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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 17, Number 12 December 2007 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Environmental Studies Shelf Humor Shelf
Political Science Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Business Shelf
Mythology/Folklore Shelf Philosophy Shelf World History Shelf
Literary Shelf American History Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Education Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Science Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Comix/Gaphic Novel Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Architecture Shelf Civil War Shelf Psychology Shelf
Poetry Shelf Art Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Music Shelf Gardening Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Model Railroading Shelf
Gaming Shelf Military Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Computer Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Fiction Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Hobby Shelf Photography Shelf
Travel Shelf Interior Design Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Library Science Shelf Audiobook Shelf Economics Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Meditation Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Calendar Shelf Human Sexuality Shelf Biography Shelf
Martial Arts Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

DUI
Franklin Pierce
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
9781581606171, $10.00 www.paladin-press.com 1-800-392-2400

Drawing up his professional investigative, legal and accounting experience and expertise, Franklin Pierce carefully and meticulously researched complicated drunk driving laws in order to understand his constitutional rights and to avoid a drunk driving arrest. The results of his inquiries is the basis for "DUI: How to Avoid A Drunk Driving Arrest And Conviction". Completely accessible and specifically designed for use by the non-specialist general reader, "DUI" is an information and instruction guide providing the insights and tools necessary to deal effectively and successfully with police and lawyers when accused of having driven under the influence of alcohol or other chemical substances. "DUI" identifies which sobriety tests are voluntary and which are mandatory; the common driving errors that can get a driver stopped by the police, as well as defense strategies that a defending attorney must know and be able to apply. A 'driving while under the influence' conviction can be costly, with the severity of the penalties varying from state to state, and can catastrophically affect an otherwise peaceful and law-abiding citizen. Very highly recommended as practical, informed and informative, "DUI" can help alleviate such adverse consequences -- if not avoid them altogether.

Sonny Sez!
Sonny Eliot
Wayne State University Press
The Leonard N. Simons Building
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814333358, $14.95 http://wsupress.wayne.edu 1-800-978-7323

Enhanced with the inclusion of an accompanying audio CD, "Sonny Sez!: Legends, Yarns & Downright Truths" is an engaging and entertaining collection of 100 one-minute stories taken from the syndicated radio show hosted by popular broadcaster and Detroit personality Sonny Eliot. These whimsical stories range from why empty rooms get dusty, to the meaning and origin of the phrase 'the whole nine yards', to why a dog's nose is moist', and 97 other homespun stories reflecting a very special wit and (at times) wisdom. The text is deftly edited by Stanley D. Williams, offers an informative foreword by Dick Guindon, and is very nicely illustrated with more than seventy humorous illustrations by political cartoonist Draper Hill. Truly a 'must' for Sonny's legions of fans, "Sonny Sez!" will aptly serve to introduce a whole new generation of readers to the wit and talents of a truly gifted and genuinely entertaining storyteller.

Dream Notes
Theodor W. Adorno, author
Christoph Godde and Henri Lonitz, editors
Polity
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780745638300, $17.95 www.blackwellpublishing.com 1-800-216-2522

German philosopher and cultural critic Theodor W. Adorno wrote down his dreams throughout his life. Dream Notes is an unvarnished, as-is selection of Adorno's writings concerning his dreams, spanning the final twenty-five years of his life. No attempts are made to "interpret" Adorno's dreams, or force a connection between them and the events of his life, or to psychoanalyze them. They are simply offered for the reader to evaluate as he or she sees fit. An editorial foreword, an afterword by Jan Philipp Reemtsma, and an index round out this one-of-a-kind collection. Especially recommended for students and scholars seeking an extra dimension of insight and understanding into Adorno's works and ideas.

Lighthouses: A Pop-Up Gallery of America's Most Beloved Beacons
Linda Costello & Bruce Foster, text by Al Mitchell
Thunder Bay Press
5880 Oberlin Drive, San Diego, CA 92121-4794
1592236979 www.thunderbaybooks.com

Any fan of lighthouses who wants a keepsake edition to admire which is far more 3-D than your typical lighthouse book needs Lighthouses: A Pop-Up Gallery of America's Most Beloved Beacons. It represents paper art at its finest and is a top pick for both pop-up and lighthouse fans, presenting maritime landmarks in thee-dimensional forms and accompanying these with color photos and discussions of each structure. It's a gorgeous presentation that will make a lovely gift for any lighthouse enthusiast.

Strange Wisconsin
Linda S. Godfrey
Tails Books
c/o Big Earth Publishing
145 North Commercial Street, Suite 100, Neenah, WI 54956
9781931599856, $421.95 www.bigearthpublishing.com 1-800-258-5830

Wisconsin is popularly known as the Badger State. It also has a checkered history of eccentrics, paranormal events, oddities, and the macabre. That's just what Linda S. Godfrey (writer, illustrator, and paranormal investigator) has collected, illustrated, and documented in the pages of "Strange Wisconsin: More Badger State Weirdness". This 200 page compendium is a showcase of bizarre stories ranging from pig men, to trolls, to pancakes from space, to the Mormon King of Voree! Profusely illustrated throughout, the text is organized geographically and alphabetically from Abbotsford to the Wisconsin Dells. Offering the reader a unique and phenomenal perspective showcasing all manner of oddities, "Strange Wisconsin" is thoroughly entertaining, occasionally iconoclastic, and highly recommended as a 'must' for all Wisconsin school and community library collections.

An Adventure For Your Palate
Judith E. Sulik
Finally Finished Press
4317 Goldfinch Circle, Middleton, WI 53562
9780965719353, $19.99 yduj@juno.com 1-608-833-1925

"An Adventure For Your Palate: An Eclectic Restaurant Tour In And Around Madison, Wisconsin With Chefs' Recipes", journalist, author, and food enthusiast Judith Sulik has compiled a list of some of the best restaurants, cafes, diners, and eateries to be found in the capital city of the Badger State and the smaller communities that collectively comprise Dane County, Wisconsin. Each featured establishment is given a one-page descriptive commentary, followed by a choice selection of recipes associated with their particular menus and kitchens. From the Admiralty Room at the elegant Edgewater Hotel in downtown Madison; to the Imperial Garden on Madison's eastside; to the Old Feed Mill on the city's westside; to the Main Street Diner and Ice Cream parlor on the north side; to Jada Soul Food 'south of downtown', "An Adventure For Your Palate" showcases dozens and dozens of great places to eat out. For example, in the little Village of Oregon just 12 miles south of Madison there is BrouxNellies, which offers good service combined with great food. Featured BrouxNellies recipes include Honey Mustard Dressing; Meatloaf; and 15 Bean Soup. Peppered throughout the pages of "An Adventure For Your Palate" are little vignettes of trivia about the communities and places within and around Madison. Sadly, a few of the restaurants featured have subsequently closed their doors -- but within this enthusiastically recommended addition to family cookbook collections in general, and Dane County residents in particular, those now yesteryear restaurants will live on in nostalgic memory.

Renewing The Countryside: Wisconsin
Jerry Hembd, et al.
Renewing The Countryside
c/o University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780979545818, $26.95 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress 1-800-621-2736

Compiled and co-edited by the team of Jerry Hembd, Jody Padgham, and Jan Joannides, and enhanced with an informative foreword by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, "Renewing The Countryside: Wisconsin" beautifully and informatively showcases thirty-nine creative, hard-working people, organization and business that are infusing the Wisconsin countryside with life and activity. "Renewing The Countryside: Wisconsin " is organized into seven chapters covering arts and culture, farming, green business, conservation, tourism, community development, and education. From the story of how the city of Washburn on Wisconsin's Chequamegon Bay became the country's first eco-municipality; to how 'Growing Power' is connecting urban Milwaukee kids to fresh food and country side; to how innovative farmers and artisan food makers are bringing sustainability and organically grown products to consumers throughout Wisconsin, "Renewing The Countryside: Wisconsin" offers inspiring examples of what the reader can do in his or her own part of the Badger state. Simply stated, "Renewing The Countryside: Wisconsin ", which is also available in a hardcover edition (9780979545801, $39.95), should be a part of every Wisconsin school and community library -- and would ably serve as a template for similar books featuring similar efforts with respect to the rural economies and conditions in other states.

Green, Gold, And Proud
Curt Knoke, et al.
Triumph Books
542 South Dearborn Street, Suite 750, Chicago, IL 60605
9781600780431, $16.95 www.triumphbooks.com

Enhanced with an informative introduction by Bob Harlan, reflections by Bart Starr, and the accompanying full length DVD 'The Legends of Lambeau Field'; "Green, Gold, And Proud: Portraits, Stories, And Traditions Of The Greatest Fans In The World" is a photo album featuring the full color photography of Curt Knoke showcases Wisconsin's Green Bay Packer football team's legions of colorful and enthusiastic fans. Readers will be treated to a spectrum of memorable fan costumes worn in support of their favorite team. A fitting tribute to Packer fan enthusiasm and loyalty, "Green, Gold, And Proud" is highly recommended browsing and would make a very popular addition to any Wisconsin school or community library collection.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

The Environmental Imagination
Dean Hawkes
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
9780415360876, $49.95 www.routledge.com/builtenvironment

College-level readers of architecture or environmental design will find this a fine history which uses themes and a chronological arrangement from the 18th century to modern times to survey the history of environmental design. While The Environmental Imagination: Technics and Poetics of the Architectural Environment could have also been featured in our Arts section, it's reviewed here for its wider applications to any college-level holding strong on poetics and environment: essays consider qualitative dimensions of the environment and both old and new technologies of mechanical services, building design choices, and diversity.

The Sacred Balance
David Suzuki with Amanda McConnell and Adrienne Mason
Greystone Books
c/o Douglas & McIntyre Publishing Group
2323 Quebeck Street, Suite 201, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
9781553651666, $17.95 www.douglas-mcintyre.com 1-800-367-9692

Now in an updated and expanded edition ten years after its initial publication, The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature remains a monumental testimony concerning the repercussions of human society's impact on the natural world, both for the planet and the people living on it. Geneticist and environmentalist David Suzuki reveals how connected and dependent humankind is upon the planet's water, soil, sunlight, and the breath of its vegetation; as well as the threats to the planet's balance ranging from toxic pollution to the impending cataclysm of global warming. Extensive notes and an index round out this powerful treatise concerning the immediate need to rethink human behavior and find a new way to live in balance with the planet's ecosystem. Highly recommended.


The Humor Shelf

Spy Vs. Spy 2: The Joke and Dagger Files
David Shayne
Watson-Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0823050351, $25.95 www.watsonguptill.com

Watson-Guptill Publications and MAD Magazine presented the first SPY VS. SPY: THE COMPETE CASEBOOK to much acclaim, and fans of the first will want its sequel, SPY VS. SPY 2. It packs in observations from a political cartoonist and includes over 200 color and black and whit cartoons, including the original Sunday newspaper comic strip written by Edwing and Manak – the complete run of which appears here for the first time under one cover. It's a ‘must' for any Spy Vs. Spy fan.


The Political Science Shelf

The Big Con
Jonathan Chait
Houghton Mifflin
215 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10003
0618685405, $25.00 www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com

THE BIG CON: THE TRUE STORY OF HOW WASHINGTON GOT HOODWINKED AND HIJACKED BY CRACKPOT ECONOMICS is a ‘must' for any collection strong in American politics or issues: it shows how over the past 3 decades a fringe group of economic extremists obsessed with radical ideas to foster their own business interests have used the political system and the media to gain popular and even expert support for once unthinkable policies. It's a collection of eye-opening insights not to be missed by any collection strong in American social history and politics, whether it be at the college level or a general-interest public lending library.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Notes to An Actor
Ron Marasco
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566637570, $24.95 www.ivanrdee.com

NOTES TO AN ACTOR: PRACTICAL ADVICE SHAPED TO THE WAY ACTORS WORK should be in the collections of any library catering to drama students, whether at the high school to college levels or be it a general-interest lending library. It comes from the author's own experience in the profession as both an actor and as a director and acting teacher, and provides a more practical, user-friendly book providing insights on exactly how actors work. Tips from a director's viewpoint, rather than the usual acting text, are particularly useful, gleaned from everyday life.

Film Talk
Wheeler Winston Dixon
Rutgers University Press
100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8099
9780813540788, $22.95 http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu 1-800-446-9323

Film Talk: Directors at Work is an amazing, behind-the-scenes glimpse of filmmaking from the 1940s to the modern day. Eleven up-close-and-personal interviews with contemporary film directors, speaking frankly about their work, comprise frank-talk this insider's view of the industry. The directors interviewed are "old masters" Ronald Neame, Val Guest, Budd Boetticher, and Albert Maysles; "cult visions" Jack Hill, Monte Hellman, and Robert Downey Sr.; and "new voices" Takashi Shimizu, Jamie Babbit, Bennett Miller, and Kasi Lemmons. More than fifty rare photographs illustrate this one-of-a-kind testimony sure to appeal to movie lovers of all walks of life.

Cinema of Obsession
Dominique Mainon and James Ursini
Limelight Editions
c/o Hal Leonard Corporation
777 West Bluemound Road, Milwaukee, WI 53213
9780879103477, $24.95 www.halleonard.com 1-800-637-2852

Filmmaker Dominique Mainon and film journalist James Ursini present Cinema of Obsession: Erotic Fixation and Love Gone Wrong in the Movies, an in-depth discussion and analysis of modern cinema that revolves around the dark side of human attraction, from erotic obsession to heartbreak and jealousy to deception and even murder in the name of love. Black-and-white photographs illustrate Cinema of Obsession throughout, and the text offers commentary on numerous specific films including "Fatal Attraction", "Basic Instinct", "The Killers", "Wild at Heart", "Last Tango in Paris", "Vertigo", and many more. Accessible to lay readers and cinema scholars alike, Cinema of Obsession lives up to its title and is indispensable for connoisseurs of movies that deconstruct human romantic bonds.

Sitcoms
Ken Bloom & Frank Vlastnik
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
9781579127527, $29.95 www.blackdogandleventhal.com 1-800-722-7202

The collaboration of Ken Bloom (playwright, theater director, radio host, arts consultant, and president of Harbinger Records) and Frank Vlastnik (actor, photo researcher, and editor), "Sitcom: The 101 Greatest TV Comedies Of All Time" is an illustrated showcase of the television situation comedy alphabetically ranging from 'The Adams Family' to 'WRKP in Cincinnati'. Profusely illustrated with some 400 photographs of the stars and the sets, "Sitcom" offers so much more than a simple recitation of statistics and trivia to inform the reader as to everything that went into the creation of a truly classic sitcom beginning with the writing and casting, thorough to the directing and acting. In addition to the photos (some taken behind-the-scenes), there is an abundance of expert commentary; biographies of directors, writers, and actors; 'off-set' infobits; and insights into what made these shows so popular with the public. Very highly recommended for both personal and community library Television History collections as a work of seminal research and meticulous effort, "Sitcoms" is a fascinating, informative, entertaining, and engaging read.


The Business Shelf

Careers in Technical Theater
Mike Lawler
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, Suite 510, New York NY 10010
1581154852, $19.95 www.allworth.com

Careers in Technical Theater could have been a feature in our Arts section, but is reviewed here for its overview of the American professional theatre's job market opportunities – a rich listing of opportunities for any who would work in the theatre. It surveys everything from how to be a Broadway theatre technician to becoming a sound designer, makeup artist, company manager or consultant, surveying job duties, how to locate on-the-job training as an intern to break into the industry, and how to narrow a career focus to specialize in a desirable area. As such this is a top pick for any collection strong in career guides, whether it be a public lending library or a performing arts collection.

Atlantic Publishing Group Inc.
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
www.atlantic-pub.com

Three new real estate handbooks are excellent picks for any library catering to beginning investors, especially general-interest public lending libraries. Steven D. Fisher's COMPLETE GUIDE TO REAL ESTATE OPTIONS: WHAT SMART INVESTORS NEED TO KNOW – EXPLAINED SIMPLY (9781401360357, $24.95) requires little time, money or effort. This discusses the art of managing the real estate option – which does not involve purchasing, or the time-consuming management duties that accompany home ownership. Learn how to assemble a fine real estate portfolio without buying the property in a survey that covers all the basics of real estate option opportunities. Charlie Rose's INSPECT BEFORE YOU BUY: INSIDER SECRETS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOME INSPECTION (9781601380319, $29.95) provides details on home necessities and how to inspect all the basics systems – and how to get the most from a home inspection. Here are all the tips homeowners need to have in hand to understand how the home inspection process works: what it covers, what it doesn't, how it fails and how to foolproof an inspection. An invaluable guide for any about to buy. Michelle Blain's YOUR REAL ESTATE CLOSING EXPLAINED SIMPLY (9781601380326, $24.95) covers all the financial and legal concerns surrounding the closing process, the last leg of a home buying effort. Closing costs, legal processes, and options are covered through a series of checklists and charts plus online references, all of which will make the process easier, especially for beginners. General-interest lending libraries need these handbooks.

India Arriving
Rafiq Dossani
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
0814474241, $24.00 www.amacombooks.org

INDIA ARRIVING: HOW THIS ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE IS REDEFINING GLOBAL BUSINESS is a powerful ‘must' acquisition for any college-level library strong in global business trends. It provides an insider's view, coming form an expert in Indian affairs who helped introduce some of the most liberal reforms to the Indian government, and provides insights into the country's business climate, economic evolution, and impact upon world markets and processes. No serious global business collection should be without this.

Poker Strategies for a Winning Edge in Business
David Apostolico
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781591025528, $18.95 www.prometheusbooks.com

Business students and entrepreneurs should read this fine survey drawing important connections between strategies and objectives of the game and its message for business success. Experienced poker player and tournament champion David Apostolico discusses mergers, flexible playing rules, and skills in managing finances, marketing or developing strategy, presenting all in a winning guide any poker player business person will readily appreciate.

Do It Wrong Quickly
Mike Moran
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0132255960, $24.99 www.ibmpressbooks.com 1-800-428-5331

DO IT WRONG QUICKLY: HOW THE WEB CHANGES THE OLD MARKETING RULES provides a step-by-step program for transitioning from plan to execution in a non-stop cycle of changes, using the author's experience building ibm.com to show how businesses of all kinds can learn quickly from customers – and make effective changes. From social networking and w2ikis to virtual worlds, podcasting, blogs and other new marketing approaches, DO IT WRONG QUICKLY is an excellent modern alternative to your usual marketing approach, focusing on the ever-changing Internet, its opportunities, and exactly how to take full advantage of them. Business libraries need this specific set of tips.


The Mythology/Folklore Shelf

Arab Folklore: A Handbook
Dwight F. Reynolds
Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780313333118, $55.00 www.greenwood.com 1-800-225-5800

Dwight F. Reynolds (Professor of Religious Studies, University of California Santa Barbara) presents Arab Folklore: A Handbook, a scholarly exploration of classic Arab folklore, myths, and tales. An introductory chapter teaches the reader the bare-bones basics about Arabs and Arab history and language, followed by in-depth scrutiny of traditional oral poetry; an evaluation of the classic "Thousand and One Nights" Arab folk narrative; discussion of proverbs, riddles, jokes, and curses; folk music; customs and traditions; scholarship and approaches toward Arab folklore; and much more. A handful of black-an-white illustrations enhance this thoughtful guide for college-level students of mythography and Arab culture, highly recommended for college library shelves.

Slavic Folklore
Natalie Kononenko
Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780313336102, $55.00 www.greenwood.com 1-800-225-5800

Written by Natalie Kononenko (Kule Chair of Ukranian Ethnography, University of Alberta), Slavic Folklore: A Handbook is a meticulous study of its subject matter rather than a fairy-tale book of stories. Accessible to general readers, Slavic Folklore discusses the definitions and classifications of Slavic mythography, various scholarly approaches and contexts for understanding these enduring works, and a handful of sample texts. Slavic Folklore requires no prior knowledge of Slavic history, folklore, or linguistics, and all transliterations of Slavic names, places, and other words have been carried out with an eye toward practicality and ease of use. A glossary, bibliography, and index round out this welcome addition to folklore and mythology studies shelves, as well as college library reference shelves.


The Philosophy Shelf

Adorno and the Need in Thinking
Donald A. Burke, et. al., editors
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
9780802092144, $65.00 www.utppublishing.com 1-800-565-9523

Adorno and the Need in Thinking: New Critical Essays is an exploration of the contemporary issues that intellectual and philosopher Theodor Adorno (1903-1969) confronted during the course of his work and writings. Presenting an anthology of essays written by learned contributors, Adorno and the Need in Thinking covers topics ranging from "From the Actual to the Possible: Non-identity Thinking" to "Politics beyond Speech: Communication and the Non-identical", and "On Adorno's Aesthetics of the Ugly". Also presented for the first time in English is one of Adorno's early essays, "Theses on the Language of the Philosopher". The advanced critical discourse is best suited for college or graduate-level philosophy students and practitioners, in this meticulous and thoughtful collection. "Disparaging the seductiveness of classical beauty, modern art depicts human alienation and indicts contemporary society. Yet Adorno attests that, through its autonomy and radical truth content, such art witnesses to a world that can and should be other than it is. 'Works of art, even literary ones, point to a practice from which they abstain: the creation of a just life.'" Highly recommended for philosophy and college library shelves.


The World History Shelf

Books on Fire: The Destruction of Libraries Throughout History
Lucien X. Polastron
Inner Traditions
Box 388, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594771675, $24.95 www.innertraditions.com

Hebrew, Hindu, Islamic and Nordic traditions all share the belief of a vast library of knowledge existing before the world's creation: so what happened to such a holding? BOOKS ON FIRE reveals the history of the destruction of great libraries around the world, surveying history and considering both causes of library destruction and lost treasures. It's an eye-opening, involving read for any general-interest bibliophile and will make an excellent general lending library pick.

The Great Arab Conquests
Hugh Kennedy
Da Capo Press
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306815850, $27.95 www.dacapopress.com

THE GREAT ARAB CONQUESTS: HOW THE SPREAD OF ISLAM CHANGED THE WORLD WE LIVE IN examines how the early Arabs fostered a unique form of Islam rule which changed their world quickly, comparing their achievements and approaches with modern techniques and showing how Islam's different avenues changed the world. It's the first popular English-language account of how the rise of the Islamic empire reshaped the world: as such the tone sounds scholarly but lends well to general public library collections as well as college-level world history holdings.

Heresy and the English Reformation
Georgi Vasilev
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786430055, $45.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com 1-800-253-2187

Written by Georgi Vasilev (senior research fellow at the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad), Heresy and the English Reformation: Bogomil-Cathar Influence on Wycliffe, Langland, Tyndale and Milton is a fascinating exploration of the dualist religious movement that evolved as a culture of the masses from the 12th to 17th centuries. Medieval Europe fostered a wealth of revolt against religious dogma, to the dismay of established churches; the Cathar's beliefs in particular left the Roman Catholic church so aghast it condemned them as heretical. Chapters discuss the remnants of the Bogomil movement in the English Language (including the linguistic history of the word "bugger"), the heresy's views of women, John Wycliffe and the Dualists, Bogomil-Cathar imagery and theology in "The Vision of Piers Plowman", the spiritual kinship between "Paradise Lost" and the secret book of the Bogomils, and more. Exhaustive notes, a bibliography and index complement this thoughtful examination of the interconnection between medieval religious counterculture and classic literature.


The Literary Shelf

The Author-Cat
Forrest G. Robinson
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823227877, $45.00 www.fordhampress.com 1-800-247-6553

Forrest G. Robinson (Professor of American Studies, University of California) presents The Author-Cat: Clemens's Life in Fiction, a bold claim that renowned American author Samuel Clemens a.k.a. Mark Twain reveals himself most fully, if at times inadvertently, through his fiction writing. Even though Clemens left behind a wealth of autobiographical dictations at the close of his life, The Author-Cat reveals the Clemens' most powerful emotions permeated his writing, most notably his guilt; he could not forgive himself for the deaths of those closest to him, including his siblings and his own children, his role in the Civil War, his involvement in the duel that caused him to leave Virginia City in 1864, and his sense of moral complicity in the crime of slavery. A revealing insight into Clemens' personal torments, which dares to challenge conventional assumptions on the celebrated humorist's personality, The Author-Cat (named after Clemens' own confession that he is like the cat who labors vainly to bury the waste he has left behind) is enthusiastically recommended for lay readers and literary scholars alike seeking to better understand Samuel Clemens and his works.

Mark Twain and Human Nature
Tom Quirk
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826217585, $39.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress 1-800-828-1894

Tom Quirk (Professor of English, University of Missouri-Columbia) presents Mark Twain and Human Nature, a study of the famous American author that intertwines his life story with his writings to reveal how his understanding of human nature grew and evolved. Twain's great classics and minor works are all taken into consideration; the discourse is organized chronologically, from 1852 to 1910. "The point of view Twain chose for his novel in progress was not simply a matter of stylistic innovation but also a position from which to regard and to unself-consciously assess existing institutions and cultural influences. Huck's ignorance is often the reader's insight. If Huck has not been inoculated against each and every one of the contaminating influences of civilized life, he has kept clear of the more virulent forms of the viruses that perpetuate themselves from one generation to the next." Highly recommended for serious enthusiasts and scholars of Mark Twain's literary classics.


The American History Shelf

So Help Me God
Forrest Church
Harcourt
15 East 26th Street, New York NY 10010
9780151011858, $28.00 www.harcourt.com

SO HELP ME GOD: THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND THE FIRST GREAT BATTLE OVER CHURCH AND STATE will prove an excellent choice for both religious and history collections from the young adult level through college and public library readerships. It documents an early, fierce battle between church and state – a nearly-forgotten conflict which ranged from Washington's presidency to Monroe's leadership, and which addressed issues of whether God should enter into the political arena. Any who would understand early American history and religious connections to politics needs this history to understand thoroughly the early foundations of modern church and state struggles.

Boss-Busters & Sin Hounds
Harry Haskell
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826217691, $34.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress 1-800-828-1894

As the grandson of Henry J. Haskell and as a former music critic for the 'Kansas City Star', author and editor Harry Haskell brings a very special expertise to "Boss-Busters & Sin Hounds: Kansas City And Its Star", his history of the rise and decline of the crusading, trust-busting American newspaper, the 'Kansas City Star'. Readers will appreciate how Haskell is able to open up a window in time to present the inner workings of a great newspaper, and traces its influence and leadership of the progressive moment from its beginnings in the 1880s through to the 1950s. Haskell uses as his templates three particular men who were at the core of the life and times of the 'Kansas City Star': William Rockhill Nelson, Henry J. Haskell, and Roy A. Roberts. "Boss-Busters & Sin Hounds" is a seminal contribution and recommended reading for scholars and students of Journalism, as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in American journalism in general, and the history of the 'Kansas City Star' in particular.

Becoming African in America
James Sidbury
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016-4314
9780195320107, $29.95 www.oup.com/us

The first slaves to arrive in America identified themselves by their place of origin: Becoming African in America: Race and Nation in the Early Black Atlantic tells of how their African identity and roots emerged in the late 18th century Atlantic world, using the works of black writers of the times who created a narrative of African-American identity. College-level collections strong in black or ethnic studies will welcome a history that considers who various ethnic backgrounds became ‘African' because of their shared slavery experience. An outstanding, detailed survey emerges which blends these rich source writings with a history of ethnic identity development.

Programmed to Kill
Ion Mihai Pacepa
Ivan R. Dee
1332 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566637619, $28.95 www.ivanrdee.com

The assassination of President Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald takes a new twist with the presentation of PROGRAMMED TO KILL: LEE HARVEY OSWALD, THE SOVIET KGB, AND KENNEDY ASSASSINATION, which tells of a cold war event prompting both sides to cover up the truth. It comes from a former Lt. General who defected from the Soviet bloc and reveals many facts about the assassination covered up by the Kremlin, also offering insights into questions left unanswered by the Warren Commission and other books analyzing events. Any general-interest collection interested in true crime and American history analysis needs this new survey offering up many different insights.

The Most Notorious Crimes In American History
Time Life Books
c/o Goldberg McDuffie Communications Inc.
444 Madison Avenue, Suite 3300, New York, NY 10022
9781933821085, $29.95 www.amazon.com

From the assassination of Abraham Lincoln , John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr., to the kidnaping of Patty Hearst and the Lindbergh Baby, to the notorious Charles Manson family, to the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, "The Most Notorious Crimes In American History" is an illustrated history of famous and infamous American crimes and criminals, both historic and contemporary. The murders of Laci Peterson and John Lennon, the unsolved mystery of the Black Dahlia Murder, the nation chilling Oklahoma City Bombing, all these and so many more are showcased and highlighted in a unique and highly recommended volume of American criminal history.

Texas Dance Halls
Gail Folkins
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896726031, $34.95 www.ttup.ttu.edu 1-800-832-4042

Texas Dance Halls: A Two Step Circuit is an amazing history and showcase of the cultural legacy of Texas dance floors. Black-and-white photography throughout illustrates the motion and life that fills these gathering places, while the text traces the history, construction, and high events of the halls, as well as what goes into making Texas music and much more. A wonderful addition to American culture and Texas history collections.

Boomburbs
Robert E. Lang & Jennifer B. LeFurgy
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036-2188
9780815751144, $26.95 www.brookings.edu 1-800-275-1447

Co-director of the Metropolitan Institute Robert E. Lang and former deputy director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech Jennifer B. LeFurgy present Boomburbs: The Rise of America's Accidental Cities, the amazing true story of how America's suburbs have swelled to sudden big-city size, transforming the face of the nation. Dubbed "accidental cities", not because they lack planning, but because they are composed of communities that have grown into one another even though few anticipated as much happening, these boomburbs lack the large downtown areas of other cities, and aren't as pedestrian-friendly as most other suburbs. Nor are they necessarily rich or elitist; poverty is all too common in boomburb single-home families. A meticulously researched and study written in terms accessible to lay readers and scholars alike.


The Self-Help Shelf

The Thinking Man's Guide to Success With Women
Tony Rome
Seven Locks Press
3100 West Warner Avenue, Suite 8, Santa Ana, CA 92704
9780970703729, $14.95 www.sevenlockspublishing.com 1-800-354-5348

The Thinking Man's Guide to Success with Women: Proven Tips to Help You Approach, Meet, & Seduce Any Woman, Anywhere, Anytime! is a surprisingly practical guide for men to meeting and dating women. Chapters cover everything from basics in appearance and presentation (good grooming is critically important, and one should never look away first when engaged in eye contact with a desirable and interested women) to which women to avoid (two women together are unlikely to yield results, since no woman wants to be left behind while her friend goes off with a man), and even so-called "props" one can use. "Your t-shirt with 'Amateur Gynecologist' on the front may attract the right type of attention at a dive bar frequented by 21-year-olds, but it won't be acceptable at an upscale nightclub. Along the same lines, it probably wouldn't be wise to take your infant nephew along with you as a prop if you plan on going out drinking. Instead of having girls approach you, they'll call the cops on you. So, choose your props appropriately depending on your circumstances." Though somewhat geared toward men looking for Ms. Right Now rather than Ms. Right, The Thinking Man's Guide to Success with Women is packed cover to cover with solid pointers for getting along with women and is just as strongly recommended for men in search of a lifetime female partner - and even for women who want to be more aware of the techniques skilled pickup artists use! Highly recommended.


The Education Shelf

Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.corwinpress.com

Schools who would design solid mental health services for all students will find Beth Doll & Jack A. Cummings's Transforming School Mental Health Services (9781412953290, $39.95 ) uses a wealth of studies and research to offer both formal and information methods for identifying and prioritizing a school's mental health program. From developing a better school environment and promoting psychological well-being to suggestions for fostering good mental health and developing intervention policies for common behavioral problems in classroom and schoolyard, this offers a ten-step sequence of approaches to support all students. School administrators will find it a winner to developing a mental health program addressing all the issues. Diane L. Ronis' PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING FOR MATH & SCIENCE: INTEGRATING INQUIRY AND THE INTERNET, 2ND EDITION (9781412955591, $27.95) explores the theory and classroom applications of problem-based learning methods, which encourage students to explore and resolve real problem simulations. Chapters relate to math and science and pack in problems connected to national science and math standards, include student handouts and evaluation forms, and provides educational libraries with an invaluable teacher reference. Judith K. March and Karen H. Peters' DESIGNING INSTRUCTION: MAKING BEST PRACTICES WORK IN STANDARDS-BASED CLASSROOMS (9781412938853, $39.95) reviews three features of the design process: training for building leadership teams, training to assist principals in supporting school reforms, and a collaborative process helping teachers become partners to improve classroom methods. This education model has been field-tested with over 40 school districts in the U.S. and Canada, making DESIGNING INSTRUCTION an invaluable, practical guide for teachers and administrators and education libraries at the college level. Vicki Brooks-McNamara and Danielle Torres' THE REFLECTIVE SCHOOL COUNSELOR'S GUIDE TO PRACTITIONER RESEARCH (9781412951104, $24.95) provides an excellent outline of skills and strategies for under served students and their counselors. Chapters provide a framework for gathering data and authenticating results to foster school-wide change, making for an excellent guide for any education library. College-level education holdings will also appreciate the 2nd updated edition of Grace Sammon's CREATING AND SUSTAINING SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITIES: STRATEGIES AND TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMING HIGH SCHOOLS (9781412937900, $39.95). It's been fully revised to reflect the latest research and practices covering school teams and curriculum, and pairs a cd-rom tool kit with over 30 planning templates with tips on how to create and foster effective school-based teams for better decision-making processes. Cathy Caro-Bruce, et.al. edit CREATING EQUITABLE CLASSROOMS THROUGH ACTION RESEARCH (9781412936675, $37.95), a fine guide to action research's applications in a school setting. Chapters use ten action research studies as guidelines for implementing changes, including plenty of examples for discussion and reflection and appealing to both teachers and school administrators. Arthur L. Costa's THE SCHOOL AS A HOME FOR THE MIND: CREATING MINDFUL CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, AND DIALOGUE (9781412950749, $35.95) tells how to foster thinking in an educational environment, and uses the author's most recent research and theory to support insider tips in curriculum mapping, teaching behaviors, and performance standards. It's a collection educators will find even more invaluable, appearing in its second updated edition. The second edition of Robert D. Barr and William H. Parrett's SAVING OUR STUDENTS, SAVING OUR SCHOOLS: 50 PROVEN STRATEGIES FOR HELPING UNDERACHIEVING STUDENTS AND IMPROVING SCHOOLS (9781412957939, $39.95) packs in details on improvement programs that work. From establishing learning priorities and creating a classroom atmosphere of respect to support them to developing high expectations for academic performance and working with parents, this is a highly recommended, top pick for any active teaching environment. Libraries catering to educators will find these essential references.

Story Dictation
Ann Gadzikowski
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781933653280, $24.95 www.redleafpress.org 1-800-423-8309

In "Story Dictation: A Guide For Early Childhood Professionals", academician Ann Gadzikowsi draws upon her more than twenty years of experience and expertise as a classroom teacher and as a director of early childhood programs to provide teachers and caregivers with the fundamental tools and techniques to help children tell stories by recording their words on paper exactly as they are spoken. "Story Dictation" addresses the 'what, why & how' questions about the concept of recording children's stories, and goes on to address such topics as implementation techniques, interpreting story themes, and using diction for assessment purposes. The assertion is that telling stories will prove to be a significant aid with respect to interesting children in becoming literate and in expresses themselves with confidence. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Story Dictation" is a welcome and highly recommended contribution to the expanding library of instructional reference material for classroom instructors, home schooling parents, and caregivers and support staff involved with children from daycare centers, community library literacy efforts, and community center programs for young children.

Science Is Simple
Peggy Ashbrook
Gryphon House
PO Box 207, Beltsville, MD 20704
9780876592724, $19.95 www.ghbooks.com 1-800-638-0928

Teaching science to preschoolers since 1998, Peggy Ashbrook draws upon her considerable experience and practical expertise in "Science Is Simple" to showcase 250 child-friendly activities spanning 39 fun and informative science concepts ranging from magnets, to bubbles, to insects, to volcanoes, to plant life, to physics. "Science Is Simple" features both solo projects and group projects; an invaluable appendix listing science websites and other resources; a bibliography of children's literature related to science concepts, letters for explaining to parents each concept to be studies by the child; open-ended questions for creativity and self-discovery; and child-involving experiments for every season. "Science Is Simple" will prove a welcome addition to preschool, day-care center, elementary school, and homeschooling reference libraries and curriculums.

Remedia Publications
15887 North 76th Street, Suite 120, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
www.rempub.com 1-800-826-4740

Remedia Publications markets a wide and impressive variety of classroom teaching aids, learning games, and other curriculum supplemental materials. Five of them are especially recommended to the attention of classroom teachers and homeschooling parents. "Vocabulary Builder" (REM 6293, $19.99) is a fun learning game for two to six players and designed for children in grades 3 through 6, featuring a full-color board game in which the players build vocabulary. Players advance along a path by spinning the spinner and correctly defining words. Included is a bonus word list so that new vocabulary can be introduced once the original words are mastered. "5 W's Game" (REM 6005, $21.99) has a 3rd to 4th grade reading level and is designed for two to six players in grades 3 through 6. Players are provided with 'newspaper articles' and are then to answer the Who, What, Where, When, Why questions that will reveal their comprehension skills. The players move around a colorful gameboard reading the articles and answer the questions, collecting points as they do so. As fun as it is informative, "5 W's Game" consists of a gameboard, an instruction/answer booklet, 75 questions cards, 6 pawns, and 1 die. Two colorful, entertaining, and original language skill development games are especially recommended additions for classroom and homeschool curriculums: "Language Detective" (REM 6296, $21.99) is designed for grades 4 to 12 and has the players find mistakes in spelling, word usage, capitalization, and punctuation. "Fun With Language Arts" (REM 6004, $21.99) is intended for students in grades 3 to 8 and has the players dealing with 'pesky punctuation, camouflaged capitalization, sputtered spelling" in the form of a thoroughly 'kid friendly' board game. "Spelling Bee" is a spinner style board games designed for use by students in grades 3 to 5 and comes in two levels with each game covering 600 high utility words. Given a word list the player must decide which one is misspelled with points awarded for every correct answer. Although available separately (Level 1 - REM 6290, $18.99 and Level 2 - REM 6291, $18.99), schools should acquire both games for their curriculum resource library collections (REM 6291A, $37.95). These are only a small sampling of the many learning games offered by Remedia Publications. Classroom teachers, curriculum developers, and homeschooling parents would be well advised to visit the Remedia Publications website at www.rempub.com for a complete listing of their learning games and curriculum supplements.

Children Tell Stories
Martha Hamilton & Mitch Weiss
Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 585, Katonah, New York 10536
9781572746633, $29.95

Now in a new second edition, Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom is the award-winning creation of Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, who have been telling stories as "Beauty and the Beast Storytellers" for twenty-five years (and they never say who is the beauty and who is the beast). Chapters reveal the educational benefits of storytelling, how to get started with storytelling in the classroom, helping students choose stories to tell, assessing student storytellers, and much more. An accompanying DVD of helpful videos, web links, and stories to print out enhances this wonderful resource especially for educators, but also useful to home schoolers and child care providers.

The Principal's Purpose
Leanna Stohr Isaacson
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West, Larchmont, NY 10538
9781596670488, $34.95 www.eyeoneducation.com 1-888-299-5350

The Principal's Purpose: A Practical Guide to Moral and Ethical School Leadership is a helpful guide packed cover to cover with "survival tips" for school leaders, especially when confronted with ethical and moral dilemmas common to their field. Question-and-Answer sections, "Key Words", "Key Questions" and more aid the professional in committing the wisdom within The Principal's Purpose to memory. "Put time and money into staff development decisions. Faculty members do not have the energy to consistently work on staff development after school. Time to think together and plan together within the school day becomes the most valuable support a leader provides." Highly recommended.

Environments for Outdoor Play
Theresa Casey
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781412929370, $27.95 www.sagepub.com 1-800-818-7243
Environments for Outdoor Play: A Practical Guide to Making Space for Children is a a how-to guide written for anyone responsible for children's outdoor play settings at schools or child care institutions. Recommending solid ideas for developing play environments that meet children's needs, chapters discuss frameworks for designing play environments, case studies offering examples of how play environments can be developed, ideas and activities, research evidence pointing toward the importance of good play environments, and more. Black-and-white illustrations add a visual touch to this handy resource, indexed for quick reference.

Break The Bully Cycle
SiriNam S. Khalsa, NBCT
Good Year Books
PO Box 91858, Tucson, AZ 85752-1858
9781596471191, $19.95 www.goodyearbooks.com 1-888-511-1530

The problem of bullying in public schools is endemic and universal. If left unchecked and undealt with, the consequences can become catastrophic -- even lethal to students, teachers, and staff. "Break The Bully Cycle: Intervention Techniques & Activities To Create A Respectful School Community" by SiriNam S. Khalsa (a dedicated teacher with more than twenty years of experience in working with a diverse population of children) is a compilation of the tools a teacher will need to recognize and deal with bullying behavior in the classroom, on playground, or anywhere else at school. "Beyond The Bully Cycles' shows how to create a secure and safe school for all students, offers insight into why some students become violent, how to become aware of the early warning signs associated with bullies, and useful strategies for dealing with potentially violent students. Very highly recommended reading for all educators, "Break The Bully Cycle" will enable teachers and school staff members to help not only the victims of bullies, but the bullies themselves.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
www.collectorbooks.com

Collectors who enjoy antique radios and specialty libraries catering to specialty collectors will have to have the updated 7th edition to Collector's Guide to Antique Radios by John Slusser (9781574325492, $24.95): it packs in color photos of each antique to accompany the very latest values, organizes chapters by makers for quick and easy consultation, and includes plenty of reference material perfect for identifying the radios and their values. Specialty collector's libraries have two to choose from: J.W. Courter's CENTER-DRAFT KEROSENE LAMPS, 1884-1940 (9781574325669, $24.95) packs in black and white photos of lamps, along with values and in-depth discussions of manufacturers and production differences. Its chapters hold many keys to both value and makes and operational differences. Jeffrey Obersole's HANGING VICTORIAN LAMPS OF THE 19TH CENTURY (9781574325645, $34.95) pairs gorgeous full-page color photos with insights on identification strategies and values. The full-page color makes identification a snap. Both are top picks for libraries featuring specialty collector's guides.


The Science Shelf

The Hydrogen Age
Geoffrey B. Holland and James J. Provenzano
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
158685786X, $24.95 www.gibbs-smith.com

Any who would understand civilization's energy history and needs should have THE HYDROGEN AGE in their collection, whether it be for an easy college-level introduction or for the general-interest public. Here is a guide to civilization's passage from a carbon to hydrogen era, considering how such an age will foster new developments and how moving to water-based energy offers new hope and alternatives for the continued progression of civilization. It's an excellent pick for any who would understand the technology and applications of hydrogen, written in a manner any lay reader can understand.

The Bristlecone Book
Ronald M. Lanner
Mountain Press Publishing
P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
0878425381, $12.00 www.mtnpress.com

The peaks of the American West hold the Bristlecone Pine, some of the world's oldest trees, and THE BRISTLECONE BOOK celebrates their natural history using a most accessible format and presentation perfect for any natural history collection focusing on botany. Bright color photos liberally pepper an in-depth survey in THE BRISTLECONE BOOK: A NATURAL HISTORY OF TH WORLD'S OLDEST TREES, with chapters including tests of tree longevity and discussions of Bristlecone importance in human history. Any collection whether college-level or public lending library which is strong in botany or American natural history needs this.

Physics in Our World
Kyle Kirkland, Ph.D.
Facts on File Inc.
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor, New York NY 10001
9780816061167, $35.00 each book www.factsonfile.com

Both high school and college-level collections strong in physics introductions will find this set of books key to an easy understanding, surveying the history, science and progression of the discipline of physics in our world. The set includes PARTICLES AND THE UNIVERSE, ATOMS AND MATERIALS, ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM, LIGHT AND OPTICS, FORCE AND MOTION, TIME AND THERMODYNAMICS, with each volume packing in line drawings, black and white illustrations, discussions of physics' impact on other branches of science, and more. If any collection were seeking a basic introduction to physics' branches, THE PHYSICS IN OUR WORLD set should be a top pick and appropriate for community library collections and non-specialist general readers with an interest in science.

Fundamentals of Electromagnetic Fields
S.W. Anwane
Infinity Science Press
11 Leavitt Street, Hingham, MA 02043
9781934015001, $59.95 www.infinitysciencepress.com

With its accompanying cd-rom of engineering application software, FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS makes for the perfect introductory text for any college-level course teaching engineering or courses in electromagnetism. It's designed for self-study with a problem-solving approach that packs in many examples. Unlike many engineering guides, it also presumes little mathematical background, concentrating instead upon concepts and applied techniques, making it a ‘must' for any college-level collection strong in applied engineering concepts.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Norbert and Early Norbertine Spirituality
Theodore J. Antry, O. Praem, and Carol Neel, selectors
Paulist Press
997 MacArthur Boulevard, Mahwah, NJ 07430
9780809144686, $27.95 www.paulistpress.com 1-800-218-1903

Norbert (ca. 1080-1134) met staunch resistance in his attempt to reform the clergy in his native Xanten, and founded a religious community in France. His establishment became the beginning of a successful order, the Canons Regular of Premontre, also known as the Premonstratensians or Norbertines. Though Norbert himself left no writings, his followers created a wealth of texts in their efforts to reform the clergy. Norbert and Early Norbertine Spirituality gathers a cross-section of these writings, as part of "The Classics of Western Spirituality" series published by Paulist Press. Included are the "Apologetic Letter" of Anselm of Havelberg, excerpts from "Miracles of St. Mary of Laon" by Herman of Tournai, "Life of Godfrey of Cappenberg", "On the Knowledge of Clerics" by Philip of Harvengt, and more. Flawlessly translated, Norbert and Early Norbertine Spirituality succinctly captures the essence of a religious movement's faith, in the words of its own believers, and is an excellent primary source for Christian studies shelves.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Coming to Term
John Cohen
Rutgers University Press
100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8099
9780813540535, $18.95 http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu 1-800-446-9323

After his wife miscarried four pregnancies, author Jon Cohen poured effort into assembling a comprehensive, accurate, and user-friendly repository of information on miscarriage. Now in a new paperback edition that corrects a few errors found in the original, Coming to Term: Uncovering the Truth About Miscarriage explores the latest research and findings on the phenomenon, debunks myths and hype, and shines a spotlight on real problems that could be making the occurrence worse in today's world - such as federally unacceptable nitrate levels (which fluctuate seasonally, often influenced by agriculture and animal waste disposal) found in some American wells. Cohen also explores a diverse array of medical treatments, from drugs to surrogate parent contracts to "touchy-feely" emotional therapy methods that can offer surprisingly positive results. Steeped in compassion as well as wisdom and solid information, Coming to Term is highly recommended.

Mad Sheep
Linda Faillace
Chelsea Green
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
1933392096, $25.00 www.chelseagreen.com

MAD SHEEP deserves repeated and ongoing mention as an excellent story of health issues, government intervention and cover-up, and a couple who dreamed of raising sheep and making cheese in rural Vermont, only to come up against the U.S.D.A., who accused them of harboring sheep with ‘mad cow' disease. Their struggles and the politics and health concerns underlying them should be required reading for any interested in agriculture and food health in America, and is sure to attract patrons at all levels of interest as part of any library's general lending collection.

The Clear Skin Diet
Alan C. Logan, ND, FRSH and Valori Treloar, MD, CNS, FAAD
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
9781581825749, $22.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com

Acne is no longer a problem just for teens: adult acne is on the rise, especially among women – and diet has been linked to its increase. That's why THE CLEAR SKIN DIET is so important for any general-interest collection: it reaches all ages with insights on how to help acne through adjusting eating habits, and considers how dietary stresses influence hormones that cause acne. Dietary requirements for protecting the skin are listed in chapters which cover everything from genetic influences to dietary supplements.

The Vegetarian Solution
Stewart Rose
Healthy Living Publications
c/o The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
9781570672057, $12.95 www.bookpub.com 1-800-695-2241

Medical studies and the personal experiences of hundreds of thousands of people have demonstrated that plant-based diets can prevent or improve the conditions of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis. Moreover, plant-based diets avoid such meat-borne diseases as E. coli infections and outbreaks that seem to be constantly in the news today. Additionally, turning to plant-based diets has a positive effect on such environmental issues as global warming, rainforest depletion, animal abuse, and world-wide hunger. "The Vegetarian Solution" by Stewart Rose (vice president of the non-profit Vegetarians of Washington, the largest regional vegetarian organization in the United States) provides up-to-date information documenting the nutritional benefits of a plant-based diet for children, athletes, and senior citizens; preventing and improving a wide variety of medical illnesses; how plant-based diets require fewer natural resources than meat-based diets; and a wealth of advice and suggestions on making a transition to a plant-based diet. An informed and informative, inspired and inspiring read for anyone contemplating changing over to a plant-based diet which entails giving up meat and meat products in their meals, "The Vegetarian Solution" is highly recommended and thoroughly 'user friendly' read.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Why We Read What We Read
Lisa Adams and John Heath
Sourcebooks
1935 Brookdale Road Suite 139, Naperville, IL 60563
140221054X, $16.95 www.sourcebooks.com

What are the social trends reflected by bestseller lists? Any interested in books, reading, and popular trends will find WHY WE READ WHAT WE READ: A DELIGHTFULLY OPINIONATED JOURNEY THROUGH CONTEMPORARY BESTSELLERS to be an involving survey, considering how successful best-sellers provide insights into social change. Both public lending libraries and schools specializing in modern social science analysis will find involving this exploration of how public issues are reflected in the best-selling book world.

Writing Begins With The Breath
Laraine Herring
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
9781590304730, $12.95 www.shambhala.com 1-800-733-3000

In "Writing Begins With The Breath: Embodying Your Authentic Voice" academician, creative writing instructor, and award winning fiction author Laraine Herring provides aspiring writers with a unique approach and distinctive guide to the craft of writing. The focus and message is how authors can tune into their bodies and connect with their emotions so that what they write becomes an expression of their whole being -- and not just an intellectual exercise. In "Writing Begins With The Breath" Laraine Herring has clearly practices what she's preached. The result is a text that is not only informed and informative, but inspired and inspiring. If you seek to write the next Great American Novel, then begin by reading what Laraine Herring has to say in "Writing Begins With The Breath"!

The Way Of Story
Catherine Ann Jones
Michael Wiese Productions
3940 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
9781932907322, $22.95 www.mwp.com 1-800-833-5738

The script is the first basic building block of any film, theatre, or television project. "The Way Of Story: The Craft & Soul Of Writing" by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Catherine Ann Jones offers aspiring authors an integrative approach to writing all the various forms of narrative storytelling. Laced with anecdotal stories and personal insights from her own professional experiences as a writer of scripts, Catherine Ann Jones persuasively argues that craft alone is not enough for success in this highly competitive, highly volatile business. There must be an effective integration of storytelling technique and experiential inner discovery as a writer in order to produce scripts that are commercially viable and persuasive when it comes time to pitch them to producers. Of special note are the wealth of practical tips for writing a successful script whether it is for a play, a movie, or a television show. "The Way of Story" is especially recommended reading for anyone who aspires to writing a screenplay, and will provide invaluable insights into both the process and the marketplace.


The Library DVD Shelf

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 5
Acorn Media Group
801 Roeder Road, Suite 700, Silver Spring, MD 20910
WG42129, $39.95 www.acornmedia.com 1-800-949-8670

The fifth volume in the acclaimed British mystery series starring Nathaniel Parker as Detective Inspector Lynley and Sharon Small as his colleague Detective Sergeant Havers, "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 5" is a DVD boxed set comprising four full-length and expertly produced adaptations of Elizabeth George's superbly written 'whodunnit' mystery novels 'Natural Causes'; 'One Guilty Deed'; 'Chinese Walls'; and 'In The Blink Of An Eye'. As with all BBC productions that have aired on the popular PBS series "Mystery!", this fifth season of the Inspector Lynley stories are complex, beautifully photographed, expertly enacted, and thoroughly engaging. A 'must' for the legion of British mystery fans, "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 5" will prove to be a thoroughly entertaining and satisfying collection as any of the earlier DVD volumes of this series which are all available from the Acorn Media Group. One warning -- be sure to watch these four episodes in their proper chronological order. The individual discs are not numbered, and if viewed out of sequence, could prove have be an unfortunate 'spoiler' effect with respect to one of the major running characters in the series.

The Gateway Arch
Janson Media
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
Cat. #20349, $24.95 www.janson.com

Located in St. Louis, Missouri, the Gateway Arch is the largest stainless steel structure every to be erected. Enhanced with an informed and informative narration by Kevin Kline, "The Gateway Arch: A Reflection Of America" is a one hour, full color DVD that tells the story of this architectural wonder in terms of its design, its construction, its history, and its symbolism. Drawing upon more than 10,000 documents and images (including the private papers of its architect, Eero Saarinen and the earliest conceptual drawings held in the archives of Yale University), "The Gateway Arch" also features interviews with World Trade Center memorial architect Daniel Libeskind, New York-based architecture critic Jayne Merkel, and Eero Saarinen's daughter Susan. The DVD format allows for the inclusion of an extra 30 minutes of relevant and appropriate special features. The result is a superbly produced and entertaining historical documentary that is confidently and enthusiastically recommended for inclusion in both school and community library DVD collections.

Billy Pate's Fly Fishing for Billfish
Bennett-Watt HD Productions
13021 - 244th Avenue SE, Issaquah, WA 98027
1932978925 $29.95 www.bennett-watt.com 1-800-327-2893

Part of the respected "How to Fly Fish" series, Billy Pate's Fly Fishing for Billfish is a gorgeous on-location DVD that walks the reader through proven techniques for catching all six species of billfish. Following fly fishing expert Billy Pate, along with Kelly Watt (co-host of Fly Fishing Video Magazine), Billy Pate's Fly Fishing for Billfish covers technique, tackle, leaders, and water conditions. Filmed off the coast of Costa Rica, Billy Pate's Fly Fishing for Billfish offers gorgeous full-color scenery and even an underwater video of a sailfish taking a fly. A "must-have" for flyfishing enthusiasts interested in branching out their catch repertoire. Also highly recommended is the latest addition to the "Fly Fishing Adventure" DVD series, Bass (1932978658, $19.95).

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
9781569943991 $24.95 www.montereymedia.com 1-800-424-2593

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama is an award-winning documentary DVD of ten soul-searching questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Among the profound questions asked are "Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich?", "Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future?", and "How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence?" Bonus features include an interview with the director, additional selected scenes, and an interview with Tenzin Geyche Tethong. An absolute "must-see" for practitioners of Buddhism, worthy of the highest recommendation for its thoughtful examination of both earthly and transcendental issues. 85 minutes, closed-captioned, color.

Prevention Fitness Systems
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.411videoinfo.com www.rodale.com

Two new additions to the Prevention Fitness Systems series of exercise DVDs, developed guide consumers through exercises for improved fitness, balance, and flexibility. "Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss with Chris Freytag" (9780766232563, $14.98, 42 min.) is an express workout DVD offering three mix-and-match, ten-minute routines designed to burn calories and invigorate muscles. The routines are Cardio Sculpt, Kickbox Sculpt, and Pilates Sculpt; the viewer is encouraged to use inexpensive 2 or 3-pound hand weights along with a yoga mat to reap the full benefits. Certified fitness trainer and "Prevention" magazine's contributing fitness editor Chris Freytag is an energetic and helpful guide to these simple exercises ideal for looking and feeling one's best. "Better Belly Yoga with Desiree Bartlett" (9780766231207, $14.98, 36 min.) concentrates especially upon the waistline; each of the DVD's three segments focuses on a different part of the abdominal area. a standard yoga mat is recommended while following certified yoga teacher Desiree Bartlett's instructions for a flatter belly. Bonus segments offering breathing techniques for more energy and a basic introduction to meditation round out this welcome addition to personal fitness libraries.

Championship Hockey Drills & Ice Time Management
Nate & Bo Leslie
Youth Sports Club
9 Florence Court, Valley Cottage, NY 10989
9780978945138 $24.95 www.YouthSportsClub.com 1-800-511-2101

Championship Hockey Drills & Ice Time Management is a DVD collection of drills and techniques for sporting success used by coaches around the world. Former professional players and youth coaches Nate & Bo Leslie discuss time management theories and how to most efficiently run ice hockey practice with limited time and space. Exercises cover stick handling drills, game situations, skating technique, offensive moves, and much more. A superb, all-around guide accessible to and useful for hockey players and coaches of all ages and skill levels. 38 minutes, color.

INControl
Karen Armstrong
Collage Video
5390 Main St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55421, USA
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$19.95 www.411videoinfo.com www.collagevideo.com 1-800-433-6769

INControl is a pelvic exercise DVD exclusively for women, teaching how to do simple Kegel pelvic exercises any woman can do anywhere, anytime to improve her pelvic health and sexual health, as well as prevent or minimize incontinence. Especially valuable for women who are preparing for childbirth, INControl recommends an easy-to-follow twelve-minute routine, and offers both basic and advance-level instructions. Certified Pilates instructor Karen Armstrong hosts this "must-have" exercise video, highly recommended for women's personal health shelves and public library collections. 28 minutes, color.

The Racing Sailor
Jumby Bay Studios
Vat19.com
11783 Borman Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146
$34.95 www.vat19.com

The Racing Sailor: Winning Tactics for Small Boat Racing is a DVD that combines in-depth, tactical sailing instruction from competitive experts with 3D animation into a comprehensive course designed to help sailboat racers of all skill and experience levels improve their performance. The Racing Sailor covers upwind strategy and tactics, downwind strategy, finishing techniques, wind shift management, mark rounding, and much more. A nautical dictionary with nearly 300 terms and a how-to guide to the most important sailing knots round out this "must-have" video guide for any small boat racer. 73 min., color.

Maui Pilates: Abs Made Easy
Eva Bondar
Razor Fitness
4401 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 210, Los Angeles, CA 90010
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
1595523960 $14.99 www.411videoinfo.com www.razorfitness.com

AFAA certified fitness instructor, Pilates instructor of ten years' experience, and Maui resident Eva Bondar presents Maui Pilates: Abs Made Easy, a guide to low-impact Pilates stretches designed to redefine one's core, tone the body, and improve one's posture throughout the day. Set on a beautiful, sandy beach of Maui, Maui Pilates: Abs Made Easy is ideal for consumers of all fitness levels and offers precise abdominal moves for promoting strength without straining one's back or neck. A Pilates mat is recommended for following this user-friendly, health-conscious workout. 55 minutes, color.

10 Minute Solution: Dance It Off & Tone It Up!
Starz Home Entertainment
c/o Anchor Bay Entertainment
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
$16.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com

The 10 Minute Solution DVD series continues to provide quality workouts customized for the needs of the time-conscious consumer. 10 Minute Solution: Dance It Off & Tone It Up! ($16.98, 57 min.) includes a free toning band and offers five separate ten-minute workouts that can be done in any combination: Sexy Slim Down to promote confidence, High Energy Fat Burner for an enthusiastic and energetic workout, Dancer's Abs focusing on belly moves, Upper Body Tone Up to sculpt the upper body muscles with slow movements and the toning band, and Buns & Thigh Sculpt for promoting lean legs. Hosted by professional dancer and ACE certified fitness instructor Jennifer Galardi hosts this easy-to-use workout aid perfect for anyone caught up in a hectic modern schedule. 57 minutes, color.

10 Minute Solution: Slim & Sculpt Pilates with Pilates Band
Starz Home Entertainment
c/o Anchor Bay Entertainment
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
$16.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com

A welcome addition to the user-friendly 10 Minute Solution exercise series, 10 Minute Solution: Slim & Sculpt Pilates with Pilates Band introduces the consumer to the health, flexibility, and fitness benefits of Pilates through five ten-minute segments, which can be done in any combination. The included Pilates Band is a simple easy-to-use piece of exercise equipment to apply in "Upper Body Pilates", designed to firm one's arms, shoulders and upper back; Lower Body Pilates for toning and conditioning the other half of one's body; Pilates for Abs offering innovative spins on classic Pilates exercises especially to flatten the abs, Total Body Pilates to promote calorie burning and overall fitness; and Pilates for Flexibility offering a wide range of dynamic stretches. AFAA certified group fitness and Practical Pilates instructor Suzanne Bowen, a fitness professional of nearly 10 years' experience, cheerfully guides the viewer through the workout routine. Especially recommended for anyone new to Pilates and seeking to sample its benefits. 54 minutes, color.

Spiral Fitness
David Nakara Enterprise, Inc.
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.411videoinfo.com www.danceandmartialfitness.com

Featuring silver screen legend David Carradine, his expert Kung Fu trainer Rob Moses, and Rob's daughter Marissa Moses as hosts, Spiral Fitness is a set of DVDs instructing the viewer in a martial, fitness, and therapeutic exercise program that Rob created as a modern approach to an ancient art form. Spiral Fitness: Beginnings ($14.98, 60 min.) is a documentary describing how the innovative concepts of the Spiral Fitness program came to be - Rob designed the motions of elliptical shapes, gyros, wheels and spheres not only to enhance how one moves but also as a tool to enrich self-perception, expression, and the senses. Spiral Fitness: The Basics ($14.98, 60 min.) is a more standard, guided exercise workout blending elements of dance, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and Yoga to enhance one's own natural and inherent movements. The result greatly promotes flexibility, balance, and efficiency of motion as well as fitness. Spiral Fitness: Nine Palms ($19.98, 80 min.) offers nine truths of joyful movement, from the motion of casting a net to pulling a line or feeling the contours of the wind. The result is an energizing workout promoting unity of purpose as well as motion. All three DVDs are enhanced for widescreen, and all make use of the inexpensive "Spiral Knot Energy Stick". An excellent addition to personal fitness collections.

Pulse Yoga
Braun Media
11763 95th Avenue North, Maple Grove, MN 55369
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
www.pulseyoga.com www.bmsdigital.com www.411videoinfo.com

Certified fitness instructor and yoga expert Argie Ligeros Tang presents the Pulse Yoga with Argie Tang series of fitness DVDs, designed to promote health and mental clarity by combining the best of the fitness disciplines Pilates, Core Fusion, and Yoga. Pulse Yoga I Basic (1599874008, $9.99, 60 min.) introduces the viewer to the Pulse concept of micro movements within a posture, and targets key areas such as abdominal, lower back, and gluteus muscles, as well as toning one's upper body by alternating right and left pulse movements with free weights. Pulse Yoga II Balance & Tone (1599874016, $9.99, 60 min.) emphasizes cultivating balance while in motion, and promotes flexibility in areas that tend to be tight such as hamstrings and hip flexors. Pulse Yoga III Stamina & Strength (1599874024, $9.99, 60 min.) concentrates on increasing personal stamina through more intense use of free weights, as well as promoting inner thigh strength and hip flexibility. Pulse Express (1599870002, $7.99, 42 min.) is a condensed routine designed to meet workout needs in thirty minutes, for the fitness-conscious who are pressed for time, and is enhanced with an exclusive interview with Argie Ligeros Tang and Prisca Boris, who co-founded the Y4A Teacher Training Programs with Tang. All DVDs are upbeat, instructive, and encouraging, but since most viewers are presumed to be unfamiliar with the unique Pulse Yoga system of micro-movements, watching each DVD in its entirety before performing the workout for the first time is recommended.

Fighting Fire with Fire
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
$250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com 1-800-543-3764

Fighting Fire with Fire is a timely documentary ideal for junior high through college classroom viewing. Authorities in the United States and Canada contest forest fires that seem to be getting worse with each fire season; now, a controversial new approach to controlling the problem has taken shape. In the forests of Banff National Park, park wardens are deliberately setting fires called "prescribed burns" in order to prevent larger, hotter, more voracious fires, as well as regenerate the land by setting up optimum conditions for flora and fauna to thrive. This little-known technique has met with surprising success, as fire has always been part of the natural order but global warming and modern techniques to quickly squelch fire have prompted the accumulation of dead fire fuel until out-of-control blazes emerge. Highly recommended. 44 minutes, closed captioned.

Steam Across America Combo DVD
Bruce Ward
Pentrex
2652 East Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91107
1563421852 $29.95 www.pentrex.com 1-800-950-9333

As always, Pentrex lives up to its reputation for providing the best authentic railroad entertainment. Originally released as two separate programs, Steam Across America Combo DVD combines two steam railroading shows captured on 16 mm by rail photographer Bruce Ward, "Volume I - The East" and "Volume II - The West" on one DVD. Rare images of trains ranging from the Pennsylvania Railroad and Nickel Plate Road to the Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, Great Western Railway and much more, complemented by Hi-Fi sound and narration, are sure to delight locomotive enthusiasts. 1 hour 10 minutes, color.


The Comix/Gaphic Novel Shelf

Beowulf
Neil Gaiman, Roger Avary, Chris Ryhall
IDW Publishing
9781600101281, $17.99 www.idwpublishing.com

Adapted from the film screenplay of Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, "Beowulf" is the graphic novel adaptation of the major action/adventure film released by Paramount Picture and is the story of how a legendary Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century sought out and fought the man killing monster Grendel, Grendel's horrific mother, and a gold hoarding dragon. A timeless tale of honor, loyalty, love, and betrayal, "Beowulf" is a true classic that is perfectly adapted to the graphic novel format by writer Chis Ryalo, artist Gabriel Rodriguez, and a team of support that includes colorist Jay Folos, letterer Robbie Robbins, editor Justin Eisinger, and book designer Neil Uyetake. Flawless production values and an inherently gripping story combine to make "Beowulf" an enthusiastic recommendation for personal and community library Graphic Novel collections.

Dream Of The Rarebit Fiend: The Saturdays
Winsor McCay
Checker Book Publishing Group
2044-A South Alex Road, West Carrollton, OH 45449
9781933160658, $19.95 www.checkerbpg.com

Winsor McCay began his career as a professional artist and illustrator in the late 1800s. In 1904 he created what became a landmark newspaper comic strip series called 'Dream of the Rarebit Fiend' which ran until 1911 and was based on a one knock joke about consuming a mildly hallucinogenic food popularly called 'Welsh Rarebit'. McCay was among the first to explore visual sequential art and his gifted originality gained him legions of readers and fans. The strip soon split into two distinct formats: The Dailies (which appeared nearly every Tuesday and Thursday in the New York Evening Telegram) and The Saturday (which expanded to take up roughly twice the Daily square inches which constituted almost all of the newspaper page above the fold). This expanded space in the Saturday strip permitted McCay to become even more vivid and detailed in his visual storytelling. Now photomechanically reproduced from original sources, the Checker Book Publishing Group has brought out under one cover the majority of those Saturday strips featuring 98% of their original format in "Renewing The Countryside: Wisconsin". Readers for whom this very highly recommended collection will be their first exposure to McCay's legendary newspaper comic strip, will also be interested in reading the Daily strips collected in the Checker series "Winsor McCay: The Early Works" (along with other material from the period). For a complete listing of all the early twentieth century newspaper comic strips offered by the Check Book Publishing Group, readers and librarians should visit their website at www.checkerbpg.com

Shonen Jump Volume 5, Issue 12, Number 60, December 2007
Viz Communications Inc.
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
$4.99 www.viz.com www.shonenjump.com 1-800-394-3042

As always, the sixtieth issue of Viz's Shonen Jump magazine is brimming cover-to-cover with teen-friendly Japanese manga (comics) meant to especially appeal to boys and young men, though all fans of action-packed art are sure to enjoy its contents regardless of their age or gender. At a hefty 416 pages for a modest $4.99, Shonen Jump is a bargain for shonen manga lovers. Not only is the English translation flawless, but the manga is presented in its original "unflipped" right-to-left format - though this may take a moment for new manga readers to get used to, it allows the artwork to be shown as the creators originally intended rather than in "mirrored" form. Most of the serialized comic chapters are in black-and-white, but some pages are in color for extra impact. The manga chapters presented are Slam Dunk, a series about the passion of basketball (in color); Naruto, the saga of cursed boy determined to become the greatest ninja ever; Bleach, featuring a high school student with the power to see and fight evil spirits; Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo, about poetry battles of the most outlandish and crazy nature; One Piece, following the enthusiastic Monkey D. Luffy in his self-appointed mission to become King of the Pirates; Yu Yu Hakusho, about a "spirit detective" seeking to protect the innocent in both the human and supernatural realms; Hikaru no Go, about a young man with the aid of an ancient Go master's spirit striving to test his skills to their limit in the board game of Go; and Yu-Gi-Oh and Yu-Gi-Oh GX, two manga based on the wildly popular trading card game of the same name. Issue 60 features the resounding conclusion of the Yu-Gi-Oh saga - the climax of the final card duel between Yugi and his grim alter-ego, a Pharaoh who has lingered between life and death for three thousand years! A handful of articles, including reviews of holiday season video games, round out this hotly anticipated issue.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Bird Care
Diane Morgan
T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, 3rd & Union Avenue, Neptune City, NJ 07753
0793810329, $4.95 www.tfh.com 1-800-631-2188

From canaries to parakeets to parrots, Diane Morgan's "Bird Care" offers quick and easy, step-by-step instructions in the selection, care, feeding, and training of birds. The informed and informative text is enhanced with the inclusion of 'quick-tip' boxes and full-color photography throughout. Of special note is the practical advice about keeping the birds well groomed and healthy while living a long and happy life. The addition of a list of resources and an index, make "Bird Care" a particularly 'user friendly', comprehensive, inexpensive instruction guide -- and ideal for novice bird owners and community library Pets & Wildlife reference collections.

The Natural History Of Ireland's Dragonflies
Robert Thompson & Brian Nelson
Blackstaff Press Ltd.
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9780900761454, $49.95 www.dufoureditions.com 1-800-869-5677

The collaborative work of Robert Thompson and Brian Nelson, "The Natural history Of Ireland's Dragonflies" is a 464-page compendium of descriptive information about one of the jewels of the insect world which for centuries has been celebrated in art, poetry and religion. The co-authors combine some twenty years of field study with the findings of an extensive four-year study carried out by the Dragonfly Ireland Project. Profusely illustrated with more than 300 full color macro-photography of fireflies, as well as various charts and maps, "The Natural History Of Ireland's Dragonflies" covers all aspects of dragonfly biology and ecology. There are informed and informative descriptions of resident and migrant species, detailed descriptions of major odonate habitats, a gallery section illustrating and describing over fifty sites, and more. Of special note are the chapters devoted to 'Fieldcraft', 'Conservation', and 'Photography'. Enhanced with an extensive and extended bibliography listing all currently known and relevant publications, "The Natural History Of Ireland's Dragonflies" is a very strongly recommended acquisition selection for academic library collections, and especially commended to the attention of non-specialist general readers with an interest in these impressive wetland insects.

Cardiovascular Disease in Small Animal Medicine
Wendy A. Ware
Manson
c/o Blackwell Publishing
Box 570, Ames, IA 50010-0570
9781840760767, $189.99 www.blackwellprofessional.com

College-level collections strong in veterinary science and any practicing vet needs Cardiovascular Disease in Small Animal Medicine as a basic collection reference. It provides a comprehensive, authoritative guide to cardiovascular diseases and disorders in dogs and cats, packing in clinical color photos and diagrams and covering the latest diagnosis, tests, and medical and surgical options. Extensive bibliographic references round out the offerings.


The Architecture Shelf

Designing The Good Life
Norman M. Giller & Sarah Giller Nelson
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813030715, $39.95 www.upf.com 1-800-226-3822

It is Norman M. Giller's vision that fundamentally influenced Floridian architecture during the decades that followed the end of World War II. His perspective came to be known as 'Miami Modernism' or 'MiMo' for short. Now in collaboration with Sarah Giller Nelson, Norman Giller has written a personal account of the architectural movement associated with himself and with Florida in "Designing the Good Life: Norman M. Giller & The Development Of Miami Modernism", a 176-page, nicely illustrated (76 color photos, 80 black-and-white photos), informed and informative story that will be read with interest by architectural students and professionals, as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in Florida's architectural history and development. Enhanced with an appendix and an index, "Designing The Good Life" is an important and seminal addition to academic library American Architectural History reference collections.


The Civil War Shelf

George Thomas: Virginian for the Union
Christopher J. Einolf
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806138671, $29.95 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

Volume 13 of the "Campaigns and Commanders" series, George Thomas: Virginian for the Union is the in-depth biography of one of the Union's most prominent and successful generals, who was at one time considered for overall command of the Union Army. Remembered today as the "Rock of Chickamauga", George H. Thomas was a slaveholding Southerner who chose to fight for the North, and his experience with the heroism of black soldiers on the battlefield forever changed his view of African-Americans, transforming him into a defender of civil rights. While George Thomas: Virginian for the Union makes a solid case for Thomas' integrity and competence, neither are Thomas' flaws and ill decisions neglected. Notes, a bibliography, and an index enhance this evenhanded appraisal of a truly remarkable commander.

Images Of Civil War Medicine
Gordon Dammann & Alfred Jay Bollet
Demos Medical Publishing
386 Park Avenue South, Suite 201, New York, NY 10016
9781932603392, $34.95 www.demosmedpub.com 1-800-532-8663

Profusely illustrated throughout with hundreds of historic black-and-white photographs (many of which are previously unpublished), "Images Of Civil War Medicine": A Photograph History" is the collaborative project of Gordon Dammann (founder of the national Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Maryland) and civil war historian and medical expert Alfred Jay Bollett. Covering every aspect of medicine during the four-year conflict, "Images Of Civil War Medicine" includes Confederate aspects of Civil War medicine, prominent contemporary medical educators of the era, Civil War hospitals and hospital stewards, field hospitals, as well as battlefield wounds and diseases. Of special note is the attention given to nursing and the role of women in Civil War medicine. a remarkable study of original scholarship, "Images Of Civil War Medicine" is very strongly recommended for inclusion into personal, academic, and community library American Civil War and American Medical History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

For Honor, Flag, and Family
Richard Wagner
White Mane Publishing Company
73 West Burd Street, PO Box 708, Shippensburg, PA 17257-0708
9781572493728, $19.95 www.whitemane.com

For Honor, Flag, and Family: Civil War Major General Samuel W. Crawford, 1827-1892 is a biography of General Samuel Wylie Crawford, who served in the United States Army during the Civil War from Fort Sumter through Appomattox, involved in major battles of the Eastern Theater. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1862; his brigade suffered the loss of half its strength in an engagement at Cedar Mountain; and he personally suffered a grievous wound at Antietam. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this extensively researched portrait of a true fighting leader, who remained in the United States Army until his retirement in 1873. Notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this welcome addition to Civil War biography shelves.

The Civil War Paintings of Mort Kunstler, V. 3: The Gettysburg Campaign
Mort Kunstler
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
9781581825589, $18.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com

For nearly thirty years Mort Kunstler has used his art to tell stories of the Civil War, capturing daily life of soldiers and leaders alike: this third volume pairs color photo reproductions of his Civil War paintings with discussions of events, making for a hard-hitting survey bringing alive the Gettysburg Campaign experience for both general-interest and military libraries alike. Many an art library, especially those including military and war art, will also consider it a powerful addition.


The Psychology Shelf

Adult Development and Aging
Bert Hayslip Jr., Paul E. Panek, & Julie Hicks Patrick
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
9781575242453, $44.50 www.krieger-publishing.com 1-800-724-0025

Now in an updated and expanded fourth edition, Adult Development and Aging by the team of Expert psychologists Bert Hayslip Jr., Paul E. Panek, and Julie Hicks Patrick, is an academic examination of the psychological development of adults of all pages. Presenting its findings grouped through topicality rather than chronology, Adult Development and Aging covers socialization and interpersonal relationships, occupational selection and work, mental health and psychopathology, intervention and therapy, death and dying, and much more. An extensive bibliography, glossary and index round out this excellent educational text, ideal for students and professionals in the field.

Contingency Management in Substance Abuse Treatment
Stephen T. Higgins, Kenneth Silverman, and Sarah H. Heil
Guilford Publications, Inc.
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
9781593855710, $45.00 www.guilford.com 1-800-365-7006

Edited by psychiatry professors Stephen T. Higgins, Kenneth Silverman, and Sarah H. Heil, Contingency Management in Substance Abuse Treatment is an anthology of essays by learned contributors concerning the contingency management (CM) approach to substance abuse treatment. CM applies a system of incentives and disincentives to help people meet their goals on the road to recovery; a simple yet practical and strongly needed precept especially when the natural benefits of stopping drug use are slow to materialize while the harsh consequences of stopping use (especially withdrawal symptoms) manifest immediately. The essays are organized around a core, comprehensive theme. Issues in treating addiction to different substances (cocaine, opioids, marijuana, tobacco, & alcohol) are covered, as are the unique challenges involved in treating the homeless, pregnant and postpartum women, people with mental illness, and adolescents. The final section discusses a more varied range of issues, such as "Lowering Costs in Drug Abuse Treatment Clinics", "Employment-Based Reinforcement in the Treatment of Drug Addiction", and "Contingency Management in Adult Criminal Drug Courts", and more. Above all, Contingency Management in Substance Abuse Treatment explores how CM can be and is used with an astonishing degree of success, scrutinizing lessons learned from practical implication in community treatment clinics and offering suggestions for maximizing resources and foster positive innovations. Enthusiastically recommended reading for students, educators, and professionals in the field of substance abuse treatment.

Coercion as Cure
Thomas Szasz
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University, 35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9780765803795, $34.95 www.transactionpub.com 1-888-999-6778

Thomas Szasz (Professor of Psychiatry emeritus, State University of New York) presents Coercion as Cure: A Critical History of Psychiatry, a stinging indictment that dares to question conventional beliefs, and deconstructs modern psychiatry itself, arguing that it has no right to be dubbed a medical science. Coercion as Cure takes its title from Szasz's observation that the defining features of psychiatry is its use of force - though sometimes psychiatrists deal with voluntary patients, all too often psychiatrists "diagnose" and "treat" people without their consent or against their clearly expressed wishes. "The psychiatrist's basic social mandate is the coercive-paternalistic protection of the mental patient from himself and the public from the mental patient. Yet, in the professional literature as well as the popular media, this is the least noted feature of psychiatry as a medical specialty... It would be difficult to exaggerate the extent to which historians of psychiatry as well as mental health professionals and journalists ignore, deny, and rationalize the involuntary, coerced, forcibly imposed nature of psychiatric treatments." A harshly critical assessment of the modern psychiatric medical system.

Addressing Cultural Complexities in Practice
Pamela A. Hays, Ph.D.
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
9781433802195, $59.95 www.apa.org/books 1-800-368-5777

Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, Addressing Cultural Complexities in Practice: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Therapy is a guide for clinicians, counselors, and psychologists to taking into account issues what author Pamela A. Hays, Ph.D. refers to as the "ADDRESSING" framework - Age, Developmental and acquired Disabilities, Religion, Ethnicity, Socioeconomic status, Sexual orientation, Indigenous heritage, Native origin, and Gender. All these factors can have an important influence on how best to interact with and aid a patient. Addressing Cultural Complexities in Practice offers an overall framework that can be used with a person of any cultural identity, now in an updated second edition with new sections on cross-cultural assessment of trauma, psychotherapy with people living in poverty, and ethical boundaries and complex relationships in rural and minority communities. Organized in accordance with the flow of clinical work rather than a one-chapter-per-group style, and featuring "key ideas" summaries at the close of each chapter to facilitate educational use and self-study, Addressing Cultural Complexities in Practice is a "must-have" for any practicing or aspiring therapist in today's increasingly diverse America.

Integral Psychology
Brant Cortright
State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
9780791470725, $21.95 www.sunypress.edu 1-800-666-2211

Brant Cortright (Professor of Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies) presents Integral Psychology: Yoga, Growth, and Opening the Heart, a daring new approach to psychology and healing that seeks to learn from Eastern methods that focus on the inner being and the psyche's spiritual foundation, as well as the Western methods that focus on the outer being and the injuries of body, heart, mind, and self. Chapters apply classical East Indian yogas as a means to perceive psychotherapy: psychotherapy as behavior change or karma yoga, psychotherapy as mindfulness practice or jnana yoga, and psychotherapy as opening the heart or bhakti yoga. An approach that combines the best of both worlds for psychological and spiritual healing and self-improvement lies at the heart of Integral Psychology. Though Integral Psychology touches upon spirituality, the concepts presented are emphatically not meant to convert the reader to any specific religion, but rather to promote healing and wellness for patients of all faiths and cultural backgrounds. The result is a highly recommended supplementary text especially recommended for psychologists and psychotherapists.


The Poetry Shelf

Japanese Women Poets
Hiroaki Sato, translator
M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
80 Business Park Drive, Armonk, NY 10504
9780765617842, $34.95 www.mesharpe.com 1-800-541-6563

Translated with an introduction by award-winning translator Hiroaki Sato, Japanese Women Poets is an anthology of Japanese women's poetry from the earliest folk songs to the 7th century up through the close of World War II. The translations include extensive notes that explain subtle references, such as "knowing what fine feelings are" as an allusion to a tale in which having children is equated with the development of fine feelings such as compassion. A handful of black-and-white illustrations grace this "must-have" addition to international poetry shelves. Highly recommended.


The Art Shelf

Roger Brown: Southern Exposure
Sidney Lawrence
University of Alabama Press
PO Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
9780817354695, $25.00 www.uapress.ua.edu 1-800-621-2736

Southern Exposure is a dazzling, full-color visual showcase of the unforgettable art of Roger Brown. Sidney Lawrence a brief biography of Brown shedding insight on how he formed his visual style, and Lee Gray contributes a foreword while Lisa Stone offers an afterword, but the highest appeal lies in the stunning color photographs of Brown's art. Many of the works are three-dimensional sculptures that almost leap off the page. Brown is unafraid of tackling serious topics in his works, such as the twin towers that were destroyed in the September 11th attacks. His style is simplistic yet bold, creating images that burn themselves into the consciousness. Highly recommended for artbook collections.

Earthscapture
Setsuo Ito
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, 74-2 Union Street, Manchester, VT 05254
National Book Network (distributor)
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9781555952815, $65.00 www.hudsonhills.com www.nbnbooks.com 1-800-462-6420

"Earthscapture: The Art Of Setsuo Ito" is a form of art created by the artist's fascination with the natural beauty of the American Southwest, his respect for the philosophy of Native Americans, and the influence of his own Japanese culture. The sculptures he has created incorporate materials that include sandstone, mortar, plastic resin, seashells, and stones -- all composed with an artist's eye for form and image. "Earthscapture" offers a compendium of 116 full color images of Ito's creations taken by photographer Lou Manna. Enhanced with the inclusion of an informative essay by journalist Roger Yee and a foreword by Native American activist Russell Means, "Earthscapture" is the compilation of a unique artist's imaginative and memorable works of art making it a highly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community Art History reference collections.

In Another Light
Patricia Berman
The Vendome Press
1334 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (distributor)
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780865651814, $75.00 www.abramsbooks.com 1-800-759-0190

"In Another Light: Danish Painting In The Nineteenth Century" by Patricia Berman (Theodora L. and Stanley H. Feldberg Professor of Art, Wellesley College) is an impressively illustrated and informative history of Danish artists and their works reflecting and influencing the European art world and included the artistic movements known as Classicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, and Symbolism. A seminal and scholarly study of 19th century Danish art, "In Another Light" is beautifully illustrated with 288 full-color and flawless reproductions of paintings. Of special interest to students of European art, "In Another Light" is very highly recommended to for professional and academic library Art History reference collections, and would make a superb selection Memorial Fund selection choice for community libraries.

The Layout Book
Paul Harris & Gavin Ambrose
AVA Publishing
56a Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1BE, United Kingdom
9782940373536, $45.00 www.avabooks.ch

The collaborative work of freelance writer, journalist and editor Paul Harris and professional graphic designer Gavin Ambrose, "The Layout Book" is a profusely illustrated introduction to the basic principles of graphic design as they have been employed for in the worlds of fashion, the principles of architecture, the creation of art, and the organization of the illustrated printed page. With a wealth of images ranging from magazine covers, to maps, to packaging design, "The Layout Book covers everything from the use of white space, to the measurement of images, to the balancing of lines and geometrical spacing of individual elements into something that is so much greater than the mere assembled sum of its parts. The transformation of image and proportion into graphically designed works of art. "The Layout Book" is the perfect introduction for graphic art design students, and will prove to be of immense interest to non-specialist general readers with an interest in art and design as well. Also very highly recommended from AVA Publishing is Tony Gibbs' "Fundamentals of Sonic Art and Sound Design".

Periplus Publishing
c/o Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com

Michael G. LaFosse with Richard Alexander and Greg Mudarri's Japanese Paper Crafting (0804838488, $24.95) provides a fine guide to Japanese paper crafting which tells how to make lovely washi paper at home. Diagrams and color photos supplement step-by-step instructions on creating some 17 washi projects with handmade paper, from a hand-bound blank book to purses, and come from one of the leading authorities on origami and paper art, a co-founder of a teaching studio, and an origami enthusiast. Any general-interest collection strong in crafts will welcome it – as well as Lydia Chen's THE COMPLETE BOOK OF CHINESE KNOTTING (0804836795, $29.95) which covers an ancient art of knots used as decorative motifs and embellishments. The author's decades of research into the history and origins of some fourteen basic Chinese knots translates well to a guide which not only covers past knots, but presents modifications for new projects – some 66 formations.


The Social Issues Shelf

Work Options for Older Americans
Teresa Ghilarducci and John Turner, editors
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
9780268029708, $45.00 www.undpress.nd.edu 1-800-621-2736

Edited by professor of economics Teresa Ghilarducci and AARP Public Policy Institute senior advisor John Turner, Work Options for Older Americans is a collection of essays by learned authors concerning the repercussions of demographic shifts and social forces that result in more and more Americans having to abandon the social expectation of retiring in their sixties and continue working later in life. Individual essays include "The Transformation of the American Pension System", "The Interaction between Health, Health Insurance, and Retirement", "International Responses to an Aging Labor Force: Lessons for U.S. Policy", and much more. It should be noted that Work Options for Older Americans is primarily a reference for economic scholars, policymakers, and problem-solvers, not a "how-to" guide for seniors. Black-and-white tables, charts, and graphics illustrate this serious-minded assessment grounded in hard data and extensive research.

The Immigration Solution: A Better Plan Than Today's
Heather MacDonald, Victor Davis Hanson, Steven Malanga
Ivan R. Dee
1332 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566637600, $24.95 www.ivanrdee.com

Three observers of modern immigration issues and border control debates offer their own analysis of how current policies have led to a loss of control of our borders in THE IMMIGRATION SOLUTION, a description of a new form of Hispanic underclass and the Mexican government's involvement in abetting illegal immigration to the U.S. Chapters consider the growing impact of Hispanic immigrants on the American economy, and outline policies for positive change in a book recommended for both high school and college-level classroom debate.

Lockout
Michele Wucker
Public Affairs
250 West 57th Street, Suite 1321, New York NY 10107
1586485237, $15.95 www.publicaffairsbooks.com

Lockout: Why America Keeps Getting Immigration Wrong When Our Prosperity Depends on Getting It Right argues that the stakes in getting American immigration policy right are greater than ever, what with the nation's record-high foreign-born population, attitudes towards immigration, and changing economics. Here senior World Policy Institute fellow Michele Wucker analyses the mistakes that have led to modern problems, and offers analysis of some alternative options and their pros and cons. A key debate title for any college-level library strong in immigration issues.

Spirit Heals
Meredith L. Young-Sowers
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1577315774, $15.95 www.newworldlibrary.com

Spirit does heal when the heart is in it – and SPIRIT HEALS: AWAKENING TO A WOMAN'S INNER KNOWING FOR SELF-HEALING is a special pick for both new age and women's studies collections, introducing the idea of ‘spiritual DNA and considering how ‘Spiritual DNA' defines traits of an emotional and mental kind. From why women have troubles in different areas to building an effective network to combat built-in mindsets, SPIRIT HEALS is a wonderful and healing guide.

Prayer Power: How to Pray When You Think You Can't
Marci Alborghetti
Guideposts Books
16 East 34th Street, New York NY 10016
9780824947163, $16.99 www.guidepostsbooks.com

Marci's prayer partner struggled with cancer and was too weak to pray any longer – at that moment PRAYER POWER evolved as a concept, offering practical help for those who feel unable to pray and out of touch with God. Here real-life stories pair with model prayers and biblical examples to cover a range of spiritual practices, from finding prayer partners and prayerfully listening to music to discovering different forms of prayer to bring one closer to God. It's an intriguing discussion that should be a part of any spirituality collection.

Pope John Paul II: A Reader
Gerald O'Collins, SJ, et.al.
Paulist Press
997 Macarthur Blvd, Mahwah, NJ 07430
0806144784, $19.95 www.paulistpress.com

Pope John Paul II's papacy lasted over twenty-six years, so it's appropriate that a review of his achievements would take the form of a selection of quotes from over 70,000 pages of his teachings. Twelve categories or chapters organize these quotes, each opening with an introduction and addressing themes ranging from the church's mission to sacraments and worship. Perfect for any comprehensive Catholic collection.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

An American Jewish Odyssey
Cipora O. Schwartz
KTAV
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
0881259500, $40.00 www.ktav.com

Any who are interested in the freedoms of Jewish and immigrant groups to America and especially libraries strong in Jewish studies needs AN AMERICAN JEWISH ODYSSEY, a survey of Jewish American identity and religious freedoms centered around one of the largest/oldest Jewish congregations in New Jersey. Here the Jewish immigrant experience comes alive through a series of historical insights and source material perfect for any adult Jewish history collection seeking to keep Jewish culture alive.

William & Rosalie
William Schiff, Rosalie Schiff, Craig Hanley
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574412376, $19.95 www.tamu.edu/upress 1-800-826-8911

"William & Rosalie: A Holocaust Testimony" is the personal story of William and Rosalie Schiff who were a young couple struggling to stay alive during the Nazi holocaust in which German antisemitism motivated the torture and murder of their families, friends, and neighbors. Now both in their eighties and living in Dallas, Texas, their story is effectively and accurately narrated by Craig Hanley is a seminal biography detailing their experiences, the loss of their families, their years of torture at the hands of their Nazi captors, and their struggle to find each other after the war ended. This is a riveting, harrowing, dramatic, true story, the stuff of which block buster movies and television mini-series are made from. "William & Rosalie" is a welcome and informative addition to the growing body of Holocaust literature, made even more valuable as the survivors of that generation are now dying off and the attempts by neo-fascist, neo-Nazi, and Islamic anti-Semites at denying the Holocaust are continuing unabated. Enhanced with family photographs, a 'Key to Inter-Chapter Photos', and a selected bibliography of suggested further readings, "Williams & Rosalie" is particularly distinguished by an underlying message warning of the dangers of prejudice and ethnic hatred. Now academic or community library should fail to include a copy of "William & Rosalie" in the Judaic Studies or Holocaust Studies reference collections.

The Jewish Songbook
Velvel Pasternak
Tara Publications
29 Derby Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516
0933676395, $29.95 www.jewishmusic.com 1-800-827-2400

One of the distinctive features of Judaic culture is its music. Expertly compiled, edited, and arranged by Velvel Pasternak, "The Jewish Songbook" is a 255-page compendium of music complete with scores and lyrics. The songs themselves are organized into sections: Songs of Israel; Songs in Yiddish; Sephardic & Oriental; Songs in English; Sabbath & Holidays; Chassidic & Liturgical. Each individual selection has a brief descriptive meaning of the words in the featured Hebrew or Yiddish songs is provided in English. Enhanced with the inclusion of a selected bibliography, an index of the first lines, a selected discography, and an alphabetical index, "The Jewish Songbook" is a veritable showcase of the rich cultural legacies, traditions, and beauty of Jewish vocal music and a seminal, enthusiastically recommended contribution to personal, professional, academic, community, and synagogue library collections.

Three Times Chai
Laney Katz Becker
Behrman House Inc.
11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081
9780874418101, $22.00 www.behrmanhouse.com 1-800-221-2755

Three Times Chai: 54 Rabbis Tell Their Favorite Stories offers fifty-four stories in the Jewish storytelling tradition, each narrated by a different rabbi. A sidebar explains why the rabbi who presents the tale is so fond of it. Ideal for inspiring congregations, reading aloud to class, sharing with one's children, or inspiring readers of all backgrounds, Three Times Chai is a resource sure to please. Highly recommended.

Celebrating the Jewish Year
Paul Steinberg, author
Janet Greenstein Potter, editor
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, 2nd floor, Philadelphia PA 19103-1399
9780827608429, $22.00 www.jewishpub.org 1-800-234-3151
Celebrating the Jewish Year: The Fall Holidays tells the story behind three fall holidays celebrated in the Jewish tradition: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Written in plain terms and accessible to readers of all backgrounds, chapters cover the origins of these holidays, modern perspectives upon their significance, interpretations of sacred texts, alternative meditations, and much more. Endnotes, a glossary, and an index round out this superb introduction especially recommended for anyone seeking to enrich their personal understanding before attending a Jewish holiday celebration.


The Music Shelf

Santorella Publications, Ltd.
13 Pleasant Avenue, Danvers, MA 01923
www.santorellapublication.com 1-877-600-0049

Expertly arranged by Denise A. Gendron, 'Traditional Christmas Duets For Brass And Reeds' is a six volume series of timeless songs and carols that have been a basic part of traditional Christmas celebratory occasions. Deftly articulated in rich arrangements written in accommodating keys, each volume in this outstanding series will enable even the most novice musician to perform the pieces either as a solo act, in a duet, or as part of a group performance. "Traditional Christmas Duets For Brass And Reeds: For Clarinet" (TS380, $14.95); "Traditional Christmas Duets For Brass And Reeds: For Trumpet" (TS381, $14.95); "Traditional Christmas Duets For Brass And Reeds: For Flute" (TS382, $14.95); "Traditional Christmas Duets For Brass And Reeds: For Alto Sax" (TS383, $14.95); "Traditional Christmas Duets For Brass And Reeds For Trombone" (TS384, $14.95) all come with an accompanying CD expertly recorded by Craig Stevens. The sixth volume, ""Traditional Christmas Duets For Brass And Reeds: Piano Accompaniment For Brass and Reed" (TS385, $14.95) does not. Ideal for the student musician, and qualifying for use by seasoned professionals, the 'Traditional Christmas Duets For Brass And Reeds' series from Santorella Publications is enthusiastically recommended.

Pimps Up, Ho's Down
T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting
New York University Press
838 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10003
9780814740149, $22.95 www.nyupress.org 1-800-996-6987

PIMPS UP, HO'S DOWN: HIP HOP'S HOLD ON YOUNG BLACK WOMEN offers damning evidence about hip hop's underlying racial and social prejudices, examining the politics of gender and providing a feminist's perspective and insights into black music's underlying message. One would expect – and receive – a focus on lyrics – but also analyzed is how black women are displayed in music videos, film, TV and on the internet, making for an important analysis well suited to any college collection with strong music or social analysis sections.

Notes from a Minor Key
Dawn Bailiff
Hampton Roads Publishing
1124 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902-8719
9781571745545, $22.95 www.hrpub.com

Dawn Bailiff's title describes living with multiple sclerosis – but it's much more. It's also the story of a half-Jewish, half-Japanese girl who played with Leonard Bernstein when she was just 10, who was accepted into the Peabody Conservatory of Music at age 15, and whose music helped her struggle through MS diagnosis and symptoms. Bailiff is a composer, former world-class concert pianist, and here integrates her musical passion and experiences with powerful first-person insights on living with ms.

Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits, 4th Edition
Fred Bronson
Billboard Books
c/o Watson-Guptill Publications
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
9780823015566, $24.95 www.watsonguptill.com

You'd think a title with the name Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits would comprise a relatively slim list of charts – but actually this is much, much more: it's a reference which includes top hits for artists, writers, producers and labels, including one-hit wonders, and categorizes these by many subheadings: top hits by Australian artists, top hits on Jive, top songs by decade increments. The wealth of information adds details on all these artists and producers alongside chart listings and reviews of influences on the hits. The result is an involving survey perfect for any lending library strong in popular music history.

Is Hip Hop Dead?
Mickey Hess
Praeger Publishers
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780275994617, $39.95 www.praeger.com

IS HIP HOP DEAD? THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF AMERICA'S MOST WANTED MUSIC considers hip hop artists, the history of the genre, and the ongoing dialogue between commercialism versus culture which has kept hip hop alive and on the cutting edge of American youth culture. Chapters survey its history, roots, and the major hip hop groups' contributions over the decades with an eye to revealing the genre's underlying influences and possible futures. Any college-level library strong in contemporary music culture needs IS HIP HOP DEAD?, sure to be a popular library lend.


The Gardening Shelf

Native Plants For Prairie Gardens
June Flanagan
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
311 Washington Street, Brighton, MA 02135-3303
1894856139, $21.00 www.fitzhenry.ca 1-800-387-9776

Native prairie plants are plants that originated naturally on the prairies of Canada and the United States. Gardeners, landscapers, and horticulturalists have come to appreciate the benefits of these plants in creating beautiful, environmentally friendly, disease resistant, low maintenance gardens in America's Upper Midwest regions and throughout the Canadian provinces. An important volume in the impressive 'Fifth House Gardening on the Level' series from the Fitzhenry & Whiteside Company, "Native Plants For Prairie Gardens" by gardening and horticultural expert June Flanagan provides the aspiring gardener with practical advice on landscaping with native prairie plants; valuable tips on acquiring, growing, and propagating native prairie plants; beautifully illustrated descriptions of native prairie wild flowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs; and a native prairie plant bloom chart. Enhanced with the inclusion of lists of seed and plant sources, native plant organizations, and even public gardens featuring or specializing in native prairie plants, "Native Plants For Prairie Gardens" is the ideal introduction and instruction manual for beginning gardens and should be a part of every personal, professional, academic, and community library Gardening Guides & Studies reference collections.

The Walled Garden
Leslie Geddes-Brown
Merrell Publishers Limited
740 Broadway, Suite 1202, New York, NY 10003
9781858943633, $49.95 www.merrellpublishers.com 1-212-529-2270

Walled gardens have been around from the very beginnings of human horticulture in just about every recorded civilization that we have an archaeological record. They continue to be popular among landscapers and family gardeners today as new advances in gardening continue the evolution of walled garden designs. Contemporary walled garden designs incorporate such materials as willow branches, wooden plans and panels, stone and brick work, as well as glass and metals that are rendered and painted in brilliant colors. In "The Walled Garden", horticultural expert and author Leslie Geddes-Brown (who is acknowledged as one of Britain's leading writers and authorities on gardening and interior design) has compiled a showcase of thirty-five historical and contemporary walled gardens around the world. After a succinct historical overview of walled gardens, "The Walled Garden" is divided into a range of thematically appropriate subjects including formal walled gardens, walled vegetable gardens, walled herb gardens, walled flower gardens, and walled gardens by famous designers. Each chapter and section is superbly illustrated with a collective total of 250 full color images. Enhanced with an international directory of plants suitable for walled gardens, contact and website details of all the featured gardens open to the public, as well as the living garden designers featured, "The Walled Garden" is enthusiastically recommended to the attention of professional and amateur gardeners, landscape and garden designers, as well as academic horticultural reference shelves and community library gardening collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook
Jackie Newgent
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
9781580402750, $18.95 www.diabetes.org 1-800-342-2383

Compiled by nutrition expert Jackie Newgent (a regular contributor to 'Weight Watchers Magazine', a chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, and former American Dietetic Association National media spokesperson), "The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook: The Whole food Approach To Great Tastes And Healthy Eating" features more than 150 dishes, the recipes for which avoid any artificial elements or ingredients. This impressive and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' compendium of recipes are specifically designed for people with diabetes and ranges from Homemade Granola-Raspberry Parfaits; Scallion Yogurt Cheese; Mesclun Salad with Bosc pears, Pecans, and Blue Cheese; and Sweet Potato Burrito Spirals with Bell Pepper-Avocado 'Creme' Sauce; to Lemony Stuffed Grape Leaves; Creole-Style Red Beans and Rice; Honey Hot Cocoa Au Lait; and Mini Vanilli Cupcakes with Cherries on Top. Enhanced with facts, tips, and ideas to give good food a great flair, "The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook" is a 'must' for diabetics wanting gourmet quality cuisine that they can prepare and consume with safety and gusto.

The Low-Cholesterol Cookbook
Angelika Ilies, Doris Muliar, Edita Pospisil
Key Porter Books
Six AdelaideStreet East, 10th floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5C 1H6
Publishers Group West (distributor)
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
1552637093, $29.95 www.keyporter.com 1-800-788-3123 www.pgw.com

The collaborative work of food writers Angelika Ilies, Edita Pospisil, and Doris Muliar, "The Low-Cholesterol Cookbook" showcases more than 170 recipes that are as nutritionally balanced and 'heart healthy' as they are delicious and kitchen cook friendly to prepare. Ranging from Cottage Cheese with Peppers and Curry; Perch with Puy Lentils and Vegetables; Chicken Cutlets with Mango Chutney; and Thai Curry with Toasted Pistachios; to Bulgur Salad with Turkey; Fish Fillets with Pineapple and Zucchini; Spiced Potato Bread with Red Pepper, Red Onion, and Leek; Coconut Bundt Cake, each featured and beautifully illustrated recipe is provided with a sidebar providing information on Fat, Cholesterol, fiber, and estimated preparation time. "The Low-Cholesterol Cookbook" is enthusiastically recommended for its gourmet quality low-fat cuisine and would make a popular addition to any personal, family, or community library cookbook collection.

Amy's Table
Amy Tobin
Orange Frazer Press
PO Box 214, Wilmington, OH 45177
9781933197395, $22.95 www.orangefrazer.com 1-800-852-9332

In "Amy's Table: Food For Family & Friends", culinary expert Amy Tobin has compiled a wealth of simply wonderful and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friend' recipes that are ideal for any dining occasion. Profusely illustrated in full color throughout, each individual recipe identifies how many it would serve, the preparation time involved, a brief anecdote about the recipes, cooking tips, ingredients, and instructions. From Seared Peppered Tuna with Pickled Cucumber to Italian Wedding Soup; Rough-Cut Cole Slaw with Blue Cheese; Macadamia Chicken with Mango Butter Sauce; Lemon Panna Cotta with Berry Sauce; Spiced Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon Cream; and Chocolate Bowls with Raspberry Sauce, "Amy's Table" offers an amazing variety of gourmet quality dishes and is enthusiastically recommended for both personal and community library cookbook collections.

Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
Dreena Burton
Arsenal Pulp Press
341 Water Street, Suite 200, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 1B8
Consortium Books Sales & Distribution (distributor)
34 Thirteenth Avenue NE, Suite 101, Minneapolis, MN 55413-1007
9781551522241, $22.95 www.cbsd.com 1-800-283-3572 www.arsenalpulp.com

Her third vegetarian cookbook, Dreena Burton's "Eat, Drink & Be Vegan" focuses on recipes for celebratory foods that consist of vegan fare perfect for everything from a romantic meal, to dinner parties, to casual potlucks, to formal dining occasions of all kinds. A compilation offering more than 150 delicious vegan recipes ranging from Zucchini Spelt Muffins; Cinnamon Sweet Tortilla Strips; Cocoa-Coconut Chili; and White Bean Rosemary Soup with Jumbo Cruton and Fresh Basil; to Cashew-Ginger Tofu; Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto with Toasted Almonds and Pine Nuts; Five Spice Almond Cookies; and Mulled Cran-Apple Cider, "Eat, Drink & Be Vegan" is enhanced with sixteen full-color photographs and a welcome addition to personal, professional, and community library vegetarian cookbook collections. Also very highly recommended are Dreena Burton's two previous vegetarian cookbooks: "The Everyday Vegan" and "Vive le Vegan!".

Entertaining With Bluegrass Winners
The Garden Club of Lexington
Eclipse Press
PO Box 919003, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
9781581501742, $29.95 www.eclipsepress.com 1-800-582-5604

"Entertaining With Bluegrass Winners" is a compendium of recipes contributed by bluegrass hostesses who share their favorite dishes along with their family traditions for every season of the year and every special occasion from a formal winter dinner to a Derby-day brunch. Featuring new recipes and menus from Kentucky's legendary horse farms. "Entertaining With Bluegrass Winners" offers thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' dishes that range from Fried Green Tomatoes; Cheese Wafers with Pecans; Marinated Cucumber Sandwiches; and Artichoke Soup; to Fireside Venison Chili; Goat Cheese Salad with Pancetta, Dried Cherry, and Port Dressing; Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts; and Banana Cake with Caramel Icing. Organized by Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, each recipe is part of a menu from a distinguished horse farm. Very nicely illustrated throughout with more than one hundred color photographs, "Entertaining With Bluegrass Winners" is a unique and prized addition to any personal and community library cookbook collection.

My Love For Naples
Anna Teresa Callen
Hippocrene Books, Inc.
171 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780781812054, $35.00 www.hippocrenebooks.com 1-212-685-4371

Enhanced with the photography of Kenneth Chen and Kirsztina Simsa-Crane, "My Love For Naples: The Food, The History, The Life" by Anna Teresa Callen is a culinary tribute to the cuisine and culture of Naples, Italy. With chapters of commentary and recipes for Antipasti; Soups; Pizza; Sauces; Pasta, Gnocchi, Polenta & Rice; Fish; Poultry and Rabbit; Veal; Beef; Pork; Variety Meats; Vegetables; Salads; and Desserts, "My Love For Naples" offers 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes ranging from Pastina E Zucca in Brodo (Pumpkin soup with Pastina); to Scialiatelli Con Sugo Di Pesce (Homemade Pasta with Seafood Sauce); to Cotolette Di Vitello Con Piselli E Proscuiutto (Veal Cutlets with Peas and Prosciutto); to Granita Di Caffee Con Panna (Coffee Granita with Whipped Cream). A delight to browse, and a simply wonderful resource for planning Neopolitan menus, "My Love For Naples" is the perfect addition to personal and community library cookbook collections.

Bundt Cake Bliss
Susanna Short
Minnesota Historical Society Press
345 Kellogg Boulevard, West, St. Paul, MN 55102-1906
9780873515856, $16.95 www.mnhs.org/mhspress 1-800-647-7827

Susanna Short draws upon a life-time of interest in baking, as well as her professional experience and expertise as a caterer, to showcase eighty-five truly impressive recipes drawn from Midwestern kitchens and cooks. Following an informative chapter on 'Ingredients, Tools, and Preparation Tips', the individual recipes comprising "Bundt Cake Bliss" are organized into sections that focus on Chocolate Cakes; Coffee Cakes; Harvest Bundts; Springtime Bundts; Bundts off The Beaten path; Blazes; Frostings and Fillings; and Sauces. From Red Devil Cake; Hungarian Cheese-Filled Coffee Cake; Apple Butter Bundt with Cider Glaze; and Coconut Swirl Cake with Easter Jellybeans; to Pine Nut and Chili Bundt with Chili Glaze; Eastern European Honey Cake with Lemon Sugar Glaze; Butter Vanilla Frosting; and Old-Fashioned Lemon Sauce, "Bundt Cake Bliss" is a welcome and recommended culinary resource for baking that perfect desert cake for that perfect occasion all year round!

When Everybody Ate At Schrafft's
Joan Kanel Slomanson
Barricade Books, Inc.
185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 308-A, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
9781569803356, $16.95 www.barricadebooks.com 1-800-592-6657

Lavishly illustrated throughout, "When Everybody Ate At Schrafft's" by Joan Kanel Slomanson is a compilation of memories, pictures, and recipes from a very special New York City based restaurant empire that grew to more than fifty establishments popular with celebrities, businessmen, and the public at large. Slomanson writes with a special expertise as a former advertising agency creative director and a friend of Schrafft's founder Frank G. Shattuck's grandson who provides files filled with exclusive information on Schrafft's -- including hundreds of previous unavailable recipes. "When Everybody Ate At Schrafft's" also includes maps of all the Schrafft's locations, including more than 50 in New York City, and the many motor inns that stretched along I-95 from New England to Florida. A welcome addition to any personal or community library cookbook collection for the recipes alone, "When Everybody Ate At Schrafft's" will also have a very special appeal for anyone who has ever dined at a Schrafft's and would appreciate the nostalgic pictures capturing the look and feel of a unique era in American restaurant history.

American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
www.diabetes.org

Three important new diabetes cookbooks are top picks. The second edition of Kathleen Stanley, CDE, RD, LD, MSED, BC-ADM and Connie Craealey, MS, RD, LD's QUICK AND EASY DIABETIC RECIPES FOR ONE (158040264X, $14.95) packs in over a hundred recipes featuring soups, stews and side dishes all for the single diabetic who finds the typical cookbook packed with meals for families a challenge. Chapters offer individual quiches, casseroles, soups, salads and more, and are packed with dishes quick and easy to prepare at home. Over two hundred dishes from THE COMPLETE QUICK & HEARTY DIABETIC COOKBOOK, 2ND EDITION (1580402852, $15.95) feature easy recipes from appetizers to desserts. All share the values of being simple, low-fat dishes that are quick to throw together, offering tasty versions of traditional standards. The second edition of ONE POT MEALS FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES (1580402631, $14.95) has been revised to offer a range of excellent dishes in ten varieties, from skillet dinners and microwave dishes to crockpot and sauce dishes. With sidebars of nutrition, exchange and prep time, it's an excellent reference. All three are top picks for any library catering to diabetics: while they lack glossy color photos, they do pack in easy dishes diabetics will find a snap to reproduce.

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
Mark Bittman
John Wiley
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780764524837, $35.00 www.wiley.com

Vegetarian cooking can be accessible to anyone at all levels of cooking experience and dietary belief, and so if only a few vegetarian cooking references were to be included in a cookbook library, Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian should be one of them. It outlines the basics of how to make vegetarian food that is quick, easy, affordable and includes shortcuts and options. The focus on international variations for standard dishes adds plenty of options, while ideas for alternative dishes are incorporated into the basic recipe. Real beginners may find lacking the color photos which can walk a newcomer through the basics – but HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING VEGETARIAN is really more for the intermediate cook who already has the basics down and wishes to build on them, and is a pick for any library serious about vegetarian cookery – especially at the college level.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Modern Hooked Rugs
Linda Rae Coughlin
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764326318, $29.95 www.schifferbooks.com

In "Modern Hooked Rugs", needlecraft historian and expert Linda Rae Coughlin has created a compendium of 540 rugs crafted by 292 of the very best contemporary rug hooking artists. A veritable treasury of beautiful images, here featured are rugs made by a group of needlecraft artisans exploring common themes, as well as series or topic-related rugs by individual artists. Some of the rugs showcased are from The American Folk Art Museum's 'Icons of America' contest, others are rugs from noted and notable rug hooking needlecrafters right along side rug hooking fiber artists making their debut. Each photo example comes with a succinct and informative caption making "Modern Hooked Rugs" a compelling addition for personal, professional, academic, and community library Needlecraft collections in general, and Hooked Rug reference lists in particular.

Knitting America
Susan M. Strawn
Voyageur Press
c/o MBI Publishing Company
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101
9780760326213, $35.00 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

"Knitting America: A Glorious heritage From Warm Socks To High Art" by Susan M. Strawn (Assistant Professor in the Apparel Design and Merchandising department of the Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois) presents an illustrated history of knitting in American from the pilgrims to the pioneers, from slaves to First Ladies, from the Amish and the Shakers to the Native Americas. Of special note are the chapters dedicated to 'the Knitting Doldrums of the 1920s', 'The Families that Knits Together', and 'Knitting Redefined'. Enhanced with extensive Endnotes, References, and a comprehensive Index, "Knitting America" is a unique and informationally impressive needlecraft history that will be of special interest to all dedicated needlecrafters, and should be a part of every community library American History reference collection.

The Little Box of Crocheted Throws
Jean Leinhauser & Rita Weiss
Martingale & Company
20205 – 144th Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-9478
9781564777485, $19.95 www.martingale-pub.com

Perfect for gift-giving in the holiday season is The Little Box of Crocheted Throws, a lovely gift box packing in some twenty easy-to-crochet patterns which use affordable yet unusual yarns for eye-catching displays. Various classic motifs are featured on project cards with color photos on front and materials lists, dimensions and step-by-step instruction on the back, making these perfect take-along tote cards for any crocheter's kit.

XDX Inc.
Box 1525, Sioux Falls, ID 57101-1525
www.knittinguniverse.com

The Best of Knitter's JACKETS FOR WORK AND PLAY (1933064056, $19.95) packs in nearly thirty projects for a range of jackets from work jackets to casual and dressy clothes. Jackets, coats, and even a suit are presented in a lovely gathering which pairs full-page color photos with step-by-step knitting directions. Sally Melville's STYLES (1893762106, $28.95) provides a fun new approach to organizing and using a yarn collection: producing blends of styles, colors and textures. STYLES is all about patterns to combine these odds and ends, showing them off to maximum advantage, and makes for a lovely option for any knitter who has a wealth of yarn ‘leftovers' to combine. Jean Moss' SCULPTURED KNITS (096463919X, $29.95) surveys 20th century decorative arts, considering the many designs of fabric artists working in everything from furniture and textiles to jewelry and fashion, and considering the growth of style, color and symmetry through the decades as expressed in different art movements. Full-page color photos of selected projects for all ages accompany step-by-step patterns and instructions. All are excellent picks for any library catering to knitters.

American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.AmericanQuilter.com

Judy L. Laquidara's NINE-PATCH EXTRAVAGANZA (9781574329339, $22.95) provides 12 designs which show how to change a classic patchwork block into a fine full-sized quilt project. With unique color placements, eye-catching borders and instructions easy enough for beginners, this handbook is a top pick for any beginner and many a quilter who already has some nine-patch basics down, but seeks more innovation. Kay Nickols' WONDERFUL 1 FABRIC QUILTS (9781574329360, $19.95) tells how to begin with one border-striped fabric and move on to piece an entire quilt. Blocks, borders and binding can ALL be cut from the same fabric using the technique featured here, which teach some elaborate sewing techniques. Janie Donaldson's ADD-A-LINE EXTREME QUILTING PATTERNS (9781574329452, $24.95) appears in an oversized oblong offering to provide color-coded designs grouped by complexity for pros and home quilters alike. Over a hundred such patterns cover all kinds of domestic machines, home frames and longarm machines alike and provide an array of quilting options. Cindy Needham's WHOLE CLOTH LINEN QUILTS: PATTERNS & DESIGNS (9781574329346, $24.95) tells how to transform linens into small quilts, using lace edging and antique-style embroidery to join and embellish linens. 100 quilting patterns are arranged by quilting category and provide full-size stencils for easy use. Quilters will find these more advanced references excellent, important library additions.


The Model Railroading Shelf

Lionel Trains
Turner Publishing Company
200 - 4th Avenue North, Suite 950, Nashville, TN 37219
1563119587, $69.95 www.turnerpublishing.com

A production of the combined efforts of the Turner Publishing Company staff under the editorship of Randy Baumgardner and designer Frene Melton, "Lionel Trains: A Pictorial History of Trains And Their Collectors" is a magnificently illustrated history of America's most popular manufacturer of model trains and model train accessories. A unique compendium of illustrations and information, "Lionel Trains" begins with an informed and informative introduction, the goes on the feature a 'Lionel Timeline', an extended interview with Richard Kughn, and succinct profiles of an extensive roster of Lionel Train collectors. A throughly user friendly index completes this seminal and visually impressive reference which is most especially recommended to the attention of the legions of model railroading enthusiasts in general, and Lionel Train collectors in particular.

Planning Scenery For Your Model Railroad
Tony Koester
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780890246573, $21.95 www.kalmbachbooks.com 1-800-533-6644
In "Planning Scenery For Your Model Railroad" model railroading enthusiasts draws upon his considerable and impressive expertise to demonstrate how even the most novice model railroader can recreate the scenery they see in real life to modeling more natural appearing lakes, rocks, trees, clouds, and other scenery elements for the model railroad track layouts. Profusely illustrated with more than 240 illustrations and photos, "Planning Scenery For Your Model Railroad" details just how to create signature scenes through re-creating scenic elements, including making models of still and rushing water, identify and model different types of rock, model the seasons, paint realistic backdrops, build realistic trees, effectively model snow, and even how to use topographic maps to plan railroad routes. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Planning Scenery For Your Model Railroad" is a very highly recommended addition to dedicated railroading instructional reference collections.


The Gaming Shelf

Practical Endgame Play - Beyond The Basics
Glenn Flear
Everyman Chess
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
9781857445558, $32.95 www.everymanchess.com 1-800-243-0495

Living up to its subtitle, 'The definitive guide to the endgames that really matter', "Practical Endgame Play - Beyond The Basics" by English Grandmaster Glenn Flear" is a 544-page compendium dedicated solely to endgame plays in chess. Included are the most commonly encountered endgames; illustrative examinations of material balances found in roughly half of the endgames played; and sound advice, practical analysis, and endgame insights assisted by currently available computer software. Mastering the intricacies of the endgame is a fundamental chess skill. Without it, players are doomed to frustration and failure. With it, players can achieve the very heights of success. "Practical Endgame Play - Beyond The Basics" is a seminal and strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library chess reference book collections.


The Military Shelf

Stalingrad: How the Red Army Survived the German Onslaught
Michael K. Jones
Casemate
1016 Warrior Road, Suite C, Drexel Hill, PA 19026
9781932033724, $32.95 www.casematepublishing.com 1-610-853-9131

Former university lecturer and battlefield tour guide Michael K. Jones presents Stalingrad: How the Red Army Survived the German Onslaught, a compelling military history and analysis that lives up to its title. Based heavily upon Jones' extensive interviews with Russian veterans, Stalingrad especially emphasizes the role of psychology - including leadership, morale, and motivation - in turning the tide of war. Of especial interest is the testimony of former deputy commander of the Warsaw Pact, Colonel-General Anatoly Mereshko, who was staff officer to the 62nd Army's commander Chuikov and one of the principal surviving witnesses to historical events. Stalingrad reveals how desperate the defenders truly were, especially when the Germans broke into the city in 1942, painting the city's defense as more than solid tactics, but also a triumph of resolute human spirit. A "further reading" list and an index round out this one-of-a-kind testimony grounded in the words of the people who witnessed history itself.

Military Reform
Winslow T. Wheeler and Lawrence J. Korb
Praeger Security International
c/o Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780275993498, $55.00 www.praeger.com

Authors Lawrence J. Korb (Senior Adviser to the Center for Defense Information) and Winslow T. Wheeler (worked on national security issues for 31 years for members of the U.S. Senate) combine their expertise in Military Reform: A Reference Handbook, a straightforward guide to understanding fundamental strengths and weaknesses in America's military forces, and therefore understanding what genuine military reform is, what it is not, and what needs to be done. Denouncing so-called "cosmetic dabbling", which essentially improves nothing, Military Reform examines the history of various efforts to improve the American armed forces, from the actions of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution to the modern day. Each advocated reform is examined, and its relative degree of success analyzed; Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, as well as the subsequent insurgency in Iraq, are scrutinized to reveal what has successfully been reformed in the U.S. armed forces and what has not. A serious-minded, number-crunching, cost-conscious analysis heavily grounded in scientific-minded observation and practical experience, highly recommended for military history and studies shelves, and a "must-read" for anyone involved in overseeing military operations or structure.

Inferno
Joseph A. Springer
Zenith Books
c/o MBI Publishing Company
Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
9780760329825, $24.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

Retired Aircraft Weapons Specialist of the United States Air Force Joseph A. Springer presents Inferno: The Epic Life and Death Struggle of the USS Franklin in World War II, the true story of the aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13), known throughout the fleet as "Big Ben". One of twenty-four Essex-class fast carriers built during World War II and formed the backbone of the U.S. Navy during the war against Japan, Big Ben participated in island campaigns of the central and western Pacific, the Battle for Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, and strikes against Honshu and Kobe Harbor. Big Ben suffered casualties from the dreaded Japanese kamikaze, and was nearly sunk by a 250-kilogram bomb that set off a chain reaction of exploding aviation fuel and ordnance. Though Big Ben appeared mortally wounded and endured severe loss of life - a loss that would have been even greater if not for the heroism of the remaining crewmembers and the efforts of the USS Santa Fe to take the wounded to safety. A gripping true story of bravery and sacrifice, featuring the words of men who served aboard "Big Ben" as well as a handful of black-and-white photographs. A welcome addition to naval and World War II history shelves.

On Thermonuclear War
Herman Kahn
Transaction Press
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412806640, $34.95 www.transactionpub.com

ON THERMONUCLEAR WAR was controversial when it was first published – and still is, today. No light reading, at well over 600 pages it packs in details from across disciplines and was widely read on both sides of the Iron Curtain: today its many insights on military strategies, issues, and the logic of amassing thermonuclear armaments still apply. It was the first book to examine the underlying logic of making and keeping nuclear weapons, originally created from a series of lectures, and provides both military and college-level collections with strong insights on military might and strategy.

Muhammad: Islam's First Great General
Richard A. Gabriel
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806138602, $24.95 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

Plenty of books have been written focusing on Muhammad as a spiritual leader – but few take the approach of military historian Richard Gabriel, who examines Muhammad from the perspective of a military commander. He was a religious founder and a military leader, so it's surprising that this represents the first military biography of the man, offering more in-depth descriptions of battles than those found elsewhere and painting a picture of Muhammad as a revolutionary who introduced groundbreaking military innovations to the world. Any military library needs this.

Ospry Publishing
443 Park Avenue South #806, New York NY 10016
www.ospreypublishing.com

The German Tiger heavy tank dominated battlefields of Europe and was one of the most feared weapons of World War II. Stephen A. Hart's SHERMAN FIREFLY VS. TIGER (9781846031502, $17.95) describes its design and deployment, with chapters offering plenty of technical construction information and analyzing strengths, weaknesses and the use of these tanks in war tactics. It's an excellent survey recommended for any library strong in the mechanics of World War II. Dan Abnett's HITLER'S LAST GAMBLE: BATTLE OF THE BULGE (9781846030574, $9.95) is an excellent graphic novel which covers, in full color, the last major German offensive on the Western Front, where thirty German divisions planned an attack to split the Allied forces in two. The graphic novel format makes for an excellent, vivid story. Robert Forczyk's PANTHER VS. T-34: UKRAINE 1943 (9781846031496, $17.95) is a pick for any military library focusing on equipment and action. A blend of first-person perspectives and digital artwork chart the progress of the two greatest tanks of World War II. Three new to the ‘Warrior' imprint are picks for military libraries specializing in early combat history. Timothy Dawson's BYZANTINE INFANTRYMAN: EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE C.900-1204 (9781846031052, $17.95) tells of the philosophy and tactics of the early Byzantine Army, surveying daily life of the warrior society. David Murphy's CONDOTTIERE 1300-1500 – INFAMOUS MEDIEVAL MERCENARIES (9781846030772, $17.95) surveys those early fighting men who were conscripted by wealthy Italian city states to protect assets during war, providing a blend of military and political history. Terry Crowdy's FRENCH RESISTANCE FIGHTER: FRANCE'S SECRET ARMY (9781846030765, $17.95) surveys the underground force that was the French Resistance during the war, covering patriot activities, motivation and achievements. Two new to the ‘Fortress' military history focusing on military architectural achievements are perfect both for military libraries and those specializing in early world history. Steven J. Zaloga's THE ATLANTIC WALL (1): FRANCE (9781846031298, $16.95) covers the design, technology and history of a key wall in a strategic positions of defense during World War II. Chapters analyze its construction and unusual facets. Christopher Gravett's THE CASTLES OF EDWARD I IN WALES 1277-1307 (9781846030277, $16.95) tells of a king's march into Wales to subdue the rebel Welsh princes – an unusual march in which the king had a castle erected wherever his army rested. The design, development and defense strategies of these castles is outlined in a fine book military libraries strong in strategic history will appreciate. Bruce Gudmundsson's THE BRITISH ARMY ON THE WESTERN FRONT 1916 (9781846031113, $23.95) is an excellent World War II survey which covers the tactical innovations that accompanied the many new strategies developed on the fly by the British Army. Holdings strong in World War II events need this. Rene Chartrand's THE CANADIAN CORPS IN WORLD WAR I (9781846031861, $15.95) is also an excellent recommendation for a specialty military library, surveying the units, organization and uniforms of the four Canadian divisions which gained fame during the battle. Two new to the ‘Osprey Combat Aircraft' series are top picks for both military and aviation libraries. Louis B. Dorny's US NAVY PBY CATALINA UNITS OF THE PACIFIC WAR (9781841769110, $20.95) is the second of two volumes (the other being Ragnor Ragnarsson's US NAVY PBY CATALINA UNITS OF THE ATLANTIC WAR 184176910X, $20.95): each volume packs in vintage black and white photos, history, and close-up shots of the planes and each comes packed with statistics and history.

American Wars American Peace
Philip D. Beidler
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
082032969X, $28.95 www.ugapress.org

American Wars American Peace: Notes from a Son of the Empire provides college-level libraries strong in social and political science with an excellent set of essays analyzing the effects and spread of military culture in American society. Essays consider terrorism, patriotism, geopolitics and more, considering the evolution of counter-military movements and their diminishing impact in recent decades. It's food for thought and debate for any college-level collection.

Imagining Future War
Antulio J. Echevarria II
Praeger Security International
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275987256, $39.95 www.praeger.com/PSI

IMAGINING FUTURE WAR: THE WEST'S TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION AND VISIONS OF WARS TO COME, 1880-1914 provides an excellent historical overview of the visions of possible technological change which challenged both military and educated civilians to envisions the potentials of future war. Here is a college-level analysis perfect for military holdings: a comparative study of which predictions became the most accurate – and why. Visions of conflict on land, sea, and in air come from professionals and amateurs alike and make for engrossing historical review.

The Quest for Absolute Security
Athan Theoharis
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566636973, $27.50 www.ivanrdee.com

Investigators who studied 9/11 faulted U.S. intelligence for not uncovering the terrorists' plans, but such absolute security, says historian Athan Theoharis, is an illusion certain to lead to disappointment and disaster. THE QUEST FOR ABSOLUTE SECURITY: THE FAILED RELATIONS AMONG U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES analyzes some of the sources of problems in American intelligence agencies and considers how such problems evolved. Any military or American history collections at the college level needs this astute analysis of disasters in the making.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Angel Animals
Allen & Linda Anderson
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
157731610X, $14.95 www.newworldlibrary.com

Updated and revised to include a new introduction, ANGEL ANIMALS gathers stories about spiritual lessons they've learned from animals and comes not from new age leaders but from ordinary individuals, making for an even more powerful collection. From a sparrow's influence on volunteering to animals who promoted spiritual growth, ANGEL ANIMALS is an outstanding survey for any who would reveal the underlying importance of animals.

Llewellyn
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
www.llewellyn.com

Michael Osiris Snuffin's THE THOTH COMPANION (9780738711928, $16.95) covers Alister Crowley's Thoth tarot, one of the most puzzling decks of all, and is written by a ceremonial magician and tarot expert who discusses the underlying symbolism of the Thoth deck. Detailed interpretations offer insights and Crowley's encoded secrets and compliment chapters which also tell how to use the Thoth tarot's divination and meditation powers. Ly de Angeles' TAROT: THEORY AND PRACTICE (9780738711386, $16.95) provides an excellent survey of how to use the Tarot to predict the future. New theories on the nature of time and reality go far beyond your usual ‘how to interpret the deck' titles, drawing important connections between the Tarot, Qabbalistic concepts, and even quantum physics. Any new age library strong in tarot concepts needs these two books.

Bear & Company/Destiny Books
c/o Inner Tradition
Box 388, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com

Zecharia Sitchin's JOURNEYS TO THE MYTHICAL PAST (1591430801, $24.00) blends archaeology with new age insights and comes from a researcher of antiquity who reveals the existence of a secret chamber in Egypt's Great Pyramid. The author nearly lost his life in the process of exposing a long-kept secret: his firsthand accounts of his exploration range from Egypt to the Vatican and provides a range of excellent insights. Ruggero Marino's CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE LAST TEMPLAR (1594771901, $19.95) asks whether Columbus was a Templar – and according to historic documents and maps, he was. Marino examines Columbus' sea voyages and reveals the sources of Columbus' routes and wanderings, consider his studies and the myth that Columbus stumbled on the New World rather than deliberately charting his course. Both books are recommended picks for New Age libraries.

The Study of Witchcraft
Deborah Lipp
Red Wheel Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
1578634091, $16.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

THE STUDY OF WITCHCRAFT: A GUIDEBOOK TO ADVANCED WICCA provides a compendium of facts for Wiccan practitioners who want to further their knowledge and insights into their traditions. But it's more than your usual Wiccan guide – it examines history, psychology, divination and more, surveying literature and studies alike. Information for all types of Wiccans, from traditional to solitary and radical, makes for an important basic introductory guide to different Wiccan paths and choices.


The Computer Shelf

Character Emotion in 2D and 3D Animation
Les Pardew
Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1598633813, $34.99 www.courseptr.com

Any working in animation or computer drawing will find plenty of instruction on creating characters embedded with drama in Character Emotion in 2D and 3D Animation, a survey of how to recognize emotion in life and apply it to drawings and computer software such as Poser and Maya. Les Pardew is a working professional artist with over twenty years in the industry: his tips on creating exceptional animation make for an important guide especially recommended for both art libraries and collections specializing in computer gaming or animation techniques.

The Official Damn Small Linux Book
Robert Shingledecker, John Andrews, Christopher Negus
Prentice Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780132338691, $39.99 www.prenhallprofessional.com 1-800-428-5331

Damn Small Linux or DSL is a platform which can be used even by those new to Linux: it puts together everything needed to put DSL to work quickly, comes with a live CD-ROM, and packs in customization and application tips. The CD-ROM includes several versions of DSL to allow it to run either from the cd or a Windows desktop or even a pen drive, and offers all the tools perfect for juxtaposing with the book. This excellent package is a top pick for any comprehensive computer library where Linux or DSL is a feature.

Filthy Rich Clients
Chet Haase and Romain Guy
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
501 Boylston #900, Boston MA 02116
0132413930, $49.99 www.awprofessional.com 1-800-428-5331

Libraries that cater to Java programmers will find an excellent guide in FILTHY RICH CLIENTS, which refers to rich applications that teach how to build better, more effective desktop applications that enhance user experiences. Graphical and animated effects are the focus here, with a bow to performance: chapters teach how to create, customize and translate special effects with Filthy Rich Clients and come from a client architect of a Java group at Sun Microsystems. Any advanced programming collection needs this.

Fedora 7 Unleashed
Andrew and Paul Hudson
Sams
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780672329425, $49.99 www.samspublishing.com 1-800-428-5331

Libraries strong in Linux applications who cater to advanced programmers need FEDORA 7 UNLEASHED: it packs in a comprehensive coverage of Fedora 7, providing details on installing, using and administering Fedora and showing how to address a range of productivity and setup issues. This is no light introduction: chapters delve into working with Python, writing shell scripts, managing DNS and much more – all the applications and routines the serious Linux engineer needs.

301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques
Andrew Darlow
Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1598632043, $49.99 www.courseptr.com

301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques: An Essential Printing Resource for Photographers covers all the tools needed to achieve great digital output from any inkjet model. From understanding the differences between inkjet printer models and using Photoshop and other photo-finishing programs to learning how to manage color and reduce ink expenses, any serious about printing needs this handbook – including any public or college-level library catering to computer users and computer artists in particular.

Outside-In Software Development
Carol Kessler and Jon Sweitzer
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0131575511, $39.99 www.ibmpressbooks.com 1-800-428-5331

OUTSIDE-IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT: A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO BUILDING SUCCESSFUL STAKEHOLDER-BASED PRODUCTS comes from two respected IBM industry leaders and tells how to build software which identifies project value and addresses key needs. These implementation techniques offer a program and approach any development team can use, making this a top pick for any college-level collection strong in either project management or software engineering development.

O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
www.oreilly.com

Any who own Microsoft's Project 2007 needs Bonnie Bafore's MICROSOFT OFFICE PROJECT 2007: THE MISSING MANUAL guide (0596528361, $39.99), which should really be in the box alongside the program. It offers easy step-by-step instructions that cover both Project Standard and Project Professional, explaining how and why to use some features – an approach which goes far beyond the usual ‘how to' guide. From using Project in a variety of business applications and incorporating other programs such as Word and Outlook to practically guaranteeing project success, MICROSOFT PROJECT 2007: THE MISSING MANUAL should be on the shelves not only of any serious computer reference library, but any business library and any individual who owns Project 2007 and wants to get the most out of it. Bryan Burns, et.al.'s SECURITY POWER TOOLS (0596009631, $59.99) is a top pick for collections catering to network administrators and programmers concerned with security issues. Security engineers have authored this in-depth coverage, which comes from members of the Juniper Networks Security Engineering team and some guests, who tell how to tweak and customize the most popular network security applications. Best practices for control, defense and more are surveyed in detailed, in-depth chapters perfect for those working on security systems. Michele E. Davis and Jon A. Phillips' LEARNING PHP & MYSQL, 2nd Edition (9780596514013, $29.99) provides a newly updated edition which focuses on PHP and MySQL and all the technologies which interact with them. The second edition include updates on datatypes, program flow logic, manipulating databases with SQL and more. It's a pick any serious web programmer needs.

Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs - A Parody by Fake Steve Jobs
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306815842, $22.95 www.dacapopress.com 1-800-242-7737
Satire doesn't too often enter into the computer world but any with an affection for Steve Jobs and business or computer world issues will relish the humorous parody Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs. In novel and humor form is a review of both business and Silicon Valley politics, making for a fun and unusual parable

Photoshop Elements 6: The Missing Manual
Barbara Brundage
Pogue Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780596514440, $39.99 www.oreilly.com 1-800-998-9938

Written by Barbara Brundage, who has been teaching people how to use Photoshop Elements since its creation in 2001, Photoshop Elements 6: The Missing Manual lives up to its title by walking the reader through all he or she needs to know about Photoshop Elements 6 - a software that gives most of the image-manipulation functionality of full-fledged Photoshop at a much more reasonable price. Photoshop Elements 6 is ideal for scrapbookers, photographers, and beginning graphic artists; The Missing Manual covers everything from importing and saving photos to understanding the layers palette to drawing with brushes and other tools, creating projects, creating online galleries, and much more. Full-color screenshots and images throughout illustrate this "user-friendly" guide. A "must-have" for anyone who wants to get started with and explore the possibilities of Photoshop Elements 6.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com

Set centuries in the future, Cordwainer Smith's WHEN THE PEOPLE FELL (1416521461, $15.00 ) tells of a new dark age on Earth, following global war, and then a civilization of colonists who arise to journey to the stars. These colonists use ships with big sails, cruising on waves of starlight and journeying faster than light – and fight against mind-eating creatures who lurk in space. A sweeping epic saga of this fantastic universe makes for a riveting drama perfect for science fiction fans of futuristic societies. Steve White's BLOOD OF HEROES (1416521437, $7.99) tells of one Jason, who is tired of nursing academics through violent Earth history as they seek to prove their points back in time – until an expedition to observe one of the greatest natural disasters in human history strands them in ancient Greece. Now Jason is fighting for his life in this story of time travel and survival. David Weber's IN FURY BORN (1416521313, $7.99) tells of Alicia, who often puts her life on the line to defend her Empire and its Emperor – until politics causes her to resign her duties and retire to a colony world with her family. When pirates attack and murder her family, her warrior spirit seeks revenge in this fast-paced space war saga. James P. Hogan's THE TWO WORLDS (1416537252, $7.99) furthers the ‘Giants' series with two complete novels, GIANT'S STAR and ENTOVERSE. Aliens bring answers lurks change human history – and humans find themselves in the center of a power struggle between competing alien groups rather than completely understanding their roots. In ENTOVERSE a computer manages a rational society – until it begins to unravel. Alternate universes and fast action makes for gripping adventure in two linked novels under one cover. Larry Niven's Man-Kzin characters are brought to renewed life in Hal Colebatch, Matthew Harrington and Larry Niven's MAN-KZIN WARS XI (1416521488, $7.99), a collection of stories which includes a new story by Niven and others expanding the Man-Kzin Wars series. Here a secret agenda affects a safari even as a woman lands on a plague world only to find something even more dangerous than plague. Familiarity with Niven's Man-Kzin series lends a special appreciation to this book.


The Fiction Shelf

Hoffman's Hunger
Leon de Winter
The Toby Press
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
9781592642113, $14.95 www.tobypress.com

A Dutch diplomat who is now an Ambassador in Prague, Felix Hoffman has some serious physical and emotional problems that result in bulimia and insomnia as he studies the writings of Spinoza and obsesses on the traumas from his past. A child survivor of the Holocaust, Hoffman had married and fathered twin daughters. But one daughter died young from leukemia, and the other became a heroin addict and committed suicide. These were tragedies that also wrecked Hoffman's marriage, his life, and have left him vulnerable to a Czech double agent named Carlo. Against an historical background history of Europe from the end of World War II to the late 1980s setting for this riveting novel, author Leon de Winter has deftly created a memorable character whose search for identify that combines the personal and the political. "Hoffman's Hunger" is a sophisticated novel that is an extraordinary work of articulate fiction and highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library fiction collections.

Life of Pi
Yann Maetel
Harcourt Inc.
9780151013838, $29.95 www.harcourtbooks.com

After the sinking of a cargo ship only one lifeboat remains on the Pacific – housing a teen named Pi, a hyena, a zebra and a Royal Bengal tiger. Their survival and journeys makes for a winning book which transcends children's or young adult fiction to provide all ages with a gorgeous, winning contemporary folk story, and this deluxe edition is the perfect gift for capturing it all, using lovely drawings by Croatian artist Tomislav Torjanac to capture key scenes in Martel's drama. A top pick not just for library holdings, but for gift-giving.

Let Me In
John Ajvide Lindquest
Saint Martin's Press
175 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
0312355289, $25.95 www.stmartins.com

Set in Sweden in 1981, LET ME IN provides a riveting, tense thriller revolving around a dead teen and a possible ritual murder spree. Add a pre-teen who hopes revenge has come for the bullying he's suffered and a strange new girl who moves in next door, who only comes out at night, and you have a vampire novel to rival Anne Rice's best: a tense thriller recommended for any general lending library where patrons request powerful characterization and vampire novels.


The Language Studies Shelf

Webster's New Explorer College Dictionary
Merriam-Webster
Federal Street Press
25-13 Old Kings Highway North #277, Darien, CT 06820
1892859424, $14.95 www.federalstreetpress.com

It's astonishing to think that a weighty dictionary over a thousand pages in length can be sold for this inexpensive price, but the price tag alone makes Webster's New Explorer College Dictionary a winner – and also the brand name of quality and the focus on updated information in an easily-consulted, clean page design for quick referencing. Libraries on a budget from high school through college and public library holdings will find this a ‘must' reference, offering convenience, value and authoritative listings all in one package.

Um: Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean
Michael Erard
Pantheon
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780375423567, $24.95 www.randomhouse.com

Either high school or college-level literary libraries or those strong in psychology and language will find UM an excellent survey which considers the verbal blunder and its underlying psychology. With its strong introduction in the history of language and disfluency from ancient Greece to modern times to its survey of how slips of the tongue gained new meaning from psychology, both popular culture and literature figure in a survey which is a funny yet pointed study of everyday speech and language development. Both leisure readers and students of language alike will find it engrossing.


The Hobby Shelf

Contemporary Bead & Wire Jewelry
Nathalie Mornu & Suzanne J.E. Tourtillott
Lark
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue, New York NY 10016\
1579907008, $24.95 www.larkbooks.com

There are many wonderful new styles of beads and new wire options available to display them, which is why CONTEMPORARY BEAD & WIRE JEWELRY is a top pick beyond the basic old-style jewelry-making guides on the market. Over forty projects take advantage of world influences and new bead and wire options, providing jewelry-making projects packed with color photos and a contemporary flare. Any library strong in jewelry-making guides will find this a unique, welcome addition.

200 Creative Crafts For You & Your Home
Megan Hiller, editor
Sellers Publishing
81 West Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
9781569069820, $22.95 www.makefun.com 1-800-625-3386

A compilation of projects ranging from the creation of glittery vases, unique button-made handbags, blue jean rugs, and flat pebble chess boards, to fancy stools, personalized jewelry, creative frames, and original lampshades, "200 Creative Crafts For You & Your Home" is a cornucopia of fun and easy do-it-yourself projects, each of which is illustrated by full-color photography, step-by-step instructions, and drawn from experts throughout the field of craft hobbies. The projects range from needle felting, sewing, crocheting, beading, and painting, to collage, paper crafting, boondoggling, and more. "200 Creative Crafts For You & Your Home" is enhanced with extra tips, a variety of techniques, and thoroughly 'user friendly' examples. Offering a wealth of imaginative ideas for using readily found items from around the home and/or easy-to-find objects from craft stories and the internet, these are projects that will appeal to teens and adults alike, "200 Creative Crafts For You & Your Home" is enthusiastically recommended for personal and community library Crafts & Hobbies reference collections.


The Photography Shelf

Photos That Inspire: Photo Workshop
Lynne Eodice
John Wiley Publishers
111 River Street, 4th Floor, Hoboken, NJ 07030
9780470119556, $29.99 www.wiley.com

Over 200 lovely color photos each provide the photographer's unique take on a scene or subject, and is accompanied by the artist's own description of setting, inspiration, and what the photo was supposed to accomplish. Add technical details on exposure, aperture and the like and discussions of choices and you have a specific handbook for any aspiring photographer seeking to improve work: perfect not only for high school to college-level collections strong in photography, but for general-interest public lending libraries.

How to Succeed in Commercial Photography
Selina Maitreya
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street Suite 510, New York NY 10010
1581154917, $19.95 www.allworth.com

Any who would make a professional out of a flair for photography needs How to Succeed in Commercial Photography, which is packed with tips on how to develop a business plan and career in the commercial photography world. Both college-level holdings strong in business or photography books and general-interest public libraries will find this an excellent key for photographers looking to take their interest to the next level. From building a strong online portfolio to understanding what contributes to a successful business, HOW TO SUCCEED IN COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY is packed with tips.

It's Complicated
Robin Bowman
Umbrage Editions
515 Canal Street, New York, NY 10013
9781884167690, $40.00 www.umbragebooks.com 1-212-965-0197

"It's Complicated: the American Teenager" is a compilation of photographs taken in a five year exploration by Robin Bowman of the largest generation of teenagers in American history. Consisting of a series of 415 'collaborative portraits', a diverse range of teenagers are showcased by in pictures and in their own words. The photographed teens represent every region of American and every socioeconomic group from Texas debutantes to New York City gangbangers. Offering visually reinforced insights into the diversity of individual personalities and attitudes, "It's Complicated" is an impressive and unique photographic journal, making it a very highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American Photography reference collections.

Chicago: Impressions
Gerald D. Tang
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
9781560374749, $9.95 www.farcountrypress.com 1-800-821-3874

An impressive compilation of full color photographs taken by Gerald D. Tang, "Chicago: Impressions" is a visual tour-de-force of Chicago's landmarks, street scenes, buildings, and architectural details. Each individual photograph has a succinct caption identifying the image taken. A browser's delight, "Chicago: Impressions" also demonstrates an artist's eye through the medium of the camera lens. Perfect for the armchair traveler, "Chicago: Impressions" is the perfect visual souvenir and will prove to be of immense interest to anyone who has ever lived or visited the Windy City, a truly iconic metropolis of the American Midwest.

China Naked
Frank Rothe
Kehrer
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
3939583111, $40.00 1-800-242-7737

"China Naked" is a unique compendium of men and women of the Chinese mainland that Frank Rothe was somehow able to persuade to pose nude for his camera. These full length frontal nude shots are interspersed with scenes from China's urban streets and buildings. This book of color photography is enhanced at the end with brief but insightfully informative commentary by Frank Rothe on how he came to be in China and take these images, as well as commentaries by Celina Lunsford and Christoph Tannert on Rothe's images and work. The text is dual-lingual (English and German). "China Naked" is an unusual and strongly recommended photo album for personal, professional, and academic library Photography reference collections.


The Travel Shelf

Joy of Backpacking
Brian Beffort
Wilderness Press
1200 – 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1306
9780899974057, $19.95 www.wildernesspress.com

JOY OF BACKPACKING: YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO ATTAINING PURE HAPPINESS IN THE OUTDOORS covers all the gear, backcountry skills, and fitness training needed to make a backpacking trip an exceptional, fun experience. Color sidebars of special information – such as how to keep warm and how to hike so as to leave no trace – compliments larger articles on the topics, offering both at-a-glance quick information backed by more expansive articles. Black and white photos compliment first-person insights into the systems and approaches that have made Brian Beffort's backpacking experiences noteworthy and fun. Any backpacker – and any general-interest lending collection catering to campers and hikers – needs this.

Enchanted Isles
David A.E. Spalding & Kevin Oke
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
9781550174229, $34.95 www.harbourpublishing.com 1-604-883-2730

David Spalding's informed and informative text is superbly embellished with the full color photography of Kevin Oke in "Enchanted Isles: The South Gulf Islands". Offering a true insider's perspective of the lovely southern British Columbia gulf islands found just off the coast between Victoria and Nanaimo, "Enchanted Isles" showcases their local wildlife, the incredible scenic beauty, and engaging history. Ideal for the armchair traveler and very highly recommended reading for the on-site tourist, "Enchanted Isles" truly and fully lives up to its title!


The Interior Design Shelf

Choosing Colors
Kevin McCloud
Watson Guptill
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0823099644, $24.95 www.watsonguptill.com

Kevin McCloud is an authority on residential architecture and design, and his personal choice of the best colors to use in every type of home makes choosing a snap in CHOOSING COLORS, which includes over 700 color swatches and tips for home decor ranging from historical to modern. From early period colors to modern earth tones and mixes, there are plenty of outstanding examples perfect for selecting the right color shade and combination, making this a top pick for any lending library strong in home and garden guides.

Your Home: A Living Canvas
Curtis L. Heuser
North Light Books
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
9781581807837, $29.99 www.fwpublications.com 1-800-726-9966

In "Your Home: A Living Canvas", author Curtis L. Heuser follows the informed and informative process of renovating one particular home from its raw beginnings to its completed elegance. With a thoroughly 'reader friendly' text superbly embellished with a profusion of full color photographs throughout, the chapters are thematically organized: Foyer; Parlor; Dining Room; Kitchen; Study & Office; Guestroom; and Master Suite. Enhanced further with the inclusion of a two-page section on 'Terms & Techniques' and a comprehensive index, "Your Home: A Living Canvas" will prove to be an enormous source of inspiration and expert instruction for readers contemplating home make-overs and interior design art and painting projects of their own. With its instructions and ideas for crating faux finishes and murals with paint, "Your Home: A Living Canvas" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Interior Design and painting reference collections.

The New French Decor
Michele Lalande
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780810994591, $40.00 www.abramsbooks.com 1-800-759-0190

"The New French Decor: Living With Timeless Objects" is the collaborative work of journalist and interior decorator Michele Lalande and the photographer Gilles Trillard. 250 full-color photographs beautifully illustrated and showcase Michele Lalande's commentary about the sophistication, symmetry, minimalism, and other elements that make each of the featured rooms successful with respect to their thematic design conceived and executed by top stylists, decorators, and antiquarians. An intrinsically beautiful book, "The New French Decor" is an impressive contribution to the growing library of Interior Design literature and a welcome addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Classics for Pleasure
Michael Dirda
Harcourt, Inc.
15 East 26th Street, 15th floor, New York, NY 10010
9780151012510, $25.00 www.harcourtbooks.com 1-800-543-1918

To many the idea of reading the classics for pleasure and as leisure choice may seem incongruous, but CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE offers a rebuttal to this notion, arguing that classics are so because people have found they withstand the tests of time. Essays from a Pulitzer prize-winning author introduce nearly ninety selected world classics from horror and adventure to children's literature and poetry, grouping them thematically and reviewing the works that have influenced literary and social traditions for generations. Both high school and college-level holdings will find it revealing.


The Library Science Shelf

Heart Of The Community
Karen Christensen & David Levinson, editors
Berkshire Publishing Group
314 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230-1615
9780977015924, $49.95 www.berkshirepublishing.com

Compiled and co-edited by Berkshire Publishing Group founders, Karen Christensen and David Levinson, "Heart Of The Community: The Libraries We Love" showcases eighty libraries throughout the United States and Canada. Ranging from the Norman Williams Public Library of Woodstock, Vermont; to the West Avenue Library of Newport News, Virginia; to the Oaklyn Branch Library of Evansville, Indiana; to the Runnymede Branch Library of Toronto, Canada, "Heart Of The Community" provides an illustrated and succinct history of the library. Each featured library includes the libraries address, founding date, the designing architect, the director, and any special collections associated with it. Combining historical information, inspiring stories, and simply beautiful images, "Heart Of The Community" offers the reader a true celebration of community libraries across the width and breadth of the land. Very strongly recommended for academic and community library reference collections, "Heart Of The Community" would serve as an admirable template for more volumes of such celebrations of libraries from around the country and around the world.

Library 2.0 and Beyond
Nancy Courtney, editor
Libraries Unlimited
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9781591585374, $45.00 www.greenwood.com www.lu.com

Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies and Tomorrow's User is an anthology of essays by learned authors concerning the impact of the latest information-sharing media on modern libraries and their patrons. Topics discussed include blogs and wikis, social networking and tagging technologies, podcasting, gaming, digital storytelling, virtual reality libraries, and much more. "As players participate socially to learn about game worlds and overcoming specific in-game obstacles, they become part of a network of what Gee calls 'distributed knowledge.' In this network, the knowledge of the group about a particular game is spread out amongst all the players of the game, and accessed through social interactions and shared guides, often known as 'walkthroughs' or simply FAQs. Game knowledge thus becomes social, and even though parts of that knowledge may reside outside of an individual's physical body/mind, it is in a place (e.g., an Internet gaming site) where they can access it as needed (Gee 2003)." Highly recommended for modern libraries confronting the challenges of the modern century's technological advances.


The Audiobook Shelf

Brother, I'm Dying
Edwidge Danticat, author
Robin Miles, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781428166318 $77.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Skillfully narrated by professional stage actor Robin Miles, Brother, I'm Dying is the unabridged audiobook rendition of award-winning author Edwidge Danticat's memoir about the two men who raised her. When Edwidge was four years old, her parents emigrated from Haiti to New York, leaving her in the care of her uncle Joseph, a pastor in Port-au-Prince. Joseph raised and loved Edwidge as a father, but suffered both from throat cancer and from political turbulence afflicting his beloved homeland. At the tender age of twelve, Edwidge was at last reunited with her parents, and forced to confront her own emotions about the reunion. A bittersweet true-life story about the bonds of love that connect a family across distant gulfs. 7 CDs, 8 hours.

Stress Free Surgery
Linda Thomson, PhD MSN CPNP
Crown House Publishing
PO Box 2223, Williston, VT 05495-2223
9781845900731 $24.95 www.CHPUS.com 1-877-925-1213

Professional hypnotherapist Linda Thompson presents Stress Free Surgery: A Self Relaxation Program to Help You Prepare for and Recover from Surgery, an audiobook on 2 CDs created to help surgery patients tap into their own inner strength and place themselves in the optimum frame of mind. The first CD is designed to reduce stress and anxiety before surgery; the second CD promotes healing and recovery after surgery. Stress Free Surgery is meant to be used in conjunction with anesthesia to reduce pain and hospital stays, as well as lessen post-operative pain and nausea. The gentle, positive-minded encouragement is spiritually uplifting; Stress Free Surgery is very highly recommended as a gift for surgery patients of all backgrounds. 2 CDs, 89 minutes.


The Economics Shelf

The Concise Encyclopedia Of Economics
David R. Henderson, editor
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
9780865976665, $28.00 www.libertyfund.org 1-800-955-8335

Compiled, organized and edited by David R. Henderson (Research Fellow with Stanford University's Hoover Institution and an Associate Professor of Economics at the naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California), "The Concise Encyclopedia Of Economics" is a superbly presented introduction to economics comprised of more than 160 entries which draw upon the experience and expertise of some 152 contributors. Now it a completely revised, expanded and updated fourth edition, "The Concise Encyclopedia Of Economics" covers a diversity of subjects ranging from basic economic concepts, to discrimination and labor issues, to corporations and financial markets, to economic history, to economic legal issues, governmental regulation, taxes, environmental regulations, economic policies, macroeconomics, money and banking, international economics, economic systems within and outside of the United States, schools of economic thought, and so much more. "The Concise Encyclopedia Of Economics" is substantively enhanced with the inclusion of succinct biographies of leading and influential economists and a comprehensive Index. Also available in a hardcover edition (9780865976658, $45.00), "The Concise Encyclopedia Of Economics" ideal and indispensable addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Economic Studies reference collections.

Corporate Governance in Banking
Benton E. Gup, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
136 West Street, Suite 202, Northampton, MA 01060-3711
9781845429409, $125.00 www.e-elgar.com 1-800-390-3149

Corporate Governance in Banking: A Global Perspective is an assembly of essays by learned authors discussing international laws and recommendations concerning corporate governance in banking, as seen from a global perspective. In an era of expanding globalization and corporations of ever-increasing power, the need for effective but not overstifling regulation of corporate banking and accounting is more pronounced than ever. Individual essays in Corporate Governance in Banking include "Corporate Governance in Banks: Does the Board Structure Matter?", "A Survey of Corporate Governance in Banking: Characteristics of the Top 100 World Banks", "Bank Mergers and Insider Trading", and much more. Corporate governance and banking is scrutinized in the setting of a number of different nations, including the United States, Australia, Germany, Hungary, and Korea. A heavily researched text especially for advanced students, scholars, and professionals in the field, highly recommended for the economic studies shelves of college libraries.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The American Religion
Harold Bloom
AtlasBooks
c/o BookMasters, Inc.
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
9780978721008, $20.00 www.atlasbooks.com 1-800-BOOKLOG

In "The American Religion", Harold Bloom (Sterling Professor of the Humanities at Yale University) examines a number of American-based faiths including Pentecostalism, Mormonism, Seventh-day Adventism, Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, Southern Baptism, Christian Fundamentalism, and African American spirituality. Tracing the distinctive features of American religion, Professor Bloom provides insight into the role religion plays in the broader American culture, and in each American's concept of his or her relationship to God. Professor's Blooms persuasively articulated conclusion is that American spiritual believes provide an illuminated portrait of the American national character. Strongly recommended for both academic and community library Religion & Spirituality reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "The American Religion" is informed and informative reading.


The Meditation Shelf

Love Reigns
Diana Rogers
Sounds True Audio
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
M1209D, $17.88 www.soundstrue.com 1-800-333-9185

Diana Rogers is a master of devotional chant and in "Love Reigns" has compiled eight superbly performed traditional Sanskirt chants supported on vocals and instrumentation by Jai Uttal, Ben Leinbach, Daniel Paul, and Manose. A flawlessly produced technical production, and with a total running time of 58:06, "Love Reigns" includes Jai Radha Madhava (6:54); Om Narayani (9:24); He Mata Durga (8:15); Jaya Rada (6:47); Jai Ambe (6:07); Jai Jagadambe (5:37); Sri Ram (6:33); and Om Shanti (8:19). Inspired and inspiring, "Love Reigns" is confidently recommended for personal and community library collections.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

The Pocket Field Dressing Guide
James A. Smith
Stoeger Publishing
17603 Indian Head Highway, Suite 200, Accokeek, MD 20607-2501
9780883173640, $7.95 www.stoegerpublishing.com

Simply stated, "The Pocket Field Dressing Guide", the pocket sized, 160-page instructional manual by life-long hunter, trapper, and angler James A. Smith is the perfect (and portable) how-to guide for field dressing every species of North American game that it is lawful to hunt. This includes such big game as deer, elk, moose, caribou, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, rocky Mountain goat, black bear, wild board, and javelina. It also includes game birds such as mourning dove, the band-tailed pigeon, woodcocks, common snipes, quail, chuka, pheasant, grouse, ptarmigan, prairie chicken, and wild turkey. Waterfowl are also featured including the American widgeon, black ducks, blue-winged teal, cinnamon teal, green-winged teal, gadwall, mallard, pintail, shoveler, wood duck, canvasback, greater scaup, lesser scaup, redhead, Canadian geese, and the snow goose. Fully illustrated step-by-step instructions on skinning and dressing game will enable even the most novice hunter to prepare his kill with professional level expertise. Also featured are guides to transporting large game, cooling game, safe food handling, choosing the proper tools for field dressing game, and even methods for skinning for trophy mounts. If you are a conscientious hunter who respects the sport and the animals, then you need a copy of James A. Smith's "The Pocket Field Dressing Guide"!


The Calendar Shelf

Tide-Mark
PO Box 20, Windsor, CT 06095-0020
www.tidemarkpress.com 1-860-683-4499

Tide-Mark is a premier publisher of calendars. Every year they produce some of the finest calendars ever to grace the home or office. Their calendars for 2008 continue to demonstrate and document their expertise with an impressive variety of calendar subjects and themes. Among the beautifully executed wall calendars for 2008 are eight that deserve special mention. "Hearth & Home" (9781594902918, $13.95) features twelve paintings by Vermont artist Fred Swan who incorporates country homes, farms, and cottages into his rural landscapes. "Wizards" (9781594902673, $13.95) showcasing the paintings of twelve distinctive wizards by fantasy artist Don Maitz. "Pirates!" (9781594902659, $13.95) presents twelve pirate scenes by Don Maitz. "Shadowscapes" (9781594903083, $13.95) presents strikingly beautiful paintings by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law of fairies, angels, and other whimsically ethereal creatures. "For Giving Souls" (9781594902871, $13.95) offers twelve images thematically highlighting each of the twelve months of the year. "When Darkness Falls" (9781594903229, $13.95) presents twelve memorable and unique paintings of shadowed female images by Tony Mauro. "Sara Steele Originals" (9781594902994, $13.95) is a strikingly colorful, Chinese-like stylistic presentation of intimate flowers and richly toned landscapes by a renowned Philadelphia artist. For a complete roster of the extensive Tide-Mark collection of calendars for 2008, visit their website at www.tidemarkpress.com -- there is certain to be just the right one for you, a family member, or a friend.


The Human Sexuality Shelf

Rules of the Game
Neil Strauss
HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061540455, $25.95 www.harpercollins.com 1-800-242-7737

Rules of the Game is a two-book boxed set by author and playboy extraordinaire Neil Strauss. One paperback, "The Style Diaries", is a reminiscence of how Neil Strauss turned around his sex life and taught himself to be attractive to women; the other paperback, "The Stylelife Challenge", is a step-by-step instruction manual for men seeking to engineer a similar turnaround in their own life. The Style Diaries reads very much like a steamy letter column in a men's entertainment magazine (to put it politely)... but when not describing the author's raunchy sexual escapades, The Style Diaries cuts to the heart of the attractions between men and women. Especially of note is the author's hard-learned lesson that making the successful transition from sexual flings to a long-term relationship/marriage requires more than merely staying monogamous - a steady relationship needs at least as much energy and drive applied to its maintenance as the sexual career of a playboy does. Unlike The Style Diaries, The Stylelife Challenge isn't meant to be read cover to cover in one sitting - each of its thirty chapters contains an exercise or activity that the reader is meant to practice and internalize in order to gradually learn how to become more attractive to the opposite sex, with the goal of getting a date within a month (a date is defined as a planned second encounter with a woman, even if it's just arranging to get a cup of coffee together). Covering everything from improving one's grooming, to reading a woman's body language to tell whether she's interested or not, to learning how to send subtle verbal or nonverbal cues that she won't have to beat you off with a stick if she's not interested and much more, The Stylelife Challenge is enthusiastically recommended for any man preparing to enter the dating world, and especially for shy men, 40-year-old virgins, widowers, and the newly divorced. Women will also find The Rules of the Game fascinating and up-front honest; there are plenty of insights into human nature and other tidbits of wisdom that adults of both genders and all sexual orientations should know.


The Biography Shelf

Christopher Marlowe
Park Honan
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
9780199232697, $23.00 www.oup.com 1-800-451-7556

Park Honan (Emeritus Professor at the School of English, University of Leeds) presents Christopher Marlowe: Poet & Spy, an in-depth biography of the famous literary figure. Chapters cover Marlowe's childhood, his street fighting, his alleged atheism, a thorough examination of the circumstances that led to Marlowe's murder, and much more. A handful of black-and-white illustrations intersperse this involved, heavily researched and meticulously presented true-life story. Also highly recommended are Honan's previous biographies, most notably the acclaimed "Shakespeare, A Life".


The Martial Arts Shelf

Sunrise Tai Chi
Ramel Rones & David Silver
YMAA Publications
4354 Washington Street, Roslindale, MA 02131
9781594390838, $16.95 www.ymaa.com 1-800-669-8892

Written with the assistance of author David Silver, "Sunrise Tai Chi: Simplified Tai Chi For Health & Longevity" is the work of martial arts gold medalist Ramel Rones (who is also a Scientific Consultant for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, as well as the Tufts and Harvard Medical Schools). Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese system of exercises that has become popular throughout the United States. Rones provides an historical overview of Tai Chi Chuan, as well as its underlying principles. Specifically designed for use by beginners, "Sunrise Tai Chi" has much of value for even the more experienced practitioner in developing symmetry and balance between strength and flexibility; the loosening and strengthening of muscles, tendons, and ligaments; improving the circulation of blood and Qi energy; increasing bone density; massaging internal organs, boosting the immune system, taping into the energy of the universe, improving martial arts skills, and generally improving the quality of daily life. "Sunrise Tai Chi" is very highly recommended for students of the martial arts, for students of alternative medicine, and for non-specialist general readers with an interest in developing and maintaining their general health and overall physical fitness.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar
Thinley Norbu
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
9781590303382, $24.95 www.shambhala.com 1-800-733-3000

Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism teacher and primary holder of the Dudjom Tersar lineage Thinley Norbu Rinpoche presents A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar, an amassment of wisdom written in direct and straightforward terms, without an excess of scholarly elaboration. Offering commentary on the Preliminary Practices (Ngondro) prayer from Tragtung Dudjom Lingpa and the Tsok Khang Dechen root text prayer of the second Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje, as well as insights into the fundamental concepts of Vajrayana Buddhism, A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar flows as fluidly as its title. "The essence of immeasurable phenomena is emptiness. How can what gods are be made into absolute truth? With attachment to materialism, one always creates materializations. No matter what the absolute truth of eternalism may be, according to Dzogchen's point of view, although histories exist of gods and deities over many generations, they are still momentary. That is why worshiping a god is not ultimate, whether the god is worshiped by everyone or not." Highly recommended for any scholar or practitioner of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.


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Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
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