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California Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Undressing The Art of Playing Dress Up
Cosplay Deviants
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764345685, $50.00, www.schifferbooks.com
Undressing The Art of Playing Dress Up presents the concept of Cosplay: dressing up as
characters from pop culture. This idea swept fan conventions around the world - but this book
isn't about fandom. It takes the Cosplay concept a step further and links it to pinup-style photos
of sexy female cosplayers from around the world. Cosplay Deviants' models reflect both fan
culture with their emphasis on characters from gaming, comics and anime and traditional pinup
modeling. The result is an intriguing, sexy presentation that will delight a wide audience of artists
and fans, packed with full-page color photos of models at their best.
How to Be An Adult in Love
David Richo
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
9781611800340, $21.95, www.shambhala.com
How to Be An Adult in Love: Letting Love in Safely and Showing it Recklessly provides all the
tools needed for learning to be an evolved adult in love, and bases many of his observations and
ideas on lessons from Buddhist and psychology traditions. It's therefore difficult to 'peg' this
book: at once a spiritual and self-help title, it also will reach psychology readers and any
interested in enhancing love relationships and their outcome. Chapters discuss everything from
healthy sexuality to the drive to be loved and the forces that change love from good to difficult.
Any who would understand the nuances of romance will find this a top pick!
Humble Inquiry
Edgar H. Schein
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609949815, $16.95, www.bkconnection.com
HUMBLE INQUIRY: THE GENTLE ART OF ASKING INSTEAD OF TELLING provides
individuals and businesses alike with a key to better communication, and teaches the basics of
how to practice 'Humble Inquiry' to draw someone out, ask questions, and build a relationship.
While this book is directed to business readers, any involved in individual or organizational
pursuits on many levels should have it; it provides keys to overcoming common cultural and
psychological barriers to communication and provides a specific set of 'humble questions'. A
'must' for any general collection or any reader concerned with better communication skills!
Corpus II: Writings on Sexuality
Jean-Luc Nancy
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L
Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823240036, $22.00, www.fordhampress.com
Corpus II: Writings on Sexuality is a recommendation for college-level courses in gender studies
and philosophy, and provides a fine collection of essays from a philosopher who considers
themes of embodiment, politics, meaning and more as it's expressed through sexuality. Nancy
maintains argues for the key place of sexual relation as our original mode of interaction with
other humans. From human anatomy's image and reality to boundaries between mind and body
and the body as a source of pleasure, this is a scholarly dialogue that will appeal to health and
philosophy holdings alike.
Weak Versus Strong Sustainability, fourth edition
Eric Neumayer
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781781006065, $135.00, www.e-elgar.com
Weak Versus Strong Sustainability: Exploring the Limits of Two Opposing Paradigms provides
college-level readers with a fourth revised edition, updating all research and information on two
opposing paradigms of sustainability. The author considers natural resources available for the
production of goods, environmental impact of economic growth, and sustainability efforts. From
indicators of weak sustainability to influences on strong points, this is a solid reference for
students and policymakers alike.
The Polyamorists Next Door
Elisabeth Sheff
Rowman & Littlefield
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9781442222953, $36.00, www.rowman.com
The Polyamorists Next Door: Inside Multiple-Partner Relationships and Families considers the
phenomenon of polyamoris families, in which people hold emotional and sexual relationships
with multiple people at the same time with the support of their partners, and is a fine discussion
of how these relationships work. From managing daily family life and social challenges both at
home and in the world to how such households actually function; this is an in-depth survey that
provides useful details for those working with such couples, educators, and those involved
themselves. There's relatively little written about polyamorists, much less filled with real-world
experience, making this a top pick for any collection strong in relationships.
Boston Below
Joseph R. Votano and Karen E. Hosking
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764345425, $39.99, www.schifferbooks.com
Boston Below is a top recommendation for two kinds of audiences: those interested in Boston
history and culture, and those interested in urban transportation. It examines some 28
underground and 80 above-ground stations of the Boston MBTA subway system lines, using art
photographs to capture riders, their behaviors, and the subway experience. From images of how
the trains are handled in maintenance facilities to action shots, this visual exploration provides
lovely photos of interested to train buffs, photographers, arts and transportation collections as
well as, of course, Boston history and culture holdings.
Deep Currents and Rising Tides
John Garofano and Andrea J. Dew, Editors
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589019676, $32.95, www.press.georgetown.edu
Deep Currents and Rising Tides is a pick for any college-level collection strong in security
studies and politics, and examines the Indian Ocean region's geographic, economic and security
issues. This consideration is one of the first to gather perspectives from a range of contributors
who consider points of interest of different nations and their regional interests. From Chinese and
Indian 'red lines' and security concerns to maritime challenges and international threats from
terrorists or pirates, this is a pick for maritime studies and international issues collections
alike.
L.C. Smith Production Records
James Hubbendieck
Blue Book Publications
8009 34th Avenue South, Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55425
9781936120390, $39.95, www.bluebookofgunvalues.com
L.C. Smith Production Records provides gun reference libraries with the only book that uses the
factory production records in breaking down models of side-by-side and single barrel shotguns
produced between 1890 and 1950, and thus is an important reference for any collection strong in
gun references. It provides details on specific models, breaking down gauges, barrel lengths, and
various options, and it provides illustrations that allow for visual identification of all the L.C.
Smith models from graphics used in their original catalogs. Any interested in a solid firearms
reference will find this a key acquisition.
We Will Destroy Your Planet
David McIntee
Osprey Adventures
9781782006022, $14.95, www.ospreyadventuresbooks.com
We Will Destroy Your Planet: An Alien's Guide to Conquering the Earth is outstanding and
unique. First of all, it comes from a military publisher who is largely devoted to publishing
in-depth military history. Secondly, it combines tongue-in-cheek humor (in the form of 'advice' to
aliens plotting conquest) with solid insights into strategy and planning, from how to conduct a
proper invasion to surface operations, collateral damage, and much more. Couched within the sci
fi/fictional format are concrete military strategies. A great read from beginning to end!
Stats & Curiosities
Andrew O'Connell
Harvard Business Review
c/o Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422196311, $18.00, www.hbr.org
Stats & Curiosities from Harvard Business Review is hard to easily categorize: best to say that
any trivia-oriented fan or those interested in curious studies will find this pocket-sized quick
compilation a treasure trove of intriguing facts and approaches. From the notion that the presence
of happy people seems to increase the risk of suicide to a 'contradiction alert' that declines in
home equity shrink charitable donations, this is packed with facts and studies from the world of
work and many a cultural observation, and is a lovely recommendation for any interested in
statistical oddities.
The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay
Hooman Majd
Doubleday & Company
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780385535328, $26.95, www.doubleday.com
The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay: An American Family in Iran tells of the
writer's 2011 daring move back to his homeland - along with his blonde, blue-eyed Midwestern
yoga instructor wife and infant son. This was done during a low period of U.S.-Iran relations: as
a result, the author experienced much trouble in just getting his wife and son to his homeland.
Now, Brooklyn journalist Majd has been to Iran many times and written extensively about the
country and its politics: his relatives are Iranian politicians and his knowledge of the country
comes from an insider's status. All this weaves into a compelling story that blends travelogue
with social and political observations, making it a top recommendation for both general-interest
audiences, travel enthusiasts, and those interested in an insider's view of Middle East experiences
in general and Iran in particular.
The Geek's Guide to Dating
Eric Smith
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
9781594746437, $14.95, www.quirkbooks.com
The Geek's Guide to Dating is for any geek who would date, and who faces special problems in
finding a date who will appreciate video games, science fiction, science and more. It teaches
gamers and academic geeks how to use dating rules to their own benefit, adds 8-bit art
throughout, and covers the process in 'gaming' language geeks can understand, from 'selecting
your character' to 'plotting a course' through dating. Nothing is left out; from preparing for the
date to 'first contact'. It's fun, it's a hoot - and it's a practical guide to dating that takes all the usual
dating advice and alters it to fit in the geek's universe.
The Man Who Killed Kennedy
Roger Stone with Mike Colapietro
Skyhorse Publishing
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
9781626363137, $24.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com
The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ provides a startling, eye-opening piece of
research and is a 'must' for any collection strong in Kennedy history. Political consultant Roger
Stone gathered documents that point to Lyndon B. Johnson as being the mastermind behind
Kennedy's death, offering new revelations that pinpoint motive, means and how he murdered
Kennedy. This doesn't come from your typical source: Stone is a US political insider who worked
as an aide to Nixon, Reagan and others. His personal insights and knowledge combine with hard
research to provide a fine survey which began with his private conversations with Nixon and his
associates and evolved to a work of research that ties LBJ to not just Kennedy's demise, but at
least seven politically motivated murders before that event. A fine guide for any Kennedy or
political studies collection!
Think
Guy P. Harrison
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616148072, $16.95, www.prometheusbooks.com
THINK: WHY YOU SHOULD QUESTION EVERYTHING is for any who want to read about
critical thinking processes and challenges everyone to embrace a degree of skepticism. Chapters
show how to recognize and handle biases and traps that stem from common thinking and
learning patterns, consider the foundations of belief and the evolution of reason, and offer tips to
analysis and identifying and deflecting bad ideas. A lively tone blends with ideas on how to
cultivate healthy skepticism and how to hone critical analysis skills in the process of 'questioning
everything'. Any general lending library will find this an inviting addition.
The Automotive Shelf
Lost Drag Strips
Tommy Lee Byrd
CarTech Inc.
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
9781613250457, $29.95, www.cartechbooks.com
Lost Drag Strips: Ghosts of Quarter-Miles Past deserves ongoing attention and recommendation
as one of the few automotive history titles to cover abandoned and lost drag strip tracks across
the country. Pairing vintage (color and black and white alike) photos from drag races with stories
behind the track's history, events, and why they closed down, this is packed with powerful
surveys of what put drag strips out of business, when, and more. Much evidence remains of these
strips' past: this lovely title captures this remaining history in a gorgeous presentation for any race
car fan and many a general-interest reader.
The Cookbook Shelf
Ivar's Seafood Cookbook
The Crew at Ivar's
Sasquatch Books
1904 Third Ave, Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98101
9781570618956, $29.95, www.sasquatchbooks.com
Ivar's Seafood Cookbook: The O-fish-al Guide to Cooking the Northwest Catch represents
Northwest cuisine at its best, and marks the restaurant's 75th anniversary: a fitting time for its
first cookbook to appear on the market. Some 60 favorite recipes from the establishment have
been tailored for home cooks and provide seafood ranging from oysters and clams to crab and
salmon. From a Bacon and Blue Knife-and-Fork Salad to Crab Louie with a pickle and chili
infused San Juan Island Dressing, recipes feature full-page color photos and lively discussions of
cooks and their specialties. No fish cookbook collection should be without this presentation of
time-tested, unique fish dishes!
Rene Redzepi: A Work in Progress
Rene Redzepi
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780714866918, $59.95, www.phaidon.com
The presentation of Rene Redzepi: A Work in Progress: Recipes, Journal, Snapshots appears like
a work of art more than a traditional cookbook, but it reflects a creative chef's determination to
encourage creativity at his restaurant and offers a working journal for an entire year to represent
this effort. At once a journal, recipe book and album of snapshots, this charts Redzepi's daily life,
the evolution of his restaurant Noma, and provides some 100 new recipes. The result is a lovely
gift collection, not to be missed by any serious about cooking, creativity, or Rene Redzepi's
famous restaurant!
The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2014
America's Test Kitchen
9781936493548, $35.00, www.americastestkitchenTV.com
The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2014 features the best recipes, tastings, equipment ratings
and cooking techniques of the past 12 months, and is a solid pick for any enthusiast of the TV
show or how recipes are developed and tested. Here are foolproof dishes that range from
family-friendly dinners to fast weeknight cooking and international favorites simplified for home
cooks. Here, also, are discussions of why recipes work - and why they don't. Pair all this with
full-page color photos and smaller black and white prep photos and you have an amazing
cookbook that will appeal to all levels of cooks.
Good Stock
Sanford D'Amato
Agate Midway
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841505, $35.00, www.agatepublishing.com
GOOD STOCK: LIFE ON A LOW SIMMER comes from a respected chef and restaurateur who
weaves a memoir with some 80 recipes and food photos that reflect his story, and is a pick for
any cook who looks for more than another recipe collection. It charts the author's interest in fine
dining, his rise as a chef, and his education process as he came to make a name for himself in the
culinary world. Full-page color photos accompany such dishes as a Grilled Yucatan Pork Chop,
Ancho Potatoes, and Orange Chili Emulsion or Mustard-Crusted Stuffies (Stuffed Clams). From
key transition points in his career to his evolving life as a chef, this is a delicious read for any
who aspire to create good food.
The Food Book
Lonely Planet Publishing
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781743219492, $24.99, www.lonelyplanet.com
Any interested in travel and world cuisines will want this fine book, which covers everything
from street food and markets to new flavors to be found in countries around the world. Focus on
the unique and defining dishes of different nations accompanies a selection of classic ingredients
that lend to foods unique to that nation's cuisine. This isn't a recipe collection per say: it covers
'defining dishes' and identifies their content, it offers suggestions for understanding the culture
and etiquette behind different foods, and it comes packed with color photos of foods and
countries alike. The Food Book: A Journey Through the Great Cuisines of the World is thus a
lovely recommendation for any culinary or travel collection, unparalleled in its scope and
insights.
Vegetarian Tagines & Couscous
Ghillie Basan
Ryland Peters Small
519 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10012
9781849754323, $24.95, www.rylandpeters.com
Any interested in vegetarian main and side dishes who want to learn about Moroccan food will
find this collection a fine survey packed with over sixty recipes for casseroles from the country.
Tagines are easy to prepare and require relatively few special dishes: this gathering of meat-free
tagines includes side dishes and covers everything from lighter choices for suppers to hardier
fare, such as a Lentil Tagine with Ginger and Ras-Al-Hanut. Color photos abound in a fine
recommendation for any Middle East cook!
Visual Eats
Enzo Fargione
Keith Publications
9781628820119, $26.99, www.keithpublications.com
One might expect a book loaded with color visuals with a title like Visual Eats; but that's not the
purpose of this book, where the subtitle says it all: 'A Behind the Scenes Look at Modern Italian
Cooking'. Chapters come from a chef and restaurateur who examines professional kitchen
practices across America, considers the evolution and production of soups, pastas and main
courses, and provides a healthy dose of history to accompany selected recipes. No color
embellishments here... but the lively text and clear, easy recipes don't need 'em!
The Glorious Vegetables of Italy
Domenica Marchetti
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452108865, $30.00, www.chroniclebooks.com
The Glorious Vegetables of Italy comes from the author's childhood memories of Italian
summers and time spent in local farmer's markets, and provides a fine cookbook profiling over
100 recipes showcasing Italy's vegetables and dishes designed to make the most of them. From a
pretty Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad with Roasted Fennel Seeds to Spring Risotto with Green
and White Asparagus, this shows how vegetables blend into Italian meals and provide recipes
that are a blend of the author's heritage and those gathered during her travels throughout Italy.
Color photos pepper a presentation that includes vegetables not just as side dishes, but as main
dishes and as embellishments.
Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits
Andrew Schloss
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781612120980, $18.95, www.storey.com
Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits offers a fine recipe book for homemade liqueurs that
can be made with a minimum of equipment, and offers the author's own innovative recipes for
liquors flavored with herbs, spices and more. Over 150 recipes include 'clones' for name-brand
liqueurs such as Bailey's plus original flavor combinations - such as Honey Pistachio. Also
included are nearly a hundred recipes for cocktails that use the featured liqueur recipes: an
invaluable addition many similar liqueur cookbooks omit! A 'must' for any liqueur maker or
wannabe!
Family Celebrations with the Cake Boss
Buddy Valastro
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781451674330, $35.00, www.simonandschuster.com
Family Celebrations with the Cake Boss: Recipes for Get-Togethers Throughout the Year is all
about special occasions and cooking for them, and comes from a master baker and chef who
focuses on food for parties. It provides a theme cake and dessert for special occasions and also
includes savory dishes in a gathering of original dishes not to be found elsewhere, and it blends
in family memories and stories before each recipe and its step-by-step instructions. The focus on
feasts for special occasions - which include entire menus and recipes - makes this a 'must' for
holiday and year-round celebrations.
Sweet
Levi Roots
Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845336653, $29.95, www.octopuspublishing.com
SWEET provides Levi's latest recipes for desserts, and provides lovely color photos by Chris
Terry to compliment an easy dessert cookbook spiced by Levi's Caribbean background and filled
with original desserts. From a Jamaican tiramisu to the unexpected of barbecued desserts, this
packs in foods that are easy to reproduce and often surprising in their complexity. Add a
selection of drinks and a style which doesn't involve complex instructions and you have a dessert
cookbook which is a cut above the ordinary.
Homemade Condiments
Jessica Harlan
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
9781612432236, $19.95, www.ulyssespress.com
Homemade Condiments: Artisan Recipes using Fresh Natural Ingredients provides a fun color
cookbook packed with over seventy recipes for condiments that are both flavorful and easy to
make, and is recommended to any with access to fresh ingredients and an interest in making
condiments that can enhance sandwiches, soups, and even meatloaves. Chapters focus on sauce,
spice and fresh ingredient combinations that are winning flavor combinations, and make for a
fine cookbook any home cook can readily enjoy.
Made at Home Breads
Dick & James Strawbridge
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845338435, $19.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com
Made at Home Breads provides some fifty recipes and over fifteen easy step-by-step techniques
for making them, and is recommended as a basic primer for any who would bake breads, buns,
rolls and more. From understanding different ingredients and selecting the best for a
bread-baking project to preparing a loaf and serving them hot from the oven, this is a lovely
recipe-packed collection pairing color photos throughout with ideas for foolproof results. From
Potato Bread to making authentic sourdough from scratch, the step-by-step color photos leave
little to guess.
Chocolate Desserts to Die For!
Bev Shaffer
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455617005, $26.95, www.pelicanpub.com
Chocolate Desserts to Die For offers a range of chocolate-based desserts, from sauces and cakes
to marshmallows and cupcakes and beyond, and provides a focus on top recipes by the
award-winning chef/author. The wide range of chocolate-based dishes teaches the basics of how
to work with chocolate and how to understand its properties and make the most of its
applications. The result is a delicious compilation that goes far beyond your usual
pie/cake/cookie focus and enters into the realm of overall chocolate handling and how to produce
superior results!
Trophy Cupcakes & Parties!
Jennifer Shea
Sasquatch Books
1904 Third Ave, Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98101
9781570618642, $24.95, www.sasquatchbooks.com
Trophy Cupcakes & Parties! Deliciously Fun Party Ideas and Recipes from Seattle's
Prize-Winning Cupcake Bakery is from a cook notable for making outstandingly-decorated
cupcakes and offers home cooks a fine celebration-oriented guide to making the cupcake the
center of attraction. Trophy Cupcakes & Party is a cupcake bakery in Seattle: this represents the
author's first book on the subject and provides in-depth details on all kinds of cupcakes from
Trophy's collection, created for a wide range of parties and celebrations. From tips on creating
party themes to decoration hints, this is a 'must' for any cupcake baker: packed with color photos
and tips to assure success!
A Thousand Hills to Heaven
Josh Ruxin
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316232913, $26.00, www.littlebrown.com
A Thousand Hills to Heaven: Love, Hope, and a Restaurant in Rwanda provides a fine blend of
autobiography, African social issues consideration, and the story of one couple who opened a
restaurant named Heaven in Rwanda. The authors were newlyweds in Manhattan who wanted to
make a difference in a troubled country. They had no idea 'how' when they flew there, but quickly
developed a focus: bringing food and health care to the country's villages. Both used their food
expertise to open a gourmet restaurant: this is their story, a powerful account that's recommended
for a range of collections but is featured here because no socially conscious 'foodie' should miss
this!
The Needlecraft Shelf
Adventures in Yarn Farming
Barbara Parry
Roost Books
c/o Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
www.shambhala.com
9781590308233, $27.95, www.roostbooks.com
Adventures in Yarn Farming: Four Seasons on a New England Fiber Farm is for any
needleworker who works with wool and for any who have an enthusiasm for farming and using
yarn products. It's not a how-to book so much as a personal odyssey covering the ups and downs
of farming in the Berkshire Mountains. Color photos pack a gentle account of seasonal sheep
farming and yarn-making, from lambing season to various animals' fiber output and qualities.
The result is a lovely, appealing guide any working with wool and fiber will appreciate:
recommended for needleworkers, farming and home and garden collections alike.
The Big Book of Nickel Quilts
Pat Speth with Charlene Thode
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604683950, $27.99, www.martingale.com
The Big Book of Nickel Quilts packs in designs from Nickel Quilts and More Nickel Quilts and
is a 'must' for any quilting reference collection. It showcases 5" squares and scraps and shows
how to integrate them into a wide range of projects, from lap quilts to twin and queen size quilts.
Each project is presented with all three options, while directions for using slightly bigger and
smaller squares further increases options. With 40 projects accompanied by color photos
throughout, this is a wonderful guide for any quilter!
Knits from an English Rose
Louisa Harding
SixthandSpring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301, NY, NY 10013
9781936096657, $24.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com
Knits from an English Rose: 25 Modern-Vintage Accessories blends modern and vintage styles
and provides some 25 accessory patterns from bags to hats, all featuring the author's own yarn
line. Details also include her inspiration for each design and full-page color photos of the design
in use. From different weight yarns and knitting directions to introductions to each design and its
history, this is a lovely gift for any knitter who wants to make the most of contemporary and
classic approaches to accessories.
Mosaic Tile Quilts
Patricia Sanabria-Friederich
Landauer Publishing
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726463, $22.95, www.landauerpub.com
Mosaic Tile Quilts gathers nine quilting projects inspired by the mosaic tile floors of Costa Rica,
pairing each project with a combination of full-page color photos and 64 pages of smaller images
to accompany easy quiltmaking instructions. The author grew up in Costa Rica and was
accustomed to the tile floors everywhere: these translate handily into quilt styles for
wallhangings, runners and bed quilts alike, and lend to a lovely coverage especially
recommended for quilters seeking different ideas.
Quilting Wide Open Spaces
Judi Madsen
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604601060, $26.95, www.americanquilter.com
Machine quilters who want a basic manual covering creating open space in quilting and blend
unpieced with wholecloth quilts will find this filled with original designs and technical advice
perfect for creating such quilts. Six projects provide the foundation for this instruction, with
color photos and patterns accompanying step-by-step directions that leave nothing to wonder.
From handling corner triangles and using continuous connecting curves to piecing specifics, this
is accompanied by a CD-ROM and comes from a longarm quilter who teaches invaluable
techniques.
The Magic of Shetland Lace Knitting
Elizabeth Lovick
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9781250039088, $24.99, www.stmartins.com
The Magic of Shetland Lace Knitting offers a range of stitches and projects for shawls and other
projects and provides knitters with a basic instructional designed to move novices through the
steps needed to master the more complex patterns that Shetland lace knitting involves. Beginners
and experienced knitters will appreciate the step-by-step instructions, chats, and photos with
close-up knitted examples, and will also welcome a book that arranges stitches in such a manner
that they can easily be substituted in the patterns provided. With the lovely color shawls
presented and ten projects based on the instructionals, this is a fine recommendation for any
knitter who would progress to the next level!
The Computer Shelf
Windows 8.1 for Dummies
Andy Rathbone
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118821077, $27.99, www.fordummies.com
Windows 8.1 for Dummies packages a DVD and book together and covers all the basics, from
the Start screen to the most commonly used apps and locating missing files. It teaches
newcomers all the basics: how to load apps and programs, how to find the traditional desktop,
blending social networks to work with Windows 8.1, and much more. All this is accompanied by
screen shots and real-world user examples throughout; and if this isn't enough, a DVD packaged
with the book provides 2.5 hours of step-by-step video training. The result is a specific and fine
beginner's guide, highly recommended for any newbie to the very different Windows 8
environment.
Quicken 2014 for Dummies
Stephen L. Nelson, MBA, CPA
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118720332, $24.99, www.fordummies.com
Quicken 2014 for Dummies covers the latest personal finance program for managing businesses
or home, and is recommended for any who would set up Quicken and get started right away.
From banking online and managing costs to incorporating small business finances and generating
reports, this is a reference that covers all the basics of Quicken 2014, supplementing step-by-step
instructions with black and white screen shots and overall tips on maintaining financial records.
Quicken 2014 is a snap when viewed with this user-friendly manual in hand!
Easy Computer Basics
Michael Miller
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780789752321, $24.99, www.quepublishing.com
EASY COMPUTER BASICS: WINDOWS 8.1 EDITION is all about large-size screen shots (in
black and white and in color) and a format that teaches these basics to new users. No prior
familiarity with computers is needed to use this basic guide, which covers all the skills needed to
use Windows 8.1 to do different tasks. From configuring and upgrading a computer to surfing,
email, listening to music and viewing photos, this provides a fine survey recommended for any
basic computer user who wants a clear, simple introduction to the Windows 8.1 operating
system.
Power Tools for Cubase 7
Matthew Loel T. Hepworth
Hal Leonard
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781458413680, $39.99, www.halleonardbooks.com
Power Tools for Cubase 7: Master Steinberg's powerful Multi-Platform Audio Production
Software provides musicians and software engineers with a fine survey of the Cubase program
that can make a computer a complete recording studio, and provides keys to creating, editing,
mixing and mastering a music track via PC. Power Tools is for new users: all the basics of
installation and setup are covered, then common mistakes and mastering techniques are
reviewed. A DVD-ROM offers supporting materials and real-world Cubase session files to
enhance the learning experience. The result is a powerful survey, highly recommended for any
Cubase newbie.
3D Game Programming for Kids
Chris Strom
Pragmatic Programmers
2831 Eldorado Parkway, #103-381, Frisco, TX 75033-7438
9781937785444, $36.00, www.pragprog.com
3D Game Programming for Kids: Create Interactive Worlds with JavaScript is a pick for any
who want to program games for kids, and provides a fine survey of how to write games and
simulations using the ICE Code Editor, created for this book to help new users begin with
JavaScript programming. Start by building animated shapes and then move to more advanced
game creation from start to finish. With color panels throughout and step-by-step discussions of
code, this is a fine 'must' for any newcomer to JavaScript interested in game programming.
The Lean Mindset
Mary and Tom Poppendieck with Henrik Kniberg
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321896902, $39.99, www.informit.com/aw
The Lean Mindset: Ask the Right Questions shows how lean companies work and uses a blend of
case studies from these organizations with keys to developing vivid startup teams powered by
'lean' principles. From linking coaching strategies to progress and helping software designers
with new tools that make the most of business pursuits, this is a pick for business and software
engineering collections alike, teaching the basics of pioneering product development approaches
that incorporate the lean principle. It's a fine pick for any business looking for specific case
history examples of how this all can work!
iPad: The Missing Manual
J.D. Biersdorfer
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449341800, $24.99, www.oreilly.com
iPad: The Missing Manual is for any newcomer to the iPad and provides all the basics designed
to help get new users up and running quickly. There's no owner's manual with the tablet - which
makes this book an even more important acquisition. Chapters show how to quickly get up to
speed with the basics, from working with media and surfing the internet to using the Control
Center from any screen, sending files to friends, and using iPad's free iWork suite of word
processor, spreadsheet, and other applications. Color screen shot examples throughout make this
a winning approach any new user can readily understand.
AutoCAD 2014: Beginning and Intermediate
Munir Hamad
Mercury Learning
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9781938549625, $54.95, www.merclearning.com
AutoCAD 2014: Beginning and Intermediate is one of the best books on the market for
AutoCAD 2014, and covers all of the 2D concepts for beginners and advanced users using both
metric and imperial units to describe all tools and their applications. An accompanying DVD
helps users with drawing exercises and projects to test their applied knowledge, while the meat of
the book lies in over 100 exercises that base teachings on small projects that are covered from
initial concept through completion. Solving these projects results in a far more detailed
knowledge of AutoCAD than mere discussions of tools could provide, creating an atmosphere of
applied learning and reinforcing everything with discussions of the basics that leave little to
wonder. The result is a fine discussion highly recommended for all levels of AutoCAD user and
collections catering to them.
Ruby Under a Microscope
Pat Shaughnessy
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593275273, $39.95, www.nostarch.com
Ruby Under a Microscope: An Illustrated Guide to Ruby Internals provides a fine review for
developers who want to know more about the Ruby language and its possibilities, and explains
how Ruby works by linking simple experiments with Ruby code. From how basic computer
science concepts blend with Ruby's operations to how it executes code, uses algorithms, and is
translated by a compiler, this does more than outline Ruby functions: it delves into the very heart
of how Ruby operates. Any Ruby developer looking for very specific insights will find this a
lively and well-detailed discussion of all of Ruby's capabilities.
Murach's ASP.NET 4.5 Web Programming with VB 2012, fifth edition
Mary Delamater and Anne Boehm
Mike Murach & Associates
4340 North Knoll Avenue, Fresno, CA 93722
9781890774769, $57.50, www.murach.com
The fifth updated edition of Murach's ASP.NET 4.5 Web Programming with VB 2012 is a fine
training and reference guide to writing serious web applications. It covers all the major ASP.NET
features needed, it teaches the basics of handling databases and polishing applications skills, and
it shows how to develop Ajax applications to create the best web programming. This is no light
guide, but a developer's technical reference that covers nearly everything one would need to
know.
The Education Shelf
Paying for College Without Going Broke
Kalman A. Chany with Geoff Martz
Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780804124362, $20.00, www.princetonreview.com
Paying for College Without Going Broke teaches the basics of how to save for and borrow for
college, and concentrates on how to apply for aid. From maximizing eligibility and boosting this
eligibility year-round to documenting college expenses and understanding education tax breaks
and plans and special accounts, this focus on getting the most from one's college account is a
'must' for parents and students alike, showing not just how to borrow money, but how to qualify
for the best aid.
Esri ArcGIS Desktop Associate Certification Study Guide
Mariam Schmidts
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
9781589483514, $79.95, www.esri.com
Any who want a review manual covering GIS skills as measured in the ArcGIS desktop
Associate certification exam will appreciate this specific guide, which reviews the basic
program's tools and workflows and allows students to assess and strengthen skills to pass the
exam. Explanations and techniques are accompanied by step-by-step exercises to reinforce
learning, while questions designed to test knowledge emphasize the comprehensive review of
skills as measured in the exam. An additional bonus is the desktop software trial provided with
this edition, which makes it easy for users to apply the program to such specifics as geocoding,
creating feature geometry, using math and text, modifying and representing data, and much more.
A 'must' for any studying for the exam, this is packed with charts, color visuals and everything
needed to understand the program's applications in real-world scenarios.
Reading in the Wild
Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley
Jossey Bass
Jossey-Bass
c/o Wiley Professional Trad Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470900307, $22.95, www.josseybasseducation.com
Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits
continues from her prior The Book Whisperer, about getting students to love reading, and shows
how to solidify lifelong reading habits in student. It's based on survey responses from adult
readers and students and provides assessments of five key reading habits that lend to this feel,
along with lesson plans, management tools and recommended reading lists. From community
conversations to 'book commercials', this isn't your ordinary approach to teaching literacy, and is
packed with refreshingly vivid ideas for connecting reading to life endeavors. No education
collection - and many a general-interest collection - should be without it!
Uncovering Student Thinking About Mathematics in the Common Core Grades 6-8
Cheryl Rose Tobey and Carolyn B. Arline
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781452230887, $33.00, www.corwin.com
Uncovering Student Thinking About Mathematics in the Common Core Grades 6-8 provides 25
assessment probes considering math misconceptions in the middle grades, and provides teachers
with a fine new collection that identifies subconcepts in the new Common Core State Standards
for Mathematics. Chapters identify, evaluate, and address these conceptual misunderstandings,
showing teachers how to correct them before they become engrained. Exercises, targeted
instruction for building better understanding, and sample student responses and Teacher Notes
makes for a powerful resource middle grade teachers will find both specific and invaluable.
Writing Instruction That Works
Arthur N. Applebee and Judith A. Langer
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
9780807754368, $34.95, www.teacherscollegepress.com
Writing Instruction That Works: Proven Methods for Middle and High School Classrooms
blends research with the basic question of what constitutes writing instruction today and how it
will change tomorrow, and is a pick for any middle to high school teacher looking for clues on
teaching lasting writing abilities. It focuses on how writing is being taught in modern secondary
schools, identifies areas where teaching fails, and makes the case for a kind of instruction that
improves student literacy and learning in the process. Examples of successful writing in each of
the core academic subjects illustrate this kind of instruction while chapters explain how it's
different from traditional approaches and why it's more effective. Secondary teachers should
consider this a 'must'.
Fitness Education for Children, second edition
Stephen J. Virgilio
Human Kinetics
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450402552, $35.00, www.humankinetics.com
The second updated edition of Fitness Education for Children: A Team Approach is for any
physical educator who wants a blend of instructional strategies and models that involve
collaborating with other educators, parents and more to encourage active lifestyles, and is a fine
survey on how to assess, tweak and present before- and afterschool programs. From new
developmental activities such as Zumba dance to the latest statistics on childhood obesity and a
brand new chapter on yoga for children, this packs in many important keys to creating an
alternative educational program, and is a top recommendation for any school physical education
teacher and department.
The Biography Shelf
As Long as It's Fun
Herb McCormick
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
978192914873, $18.95, www.paracay.com
As Long as It's Fun: The Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey may
well be one of the best nautical biographies published in recent years: it charts the amazing
sailing career of a couple that started out in Southern California and circumnavigated the globe,
cruising on small boats they built themselves and keeping their lifestyle simple. Travel around
the world is attainable, affordable, and compelling: their book is for any who dream of offshore
sailing and who appreciates a good story of love and adventure on the high seas. It's a lively story
any will find engrossing and a fine read.
Running with Roselle
Michael Hingson
Roselle's Dream Foundation
www.michaelhingson.com
9780615905235, $12.95, www.amazon.com
Running with Roselle is a pick for all ages of reader from young adults through adult, and will
interest any who love animals, who know someone who is visually impaired, or who appreciate a
good story. While directed to pre-teens and teens, adults won't want to miss this inspirational
story of a 9/11 guide dog and her partner as they grow up together and come to escape the World
Trade Center disaster by walking down 78 flights of stairs together. While the intent here is to
serve as an inspiration to children and encourage them to rethink ideas of living with a disability,
many an adult will find this inspirational as well, making it a fine 'must' for any general
collection.
The Audiobook Shelf
Lone Survivor
Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781478927082, $25.00, www.hachetteaudio.com
LONE SURVIVOR is narrated by veteran reader Kevin T. Collins, who brings to life the story of
four U.S. Navy SEALs who were on a mission to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader. Less
than 24 hours later only one remained alive - and he writes his account here, telling of a
mountain battle that led to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. It's a powerful saga of
courage, survival, and the actions and struggles of Navy SEAL operatives abroad, and it's a
gripping story in audio that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Most of all, it's about
friendships and endurance - and shines in its audio format!
Sycamore Row
John Grisham
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780385366472, $45.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com
SYCAMORE ROW receives a fine, spirited reading by Michael Beck who brings the saga to life
as he narrates the story of Jack Brigance, who becomes embroiled in a controversial trial that
exposes old racisms and angers. A wealthy man hangs himself but leaves a new, handwritten will
behind: one that will involve his family and his black maid in a murder trial and a series of
puzzles only Jake can solve. Replete with twists and turns of plot and many satisfying
confrontations, Sycamore Row is a fine recommendation for any who enjoy listening to legal
thrillers.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
The Transcendental Temptation
Paul Kurtz
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616148270, $21.95, www.prometheusbooks.com
The Transcendental Temptation: A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal offers religious
readers a controversial book that considers why people accept supernatural belief systems in spite
of evidence against it, and offers a deeper inspection of the origins of 'magical thinking' in
something called 'the transcendental temptation' which undermines critical judgment and leads to
beliefs. Three major monotheistic religious - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - are considered in
the course of examining these beliefs and paranormal belief systems of today, and make for an
intriguing survey of how belief in God and the afterlife evolves.
The More Beautiful World our Hearts Know Is Possible
Charles Eisenstein
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
9781583947241, $19.95, www.northatlanticbooks.com
The More Beautiful World our Hearts Know Is Possible offers real-life stories that show how
individual acts of kindness and courage can change the world, and is a powerful pick for any who
would combine spiritual perspectives with social change. This book thwarts cynicism and offers
keys to connecting personal choices to powerful change. It considers habits of separation and
how to change them and includes the author's own personal perspective in the process of
examining this process. The result is an uplifting, inspirational spiritual and social examination
recommended for a wide range of readers looking for positive encouragement.
The Happy Atheist
Pz Myers
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307379344, $24.00, www.pantheonbooks.com
The Happy Atheist comes from the author of a popular science blog which has made the case for
evolutionary science over creationism, and here provides a fun and intriguing book that not only
examines the fallacies of religious fundamentalism, but considers the absurdity of various
religions and how superstition over science can hold dangerous consequences. It's replete with
human, science and logic and is a light-hearted yet pointed attack on believers who exclude many
other possibilities in the course of dogmatic behaviors. The result is a fun read which will reach
science, spirituality and new age readers alike.
The Christian Studies Shelf
Strange Fire
John MacArthur
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9781400205172, $22.99, www.thomasnelson.com
STRANGE FIRE: THE DANGER OF OFFENDING THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH
COUNTERFEIT WORSHIP comes from a pastor and teacher who discusses a movement that
has betrayed the God they claim to represent. Historical research, biblical analysis, and quotes
from all manner of Biblical scholars contribute to a volume that offers new opportunities for
churches to reach out to people. Any who believe religious experience is more important than
biblical fact or who don't want a God with limits will find this a thought-provoking discussion
indeed!
Killing Jesus
Stephen Mansfield
Worthy Publishing
134 Franklin Road, Suite 200, Brentwood, TN 37027
9781617951879, $22.99, www.worthypublishing.com
Killing Jesus: The Unknown Conspiracy Behind the World's Most Famous Execution provides a
powerful analysis of the crucifixion of Jesus and documents the political and spiritual myths
surrounding the event. Chapters go beyond the usual probes to reveal facts and fiction associated
with them, offering a moment-by-moment assessment of events that reads like fiction but is
packed with discussions of the laws of God, charges and questions, and dangerous events that
evolved leading up to Jesus' murder. The result is a hard-hitting yet lively analysis suitable for
Christian scholars and general-interest readers alike, bringing to life the atmosphere and events
surrounding Jesus' crucifixion.
The Mormons
Roy A. Prete, Editor
Merrell Publishers
38 High Avenue, 4th floor, Nyack, New York 10960
9781858946207, $34.95, www.merrell.com
The Mormons: An Illustrated History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints provides
a fine pictorial introduction to the Church and its people, considering a history of their faith as
told by Mormons. From early days of persecution to their beliefs and practices, this is a rich
survey that offers a lovely set of illustrations combined by scholarship that brings the faith and its
peoples to life. Any collection strong in historical surveys of various religions in general or the
Saints in particular will find this covers spiritual, cultural and social history alike, and makes for
a fine basic survey that is both artistic and revealing.
Enduring Lives
Carol Lee Flinders
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781626980341, $24.00, www.orbisbooks.com
ENDURING LIVES: LIVING PORTRAITS OF WOMEN AND FAITH IN ACTION provides a
companion volume to the author's popular ENDURING GRACE, FLINDERS profiling the lives
of modern women of faith, and continues the focus of pairing biography and autobiography with
discussions of women's issues in religion. Christian holdings will find this a powerful survey that
documents strong, independent women of faith and how they honored both spirituality and
women in the course of their spiritual lives. The result is a strong pick recommended for any
spirituality or women's issues collection.
Preaching
Jason C. Meyer
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
9781433519710, $22.99, www.crossway.org
Preaching: A Biblical Theology uses humor, Biblical verses, analysis and anecdotes to illuminate
the finer art of teaching, considering the history and spiritual precedents of preaching in both Old
and New Testaments and offering guidelines to more effective modern preaching methods. The
purpose is to teach and transmit the living God: chapters covering the practice of expository
preaching address everything from presenting different books of the Bible to understanding
different shifts in perceiving stewardship. Preachers and those who would teach the Bible will
find this a solid, accessible reference.
Take Time to Be Holy
Samuel Logan Brengle
Tyndale Momentum
c/o Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414379067, $15.99, www.tyndalemomentum.com
Take Time to Be Holy provides a fine devotional that uses the writings of author Brengle, a
commissioner in The Salvation Army who traveled around the world, to teach about the concept
of personal holiness. Having his words and wisdom in a daily devotional format encourages
readers to read daily about the opportunities inherent in personal holiness, and provides passages
edited by Bob Hostetler, who himself has written over 30 books and who has spoke at churches
and retreats. The result is a fine selection of devotionals that reveals Brengle's insights and
biblical analysis.
Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches
George Weigel with Elizabeth Lev and Stephen Weigel
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465027699, $39.99, www.basicbooks.com
Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches comes from a theologian and papal biographer, an art
historian and a photographer who join forces in this book to reveal the station church. Reflections
on the liturgies and history of these church traditions blend with essays on each church's art and
architecture, all backed by lovely photos by Stephen Weigel. The history begins with the origins
of the station church pilgrimage in the early days of Roman Christianity, with chapters moving to
modern times and considering study in the Eternal City and insights on the pilgrimage of Lent.
Artifacts and art back this examination process and provides a lovely guide to the city of Rome
which will serve as both a spiritual and travel guide.
The Political Science Shelf
What Will it Take to Make a Woman President?
Marianne Schnall
Seal Press
1700 - 4th Street, Berkeley, California 94710
9781580054966, $17.00, www.sealpress.com
What Will it Take to Make a Woman President features leaders from all sectors who consider the
social and political obstacles to electing a woman into the White House, and is a powerful pick
for any political studies or women's issues collection. The author interviewed politicians, public
officials, writers, artists and activists in an effort to pinpoint the major questions about women in
the White House: anecdotes and insights offer plenty of strong reflections on the process and
barriers to women's achievement, making for powerful reading.
The Dark Side of Church/State Separation
Stephen Strehle
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
9781412852715, $59.95, www.transactionpub.com
The Dark Side of Church/State Separation: The French Revolution, Nazi Germany, and
International Communism provides a fine survey of three movements that tried to destroy the
Christian church, and provides details on the history of religion and its associations with political
and social forces in the international arena. Chapters consider key figures of the French
Enlightenment, experiences of the church under Nazi rule, and Communism's relationship to
religion in a powerful survey highly recommended for any spirituality or political studies
collection.
Republicans and Race
Timothy N. Thurber
University Press of Kansas
2501 West 15th Street, Lawrence, KS 66049
9780700619382, $39.95, www.kansaspress.ku.edu
Republicans and Race: The GOP's Frayed Relationship with African Americans, 1945-1974
provides a fine study of racial politics and civil rights policy in postwar America and considers
stereotypes about Republicans and race. Any collection strong in surveys of the Republican
Party's evolution will find this an important and insightful, college-level study that considers the
changing relationships between races and the party line. All kinds of college-level collections
will find this a fine survey, highly recommended for any studying connections between race and
democratic processes.
The Art Shelf
Illustration Next
Ana Benaroya
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500517017, $34.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
Illustration Next: Contemporary Creative Collaboration packs in over 300 color illustrations in a
survey that gathers the works of some fifty leading illustrators from over twenty countries. Works
by Julia Rothman, Mike Perry and more are presented along with an interview with each that
probes their inspirations. The second section presents artists who participate in a collaborative art
effort, with illustrators working in pairs to create original works based on over twenty themes
suggested by the author. So half the work featured here is original to this title. The result is a fine
survey, highly recommended for any contemporary arts holding.
The Art Glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany
Paul E. Doros
The Vendome Press
1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (dist.)
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
www.abramsbooks.com, www.vendomepress.com
9780865653047, $75.00, www.amazon.com
The Art Glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany features lovely color photos by David Schlegel in an
oversized collection representing a definitive survey of Tiffany's art glass. The glass was
produced between the 1890s and 1920s, created by hand, and offer some of the most innovative
styles and shapes in art glass. This catalogs major pieces from vases to pottery, includes a
biography of Tiffanys life and influences, and also includes an overall history of glassworks. The
result is an exquisite collection of paintings, drawings and rare documents and photos and is a
sumptuous presentation recommended for any arts collection.
Curiosity
Brian Dillon, et.al.
Hayward Publishing
9781853323133, www.haywardpublishing.com
Curiosity offers a fine recommendation on art objects taken from a range of disciplines and
considers the state of passion as presented through these items through history. Essays by the
authors accompany over a hundred color illustrations plus more essays by prominent historical
and artistic experts, offering scientific, artistic, spiritual and cultural reflections on curiosity in all
its facets. The result is a powerful reference that will reach not only arts libraries, but any
interested in the expression of curiosity over the years.
Art Made from Books
Laura Heyenga
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452117102, $27.50, www.chroniclebooks.com
Art Made from Books gathers portfolios of work by major artists who use books as a source for
painting, cutting, or changing them into works of art - and provides the format of a side-stitched
and artistic display to further emphasize how a book can move into the realm of being an art
form. Chapters pair full-page color photo examples with notes on how the book was reproduced,
and include installations, singular displays, examples of decorated books in boxes and much
more. The variety defies easy categorization: suffice it to say these ARE extraordinary art forms
in and of themselves, with their origins in the library world.
Simplifying Design & Color for Artists
Linda Kemp
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
700 East State Street, Iola WI 54945
9781440325236, $29.99, www.artistsnetwork.com
Simplifying Design & Color for Artists: Positive Results Using Negative Painting Techniques
covers basic art techniques to help teach design and color basics to beginning painters, and
comes from an artist and best-selling author who focuses on negative painting and how to use
this method to help improve painting. Projects and exercises with this perspective in mind teach
the foundations of how to make work stand out. From simplifying color to handling layering and
movement, this uses nearly twenty step-by-step projects in watercolor and acrylic to teach the
basics.
Watercolor Secrets
Tom Lynch
Tom Lynch Publisher
9780578128689, $24.99, www.artacademylive.com
Tom Lynch's Watercolor Secrets: A Master Painter Reveals His Dynamic Strategies for Success
provides a dynamic guide to watercolor compiled from author Tom Lynch's own techniques and
training methods, and provides a series of approaches that involve multiple points of view to
reveal the basics of experimenting with color, shape, value and mood. Assignments and exercises
compliment each approach by reinforcing teaching with lessons designed to put theory to
practice, and teach the basics of how to transform watercolor to achieve dynamic results. The
result is a pick for any who would improve their watercolor approach.
Pit Firing Ceramics
Dawn Whitehand
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764341724, $29.99, www.schiffer.com
PIT FIRING CERAMICS: MODERN METHODS, ANCIENT TRADITIONS is a pick for any
interested in pit firing, whether from the ceramic's workbench or from an archaeological
perspective, and covers ceramics from various historical and crafts viewpoints. Information
across disciplines provides a lively discussion of the methods, evolution and purposes of pit fired
ceramics, covers contemporary artists and their creations, and packs in color photos of the
process and all pit firing techniques. Art historians and ceramicists alike will find it a thorough
coverage, highly recommended for any collection.
The Interior Design Shelf
William Hodgins Interiors
Stephen M. Salny
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393733464, $75.00, www.wwnorton.com
William Hodgins Interiors is a lovely survey of a legendary interior designer who practiced
before design showrooms were part of the job, and pairs a biography of Hodgins' life with a
survey of some thirty years of his works. All this is accompanied by examples throughout and
discussions of what made his interiors exceptional, covering the evolution of interior design
trends as a whole and explaining the evolution of interior design to students of arts and
architectural studies. The result is a fine and lavishly illustrated coverage recommended for arts
and architecture collections alike!
The Photography Shelf
The Billboard Papers
Joel Grey
Pointed Leaf Press
136 Baxter Street, New York, NY 10013
9781938461125, $95.00, www.pointedleafpress.com
The Billboard Papers is an oversized presentation packed with nearly thirty color illustrations and
is the fourth book of photography by actor Joel Grey, who here provides photos of torn and
decaying billboards from New York. One might not think such an endeavor would translate to
real art, but this provides a lovely blend of photographic and artistic prowess and social
commentary that capture the underlying art inherent in demolition and change. The result is a top
pick for any photography, arts or New York history and culture collection.
EarthART: Colours of the Earth
Bernhard Edmaier
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780714865768, $59.95, www.phaidon.com
EarthART: Colours of the Earth offers a fine collection of images from an author who has
traveled around the world and blended his interests in geology and photography. His aerial
photos offer rare examinations of the earth's surface from aloft, packing in over 150 full-page
photos in a collection documenting the colors of the world's major places, from the Grand
Canyon to Iceland. Having a collection that moves between art and science is unique, allowing
enthusiasts of either genre the chance to consider the world's colorful surface from a very
different perspective. The result is a fine guide recommended for arts and science collections
alike.
Mastering the Model Shoot
Frank Doorhof
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321968166, $44.99, www.newriders.com
World-famous fashion lighting instructor and photographer Frank Doorhof here provides a
behind-the-scenes examination of how his model photography workflow happens, and provides a
powerful survey for any aspiring photographer who would learn how to find models, locations,
and how to create stunning backgrounds on a budget. Here are keys to how the author lights his
images, how he covers the small things like handling equipment and using color targets to
pinpoint exact color, and how to retouch. Tutorials blend with assessments of different results
from different techniques: all this packed with color photos from his own successful shoots. The
result is a powerful survey of unparalleled strength, highly recommended for any photography
collection!
Capture the Magic
Jack Dykinga
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781937538354, $39.95, www.rockynook.com
Capture the Magic: Train Your Eye, Improve Your Photographic Composition is for any aspiring
photographer who would learn by example, and offers the techniques of an internationally
renowned photographer who teaches the basics of producing great images. Examples of powerful
images appear alongside flawed ones, with chapters covering everything from equipment choices
and applications to handling negative space and illusion. Photographers receive keys to using
photos to communicate messages both artistic and personal, and will find this guide packed with
specifics on how to achieve the most from a camera.
Photograph Restoration and Enhancement Using Adobe Photoshop
Vickie Ellen Wolper
Mercury Learning
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9781936420391, $59.95, www.merclearning.com
Photograph Restoration and Enhancement Using Adobe Photoshop is for Photoshop users at all
levels and offers a host of detailed insights on photograph restoration and correction techniques.
Accompanied by a DVD with practice files and samples along with hands-on projects and keys to
customizing all versions of Adobe Photoshop, this offers a survey from reading an image for
Photoshop to working in layers, painting and restoring photos to repair tears, minor flaws,
lighting and much more. The project-oriented approach guides all users through the basics using
examples that cover Photoshop's basics, making this a fine pick for any newcomer to the
program's abilities.
75 Portraits
Hernan Rodriguez
Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
9781608955121, $29.95, www.amherstmedia.com
75 Portraits: Lighting and Posing Techniques for Portrait Photographers explores the entire
process of portrait photography and how to work with portrait lighting either in the studio or in
the field. From posing men, women, children or groups to adding backgrounds, clothing, and
props, this reveals all the basics, includes lighting diagrams for each image, and leaves nothing to
guess. Don't expect traditional approaches either: from edgy engagement portraits that are
anything but usual to working with male models, this is an exceptional collection of exceptional
approaches, and will add much to any aspiring photographer's collection.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
The Soft Tissue Release Handbook
Mary Sanderson and Jim Odell
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
9781583946695, $32.95, www.northatlantic.com
The Soft Tissue Release Handbook: Reducing Pain and Improving Performance is designed for
bodywork practitioners who use manual therapy and teaches how to use soft tissue release to
relieve chronic conditions and aid in recovery. Soft tissue release can be used for treating
repetitive strain injuries, can reduce the need for adjustments and other treatments, and can treat a
wide range of sports and physical ailments. This book comes from two authors who are leaders in
their field, and uses over 200 color photos of the technique to guide users. The result is an
outstanding survey recommended for any health and holistic collection.
Fireballs in my Eucharist
Joseph J. Pinzone, MD
Cureiocity Ltd.
c/o Lucid Public Relations
3867 Grandview Blvd, Second Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90066
www.lucidpublicrelations.com
9780982294307, $17.95, www.amazon.com
Fireballs in my Eucharist: Fight Cancer Smarter represents a doctor's revelation that patients are
misinformed when it comes to cancer and its treatment - and his book is designed to help patients
educate themselves about cancer, the medical system, and how to anticipate and understand the
mental and physical changes that cancer brings. Adding information on overall lifestyle changes
and adjustments that can help in the battle against cancer, this is a powerful survey highly
recommended for any collection strong in cancer revelations.
100 Acne Tips & Solutions
Eric S. Schweiger, MD, FAAD with Melissa Schweiger Kleinman
Healthy Skin Press
110 East 55th Street, New York, NY 10022
9780615889689, $9.99, www.clearclinic.com
100 Acne Tips & Solutions: The ClearClinic Guide to Perfect Skin comes from the founder of
Clear Clinic Acne Treatment Centers and provides a doctor's answers to treatment options and
skincare tips. From what causes acne to different treatments and dietary changes, this surveys
when to obtain professional help and peppers real-life case histories from acne sufferers with
discussions of common mistakes that can make skin issues worse. Any general-interest health
collection needs this specific survey of skin care.
The Psychology Shelf
A Guided Science
Jaan Valsiner
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
9781412851916, $34.95, www.transactionpub.com
A Guided Science: History of Psychology in the Mirror of Its Making considers the reasons for
the progress of ideas in psychology as a science and discusses how the discipline evolved from
theory to sociological and anthropological applications. Discussions consider the history of
psychology, its social connections, cultural blinders, and more, and advocates the development of
a global worldview. The cross-cultural historical approach makes for a powerful survey, highly
recommended for any college-level psychology or social sciences collection.
Mood
Patrick M. Burke
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616148348, $18.95, www.prometheusbooks.com
MOOD: THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING OURSELVES AND OTHERS provides a fine
survey to understanding the role mood plays on life and our ability to handle it, and comes from a
child psychiatrist with decades of clinical experience treating patients. Each disorder where mood
is central - depression, anxiety, and antisocial disorders - is considered in separate chapters that
consider mood, the effects of 'talking therapies', and medication often used to supplement
counseling. It includes the latest research on mood disorders and considers how illness can also
impact mood. The result is a fine survey highly recommended for any health collection and many
a general-interest holding.
Buried in Treasures, second edition
David F. Tolin, et.al.
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
9780199329250, $19.95, www.oup.com
Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding appears in its second
updated edition to provide professionals and individuals with keys to understanding hoarding
behavior and managing possessions. Hoarding is a common problem resulting in clutter,
difficulty discarding items, and excessive buying, and can even prove a health threat. This
updates the original book, providing a program for helping those with hoarding disorder. It's
written by a blend of scientists and health practitioners who study hoarding, and provides a series
of insights into the issue and how to overcome hoarding. The result is a fine recommendation and
a 'must' for self-help and psychology collections alike, as well as for many a general-interest
library.
A Practical Guide to Mental Health Problems in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Khalid Karim, et.al.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849053235, $29.95, www.jkp.com
A Practical Guide to Mental Health Problems in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
provides a fine overview of common mental health disorders associated with autism, and
explores the relationship between ASD and mental health problems. It covers a range of anxieties
and problems from eating disorders and depression, uses case studies to discuss symptoms and
treatments, and offers strategies to help. With its highlighted 'think points' and inclusion of the
latest mental health research, this is a top pick for any mental health practitioner.
Healing Moments in Psychotherapy
Daniel J. Siegel and Marion Solomon, Editors
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393707625, $40.00, www.wwnorton.com
Healing Moments in Psychotherapy uses examples combined with research data to consider how
therapeutic relationships work in psychotherapeutic healing, and is a pick for any therapist who
would understand the latest insights on neuroscience and therapy. Chapters provide unique
perspectives on healing and the therapist's role in helping clients, offering many case history
examples of dialogues and healing moments and supplementing these with discussions of
mind/body changes and more. The result is a powerful survey, highly recommended for
professionals.
Behind the Shock Machine
Gina Perry
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10013
9781595589217, $26.95, www.thenewpress.com
Behind the Shock Machine: The Untold Story of the Notorious Milgram Psychology
Experiments tells of Milgram's electric-shock experiments and their social and psychological
impact as they examined the capacity of ordinary people to commit acts of brutality, and is a
recommendation for social issues and psychology collections alike. Interviews with original
participants in the experiment blend with selections from Milgram's personal archive and
previously unpublished documents to reveal that Milgram's conclusions about his experiments
were anything but unbiased, neglecting to report on the disobedience recorded. The focus on how
confirmation bias operates and how Milgram's experiment was shaped by his own bias makes for
involving reading revealing much about the experiment process as a whole.
The Fiction Shelf
Electra
Kerry Greenwood
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
9781464202117, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com
Electra is the third and final book in Greenwood's Delphic Women series, and is set in Troy as
it's recovering from the Trojan War. Now, plenty of titles have been set in this period: but very
few approach the topic from a woman's viewpoint. The novel opens with Cassandra as King
Agamemnon's captive, Queen Clytemnestra's dalliance with a lover who may be skewing her
politics, and daughter Electra's own secrets. With so many mysteries intersecting, expect a
complex historical novel replete with political tensions and fine insights: a survey that brings to
life the early history of a region affected by the Trojan War and its aftermath.
Innocence
Dean Koontz
Bantam Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780553808032, $28.00, www.bantam.com
INNOCENCE is hard to categorize: part urban fantasy, supernatural fiction and romance, it will
draw readers from all genres as it tells of Addison, who lives hidden from a world that dreads his
appearance. He moves by night, travels through hidden passages under the city, and finds a haven
in the central library where he meets Gwyneth, who also lives in seclusion, fleeing enemies. As
the two draw closer together and find their lives intersect, they also uncover shared dangers and
strife - and the power that their combined forces could have to change both their worlds. Suffice
it to say that the story is unpredictable, ever-changing and riveting, and will draw readers from a
range of fiction and fantasy genres.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Hostage
Kay Hooper
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780425259375, $26.95, www.penguin.com
HOSTAGE provides a fine Bishop/Special Crimes Unit novel and is fourteenth in the popular
crime series revolving around a civilian psychic agency, Haven. Here operative Luthor is sent to
the Appalachians to locate an escaped felon: in the course of achieving his goal he's severely
wounded, prompting the dispatch of special agent Callie Davis to locate him. What she finds in
the process will endanger her own life in a gripping thriller that will keep Crime readers
guessing.
Scandal at Six
Ann Purser
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780425261767, $25.95, www.penguin.com
SCANDAL AT SIX provides a fine Lois Meade mystery and tells of her discovery that an
eccentric zookeeper and his nephew are involved in illegal trade. What began as an investigation
of a death at the zoo turns into a dangerous probe as Lois uncovers ever-deeper mysteries and
circumstances which move beyond a zookeeper's indiscretions and into the realm of dangerous
games. Any who have enjoyed the prior Lois Meade mysteries won't be disappointed by this
latest.
The Sports Shelf
Yoga for Runners
Christine Felstead
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450434171, $19.95, www.humankinetics.com
Yoga for Runners provides a proven program to use running and yoga in tandem to increase
strength and performance, and is a pick for any who would do both. Simple yoga techniques can
be blended into a running workout to eliminate chronic pains often associated with running, and
here each pose is explained in relation to addressing a runner's particular concern, from
strengthening hips to eliminating various bodily discomforts. The result is a powerful survey
highly recommended for any yoga practitioner or runner looking to blend the two's
advantages.
The Travel Shelf
Best in Travel 2014
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781743217283, $14.99, www.lonelyplanet.com
Best in Travel 2014: The Best Trends, Destinations, Journeys & Experiences for the Upcoming
Year presents a year's worth of travel ideas and charts experiences in numerous countries,
offering a gathering of the best places to go based upon the experiences of Lonely Planet staff
and authors. From rankings of the top ten destinations for 2014 to best travel experiences and
'why go in 2014?' notes about special events and opportunities, this is a fine leisure read for any
would-be traveler who wants a guide to what 2014 has to offer as far as travel.
Living Abroad in Brazil
Michael Sommers
Moon Handbooks
c/o Avalon Travel
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.roadtripusa.com
9781612363613, $19.99, www.moon.com
Living Abroad in Brazil is an excellent survey providing information on how to move to Brazil,
from vistas and finances to gaining employment and healthcare, and is a recommendation for any
who would travel to the country and make plans to move there. From best places to live and how
to understand the culture to planning a fact-finding trip, this packs in practical details with black
and white photos and covers all the basics needed to move to, live in, and travel throughout the
country. A 'must' for any who would make the move!
The Military Shelf
Fort William Henry 1755-57
Ian Castle
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
9781782002741, $21.95, www.ospreypublishing.com
Fort William Henry 1755-57 offers an in-depth analysis of one f the most famous episodes of the
French and Indian War, and is a recommendation for any who would study the strategies and
incidents of battle that resulted in a key event that would change history. This latest study uses
new research on the campaign, including new archaeological discoveries, to update the usual
perspectives of events, and provides color battle scene illustrations by Graham Turner
throughout. The result is a study highly recommended for any military history collection.
Act of War
Jack Cheevers
NAL
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.newamericanlibrary.com
9780451466198, $27.95, www.amazon.com
ACT OF WAR: LYNDON JOHNSON, NORTH KOREA, AND THE CAPTURE OF THE SPY
SHIP PUEBLO is all about false assumptions, surveillance, and a diplomatic snafu that almost
resulted in war against North Korea, and discusses the 1968 capture of a U.S. Navy spy ship by
Kim II Sung. It tells of the experiences of the eighty-two American crewmen who were
imprisoned and tortured for nearly a year, it discusses LBJ's efforts to keep all-out war from
erupting on the Korean peninsula while simultaneously struggling to keep the sailors from
execution, and it provides a powerful moment-by-moment account of gripping events in a read
recommended not just for military collections, but any with a general interest in the region's
history.
The Business Shelf
Two Birds in a Tree
Ram Nidumolu
Berrett Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609945770, $18.95, www.bkconnection.com
Two Birds in a Tree: Timeless Indian Wisdom for Business Leaders provides a fine guide linking
moral issues with business pursuits, and describes fundamental business-building and guiding
principles that allow leaders to give back to community while maintaining successful companies.
Images and stories both old and new focus on how business health is linked with the health of
humanity and the planet. This discussion delves into current areas of separation between the two
and returns business thinking to connections to human endeavor and meaning, making for a
positive perspective for any business leader.
Innovation
Kim Chandler McDonald
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100, Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749469665, $24.95, www.koganpage.com
INNOVATION: HOW INNOVATORS THINK, ACT AND CHANGE OUR WORLD
introduces global pioneers whose products have created changes that changed our world. It
focuses on business leaders, technologists, media makers and more and uses interviews with over
a hundred such innovators to pinpoint the common thought processes involved in these efforts
and why innovation is so important to society. These inspiring innovation stories are solid picks
for a range of disciplines, but it's the business reader who will find this a valuable, inspirational
read filled with real-world examples and energy.
Small Business, Big Change
Susan Chambers
Night Owls Press
9781937645038, $19.95, www.nightowlspress.com
Small Business, Big Change: A Microentrepreneur's Guide to Social Responsibility shows how
small business owners can implement socially responsible business practices, and uses the
author's own experience as a small entrepreneur along with those of over twenty other small
businesses around the world. How can a small business make a difference? Chapters explain this
process, considering how to change business pursuits into a socially responsible enterprise with
specific sustainability tactics. A 'must' for business and social issues readers alike.
The Star Factor
William Seidman and Richard Grbavac
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
97808144233201, $25.00, www.amacombooks.org
The Star Factor: Discover What Your Top Performers Do Differently and Inspire a New Level of
greatness in All is based on the new science of "positive deviance" - the study of people who
consistently outperform peers - and is recommended for any collection strong in business
motivation. Good managers will know how to identify and use such star performers in their own
business - but not necessarily how to create an atmosphere that encourages this level of
participation from the overall workforce. Chapters show 'how', teaching managers how to create
learning tasks and environments that translate star performance to not just one, but many
individuals. Any business collection appealing to managers will find this a fine pick.
Pivot
Remy Arteaga & Joanne Hyland
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118559710, $40.00, www.wiley.com
Pivot: How Top Entrepreneurs Adapt and Change Course to Find Ultimate Success is a pick for
any collection appealing to startup entrepreneurs, and considers the untested assumptions of
business plans which lead to their demise. Two startup gurus here go beyond typical advice on
lean startup strategies to present a new model for managing startups - based on testing and
adaptation. From obtaining proven strategies for generating new approaches and ideas to testing
assumptions and identifying uncertainties, this is a key game plan that also comes with a
companion website with a digital toolkit for implementing the strategies in this book. A 'must' for
any entrepreneur and business collections catering to them!
The Literary Studies Shelf
Loopholes: Reading Comically
John Bruns
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
9781412852517, $24.95, www.transactionpub.com
Loopholes: Reading Comically argues that comedy plays a key role in literature - and thus should
be taken more seriously as a device key to literary production. Much writing about comedy tends
to center around why and how it's inferior to tragedy: not so Loopholes, which presents the
perspective that comedy isn't just a literary or drama genre, but a unique method of probing the
world. Comedy adds a dimension of understanding that other genres do not: this book is packed
with insights on the process of reading and understanding comedy, and is recommended for high
school and college-level literary and drama collections alike.
How Literature Plays with the Brain
Paul B. Armstrong
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421410029, $49.95, www.press.jhu.edu
How Literature Plays with the Brain: The Neuroscience of Reading and Art argues that the
challenge in examining the literary experience as it reflects brain functions lies in accounting for
how different readers find different meanings in the same text or perceive different effects from
art. This is the first book to blend the latest neuroscientific research with an analysis of aesthetics
and literature, and offers connections between brain-body interactions and literary achievements.
Chapters consider the foundations of aesthetics, what happens when a literary work is read or an
art piece observed, and how literature's interpretation is linked to the brain's methods of
perceiving. The result is a powerful analysis recommended for literary, arts and science readers
alike.
Times and Tides of Tuberculosis
Thomas M. Daniel
Fithian Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel Publishers
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
9781564745446, $16.95, www.danielpublishing.com
Times and Tides of Tuberculosis: Perceptions Revealed in Literature, Keats to Sontag discusses
the lives and literary works of some fifteen writers who were affected by TB during the 19th and
20th centuries, and provides a literary focus of a dread disease. From how some of the authors
wrote from and of sanatorium life and based their writings on personal experiences to how they
handed the disease and the decades of recovery and cure, this reveals how illness touched literary
lives and produced varied perspectives and writings, and is a solid pick for both health and
literary collections alike.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Remnants of the Gods
Erich von Daniken
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601632838, $19.99, www.newpagebooks.com
REMNANTS OF THE GODS: A VISUAL TOUR OF ALIEN INFLUENCE IN EGYPT,
SPAIN, FRANCE, TURKEY, AND ITALY provides the third book in a series of five titles
about alien influence on prehistory, and offers proof of how continents were surveyed thousands
of years ago and hundreds of Stone Age holy places were located in precise juxtaposition to each
other. Where did the ancients learn complex architectural techniques? These and other examples
from across Europe are gathered and explained in a title that focuses on the techniques of
primitive Stone Age builders and how they gained advanced engineering knowledge. New age
collections seeing popularity in von Daniken's works will want this latest, more in-depth
survey.
AfterLife
Hank Hanegraaff
Worthy Publishing
134 Franklin Road, Suite 200, Brentwood, TN 37027
9781617950810, $21.99, www.worthypublishing.com
AfterLife: What You Need to Know About Heaven, The Hereafter & Near-Death Experiences is
recommended for spirituality and new age holdings alike, and offers a focus on basic afterlife
questions, from the issue of whether pets will be in heaven to the truth about ghosts and
reincarnation and reflection on what heaven will really be like. Pastors and other spiritual leaders
provide much of the reflection, while case histories and examples blend with Biblical analysis to
consider the many possibilities about the afterlife. An excellent choice for any spiritual
reader.
The Mysterious Origins of Hybrid Man
Susan B. Martinez, PhD
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591431763, $24.00, www.bearandcompanybooks.com
The Mysterious Origins of Hybrid Man: Crossbreeding and the Unexpected Family Tree of
Humanity blends anthropology, genetics, and indigenous spirituality to provide an original
alternative to Darwin's theory of evolution: one that maintains that humans didn't evolve, but are
the result of eons of cross-breeding amongst such diverse groups as hobbits, giants, Cro-Magnon
and Neanderthal species. In fact Martinez maintains that there were many "Gardens of Eden"
each with its own blend of races before the great Flood that changed all. From the evolution of
human mental powers to how the human soul evolved, this is a specific and involving analysis
from an anthropology doctor, and will delight any new age reader and collections catering to
them.
Birthing a New Civilization
Diana Cooper
Findhorn Press
Delft Cottage, Dykle Forres Iv36 2TF, Scotland, UK
www.findhornpress.com
9781844096336, $16.95, www.findhornpress.com
Birthing a New Civilization: Transition to the New Golden Age in 2032 is a recommendation for
any who are interested in the spiritual transformation of our planet and comes from a seer who
received an angel visitation that changed her life. Her predictions here foresees intense climate
change around the world and accompanying social and political change, and pairs these
predictions with observations that this is in fact a 'transition period' as humans move into the
fifth-dimensional frequency in 2032. New age spiritual readers will find this an outstanding
survey of changes that is precise in its identifications and revelations.
Goddesses
Joseph Campbell
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608681822, $24.95, www.amazon.com
GODDESSES; MYSTERIES OF THE FEMININE DEVINE comes, surprisingly, from an
acclaimed new age author who had never written a book on the Goddesses before his death in
1987. Yet, Campbell provided many insights on the topic through his workshops and lectures -
and these form the foundation for this book, gathering material which has not been published
since his lectures. Safron Rossi, PhD edits these archived works into one book, providing a fine
history of the feminine divine from old European mythology to the Middle Ages and beyond.
These lectures may be over three decades old, but they hold material important for any collection
strong in Joseph Campbell's mythology and will prove a key acquisition for any who have
appreciated his foundation works on mythological heroes.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Star Trek Federation: The First 150 Years
David A. Goodman
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
www.titanbooks.com
9781781169155, $29.95, www.titanbooks.com
Star Trek Federation: The First 150 Years is an illustrated volume chronicling the era leading up
to mankind's First Contact with Vulcan in 2063, the Romulan War of 2154, and more. This
celebrates the 150th anniversary of the founding of the United Federation of Planets, offering a
rich Star Trek collection packing in illustrations, field sketches, and reproductions of artworks
centered around the Star Trek theme, accompanying some fifty excerpts from key Federation
documents and writings. With its fine extrapolation of Trek scenarios, this is a 'must' for any avid
fan of the series.
Burning Paradise
Robert Charles Wilson
Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765332615, $25.99, www.tor-forge.com
BURNING PARADISE tells of teen Cassie, who lives in the U.S. in 2015: a world which has
been at peace since 1918, with no World War II, no Depression, and prosperity everywhere. This
alternate Earth seems idyllic - but in fact Cassie's parents were part of a group who discovered
that human progress has been made more peaceful by an alien entity. Humanity is being farmed
for unknown purposes. Cassie's parents were killed and so far Cassie has escaped alien attention:
but that's about to change... a powerful saga of survival and manipulation evolves in a read that is
filled with satisfying twists of plot.
1920: America's Great War
Robert Conroy
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781451639315, $25.00, www.baen.com
1920: America's Great War provides a fine alternate history setting in which Imperial Germany
dominates the world, having crushed England and France in a short war. In 1920 Kaiser Wilhelm
II is looking to take on a militarily-challenged U.S. only interested in avoiding conflict at all
costs. This alternate history centers around an invasion of California and Texas and the unwilling
engagement of America in a world arena already vastly changed by its reluctance to get involved.
Military and social insights make for a fast-paced, involving story that any reader of alternate
history will find captivating.
Star Trek The Fall: The Poisoned Chalice
James Swallow
Pocket Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 13th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.pocketbooks.com
9781476722221, $7.99, www.amazon.com
Star Trek The Fall: The Poisoned Chalice is recommended for science fiction fans of Star Trek
and tells of a terrorist attack that involves William Riker's return to Earth on emergency orders,
where he finds himself drawn into a deadly game of political danger. It's all about power, covert
operations, secrets, lies, and - ultimately - trust involving Riker and the crew of the U.S.S. Titan
in a search for truths. Star Trek fans will find this a captivating saga.
The Crafts Shelf
LEGO Space: Building the Future
Peter Reid, et.al.
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593275211, $24.95, www.nostarch.com
LEGO Space: Building the Future packs in models of starships, robots, aliens and more, and is a
pick for crafting and science fiction readers alike. From Sputnik to worlds of the future, this uses
LEGO construction to create fantasy settings: planets, spaceports, and more. Themes of first
contact and more compliment step-by-step building instructions that allow readers to realize their
own LEGO fantasies. The result is a lovely, colorful survey of the potential of LEGO
construction in science fiction settings, and is a pick for any who love science fiction AND
LEGO models.
Handmade Books for Everyday Adventures
Erin Zamrzla
Roost Books
Horticultural Hall
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
9781611800081, $26.95, www.roostbooks.com
Handmade Books for Everyday Adventures provides a lovely collection of ideas for handmade
books using some twenty simple projects designed to be used not at home or in a crafts studio,
but outdoors. Anything from a canvas-covered camping songbook to a beach waterproof book
serves as the subject, with lovely photos and step-by-step instructions accompanying traditional
Japanese bookbinding techniques and insights on bookmaking. Any interested in creating unique
and outdoors-oriented books will find this a winner!
Weaving Freeform Wire Jewelry
Kaska Firor
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871167033, $21.99, www.kalmbachbooks.com
Weaving Freeform Wire Jewelry provides a lovely step-by-step guide to making freeform wire
jewelry and covers everything from earrings and bracelets to pendants. What is taught here are
techniques involving working with five different wire weaves, with this instructional including
some 20 projects showing how these weaves can be used in a creative jewelry-making project.
Professional insights accompany project examples, a gallery of lovely color photos, and tips to
customizing freeform methods. The result is a lovely project guide highly recommended for any
jewelry maker interested in producing professional-looking results.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
The Cougar
Paula Wild
Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebec Street, Suite 201, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
9781771620024, $34.95, www.douglas-mcintyre.com
THE COUGAR: BEAUTIFUL, WILD, AND DANGEROUS blends natural history and science
with first-person accounts and presents a lovely read to any who would learn more about the
cougar. Black and white photos pepper a survey that holds a centerfold of color photos and
considers the cat's distribution, habits, population, and attacks on humans - nearly half of which
have happened since 1990. From urban encroachment to cougars in the wild, this is a fine
consideration that will appeal to science and general-interest natural history readers alike.
The Music Shelf
Art Music
Matthew DelNevo
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
9781412851619, www.transactionpub.com
Art Music: Love, Listening, and Soulfulness isn't just about music appreciation: college-level
readers will, instead, find it a reflection on how music generates aesthetic appreciation and
cultivates social bonds, arguing that real musical listening is key to social health and interaction.
Music teachers and nay involved in music philosophy will find this a solid connection between
music and culture, and will find chapters provide important insights key to social and
psychological use of music. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any
college-level music, social science or psychology collection.
Birth School Metallica Death: The Biography, Volume 1
Paul Brannigan and Ian Winwood
Da Capo Press
44 Farnsworth Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02210
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306821875, $27.99, www.dacapopress.com
Birth School Metallica Death: The Biography, Volume 1 details the life of the heavy metal band
Metallica from the childhood years of their frontmen James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich and the
success of their first albums to their ongoing popularity. Metallica formed in Los Angeles in
1981 from American punk rock but created a brand new sound while resisting the music
industry's pressures. This follows their evolution, community involvements, and stage and studio
experiences alike, providing a moment-by-moment survey of their music's evolution. It's first in a
projected two-volume biography following its rise, and is a solid and in-depth pick for any
Metallica enthusiast.
Inventing the American Guitar
Peter Szego
Hal Leonard Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781458405760, $50.00, www.halleonardbooks.com
Inventing the American Guitar is published in honor of C.F. Martin and Co.'s 180s anniversary
and is the first book to chronicle the early history of American guitar design. Essays by key
writers and music industry professionals compliment lovely color photos of nearly fifty notable
guitars, many newly discovered, and details how a European instrument was transformed by
American players and guitar-makers. The evolution of C.F. Martin Sr.'s company is celebrated in
chapters that include fold-out pages of schematic drawings of two early Martin guitars and fine
accounts of important guitars - all packaged in an oversized coffee table edition certain to please
any musician.
The World History Shelf
A Time in Arabia
Doreen Ingrams
Eland
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781906011802, $29.95, www.amazon.com
A TIME IN ARABIA: LIFE IN HADRAMAUT tells of the first Europeans ever to live in the
Hadhramaut, an isolated region in southern Arabia, and provides a travel diary describing their
adventures and life in the region. Blending history, travel and autobiography with strong cultural
observations, this is a fine and engrossing work peppered with black and white photos
throughout and documenting one woman's journey into another world, and is a pick for travel
and Middle East collections alike.
A Concise History of the Arabs
John McHugo
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10013
9781595589460, $26.95, www.thenewpress.com
A Concise History of the Arabs comes from a leading scholar and provides a fine account of the
Middle East and its involvement with world affairs. This will serve college-level readers and
many an adult with a fine introduction to any who want to understand the history of Arab nations,
and covers their key events from the early empire days to the Arab Spring. Political, social and
cultural surveys explore Arab psyche, interconnections, and perspectives in a fine account
recommended for any who want a beginning introduction to the region and its background.
Aboard Cabrillo's Galleon
Christine Echeverria Bender
University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0255
9780870045257, $16.95, www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
Aboard Cabrillo's Galleon provides a fine and lively history set in the 1540s when conquistador
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo received orders from Mexico to lead a fleet northward to explore the
land known as California. The mission was quote nearly a disaster as Cabrillo battled storms and
advanced up an unknown coastline; but the end result held many wonders and discoveries and
Cabrillo's choice of diplomacy over war helped crate friendship with many of the Natives he
encountered along the way. While Bender's Aboard Cabrillo's Galleon is actually a novel
fictionalizing aspects of the journey, its firm foundation in history and the author's personal
retracing of Cabrillo's route lends to a very fine coverage that is reviewed here for its appeal to
any history reader, as well as to the usual audience of fiction and historical fiction
enthusiasts.
The International Studies Shelf
Energy & Security, second edition
Jan H. Kalicki and David L. Goldwyn, Editors
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421411866, $35.00, www.press.jhu.edu
ENERGY & SECURITY: STRATEGIES FOR A WORLD IN TRANSITION is a pick for any
college-level international studies or social science collection and provides the second,
completely updated edition of a guide to foreign policy and energy management. Since the first
edition much has changed in world energy matters: new sources of energy, alternative energy
technologies, and global change led to new policies requiring new views on energy and security
issues. This discusses these new challenges and provides an excellent study for any interested in
issues of energy and national security policies.
Asian Security and the Rise of China
David Martin Jones, et.al.
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781781004616, $130.00, www.e-elgar.com
Asian Security and the Rise of China: International Relations in an Age of Volatility provides a
powerful survey of the region's economic and political interactions, assessing the region's
changes since the end of the Cold War and the dynamics between nations in Asia. From frictions
associated with change and the rise of powerful states to local economic conflicts and regional
alliances, this comes from contributors who assess key changes in relationships and new
strategies. College-level collections will find this a solid analysis.
America's Great Game
Hugh Wilford
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465019656, $29.99, www.basicbooks.com
America's Great Game: The CIA's Secret Arabists and the Shaping of the Modern Middle East
uses declassified government records and personal interviews to consider the CIA's early Middle
Eastern operations during the 1940s and 50s, and examines the history of US covert operations in
the area and their lasting impact in shaping the forces and face of the entire region. From secret
military programs and support systems to the three men who had the biggest hand in changing
the region (Kim Roosevelt, first head of the CIA action in the area, his cousin Archie Roosevelt,
a Mid-East scholar, and their friend Miles Copland, an expert in covert actions), this is a
powerful survey of the key players and scenarios of the region that led to today's picture.
African Voices of the Global Past
Trevor R. Getz
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813347875, $20.00, www.westviewpress.com
African Voices of the Global Past: 1500 to Present is a fine history documenting major
developments in Africa which hold global importance, and considers six such major
developments from the Atlantic slave trade to colonialism and decolonization. Chapters come
from a number of renowned African history scholars who use primary materials to consider the
Africans' experiences using their own words, making this a powerful survey recommended as a
basic history for any college-level collection strong in African studies.
The Judicial Studies Shelf
Chinese Intellectual Property and Technology Laws
Rohan Kariyawasam, Editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781849800082, $199.95, www.e-elgar.com
Chinese Intellectual Property and Technology Laws is a fine recommendation for college-level
collections strong in China's laws, and will appeal to legal holdings as well as any gathering of
works about China's culture and evolution. Studies in this book consider the changing role of
intellectual property and technology laws in the country, discussing the transition points
experienced in China's economy and considering the legal and political challenges it faces. Some
of China's leading academic experts contribute in-depth articles in this first review to appear in
English, making this a 'must' for any college-level international legal studies library.
The Accidental Law Librarian
Anthony Aycock
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874779, $39.50, www.infotoday.com
The Accidental Law Librarian is a pick for any law librarian who wants tips on how to handle
legal questions central to a law library's management, and surveys both collection management
and development and working with legal publishers to gain the most from a law library's
references. Chapters are intended for new law librarians and provide a resource for law students
and librarians who want the basics of conducting legal research and accessing free legal
information, and make for a fine reference any aspiring law librarian needs.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Saturday Night Live FAQ
Stephen Tropiano
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781557839510, $24.99, www.applausebooks.com
Saturday Night Live FAQ: Everything Left to Know About Television's Longest Running
Comedy provides the first book to consider the history of the show, episode by episode,
beginning with its creator and early shows and documenting its cutting-edge satire and its lasting
effects on the field of comedy as a whole. From hosts and guests along with profiles of over a
hundred SNL cast members, this offers an in-depth survey of skits, comedians, and more and
peppers black and white photos with history and reflections. The result is an outstanding survey
highly recommended for any SNL fan or follower of comedy television history and culture.
Directing the Camera
Gil Bettman
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781615931668, $26.95, www.mwp.com
Directing the Camera: How Professional Directors Use a Moving Camera to Energize Their
Films isn't your usual general filmmaker's guide, but a very specific key to producing successful
motion pictures through camera direction, and is a 'must' for any who would learn how to 'move'
the camera to create memorable scenes. Directors need to master this function to produce any
kind of memorable film and this book provides all the exact instructions demonstrating method,
linking specific scenes in online films to step-by-step camera direction methods used in the
making of the film. From how to break down an action sequence and learning when to move the
camera to supportive exercises and tasks for designing the best moving films, this is a powerful
'plus' for any director who would produce a superior camera result.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Chronicles: Art and Design
Weta/Daniel Falconer
HarperDesign
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
9780062265692, $39.99, www.harperdesignbooks.com
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Chronicles: Art and Design explores the second film in
the Hobbit trilogy and explores not only the theme of the story, but the design and development
of the movie as a whole. Over 1,000 images of conceptual art and photography pack commentary
and insights from the film's cast and crew, while a special fold-out replica of the portrait of the
Master of Lake-town holds added appeal to Hobbit fans. This is the third book in The Hobbit:
Chronicles series and is a 'must' for any film, art and design collection!
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net
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