picture of the entrepreneurial forces behind the fast, focused rise of the
Annapolis Yacht Yard as the United States prepares for and enters World War II. As wooden warships are built around
her, America waits for a rehabilitation that would never happen.
To bring this unique story to life, Gendell delved into archival sources and oral histories and interviewed some of the last
living people who saw America at the Annapolis Yacht Yard.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a four page listing of Sources, sixteen pages of
Notes, and a twelve page Index, "The Last Days of the Schooner America: A Lost Icon at the Annapolis Warship Factory"
by David Gendell is an impressive and seminal study that is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and
college/university library Maritime History collections and supplemental U. S. Naval History curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for readers with an interest in the subject that this edition of "The Last Days of the Schooner America: A
Lost Icon at the Annapolis Warship Factory" is also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle,
$28.04).
Editorial Note: Sailor and author David Gendell is an Annapolis native with an extensive sailboat racing background. In
1995, he cofounded SpinSheet, a Chesapeake Bay sailing magazine, and served as its editor for twelve years. In 2004, he
cofounded PropTalk, a Chesapeake Bay powerboating magazine. He is a Coast Guard licensed captain and the author of
"Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse: A Chesapeake Bay Icon" -- devoted to the 1875 lighthouse.
The Mythology Shelf
The Aztec Myths
Camille Townsend
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500025536, $25.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Aztec-Myths-Ancient-Stories-Legends/dp/0500025533
Synopsis: From their remote origins as migrating tribes to their rise as builders of empire, the Aztecs were among the most
dynamic and feared peoples of ancient Mexico, with a belief system that was one of the most complex and vital in the
ancient world.
With the publication of "The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends" historian and academician
Camilla Townsend returns to the original tales, told at the fireside by generations of Indigenous Nahuatl speakers. Along
the way, she deals with human sacrifice, the raising of great temples, and the troubling legacy of the Spanish
conquest.
Few cultures are generally understood to have been so controlled by their religion as the Aztecs, and few religions are
envisioned as being as violent and celebratory of death as theirs. In this introduction to the Aztec myths, Professor
Townsend draws from sixteenth-century historical annals and songs written down by Nahuatl-speaking peoples, now
known as the Aztecs, in their own language to counter this narrative, inherited from the conquering Spaniards. In doing so,
she reveals a rich tapestry of mythic tradition that defies modern expectations.
Professor Townsend retells stories ranging from the creation of the world, revealing the Aztec cosmological vision of
nature and the divine, to legends of the Aztecs' own past that show how they understood the foundation of their state and
the course of their wars. She considers the impact of colonial contact on the myths and demonstrates that Indigenous
engagement with the new cultural customs introduced by the Europeans never entirely uprooted old ways of thinking.
Critique: Featuring 112 illustrations, this edition of Professor Camille Townsend's "The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the
Ancient Stories and Legends" from Thames & Hudson is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion
of a four page Bibliography, three pages of Notes, a one page listing of Acknowledgments, and a five page Index.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends" is a
welcome and recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Aztec History & Religion
collections, as well as supplemental Folklore/Mythology curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia,
and non-specialist general readers that this edition of "The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.73).
Editorial Note: Camilla Townsend (www.wilsoncenter.org/person/camilla-townsend) is the Distinguished Professor of
History at Rutgers University and a vocal supporter of the rights of Indigenous peoples. She is the author of numerous
books, including Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs, which won the Cundill History Prize in 2020. Her other books
include Malintzin's Choices: An Indian Woman in the Conquest of Mexico, Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma, and
Annals of Native America: How the Nahuas of Colonial Mexico Kept Their History Alive.
Classical Myth: An Introduction
Barry P. Powell
University of Michigan Press
www.press.umich.edu
9780472039722, $39.50, PB, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Classical-Myth-Introduction-Barry-Powell/dp/0472039725
Synopsis: Myths are not just the stories from the ancient Greeks and Romans -- they represent deep truths from the
essential concerns people face in their lives. Modern readers may already have heard of the Trojan Horse or how Oedipus
married his own mother, but why have these stories lingered?
With the publication of "Classical Myth: An Introduction", Barry B. Powell (who is the Halls-Bascom Professor of
Classics Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison) provides the historical and theoretical background necessary
for us to understand not only the concept of what a myth is, but the cultural context of how it emerged, and the different
approaches to interpreting myth that were put forward by ancient theorists and their more recent successors.
Then Professor Powell helps his readers to understand classical myth as it is found in its primary sources: the works of
Homer and Hesiod, and the Greek tragedians and historians, Ovid and Vergil. By examining a number of prominent
themes in classical myth, this comprehensive study explores the relationship between myth and art, politics, society, and
history of the ancient world.
Of special note is that this completely revised second edition features new illustrations and will of immense aid to readers
who want to understand myths or study their original sources.
Critique: With the inclusion of figures, maps, and charts, this newly revised and expanded second edition of "Classical
Myth: An Introduction" by Professor Barry B. Powell is especially and particularly recommended for personal/professional
reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Grecko-Roman History/Culture/Religion collections and
supplemental Mythology/Folklore curriculum studies lists.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Native American Clothing: An Illustrated History
Theodore Brasser
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9781554074334, $65.00, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Native-American-Clothing-Illustrated-History/dp/1554074339
Synopsis: Native Americans crafted beautiful clothing out of skins, pigment, quills and sinew. "Native American Clothing:
An Illustrated History" is a collection of photographs and an informative reference that celebrates Native American
decorative genius. Many of the 300 photographs from more than 60 leading museums and private collections have never
been published previously.
Withe the publication of "Native American Clothing: An Illustrated History", Theodore Brasser describes the clothing in
fascinating detail, from moccasins and tunics to sashes, bags and ceremonial and burial costumes. Brasser also explains
who made what and how, as well as the meanings of the different kinds of decoration, such as beadwork, embroidery,
applique, patchwork, weaving and dyeing. There are also many examples of native pottery and other historic artifacts that
depict themes used in the clothes.
"Native American Clothing" provides a thorough historical background of the many influences on this clothing,
including:
Mythology
Social status
Political standing
Wealth
Climate
Geography
Contact with European settlers
Also covered is the entire North American continent and is organized by tribal groups and regions:
Southeast
Northern east coast
Eastern Great Lakes
Eastern sub-Arctic
Great Lakes
Plains
Southwest
Plateau/desert
California
Northwest coast
Western sub-Arctic
Arctic
Of special note are the numerous maps showing the ranges of the tribes and conveying how trade and travel spread cultural
themes.
Critique: This large format (9.32 x 1.17 x 11.2 inches, 4.45 pounds) hardover edition of "Native American Clothing: An
Illustrated History" features an authoritative, detailed text beautifully and profusely illustrated with museum quality color
reproductions. While also available in a substantial paperback edition (9780228104889, $39.95) "Native American
Clothing: An Illustrated History" is a highly recommended acquisition for personal, professional, community,
college/university library Native American History/Culture collections and supplemental Native American curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note: Theodore Brasser was a curator at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, professor of art history at
Carleton University and professor of anthropology at Trent University. He has written extensively for American Indian Art
magazine and numerous museum and scholarly publications.
A Brief Colorado Indian History of the 1800s Through A Factual Lens
Roberta Carol Harvey
Sunstone Press
www.sunstonepress.com
9781632936721, $32.95, HC, 142pp
https://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Indian-History-Through-Factual/dp/1632936720
Synopsis: In 1998, Colorado state lawmakers mandated that American Indian history and culture be included in the
curriculum of high schools in Colorado, based on the persistent efforts of Comanche State Senator Suzanne Williams.
In 2003, they broadened the law mandating that in order to graduate students must satisfactorily complete a civil
government course which includes the history, culture and social contributions of American Indians and other groups.
Colorado Revised Statute 22-1-104.
"A Brief Colorado Indian History of the 1800s Through A Factual Lens" by historian Roberta Carol Harvey on Colorado's
American Indian history is based on primary sources will provide substantial help in fulfilling this Colorado educational
mandate.
Critique: Succinctly informative, exceptionally well organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, "A Brief
Colorado Indian History of the 1800s Through A Factual Lens" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, K-12 School District, community, and college/university library Native American History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "A Brief Colorado Indian History of the 1800s Through A Factual Lens" is also readily available
in a paperback edition (9781632936714, $22.95).
Editorial Note: Roberta Carol Harvey is a citizen of the Navajo Nation, an attorney, and an historian. She holds BA, MBA
and JD degrees from the University of Denver and is a lecturer on Indian law related to policy, land, water and natural
resources. She is committed to Indian self-determination, ending assimilation policies and promoting accurate education.
She is also the author of The Earth Is Red: The Imperialism of the Doctrine of Discovery; The Eclipse of the Sun: The
Need for American Indian Curriculum in High Schools; The Iron Triangle: Business, Government, and Colonial Settlers'
Dispossession of Indian Timberlands and Timber; All that Glitters Is Ours; The Theft of Indian Mineral Resources; Social
Contributions of Colorado's American Indian Leaders for the Seven Generations to Come and Warrior Societies, A
Manifesto, all from Sunstone Press.
The Iron Triangle
Roberta Carol Harvey
Sunstone Press
www.sunstonepress.com
9781632936257, $48.95, HC, 560pp
https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Triangle-Government-Dispossession-Timberlands/dp/1632936259
Synopsis: "The Iron Triangle: Business, Government, and Colonial Settlers' Dispossession of Indian Timberlands and
Timber" by Roberta Carol Harvey is a history and study of the timberland and timber resources and a part of a series on the
dispossession of Indian natural resources by the "iron triangle" of the federal government, big business and colonial
settlers.
The primary period covered in this book is 1840-1900. The areas focused on include the Great Lakes and the Pacific
Northwest. Congress acknowledged that from "...the beginning, Federal policy toward the Indian was based on the desire
to dispossess him of his land." Under the United States' dictatorial "doctrine of discovery," Indians were mere tenants on
their land, with no right to the natural resources. The trajectory was clear: removal, cession of millions of acres of land,
interment on reservations, allotment of tribal land to individuals to break up tribes, and the sale of those allotments.
Disease, starvation, extermination, massacres, private wars and war crimes ensued. This opened the "inexhaustible
mineral, agricultural and natural resources within their dominion" for white exploitation. Congressional legislation opened
the land of the west for $1.25 per acre or at times for free, without buying Indian land, just to get settlers'
boots-on-the-ground. Land sharks, in collusion with federal agents, cheated Indians out of their land and timber.
Big business used its political and economic clout to assure its control of the country's natural wealth. Lumber barons
monopolized the timber industry and set prices. By 1920, three-fifths of the United States' original timber was gone.
Indians served as menial laborers for logging companies, cutting timber and peeling bark. "Scalped" of the wealth inherent
in their natural resources, they were left destitute.
"The Iron Triangle: Business, Government, and Colonial Settlers' Dispossession of Indian Timberlands and Timber" is for
them.
Critique: A seminal and ground breaking study, "The Iron Triangle: Business, Government, and Colonial Settlers'
Dispossession of Indian Timberlands and Timber" is a massively exhaustive and comprehensive work of stellar
scholarship that is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. An original and high value contribution to Native
American history in general, and Native American Demographic Studies in particular, "The Iron Triangle" is especially
and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Native American
Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists. It should be noted for students, academicians, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Iron Triangle" is also readily available from Sunstone Press in a
paperback edition (9781632934420, $36.95) as well.
Editorial Note: Roberta Carol Harvey is a citizen of the Navajo Nation, is an attorney and historian. She holds BA, MBA
and JD degrees from the University of Denver and is a lecturer on Indian law related to policy, land, water and natural
resources. She is committed to Indian self-determination, ending assimilation policies and promoting accurate education.
She is also the author of "The Earth is Red: The Imperialism of the Doctrine of Discovery" and "The Eclipse of the Sun:
The Need for American Indian Curriculum in High Schools" from Sunstone Press.
The Art Shelf
The Universe in 100 Colors
Tyler Thrasher & Terry Mudge
Sasquatch Books
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632174925, $35.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-100-Colors-Wondrous-Science/dp/1632174928
Synopsis: Co-authored by Tyler Thrasher and Terry Mudge, "The Universe in 100 Colors: Weird and Wondrous Colors
from Science and Nature" is gorgeous compendium contains 100 amazing colors that you might otherwise live your whole
life unaware of. These colors exist in the strangest of places, and serve extremely specific functions in nature, or were
human-made with one goal in mind.
In this oversized, design-forward volume you will find entries for each of the 100 colors, organized in gradient order, with
structural and impossible colors set at the end. Each entry has a 2-page spread with a full-page image of the color plus
snappy descriptions, and easy-to-understand category symbols. Some entries include diagrams. Even includes structural
colors and colors outside the range of human visibility! Also included is a brief introduction to color theory, a
myth-busting section, plus index, glossary, and notes.
Here is your universe in living color:
Cosmic Latte: The average color of the universe.
Dragon's Blood: A tropical tree that bleeds red resin with incredible medicinal potential.
Sonoluminescence: A color created by sound!
Eigengrau: The color we perceive in the absence of light (and no, it's not "pitch black").
Critique: Unique, informative, and inherently fascinating, "The Universe in 100 Colors: Weird and Wondrous Colors from
Science and Nature" is ideal and instructive reading for anyone who has an interest in optics, the physics of color, or the
use of color in graphic design. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99), this hardcover edition of
Tyler Thrasher and Terry Mudge's "The Universe in 100 Colors: Weird and Wondrous Colors from Science and Nature"
from Sasquatch Books is a very special and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Art & Color collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Tyler Thrasher is a self-taught chemist and botanist with a BFA in computer animation and art history.
He spent much of his childhood living in greenhouses, which would go on to inspire his love for nature. During college
Tyler spent his free time crawling through caves, which inspired a body of art that involved synthesizing crystals onto
preserved insects and organic matter such as skulls. This quickly became his full-time job and ultimately unraveled a
deeper fascination for nature and experimentation, which has carried over into the idea for "The Universe in Color".
Editorial Note #2: Terry Mudge opened the Stemcell Science Shop in 2016 with the goal of elevating the lackluster
standard in scientific goods. After several successful years Terry launched his monthly Matter box, one of the most popular
science subscription boxes around. He now spends his time hunting down fascinating pieces of nature and science to keep
people tantalized by the infinite possibilities of the universe.
Lyle Ashton Harris: Our First and Last Love
Lyle Ashton Harris et al.
Gregory R. Miller & Co.
Queens Museum of Art/Rose Art Museum
c/o Distributed Art Publishers (DAP)
www.artbook.com
9781941366653, $50.00, HC, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lyle-Ashton-Harris-first-last/dp/1941366651
Synopsis: Gathering photographs, assemblages, video installations and archival selections from his celebrated and
lesser-known series, Our first and last love charts new connections across the artistic practice of New York based artist
Lyle Ashton Harris. Informed by an adolescence that unfolded in New York City and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as well as
several years spent living in Ghana, Harris explores the complexities of African and African American collective identity
while forging his own personal narrative as a Black queer man.
"Lyle Ashton Harris: Our First and Last Love" and its accompanying solo survey exhibition chronicles Harris' approach to
representation and self-portraiture while tracing recurrent themes and formal techniques in his work over the last 35 years.
Central to this curated selection is Harris' most recent series titled Shadow Works, mixed-media assemblages of
photographic prints embedded in Ghanaian printed textiles with cowrie shells, pottery, handwritten notes, clippings of the
artist's dreadlocks and other personal ephemera.
In both the exhibition and its catalog, these works serve as thematic anchors underscoring Harris' layered approach to his
ongoing creative explorations.
Critique: This large format (10.3 x 0.8 x 11.7 inches, 2.31 pounds) hardcover edition of "Lyle Ashton Harris: Our First and
Last Love" from Gregory R. Miller & Co. (and drawing from the collections of the Queens Museum of Art and Rose Art
Museum) is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a two page Director's Foreword, two
Appendices (The 'Shadow Works Archive' & 'Exhibition Vitrines with Selected Artist's Ephemera', a two page Checklist
of Works, and a one page listing of Contributor Biographies. "Lyle Ashton Harris: Our First and Last Love" is especially
and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Arts/Photography Criticism collections and
for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in American Black
Artist & Photographer monographs, catalogs, and exhibitions.
Editorial Note: Lyle Ashton Harris (www.lyleashtonharris.com) is an American artist who has cultivated a diverse artistic
practice ranging from photographic media, collage, installation art and performance art. Harris uses his works to comment
on societal constructs of sexuality and race, while exploring his own identity as a queer, black man.
The Business Shelf
The Mac & Cheese Millionaire
Erin Wade
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
www.wiley.com
9781394264438, $28.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mac-Cheese-Millionaire-Building-Business/dp/1394264437
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the
Box", successful author, entrepreneur, and culinary innovator Erin Wade shares her inspiring and often hilarious journey of
leaving her corporate lawyer job to open a hit mac and cheese restaurant, taking you through the challenges and victories
that paved her path to success. By sharing the lessons that helped her sell millions of dollars in cheesy carbs, she delivers
the tools you need to create change and surpass all your expectations.
"The Mac & Cheese Millionaire" isn't just a personal narrative; Erin Wade offers a masterclass in redefining what it means
to love your work. Because while her journey started out of a love of mac and cheese, Wade found that what she ultimately
fell in love with was business. What follows is the story of starting a small business, all of the ensuing trials and
tribulations, and ultimately building a unique, feminist work culture that helped transform the restaurant industry.
"The Mac & Cheese Millionaire" features: Funny and inspiring personal anecdotes that illustrate the power of tapping into
your own singular brand of leadership; Strategies for creating a one-of-a-kind work culture based on greater meaning,
purpose, and connection; Tools to embrace a feminine leadership style that offer an enduring competitive advantage to
entrepreneurs.
With leadership takeaways for businesses of all sizes, "The Mac & Cheese Millionaire" is an essential read for small
business owners, professional women, aspiring entrepreneurs, and, of course, comfort food-lovers. Wade's story
demonstrates how blending passion, innovation, and a bit of culinary magic can lead to unparalleled success. Whether
you're dreaming of launching your own venture or seeking to infuse your current role with more meaning and joy, let "The
Mac & Cheese Millionaire" be your personal guide to successfully transforming your professional life.
Critique: Providing a complete course in entrepreneurship, "The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by
Thinking Outside the Box" is an extraordinary and thoroughly 'real world practical' DIY guide that is exceptionally
'reader/user friendly' in style, organization and presentation. A core addition to personal, professional, community, business
school, and college/university library Business Ethics, Hospitality Travel/Tourism, Business
Management/Entrepreneurship collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, "The Mac & Cheese
Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box" is unreservedly recommended reading for MBA
students, academia, corporate officers/business managers, entrepreneurs in the food/service industry, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Erin Wade (www.ErinWade.co) is an author, a chef, and an entrepreneur. Erin founded Homeroom, a hit
mac and cheese restaurant in Oakland, California. She authored The Mac + Cheese Cookbook, as well as a viral op-ed in
The Washington Post about her restaurant's solution to sexual harassment. Erin's work improving business culture has also
been covered in Forbes and The New York Times. Learn more at ErinWade.co
The Sports Shelf
Big Cat: The Life of Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize
Jerry Gaillo
University of Nebraska Press
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
9781496235442, $34.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Cat-Baseball-Famer-Johnny/dp/1496235444
Synopsis: Johnny Mize (January 7, 1913 - June 2, 1993) was one of the greatest hitters in baseball's golden age of great
hitters. Born and raised in tiny Demorest, Georgia, in the northeast Georgia mountains, Mize emerged from the heart of
Dixie as a Bunyonesque slugger, a quiet but sharp-witted man from a broken home who became a professional player at
seventeen, embarking on an extended tour of the expansive St. Louis Cardinals Minor League system.
Mize then spent fifteen seasons terrorizing Major League pitchers as a member of those Cardinals, the New York Giants of
Mel Ott and Leo Durocher, and finally with the New York Yankees, who won a record five straight World Series with
Mize as their ace in the hole - the best pinch hitter in the American League. Few hitters have combined such meticulous
bat control with brute power the way Mize did. Mize was a line-drive hitter who rarely struck out and also hit for distance,
to all fields, and usually for a high average. Nicknamed the Big Cat, "nobody had a better, smoother, easier swing than
John," said Cardinals teammate Don Gutteridge. "It was picture perfect."
Tabbed as a can't-miss Hall of Famer, then all but forgotten, Mize spent twenty-eight years waiting for the call from
Cooperstown before he was finally inducted in 1981, delighting fans with his straightforward commentary and sly sense of
humor during a memorable induction speech.
From the backroads of the Minor Leagues to the sunny Caribbean, where he played alongside the best Black and Latin
players as a twenty-one-year-old, and to the Major Leagues, where he became a ten-time All-Star, home run champion, and
World Series hero, Mize forged a memorable trail along baseball's landscape.
Critique: "Big Cat: The Life of Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize" by journalist and baseball historian Jerry Grillo is the
first complete biography of the legendary baseball player nicknamed the Big Cat by his legions of fans. A fun, informative,
and fascinating read from start to finish, this edition of "Big Cat" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition
to community and college/university library 20th Century Sports/Baseball History & Biography collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated baseball fans that "Big Cat" is also readily available from the University of
Nebraska Press in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.22) as well.
Editorial Note: Jerry Grillo is a longtime journalist and author of The Music and Mythocracy of Col. Bruce Hampton: A
Basically True Biography. His work has appeared in Georgia Trend, Atlanta Magazine, Paste Magazine, Newsday, and
jambands.com, among other publications.
The Literary Studies Shelf
Imagining Otherwise
Debra Gettelman
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691260419, $99.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Imagining-Otherwise-Readers-Nineteenth-Century-Novels/dp/0691260419
Synopsis: As the publication of novels exploded in nineteenth-century Britain, writers such as Jane Austen, Charles
Dickens, and George Eliot learned from experience (sometimes grudgingly) that readers tend to make their own
imaginative contributions to fictional worlds. With the publication of "Imagining Otherwise: How Readers Help to Write
Nineteenth-Century Novels", Professor Debra Gettelman shows how Victorian writers acknowledged, grappled with, and
ultimately enlisted the prerogative of readers to conjure alternatives and add depth to the words on the page.
Professor Gettelman provides incisive new readings of novels such as Sense and Sensibility, Little Dorrit, and
Middlemarch, exploring how novelists known for prescriptive and didactic narrative voices were at the same time
exploring the aesthetic potential for the reader's independent imagination to lend nuance and authenticity to fiction.
Modernist authors of the twentieth century have long been considered pioneers in cultivating the reader's capacity to
imagine what is not said as part of the art of fiction. Professor Gettelman uncovers the roots of this tradition of novel
reading a century earlier and challenges literary criticism that dismisses this spontaneous, readerly impulse as being
unworthy of serious examination.
As readers demand novels with relatable characters and fan fiction grows in popularity, the reader's imagination has
become a determining element of today's literary environment. "Imagining Otherwise" published by Princeton University
Press takes a deeper look at this history, offering a critical perspective on how we came to view fiction as a site of
imaginative appropriation.
Critique: While also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9780691260426, $29.95) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $16.17), "Imagining Otherwise: How Readers Help to Write Nineteenth-Century Novels" is an
inherently fascinating and thought-provoking read. A seminal work of ground-breaking scholarship that is informatively
enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an Introduction (Imagining Readers), a ten page Bibliography,
twenty pages of Notes, and a six page Index, "Imagining Otherwise" will prove of interest to students and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in 19th Century/Victorian Era Literary Criticism and the literary impact reader's had on
what novelists wrote. Simply stated, "Imagining Otherwise" by Professor Debra Gettelman is an original and unreservedly
recommended addition to community and college/university library General Books/Reading collections and supplemental
Victorian/19th Century Literary Criticism curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Debra Gettelman is associate professor of English at the College of the Holy Cross whose fields of study
include: 19th Century British Literature and Culture; the Novel; Book History; and Film Adaptation.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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