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Reviewer's Choice
Caregiving Full-Time and Working Full-Time
Dr. Keith Washington
Westbow Press
c/o Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.caregivingfulltimeworkingfulltime.com
9781490856636 $13.95 www.westbowpress.com
Also available as an ebook, Caregiving Full-Time and Working Full-Time: Managing Dual Roles
and Responsibilities distills academic research and studies focusing upon individuals who hold
down jobs while caring for loved ones with a disease. Author Dr. Keith Washington can also
speak from personal experience, as he has cared for his parents since his father was diagnosed
with Alzheimer's in 2005, and in the process had to sacrifice some professional goals for the sake
of his family responsibilities. Washington realized that the cost of caregiving goes well beyond
medical bills - working caregivers often lose wages, health insurance, retirement savings,
promotions (especially if the promotion would demand more time out of their schedule) and
other career benefits. Caregiving Full-Time and Working Full-Time is primarily a scholarly work
of analysis and suggestions for further research, and not necessarily a how-to guide for
individuals in the precarious position of caring for adult loved ones while holding down a
full-time job (though such individuals will receive a wealth of confirmation that they are not
alone in their burdens). Invaluable and enlightening, Caregiving Full-Time and Working
Full-Time is especially recommended for policy makers, social scientists, and college library
collections.
Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Eye-Popping Oddities
Ripley's Believe It Or Not!
Ripley Publishing
7576 Kingspointe Parkway, Suite 188, Orlando, FL 32819
http://www.ripleys.com/publishing
9781609911362, $28.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com
The annual 2016 edition of "Ripley's Believe It or Not!'s Eye-Popping Oddities is packed full of
incredible photographs, unbelievable stories, and amazing facts, strange traditions, and weird
collections, along and with thousands of crazy new oddities. "Ripley's Believe It Or Not!
Eye-Popping Oddities" is sure to entertain children and adults alike. Superbly and profusely
illustrated throughout and very highly recommended for personal, community, and school library
collections, "Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Eye-Popping Oddities" is perfect for browsing through
again and again and again.
Confessions of a Military Wife
Mollie Gross
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781932714760 $25.00 hc / $18.95 pbk / $9.59 Kindle
Confessions of a Military Wife is the candid wisdom and life experience of author and military
wife Mollie Gross. Drawing upon her own experience as well as those of her friends who are also
spouses to servicepeople, Gross tells about keeping up one's spirit during long deployments; the
difficulties of communication in marriage when limited to email and rare phone calls; dealing
with stress; the importance of maintaining one's health and hygiene routines; and much more.
Often tongue-in-cheek and peppered with eyebrow-raising anecdotes, Confessions of a Military
Wife is a "must-read" for anyone dating, married to, or considering a relationship with a
serviceman!
Journeys: Healing Through Nature's Wisdom
Karen Roberts & Dana Simpson
Tim Hauf Photography
PO Box 1241, Kingston, WA 98346
www.healingthroughnatureswisdom.com
9780978821975, $40.00, 144pp, www.amazon.com
In "Journeys: Healing Through Nature's Wisdom" the superb full color photography of Tim Hauf
combines with the informative commentary of Karen Roberts (diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis
some 25 years ago) and Dana Simpson to effective teach that thoughtful engagement with nature
nourishes and deepens our identity, even in the face of long term afflictions. Inspiring in both
word and image, "Journeys: Healing Through Nature's Wisdom" is a simply beautiful book with
an enduring message that will be read with appreciation by generation after generation of readers.
Very highly recommended, "Journeys: Healing Through Nature's Wisdom" would make an
extraordinary and appropriate Memorial Fund acquisition by community and academic
libraries.
Uncle John's Lists That Make You Go Hmmm...
The Bathroom Reader's Institute
c/o Baker & Taylor Publishing Group
10350 Barnes Canyon Road, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92121
9781626863615 $15.95 http://bathroomreader.com
Uncle John's Lists That Make You Go Hmmm... is a compendium of weird, wild, wonky, and
wondrous facts compiled fascinate casual browsers. The format is quite accessible to being
skimmed in short bursts (reading in the bathroom is not required, but works very well). No
matter how diverse and knowledgeable the reader is, there will true-life surprises aplenty in
store! For example, "Friedrich Nietzsche was a respected German philosopher, social critic, and
great quotation generator... But in the years since his death in 1900, Nietzsche's critics have
accused him of anti-Semitism. He wasn't, but his sister Elizabeth was. That's why she altered her
brother's manuscripts after his death to make his writings appear anti-Semitic." Uncle John's
Lists That Make You Go Hmmm... makes an excellent gift - or a thoughtful enhancement to the
guest bathroom!
100 Skills You'll Need for the End of the World (As We Know It)
Ana Maria Spagna
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781612124568, $14.95, www.storey.com
100 Skills You'll Need for the End of the World (As We Know It) is a survivor's guide to all
kinds of situations, whether they be shipwrecks, economic ruin, or anything else, and covers
everything from foraging techniques to hiding, harnessing horses or mules, grafting plants, home
brewing and hoarding, and more. Each skill is treated to a fine color drawing by Brian Cronin
and a quick treatment that entertains and instructs. Leisure readers and survivalists alike will find
it easy, inviting, and filled with a wider range of concerns than most survivalist books (what
competitor would include 'daydreaming' in the mix, for example?).
Desk Notes From Frank to Make Humans Smile
Frank, LLC
Quarto Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
9781631061257, $12.99, www.qbookshop.com
Desk Notes From Frank to Make Humans Smile provides a stationary set pairing fun images and
snarky quotes by the From Frank dog posse, from bulldog Frank, the group's leader, to grump
Lab Walter, chubby English bulldog Big Louie, and tabby cat Izzy, known for being sexy and
sassy. These fun quotes pack some 250 sheets of advice in a production that toes the line between
stationary set and advice book.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Thinking On The Page
Gwen Hyman & Martha Schulman
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.fwmedia.com/catalog
9781599638690, $19.99, 328pp, www.amazon.com
Martha Schulman has been teaching writing, including developmental writing and English as a
Second Language, for over a decade. She has served as a consultant to faculty on writing
pedagogy at The Cooper Union. She has also taught writing to American-bound college students
in China. Her fiction, essays, and reviews have been widely published. Gwen Hyman is the
Director of the Center for Writing at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
in New York City. She is the author of Making a Man: Gentlemanly Appetites in the
Nineteenth-Century British Novel (Ohio) and co-author, with Andrew Carmellini, of Urban
Italian (Bloomsbury) and American Flavor (Ecco). In a superbly crafted collaboration, Schulman
and Hyman draw upon their many years of experience and expertise to create "Thinking On The
Page: A College Student's Guide to Effective Writing", a 328 page instructional guide that is
deftly organized into twelve chapters: Reading; Writing; Doing Analysis; What is an Essay?;
Asking Questions, Generating Ideas; Idea Threads; Discovery Drafts; Working with Your
Discover Draft; Claim Drafts; Assessing and Working with Your Claim Draft; Research; Final
Drafts. Itself exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'user friendly' throughout, "Thinking On
The Page: A College Student's Guide to Effective Writing" is very highly recommended as a
reference for college and university students, and would well serve the needs of non-academic
aspiring writers seeking to hone and improve the quality of their writing. Highly recommended
for community and academic library Writing/Publishing reference collections, it should be noted
that "Thinking On The Page" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.49).
Will Write for Food, third edition
Dianne Jacob
Da Capo Press / Lifelong Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
9780738218052 $16.99 www.perseusbooksgroup.com
Now in an updated third edition, including a new chapter dedicated to making a steady income
from food writing and more information about self-publishing/cookbook production, Will Write
for Food is a guide especially for culinary writers. Chapters are filled with advice for crafting a
standout blog with gorgeous photography, tips for successful freelance work or reviewing, and
words of wisdom from award-winning writers, editors and agents. Practical, accessible, and
insightful, Will Write for Food is an absolute "must-have" for anyone interested in making either
side income or a solid living from culinary writing!
How to Sell Books by the Truckload on Amazon
Penny C. Sansevieri
Author Marketing Experts
PO Box 421156, San Diego, CA 92142
9781508563365 $6.99 pbk / $2.99 Kindle www.amazon.com
How to Sell Books by the Truckload on Amazon is a book marketing guide specifically tailored
to improving one's sales on Amazon, the sales goliath of industry. Author Penny C. Sansevieri
discusses skillful timing of pre-order campaigns; how to earn a high rank in Amazon's search
engines with the proper use of keywords and descriptions; how to use Kindle Unlimited to one's
advantage; identifying the categories that will net greater sales; the advantages of selling book
bundles (especially with regard to ebooks), how to attract customer reviews, and much more.
How to Sell Books by the Truckload on Amazon is reader-friendly and absolutely invaluable for
any author who is not already independently wealthy! "Shorter books rock. I've said before that
short is the new long, but that applies even more with your avid reader group. They love the
quick read, they read a lot, and shorter books tend to do much better on KU [Kindle Unlimited].
Also, one of the terms of KU is that you don't get paid until the reader reads 10 percent of your
book. For this reason alone it makes a ton of sense to do shorter fiction books."
The Accidental Indexer
Nan Badgett
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573875141, $39.50, www.infotoday.com
The Accidental Indexer offers an authoritative guide to the indexing profession, reviewing the
field, its specialties, and how to begin and run a freelance indexing business. Would-be indexers
as well as professionals who want strategies for handling deadlines, keeping a work-life balance,
and creating new work for indexing will find this filled with information specific to the indexing
industry. Checklists, forms, and training and professional development complete the information
in a reference recommended for librarians, professionals and would-be career seekers in
indexing.
59 Reasons to Write
Kate Messner
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781625310033, $23.00, www.stenhouse.com
59 Reasons to Write: Mini-Lessons, Prompts, and Inspiration for Teachers shows teachers and
librarians who teach writing how to become a writer, and covers the basics of a process that
encourages teachers to become part of the writing community, thereby teaching by example. The
book grew out of an online summer writing camp, Teachers Write, and provides a series of daily
lessons, inspirations, admonitions and assignments designed to get teachers in the writing mode.
The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any teacher who wants motivation to
move forward in their own work.
The Cookbook Shelf
Better Homes and Gardens Make-Ahead Meals
Better Homes and Gardens
c/o Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhpub.com
9780544456167, $19.99, www.amazon.com
Better Homes and Gardens Make-Ahead Meals is a must-have recipe collection for anyone
looking to get homemade dishes on the table with ease. Filled with over 150 recipes and 100
gorgeous photos, plus tips and tricks for quick food prep and complete meals, this book makes
planning dinner a breeze. Make-ahead cooking isn't about stocking the freezer with pre-made
meals that don't keep well. "Better Homes and Gardens Make-Ahead Meals: 150+ Recipes to
Enjoy Every Day of the Week" shows kitchen cooks how to plan and prep prior to serving,
through techniques like freezing carefully to preserve freshness, creating refrigerator casseroles,
or using a slow cooker in the morning for dinner that night. Make-ahead cooking also saves
money. For time-strapped families, these strategies can be the difference between a home-cooked
meal and spending money on packaged meals or ordering in. Profusely and beautifully illustrated
in full color throughout, "Better Homes and Gardens Make-Ahead Meals: 150+ Recipes to Enjoy
Every Day of the Week" is a 300 page culinary compendium whose delicious and nutrition and
thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly recipes range from Cheeseburger Pizza; Spinach Salad with
pears and Blue Cheese; Creamy Masala Chicken; and Vegetarian Chili; to Pot Roast Paprikash;
Squash Enchilada Casserole; Turkey Meatballs in Pesto Pasta Pie; and White-Chocolate
Cheesecake with Triple-Raspberry Sauce. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to
personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Better
Homes and Gardens Make-Ahead Meals: 150+ Recipes to Enjoy Every Day of the Week" is also
available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
The Healthy Family Slow Cooker Cookbook
Christina Dymock, author
Front Table Books
c/o Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 W. 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
9781462116256, $19.99, www.cedarfort.com
"The Healthy Family Slow Cooker Cookbook" is a treasure trove of inviting, nutritious full- meal
recipes for busy, thrifty families. Over 70 photo-illustrated recipes are divided into six
color-coded categories: Poultry, Pork, Beef, Soup & Salad, Sides, and Sweet Endings. Recipes
are compact, easily read with simple directions, and feature readily available healthy food
choices. Each recipe title is followed by the number of servings and the estimated total hours of
cooking time. Recipe format is particularly user friendly; "The Healthy Family Slow Cooker
Cookbook" could be easily adapted for use by supervised young adults. Some examples of tasty
entrees and suggestions are: Pepper and Lime Pork Tacos, Chicken and Artichoke Fettuccini,
Prime Roast, Shrimp Salad with Rice, Butternut Squash Chili, Salmon Rolls, Beans and Rice,
Slow Cooker Artisan Bread, and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze. The introduction
features information of the health benefits of slow cooking, basic slow cooker care, and this
reader's favorite section, making a low cooker friend. Stunning color photographs of finished
recipes accompany each page, inspiring mouth-watering attention to recipe contents. "The
Healthy Family Slow Cooker Cookbook" is a basic classic that belongs on every cookbook shelf.
Another traditional family -friendly title from Cedar Fort that is also very highly recommended is
"Backyard Dutch Oven Cooking (9781462114207, $12.99)," by Bruce Tracy, published out of
the Cedar Fort imprint, Hobble Creek Press.
Cook's Country Eats Local
Editors of America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen
17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445
www.americastestkitchen.com
9781936493999, $26.95, www.amazon.com
All the recipes comprising "Cook's Country Eats Local" have been tested, written, and edited by
the test cooks, editors, food scientists, tasters, and cookware specialists at America's Test
Kitchen, a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside Boston, Massachusetts. This 320 page
culinary treasure showcases some 159 regional recipes that range from Cranberry Up-Side Down
Cake; Sweet Potato Biscuits; Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches; and Kalua Pork; to
Tex-Mex Rice; Waldorf Salad; Fried Green Tomatoes; Kansas City Sticky Ribs; and Harvey
House Chocolate Puffs. Profusely and beautifully illustrated, thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly',
and as much fun to browse through as it is inspiring to plan menus with, "Cook's Country Eats
Local" is very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook
collections. It should be noted that "Cook's Country Eats Local" is also available in a Kindle
edition ($26.95).
The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook
Fania Lewando, author
Eve Jochnowitz, translator
Schocken
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.schocken.com
9780805243277, $30.00, 272 pp, www.amazon.com
Translated from the Yiddish, annotated and adapted for the modern kitchen by Eve Jochnowitz,
"The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook: Garden-Fresh Recipes Rediscovered and Adapted for Today's
Kitchen" showcases authentic Yiddish cuisine originally compiled and presented by Fania
Lewando -- a pioneering thinker and cook who was a passionate educator and devoted her life to
promoting health and vitality. Enhanced with the inclusion of beautifully painted vegetables, the
individual recipes are deftly organized into sections featuring Salads; Soups; Cutlets; Stewed
Dishes; Miscellaneous Dishes; Blintzes (Stuffed Crepes); Omelets; Porridges; Frittatas; Kugels
with Cholents; Puddings; Latkes; Passover Foods; Substantial Puddings; Sauces and Creams;
Stuffed Foods; Baked Goods; Jams and Preserves; Turnovers; Compotes and Desserts; Glazes
and Garnishes for Cakes; Coffee, Buttermilk, and Yogurt; Marinated Foods; Ices; Wine, Mead,
and Liqueur; Vitamin Drinks and Juices. "The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook" is further enhanced
for contemporary kitchen cooks with the inclusion of three commentaries (A Lot Treasure from
Jewish Vilna by Efraim Sicher; To the Housewife - A Few Words and Practice Advice by Fania
Lewando; Vegetarianism as a Jewish Movement by Ben-Zion Kit); and concluding with
'Excerpts from the Guest Book in Fania Lewando's Vegetarian-Dietetic Restaurant; Biographical
Sketches from the Guest Book; and a comprehensive Index. "The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook" is
an extraordinary culinary compendium and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to
personal, professional, community, and academic library cookbook collections. It should be
noted that "The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.79).
The Lebanese Cookbook
Hussien Dekmak
Kyle Books
www.kylebooks.com
c/o National Book Network
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781909487239, $19.95, www.amazon.com
From Adas Bil Hamed (Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard and Lemon); Muhamara (Ground Nuts
with Chile); Smbousak Lahma (Meat Pasties); and Frikkeh Bil Lahma (Roasted Green Wheat
with Lamb); Snieh Batata wa Lahma Bil Ka'ak (Baked Potato with Meat and Bread Crumbs);
Samak Makli (Crispy Fried Fish); to Farrouge Meshwi (Barbecued Hens); and Kabis Lift
(Pickled Turnip), ""The Lebanese Cookbook: Delicious and Authentic Recipes from a Top
Lebanese Chef" is a beautifully and profusely illustrated, 160 page culinary compendium
showcasing more than one hundred recipes for ethnically authentic Lebanese dishes. Thoroughly
'kitchen cook friendly' throughout, "The Lebanese Cookbook: Delicious and Authentic Recipes
from a Top Lebanese Chef" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family,
professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Teff Love
Kittee Berns
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
www.BookPubCo.com
9781570673115, $19.95, www.amazon.com
Authentic Ethiopian cuisine is founded upon tantalizing seasonings and savory ingredients for
unique dishes that will satisfy any appetite and please any palate. In "Teff Love: Adventures in
Vegan Ethiopian Cooking", Ethiopian culinary expert Kittee Berns introduces the holy trinity of
Ethiopian cooking: a berbere spice blend, injera (the fermented sourdough staple), and ye qimem
zeyet, a veganized clarified butter. Armed with these basics even the most novice of kitchen
cooks can impress family and friends with many of the popular dishes found on veggie combo
platters in Ethiopian restaurants all over North America. From saucy wots, spicy stews, and
succulent stir-fries to traditional injera-based dishes and fusion foods that blend these unique
seasonings into a range of family favorites, fans of this cuisine will be thrilled. Recipes are
almost entirely gluten- and soy-free, or can be made so with easy adaptions. "Teff Love" also
included tips on tools and equipment to time-saving techniques and menu suggestions. With
many of the dishes nicely illustrated with full color photography, the recipes range from
Ye'beqolo genfo (Creamy, Cheesy Corn Grits with a Spicy Seasoned-Oil Drizzle; to Ye'misser
Alicha (Tender Red Lentils in a Mild Garlic-Ginger Sauce); to Butecha (A Tangy, Creamy Salad
of Chickpea Tofu with Jalapeno Chile and Onion); to Shai Be' Qimem (Black Tea Steeped with
Fresh Ginger, Spices, and Orange Rind). Also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99), and certain
to be an enduring favorite, "Teff Love: Adventures in Vegan Ethiopian Cooking" is very highly
recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library Vegan Cookbook
collections.
Chefs of the Coast
John E. Batchelor
John F. Blair, Publisher
1406 Plaza Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
www.blairpub.com
9780895876393, $19.95, 338pp, www.amazon.com
In "Chefs of the Coast", restaurant reviewer and food critic John Batchelor profiles 50
well-established and up-and-coming chefs from the region. Drawing from personal interviews,
Batchelor reveals each chef s cooking philosophy, influences, and personality. Each profile also
includes: A description of the restaurant, its ambience, and sample menu items; Color
photographs of the chef, restaurant, and food; Recipes from each chef. Sidebars throughout the
book offer information about farms (mostly organic) that sell vegetables and meats to the public
as well as to restaurants, unique producers from the region, and stories of a number of people
who gave up successful careers in order to return to the land. Exceptionally well illustrated,
organized and presented, "Chefs of the Coast" is an inherently interesting read for amateur
kitchen cooks and accomplished gourmands alike. The palate pleasing, appetite satisfying,
do-it-yourself at home dishes range from Scallops Casino (Red Sky Cafe); to Lobster Bisque
(Stripers Bar & Grille); to Shrimp and Grits (Clawson's Restaurant); to Bacon Pops (Taste the
Olive Cafe & Wine Bar); to Conch Chowder (The Rudy Duck Tavern). As much fun to browse
through as it is inspiring to plan menus with, "Chefs of the Coast" is very highly recommended
for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.
The Cheese Lover's Cookbook
Emily Chambers & Whitney Lindlsey
Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
9781462115907, $16.99, www.cedarfort.com
From Greek Feta Salad and Au Gratin Potatoes to a Ham and Cheese Breakfast strata, The
Cheese Lover's Cookbook comes packed with dishes that are loaded with flavor and different
kinds of cheeses, and provide everything from breakfast fare and main course dishes to desserts.
It's a collection that holds bright full-page color photos on each facing page and which features
recipes that are easy to put together. The result is a collection packed with flavorful ideas that are
surprisingly simple to put together, yet loaded with flavor.
Wild Gourmet
Boulud, Chiarello, Leysath, Shaw, et.al.
Boone and Crockett Club
250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801
9780940864931, $34.95, www.booneandcrockettclub.com
Wild Gourmet: Naturally Healthy Game, Fish and Fowl Recipes for Everyday Chefs teaches new
ways of preparing wild game: easy recipes that produce guaranteed results along with tips for
processing venison to achieve maximum flavor. All that's required is access to fresh game. Wild
Gourmet gathers top chef's recipes and covers a range of wild meats and flavors. It provides
step-by-step recipes for fish, wild boar and deer, quail, and more, and it doesn't assume cooks are
familiar with cooking with wild game or using wild meats in dishes. Hunters, sportsmen, and
home cooks will find this an accessible introduction packed with fresh flavors and new
preparation ideas perfect for making the most of fresh-caught wild game.
The Outdoor Table
April McKinney
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.thomasnelson.com
9780718022198, $26.99, www.thomasnelson.com
The Outdoor Table: The Ultimate Cookbook for Your Next Backyard BBQ, Front-Porch Meal,
Tailgate, or Picnic packs in nearly two hundred recipes under one cover for foods that travel well
and lend to gatherings, and is perfect for summertime enjoyment. The outdoor table provides all
the keys to creating portable dishes for picnics, country gatherings, and more, and provides
inspiration perfect for any who would enjoy sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit drinks, and more. The
emphasis on portability means that prepared dishes won't all apart when transported and will
remain fresh, not soggy or tired, when presented for lunch, dinner or snacks.
The Broad Fork
Hugh Acheson
Clarkson Potter Publishers
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780385345028, $35.00, www.clarksonpotter.com
The Broad Fork: Recipes for the Wide World of Vegetables and Fruits provides recipes based on
more than fifty farmers' market vegetables - some two hundred in all - and includes many
lesser-known vegetables alongside familiar fare. Another plus to this cookbook is that dishes
aren't just sides, but include pickles, purees and sauces, and more. An arrangement by season and
vegetable type (i.e. 'Bok Choy, Tatsoi, Chard & Other Tasty Winter Greens') makes it easy to
locate specific kinds of vegetable dishes, while recipes such as Salsify and Oyster Stew with
Toast, Roasted Beet Soup with Hard-Boiled Egg and Celery Cream, and Lobster with Peas and
Seared Fingerling Potatoes offer a satisfying range of appealing dishes. The result is a collection
strong in under-utilized vegetables, offering new ways to look at old favorites and insights on
how to make the most of vegetables that are lesser-known.
The Yilna Vegetarian Cookbook
Fania Lewando
Schocken Books
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.schocken.com
9780805243277, $30.00, www.schocken.com
The Yilna Vegetarian Cookbook: Garden-Fresh Recipes Rediscovered and Adapted for Today's
Kitchen is translated by Eve Jochnowitz from the Yiddish, presenting a collection of four
hundred recipes from traditional Jewish dishes to vegetarian versions of holiday dishes. Lewando
owned a popular vegetarian restaurant in Lithuania and while she died during World War II, in
1995 a couple attending an antiquarian book fair in England came upon her cookbook where it
was donated to the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, translated, and here appears for new
audiences. Paired with lovely color illustrations throughout, this represents both a vegetarian
culinary treasure and a fine addition to Jewish history collections.
The Beer/Wine Shelf
Modern Homebrew Recipes
Gordon Strong
Brewers Publications
P.O. Box 1679, Boulder, CO 80306
9781938469145, $19.95, www.brewersassociation.org
Modern Homebrew Recipes: Exploring Styles and Contemporary Techniques provides fine
advice for different kinds of homebrewed craft beers, and comes from a seasoned beer judge and
author who surveys brewing styles, mashing and hopping techniques, and basic recipes and how
to customize them for the desired effects. Over one hundred recipes accompany discussions of
different techniques, brewing options, equipment and software, and more, moving beyond most
recipe-oriented collections to consider how different flavors are achieved from different
ingredients and approaches to home brewing. The result is a top recommendation for any home
brewer.
The American History Shelf
Saloons, Prostitutes, and Temperance in Alaska Territory
Catherine Holder Spude
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806146607 $24.95 www.oupress.com
Saloons, Prostitutes, and Temperance in Alaska Territory is a studious local history of vice
economy (prostitution, gambling, and saloons) in the city of Skagway, Alaska, from the gold rush
of 1897 to the enactment of Prohibition in 1918. Particular focus is placed upon the interplay of
money and politics, and how the dynamics of power shifted. Change began when a citizen's
committee ejected card sharks and con men from Skagway in 1898, and culminated when
middle-class businessmen sided with their wives, banning gambling, prostitution, and saloons. A
close study at what these dens of iniquity were really like, and why and how the city's people
acted to shut them down, Saloons, Prostitutes, and Temperance in Alaska Territory is fascinating
and informative from cover to cover.
Sensing Chicago
Adam Mack
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6975
9780252039188 $85.00 hc
9780252080753 $25.00 pbk www.press.uillinois.edu
Sensing Chicago: Noisemakers, Strikebreakers, and Muckrakers is a unique history of the Windy
City that emphases its experience to all five of the human senses. Chicago of a hundred years ago
looked, sounded, and smelled very different from Chicago of today - streetside hawkers were
more common, as was horse manure in the streets; stockyard slaughterhouses left and
overwhelming stench in the air; and the river was horrendously polluted. Sensing Chicago
closely examines five specific, historical aspects of the city: the Chicago River, the Great Fire,
the 1894 Pullman Strike, the publication of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" (which notoriously
exposed some of the most stomach-turning aspects of the meat industry), and the rise of the
White City amusement park as well as its fall due to the Great Depression. Enhanced with a
thorough bibliography and index, Sensing Chicago is expertly researched yet accessible to
readers of all backgrounds, and a welcome addition to public and college library urban history
shelves.
Showdown in the Big Quiet
John P. Bieter, Jr.
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780906729032, $39.95, www.ttupress.org
Showdown in the Big Quiet: Land, Myth, and Government in the American West covers the
history and controversy surrounding Owyhee County, Idaho, known as the 'Big Quiet', the
largest, least inhabited area in the lower 48 states. Surprisingly its very isolation has led to
conflicts - including violent mine wars in the mid-19th century - over its use, pitting American
against government and challenging historical interpretations of the West. College-level readers
of American environmental history will find this a powerful survey of how settlers and
corporations acquired land and pushed out Native Americans, revealing the myths and facts of
the Big Quiet in particular and placing it in historical perspective with the rest of the West. The
result is an analysis of power struggles and expansion and uses a single remote region to illustrate
land battles and more.
The World History Shelf
Puerto Rico: An Interpretive History from Pre-Columbian Times to 1900
Olga Jimenez de Wagenheim
Markus Wiener Publishers
231 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
9781558761223 $26.95 www.markuswiener.com
Puerto Rico: An Interpretive History from Pre-Columbian Times to 1900 is a new history of
Puerto Rico that seeks to break away from the prejudices ingrained in older documents, and
provide a more balanced approach. Many of the older documents and books about Puerto Rico
were written by those who colonized it, and therefore reflect a strong bias. For example, Puerto
Rico: An Interpretive History from Pre-Columbian Times to 1900 challenges the notion that the
Tainos (native inhabitants) simply capitulated to the colonizing Spaniards, presenting evidence
that they fought back against the colonizers for more than sixty years after the battle of Yaguecas.
The role of Africans in Puerto Rico, both slaves and free persons, is also discussed. Nuanced,
multicultural, and methodical, Puerto Rico: An Interpretive History from Pre-Columbian Times
to 1900 is a welcome contribution to public and college library collections.
Samurai and Ninja
Antony Cummins
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9784805313343 $15.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com
Historian Antony Cummins presents Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese
Warrior Myth that Shatters the Bushido Mystique isn't about the romantic fantasies and myths
that have evolved about these warriors, spies, and saboteurs of feudal Japan. Samurai and Ninja
scrutinizes the hard reality of these medieval forces, drawing from historical research. In
medieval Japan, warfare was brutal and warriors were trained to be merciless; Samurai and Ninja
examines the social context of the era, the systems of loyalty that bound these trained warriors,
and the horrifying cruelty of military conflict. "Tokugawa Ieyasu was known for his use of
shinobi against his own forces. This was to understand the nature of the minds of his 'allies'.
Samurai warfare was a shifting political arena. Notions of loyalty at high levels are not adhered
to when great amounts of power and gold are in play. Therefore, lords would have shinobi
infiltrate their own army or allied forces; especially if an army was a coalition of the clans. This
way he could identify if betrayal was in the air or not." Highly recommended for anyone eager to
learn the whole truth (good, bad, and ugly) about these fascinating historical figures.
History Riddles
Leon Conrad
Liberalis Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
9781782792949 $19.95 www.johnhuntpublishing.com
Also available on Kindle, History Riddles: A Treasure Trove Book in an unusual educational tool
offering 30 cultural riddles that feature popular historical stories and legends. The riddles are
ordered by increasing word count and complexity, and enriched with detailed recommendations
to explore further and learn more. History's Riddles is a wonderful resource for testing one's wits,
or enriching education for all ages.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Chelation and Other Vital Detox Methods to Save Your Life
Edward C. Kondrot, MD
Advantage Media Group
65 Gadsden Street, Charleston, SC 29401
http://advantagefamily.com
9781599325712, $24.95, www.amazon.com
Chelation therapy is a medical procedure that involves the administration of chelating agents to
remove heavy metals from the body. Chelation therapy has a long history of use in clinical
toxicology and remains in use for some very specific medical treatments, although it is
administered under very careful medical supervision due to various inherent risks. "Chelation and
Other Vital Detox Methods to Save Your Life" is a 237 page compilation of interviews
conducted by Doctor Edward C. Kondrot with sixteen of his medical peers on the subject of
chelation therapy. A very nice touch is the inclusion of a black-and-white photograph of the
interviewee along with his or her medical credentials and contact information. Unique, informed
and informative, "Chelation and Other Vital Detox Methods to Save Your Life" is very highly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Health & Medicine
reference collections in general, and Chelation Therapy supplemental studies lists in
particular.
Urgent Interventional Therapies
Nicholas Kopshidze, et.al. Editors
Wiley Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780470672020, $235.00, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
Urgent Interventional Therapies focuses on urgent procedures performed in critical cases of
cardiovascular disease, and differentiates between urgent interventions and those designed to
treat and manage chronic conditions. It narrows the focus to cardiovascular and peripheral artery
disease, gathers works by some of the world's foremost cardiovascular experts, and supplements
their articles and insights with the work of a team of authors who add expert research and
analysis. Any cardio interventionist or radiologist interested in the processes and applications of
urgent interventions will find this packed with technical expert advice on all stages of
treatment.
Healing Gotham
Bruce F. Berg
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421415994, $34.95, www.press.jhu.edu
Healing Gotham: New York City's Public Health Policies for the Twenty-First Century charts the
rise and incidence of five serious public heath threats: childhood lead poisoning, childhood
asthma, HIV/AIDS, obesity, and West Nile virus, and considers the various tools used by health
officials and policy makers to control public health problems. He analyzes contributing social
factors - race and ethnicity - and makes a case for how various social forces affect the managing
of illnesses in the public arena. Scholars and students can thus compare public health policies and
can understand how these policies are developed and implemented around the country, using
New York City's practices as a foundation for analysis and examination.
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula
Andi Watson
First Second
175 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.firstsecondbooks.com
9781626722750 $19.99 hc
9781626721494 $14.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com
Available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle editions, Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula
is a black-and-white graphic novel that will appeal to all ages, by Eisner-nominated storyteller
Andi Watson. In the spooky, beyond-the-veil kingdom of the Underworld, Princess Decomposia
is overworked and underappreciated in matters of bureaucracy, diplomacy, and inhuman
resources. Her standoffish, elderly father rarely leaves his bed, but someone still has to discuss
matters of state with werewolves, yokai, zombie generals and more! When the palace chef
abruptly quits, Princess Decomposia almost faints from neglecting to eat; fortunately, the talented
vampire chef Count Spatula applies for the job (and reminds her not to skip meals)! Count
Spatula's sweet-tooth culinary skills add just the right spice to smooth over potential diplomatic
mishaps, but could he be getting a little too familiar with the Underworld king's daughter? And
will Princess Decomposia ever find a stable work-unlife balance? A delightfully heartwarming
story about responsibility, friendship, juggling priorities, and even love, Princess Decomposia
and Count Spatula is highly recommended.
Incredible Herb Trimpe
Dewey Cassell & Aaron Sultan
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490625, $34.95, 160pp, www.twomorrows.com
Herbert William Trimpe (May 26, 1939 - April 13, 2015) was an American comic book artist and
occasional writer. A gifted and versatile artist, Trimpe drew licensed characters based on toys
such as G.I. Joe, Godzilla, and Transformers, which went on to become blockbuster movies. He
drew runs of super-heroes like Iron Man, Defenders, Captain Britain, and even Marvel's flagship
character Spider-Man. But he's best known for his definitive eight-year stint drawing the
Incredible Hulk. "Incredible Herb Trimpe" was produced by Dewey Cassell and Aaron Sultan
with Herb's full cooperation just prior to his recent passing and chronicles the life and art of
Trimpe through his own voice, as well as the voices of friends and colleagues like Stan Lee, Tom
DeFalco, Roy Thomas, John Romita, Bill Peckmann, Sal Buscema, Joe Sinnott, Larry Hama,
Doug Moench, Eliot Brown, Len Wein, Ron Frenz, Steve Englehart, and his son Alex Trimpe.
Their testimony to his talent and his legacy of artwork leave no wonder why he was one of the
most respect artists in the comics and graphic arts business. "Incredible Herb Trimpe" is a 'must'
for his legions of fans, and would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and
academic library American Art History and Popular Culture reference collections.
Witchcraft Works 5
Ryu Mizunagi
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor
New York, NY 10016
9781941220191 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com
Witchcraft Works is a black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) series following the
mostly-ordinary student Takamiya and the beautiful, talented, and willful young witch Kagari.
Takamiya and Kagari share a strong bond, but the chaotic machinations of a new villain is about
to put a strain their relationship with each other, and everyone else! The mysterious "Miss
Weekend" releases a devastating trap with the potential to annihilate an entire city; only Kagari's
witch-mother Kazane can hold the destruction at bay, rendering her effectively powerless. The
rest of the (much less powerful) witches must scramble to face this new threat. Kagari and
Takamiya - or more probably, the powerful entity sealed within Takamiya - are most likely the
ultimate targets, but Kagari is never content to hide from danger. (Takamiya might be, but there
is no safe place to hide from the relentess Miss Weekend!) Beautiful artwork, intrigue, and
powerful clashes of will remain the hallmarks of this thoroughly enjoyable fantasy-adventure.
Highly recommended!
So Cute It Hurts! 1
Go Ikeyamada
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200
San Francisco CA 94103
9781421579856 $9.99 www.viz.com
Presented with its art in its original "unflipped" right-to-left format, So Cute It Hurts! 1 is is the
debut volume of a black-and-white shojo manga (Japanese graphic novel intended especially for
teenage girls and women) series that blends slapstick comedy, cute hijinks, and what it means to
fall in love. The story follows the (fraternal) Kobayashi twins, Megumu and Mitsuru. The sister
Megumu loves history and enjoys training her skill with a wooden sword, while the brother
Mitsuru is notably more cavalier about his schooling and tends to attract lovestruck fans due to
his heartthrob good looks. When Mitsuru's poor grades put him at risk for extra history classes
during the weekends, he convinces his sister to swap clothes with him and ace his tests! The two
have fairly similar looks, so how hard can it be for Megumu to blend in at Mitsuru's all-male high
school (which is rampant with delinquents)? Meanwhile, Mitsuru finds that a day as a high
school girl is far more complicated than he ever could have guessed! So Cute It Hurts! is an
upbeat, playful story created especially for readers who adore cuteness for its own sake.
Ajin Demi-Human 5
Gamon Sakurai
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor
New York, NY 10016
9781941220450 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com
Part sci-fi, part horror, Ajin Demi-Human 5 is the latest installment in a black-and-white manga
(Japanese graphic novel) series, set in a near-future Japan where certain members of the
population are "demi-humans" - immortal, and possessed of unearthly abilities that they may or
may not be able to fully control. A group of demi-humans supporting the will of a ruthless leader
wage a guerilla war of terror and assassination in order to seize control of Japan. The cynical,
sixteen-year-old Kei and his closest friend are two immortal demi-humans caught in the middle
of an expanding civil insurgency. Kei cares little for the oppressive government or the murderous
insurrection, but he knows that on his own it's only a matter of time before he's captured and
subjected to a fate worse than death. A grim saga of conflicting loyalties, survivor's mentality,
and applying one's mind to analyze and make the best of a bleak situation, Ajin Demi-Human 5
is gripping from cover to cover. Recommended for adult and older teen readers, due to scenes of
graphic violence.
Fragments of Horror
Junji Ito
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200
San Francisco CA 94103
9781421580791 $17.99 www.viz.com
Fragments of Horror is a black-and-white manga (Japanese comics) anthology of surreal and
disturbing horror stories. Ranging in tone from wistful to terrifyingly gruesome, these tales creep
and skitter beyond the edge of imagination. A beautiful gypsy witch lures a victim away from his
girlfriend to turn him into part of her "collection"; a young woman marries into an upper-class
family where reflections of the dead linger beyond the date of their passing; an injured young
man rescued from the wilderness carries a disturbing secret about how he managed to survive;
and much more. Presented in its original "unflipped" right-to-left format, Fragments of Horror is
for older teens and adults due to graphic images. Also recommended for connoisseurs of the
genre is Sui Ishida's "Tokyo Ghoul 1" (9781421580364, $12.99), the first in a graphic novel
series about a young man whose near-murder by a Ghoul turns him into a half-human,
half-Ghoul hybrid; his"new normal" now involves navigating Ghoul society, surviving Ghoul
turf wars, and attempting to control his own unearthly abilities!
The Audiobook Shelf
The China Challenge
Thomas J. Christensen, author
Read by Alan Sklar
Highbridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781622317592 $39.99 www.highbridgeaudio.com
The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power is the unabridged audiobook
presentation of an analysis of U.S.-China relations in the modern global order. Author Thomas J.
Christensen is a diplomatic expert, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs, and the William P. Boswell Professor of World Politics and director of the China
and the World Program at Princeton University. Christensen argues against the zero-sum
doomsday vision of China's rising power as a threat to U.S. leadership in Asia, and against the
saber-rattlers who claim that war with a rising China is inevitable. Christiansen points out that
China benefits tremendously from the current global order and has no interest in deposing it.
However, the Asian and global problems of nuclear proliferation, civil conflicts, financial
instability, and climate change are so entrenched that the U.S. and the world need China's
cooperation to alleviate them. If China simply declines to support efforts against these problems,
let alone acts against such efforts, the result could be disastrous. Christiansen argues that skilled
diplomacy is needed now more than ever, advocating a balanced strategic approach. The goal is
not to obstruct China's rise, but rather influence China's choices so as to curb regional aggression
and encourage participation in international efforts that benefit the global community.
Thoroughly accessible to listeners of all backgrounds, The China Challenge is an invaluable
contribution to public library and global politics audiobook collections. 13 CDs, 15 3/4
hours.
And the Sun Stood Still
Dava Sobel, author
Performed by Robert Foxworth, Michael Kirby, Kate Steele, et. al.
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
9781580814089 $29.95 www.latw.org
Part of L.A. Theatre Works' "Relativity Series" of science-themed plays, And the Sun Stood Still
is an audiobook recording of a play about Nicolaus Copernicus, the Renaissance astronomer and
mathematician who proposed a heliocentric model of the universe in which the Sun stands in the
center. Threatened by religious censure and troubled by self-doubt, Copernicus disallowed
publication of his potentially heretical theories until shortly before his death in 1543. And the
Sun Stood Still is about the final years of Copernicus' life, as he struggled to complete his
research with the aid of a young disciple, Georg Rheticus. Brought to life with the superb
performance of a full cast of trained actors, And the Sun Stood Still is enthusiastically
recommended especially for public, high school and college library audiobook collections. 2
CDs, 1 hour 25 min.
A Thousand Miles to Freedom
Eunsun Kim with Sebastien Falletti
Translated by David Tian
Read by Emily Woo Zeller
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781494507718 $34.99 www.tantor.com
A Thousand Miles to Freedom is the unabridged audiobook biography detailing how author
Eunsun Kim, her mother, and her sister struggled to escape the oppressive North Korean
government. Eusun's grandparents and father both died from the Great Famine that ravaged
North Korea in 1990's; Eusun and her surviving family members were also on the brink of
starving to death when her mother made the dangerous and desperate decision to escape the
country at any cost. Their harrowing journey risked execution, whether from being shot by border
patrol guards, or caught and sentenced by the government for daring to leave. Their journey to
freedom would take nine years to complete. A sober and eye-opening look at the incompetence
and cruelty of the totalitarian North Korean regime, A Thousand Miles to Freedom is highly
recommended. 5 CDs, 5.5 hours.
Building Confidence in Your Child
Dr. James Dobson, author
Read by Jon Gauger
Oasis Audio
289 Main Place, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781613757154 $19.99 www.oasisaudio.com
A balanced sense of self-worth is crucial to making good life decisions, choosing and
maintaining healthy relationships, and pursuing one's dreams. Building Confidence in Your Child
is the unabridged audiobook rendition of Dr. James Dobson's parenting guide to fostering healthy
self-esteem in one's children. Grounded in a biblical understanding of human worth, Building
Confidence in Your Child is thoroughly practical and sensible. Though intended especially for
Christian parents and families, Building Confidence in Your Child is accessible to listeners of all
faiths. Highly recommended! 5 CDs.
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
www.recordedbooks.com
Two intense, unabridged audiobook mysteries from Recorded Books will fascinate fans of the
genre. In Amanda Quick's "Garden of Lies" (9781470380571, $123.75, 8 CDs, 10 hours) Ursula
Kern suspects foul play when one of her agency's employees meets her end far too soon. Kern
must work together with adventurer-archaeologist Slater Roxton (who might be just a little bit
touched in the head after a year-long exile) to track down a potential killer. Elements of romance
and suspense blend in this riveting Victorian London drama, brought to life with Louisa Jane
Underwood's skilled narration. In Donna Leon's "Falling in Love: A Commissario Guido Brunetti
Mystery" (9781490671239, $77.75, 7 CDs, 8.25 hours), Brunetti comes to the aid of his old
acquaintance Flavia, a star opera performer who feels growing unease over the increasingly
lavish gifts bestowed upon her by a secret admirer. Could the unknown person's obsessive
adoration lead to the threat of murder? When a Venetian singer involved with Flavia is savagely
attacked, Brunetti worries that Flavia's fears could be justified, and he may be in a race against
time to save lives! Both are excellent additions to public library and personal mystery/suspense
audiobook collections, as is the first Commissario Guido Brunetti novel, "Death at La
Fenice".
Resurrection, Inc.
Kevin J. Anderson
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781480597297, $14.99, www.amazon.com
It is the future the dead walk serve the living, having been resurrected by the cybernetic
technology of a corporation called Resurrection, Inc. With a microprocessor brain, a synthetic
heart, and artificial blood and anyone with money could buy a Servant with no mind of its own,
trained to obey any command. But for every Servant created a living worker was out of a job, and
suddenly the profits of Resurrection, Inc. became everyone else's loss. Some of the unemployed
take to rioting in the streets, their rampages ruthlessly ended by heavily armed Enforcers, eager
for the kill. Others join the ever-growing cult of Neo-Satanism, seeking Heaven in the depths of
Hell. Only one man tries to save the world. His name is Danal, and he is the last hope of the
living. He is dead, but he remembers everything -- especially the man responsible for the murder
of Danal and the woman he loved. "Resurrection, Inc." by Kevin J. Anderson is another terrific
and original science fiction novel from a master of the genre. This complete and unabridged
audio book edition is superbly narrated by Jim Meskimen and very highly recommended for the
personal and community library science fiction audio book collections. (10 Discs -- 11 hours, 15
minutes).
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
Lord Byron, author
Read by Jamie Parker
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843797418 $28.98 CD / $19.00 download www.naxosaudiobooks.com
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage is an unabridged audiobook rendition of the classic poetic narrative
that distinguished English author Lord Byron (1788-1824) as a literary genius of his time. The
Spenserian stanzas follow a protagonist's journey through Europe as it reeled from the cruel toll
of revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Superbly performed by film, theater, and television actor
Jamie Parker, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage is enthusiastically recommended for public and college
library audiobook collections. 4 CDs, 4 hours 55 min.
Badlands
C.J. Box, author
Read by January LaVoy
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427260925 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com
Badlands is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a suspenseful novel set in a remote North
Dakota town that has been transformed by the oil boom - but not for the better. Detective Cassie
Dewell has been assigned as the new deputy sheriff of Grimstad, a place where the sudden influx
of oil money has brought a surge of drugs, and murderous drug dealers. In the heart of the
growing criminal storm is twelve-year-old Kyle Westergard, a kid with great dreams and
not-so-great common sense. When Kyle steals a bundle of cash and drugs from the wake of a car
accident, he incites the ire of warring drug gangs. A dark, tense, serious-minded thriller,
Badlands is riveting to the very end. 8 CDs, 10 hours.
The Other Daughter: A Novel
Lauren Willig
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781427261670 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com
Set in 1920s Europe, The Other Daughter: A Novel is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a
dramatic novel about family, betrayal, and soul-searching. Rachel Woodley is a working-class
woman devastated by the death of her mother, and further shocked by the revelation that her
father is not deceased (as she had believed all her life) but alive and quite wealthy. Rachel is the
aristocrat's illegitimate daughter, and she has a half-sister she never knew about before. Furious
about the lies and betrayal, Rachel adopts a new identity to expose and ruin the charmed lives of
her blood relatives, but two unexpected difficulties arise. She finds that she genuinely likes her
half-sister, and she just might be falling in love with her half-sister's fiance! Atmospheric,
evocative, and featuring complex characters with conflicting motivations, The Other Daughter is
highly recommended. 8 CDs, 10 hours.
Signal
Patrick Lee, author
Read by Ari Fliakos
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427258113 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com
Signal: A Sam Dryden Novel is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a suspenseful saga
following ex-Special Forces operative Sam Dryden. Dryden's peaceful life is interrupted when he
receives a phone call from an old friend in trouble. Dryden must work together with FBI agent
Marnie Calvert to unravel a conspiracy that spans generations. Their enemies have technology
capable of influencing events before they happen - a weapon that could potentially end the lives
of millions. Intense, edge-of-seat action makes Signal a riveting ride to the very end! 7 CDs, 9
hours. Also highly recommended is the first Sam Dryden suspense novel, "Runner".
Rogue Angel: The Pretender's Gambit
Alex Archer
Graphic Audio
4940 Hampden Lane, Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20814
9781628511468, $19.99, www.graphicaudio.net
For archaeologist and TV host Annja Creed, a late-night phone call from the NYPD means one
thing: there's been a murder and the police need her expertise. The only link between a dead body
and the killer is a small elephant of white jade. An artifact that's gone missing. Once belonging to
Catherine the Great of Russia, the elephant was key in a risky political gambit all those years ago.
But there is another story attached to the artifact - a rumor of an ancient hidden treasure. And for
a cruelly ambitious media mogul with a penchant for tomb-raiding, the elephant is nothing short
of priceless. Annja must make her move quickly, traveling across several continents with only
the assistance of her extraordinary sword - purportedly the same sword wielded by Joan of Arc -
and a mysterious temple monk. It's a deadly battle of wits, and one wrong move could mean
game over. "Rogue Angel: The Pretender's Gambit" is a riveting, entertaining, fully immersive
'theater of the mind' experience involving a gifted narrator, a talented cast of dozens, the deft
inclusion of digital sound effects and music, and a thoroughly engaging story of unexpected plot
twists and turns. Very highly recommended for personal and community library audio book
collections. 5 CDs, 6 Hours.
Wildfire In His Arms
Johanna Lindsey, author
Tad Branson, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781490680484, $123.75, www.recordedbooks.com
With his work in Montana completed now that the Callahan-Warren feud has ended in marriage
rather than bloodshed, Degan Grant sets out for California because it is far away from the home
he wants to forget - until the US Marshal who saved his life calls in a favor. All Degan has to do
is apprehend three outlaws on the marshal's list and turn them over to the law. Easy enough, he
figures, for a man no one wants to tangle with. But then a bold young woman crosses his path.
Maxine grew up so pretty and attracted so much unwanted attention in her Texas hometown that
events spiraled out of control. She will try anything to escape the handsome, enigmatic
gunfighter who intends to turn her over to a corrupt sheriff who will hang her instead of putting
her on trial. Saddled with a sassy, spirited young woman who insists she is innocent, Degan must
hunt down a vicious killer and keep an old enemy at bay. But forced into intimate proximity with
his beguiling prisoner, he finds his desire sparking into a wildfire of passion, and he can no
longer deny that it is time for them to risk confronting their pasts so he can have a chance at a
future with her in his arms forever. Superbly produced and expertly narrated, "Wildfire In His
Arms" is a complete and unabridged audio book recording that will provide the listener a pure
'theater of the mind' entertainment experience and is very highly recommended, especially for
community library audio book collections. 9 CDs, 11 hours.
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachetteaudio.com
David Baldacci's Memory Man (9781478929987, $40.00) is narrated by Ron McLarty with
Orlagh Cassidy and provides a fine story of one Amos Decker, whose life moved from a
promising career as an athlete to a 'disability' that leads him to never forget anything. This talent
lends more to investigation than athletics - and so Amos moves into the field of law as a police
detective, only to find his family murdered and destroyed by an elusive killer. He leaves the force
- but is called back in when unusual crimes threaten Baltimore - and he must call on all his gifts
to get to the bottom of not only present-day events, but his memories of the past. The resulting,
gripping narrative comes alive in audio. Nelson DeMille's Radiant Angel (9781478953241,
$40.00) is narrated by Scott Brick, whose firm and revealing voice lends well to the story of a
political game, terrorism, and a new assignment. Corey realizes the threat in a newly-strong
Russia - and when a colonel posing as a diplomat in the Russian Mission vanishes, it's up to him
to find him - which immerses him in Russian politics and a possible nuclear threat called 'radiant
angel'. The result is a tense thriller that comes to life in audio.
The Library CD Shelf
Beyond Borders
Randy Armstrong & Volker Nahrmann
UMP Records
c/o Unu Mondo Productions
PO Box 128, Dover, New Hampshire 03821
www.randyarmstrong.com/beyondborders
$16.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
Beyond Borders is a world-fusion music album by Randy Armstrong, Volker Nahrmann, and a
global medley of special guests. Drawing upon Latin rhythms, East Indian musical traditions,
Native American pow wow, West African and Caribbean stylings, contemporary jazz and much
more, Beyond Borders is a holistic sensation, especially recommended for gift-giving and public
library music collections. The tracks are "Ciao Bella" (5:04), "Fear Not Fear" (4:43), "Unidad
Anthem" (1:02), "Unidad - Tribute to Dizzy Gillespie" (4:56), "Wherever You Are" (4:51),
"Shanti Om - Dedicated to Ravi Shankar & George Harrison" (6:37), "White Cloud Black
Thunder" (7:15), "There's Always Hope" (5:19), "Love Letters - The Story of Abelard and
Heliose" (5:20), "Fun in the Sun" (7:22), and "Unidad Epilogue" (0:58).
Sing Sad Songs
The Earnest Lovers
Elko Record Company
$TBA CD / $5.94 MP3 cdbaby.com
Underground country duet Pete Krebs and Leslie Beia, also known as The Earnest Lovers,
present Sing Sad Songs, a music collection that resonates with the hardy pace of outdoor life.
Embodying the older, more traditional style of country music, Sing Sad Songs resonates with
emotional power and lingering memories. The tracks are "San Andreas' Fault" (3:14), "Lights of
Anita" (4:17), "Angel of Sunrise" (3:26), "Still Missing You" (3:53), "No Songs Came By
Today" (3:12), and "Everybody's Trying To Be My Pal" (3:04). Also highly recommended is
"Tunes from the North, Songs from the South" ($20.00 CD / $9.99 MP3), a fresh fusion of
Canadian and Appalachian music traditions by folk/roots duo Karrnnel Sawitsky and Daniel
Koulack, a duo popularly known as "Fiddle & Banjo".
Daydream Alley
Holland Phillips
www.musicbyholland.com
Ageless Records
$9.99 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com
The fourth album by multi-instrumental artist Holland Phillips, Daydream Alley is a new age
soundscape featuring piano, synthesizer, violin, bass, drums, oboe, bassoon, sax, electric piano,
French horn, trombones, the flute, and more. Sweeping musical fusion colors the listener's
imagination about past and future possibilities, connecting a sense of wonder with dreams of
boundless optimism. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Etude in D Minor" (3:55), "Two
Pianos" (4:52), "Serendipity" (5:22), "Jazz Nite" (5:11), "Daydream Alley" (4:59), "Changing
Times" (4:23), "Touched By Fire" (5:07), "Friends" (3:42), "Last Night Out" (3:50), "Reflexions"
(5:18), "Sombrero Key" (3:50), and "Colors" (3:05).
Live from London
Bob Wilber, Dave McKenna & 'Pug' Horton Quintet
Classic Jazz Records
50 Executive Boulevard, Elmsford, NY 10523-1325
$24.95 www.innercityjazz.com
Originally recorded during five successive evenings in 1978 at Pizza Express in London, Live
from London is a 2-CD treasury of vivacious jazz performances. Bob Wilber plays saxophone;
Dave McKenna the piano; Ron Rubin bass; Derk Hogg drums; and 'Pug' Horton contributes
smooth vocals to this timeless anthology. A "must-have" for jazz aficionados! The tracks are
(Disc 1) "I'm Nobody's Baby" (2:53), "Jonathan's Way" (9:19), "Black and Blue" (5:30), "Mean
To Me" (3:29), "Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight" (3:03), "I'm Beginning To See The Light"
(7:59), "I Found A New Baby" (5:06), "The Very Thought Of You" (4:12), "Exactly Like You"
(6:31), "Everywhere You Go" (2:53), "Lotus Blossom" (4:58), "Freeman's Way" (9:22),
"Puggles" (2:39), and "144 West 54th St." (10:57); (Disc 2) "Rocks In My Bed" (4:45), "I Got It
Bad And That Ain't Good" (4:37), "Deed I Do" (8:07), "Melancholy Baby" (5:41), "Clarion
Song" (7:46), "Samantha" (9:05), "Did I Remember" (3:11), "All Of Me" (7:58), "Wequasset
Wail" (7:02), "Rose Of The Rio Grande" (2:56), "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (7:45), and
"Indiana" (7:20).
Light Flashes
Dubbest
Privately Published
www.dubbestmusic.com
$13.98 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
The third album of Boston reggae band Dubbest, Light Flashes features thrumming, uptempo
rhythms, dub instrumentals, and vivacious performances. The lyrics embody love, zest, and pure
enthusiasm. Light Flashes is a "must" for fans of the genre! The tracks are "One Thing", "Spend
the Day", "Weeping Heart", "Leaving", "Give In", "Iron Paw", "End of the Road", "Escape
Route", "Shower You", "Cross Pollination", "By Design", and "Leave in Dub".
Voyageurs
Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
Privately Published
mamouplayboys.com
$9.99 www.amazon.com
Cajun accordion star Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys present Voyageurs, an album
celebrating Creole musical traditions with aplomb. The songs often have Cajun lyrics, which
range from where to get the best liquor at low cost to bidding one's cherished homeland farewell.
Brimming with contagious enthusiasm, Voyageurs is a "must-have" for connoisseurs of the
genre! The tracks are "Au revoir Grand Mamou", "Plus creux", "Allons boire un coup",
"Bernadette", "Brasse donc, le couche-couche", "Crapaud/Fruge", "'Tite fille de la campagne",
"Boozoo's Blues", "La danse de Mardi Gras", "La betaille", "Malcolm's Reel", "Madame
Faillelle", and "Bottle It Up".
Reina de Todas las Fiestas
Chico Trujillo
www.chicotrujillo.com
Barbes Records
$10.99 CD / $8.91 MP3 www.amazon.com
Chilean music group Chico Trujillo presents Reina de Todas las Fiestas ("The Queen of All
Parties"), their latest pan-Latin American album. A celebratory medley of Northern Chile
carnival music, cumbia (a type of Columbian dance music), and more, Reina de Todas las Fiestas
was recorded with the famous Banda Wiracocha - a thirty-piece brass band known for playing at
traditional carnival parties. Brash, flaunting, and wildly vivacious, Reina de Todas las Fiestas is a
superb addition to Latin and international music collections. The tracks are "Abajo del Bote",
"Malgeniosa", "Playas Marinas", "La Cura del Espanto", "Se Nota en el Ambiente Que Tenemos
Que Partir", "Alturas", "Chatito", "Los Nervios Que Te Di", and "Reina de Todas las
Fiestas".
Hustling Culture
The Expanders
Easy Star Records
PO Box 1069, Cooper Station, New York, NY 10276
www.easystar.com
$11.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com
Reggae band The Expanders presents Hustling Culture, a music album with a strong social
message. The artists acknowledge that everyone has to hustle to make a living in the song
"Hustling Culture", but the song "Uptown Set" shines a light on how careless behavior has cruel
repercussions. "Uptown Set" stresses that the illegal drugs brought across the border to fuel
America's crazed demands for intoxication spread untold suffering, as the money used to buy
these drugs funds murderous drug lords at the expense of innocent victims. Other songs offer a
tribute to women, and contemplate the encouraging cultural shift toward the decriminalization of
marijuana. A "must-have" for reggae fans! The tracks are "Hustling Culture", "Uptown Set",
"Piece of Love", "World of Happiness", "People Business", "Top Shelf", "Too Late", "Reggae
Pops", "The Horse", "Iron Throne", "Thanks for Life", and "Flesh and Bone".
Morning in a New Machine
Dubl Handi
www.dublhandimusic.com
Privately Published
$14.97 CD / $9.99 download, cdbaby.com
Folk revival duo Dubl Handi present Morning in a New Machine, their latest album showcasing
Hilary Hawke's talented banjo playing and Gelter's percussionist skills. A resonating,
down-to-earth album true to the enduring roots of Appalachian folk, Morning in the New
Machine is a treasure for listeners who enjoy the genre. The tracks are "Cindy" (3:49),
"Cumberland Gap" (3:18), "Ida Red" (2:53), "Red Rocking Chair" (4:39), "Flop Eared Mule"
(2:59), "No Sleep" (4:25), "Don't It Get Trouble In Your Mind" (3:34), "Half-Shaved" (2:23),
"Driving Away the Blues" (3:26), "Jim Along" (2:09), "The Train That Carried My Girl From
Town" (5:28), and "Let Me Fall" (2:43).
The Library DVD Shelf
Jerusalem Stories: Visions of a Holy City
SISU Home Entertainment, Inc.
22-19 41 Avenue, Suite #509
Long Island City, NY 11101
9781560867548 $39.95 www.sisuent.com
Jerusalem Stories: Visions of a Holy City gathers four award-winning films in a single collection
of 3 DVDs. "I Am A Jerusalemite" is the self-directed story of performer Yehoram Gaon, a
native-born Jerusalemite who learned to appreciate the city's wonders with time; Ofer Naim's
"Voice of Jerusalem" gathers interviews with people of all faiths and backgrounds who call
Jerusalem home; Yale Roe's "Jerusalem: The City Touched By God" surveys Jerusalem's 3,000
year history, enriched by the soul-stirring music of the Mormon Tabernacle choir; and Yale Roe's
"To Live A Dream: the Teddy Kollek Story" is an amazing portrait of the Jerusalem mayor
whose 28-year tenure spanned the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1990 Persian Gulf War. Jerusalem
Stories: Visions of a Holy City is an excellent contribution to public and synagogue library DVD
shelves, highly recommended. 273 min., English or Hebrew with English subtitles.
The Enemy Within
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
1941545408 $350.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com
The Enemy Within is an award-winning DVD documentary about the 1984-85 British Miners'
Strike, with emphasis on the miners' courage and sacrifice as they dared to defy the decree of
Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government. In 1984, Margaret Thatcher and the
Conservatives launched an all-out assault on Britains unions, especially the powerful National
Union of Mineworkers. As a tactic, the government began closing coal mines, causing a sudden
spike of unemployment that threatened the livelihood of whole communities. 160,00 miners
fought back in a historic expression of resistance. The Enemy Within includes never-before-seen
archive footage, contributions from miners who were there as well as their wives and supporters,
a memorable soundtrack, and multiple extra features such as a filmmakers' commentary and a
PDF of "The Ridley Plan". Highly recommended, especially for public and college library and
DVD shelves. 113 min.
Committed
A film by Sheila McLaughlin and Lynne Tillman
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213
New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com
Artistically shot in black-and-white in the year 1984, and now digitally restored, Committed: A
True Enough Story About Frances Farmer is an interpretive DVD biography of actress and leftist
advocate Frances Farmer (1913-1970). In 1935, Farmer skyrocketed to fame as a sweeping
Hollywood sensation, yet within ten years, she was placed within a state mental hospital.
Committed explores Farmer's state of mind as well as the political and social attitudes of her era,
offering a window through time. Highly recommended for both personal and public library
collections. 75 min.
The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 1
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
9781621723769 $59.99 www.acornonline.com
Available as a 4-disc DVD set or a 2-disc Blu-ray set, The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 1
consists of four feature-length mysteries following Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd
(played by Neill Rea) on his assignment in Brokenwood, a small town nursing deep-seated
grudges. Shepherd is a seasoned cop who is far more skilled at tracking criminals than
maintaining a stable personal life. His history of failed marriages may or may not run longer than
the age of his 1971 "classic" car. Now, the most prominent woman in his life is his assistant,
Detective Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland), a straight-laced investigator 20 years younger than her
boss' car. Moments of dark humor add a touch of ironic levity to this gritty drama of violence,
death, crime, and punishment marring the slow-paced daily life an otherwise idyllic village. Shot
amid the beautiful New Zealand countryside, The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 1 is a treat for
fans of the genre and a welcome addition to personal and public library DVD collections. Bonus
features include brief interviews with the stars and head writer. 4 DVDs, 376 min. plus bonus,
SDH subtitles.
Bound for Glory
R.C. Sproul Jr.
Reformation Trust
ReformationTrust.com
c/o Ligonier Ministries
421 Ligonier Court, Sanford, FL, 32771-8608
$30.00 www.ligonier.org
Part of the "Christian Living Teaching Series", Bound for Glory is an instructional DVD
consisting of nine teaching sessions. In each session, R.C. Sproul Jr. (rector of theology and chair
of philosophy and theology of Reformation Bible College, and teaching fellow for Ligonier
Ministries) discusses how to apply the timeless wisdom of Scripture to the roles of the family.
Grounded in Biblical wisdom and an invaluable resource for Christian group study, Bound for
Glory is especially recommended for church library DVD collections. The nine teaching sessions
(each of which is 23 minutes long) are "The Importance of the Family", "The Function of the
Family", "Husbands, Part 1", "Husbands, Part 2", "Wives, Part 1", "Wives, Part 2", "Children",
"The Role of the Church", and "Family Worship". Audio tracks offer the choice of English or
dubbed Spanish.
Bottom Line & A Core Defined
Patricia Friberg
www.patriciafriberg.com
Privately Published
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$19.95 www.411videoinfo.com
Bottom Line & A Core Defined is a fitness DVD offering a Pilates-based strength workout
especially useful for toning one's core, including gluteal and abdominal muscles. No equipment
is required, although an inexpensive ball and loop band are recommended. Host Patricia Friberg
draws upon her extensive experience working with professional athletes and in rehab facilities to
present a workout designed to improve posture, heighten athletic performance, and help prevent
injuries. An excellent addition to fitness DVD libraries, Bottom Line & A Core Defined is
accessible, user-friendly, and especially recommended for viewers who engage in or are
preparing themselves to enjoy sports as part of their fitness regimen. 73 min.
The Computer Shelf
Social Media 3.0
Carol L. Morgan, CAPS, CSP, MIRM
MyHome Press
c/o National Association of Home Builders
1201 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005-2800
9780867187205 $19.95 www.myhomepress.com
Social Media 3.0: It's Easier Than You Think is a plain-spoken, no-nonsense guide to tapping
into the power of social media for the benefit of one's business or nonprofit organization.
Chapters walk the reader through creating websites that are friendly to ubiquitous browsing
devices such smartphones, making the most of Facebook features, reaching out to one's markets
with Google+, Instragram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Foursquare, Houzz, Linkedin, and more, getting a
podcast started, and even how to run contests without breaking one's budget. "When you are
submitting press releases directly to media outlets, you should only distribute information that is
truly newsworthy. If you constantly send press releases to the media that they do not deem
newsworthy, reporters and editors will ignore your email messages. On the other hand, although
reporters may not find your latest sales incentive newsworthy (considering it advertising, rather
than news), online consumers probably will. Go ahead and write it up for online distribution.
Even if it isn't breaking news, you can still post it on a variety of online sites..." In today's
increasingly interconnected world, user-friendly instructionals like Social Media 3.0 are a
"must-read" for business majors and entrepreneurs everywhere.
Teach Your Kids to Code
Bryson Payne
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593275990, $29.95, www.nostarch.com
Teach Your Kids to Code: A Parent-Friendly Guide to Python Programming provides an
introduction to the Python programming language for parents who want to teach kids the basics
of Python programming, and offers parents and teachers a user's guide to teaching kids the basics
of programming and problem solving using Python. Step-by-step explanations teach kids about
analytical thinking and computations while instructions on basic programming concepts lead
young programmers to learn how to build their own games. From encoding and decoding
messages to calculations in games, this offers a blend of introductory programming and
kid-friendly activities for kids ages 9 and older, and is a pick for any who would learn
programming basics at an early age.
The Parenting Shelf
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
"8 Keys to Raising the Quirky Child: How to Help a Kid Who Doesn't Quite Fit In"
(9780393709209, $19.95) provides tips and strategies for parents of kids who are different, and
who thus experience problems fitting in and making friends. The difference may lie in
personality, behaviors, interests and hobbies, or how they play: they're not on the autism
spectrum but neither are they part of the norm. This book defines such quirks and provides
parents with ideas for understanding their children, development norms, and how to help their
kids function in social settings. It's a lovely survey parents will find unique and filled with
practical ideas. Michael Mascolo's "8 Keys to Old School Parenting for Modern-Day Families"
(9780393709360, $19.95) blends psychology and psychotherapy in a guide designed to help
parents understand their role and their influence on a child's emotional development. From
strategies to motivate compliance to encouraging problem-solving skills, handling conflict, and
communicating better, this book helps parents raise strong children who are emotionally secure
and engaged in their environments, and is a pick for parents who want to blend modern
perspectives with old-fashioned morality and ethical standards. Both are key discussions that
should be in any parenting library.
The Christian Studies Shelf
John of the Cross: Man and Mystic
Richard P. Hardy
ICS Publications
c/o Discalced Carmelite Friars
2131 Lincoln Road, NE, Washington, DC 20002-1199
www.icspublications.org
9780819839800, $15.95, 178pp, www.amazon.com
St. John of the Cross (Born 1542 - Died 14 December 1591), was a great mystic of the Christian
tradition who knew suffering first-hand. His personal "dark night" included exile, imprisonment,
starvation, abuse. Yet, sustained by tremendous faith and steeped in an enormous love for God
and for humanity, he surrendered to the Divine and was drawn through his experiences to a
profound compassion for and solidarity with others. "John of the Cross: Man and Mystic" by
Richard P. Hardy (a professor of Christian Spirituality who lectures at retreats and conferences,
along with conducting workshops on Carmelite Spirituality focusing especially on St. John of the
Cross and St. Teresa of Avila in the United States, Canada, Philippines, and Hong Kong), is
engaging an informative biography. "John of the Cross: Man and Mystic" is the perfect
introduction to a Roman Catholic Saint whose life, writings, and spirituality have illuminated the
Christian world. Included are a guide to reading the works of John of the Cross, photos and color
reproductions of masterpiece artwork, and an extensive annotated bibliography. "John of the
Cross: Man and Mystic" is very highly recommended for community, church, seminary, and
academic library Christian Studies collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that
"John of the Cross: Man and Mystic" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
The Korean Pentecost and the Sufferings Which Followed, revised edition
William N. Blair & Bruce F. Hunt
Banner of Truth
PO Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013
www.banneroftruth.org
9780851512440, $13.00, 208pp, www.amazon.com
In 1977 the Trust published this remarkable account of the first 60 years or so of the modern
church in Korea (mainly North Korea). The late William Blair (1876 -1970), in his first term of
missionary service, was at the centre of the great revival of 1907, and his account of this and the
events leading up to it forms the first part of the book. Blair includes a thrilling description of
how the gospel first came to Korea. The account is then taken up by his son-in-law, the late
Bruce Hunt (1903 - 1992) who was born in Pyongyang (now the capital of North Korea) and who
shows how the revival was followed by a baptism of suffering under the Japanese and
Communists. During his forty-eight years of missionary service in Korea, Hunt personally knew
many of the Korean Christian martyrs. This newly revised and expanded edition of "The Korean
Pentecost and the Sufferings Which Followed" has been completely re-typeset, and includes
twelve additional illustrations. A truly exceptional history of Christian martyrdom (which in
North Korean continues to this very day), "The Korean Pentecost and the Sufferings Which
Followed" is informative and highly recommended reading for all members of the Christian
community regardless of their denominational affiliation.
Dignity and Destiny
John F. Kilner
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802867643, $35.00, www.eerdmans.com
Dignity and Destiny: Humanity in the Image of God explores that the Bible says about humanity
being in God's image, considering all the Biblical references to the image of God and
documenting common misunderstandings and how their origins often lie in misinterpretation. It
considers the impact of sin on God's image, what factors lay in humanity's renewal in God's
image, what passages indicate people can expect a new life in Christ, and more, and it provides
thinking Christians with philosophical as well as spiritual points of reflection. The result is a
powerful survey that will attract theologians and Christian readers interested in philosophical and
spiritual reflection.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Patricia C. Wrede
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
$7.99 each www.hmhpub.com
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles is a series of four novels that will appeal to both YA readers
and adults, about a headstrong princess and her complicated relationship with dragons, originally
written roughly thirty years ago. The series features vivid characters and a tongue-in-cheek
writing style that will appeal to fantasy lovers of all ages. Now, all four of these timeless classics
have been re-issued, each with a brand new introduction penned by author Patricia C. Wrede. In
"Dealing With Dragons" (9780544521221), Princess Cimorene is so bored with the endless
demands of a princess' life that she runs away to live with the powerful and dangerous dragon
Kazul, and stumbles into a medley of fantastic friends and foes! In "Searching for Dragons"
(9780544541467), Kazul has gone missing and it's up to Cimorene to find out why. In "Calling
on Dragons" (9780544541474) Cimorene has become a queen, and faces a heart-stopping crisis
that threatens the entire Enchanted Forest. In "Talking to Dragons" (9780544541481), young
Daystar, the son of Queen Cimorene, is sent out on his own with little more than a magic sword
and the sage advice to always be polite when talking to dragons. The tricky part is determining
just what he's supposed to do, but a mishmashed motley crew including a hot-tempered fire
witch, a loquacious lizard, and a rambunctious baby dragon will (hopefully) help him work it
out! The Enchanted Forest Chronicles are a treasure, enthusiastically recommended for fantasy
connoisseurs, gift-giving, and public library collections.
Blood of the Cosmos
Kevin J. Anderson
Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765333001, $27.99, www.tor-forge.com
Blood of the Cosmos: The Saga of Shadows Book Two is a top pick for fans of the space opera
genre and offers the second book of the trilogy, in which humans and Ildirans, having escaped
annihilation at the hands of the Shana Rei, are facing deadly black clouds that absorb all life.
Alien refugees may threaten all - but as the clouds attack worlds, an alliance among competing
forces may produce the only kind of weapon to drive them back. Familiarity with the prior book
in the series is a prerequisite to the successful appreciation of this follow-up to the epic: an
engrossing and enchanting story of survival, alliances, and uncertain survival that is as
engrossing as Wheel of Time and other detailed universes.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Little Men, Big World / Vanity Row
W. R. Burnett
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781933586670, $24.95, 342pp, www.amazon.com
William Riley Burnett was born November 25, 1899 in Springfield, Ohio. Moving to Chicago in
1927, he developed an interest in gangsters which prompted him to write his first noir novel,
"Little Caesar", in 1929. Soon after that overnight success, Burnett moved to Los Angeles,
eventually writing 36 novels (including the classic High Sierra) and 60 screenplays, as well as
songs, plays and short stories. Nominated twice for an Academy Award, he received both the
MWA Grand Master award and an O. Henry Memorial Award. Burnett died on April 25, 1982.
"Little Men, Big World" and "Vanity Row" are two classic noir novels by Burnett that probe the
political corruption of a big Midwestern city, where the important deals are always made behind
closed doors, and the real power is wielded behind the throne are brought back into print under
one cover for the edification of a whole new generation of appreciative readers. Along with "The
Asphalt Jungle" (RosettaBooks, B003XRELXE, $8.99 Kindle), these three novels form a
thematic trio known as the Urban Trilogy. Very strongly recommended for personal reading lists
and community library collections, this Stark House Press edition of "Little Men, Big World /
Vanity Row" is as compelling a read today as it was when first released decades ago.
Sliced Vegetarian
Liesa Malik
Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
www.cengage.com
9781432830779 $25.95 hc / $3.99 Kindle www.amazon.com
Sliced Vegetarian: A Daisy Arthur Mystery is the second in a series of mystery novels set in
Littleton, Colorado and following retired special education teacher Daisy Arthur. Daisy is
shocked to see a blood-soaked person standing in her front yard, but his ramblings are only the
beginning. Can she identify the murder victim's secret and track down the killer before becoming
the next victim herself? Intricate and suspenseful, Sliced Vegetarian will keep readers guessing
to the end! Also highly recommended is the first Daisy Arthur Mystery, "Faith on the
Rocks".
Sympathy for the Devil
Terrence McCauley
Polis Books
1201 Hudson Street, #211S, Hoboken, NJ 07030
9781940610344 $15.95 www.PolisBooks.com
Award-winning writer Terrence McCauley presents Sympathy for the Devil, a clandestine thriller
about James Hicks, an elite agent in the secretive organization known as The University. The
University has covertly battled Nazis, worked to bring the end of the Cold War, and counter
global terrorism for decades. Now, Hicks' star protege has shifted allegiance to a terrorist group
with operations on U.S. soil. Hicks is in a race against time to learn why his best pupil has
turned, and to stop a potentially catastrophic biological weapon from being unleashed. Intense to
the very end, Sympathy for the Devil is a "must-read" for connoisseurs of the genre.
Purl Up and Die
Maggie Sefton
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425258446, $25.95, www.penguin.com
Purl Up and Die provides another lovely blend of recipes and knitting patterns as it tells of Kelly
Flynn's summer in Colorado, which is supposed to be steeped in romantic celebrations and
knitting classes, but which turns into murder when a young woman accuses her friend's son of
assaulting her - and when she is then found dead, making the son the top suspect. The police
think it's an open-and-shut case but Kelly's work proves otherwise in a fun knitting mystery that
will appeal to any who love knitting, recipes, and intrigue.
The Fiction Shelf
Gene Mapper
Taiyo Fujii, author
Jim Hubbert, translator
Haikasoru
c/o Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
9781421580272 $15.99 www.viz.com
Gene Mapper is a novel set in a near-future where world hunger has been averted through the
genetic modification of the world's food supply, and technology has crept its way into virtually
every other area of biology and daily life. Gene Mapper Hayashida is one of many who work to
keep the world fed; when he discovers that his custom rice plant is failing, he suspects sabotage.
But who would tamper with his work, and why? Hayashida's search for answers takes him across
Asia to Ho Chi Minh City along with hired gun hacker Yagodo. Danger closes in at every turn,
from the omnipresent threat of murder to the distant possibility that the fragile human
machinations that keep the planet nourished could fall to ruin! Superbly translated into English,
Gene Mapper is as thought-provoking as it is suspenseful to the very end.
War at the Edge of the World
Ian James Ross
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
9781468311211 $26.95 www.overlookpress.com
The epic conclusion to the "Twilight of Empire" series set during the reign of Emperor
Constantine, War at the Edge of the World follows promoted centurion Aurelius Castus in a
conflict that will decide the future of Rome. Assigned to a remote area in Britain, Castus feels
that his days of glory have come to an end... until the king of the savage Pict people beyond
Hadrian's wall suddenly dies due to mysterious circumstances. Castus is chosen to command the
bodyguard of a Roman envoy sent to negotiate with the barbarians - a mission beset by the
shadow of doom, and worse. Castus and his men must fight for their lives, their threadbare fate
ruthlessly manipulated by forces, and politics, beyond their control. A vivid period piece
thrumming with excitement and intrigue, War at the Edge of the World is highly
recommended.
A God in Ruins
Kate Atkinson
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316176538, $28.00, www.littlebrown.com
A God in Ruins provides a companion to Atkinson's best-selling Life After Life, in a fashion: but
don't expect the same focus on reincarnated life that drove its predecessor; for this sequel is about
war and recovery and is a sequel primarily in its focus on one of the characters, Teddy, who is
Ursula's little brother. It stands well alone as it tells of the world through Teddy's eyes as he
moves from a military fighter to becoming a father, husband, and grandfather and moves through
his changing world. Readers who enjoyed the life changes and perspectives of Life After Life
will find A God in Ruins doesn't employ the same device but does succeed in fleshing out the
perspective and story of Teddy quite nicely, making it a winning novel for those who would
experience life's changes through one character's perspective and evolving world.
The Political Science Shelf
Treason: Nixon and the 1968 Election
Don Fulsom
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455619498 $32.95 www.pelicanpub.com
Don Fulsom (former White House correspondent and a Washington bureau chief of United Press
International) presents Treason: Nixon and the 1968 Election, a stinging indictment of Richard
Nixon's allegedly criminal actions leading up to the 1968 presidential election. The Watergate
scandal that ultimately forced President Nixon's resignation is well-known, but Treason makes an
even more severe claim - that Nixon sabotaged 1968 Paris peace talks and prolonged the
Vietnam War, specifically to ensure his own election. (Nixon curried public favor with the
promise that he would extricate America from the increasingly unpopular Vietnam War, a
political tactic that would have been rendered moot had the war concluded early). If true, these
allegations imply that Nixon has the blood of two nations on his hands. Fulsom meticulously
constructs his case against Nixon, drawing upon recently declassified documents as well as his
own personal experience covering the 1968 election and Nixon's presidency. Shocking,
eye-opening, and disturbing, Treason: Nixon and the 1968 Election is a "must-read".
Clinton Cash
Peter Schweizer
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062369284, $27.99, www.harpercollins.com
Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped
Make Bill and Hillary Rich tells of how the Clintons left the White House owing millions in
legal debt - and how they have earned over, $130 million since. Most assume this largess comes
from book deals and speaking engagements - but many will be surprised to discover that many of
these gigs paid up to, $750,000. Why, and who paid these fees? Schweizer reveals the special
interests at work in these events, discussing various scenarios of enormous contributions made to
the Clintons by those who stood to benefit from them. As an eye-opening story of politics gone
awry, it will provide food for thought not just into the Clintons, but into the process of political
gifting and a reward system with dubious ethical connections.
Constitutional Calculus
Jeff Suzuki
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421415956, $34.95, www.press.jhu.edu
Constitutional Calculus: The Math of Justice and the Myth of Common Sense considers what
would happen if we replaced the electoral college with a direct popular vote, and analyzes the
social and political impact of such a move. Mathematician Jeff Suzuki maintains that the popular
ideal of letting common sense prevail actually is not a good foundation for change, arguing that
common sense based traditions developed in quite a different world might not apply today. His
book considers how math reveals flaws, provides answers, and offers more concrete insights,
promoting the idea that math offers a superior decision-making foundation than common sense
could provide. The result is a powerful survey that is a 'must' for any political science reader.
The Social Issues Shelf
The Silencing
Kirsten Powers
Regnery Publishing
300 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781621573708, $27.99, www.regnery.com
The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech details the left's tactics of shutting down
debates on modern issues - despite the thought that it's the right who tends to do the same - and
comes from a lifelong liberal, not a right-wing Republican - so it holds much food for thought.
Powers identifies the "illiberal left" and its mission of silencing dissent, exploring how opinions
are delegitimized and how rhetoric substitutes for real debate in the political arena. If this book
had come from a right-wing Republican, it might be less intriguing: the fact that lifelong
self-proclaimed liberal Powers makes a case for problems in liberal thinking makes this
especially intriguing and accessible for any who would examine the liberal mindset and its
problems.
The Education Shelf
The Great Disconnect in Early Childhood Education
Michael Gramling
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605543994, $24.95, www.redleafpress.org
The Great Disconnect in Early Childhood Education presents a new approach for early childhood
educators who may know much about how children learn, but less about how that connects to
classroom choices. With a system that advocates rote learning, young children are less
encouraged to use play and exploration as learning devices: this book identifies the problems,
provides a history of how this educational focus came to be, and, most importantly, uses real-life
examines to show how to improve communication with young children. Highly recommended.
Teaching Arguments
Jennifer Fletcher
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571109996, $26.00, www.stenhouse.com
Teaching Arguments: Rhetorical Comprehension, Critique, and Response provides teachers with
classroom activities, writing prompts, and student samples to help students learn how to write,
read and think rhetorically, and is a recommendation for teachers looking to help students
analyze texts to form persuasive arguments and debates. It outlines the basics of the rhetorical
approach to argument which can apply from high school into college and, in many cases, to life's
challenges. The process involves evaluation, assessment, understanding audience and speech
dynamics, and written word alike, and is a powerful survey for any teacher seeking to help
students hone their analytical abilities.
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com
Margery B. Ginsberg's Excited to Learn: Motivation and Culturally Responsive Teaching
(9781452259536, $32.95) helps teachers to identify and form teaching methods around natural
curiosity, creating a learning environment that takes curriculum and tailors it to a
research-validated model to foster inspiration, motivation, and insight. Templates, protocols, and
directions provide keys to handling culturally diverse classrooms and introduces the concept of a
motivational framework to teachers who may not have had this background. The specific
strategies can easily apply to different subjects and approaches. The result is a solid guide for any
teacher looking to instill excitement into the learning process. Lee Jenkins' Optimize Your
School: It's All About the Strategy (9781483382890, $34.95) is for school leaders looking for
concrete methods of analyzing whether or not a school is heading in the right direction, and
comes from a school advisor who has worked with different districts in the process of
transforming school culture. Each chapter reviews strategies, offers insights on the evaluative and
leadership process, and shows how to apply basic principles of continuous strategic improvement
to the achievement of a healthier school culture. Russell J. Quaglia, et.al.'s Student Voice: Turn
Up the Volume K-8 Activity Book (9781483382784, $25.00) provides activities for inspiring and
involving students at this grade level and offers teachers ideas designed to help students achieve
on a different level than the usual classroom approaches have traditionally offered. By organizing
content around activities that support self-expression, create values, reinforce dreams and
encourage student engagement, as well as keeping with the intentions of Common Core, 21st
Century Skills, Student Voice: Turn Up the Volume K-8 Activity Book provides a rich and
varied resource teachers will appreciate. Chris McGaughy and Andrea Venezia's Supporting the
Dream: High School-College Partnerships for College and Career Readiness (9781483316819,
$28.95) discusses how to build strong working relationships for high school graduates who want
to succeed, and teaches the basics of creating cross-system partnerships among schools and local
communities to help educators support their forthcoming high school grads. From connecting
policies and practices so that these cross-partnership efforts work smoothly together to building
plans to assure success whether it be in the workplace or in college, this manual offers educators
an opportunity to use a systematic framework to guide students through this critical phase in their
lives. Dionne V. McLaughlin's Insights: How Expert Principals Make Difficult Decisions
(9781483351193, $22.00) shows principals how to tackle hard decisions by providing case
studies of actual situations faced in the real world. From checklists and frameworks for handling
difficult situations to keeping professional values in mind when crafting solutions, this survey
comes from a former elementary and secondary school administrator and blends research-based
strategies with an analysis for school principals that doesn't just tackle unique situations, but
provides a solid problem-solving formula for success.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Complete Book of Aquarian Magic
Marian Green
Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781578635832 $18.95 www.redwheelweiser.com
The Complete Book of Aquarian Magic reprints two classic guides for modern witches under a
single cover, "Magic for the Aquarian Age" and "Experiments in Aquarian Magic". Offering
techniques for practicing magical arts, exercises designed to stimulate one's senses, information
about vision journeys or creating a magic temple, and more, The Complete Book of Aquarian
Magic lives up to its title. "To use the Sun directly as a healing force requires little in the way of
equipment or preparation. If you are unwell yourself, then merely sitting relaxed in a sheltered
spot, and imagining the light from the sky shining through you in brilliant white-gold rays,
driving out the darkness of disease, bringing relief from pain or stiffness, can be sufficient to get
your own inner healing processes going." A "must-have" for metaphysical collections with a
focus on the practice of magic.
Drawing Down the Moon, revised edition
Margot Adler
Penguin Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780143038191, $21.00, 672pp, www.amazon.com
This new Penguin Books edition of "Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids,
Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America" by Margot Adler is a fully revised and
classic study of Neo-Paganism. Almost thirty years since its original publication, "Drawing
Down the Moon" continues to be the only detailed history of the burgeoning but still widely
misunderstood Neo- Pagan subculture. Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a
diverse, colorful gallery of people across the United States, people who find inspiration in
ancient deities, nature, myth, even science fiction. This newly revised and expanded edition of
"Drawing Down the Moon" features an updated resource guide of newsletters, journals, books,
groups, and festivals. Comprehensive, impressively written, organized and presented, Margot
Adler's "Drawing Down the Moon" takes a fascinating and honest look at the religious
experiences, beliefs, and lifestyles of modern America's Pagan groups. Very highly
recommended for community and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be
noted that for personal reading lists, "Drawing Down the Moon" is also available in a Kindle
edition ($14.99).
The Afterlife Healing Circle
Candace L. Talmadge and Jana L. Simons
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601633736, $14.99, www.newpagebooks.com
The Afterlife Healing Circle: How Anyone Can Contact the Other Side describes a practice that
will enable not just reconnections with the other side, but newfound guidance for afterlife
awareness. It discusses various methods for contacting the dearly departed and understanding
those who have either passed on or are being reborn, and it discusses how to contact these spirits.
One of the most interesting contentions here is a belief that "...if more of us were in conscious
and frequent communication with our guides, there would be a lot fewer instances of hauntings,
diabolic home invasions, and even possession, all of which are far more common than the media
or religious authorities care to admit." This, and its focus on how ordinary people can make
contact and enjoy healing as a result, makes for a unique and involving survey.
Way of the Bushman As Told By the Tribal Elders
Bradford Keeney, PhD and Hillary Keeney, PhD
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591432050, $18.00, www.bearandcompanybooks.com
Way of the Bushman As Told By the Tribal Elders: Spiritual Teachings and Practices of the
Kalahari Jul'hoansi is told in the Bushman's own words and provides a series of insightful
teachings on how they receive direct transmissions of God's words through the universal life
force. Such is an inspired feeling of love that lends to heightened awareness, mystical
experiences, and newfound perceptions of the world that awaken spiritual wisdom, and may be
inherent in legends as well as teachings and experiences. This focus on the Bushmen of the
Kahahari gathers the core teachings of the tribal elders and uses their own words to reveal these
processes, making for a coverage that is precise and purposeful in its discussions.
Manual of Psychomagic
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620551073, $19.95, www.innertraditions.com
Manual of Psychomagic: The Practice of Shamanic Psychotherapy blends spirituality, new age
concerns and psychology as it considers the unconscious mind, rational thought, and how to
reach into the unconscious using dreams, poetry, and symbolism to overcome repressed
memories and emotions. Psychomagic spells here come from the filmmaker and creator of
psychomagic, who provides some 200 solutions for a range of psychological and physical
problems from stuttering to eczema and more. Solutions use emotional connections to inject
symbolism that enables one to pay the psychological debts that have become barriers to real
understanding. Readers should ideally be grounded in psychology and new age spiritual thinking
to appreciate his unique approach.
The Botany Shelf
Famous Trees of Texas
Gretchen Riley and Peter D. Smith
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
9781623492380, $35.00, www.tamupress.com
The centennial edition of Famous Trees of Texas traces the history and horticulture of some of
the state's famous trees, appears in a centennial edition, and celebrates all kinds of tree and state
history in the process of appearing in the hundredth anniversary of the Texas Forest Service.
Over a hundred trees are featured and provide a range of stories and insights into trees in general,
Texas history and culture, and tree history and relationships particular to Texas. The result is a
lively read that will interest two audiences: those with an appreciation for Texas history and
those interested in Texas forestry and trees.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
The Making of Major League
Jonathan Knight, author
Charlie Sheen, foreword
Gray & Company, Publishers
1588 E. 40th St., Cleveland, OH 44103
www.grayco.com
9781938441646 $15.95 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com
Sports author Jonathan Knight presents The Making of Major League is an ever-so-slightly
inside look into the popular baseball comedy movie. Based on interviews with all the major
actors plus crew and producers, The Making of Major League is a story of writer/director David
S. Ward's efforts to bring his vision to life. Amusing anecdotes pepper the pages throughout.
"'The hardest thing Wesley had to do was slide,' Yeager says. 'We must've run that take of him
sliding into home plate about four or five times. He had a big strawberry on the side of his hip.
Once you slide and you get a strawberry on your side, you don't want to slide there anymore.'"
Enthusiastically recommended especially for fans of the movie, and also for those who enjoy
behind-the-scenes sagas.
life.love.beauty
Keegan Allen
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9781250065704, $29.99, www.stmartins.com
life.love.beauty comes from an actor, photographer, and musician who is known from the hit
show 'Pretty Little Liars', who here uses camera and written word to explore his personal
experiences with Hollywood and its inhabitants. It uses his photography, prose and poetry to
capture his life growing up just off the Sunset Strip, becoming a young actor, looking for love
and fame in Hollywood, and landing a major role in a hit television series, but provides just as
powerful a documentary of his course through life. The result is a blend of memoir and
Hollywood insider's expose and will delight any who are followers of the sights, sounds, and
magic that is Hollywood.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
House Guests
Richard Jones
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781472906236, $28.00, www.bloomsbury.com
House Guests: A Natural History of Animals in the Home covers a number of domestic animals,
pets and pets and focuses on how animals live in the home environment. It includes bats in the
attic, cellar denizens, moths, mosquitoes, and various beetles and louses and it includes pest
control efforts, a history of homes and invaders, and more. While the tone is lively, the book is
loaded with natural history and facts, making it a fine acquisition for science, nature, and
general-interest collections alike.
The Fashion Shelf
Fifty Fashion Designers That Changed the World
The Design Museum & Lauren Cochrane
Conran
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781840916812, $20.00, www.octopusbooksusa.com
Fifty Fashion Designers That Changed the World provides a new title in the Design Museum
Fifty series published in conjunction with London's Design Museum, and follows on the success
of other 'Fifty' arts titles covering significant people and events in international design. This book
traces the works of a number of pioneers, examining their influences, creations, and their lasting
impact on fashion as a whole. Full-page color photos of models and designers accompany a
facing page that places their works and approach in historical perspective, making for a visually
inviting introduction perfect for newcomers to design and those who want a solid historical
survey.
The Travel Shelf
Outdoors with Kids: Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont
Ethan Hipple & Yemaya St. Clair
Appalachian Mountain Club Books
Five Joy Street, Boston, MA 02108-1490
www.kids.outdoors.org
9781628420036 $18.95 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com
Outdoors with Kids: Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont is a user-friendly travel guide
featuring hiking, paddling, biking, and camping trips the whole family can enjoy together.
Included are maps, directions, GPS coordinates, and highlights for 75 outdoor destinations in the
titular states, as well as safety tips, activity ideas, educational essays, and an at-a-glance trip
planner for selecting the ideal excursion. Highly recommended for any family in the area eager to
embark on outdoor adventure!
The Best of Rocky Mountain National Park
Alan Leftridge
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
9781560376354 $19.95 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.farcountrypress.com
Enhanced with 168 color photographs and 8 locator maps, The Best of Rocky Mountain National
Park lives up to its title as a guide to beautiful waterfalls, unforgettable hikes, scenic drives,
fishing opportunities, and places to view wildlife in its natural habitat. There are even
suggestions for the best available activities should the weather turn rainy or snowy! Accessible
and user-friendly, The Best of Rocky Mountain National Park will provide to joy to prospective
vacationers and armchair travelers alike.
Road Trip USA
Jamie Jensen
Moon Handbooks
c/o Avalon Travel
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781612389028, $29.99, www.roadtripusa.com
Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways covers over
35,000 miles of routes and cross-references the routes to allow for numerous itineraries and
possibilities, making for an approach that goes beyond the usual documentation of roads and
byroads to create a rich traveler's compendium of road trip ideas. The page color coding, small
maps, color photos throughout, and sidebars of information all lend to browsing and quick
review, but it's the format that offers unique opportunities to customize, change, or revise routes.
It's hard to put together a road trip guide that lends to browsing and at-a-glance information alike,
but the style and approach of Road Trip USA accomplishes both and makes it a take-along 'must'
for any American road traveler.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Knitbook: The Basics and Beyond
Landauer Corporation
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726715 $16.95 www.landauercorp.com
Illustrated in full color throughout, with both photography and helpful diagrams, Knitbook: The
Basics and Beyond lives up to its title as a step-by-step guide filled with reader-friendly
instructions and projects ideals for practicing one's skills. A wealth of tips, tricks, techniques, and
a visual guide to a variety of stitch patterns make Knitbook a useful resource for intermediate to
advanced knitters as well. Chapters cover everything from basic stitches to learning how to read a
pattern, and techniques for adding embellishments to completed knitting projects. A superb
needlecrafting resource!
Stylish Party Dresses
Yoshiko Tsukiori, author
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759
9784805313664, $16.95, www.tuttlepublishing.com
"Stylish Party Dresses: 26 Easy and Inexpensive Sew-It-Yourself Dresses for that Special
Occasion" is a fabulous collection of elegant but simply designed dresses, tops and skirts, boleros
and other stunning stylish designer wear for young women. The paper back book includes
carefully illustrated step by step instructions for sewing 26 different creations, along with
dual-side printed patterns for Misses sizes 4-14. In addition to patterns and illustrated
instructions, "Stylish Party Dresses" includes over 28 pages of photos of projects, quietly
showcasing color portraits of finished dresses beautifully realized, displayed, and modeled. These
are carefully photographed against artistic contrasting backgrounds that set off the dress and
model to maximum advantage. Hints as to types of fabrics to select and special sewer's tips are
also featured in instructions for each design pattern. A pattern envelope attached to the back page
explains that the enclosed four pattern sheets are 2-sided, and that pattern pieces for a given
project could be scattered over several sheets. The author's designs are characterized by
simplicity, fresh style, and elegant detail. A stunning combination of fabric choice, simplicity of
design, and enticing details add up to dazzling fashion combinations on page after page. The
instructions and illustrations are simple and straightforward and easily accessible to seamstresses
of intermediate to experienced sewing skills. The young designer/author has excellent presence
of vision evident in each of her creations, made available to creative, inquiring seamstresses with
an eye for economy of pattern price. Included are materials for 26 projects in misses sizes 4, 6, 8,
10, 12, and 14.
New Methods For Crochet Socks
Rohn Strong
Annie's
P.O. Box 8000, Big Sandy, TX 75755
www.anniescatalog.com
9781573677714, $9.99, www.amazon.com
Annie's is a premier publisher of needlecraft books in general, and project books for crochet
enthusiasts in particular. In "New Methods For Crochet Socks", crochet expert Rohyn Strong has
assembled 12 patterns all using Premier Yarns Deborah Norville Serenity Sock and Serenity
Garden Sock yarns. Even someone who has never crocheted socks before could pick up this 40
page instruction guide and easily be making socks the same day! A variety of techniques such as
lace, colorwork, Tunisian and cables are used to present a collection of beautiful and functional
designs. Instructions include tips for working socks with different stitch patterns, sizing the socks
and getting the correct gauge. There are a variety of heel and toe patterns that can be used
interchangeably. All patterns are sized and designed for women. Very highly recommended for
personal and community library needlecraft collections, it should be noted that "New Methods
For Crochet Socks" is also available in a Kindle edition. ($7.99) Also very highly recommended
and thoroughly 'user friendly', are two other outstanding new crochet titles from Annie's: "Caring
Crochet" (9781573677707, $8.99 PB, $6.99 Kindle, 48pp) and "A Crochet Christmas"
(9781573677530, $9.99 PB, $7.99 Kindle, 64pp).
Applique: The Basics & Beyond
Janet Pittman
Landauer Publishing
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726623, $24.95, www.landauerpub.com
Applique: The Basics & Beyond provides a guide to machine and hand techniques alike, and
packs in over a hundred forty pages of visuals perfect for beginners and those who are looking to
learn new techniques. It builds on basics and uses hundreds of step-by-step photos to explain the
various machine and hand techniques, and it details stitching instructions, tells when to use
different techniques, and includes projects so that users can test their newfound skills. The result
is a collection of patterns, projects, and instructions perfect for those who want to either learn the
basics or build on what they have.
The Biography Shelf
Memoirs of Lieut.-General Winfield Scott
Edited by Timothy D. Johnson
The University of Tennessee Press
110 Conference Center UT, Knoxville, TN 37996
9781621901631 $59.95 www.utpress.org
Memoirs of Lieut.-General Winfield Scott was originally published in 1864, two years before
Scott's death; now both volumes are gathered underneath a single cover with over 65 pages of
editor's notes, a bibliography, and an index. Today, Scott is relatively little-known except as the
aged, ill commander that George McClellan replaced at the beginning of the Civil War. Yet
Scott's military career is extensive, with a profound and lasting legacy. His actions of note
include leading one of the brilliant campaigns of his time during the Mexican-American War;
mentoring the generation of officers who would clash in the Civil War including Generals Grant,
Lee, Longstreet, Beauregard, Jackson, and Meade; drafting the first set of regulations to govern
the army; and advocating for the professionalization of the U.S. officer corps. An eye-opening
testimony that covers historic events ranging from the 1804 duel between Aaron Burr and
Alexander Hamilton to the close of the Civil War, Memoirs of Lieut.-General Winfield Scott is a
"must-have" for public and college library biography collections.
Nurse, Come You Here!
Mary J. MacLeod
Arcade Publishing
www.arcadepub.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
9781628725360 $24.99 hc / $13.99 Kindle www.skyhorsepublishing.com
Nurse, Come You Here! More True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle continues the
true-life story of author Mary J. MacLeod who, in the late sixties, left London with her husband
in search of an idyllic place to raise their children. They settled in the island of Papavray in the
Scottish Hebrides, and Mary J. became the district nurse. Nurse, Come You Here! is not only
about medical travails and emergencies, but also stories of friendship formed with steadfast
people, children lost and found, farm animals that wander a little too far, and rumors of a ghostly
apparition whispering a hidden secret. Extraordinary, heartwarming, and at times a little bit
tragic, Nurse, Come You Here! captures the essence of a rugged, close-knit rural community.
Also highly recommended is MacLeod's previous collection of true-life stories, "Call the
Nurse".
Pardon My Hearse
Allan Abbott & Greg Abbott
Craven Street Books
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
9781610352482 $16.95 CravenStreetBooks.com
Pardon My Hearse is the eyebrow-raising memoir of Allan Abbott, who ran the leading
Hollywood mortuary for decades and served as the funeral director of Hollywood stars. His
unexpectedly humorous life story tells of his rise from a young man with a Hearse to the go-to
celebrity undertaker. Glib true stories of mishaps with corpses, meetings with celebrities in
mourning, and even clashes with outright criminals - such as crematorium operator David
Sconce, who ordered an attack on Abbott's business partner to cover up Sconce's criminal
mishandling of human remains. A handful of black-and-white photographs enhance this at times
tongue-in-cheek, at times somewhat gruesome (removing corpses from the wake of horrific
disasters like the 1971 Sylmar earthquake is never a pretty task), yet constantly fascinating
tell-all.
The Obelisk and the Englishman
Dorothy U. Seyler
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633880368, $26.00, www.prometheusbooks.com
The Obelisk and the Englishman: The Pioneering Discoveries of Egyptologist William Bankes
tells of a pioneer in Egyptian studies who discovered the King List - a call listing Egyptian kings
in chronological order - and uncovered an obelisk which he had sent back to England. Despite
the fact that he was the first European to make sketches and site plans of Petra and more, his
name has largely gone unheralded outside of the field, and this rich book covering his life,
influences, and times will appeal to a wide range of audiences, covering his homosexuality,
persecution, his travels and love of the arts, and his key contributions to Egyptian research. It's a
powerful survey, highly recommended for history and general-interest readers alike.
John Mullan
Keith C. Petersen
Washington State University Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
9780874223217, $32.95, www.wsupress.wsu.edu
John Mullan: The Tumultuous Life of a Western Road Builder discusses the man responsible for
a 625-mile link that connected the Missouri and Columbia Rivers: a West Point graduate who
completed the Northwest's first engineered highway at age thirty-two. When he died twenty-five
years later, he saw automobiles making crossings along his route, which would become a link in
America's longest interstate freeway, I-90. Much has been said about this road but the
soldier/explorer who built one of the West's most important byways has all but vanished from
history - until now. This represents the first in-depth survey of his life and provides a biography
that should be in any Northwest history collection. From Mullan's knack for logistics to his
participation in bridge-planning and road building, this biography not only considers his life; but
in so doing traces how he participated in the development of the Pacific Northwest.
Henry David Thoreau
Tim Flinders, Editor
Orbis Books
Price Building, Box 302, Maryknoll NY 10545-0302
9781626981102, $22.00, www.orbisbooks.com
Henry David Thoreau: Spiritual and Prophetic Writings is a biography that embraces a healthy
dose of spiritual and philosophical reflection as it gathers classic writings in an anthology which
gives a narrowed focus on his prophetic works from his journeys, correspondence, and more.
From Thoreau's cultivation of privacy so he can tap his spiritual roots and writings more
effectively to getting a living and living life well, these works are powerful reflections of
Thoreau's evolution and his spiritual sentiments, and are a top pick for any collection seeking a
wider-ranging gathering of his more spiritual thoughts.
The Art Shelf
Edward Gorey: His Book Cover Art and Design
Edward Gorey
Pomegranate Communications, Inc.
19018 NE Portal Way, Portland, OR 97230
www.pomegranate.com
9780764971471, $40.00, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Edward St. John Gorey (February 22, 1925 - April 15, 2000) was an American writer and artist
noted for his illustrated books. His characteristic pen-and-ink drawings often depict vaguely
unsettling narrative scenes in Victorian and Edwardian settings. "Edward Gorey: His Book Cover
Art and Design" is a 128 page compendium showcasing Gorey's distinctive artwork. Enhanced
with the inclusion of an informed and informative essay by Steven Heller (Co-Chair of the
School of Visual Arts MFA Design / Designer as Author + Entrepreneur Program), "Edward
Gorey: His Book Cover Art and Design" is very highly recommended for community and
academic library 20th Century American Artist reference collections -- as well as an inherently
fascinating browse and a "must" for the legions of Edward Gorey enthusiasts.
The Art of Forgery
Noah Charney
Phaidon Press
Regent's Wharf, All Saints Street, London, England, N1 9PA
9780714867458, $35.00, www.phaidon.com
The Art of Forgery: The Minds, Motives and Methods of Master Forgers details the efforts and
history of art forgery from early to modern times, and considers the talent, subterfuge, and efforts
that go into forging a piece of art, and the forensic science and investigations of exposing these
works. It considers psychological profiles of the forgers who have faked great art pieces and
conned the public, it examines their motivations and methods, and it uses 30 case studies,
accompanied by many full- and half-page photo illustrations throughout, to explore the history
and works of master forgers. The result is a fine survey of fakes, originals, and forgery that even
moves into realm of archaeology and beyond: a masterful and lively chronicle that belongs in not
only art, but general interest libraries.
The Gaming Shelf
The Basics Of Winning Roulette
J. Edward Allen
Cardoza Publishing
808 South Main Street, Las Vegas, NV 89108-6404
www.cardozapub.com
9781580423328, $4.95, 64pp, www.amazon.com
"The Basics Of Winning Roulette" by J. Edward Allen is specifically designed for novice players
who want to learn how to play and win at one of the most popular casino games. "The Basics Of
Winning Roulette" is a great primer that can be easily read with full comprehension in just one
quick setting. "The Basics Of Winning Roulette" shows how to make every one of the 150
possible bets with informative illustrations accompanying every explanations. "The Basics Of
Winning Roulette" also explains betting systems, money management, and payoffs. Both
American and European rules and strategies are addressed. Enhanced with the inclusion of a
Glossary and very highly recommended, "The Basics Of Winning Roulette" will prove to be the
wisest investment any roulette player could ever make. It should be noted that "The Basics Of
Winning Roulette" is also available in an inexpensive Kindle edition ($0.99).
100 Best Solitaire Games
Sloane Lee & Gabriel Packard
Cardoza Publishing
808 South Main Street, Las Vegas, NV 89108-6404
9781580423267, $9.95, www.cardozapub.com
The collaboration of Sloane Lee and Gabriel Packard (two life long solitaire players), this new
188 page edition of "100 Best Solitaire Games" showcases one of the most popular ways to kill
time. Replete with examples, diagrams, illustrations and strategies keep the writing lively, while
showing readers all sorts of fun ways to enjoy their favorite game, "100 Best Solitaire Games"
presents variations that range from straight-ahead solitaire to two-player games. "100 Best
Solitaire Games" offers all manner of fantastic solitaire games including the classic ones, the new
ones, those that require a lot of strategy, as well as the just plain fun ones. And because solitaire
is perfect for playing when on the road, the chapter on travel solitaire is essential. "100 Best
Solitaire Games" is very highly recommended for personal and community library Games &
Gaming collections. It should be noted that "100 Best Solitaire Games" is also available in a
Kindle edition ($4.99).
The Poetry Shelf
Out of the Depths
Edited by Susan Deborah King
Holy Cow! Press
PO Box 3170, Mount Royal Station, Duluth, Minnesota 55803
www.holycowpress.org
9780985981877 $18.00 www.amazon.com
A project of the Poverty Initiative of the Union Theological Seminary in New York City, Out of
the Depths: Poetry of Poverty, Courage and Resilience is an anthology of over 100 poems by
numerous authors. Some are well-known poets, such as Martin Espada and Marilyn Nelson;
others are emerging or debut poets. The poems speak of firsthand experience with poverty, the
unjustified shame and stigma placed upon the poor, and the will to face life's most crushing
challenges. Highly recommended. "Street Wise: No rocking chair. / No grandchildren begging
for stories. / No tea from a china cup. // Shivering, she pulls her / tattered coat closer to her. //
Leaning over the grate, trying / to glean a little of its warmth. // Pulling newspaper from her bag /
she wraps her feet, setting in for the night. // Slipping into sleep, she pushes memories of better
times away / lets the numbness set in."
O'Nights
Cecily Parks
Alice James Books
114 Prescott Street, Farmington, ME 04938
www.alicejamesbooks.org
9781938584114, $15.95, 100pp, www.amazon.com
'The Forest for the Trees': I believe it's all this pollen that dizzies me. / I chance and re-chance
upon / the stalks of wild asparagus, the crimson / rhubarb, the fern splayed into / the cow road's
mucik. / Is it my eye of sundown pin-tucking the ravine? // I believe my panting / leaves wet
blossoms / on the branches of this one tree. / Willing my mouth to press against elm / and
ironwood, I have inklings of missing / but not of what I should miss. / Solitude is like this, a
distance I walk toward / but never into. / Strings of spit testify to the bark I've kissed. "Cecily
Parks" is a showcase anthology of Cecily Parks' beautiful poems. In her free verse imagery, she
deftly touches upon intensely personal as well as natural and metaphysical themes. In O'Nights,
Cecily Parks constructs stunning manifestations of a modern Thoreauvian wilderness,
investigating how the natural world gives shape to the self, body, and emotions. These lyrical,
transcendental poems study the duality of nature's feminine and masculine identities, and in its
simplicity, offers a space where humankind truly belongs. "O'Nights" is very highly
recommended for personal, community, and academic library Contemporary Poetry collections.
For personal reading lists it should be noted that "O'Nights" is also available in a Kindle edition
($9.99).
The Divorce Shelf
The Divorce Guide
Gerian Rose
www.gerianrose.com
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.thedivorceguide.net
9781504331432 $11.99 www.balboapress.com
The Divorce Guide: Overcoming the Eight Fears of the Divorce Process and Preserving Joy is a
resource written especially for people who are undergoing this difficult process. The emphasis
here is on learning to cope with the eight most common fears that people have during a divorce,
with practical advice for daily life, relationships, and one's own psychological well-being. Legal
and financial ramifications are included, although The Divorce Guide cannot substitute for the
personal counsel of a trained attorney or financial professional. The eight common divorce issues
covered are "Financial Loss", "Children's Distress/Loss of Closeness", "Loneliness", "Loss of
Physical, Mental, Emotional Health", "Routine or Schedule Change Hardships", "Legal Actions
and Accusations", "Loss of Friends", and "Self-doubt - Making Wrong Decisions". The Divorce
Guide addresses divorce from a spiritual well as well as practical perspective, but is written to
help readers of all faiths and religious backgrounds. Highly recommended.
The Economic Studies Shelf
End Unemployment Now
Dr. Ravi Batra
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
9781137280077 $28.00 www.palgrave-usa.com
New York Times author Dr. Ravi Batra (Professor of Economics, Southern Methodist
University) presents End Unemployment Now: How to Eliminate Joblessness, Debt, and Poverty
Despite Congress, a call to action filled with remedies for America's unemployment woes. Batra
analyzes and explains in plain terms what he views as the key drivers of American
unemployment: rampant business mergers and consolidation, staggering trade deficits, artificially
inflated oil prices, rock-bottom interest rates that hurt pensioners and retirees (forcing them to cut
back and spending), and the simple economic reality that if productivity increases while wages
do not, then the supply of goods or services outstrips demand. Proposed bromides include
banning mergers between large, profitable firms (which reduces competition and almost always
results in layoffs), setting up federal businesses to compete in undercompetitive sectors (such as
establishing a federal bank that gives loans at much lower rates than the outrageously high rates
of most credit cards), taking steps to lower oil prices (which Batra contends are propped
artificially high through oligarchical industry actions), offering government-issue bonds with a
set, stable interest rate to pensioners whose incomes have evaporated as interest rates have fallen,
and more. Whether or not one agrees with all of Batra's suggested solutions, his thoughtful
analysis of the problem and ways to fight it without increasing government debt is well worth
extended study. Highly recommended.
The Business Shelf
The Inventor's Complete Handbook
James L. Cairns
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
www.atlantic-pub.com
9781620230183, $19.95, www.amazon.com
In his basic 288 page instruction guide, "The Inventor's Complete Handbook: How to Develop,
Patent, and Commercialize Your Ideas", author James L. Cairns draws upon his more than fifty
years of experience and expertise as an inventor and holder of over sixty U.S. patents to provide
aspiring inventors to originate, develop and benefit from their ideas. "The Inventor's Complete
Handbook" comprehensively covers the entire inventing process starting with a creating and
developing a sound idea. "The Inventor's Complete Handbook" then directs the reader through
the uses of visualization and the importance of planning for all contingencies before ever
investing capital. "The Inventor's Complete Handbook" also shows how to protect the creation of
a new invention by filing a patent. All the information about this multi-faceted process, from
design patents to international patents, is laid out in an easy-to-follow format rigorously proofed
by several lawyers. As informed and informative as it is practical and 'user friendly', "The
Inventor's Complete Handbook" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and
academic library reference collections.
Customer Service DNA
Curtis Hill and Erik Alberts with Richard L. Godfrey
Plain Sight Publishing
c/o Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
9781462116287 $14.99 www.cedarfort.com
A trio of experts draw upon their extensive history of working with Fortune 500 companies to
create award-winning customer service in Customer Service DNA: Building Blocks That Drive
Customer Loyalty, a no-nonsense guide to improving customer service efficiency and
effectiveness. The core theory emphasizes three key aspects: relationships rather than
transactions; principles rather than processes; and learning rather than repair. The goal is to
create "evolutionary" customer service that can adapt to variable needs. "Recognizing how costly
a misfire can be, an entire industry has grown around explaining, teaching, training, and tracking
cultural sensitivity and practice. Business travelers learn never to cross their legs, thus exposing
the soles of their feet, in Middle Eastern or many Asian cultures. Hand gestures, such as the
ubiquitous OK sign (used in the Americas and much of western Europe) can, in southern
European and Mediterranean environments become anything but OK. In these and many other
examples, the goal is simple but twofold. First, avoid offence. Second (and this is much less
focused on or taught), show respect." A superb guide for customer service personnel at all
hierarchical levels, Customer Service DNA is highly recommended.
The Homeowner's Shelf
How to Solar Power Your Home, second edition
Martha Maeda
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781620230060 $14.99 www.atlantic-pub.com
Now in an updated second edition, How to Solar Power Your Home: Everything You Need to
Know Explained Simply is a how-to guide to the process of installing and using a solar power for
one's home. Chapters discuss how to determine whether solar power is suitable for one's needs,
ways of making one's home more energy efficient, the pros and cons of doing it oneself versus
hiring a contractor, selecting components for a solar electricity system, rebates/subsidies/tax
credits/loans to help support the project, regular maintenance of a solar-powered system, and
much more. A wealth of online resources, a glossary, and an index round out this "must-have"
for anyone seriously considering solar powered infrastructure for home use.
The Journalism Shelf
Rich Media, Poor Democracy
Robert W. McChesney
The New Press
126 Wall Street, floor 31, New York, NY 10005-4007
9781565849754 $22.95 www.thenewpress.com
Now with a new preface by award-winning author Robert W. McChesney (Gutgsell Endowed
Professor, Dept. of Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Rich
Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious Times is an alarming warning
about the dire consequences of increased media centralization. A free and open press is a
cornerstone of democracy, but when a few conglomerates dominate all the media channels, the
invaluable work of muckrakers and investigative journalists is potentially compromised. How
can corporate-political corruption be exposed or combated when the media is itself controlled by
an oligarchy of gigantic corporations? Even America's internet has been subject to the
dominating influence of a handful of providers - AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, and their
well-funded lobbyists. Rich Media, Poor Democracy highlights how America's need for an
independent, uncensored media is greater than ever! Also highly recommended is McChesney's
social issues call-to-arms "Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against
Democracy" (9781595588913, $18.95), a warning about how the Internet in America has been
heavily and harmfully shaped by private commercial interests.
The Large Print Shelf
Rebel Raiders
John Dyson
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444823547, $20.99, 234pp, www.amazon.com
A gang of former Confederate soldiers under the diabolical leadership of a former colonel is
robbing banks and killing their way across Kansas in the name of a soon to be re-risen Southern
Confederacy. Novice lawman Cass Clacy, himself a Texan, is sent out after them, but what
chance does he have of out gunning such experienced fighters? When Sheriff Jim Clarke joins
Cass in the chase, his main aim is a share of the reward. Together they penetrate deep into the
heart of the Indian Nations, where Cass falls under the spell of the lovely mountain girl Audrey --
but can he save her from the clutches of the dangerous Josiah Baines? Another terrific western
action/adventure novel form a master of the genre, this edition of "Rebel Raiders" by John Dyson
is very highly recommended for personal and community library Large Print collections.
The Women's Studies Shelf
Their Lives, Their Wills
Amy M. Porter
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896729322 $39.95 www.ttupress.org
Their Lives, Their Wills: Women in the Borderlands, 1750-1846 examines the last wills and
testaments of women who lived in the Spanish and Mexican colonial communities of Santa Fe,
El Paso, San Antonio, Saltillo, and San Esteban de Nueva Tlaxcala (in present-day northern
Mexico) during the 18th and 19th centuries. Censuses, inventories, court cases, and traveler's
accounts are also studied. These documents are invaluable historical primary sources, revealing
details about religion, family, economics, and material culture of the day. The wills reflect the
hardships and early death that beset frontier life, including the common occurrences of
widowhood and child mortality. Their Lives, Their Wills reaches beyond the more common
male-dominated histories of the region, revealing a land and a time where women served the
community as moneylenders, and that gender role divisions were sometimes more fluid than
might be presumed. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library world history
or women's studies collections.
The Criminology Shelf
The Clarke Gang
Peter C. Smith
Rosenberg Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR, 97213
9781925078480 $49.95 www.isbs.com
Enhanced with a handful of vintage black-and-white photographs, The Clarke Gang: Outlawed,
Outcast and Forgotten is the true story of the Clarke family gang of bushrangers (armed robbers
and outlaws who sought refuge in remote terrain). From 1865 to 1867, they terrorized an area of
Australia ranging from present-day Canberra to the coast. Their crimes included assault, robbery,
and murder, perpetrated against both police and civilians. Yet they had some sympathy and
support, amid a community accustomed to petty crime and horse stealing. The Clarke Gang
retraces the rise and fall of these outlaws, and also seeks to understand why they were nearly
forgotten with the turn of history while another bushranger, Ned Kelly, remains famous to this
day. A riveting saga of crime and punishment, The Clark Gang is enthusiastically recommended
for public library world history and criminology shelves.
The Mathematics Shelf
Great Calculations
Colin Pask
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633880283 $18.00 www.prometheusbooks.com
Great Calculations: A Surprising Look Behind 50 Scientific Inquiries is an extraordinary tour of
world-changing calculations by great scientists, such as Einstein's famous "E = mc^2". Great
Calculations is written especially to be accessible by readers who do not necessarily have more
than a basic understanding of algebra and geometry; there is also a little calculus, but Great
Calculations makes every effort to be reader-friendly. The amazing implications of what
mathematics can tell us about the universe, and how these discoveries changed human lives for
generations, make for utterly engrossing reading from cover to cover.
The Literary Studies Shelf
Saussure for Beginners
W. Terrence Gordon, author
Abbe Lubell, illustrator
For Beginners LLC
155 Main Street, Suite 211, Danbury, CT 06810
www.forbeginnersbooks.com
9781939994417 $15.95 pbk / $8.37 Kindle www.amazon.com
Saussure for Beginners is a lavishly illustrated introduction to the work of world-class linguist
and philosopher Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913), whose ideas opened new ways to
understand a vast array of academic disciplines, including anthropology, literary criticism, and
psychoanalysis. Saussure felt that 19th century linguistics was flawed, and did not do enough to
answer tough questions about what language is and how it works, so it set out to improve it. His
approach to the subject was visionary, yet he was so critical of his own work that he didn't write
it down; instead, his students posthumously compiled his teachings and published them as the
"Course in General Linguistics". Saussure for Beginners guides readers through the basics of "the
Course" including unifying principles, and a glimpse into how these ideas modified human
understanding of other subjects as well. What especially distinguishes this guide is the wealth of
black-and-white illustrations; virtually every page has artistic sketches and visual aids to help
break difficult concepts down into bite-sized pieces that readers of all backgrounds can readily
understand. Enthusiastically recommended, especially for school and public library linguistics or
literary studies shelves.
Approaches to Teaching Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, second edition
Edited by Peter W. Travis and Frank Grady
Modern Language Association
26 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10004-1789
9781603291415 $24.00 www.mla.org
The second edition of Approaches to Teaching Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is the successor to a
scholarly volume originally published in 1980. ("The Canterbury Tales" itself is an anthology of
verse and prose stories written at the end of the 14th century; the tales are presented as part of a
storytelling contest by a group of pilgrims. These stories have endured for generations due to
their wry rhetoric and influence on literature; they were especially notable at the time because
they were created vernacular English, not French or Latin.) Over the course of decades, Chaucer
scholarship has grown and changed, as have teaching styles. Approaches to Teaching Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales includes an incredible assembly of essays from a diversity of learned educators,
offering multiple perspectives on how to approach these classic poems. The first section,
"Materials", is a detailed review of available editions, scholarship, and audiovisual or electronic
resources suitable for studying "The Canterbury Tales". The second section, "Approaches",
consists of thirty-six essays about teaching strategies, focus on individual tales, and
recommendations for the use of digital resources in the classroom. A "must-have" for literary
scholars and college library collections.
The Archaeology Shelf
The Bones of a King
The Greyfriars Research Team with Maev Kennedy and Lin Foxhall
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com
9781118783146 $29.95 hc / $11.99 Kindle www.amazon.com
Written by the archaeological team that excavated and identified the remains of Richard III, a
medieval king from one of the most war-torn eras of Britain's history. The Bones of a King:
Richard III Rediscovered explores what archaeologists, geneticists, and historians learned about
the mysteries surrounding this storied monarch, including evidence of his diet, how he died, and
the known history leading up to his burial in the Grey Friars church. A handful of color plates
illustrate this scholarly yet utterly fascinating close study, highly recommended especially for
public and college library world history and archaeology shelves.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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