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Volume 20, Number 6 June 2010 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Library Science Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Library DVD Shelf American History Shelf Library CD Music Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf Philosophy Shelf Civil War Shelf
Military Shelf Biography Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Poetry Shelf Self-Help Shelf Fiction Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Business Shelf Education Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Economics Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Cookbook Shelf World History Shelf
Crafts Shelf Woodworking Shelf Science Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Art Shelf Anthropology Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Photography Shelf Political Science Shelf
Music Shelf Travel Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Automotive Shelf International Studies Shelf
Parenting Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf Language Studies Shelf
Psychology Shelf Computer Shelf Architecture Shelf
Large Print Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Mathematics Shelf
Sports Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Literary Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Nautical Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Elemental Love Styles
Dr. Craig Martin
Atria
c/o Beyond Words
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781582702568, $14.00 www.simonandschuster.com

Elemental Love Styles: Find Compatibility and Create a Lasting Relationship provides a fine guide to self-discovery and includes many important keys to locating a life partner based on individual love styles. A quiz and examples help identify individual styles of loving and show how enduring relationships can be created.

The Story of Stuff
Annie Leonard
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439125663, $26.00 www.simonandschuster.com

THE STORY OF STUFF: HOW OUR OBSESSION WITH STUFF IS TRASHING THE PLANET, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OUR HEALTH - AND A VISION FOR CHANGE examines all the things we use daily and its hidden costs to our health and the lives of millions around the world who work in unhealthy situations to create it. If we don't change our extraction and production systems - we will kill the planet: this is the contention of a fine survey suitable for any general lending library.

Thriving After Divorce
Tonja Everetts Weimer
Atria
c/o Beyond Words
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781582702483, $15.00 www.simonandschuster.com

THRIVING AFTER DIVORCE: TRANSFORMING YOUR LIFE WHEN A RELATIONSHIP ENDS is for any facing a new life after divorce. It comes from a relationship coach who says divorce's potential for overall change reaches from daily habits into personal identity - and her book offers keys to tapping this energy. Readers are guided through emotional meltdown to stability and positive perspective in this top recommendation for any general lending library.

500 Gemstone Jewels
Lark Books
Sterling Publishing Company
67 Broadway, Asheville, SC 28801
9781600593413, $24.95 www.larkbooks.com

500 Gemstone Jewels provides a fine jewelry survey perfect for libraries strong in jewelry and crafts, offering insights and designs by some of today's top designers. Close-up color photos of gemstones used in a range of settings showcase both gems and designs, making for a lush presentation perfect for any crafts and arts collection. The wealth of color photos and discussions of stones and settings is outstanding.

Wacky Packages New New New
Topps Company Inc.
Abrams
115 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9780810988385, $19.95 www.abramscomicarts.com

Wacky Packages New New New is a follow-up to the popular WACKY PACKAGES first published by Abrams in 2008, and provides all 206 rare Wacky Packs from series 8 through 14, years 1974 and 1975. Fun parodies of common household brands appear in full color spoofing consumer products and marketing, and comes packaged with four limited edition stickers and a wax jacket, making for a fine collector's reference.

Dams
Christine Macy
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393731392, $85.00 www.wwnorton.com

Any college-level collection strong in architecture and engineering will find DAMS a key acquisition. It organizes a range of projects by watershed, profiling over 800 historical and modern photos and providing not only a wide range of visuals from ads, drawings, and photos, but also surveying the structural diversity of dams and their changing role in American society. Designers and students will find this a powerful history with an accompanying CD-ROM offering downloadable TIFF files of all illustrations.

Milwaukee Television History
Dick Golembiewski
Marquette University Press
Box 3141, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3141
www.marquette.edu/mupress
9780874620559, $47.00, www.amazon.com

What is not generally known is that Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the first applicant to receive a commercial broadcast television license from the Federal Communications Commission in 1938. It was Milwaukee television that had the first female program direct and the firms female news director in a major television market. Milwaukee was also the city in which the VHF vs UHF controversy broke out in the 1950s. Milwaukee was also a pivotal site for the development of an educational TV station (WMVS-TV) and the first to regularly telecast in color. It was Milwaukee's own WMVT that was chosen as the site of the first long-distance test of a digital over-the-air signal in a technological evolution that was to ultimate replace analog television with digital television throughout the country. "Milwaukee Television History: The Analog Years" is a profusely illustrated 510-page compendium that showcases the complete and definitive history of Milwaukee's contributions to the television industry and culture. Of special note is the chapter dedicated to 'Low-Power, Class-A and Translator Stations'. Enhanced with a profusion of anecdotal stories and quotations from on-air talent, engineers, and station managers, "Milwaukee Television History: The Analog Years" is a unique and core addition to both academic and community library collections, as well as a recommended reading for anyone with an interest in Milwaukee history in general, and the history of American television broadcasting in particular.

Fundamentals of Game Development
Heather Maxwell Chandler & Rafael Chandler
Jones & Bartlett Learning
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
9780763778958, $69.95, www.jblearning.com

Everyone wants to make games, but few remember that the fundamentals are the first step. "Fundamentals of Game Development" is a guide to the major concepts of game design, the building blocks in which all games are constructed and made. Designed so that readers with no previous experience can understand, the book focuses on the concepts rather than the code, and covers everything from the pitch of the game to voiceover work and localization. "Fundamentals of Game Development" is a must for anyone who wants to get into or understand the field of making video games.

The Complete Guide to Preventing Foreclosure on Your Home
Martha Maeda & Maurcia DeLean Houck
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 SW 6th Ave. Ocala, FL 34471-0640
9781601382306, $24.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

Foreclosure is something many people live in constant fear of. "The Complete Guide to Preventing Foreclosure on Your Home: Legal Secrets to Beat Foreclosure and Protect Your Home Now" is a guide for these unfortunate individuals who want to fight the banks and do the best they can to not lose their home. Martha Maeda & Maurcia DeLean Houck provide much insight in how readers can use the law to stave off foreclosure and buy themselves as much time as possible. "The Complete Guide to Preventing Foreclosure on your Home" is a choice pick that everyone with foreclosure looming ahead should have on hand.


The Library Science Shelf

Developing an Outstanding Core Collection, second edition
Carol Alabaster
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
9780838910405, $60.00, www.alastore.ala.org

There are some things that all libraries should have. "Developing an Outstanding Core Collection" is a guide for defining what are the must haves for your library and defining what is significant enough to warrant it. In an updated second edition, Carol Alabaster gives librarians tips and advice on what they need to know to decide what has to be bought now and what can wait for a later time. With chapters on defining what is core, updating what needs to be considered core, and enhanced with plenty of references and citations, "Developing an Outstanding Core Collection" is a reference every librarian should have on hand.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Navigating The Rough Waters Of Today's Publishing World
Marcia Meier
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
www.quilldriverbooks.com
9781884995583, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Marcia Meier draws upon her many years of experience and expertise as a journalist, published author, skilled poet, educator, and former director of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference in "Navigating the Rough Waters of Today's Publishing World: Critical Advice for Writers from Industry Insiders", a 130-page compendium of practical, 'real-world' advice, insight, commentary, and instruction for writers seeking publication in today's increasingly volatile, rapidly evolving, and fiercely competitive publishing industry. Drawing upon her contacts in the publishing world, aspiring authors will benefit from the observations of 'The Writer' magazine publisher Elfrieda Abbe, literary agents Paul Fedorko and Jeff Herman, 'RedRoom.com founder Ivory Madison, and self-publishing icon Dan Poynter. Of special note are the chapters devoted to the issues of self-publishing, freelancing writing, websites and blogging, and the new social media tools of Facebook, MySpace, and Tweeting. Enhanced with a glossary, bibliographies on the craft of writing, book marketing, a resource listing of writer conferences and retreats, as well as web sites of specific value for writers, "Navigating the Rough Waters of Today's Publishing World: Critical Advice for Writers from Industry Insiders" should be considered mandatory reading for anyone and all aspiring authors seeking to become successful professionals.

POD for Profit
Aaron Shepard
Shepard Publications
PO Box 280, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
9780938497462, $16.00, www.newselfpublishing.com

The advent of desktop computer word processing software meant that anyone who could type could create a manuscript for whatever their version of 'The Great American Novel' or non-fiction block buster might be. Next came converting that manuscript into a published book -- long the nearly exclusive province of traditional publishers, technological progress in the form of 'publish on demand' or 'POD' publishers came into existence to meet the demand of self-publishing authors who lacked the expertise to accomplish this task but who could simply write a check to someone who could. The trick was how to make a financial profit on that capital investment. "POD for Profit" is clearly written and very nicely organized instructional guide from Aaron Shepard wherein he uses his own experience and expertise in the field to help others learn how to print and publish their own material through print on demand organizations, and not only get their material out there, but prove it to be a profitable move. "POD for Profit" is a choice and very highly recommended read for anyone considering printing on demand as their publishing option.


The Library DVD Shelf

Imagine This
PBS
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
www.ssapr.com www.ImagineThisTheMusical.com
9781608832170 $18.98 CD
9781608832163 $24.99 DVD

The profound new musical "Imagine This" (115 min.) is now available on DVD, and its soundtrack is available on CD. Set in the Warsaw Ghetto of Poland in the bleak year 1942, "Imagine This" follows a group of actors who seek to keep the dream of resistance and hope alive by performing the epic tale of "Masada", an ancient Judean mountain where a small band of rebels dared to hold back 10,000 Roman soldiers. The DVD of "Imagine This" records a memorable live performance from London's West End; special features include bonus songs "Salome's Lament" and "No More", printable educational materials, and a 35-minute panel discussion including cast members, the show's director, and Holocaust scholar Thane Rosenbaum. The CD of "Imagine This" contains virtually the entire soundtrack, vividly performed. Both are excellently performed, and deserve inclusion in the libraries of anyone who enjoys the power of a profound and serious musical. Also highly recommended from PBS are the documentaries "My Lai" (9781608832101, $24.99, 90 min.) and "Art & Copy" (9781608832255, $24.99).

PBS
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
www.ssapr.com

Two new episodes of the award-winning science documentary "NOVA", originally broadcast on public television, are now available on DVD. "The Pluto Files" (9781608832040, $24.99, 56 min.) is based on Neil deGrasse Tyson's book of the same name, and features a commentary from Tyson himself. "The Pluto Files" explains the controversy about Pluto, and why the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium ceased to call Pluto a planet. Yet the concept of Pluto as a planet has captured so many hearts and minds - why is Pluto so cherished in the public's imagination? Could more Pluto-like celestial bodies exist within the Kuiper belt? "Extreme Cave Diving" (9781608832019, $24.99, 56 min.) features Dr. Kenny Broad as a guide to underwater caves that formed during the last ice age. With the aid of climatologists, paleontologists, and anthropologists, Broad guides the viewer in an extraordinary tour of some of the most remote, mysterious, and little-explored places left upon the earth. Both DVDs are superb additions to any school or public library collections, and enthusiastically recommended for their fascinating presentation as well as for their educational value.

Crystal Productions
PO Box 2159, Glenview, IL 60025-6159
www.crystalproductions.com 1-800-255-8629

Handcrafts expert Peggy Flores presents two more instructional DVD titles designed to teach viewers of all skill and experience levels how to make beautiful objects. "Creating Fiber Weavings and Baskets" (9781562906528, $29.95) reveals how to make yarn weavings with nothing more elaborate than a cardboard or coat hanger loom. Step-by-step demonstrations of the basic weaving process, as well as how coiling rope wrapped with yarn can shape practical baskets, make "Creating Fiber Weavings and Baskets" amazingly easy to follow, given the elaborate, colorful, and practical finished products. "Wire Sculpture" (9781562906542, $29.95) instructs viewers in the elements of line, space, and shape as well as the use of tools to cut and bend wire, when creating three-dimensional wire art. Demonstrations and examples abound in this amazing guideline to superlatively blending one's skill and creativity. Both DVDs are excellent additions to any art classroom's library, and choice picks for budding artists seeking to experiment in a variety of media.

Tapped
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
1594589399 $295.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com

An award-winning documentary on DVD from the producers of "Who Killed the Electric Car?", Tapped explores the dark side of the bottled water industry. Human beings need clean drinking water to live. It is legal in some states for gigantic bottled water companies to suck public tap water sources dry (even when shortages force residents to ration water) then repackage and resell it at a gigantic markup - with infinitely less regulatory oversight than there is for tap water (and bottled water sold in the same state as it is pumped is virtually unregulated) - but is it ethical? Is the plastic used to create the water bottles truly safe for humans to put in their mouths? Perhaps worst of all is America's catastrophic overall failure to recycle plastic water bottles, resulting in an avalanche of non-biodegradable waste being pitched into landfills, or even straight into the ocean, where plastic bottles form a large part of a floating ocean garbage mound hundreds of square miles large. The bottle deposit laws of some states have been a proven, highly effective method to promote recycling - but because it incurs a minor expense the enormously profitable bottled water industry (an expense otherwise borne by everyone who has to cope with improperly disposed plastic bottle), corporations fight such legislative measures tooth and nail. Corporate control over public water supply, and corporate refusal to help shoulder the burden of recycling the mounds of plastic trash that are the byproducts of its profit, can only be combated by political activism - ordinary citizens getting involved and laying claim to their water rights, as well as their rights to a clean environment. A must-see, highly recommended documentary guaranteed to make viewers think twice before paying through the nose for what is essentially bottled (and smartly advertised) tap water. 75 and 54 minute versions of Tapped are available on the same DVD. Two more highly recommended documentaries from Bullfrog Films are Megamall (159458916X, $295.00) and Dirt! The Movie (1594589402, $295.00).

Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
www.libertyfund.org 1-800-955-8335

Liberty Fund presents two excellent DVD additions to their "Intellectual Potrait Series". "A Conversation with Forrest McDonald" (9780865978225, $22.00) presents the candid words of an expert historian known for his writings on the American founding period, including "We The People: The Economic Origins of the Constitution", which challenged the long-held theory proposed by Charles A. Beard. Forrest McDonald speaks on his perception of the American republic, the role of the Presidency, the current state of the Bill of Rights, how economics, politics and history continue to interleave with one another today, and much more. "A Conversation with Steve Pejovich" (9780865978218, $22.00) presents the expert and widely published economics professor, author of numerous books including "Economics Performance: The Case for Common Law". Pejovich talks about his life, shaped in the beginning by struggling to survive under the Nazis, and then the Communists, and how moving to and living in the United States transformed how he saw the world. The values of "life, liberty, and happiness", and the interplay of economic freedom, cultural vibrancy, and quality of life, are all topics of discussion in this superb profile. Both are insightful, scholarly, and worthy additions to public and college library DVD collections.

Touching Evil: The Complete Collection
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598284393 $79.99 www.acornmedia.com

Touching Evil: The Complete Collection gathers the award-winning British drama following the Organized and Serial Crime unit. As Detective Inspector Dave Creegan recuperates from a gunshot wound to the head, his personal life is in tatters, but he retains genius-level insight into the workings of the criminal mind. He becomes a crucial member of a highly skilled team of detectives that dedicate themselves to tracking and stopping the deadliest serial killers, psychopaths, and pedophiles of Britain. The Organized and Serial Crime unit relies on advanced police techniques, while Creegan prefers to fall back upon his instincts; together they will need every tool at their disposal to fight worst depredations of monsters in human flesh. Featuring a top-quality cast and gripping writing, Touching Evil is strongly recommended for fans of crime drama. It should be noted that Touching Evil contains violence, nudity, and disturbing images; this is not a DVD collection for the faint of heart. 8 episodes on 5 discs, 13 hours, 4:3 full screen, SDH subtitles.

The Real Story: Escape from Alcatraz
Smithsonian Networks
Infinity Entertainment Group
c/o Greenleaf & Associates (publicity)
vicki@greenleafandassociates.com
$12.98 smithsonianchannel.com

The Real Story: Escape from Alcatraz is a documentary originally shown on the Smithsonian Channel, about the daring escape of three convicted bank robbers from the infamous Alcatraz prison on June 11, 1962. When they were discovered to be missing, a massive attempt was launched to track them down, to no avail. Did they find freedom? Or did they lose their lives in an ultimately doomed attempt to flee their isolated prison? The Real Story: Escape from Alcatraz lives up to its title through interviews with people ranging from Darwin Coon, the inmate who assisted the escapees, to the wardens who realized they were missing, to the FBI agents assigned to track them down. Exciting and dramatic, The Real Story: Escape from Alcatraz is a worthy addition to public library DVD shelves. PG, 47 min. Also highly recommended from Smithsonian Networks is the DVD "Soul of a People: Writing America's Story" ($19.98, PG, 92 min.)

You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks
MVD Entertainment Group
PO Box 280, Oaks, PA 19456
$18.95 www.MVDvisual.com 1-800-888-0486

You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks is a rousing DVD collection of footage from The Kinks, one of few British bands that has been commercially successful in America. Covering the band's career from the sixties to the nineties, You Really Got Me includes highlights from the band's greatest moments on stage; their most beloved songs; and comments from band members including Ray Davies, Dave Davies, and Mick Avory. "You Really Got Me" deserves the highest recommendation to fellow music lovers from all walks of life. 87 minutes, colour and black & white.

World Class HiRail Layouts Part One
TM Books & Video
PO Box 279, New Buffalo, MI 49117
9781932291940 $19.95 www.tmbv.com 1-800-892-2822

World Class HiRail Layouts Part One is a DVD tour of the latest trend in O gauge layout building, focusing on three of the finest model railroads currently available to be seen. First is the largest model train exhibit in America, the New Jersey Hi-Railers' 185 X 45-foot layout operating 38 trains against museum quality scenery. Then it's off to the Train Masters of Babylon, including 3,000 square-feet of mainlines, subways, sidings and ten-foot trestle bridge painstakingly made to perfectly mimic an engineering landmark. Finally the viewer sees the Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers' layout, which spans 28 square miles of track and showcases engines with diesel and steam power. This extraordinary tour of model railroads lovingly crafted with impeccable detail is sure to provide devoted hobbyists with catalysts of inspiration. World Class HiRail Layouts Part One lives up to its title as a thoroughly enjoyable treasury, highly recommended for model railroad enthusiasts. 60 minutes.

Do It Yourself Natural FaceLift With Debbie Dawson
Debbie Dawson
411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$19.95 www.411videoinfo.com www.Doityourselfnaturalfacelift.com

Certified personal fitness trainer Debbie Dawson presents Do It Yourself Natural FaceLift With Debbie Dawson, a simple guide to improving the appearance of one's face and neck without resorting to expensive (and hazardous!) plastic surgery. The muscles of the face and neck can be exercised like any other part of the body, becoming firmer and more toned, promoting blood flow and collagen production. Do It Yourself Natural FaceLift is not only for those who wish to avoid a facelift, but also for those who have had one before and are struggling with ill effects, as well as those who are coping with Bell's Palsy. An easy-to-use instructional, with benefits that can quickly be felt in return for practicing its exercises for as little as twenty minutes a day - no injections, fillers, weights, glovers, or other gimmicks involved!

Raffles
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598283891 $59.99 www.acornmedia.com

Raffles: The Complete Collection is the four-disc DVD set collecting the entire television adaptation of the roguish adventures of Raffles (a character originally created by E.W. Hornung, brother-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). By day, A.J. Raffles (played by Anthony Valentine) is a championship cricketer and gentleman of leisure; but when he isn't in the public eye, he pursues is other passion - surreptitiously plundering the fortunes of the wealthy! In addition to his extraordinary expertise with accents and disguises, Raffles also has the assistance of his easily perplexed friend "Bunny" Manders (played by Christopher Strauli). Their weaving through oft-deadly predicaments between a rock, a hard place, and the persistently hostile efforts of Inspector Mackenzie (played by Victor Carin) makes for a grand adventure. Raffles consists of fourteen episodes, including the never-before-released pilot episode, as well as a biography of author E.W. Hornung and production notes. An absolute treat for anyone who loves British drama! 4 DVDs, 726 min., 4:3 full screen, color. Also highly recommended for fans of British drama is the PBS series "Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill" (9781598284140, $49.99, 361 min.) an award-winning miniseries about the life of an extraordinary American woman and her contribution to history.

Forever Young
John Humble
411 Video Information
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$24.95 www.411videoinfo.com www.humblefitness.net

Forever Young is a nutrition, exercise, and general wellness guide for viewers over 50 who seek to keep themselves in optimal physical condition. John Humble, an expert personal trainer of 35 years' experience, presents a "Fountain of Youth" prescription for healthy living to combat common ailments among those over 50. Medical advice from guest experts enhance the four-step program, based around the key of "It is not about you" - that it's important stay healthy not only for one's own sake, but also for the sake of friends, family, and loved ones. The four keystones to better health and better living are resistance training (not bodybuilding, but a form of exercise that can be easily performed with low cost resistance bands), cardio training, good nutrition (especially lean meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts), and one thing more (the viewer is asked to take in the beginning of the DVD and the first three elements before learning about and focusing on the fourth). An excellent guide to staying young in body as well as young at heart, Forever Young lives up to its title and is a highly recommended addition to DVD wellness libraries. 70 minutes.

Offensive Basketball Moves
Marty Schupak
Youth Sports Club
9 Florence Court, Valley Cottage, New York 10989
9780978945183 $24.95 www.YouthSportsClub.com

Marty Schupak, an expert in Physical Education and a youth sports coach of 21 years' experience, presents Offensive Basketball Moves, an instructional DVD for basketball players of all ages. Step-by-step instructions reveal how to teach and practice a wide variety of basketball moves, including the jab step, shot fakes, power dribble, hesitation move, form shooting, fade away shooting, pivot moves, shoulder shimmy, and much more. A superb teaching and reference guide ideal for enhancing skills, whether for coaching a youth league or even self-improvement in private basketball games one plays for fun, Offensive Basketball Moves deserves the highest recommendation for its quality presentation and ease of use. 34 minutes.

Schlessinger Media
7 East Wynnewood Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096-0580
www.schlessinger.com www.LibraryVideo.com 1-800-843-3620

Schlessinger's "Holidays for Children" ($29.95 each) DVD series spotlights special days of the year set aside to remember, honor, and celebrate. These installments, suitable for young people in grades K-4, are part of an educational 26-volume set ideal for classroom viewing. "Columbus Day" (9781417109432, 12 min.) reminds viewers of the extraordinary contributions of Christopher Columbus to European science, knowledge, and prosperity - as well as the tremendous toll his expeditions took upon the native peoples living within the landmass he discovered. Offering a balanced viewpoint, including reflections from a descendant of the Taino (one of the first native people whom Columbus encountered), "Columbus Day" is an invaluable and educational resource that encourages viewers to think for themselves rather than blindly accept positive or negative propaganda about this holiday. "Constitution Day" (9781417109449, 12 min.) emphasizes the rights and responsibilities of American citizenship, and even includes a field trip to the National Constitution Center. "Earth Day" (9781417109456, 12 min.) not only traces the history of Earth Day since its inception in 1970 as the idea of U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, but also encourages its celebration through recycling, composting, planting trees, and doing whatever one can do to conserve energy and natural resources. "The 100th Day of School" (9781417109425, 12 min.) encourages young people to think about the number 100 - from counting to 100 to pondering how drastically society has changed in the last 100 years, to what can be accomplished in 100 seconds, to imagining what one might buy with $100. The result is a bright and cheerful way to commemorate progress through the school year. All four DVDs are closed captioned and sold with limited public performance rights to be shown to any group in a school, public library, prison or military base without further written permission.

Roads to Memphis
PBS Home Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1730, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
9781608832118 $24.99 www.shopPBS.org

Part of the "American Experience" PBS DVD series, Roads to Memphis: The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. is a compelling documentary on DVD from Emmy Award-winning director Stephen Ives. Portraying the setting, historical events, and societal forces in motion up to the fateful day when James Earl Ray killed the widely beloved Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Road to Memphis features testimony from people close to King as well as the officials who took part in Ray's capture and prosecution, and a guest appearance by Hampton sides, the award-winning author of a forthcoming book about the assassination ("Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin"). An extraordinarily vivid saga of true-life bloodshed and its repercussions, Roads to Memphis is powerful, unforgettable, and a choice pick for public library DVD collections. 90 minutes, widescreen, closed captioned. Also highly recommended is the award-winning PBS DVD presenting the next chapter of history, "A Ripple of Hope" (9781608832064, $24.99, 60 min., widescreen, closed captioned) chronicling the inspirational speech presidential candidate Robert Kennedy's subsequently dared to deliver to inner city Indianapolis despite the very real threat of violence, for riots and arson scarred America in the wake of King's murder.


The American History Shelf

A Kingdom Strange
James Horn
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465004850, $26.00 www.basicbooks.com

A KINGDOM STRANGE: THE BRIEF AND TRAGIC HISTORY OF THE LOST COLONY OF ROANOKE comes from a historian who reconstructs the complete story of the lost colonists and offers new theories on why they left England for America. New original material on the social backgrounds of the colonists provides keys on their religion and a new perspective on what happened.

The Nauvoo Legion in Illinois
Richard E. Bennett, et al.
The Arthur H. Clark Company
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780870623820 $39.95 www.ahclark.com

The collaborative effort of Richard E. Bennett, Susan Easton Black, and Donald Q. Cannon, The Nauvoo Legion in Illinois: A History of the Mormon Militia 1841-1846 is a solid study of the Nauvoo Legion - a city militia assembled by America's Mormon population in response to experiencing persecution, violence, and forcible expulsion. One of the largest and most feared of America's militias of the era, The Nauvoo Legion was effectively led by Mormon prophet Joseph Smith - and its power caused concern among non-Mormons, culminating in the killing of Smith and his brother. The Nauvoo's charter was revoked, yet it was re-constituted after the Mormon migration to Utah. A superbly researched and presented account, The Nauvoo Legion in Illinois draws upon recently discovered archival material to paint an accurate historical picture of the citizen soldiers who served and the undertakings of their militia. An invaluable contribution to American and to Mormon history shelves, The Nauvoo Legion in Illinois is the definitive resource of the origins, undertakings, and perceptions of the Nauvoo Legion and highly recommended especially for college library shelves.

Uptown Downtown in Old Charleston
Louis D. Rubin, Jr.
University of South Carolina Press
718 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29208
9781570039096 $29.95 www.sc.edu/uscpress 1-800-768-2500

Uptown Downtown in Old Charleston: Sketches and Stories is a collection that draws upon the author's personal experience in his native Charleston along with a vivid dose of imaginative insight and storytelling gifts. The result is a wonderfully picturesque narrative anthology that brings the Charleston of yesteryear to life. A blissfully evocative anthology of short stories, Uptown Downtown in Old Charleston flows smoothly, and renders its characters with warmth and heart as they go about their daily lives. Highly recommended.

Hope and History
Vincent Harding
Orbis Books
Price Bldg, Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545
9781570758577, $16.00, www.orbisbooks.com

In the past fifty years America has went from not even allowing black people in certain restaurants to electing the first black President. "Hope and History: Why We Must Share the Story of the Movement" tells the story of the civil rights movement of the past half century told through the eyes of Professor Vincent Harding, a man who has worked much with studying the movement. A great stride, Harding does well in painting the picture of a rapidly changing world. "Hope and History: Why We Must Share the Story of the Movement" is a choice addition to any history of black studies collection.

The Dead End Kids of St. Louis
Bonnie Stepenoff
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826218889 $29.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress

Professor of History Bonnie Stepenoff The Dead End Kids of St. Louis: Homeless Boys and the People Who Tried to Save Them" is a historical study of the "lost" boys and young men who eked out a living on the streets of St. Louis from the late nineteenth century to the mid twentieth century. In that era, for a homeless young man, violence was a serious threat - loosely organized bands of youths were known to wander about the tenement districts and cause trouble. Sometimes gangs of boys took shelter in the system of caves beneath the city for weeks or months. A handful of black-and-white photographs enhance this accounting of how difficult it was to survive and mature under such circumstances - though the majority of these "lost boys" ultimately grew up to live more or less normal lives, sometimes their childhood experiences left them with permanent emotional scars. Chapters also cover the efforts of private philanthropy as well as public policy to aid these boys; some measures were effective, some did little good, and some were even counterproductive. A fascinating portrayal of a serious social issue in St. Louis' history, carefully researched and studiously presented, The Dead End Kids of St. Louis is an excellent addition to college library American History and Social Issues shelves.

Texas and Texans in the Great War
Ralph A. Wooster
State House Press
PO Box 818, Buffalo Gap, TX 79508
9781933337371 $24.95 www.mcwhiney.org/press

Military historian Ralph A. Wooster presents Texas and Texans in the Great War, a scholarly accounting of the contribution Texans made during World War I. 200,000 Texans served in the American armed forces, and more than 5,000 Texans in uniform perished during the course of the war. Texas and Texans in the Great War covers not only the efforts of Texan soldiers, but life on the Texan home front, the influence Texans had on France (and that France had on Texans), and the repercussions of victory and peace. A handful of black-and-white photographs and diagrams illustrate this excellent addition to Texas military history shelves.

The Red Corner
Verlaine Stoner McDonald
Montana Historical Society Press
225 N. Roberts, PO Box 201201, Helena, MT 59620-1201
9780975919675 $16.95 montanahistoricalsociety.org

The Red Corner: The Rise and Fall of Communism in Northeastern Montana is the true story of how Sheridan County of Montana became a successful, virtually Communist community during the 1920s and early 1930s. Sheridan County used to have a government run primarily by Communists, a Communist youth camp, and an official newspaper of the American Communist Party, the "Producers News". Communist influence declined in the 30's, and in time residents came to view Sheridan County's Communist days as a mark of shame. Author and professor Verlaine Stoner McDonald reconstitutes history from newspaper accounts, oral testimonies, FBI reports, and internal Communist Party files in The Red Corner, creating a thoroughly accessible encapsulation of the Sheridan County Communist movement's evolution, effects, and legacy. The result is an excellent addition to college library and Montana history shelves.

The Randolph Women & Their Men
Ruth Doumlele
Book Publishers Network
PO Box 2256, Bothell, WA 98041
Barbara Kindness, Publicist
PO Box 1754, Edmonds, WA 98020
9781935359258 $19.95 www.bookpublishersnetwork.com

Historian Ruth Doumlele presents The Randolph Women & Their Men, an exceptional, expertly researched portrait of the upper class elite of the post-Revolution American South. Though particular focus is given to the Randolphs, the elite, influential leaders with whom they interacted - including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison - are also observed here, with strict attention paid to historical records. The Randolph Women & Their Men offers a uniquely up-close and personal glimpse into the daily lives of America's wealthy aristocracy of the past - including their scandals of incest, betrayal, and love that was not returned. Organized chronologically by year and broken into brief segments that peer into events surrounding the cast of real-life Americans, The Randolph Women & Their Men is further supplemented by end notes, a bibliography, and an index for ease of use. An enjoyable read for pleasure as well as for study into how America's upper crust used to live their daily lives, The Randolph Women & Their Men is highly recommended.

With Musket & Tomahawk
Michael O. Logusz
Casemate Publishers
908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA19083
9781935149002 $32.95 www.casematepublishing.com

With Musket & Tomahawk: The Saratoga Campaign and the Wilderness War of 1777 is an in-depth, military analysis of a crucial turning point in the American Revolutionary War. In 1777 British leaders devised a three-pronged assault intended to separate New England from the rest of the fledgling, would-be nation of America, along the divider of the Hudson River. The results would have been devastating had England's forces succeeded; yet the offensive campaign med severe resistance from rifleman who knew the wild, heavily wooded land and rallied to defend their nation. A handful of black-and-white maps and diagrams accompany the detailed text, in this enthralling study that brings military history to life for readers of all backgrounds. Highly recommended, especially for college libraries and military history shelves.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Footsteps in Africa Soundtrack: Nomadic Remix
Joshua Jacobs
KiahKeya Productions
c/o FlipSwitch (publicity)
PO Box 2207, Bloomington, IN 47404-2207
$TBA (CD) $8.99 (MP3) www.flipswitchPR.com www.amazon.com

Footsteps in Africa Soundtrack: Nomadic Remix is the re-imagined CD soundtrack of the feature-length documentary film "Footsteps in Africa", about the culture and life of the Tuareg desert communities of Africa. Footsteps in Africa Soundtrack: Nomadic Remix is instrumental save for the blended vocalizations of throat singer Benno Klandt, who gives voice to the hidden intensity of the desert. A profound reflection of the bonds of community, and the stringent demands of desert life, Footsteps in Africa Soundtrack: Nomadic Remix also gives back to the very people whose culture made it possible: fifteen percent of all profits from the remixed album will be channeled to support clean water projects. An extraordinary contribution to international music collections, highly recommended. The tracks are "Mariama" (5:41), "Tea Dimm's New Brew" (5:39), "Mariama" (5:22), "Red Ladies Tent Jam" (6:35), "Tuareg Goosi Jam in Tent" (7:34), "Open" (4:38), "Hyena the PsyAmazigh Remix" (4:50), "Ahheahedon Tuareg Women's Jam" (4:54), "Tuareg Goosi Jam in Tent" (5::34), "Ahheahedon Tuareg Women's Jam" (3:28), and "End Titles" (3:27).

Business Class Refugees
Kartick and Gotam
EarthSync
c/o FlipSwitch (publicity)
PO Box 2207, Bloomington, IN 47404-2207
$16.98 www.flipswitchPR.com

Business Class Refugees is an instrumental "electro-folk" album from the Israeli duo of Kartick and Gotam. Some songs are grounded in traditional melodies, scales, and beats of India, yet all of them are blended with original flair. The theme of the album's title refers to the musician's experience when one day, in a Singapore airport, they were stranded without a visa or a flight to board - associating with those who had little, or were wrenched from their roots, the two continued work on their music from their laptops and over wireless connections regardless. Business Class Refugees is a celebration of using modern technological and musical flair to resurrect and transform ancient classics for the latest generation. An emotionally moving album that pays tribute to desert cultures of the past, present, and future, Business Class Refugees is highly recommended. The tracks are "Bonjour" (4:46), "Tamil Bossa" (5:10), "Boye Boye" (5:18), "Heer" (4:13), "Shiva Sheva" (6:26), "Door Open Door" (5:46), "Vellai Thaamarai" (3:37), "Supreme Chaos" (4:35), "Rututu" (4:19), and "Hear Comes the Funk" (5:50).

Liber
Oswin Chin Behilia
Otrabanda Records
c/o Burnside Distribution
6635 N. Baltimore Ave., Suite 285, Portland, OR 97203
$19.49 www.otrabandarecords.com

Caribbean troubadour Oswin Chin Behilia lends his dulcet voice (singing in his native language) to Liber, an album that blends folk, Curacoan tradition, and awareness of modern social issues as well as their historical roots. A smooth-flowing album featuring captivating rhythms and guitar tones in addition to Behilia's passionate singing, Liber is an acoustic gem to be treasured. The tracks are "Zikinza" (7:26), "Buta la Pasta" (5:37), "Si Abo No T'ei" (4:28), "Den Bo Kushina" (3:29), "Sokete" (3:42), "Liber" (2:02), "Ata Toni" (5:04), "Korupshon" (5:09), "Pasku Bashi" (2:41), "Di Malu En Peor" (3:02), "Sigi Traha e Bom" (7:26). 46 min.

Unconditional: Round Dance Songs
Wayne Silas, Jr.
Canyon Records Productions
3131 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85017
$15.98 www.canyonrecords.com 1-800-268-1141

Menominee/Oneida singer and songmaker Wayne Silas, Jr. applies his years of experience with Pow-Wow drum groups to "Unconditional Round Dance Songs", Silas' debut solo Round Dance recording (with performances from Joe Syrette, Edmond Tate Nevaquaya, Jeremy Dearly, Nitanis "Kit" Landry", and Arianne Sheka). A profound collection that touches upon the powers of love, dreams, emotion, and opening oneself to a higher power, Unconditional: Round Dance Songs speaks directly to the listener's heart and soul. The tracks are "Made in Heaven" (4:27), "It's On Tonight" (4:50), "Let's Do the Math" (4:56), "Bread Crumbs" (3:10), "Butterflies" (4:35), "One of a Kind" (2:42), "Candy" (4:04), "Around Tha World" (4:46), "For Tha First Time" (3:56), "Sour & Sweet" (2:57), "Dreaming" (4:25), "Sweet Luv Tunes" (4:45), and "Superman" (3:42). 54 min. Also highly recommended is the round dance beat album "As the Rez Turns" by Pipestone ($15.98, 53 min.)

En Couleurs
Feufollet Records
c/o FlipSwitch (publicity)
PO Box 2207, Bloomington, IN 47404-2207
$TBA www.flipswitchPR.com www.feufollet.net

En Couleurs is the latest album from the band Feufollet, known for its original takes on Cajun style music. The song draw from Cajun tradition, without being strictly limited to fixed conventions. Though the Cajun instrument base of accordion, guitar, and fiddle make for a solid foundation, the composition, chords, and even inclusion of elements such an autoharp are vividly distinctive. En Couleurs is an absolute "must-have" for anyone who enjoys Cajun music, and a highly recommended addition to international music shelves. The tracks are "Au Fondu Lac" (3:10), "Vert" (0:26), "Des Promesses" (2:59), "La Berceuse du Vieux Voyageur" (3:05), "Si T'as Fini Avec Moi" (3:52), "Violet" (0:29), "Ouvre La Porte" (3:23), "Assis Dans La Fenetre de Ma Chambre" (1:40), "Les Jours Sont Longs" (4:43), "Valse du Vacher" (3:34), "La Valse de Gene Billeaudeaux" (1:56), "A Saint-Martin" (3:44), "Mon Tour Va Venir" (3:33), "Bleu" (1:46), "Toujours en Mouvement" (3:22), and "Rouge" (0:48).

La Difference
Salif Keita
Decca Label Group
jodie.thomas@umusic.com
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$16.98 www.rockpaperscissors.biz

La Difference is the latest album by Afro-pop singer Salif Keita. The albino son of two black African parents, Keita is in a unique position to appreciate and vigorously spread the virtues of tolerance and the value of celebrating differences. Shunned for his albinism in his native Mali while growing up, he traveled abroad to the Ivory Coast, Paris, London, and New York to advance his talent for composing and performing music, at last successfully returning to Mali as an accomplished and internationally known music artist. La Difference is particularly dedicated to fellow albinos in Africa, who must struggle to survive and fulfill their dreams amid severe cultural prejudice; other themes emerge as well, such as a cautionary warning about the ecological harm humanity is wreaking on Africa in the song "Ekolo d'Amour". To fulfill the primary purpose of La Difference, Keita has pledged that all profits from this album will fund his foundation to help albino Africans, "Salif Keita pour les Albinos". An extraordinary, rhythmic blend of traditional and modern cultures expressed in soul-stirring music, La Difference is highly recommended.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

The Philadelphia Report
Honorable Lynne Abraham, District Attorney
Cherry Hill Publishing
24344 Del Amo Road, Ramona, CA 92065
www.CherryHillPublishing.com
9780984375929 $19.95 unabridged MP3 CD
9780984375912 $29.95 abridged audio CD
9780984375936 $39.95 unabridged audio CD

The Philadelphia Report is the audiobook presentation of Philadelphia Investigating Grand Jury's 2005 report concerning the Catholic clergy's sexual abuse of minors in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The investigation, led by District Attorney Lynne Abraham, stretched over four years and involved scrutiny of over 60 abusing priests as well as church cover-ups that spanned decades. Narrated by a group of voice professionals, and featuring a foreword by report co-author and professor of law Marci A. Hamilton, The Philadelphia Report is disturbing because it is true - and because it reveals a tremendous wrong saturated in the fabric of modern American society. The Philadelphia Report is available in three versions: an unabridged one on two MP3 CDs (with an accompanying CD of .pdf documents), an abridged audio CD version, and an unabridged audio CD version. A "must-have" for college libraries with a focus on criminal law and justice.


The Philosophy Shelf

Exuberant Skepticism
Paul Kurtz, author
John R. Shook, editor
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781591027782, $19.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

Exuberant Skepticism comes from a philosopher who for three decades has been an advocate of skepticism as a philosophical position and way of life. Skepticism is defined as a form of philosophical inquiry that can change the world - and here John Shook has gathered 17 of Paul Kurtz's essays to consider scientific inquiry and methods. A fine survey of the skeptical movement that Kurtz founded, this is a 'must' for any philosophy library.

Zombies, Vampires, and Philosophy
Richard Green & K. Silem Mohammad, Editors
Open Court
70 East Lake St., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696837, $19.95 www.opencourtbooks.com

Zombies, Vampires, and Philosophy: New Life for the Undead links popular culture and philosophy with a philosophical discussion of vampires and zombies. The connection lies in how they confront us with moral and metaphysical issues of life and death, and this provides over twenty modern thinkers who reflect on the idea and nature of the undead. Any library seeking to blend modern philosophy with popular fantasy needs this.

The Philosophy of Richard Rorty
Richard Rorty
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601
9780812696417 $89.95 www.opencourtbooks.com 1-800-815-2280

Volume XXXII in "The Library of Living Philosophers" series, The Philosophy of Richard Rorty is an outstanding compendium consisting of 29 critical essays by analytical philosopher Richard Rorty, as well as his intellectual autobiography, his replies to those who critique him, and a Rorty bibliography. From sharp criticism of the weaknesses of conventional methods of philosophy (especially the excess of preoccupation with questions of the foundation and representation of knowledge), to the invaluable role of pragmatism in everything from surveying language to as an invaluable tool to perpetuate democracy, and much more, The Philosophy of Richard Rorty is a welcome contribution to ongoing intellectual debate. The Philosophy of Richard Rorty is solidly organized and presented, a superb addition to philosophy shelves and a welcome contribution to college libraries.


The Civil War Shelf

Forgotten Black Soldiers Who Served in White Regiments During the Civil War
Juanita Patience Moss
Heritage Books
100 Railroad Avenue, Suite 104, Westminster, MD 21157-4826
9780788446474, $21.00, www.heritagebooks.com

Segregation was the rule of the Union and Confederate forces, but rules were not always followed. "Forgotten Black Soldiers Who Served in White Regiments During the Civil War" is author Juanita Patience Moss's investigation of these soldiers who served in white regiments going against the standard policy. Moss also discusses southern white people who fought for the Union in spite of being in Confederate lands. "Forgotten Black Soldiers" is a choice pick for any military history collection with a focus on the civil war.

Thunder on the River
Daniel L. Schafer
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th St., Gainesville, FL 32611
9780813034195 $29.95 www.upf.com

Daniel L. Schafer (distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, University of North Florida) presents Thunder on the River: The Civil War in Northeast Florida, a well-researched and solidly presented accounting of how the American Civil War impacted Florida. From the forces that pushed Florida to battle on behalf of the South (including widespread of the black population among Florida's whites), to the three times Union forces claimed Jacksonville and then abandoned it - followed by a fourth attempt in which Jacksonville was used to stage an ill-advised Union invasion of interior Florida - to the use of underwater mines against the U.S. Navy along the St. Johns, Thunder on the River vividly captures the turbulent events of history. Accessible to lay readers and historians alike, Thunder on the River is a superb addition to American Civil War collections and college library reference shelves.

Those Damned Black Hats!
Lance J. Herdegen
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
9781932714838 $19.95 www.savasbeatie.com

Award-winning journalist and author Lance J. Herdegen presents Those Damned Black Hats! The Iron Brigade in the Gettysburg Campaign, the first book-length historical accounting of the Iron Brigade (an all-Western outfit that served the Union entirely in the Eastern Theater during the American Civil War) during the summer of 1863, particularly the "four long hours" of Gettysburg that all but destroyed them. The Iron Brigade, distinguished by their unique black Hardee Hats from Brawner's Farm, came to be known as "those damned Black Hats" by their opponents. Illustrated with a handful of vintage black-and-white photographs, Those Damned Black Hats! is in-depth, meticulously researched and solidly presented, and an exceptional contribution to Civil War studies shelves. The Army Historical Foundation met for its Twelfth Annual Members Meeting on June 14th, 2009, at Mount Vernon, the estate of George Washington, and bestowed the The Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award for Operational / Battle History, 2008 upon Those Damned Black Hats!

The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 Volume 1: South Mountain
Ezra A. Carman
Thomas G. Clemens, editor
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
9781932714814 $37.50 www.savasbeatie.com

The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 Volume 1: South Mountain presents the historical manuscript originally assembled by Ezra A. Carman, once a colonel of the 13th New Jersey Infantry during the American Civil War, and later appointed as the "Historical Expert" to the Antietam Battlefield Board in 1894. Now rendered in a new edition, edited by Dr. Thomas G. Clemens (a historian with particular expertise in the Maryland Campaign), The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 Volume 1 is an exhaustive accounting, originally assembled from the testimonies of hundreds of veterans, as well as thousands of letters and maps. An extensive introduction familiarizes the reader with the origins and importance of the manuscript, as well as the research and presentation processes that Carman used. The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 is an excellent addition to college library and Civil War reference shelves, deserving the highest recommendation.


The Military Shelf

Dogface Soldier
Wilson A. Heefner
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
9780826218827 $34.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress

Dogface Soldier: The Life of General Lucian K. Truscott, Jr. is a solid, in-depth biography of an exemplary American military leader, who President Eisenhower valued as second only to Patton, and who took over Patton's command from October 8, 1945 to April of 1946. Truscott pioneered new combat training methods such as the so-called "Truscott Trot", played a critical role in winning key battles in North Africa, Sicily, Anzio, and Southern France, and was highly respected by officers and "dogfaces" (rank-and-file soldiers) alike. Dogface Soldier reveals the civilian and military education, family, and friends that shaped Truscott's life, his military genius and expertise, and his service after the war - especially his efforts to improve living conditions for displaced Jews to remove Nazis from positions of power, and his involvement in the trials of German war criminals. An excellent addition to military biography shelves, public and college library reference shelves, Dogface Soldier is accessible to lay readers and historians alike and very highly recommended.

Whirlwind
Barrett Tillman
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781416584407, $28.00 www.simonandschuster.com

WHIRLWIND: THE AIR WAR AGAINST JAPAN 1942-1945 tells for the first time the entire story of the Allied bombardment of Japan, using the words of pilots, flight crews, mechanics, generals and veterans to tell both sides of the experience. His assessment of experiences, strategy, tactics and moral issues provides a vivid story perfect for any military history collection.

Energy Security Challenges for the 21st Century
Gal Luft and Anne Korin, Editors
Praeger
c/o ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9780275999971 $59.95 www.abc-clio.com

Energy Security Challenges for the 21st Century: A Reference Library offers a fine, timely book for any interested in energy and security connections. The best field experts join forces to consider the role of energy in modern life in countries around the world - and how these nations achieve energy security. 20 leading experts review the world's energy systems and vulnerabilities in a fine debate about resource conflicts, control and preservation. This should be a part of any college-level military or social issues collection.

An American Amnesia
Bruce Herschensohn
Beaufort Books
27 West 20th St., Suite 1102, New York NY 10011
9780825306327, $22.00 www.beaufortbooks.com

AN AMERICAN AMNESIA: HOW THE U.S. CONGRESS FORCED THE SURRENDERS OF SOUTH VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA follows the dramatic series of events which in two years caused Vietnam to change from a war zone to a peaceful region. The actions taken by Congress and many American citizens forced South Vietnam's surrender, an event that brought pain upon Southwest Asians. Notes and speeches plus the author's own experiences in Southeast Asia document the process. American history and military libraries need this.

Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South, Suite 806, New York, NY 10016
www.ospreypublishing.com

Barrett Tillman works with Henk van der Lugt in VF-11/111 'SUNDOWNERS' (9781846034848, $25.95), a strong survey of aviation combat history adding to the 'Aviation Elite Units' of the publisher. The Sundowners were established in 1942 and their achievements spanned several wars - including winning the first jet- versus-jet victory over Korea in 1950. This details all the aircraft and deployments of the Sundowners over a 52-year period and is a key reference for any aviation or military shelf. Ken Ford's THE COCKLESHELL RAID; BORDEAUX 1942 (9781846036934, $18.95) offers an authoritative analysis of one of the greatest raids in military history, and thus deserves a place in any military library. It tells of a 1942 operation where five canoes took on the job of destroying merchant ships docked at Bordeaux. Two made it to target - and changed the nature of the war. A riveting saga results. Stephen Turnbull's HATAMOTO: SAMURAI HORSE AND FOOT GUARDS, 1540-1724 (9781846034787, $18.95) receives Richard Hook's fine color illustrations throughout as it explores the hand-picked elite who served under the role of a Japanese feudal lord of the Sengoku period. This analysis is key for not just military and ancient history libraries, but for any Japanese history and culture collection, offering surveys of the hatamoto and their military might. Dave McComb's US DESTROYERS 1942-45 (9781846034442, $17.95) tells of the design, operation and successes of the wartime US Destroyer fleet, acclaimed for their advanced design. From machinery to history, this provides a thorough work including especially commissioned artwork and summaries of losses and decorations. Andrew Thomas' RAF MUSTANG AND THUNDERBOLT ACES (9781846039799, $22.95) covers two of the finest military aircraft flyers of World War II, blending histories of pilots, crafts, and overall military history to create a detailed survey of the ace pilots and the planes they flew. Donald Nijboer's NO 126 WING RCAF (9781846034831, $25.95) offers a fine combat history survey covering the Royal Canadian Air Force's No. 126 Wing. From the wing's exploits to its fighter status and pilots who achieved acclaim, it's an excellent, in-depth survey. Alejandro de Quesada's US COAST GUARD IN WORLD WAR II (9781846039195, $18.95) tells of America's fourth armed service that came to life during World War II and played key roles in important Pacific battles. Wartime photos and uniform plates accompany a fine review of their achievements.

Road of 10,000 Pains
Otto J. Lehrack
Zenith Press
400 First Avenue North #300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760338018, $30.00 www.zenithpress.com

ROAD OF 10,000 PAINS: THE DESTRUCTION OF THE 2ND NVA DIV. BY TH U.S. MARINES, 1967 provides a powerful coverage surveying the Que Son Valley campaign of Vietnam for the first time. Official histories from both American and Vietnamese plus interviews with over 150 Marines and soldiers lends to a riveting story of battles and wartime, offering an authoritative account of a little-known mission. Any military library covering Vietnam must have this.

A History of Air Warfare
John Andreas Olsen, Editor
Potomac Books
Box 960, Herndon, VA 20172-0960
9781597974332, $35.00 www.potomacbooksinc.com

Any library strong in military aviation titles will relish A HISTORY OF AIR WARFARE, a fine assembly of papers on air power history and development and a 'bible' packed with information. This captures the changing history of air warfare and analyzes the role air power has played in military conflicts over the last century. These sixteen essays pack a punch and are a 'must' for any serious military history library.

They Fought For Each Other
Kelly Kennedy
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312570767, $24.99 www.stmartins.com

Heroism under fire is the topic of THEY FOUGHT FOR EACH OTHER: THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF THE HARDEST HIT UNIT IN IRAQ. It comes from a journalist who was embedded with Charlie Company 1-26 for her job - and placed her in the position of observing one of the worst neighborhoods in Baghdad in a unit that lost more men than any single battalion had since Vietnam. Her battlefield experiences create a gripping saga.


The Biography Shelf

Dead End Gene Pool
Wendy Burden
Gotham Books
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9781592405268, $26.00 www.penguin.com

DEAD END GENE POOL: A MEMOIR tells of Wendy, ancestor of one Cornelius Vanderbilt who grew up in a family once famous for wealth, but in the midst of decline. Her observations of her flawed family life and her memoir of heartbreak and courage provides a lively vision of a famous family whose fortunes have gone wrong, and is an outstanding pick for any lending library.

The Last Leaf
Stuart Lutz
Prometheus Books
59 John Glen Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616141622, $26.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

THE LAST LEAF: VOICES OF HISTORY'S LAST-KNOWN SURVIVORS tells the personal stories of the last living survivors of events that changed American history. From a 109-year-old who is the last survivor of World War I to the last suffragette and the last living person to fly with Amelia Earhart, no library should be without this.

Imperfect Endings
Zoe Fitzgerald Carter
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439148242, $25.00 www.simonandschuster.com

IMPERFECT ENDINGS: A DAUGHTER'S TALE OF LIFE AND DEATH tells of Zoe's mother, who spent twenty years battling a host of health conditions - and who explored various options for suicide, and her wishes for her children to be with her when she did it. Zoe's eventual acceptance of her mother's wishes and associations with the Hemlock Society make for a poignant, moving memoir highly recommended for any general lending library.

Iona Dreaming
Clare Cooper Marcus
Nicolas Hays, Inc.
PO Box 540206, Lake Worth, FL 33454-0206
9780892541577, $21.95, www.nicolashays.com

A long score of history and a natural beauty can truly make a place a spiritual experience. "Iona Dreaming: The Healing Power of Place" is a collection of reflections from Clare Cooper Marcus as she speaks of her time she spent on the Scottish Island of Iona and what it aught her about her life and how it can help others bring new insight into theirs as well. "Iona Dreaming" is a thoughtful and spiritual read, a solid addition to any spirituality or memoir collection.

North of Iskut
Tor Forsberg
Caitlin Press
8100 Alderwood Road, Halfmoon Bay, BC V0N 1Y1, Canada
9781894759427, $24.95, www.caitlinpress.com

Life in the northern forests is an acquired taste. "North of Iskut: Grizzlies, Bannock, and Adventure" is a collection of memoirs from Tor Forsberg as she reflects on her decision to travel into the Yukon in her twenties and why since then she hasn't looked back, pursuing both her art and her survival skills. A fascinating and insightful read of northern life, "North of Iskut" is a choice pick for memoir collections.

Just Don't Call Me Ma'am
Anna Mitchael
Seal Press
38 Everett St, Suite 75, Allston, MA 02134
9781580053167, $15.95, www.sealpress.com

The charming southern bell isn't what a lot of Southern women see themselves as. "Just Don't Call Me Ma'am: How I Ditched the South, Forgot My Manners, and Managed to Survive My Twenties with Most of My Dignity Still Intact" is a memoir of Anna Mitchael who left her southern goddess lifestyle for something far different in life. A tale of small town girl going into the big city and having fun with it, "Just Don't Call Me Ma'am" is an entertaining and thoughtful memoir many readers will relish.

Spectator In Hell
Colin Rushton
Pelican
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LO 70053
9781589807952, $18.95, www.pelicanpub.com

For those who viewed it, it altered their outlook on life forever. "Spectator in Hell: A British Soldier's Story of Imprisonment in Auschwitz" is a memoir from Arthur Dodd as studied by Colin Ruston. Taken prisoner by the Nazis in 1942, Dodd saw the true horrors of the Nazi regime, and tells his first person account of a prisoner of war in one of the most notorious places in history. "Spectator in Hell" is a strongly recommended addition to any World War II memoir collection.

Out of Step
Jane Murray Heimlich
Orange Frazer Books
PO Box 214, Wilmington, OH 45177
9781933197661, $24.95

With the right idea and common sense, becoming a successful business man was a realized dream for many immigrants. "Out of Step" is a unique memoir from Jane Murray Heimlich. Telling the story of her father and how he came to this country and made his fortune with a mail order business using dance steps, she provides a unique picture of her father and what it is like to be the daughter of an immigrant success story, as well as the wife of a surgeon whose name is used in saving lives - Dr. Henry Heimlich. Entertaining and thought provoking, "Out of Step" is a treasure trove of memories shared, a highly recommended pick.

My Dream of Stars
Anousheh Ansari & Homer Hickam
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
Allen Media Strategies (publicity)
12019 Trossack Road, herndon, VA 20170
9780230619937, $25.00, www.palgrave.com

From a land that did not expect anything of her, she became the first Iranian woman in space. "My Dream of Stars: From Daughter of Iran to Space Pioneer" is a biographical memoir from Anousheh Ansari, as she tells her life story from growing up in the chaos of Iran during its revolutions, to how she found her way to American soil, making her American dream come true, and so much more. She is not only an astronaut, but also a successful businesswoman. "My Dream of Stars" is a choice pick for readers seeking a truly inspirational story.

Pavel Florensky
Avril Pyman
Continuum Books
80 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038
9781441187000, $29.95, www.continuumbooks.com

Brilliance doesn't need to be told it's brilliant. "Pavel Florensky: A Quiet Genius, The Tragic and Extraordinary Life of Russia's Unknown Da Vinci" looks into the life of Pavel Florensky, man who has retrospectively compared to Leonardo Da Vinci as one of History's greatest minds. A man of many professions, he placed his thoughts into everything from the priesthood to physics, engineering, mathematics, and philosophy. A renaissance man after the fact, Avril Pyman paints a complete picture of this truly unique man. "Pavel Florensky" is a top pick for biographical collections.

Freeing Charles
Scott Christianson
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6975
9780252076886 $24.95 www.press.uillinois.edu

Freeing Charles: The Struggle to Free a Slave on the Eve of the Civil War is an extraordinary chronicle of escaped slave Charles Nalle of Culpeper, Virginia, who was freed through force by Harriet Tubman and others. Freeing Charles portrays how he escaped through the Underground Railroad shortly before the American Civil War, and his encounters in the North. The entire incident involved one of the most severe anti-slavery riots outside of Harpers Ferry. Freeing Charles is more than a dry historical rendition; author Scott Christianson also portrays the slavery culture in Virginia, and the political and psychological forces driving Charles' dramatic true story. A snapshot of the borderline between rule of law and violent opposition to the culture of slavery, Freeing Charles is as captivating to read as it is scholarly and historical. Highly recommended.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Scars and Stilettos
Harmony Dust
Monarch Books
c/o Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501
www.kregelpublications.com
9780825463099, $12.99, www.amazon.com

Scars and Stilettos offers an autobiography of an exotic dancer who at nineteen was trapped by thousands of dollars of debt, a dominating boyfriend, and a descent into a squalid life as an exotic dancer. Her discovery of God and her journey away from her past to become an educated, married woman with a fine family creates an inspirational saga perfect for any spirituality collection.

Uncommon Gratitude
Joan Chittister and Rowan Williams
Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814630228, $16.95 www.liturgicalpress.com

UNCOMMON GRATITUDE: ALLELLUIA FOR ALL THAT IS comes from the Archbishop of Canterbury who maintains the proper stance in the Christian world is one of gratitude. This surveys things to be grateful for - and reflects on how singing "alleluia" opens the door to other realities and truths. A fine inspirational reflection any Christian collection will welcome.

Women Food and God
Geneen Roth
Scribner
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781416543077, $24.00 www.simonandschuster.com

Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything offers insights including spiritual assessments for women who find food is taking over their lives. Geneen Roth has struggled with food nearly all her life: this goes beyond eating guidelines to explore food's relationship to core beliefs and cultural perception and is a special pick for spirituality as well as health collections.

God and His Demons
Michael Parenti
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616141776, $25.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

God and His Demons comes from a noted author and activist who examines the dark side of religion, from the evils committed in the name of God through history to religion's hypocrisies. Unlike most approaches this isn't a condemnation of belief itself, but a focus on how faith is exploited by those in power. Spirituality libraries, therefore, will consider this a fine discussion of how belief and faith can be corrupted.

HarperOne
c/o HarperCollins
353 Sacramento Street, Suite 500, San Francisco CA 94111-3653
www.harperone.com

Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu's MADE FOR GOODNESS (9780061706592, $25.99) is written by the Archbishop and his daughter, who is also an ordained Episcopal minister, and here argues that humanity is destined for goodness. When we begin to walk in the direction of this goodness, we'll be embraced and encouraged. This message is a 'must' in this uncertain world and spirituality libraries will find it inspirational. Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr. Lilian Cheung's SAVOR: MINDFUL EATING, MINDFUL LIFE (9780061697692, $25.99) comes from two experts in the fields of mindfulness and nutrition who offer a survey linking food to spirituality. A Buddhist and a nutritionist discuss how to apply concepts of mindful teachings to everyday life and eating, blending Buddhism with food insights in a fine discussion. N.T. Wright's AFTER YOU BELIEVE: WHY CHRISTIAN CHARACTER MATTERS (9780061730559, $24.99) examines the key question of how we should live, arguing that people are so preoccupied with how they get into heaven that they forget about the hear and now and how to live daily life on Earth. This survey of Christian virtues in daily living is key to any Christian collection as concerned with the here-and-now as with the future.

Tattoos on the Heart
Gregory Boyle
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439153024, $25.00 www.simonandschuster.com

TATTOOS ON THE HEART: THE POWER OF BOUNDLESS COMPASSION uses Father Gregory Boyle's achievement - establishing the largest gang intervention program in the country - to present a book of stories and essays detailing his work. Arranged by theme and filled with humor and insights on faith, this discusses how to stay faithful in spite of failure and how to cultivate a loving heart in a harsh world. Highly recommended: an inspirational read for any spirituality collection.

O God
Josh McDowell and Dave Sterrett
WND Books
marketing@wndbooks.com
9781935071174, $14.99 www.wndbooks.com

O GOD: A DIALOGUE ON TRUTH AND OPRAH'S SPIRITUALITY provides a strong Christian response to the teachings of Oprah and her friends, answering some issues raised by her approach. From whether there are different ways to reach God to why one would worship a jealous God, this provides many easy inquiries and debates perfect for spirituality libraries.

Housekeeping for the Soul
Sandra Carrington-Smith
O Books
c/o National Book Network
PO Box 62188, Baltimore, MD 21264-2188
9781846942815, $22.95, www.o-books.net

A clear soul is just as important as a clear mind. "Housekeeping for the Soul: A Practical Guide to Restoring Your Inner Sanctuary" is a self-help guide from Sandra Carrington-Smith, who urges readers to manage the culture of Chaos in their lives, and keep their soul clear so that they may best deal with life's crises while unencumbered with the woes. "Housekeeping for the Soul" is a fine addition to any self-help or spirituality collections.

Who Stole My Soul?
Vishwa Prakash
Synergy Books
PO Box 80107, Austin, TX 78758
Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists (publicity)
8716 Mopac Suite 330, Austin, TX 78759
9780982314050, $19.95, www.whostolemysoul.com

You can easily lose your soul to the devils of the world if you're not careful. "Who Stole My Soul?: A Dialogue with the Devil On the Meaning of Life" is a combination of memoir and spirituality tale as Vishwa Prakash offers his own viewpoints on the soul and how you can lose it and leave yourself a soulless husk wondering why your life is so unfulfilled. Encouraging readers to find their own souls, "Who Stole My Soul?" is a choice pick for spirituality readers and should not be missed.

To Be and How to Be
Peggy Rubin
Quest Books
c/o The Theosophical Publishing House
PO Box 270, Wheaton, IL 60189-0270
9780835608534 $16.95 www.questbooks.net 1-800-669-9425

Classical and Shakespearean actress Peggy Rubin presents To Be and How to Be: Transforming Your Life Through Sacred Theatre, a spiritual self-help guide to using the nine powers of the theater to empower oneself, explore the sacred stage, and pursue one's dreams. The nine powers of the theater are the Powers of Incarnation, Story, Now!, Place, Expression, Point of View, Conflict, Audience and Celebration. Chapters reveal how the metaphor of the play can lend new insight into the ups and downs of both earthly and spiritual life. "Once we understand that the breaking of molecular bonds is an essential part of the experiment of life, it becomes easier to recognize that breakups in the larger, outer world can also be necessary and held within the Power of Celebration." An invaluable guide, filled with exercises to revitalize the way one looks at oneself and the world.


The Social Issues Shelf

Power Grab
Christopher C. Horner
Regnery
One Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781596985995, $27.95 www.regnery.com

POWER GRAB: HOW OBAMA'S GREEN POLICIES WILL STEAL YOUR FREEDOM AND BANKRUPT AMERICA maintains that the goal of Obama's green policies is to make the cost of energy so high that companies will divert their resources into unprofitable, unreliable green technologies. Chapters maintain that America has the greatest energy reserves in the world - they are just not being exploited - and that Obama's policies are assuring these resources can't be exploited. A different perspective on the issue.

The New Vichy Syndrome
Theodore Dalrymple
Encounter Books
900 Broadway #601, New York NY 10003
9781594033728, $23.95 www.encounterbooks.com

Both college-level history and social issues libraries will find relevant and involving THE NEW VICHY SYNDROME: WHY EUROPEAN INTELLECTUALS SURRENDER TO BARBARISM. It documents a continent daily losing ground to other regions of the world on many levels, traces the overall malaise to the two great conflicts of the last century, and analyzes European beliefs, trends, and the promise of the European Union. Any interested in the future and nature of the EU and Europe must have this discussion.

The Myth of the Shrinking State
Baldev Raj Nayar
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016-4314
0195699394, $59.95 www.oup.com

The Myth of the Shrinking State: Globalization and the State in India considers the impact of globalization on India, challenging the belief that the inevitable result is the erosion of the economic and welfare roles of the state and documenting its actual expansion. College-level audiences studying India's social system and political structure need this: it provides in-depth, scholarly analysis backed by economic and political facts and considers the workings of the state's system and impact.

Muslim Mafia
P. David Gaubatz and Paul Sperry
WND Books
marketing@wndbooks.com
9781935071105, $25.95 www.wndbooks.com

MUSLIM MAFIA: INSIDE THE SECRET UNDERWORLD THAT'S CONSPIRING TO ISLAMIZE AMERICA deserves ongoing recommendation is a powerful survey by a man who worked as an intern in an undercover operation that would reveal a well-funded conspiracy to destroy American society and promote radical Islam. An eye-opening revelation, this should be in every library concerned with Islam and American society.

The Banality of Suicide Terrorism
Nancy Hartevelt Kobrin
Potomac Books
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9781597975049, $24.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com

The Banality of Suicide Terrorism: The Naked Truth About the Psychology of Islamic Suicide Bombing belongs in any library strong in terrorism issues and science. It explains how the mother-child relationship is key to understanding Islamic suicide terrorism, analyzing the psychology behind terrorist suicide actions. A fine survey for any college-level psychology or social issues library.

Pastimes
Ruth V. Russell
Sagamore Publishing
804 North Neil Street, Champaign, IL 61820
9781571675453, $74.95, www.sagamorepub.com

Everyone has a favorite way to spend their time. "Pastimes: The Context of Contemporary Leisure" discusses pastimes and how America spends their free time and their bigger impact on the world around them. From explaining the importance of having fun, its value to society, how history has dictated leisure throughout the ages, differences around the world, and so much more. "Pastimes" is a scholarly look at leisurely and an intriguing and fascinating read.

Europe 2030
Daniel Benjamin, editor
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
9780815702801, $18.95, www.brookings.edu

Twenty years from now, will the European Union be looked at as a positive force for Europe? "Europe 2030" looks at the member nations of the European Union 20 years from now. Chapters cover the rapidly changing landscape of modern times, the European Union's status as a global player, its search for new members, and the development of Islam. "Europe 2030" is a choice pick for anyone who wants a glimpse of Europe's future.

Hopes and Prospects
Noam Chomsky
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
9781931859967 $16.00 www.haymarketbooks.org 1-773-583-7884

For forty years, Noam Chomsky's erudite insights into politics and language have proved to be an invaluable contribution to ongoing social reflection. Hopes and Prospects is Chomsky's latest work, warning readers about the latest risks and challenges facing America and humankind during the early twenty-first century. Chapters address the growing divide between America's North and South, American exceptionalism (which still has a strong hold in the era of President Barack Obama), the morass of problems (to put it lightly) with Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S.-Israeli aggression toward Gaza, the controversial governmental bailouts - and suggestions to improve the future, as well as reflections on positive developments such as democratic movements in Latin America and global solidarity efforts. Thought-provoking, measured, and grounded in rationality, Hopes and Prospects is strongly recommended as a vital nexus for social debate over vitally pressing national and global issues.

New World of Indigenous Resistance
Noam Chomsky, et. al.
Lois Meyer & Benjamin Maldonado Alvarado, editors
City Lights Publishers
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
9780872865334 $18.95 www.citylights.com

Linguist and human rights advocate Noam Chomsky and more than twenty scholars, activists, and educators of North and South America present New World of Indigenous Resistance, a thoughtful collection of writings concerning the difficult choices indigenous societies have faced, and continue to face, in a changing post-colonial world. Protecting indigenous community customs has, in some cases, led to the rejection of state-provided education - but is this truly a beneficial trade-off? How can tolerance be promoted while holding on to the values of communal rituals, language, traditions, and learning practices? Is it possible to retain the most distinctive and valuable aspects of a traditional culture in the wake of the overwhelming forces of globalization? Individual essays include "Indigenous Peoples Contesting State Nationalism and Corporate Globalism", "The Path of Decolonization", "U.S. Imperialism and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples", and much more. Two direct interviews with Chomsky enhance this articulate examination of challenges facing indigenous peoples today, including a positive viewpoint of means by which indigenous cultures can resist total assimilation, endure and spread hope. Highly recommended.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Transition Now
Lee Carroll, et.al.
Weiser Books
65 Parker St, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781578634743, $18.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

TRANSITION NOW: REDEFINING DUALITY 2012 AND BEYOND is for new age and spiritual readers seeking guidance in understanding the new rules of the future. It offers details on how to celebrate past regimes' downfall while embracing new energies in both spiritual and economic realms, offering a survey of individual transformation processes which is both enlightening and positive. Highly recommended.

Pass the Jelly
Gary Crowley
Sentient
1113 Spruce St., Boulder, CO 80302
9781591810926, $14.95 www.sentientpublications.com

PASS THE JELLY: TALES OF ORDINARY ENLIGHTENMENT explores the Pass the Jelly principle, which teaches about cause, effect and acceptance. The author's formula for quick compassion and how to live a fruitful life makes for a powerful set of admonitions perfect for any new age or spirituality collection.

The Divine Name
Jonathan Goldman
Hay House
Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
9781401926991, $17.95 www.hayhouse.com

The Divine Name: The Sound That Can Change the World includes a free instructional CD and is a top pick for any library strong in spirituality. The Divine Name is a universal sound that can bring harmony and healing not just to ourselves, but to the planet. This sound is the personal name of God - and this book offers a step-by-step survey of vibratory activation for experiencing this power. Any new age or spirituality library needs this.

New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com

An MP3 CD accompanies Bob Stahl, Ph.D. and Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D.'s A MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION WORKBOOK (9781572247086, $24.95), a fine self-help workbook that covers mindfulness in daily living, from meditation and yoga to walking, breathing, and handling emotions. More than eight hours of guided meditations make this workbook and disc combo a top pick for any new age home library. Mary NurrieStearns, LCSW, RYT and Rick NurrieStearns' YOGA FOR ANXIETY: MEDITATIONS AND PRACTICES FOR CALMING THE BODY AND MIND (9781572246515, $17.95) provides a powerful self-help title surveying regular yoga practice techniques and their ability to calm stress and reduce anxiety. Meditations and self-inquiry exercises are at the heart of a self-help guide offering yoga poses to develop mental clarity.

The Secret History of Vampires
Claude Lecouteux
Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594773259, $16.95 www.innertraditions.com

The Secret History of Vampires: Their Multiple Forms and Hidden Purposes represents the author's research through forgotten records to create a very different portrait of vampires. The ancestors of modern vampires weren't all blood suckers - and one even resulted from masons secretly interring the shadow of a living human being in the wall of a building. Fascinating reading!

Swedenborg, Mesmer, & the Mind/Body Connection
John S. Haller Jt.
Swendenborg Foundation
320 North Church Street, West Chester, PA 19380
9780877853305, $29.95, www.swedenborg.com

Medicine can go further than simply alleviating a problem. "Swedenborg, Mesmer, & the Mind/Body Connection: The Roots of Contemporary Medicine" delves into the philosophies and practices developed by Swedenborg and Mesmer as they developed their ideas of complementary medicine, and alternative practices such as spiritual healing, psychic ideas, and other ideas that have evolved into today's new age and alternative medicine. "Swedenborg, Mesmer, & the Mind/Body Connection" is a riveting read of the pioneers of this train of medicine thought.

Axis of the World
Igor Witkowski
Adventures Unlimited Press
1 Adventure Place, Kempton, IL 60946
9781931882811, $18.95, www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com

American history didn't begin in 1492, but millennium ago. "Axis of the World" is a metaphysical delve into American history, searching for the earliest known start of the American Indians and the other people of the Americas. Easter Island, lost lands, origins of the American Indians, cities advanced past their time and more, "Axis of the World" is a fascinating read that will entertain both history and metaphysical readers.

Crash: When UFOs Fall from the Sky
Kevin D. Randle, Ph.D.
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631008 $16.99 NewPageBooks.com

UFO investigator and retired lieutenant colonel Kevin D. Randle presents Crash: When UFOs Fall from the Sky, a collection of research reports of alien spaceship crashes from 1947 and earlier to 2009. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful, updated compendium of paranormal evidence and theory, which suggests possible solutions to some of the longest running enigmas about the possibility of extraterrestrial influence. From eyewitness testimony to paper trails to ongoing controversies, Crash: When UFOs Fall from the Sky is an invaluable compendium for anyone interested in learning about evidence of UFOs, and a welcome addition to paranormal studies shelves.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Jesus of Nazareth
Paul Verhoeven
Seven Stories
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
9781583229057, $23.95, www.sevenstories.com

Jesus was more than a figure who has attracted the worship of a billion people - he was a man. "Jesus of Nazareth" is a take on Jesus placing him in the shoes that everyone has walked, the shoes of a human being. Stating that Jesus, regardless of the spiritual connotations and miracles, was a man who wanted to change the world for the better, and through these desires acted not only as a spiritual leader, but a politician. "Jesus of Nazareth" is a compelling read that will grip readers regardless of their religious beliefs.

The Healing Christ
Robert Winterhalter
Ozark Mountain Publishing
PO Box 754, Huntsville, AR 72740
9781886940697, $14.00, www.ozarkmt.com

The acts of Christ are things of legend, but could these legends be true? "The Healing Christ" is a metaphysical look at the work of Chris, and how his acts all those acts in biblical times may be true when the ideas of metaphysics are applied. A fascinating and insightful approach to the life of Christ, "The Healing Christ" is a read that shouldn't be missed for Christians with an interest in the metaphysical.

The Naked Anabaptist
Stuart Murray
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue, Scottsdale, PA 15683-1999
9780836195170, $13.99, www.heraldpress.com

Anabaptism commonly finds itself among the culture of the Amish or Mennonites, leaving many spectators confused to its true nature. "The Naked Anabaptist: The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith" discuss this tradition and its true values for the world to see and judge, and perhaps inspire others to follow. From history to modern practices and worship, "The Naked Anabaptist" is a fine addition to any religious studies collection.

Against All Gods
Phillip E. Johnson
Inter Varsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
9780830837380, $15.00, www.ivpress.com

In railing against faith, some atheists become the very thing they speak out against. "Against All Gods: What's Right and Wrong about the New Atheism" discusses the modern atheist movement, bringing forth a scholarly debate and how many atheists are hurting the cause arguing with weak or false information, putting religion to the stake a bit too harshly. "Against All Gods" is a fascinating read, and a top pick for any intrigued with the modern religious debate.

A 30 Day Retreat
William C. Mills
Paulist Press
997 Macarthur Blvd. Mahwah, NJ 07430
9780809146420, $16.95, www.paulistpress.com

The spirit isn't possessed of endless energy; it needs a rest now and again. "A 30 Day Retreat: A Personal Guide to Spiritual Renewal" helps readers understand how to use scripture and to fully embrace one's faith, allowing one to return to one's everyday life with an increased sense of purpose and drive. "A 30 Day Retreat" may be just what some Christians need to empower their lives.

Salvation and Sovereignty
Kenneth Keathley
B & H Publishing Group
127 Ninth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37234-0143
9780805431988, $24.99, www.BHacademic.com

Free will can have its place in God's world. "Salvation and Sovereignty: A Molinist Approach" is a discussion of faith as Kenneth Keathley places the Calvinist principles that state God has control of all things in the world, and discusses it against Molinism, a doctrine that believes God controls the world, but humanity has free will and control of their own destiny. Discussing faith from multiple directions and with much to think about, "Salvation and Sovereignty" is a top pick and very highly recommended read.

Grief
Melissa M. Kelley
Fortress Press
PO Box 59304, Minneapolis, MN 55459-0304
9780800696610, $20.00, www.fortresspress.com

Coping with loss is the challenge many ministers must help their congregation with. "Grief: Contemporary Theory and the Practice of Ministry" is a collection of thoughts and ideas on the role of the minister in helping grievers find hope and find God at the time they need him the most. Thoughtful and acknowledging of modern issues facing many worshipers, "Grief" is a choice pick for any minister who wants to improve their actions when dealing with these issues.

Heart of the Christian Life
Benedict XVI
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586174323, $14.95, www.ignatius.com

The Eucharist is a major aspect of Catholicism, and Pope Benedict XVI has written much on the matter regarding it. "Heart of the Christian Life: Thoughts on Holy Mass" is a collection of the Pope's writings on the subject, composed throughout his life as Joseph Ratzinger to his position as pope. High spirituality and very driven writing, Catholics who want their faith spurred by words would do well in acquiring "Heart of Christian Life", a solid addition to Catholic and Christian collections.

The Catholic Family Connections Bible
Saint Mary's Press
702 Terrace Heights, Winona, MN 55987-1318
9781599820882, $26.95, www.smp.org

Faith is not a solitary thing. "The Catholic Family Connections Bible: Pray It, Study It, Live It" is a guide for Christians who want to bring the word of God to their family. Saint Mary's Press brings this resource ton how to use the Bible to encourage faith in one's family every day, with plenty of activities that include the whole family and enlighten them on biblical history and virtues. "The Catholic Family Connections Bible" is a choice and enticing read that serves as a top notch reference for Catholic families.

Meeting God in Quiet Places
F. LaGard Smith
Vision Video
PO Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490-0540
$19.99 www.visionvideo.com 1-800-523-0226

Meeting God in Quiet Places is a beautiful DVD that pairs the reverent and tranquil narration of American author F. LaGard Smith with captivating glimpses of England's countryside and an evocative soundtrack. The result is a series of seven short films that bring to life the pleasant and fulfilling atmosphere of summer and winter England. The simple parables blend with the tranquil footage into a soulful whole. A truly spiritual experience, Meeting God in Quiet Places is an unforgettable island of peace amid the chaotic bedlam of day-to-day life. Also highly recommended from Vision Video are "Psalms Alive with Billy Angel: Part 1" ($19.99) and "Speaking the Truth in Love to Muslims: A Bible Study for Christians" ($19.99).


The Audiobook Shelf

Altar of Eden
James Rollins, author
Paula Christensen, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781440752377 $102.75 www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Altar of Eden is the unabridged audiobook rendition of James Rollins' stand-alone thriller. Louisiana veterinarian Lorna Polk has discovered a destroyed fishing trawler, with no crew, carrying the oddest medley of bizarre animals. The creatures have been tampered with genetically, and look like no other animals on Earth - plus they appear to have an extraordinary level of intelligence. And one of the animals appears to be missing. Altar of Eden weaves a cautionary tale with exciting suspense, building to a tense climax about the deadly consequences when human beings dare to supplant the will of Nature. Highly recommended. 9 CDs, 11.75 hours.

Union of the Snake
Jason Marc Harris and Birke Duncan
Privately Published
0971058261 $11.50

Union of the Snake is a radio play on CD following two young anthropologists in the depths of the Florida Everglades. They came to examine the yearly snake worship ceremony of the little-known Chazichentee tribe; what they discover is far more horrifying. A vile, soul-destroying plot ensnares them, and they must find a way to fight back or be devoured by an all-consuming evil. Superbly performed, Union of the Snake is a thrilling adventure, sure to keep the listener on the edge of his or her seat until the very end.

On the Brink
Henry M. Paulson Jr.
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781600249129, $34.98 www.hachetteaudio.com

ON THE BRINK: INSIDE THE RACE TO STOP THE COLLAPSE OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM is a top pick pairing a fine reading by Dan Woren with a special conversation with the author. This focus by the former CEO of Goldman Sachs provides an insider's insights into the makings of the current financial crisis, and offers a story of people, politics and economics that ties together many loose strings.

A Dark Matter
Peter Straub
Random House Audio
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780739322413, $45.00 www.randomhouseaudio.com

A DARK MATTER receives a fine reading by Robertson Dean, who adds a smooth and passionate voice to the story of Spencer, who holds a secret ritual for college students only to find death will change the lives of friends who attend. Years later each of the friends flinches from the 'dark matter' they recall - and finds ongoing effects they will have to challenge to stay sane. A gripping thriller evolves.

Brilliance Audio
Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com

Dan John Miller's performance in Lionel Shriver's SO MUCH FOR THAT (1423360990, $36.99) lends an excellent, spirited reading to this novel about a stressed marriage affected by serious illness. Shep's longtime dream of retreating to an idyllic Third World retirement locale is thwarted by his wife's reluctance to move - and by her illness, which demands he retain his connection to her and put off his retirement to paradise. Against staggering health costs and challenges, can Shep's life retain its value? A fine story evolves! Jandy Nelson's THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE (1441820132, $24.99) receives Julia Whelan's fine acting voice and background as it tells of a teen bookworm and band geek who hides behind her fiery older sister - until she dies suddenly. Now she's struggling to balance her changed life and new role, in this magical story. Linda Howard's STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT (1423363396, $29.99) receives veteran narrator Laurel Merlington's smooth, seasoned voice which captures the tension and thrills of a fine story collection. From Thea, who encounters her love in a world of dreams only to find reality offers dangers on a country lake, to Hope, who offers shelter to a stranger only to suspect he may be a criminal, this provides a fine collection of romance spiced with danger. Jack Vance's EYES OF THE OVERWORLD (1441814612, $29.99) provides another in the 'Tales of Dying Earth' series, with a fine performance by reader Arthur Morey fueling a story about a scoundrel sent by a magician he has wronged to a distant country on a journey. Stealing the secret instead, magic goes awry on a dangerous pilgrimage. Larry Bond and Jim DeFelice's RED DRAGON RISING: SHADOWS OF WAR (1423370090, $39.99) receives Luke Daniels' professional acting voice and skills and offers a fine thriller set in the near future, where massive climate change has affected the world. An American scientist witnesses a clever attempt by the Chinese to make it appear that Vietnam began a dangerous war - and his life becomes an exercise in eluding capture as a result. Gripping audio action evolves. T. Jefferson Parker's THE BLUE HOUR (1423355679, $29.99) receives an outstanding performance by Tavia Gilbert, an award-winning narrator who here brings to life the story of two very different cops who must track down a killer who abducts women from malls. Their relationship may determine success or failure in this riveting mystery. J.T. Ellison's THE COLD ROOM (1441838457, $29.99) receives a fine performance by veteran narrator Joyce Bean as it provides a crime thriller based on a female homicide detective who pursues The Conductor, who traps his victims in a glass coffin, slowly starving her to death. A dangerous game of cat and mouse evolves in this moving story.

Penguin Audio
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Danielle Trussoni's ANGELOLOGY (9780143145264, $39.95) benefits from reader Susan Denaker's stage, film and television background which adds spice and zest to this story of Sister Evangeline, who discovers a 1943 correspondence between the later mother superior of a convent and a famous philanthropist that reveals an extensive secret history documenting conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the beautiful descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim. Her studies will reveal her own role in the ongoing battles in this engrossing listen. Linda Faristein's HELL GATE (9780143145325, $39.95) receives veteran recording artist Barbara Rosenblat's vivid rendition as it tells of political intrigue, scandal, and New York City deals. Here Alex's investigation of a shipwreck with contraband leads to dangerous political insights in a tense, dark thriller of underground New York's powerful participants. Louisa May Alcott's THE LOST SUMMER (9780142427811, $29.95) pairs Emily Janice Card's acting background and smooth voice with the story of twenty-two-year-old Louisa, whose destitute family moves to a generous uncle's empty house for the summer, where Louisa experiences summertime romance. Fact and fiction blend in a satisfying, lovely story. Elizabeth Gilbert's THE LAST AMERICAN MAN (9780142428245, $29.95) pairs actress Patricia Kalember's skills with an engaging true story of one Eustace Conway, who has made his home in the Appalachian Mountains for over thirty years, mastering self-sufficient living. His evolution from an idealistic nature-lover to a seasoned environmentalist makes for a fascinating memoir that comes alive on audio. Stephen King wrote as Richard Bachman when he created THE LONG WALK (9780142427835, $39.95), which here appears in audio with his own name the highlight. Kirby Heyborne, a musician and professional narrator, brings to life a vivid story of a hundred teen boys who meet for an annual 'Long Walk', only to find there can be only one winner in this event: the one who survives. A gripping saga comes to life. Stephen King's FIRESTARTER (9780142427842, $49.95) receives Dennis Boutsikaris' award-winning voice performance as it tells of a top-secret government experiment designed to produce psychic powers. A man and a woman part of the experiment produce a daughter - a daughter who shows signs of a dangerous power. A powerful thriller evolves. Laurel K. Hamilton's OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY appears both unabridged (9780143144090, $39.95), and abridged (9780143145097, $29.95), and pairs a fine recording by the author as it provides another in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. Here a hit man who specializes in monsters challenges Anita to a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in this fine thriller.

Clipper Audio
c/o Recorded Books
270 Skipjack Rd., Prince Frederick, MD 20678
www.recordedbooks.com

Patrick Gale's THE WHOLE DAY THROUGH (9781407450360, $39.95) enjoys a fine dual narration by Sandra Duncan and Ed Stoppard as it tells of Parisian Laura Lewis, who relocates to Winchester to care for a sick mother - and encounters a married man in hiding from his marriage. Romance and fine drama evolve. Louise Candlish's I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU (9781407448305, $56.95) receives Julie Maisey's fine voice and tells of Hannah and Juliet Goodwin, close sisters and best friends until Juliet's boyfriend is killed and she begins a downward emotional spiral that threatens their relationship. A fine story of life, death and love emerges.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

You Majored in What?
Katherine Brooks, Ed.D
Plume
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9780452296008, $15.00 www.penguin.com

You Majored in What?: Mapping Your Path from Chaos to Career provides job seekers with a valuable key to moving into a new career, updated for the current recession and covering the basics of what to do with school major. Learn how to do what you really want, regardless of major or college study, through strategies the author presents to help readers blend life experience into education to get the best jobs. General lending libraries will find this a popular pick.

The Ex-Offender's 30/30 Job Solution
Neil P. McNulty & Ronald L. Krannich
Impact Publications
9104 Manassas Drive, Suite N, Manassas Park, VA 20111
9781570232879, $9.95, www.exoffenderrentry.com

After you've served your time, it can prove difficult to rejoin the workforce in a meaningful way. "The Ex-Offender's 30/30 Job Solution: Your Lifeboat Guide to Re-Entry Success" is a guide for ex-offenders who are forced to start from scratch with no support. These ex-offenders have special challenges involving probation and parole, on top of the challenges that come with the reserved nature of employers and ex-offenders. "The Ex-Offenders 30/30 Job Solution" is an enlightening and highly useful read for those who want to put their life back on the right track.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America, sixth edition
Roger Tory Peterson
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10003
9780547152462, $19.95 www.hmhbooks.com

The sixth expanded and updated edition of Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America packs in color illustrations, species accounts, and maps along with over three hours of video podcasts online to supplement the guide. With paintings showing birds in idea position and key field identifiers highlighted, this is key to Peterson's identification system success, and makes for an ongoing recommendation for any library covering birder guides to the region.

Urban Carnivores
Stanley D. Gehrt, et.al.
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218
0801893895, $75.00 www.press.jhu.edu

URBAN CARNIVORES: ECOLOGY, CONFLICT AND CONSERVATION provides an outstanding, key survey of human-carnivore interactions in urban areas. This college-level study surveys the field of urban ecology and the roles of carnivores in urban ecosystems, offering chapters covering common urban carnivores and their impact in cities. Conservation and conflict management provide fine keys to understanding.

The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals
Bo Beolens, et.al.
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
0801893046, $65.00 www.press.jhu.edu

The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals is arranged alphabetically with over a thousand entries explaining the origins of over 2,00 mammal species names. Each listing considers the scientific and common-language names of all species named after the person, outlines the individual's contributions to mammalogy and zoology, and includes brief details on the mammal's distribution. A fine, authoritative text results.

Harkness and Wagner's Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents, fifth edition
John E. Harkness, DVM, MS, MeD, DACLAM, et.al.
Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256
9780813815312, $79.99 www.wiley.com

The fifth updated edition of Harkness and Wagner's Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents is a 'must' for any library strong in small mammal husbandry and health. From lab animal medicine and pet practice to diagnosis, case studies, and clinical assessments of rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and more, this reference is a key 'must' for practicing clinicians and vet students alike.

Animal Factory
David Kirby
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780312380588, $26.99 www.stmartins.com

ANIMAL FACTORY; THE LOOMING THREAT OF INDUSTRIAL PIG, DAIRY, AND POULTRY FARMS TO HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT provides a powerful account of industrial meat production and factory farms, documenting their dangers to human health. It's investigative journalism at its best, with author David Kirby approaching factory farms from a different perspective and considering the lasting costs of their choices. Any library strong in animal rights issues must have this.

Say Goodbye to the Cuckoo
Michael McCarthy
Ivan R. Dee
c/o Rowman & Littlefield
1332 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60642
9781566638562, $26.95, www.ivanrdee.com

There's more to birds and the weather than them flying south for the winter. "Say Goodbye to the Cuckoo: Migratory Birds and the Impending Ecological Catastrophe" analyzes the decline in migration in birds, stating that with the recent ecological changes, fewer birds are traveling north and southwards than ever before. Declaring that this decline may have serious implications and mourning the loss of culture that comes with these birds, "Say Goodbye to the Cuckoo" is a riveting analysis of birds, their migratory habits, and the ecological problems that modern America faces.

In Search Of The African Wild Dog
Roger & Pat De La Harpe
Sunbird Publishers Ltd.
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781919938110, $46.00, www.amazon.com

Once a common feature of the African landscape, the African wild dog, a species that is more than three million years old, is now in very real danger of extinction. Because of its unique genetic make-up, the African wild dog is unable to crossbreed with any other canine species. The collaborative project of South African photographers Roger and pat De La Harpe, "In Search of the African Wild Dog" is a superbly illustrated, 160-page, coffee table book showcasing the African wild dog in its native habitat. This outstanding compendium of color photographs reveals the environment of this unique animal in five informative geographically based sections: South Africa; North West Bushveld; Zululand; Limpopo Valley; and the Greater Kruger national Park. There overall numbers having dwindled down from millions to an estimated three to four thousand (with only five hundred of that number in South Africa), "In Search of the African Wild Dog" is a very highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Endangered Wildlife reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

4-H Guide
Tammie Rogers
Voyageur Press
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760336298, $18.99, www.voyageurpress.com

You can always teach a dog new tricks, no matter the age. "4-H Guide: Dog Training & Dog Tricks" is a guide for would be dog trainers who want to train their dogs to behave better and teach them more than a few new tricks. With many ideas for new methods and plenty of tips how to manage the different breeds of dogs, "Dog Training and Dog Tricks" is an invaluable tool which shouldn't be underrated for dog owners and their beloved pets.

Horse Tales from Heaven
Rebecca E. Ondov
Harvest House
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736927581, $12.99, www.harvesthousepublishers.com

It's not just a hobby, it's a way of life. "Horse Tales from Heaven: Reflections Along the Trail with God" is a memoir of Rebecca E. Ondov as she reflects on her time in the west and how during time as a wilderness ranger, her bond with God never faded and remained with her as she faced the many challenges of her profession. With many stories sure to entertain the lover of adventure and horses, "Horse Tales from Heaven" is a top pick and very highly recommended read.


The Poetry Shelf

Unsettled Accounts
Will Wells
Ohio University Press
The Ridges, Building 19, Athens, OH 45701
www.ohiou.edu/oupress
9780821419045, $14.95, www.ohioswallow.com

Many different people, no matter who they are, prove to be teachers all the same. "Unsettled Accounts" is a collection of poetry from Will Wells as he comes to readers with an array of wisdom and wit as he reflects on the vastly different people of the world. Intriguing work, "Unsettled Accounts" is a worthy addition to any poetry collection. "Feuds": In the faded parlors of Tirolo's two best houses,/the widows still duel at their pianos./Something like Schubert turns the swallows/into notation, circling unresolved./Slugs tryst listlessly to the answering strains of Chopin, waltzing at dirge tempo./High on an outcrop, a castello shakes/its crenelated fist at the tower one ridge over./Stinging nettles defend the granite walls./At each arrow loop, the quick salamander/or the scorpion with barbed tail flexed,/a Gabbiano warrior in chain mail./Under them, the Adige runs to meet its lover,/Isarco, and on to Verona where lovers die.

The Lesser Tragedy of Death
Cristina Garcia
Black Goat
c/o Akashic Books
PO Box 1456, New York, NY 10009
9781936070015, $15.95, www.akashicbooks.com

Death for many, is not viewed as the worst thing that can happen. "The Lesser Tragedy of Death" is a collection of poems from Cristina Garcia, a teacher author of countless previous novels. Her work focuses on the disgraces of life and how many fall into it, trying desperately to recover their status in life. "The Lesser Tragedy of Death" is a fine collection that shouldn't be ignored. "Brain": Halved walnut halved/again/dusted with gunpowder.//Right lobe courts conceit, a flaunting evil./Its motto: Nothing in nature says no.//The left lobe labors, motto-less, in the day-to-day hard light./Nothing rhythmical is permitted.//This contest was rigged from the beginning.

Behold
Nicki Jackowska
Arts Councl England
c/o Dufour Edition
PO box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781904634850, $22.95

Poetry not only helps a reader understand, it helps the writer understand. "Behold" is the seventh collection of poetry from Nicki Jackowska, as she presents he own brand of middle class English poetry, unique to the world. "Behold" is a thoughtful and thought provoking read that shouldn't be missed. "Hold" : I bring a sound from the high slopes/bell against loss, those mountain-keepers/held by a rope of far-off notes/tethered to shepherds, hill-farms/or one lone caller here, drawing you in.//And your eyes grow wide, staring into me and out beyond us both/to a wide, wide world uncharted yet/cupped by this hollow beat on metal/mountain-goat's familiar, echo deep-song.

wild horses
Rob McLennan
The University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9780888645357, $19.95, www.uap.com

With countless works published under his name, Rob McLennan brings readers "wild horses". The Ottawa native uses his endless expertise in the field of writing to craft moving and lyrical verse which will bring much in unique perspective for readers. Fascinating and well thought out, "wild horses" is a core addition to poetry collections. "wild horses": she, says get a horse & go out/where the foothills//if any else sunlight in, given//by the side an hour lost, the blue/shifting sands of the northern lights//if spirited, to speak at a time/across one hundred & fortieth//twenty minute north where need/& in the wrong//direction.

Painted Fire
Maria Luisa Spaziani
Chelsea Editions
PO Box 125, Cooper Station, New York, NY 10276-0125
9780972527187, $20.00, www.chelseaeditionsbooks.org

Mastery of language as an art form is not about how many words you can use. "Painted Fire" is a collection of poems from Italian poet Maria Lusia Spazianai, chronicling over fifty years of her work, expertly translated by Lynne Lawner. Regarded as one of the greatest living Italian poets, Spaziani's work is well presented in "Painted Fire" is a choice collection for world poetry lovers. "Reality": Reality is pure perception./We look at life in a mirror/beyond an often transparent theater curtain.//Underneath is life. Occasionally we see it/take the shape of an abandoned farmhouse in the night/which lightning suddenly renders visible.


The Self-Help Shelf

Happiness Genes
James D. Baird & Laurie Nadel
New Page Books
3 Tice Road, PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631053, $15.99, www.newpagebooks.com

Why are some people just happier than others? "Happiness Genes: Unlock the Positive Potential Hidden in Your DNA" discusses happiness genes and the roles one's genetic makeup can play in one's overall well-being and happiness. Stating that happiness is controllable by controlling one's emotions which are different for different people, James D. Baird and Laurie Nadel give readers a 28-day long program to unlock the happiness within. "Happiness Genes" is a fascinating look into happiness and depression, very highly recommended.

Improve Your Communication Skills, revised second edition
Alan Barker
Kogan Page
1210 Ingram Dr Chambersbrug, PA 17101-2987
9780749460365, $14.95, www.koganpage.com

Strong communication is needed to get anything started. "Improve Your Communication Skills" is a revised second edition of Alan Barker's guide to improving one's communication skills. Whether one is giving a speech, writing a formal letter, or just holding a conversation, communication is one unavoidable facet of life that can always be improved upon for a better future. "Improve Your Communication Skills" is a strong pick for any who want to convey their ideas more effectively.

Broke is Beautiful
Laura Lee
Running Press
2500 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
9780762438952, $12.95, www.runningpress.com

Money doesn't buy happiness, so you can get it on the cheap. "Broke is Beautiful: Living and Loving the Cash-Strapped Life" is a guide to living a cool life where money isn't the king, but how you live your life in spite of your poverty is. Laura Lee gives readers a good array of thoughts and wisdom and makes for a very entertaining and fun read. "Broke is Beautiful" is a choice and highly recommended read which shouldn't be missed for those who want to live well when they got nothing in the wallet.

Struck by Living
Julie K. Hersh
Brown Books Publishing Group
16200 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 170, Dallas, TX 75248
9781934812631, $19.95, www.brownbooks.com

Depression is a problem plaguing many Americans, but it is defeatable. "Struck by Living: From Depression to Hope" is a self-help memoir from Julie K. Hersh as she tells her own story of fighting back from crippling depression, a problem that has plagued her family for generations, and how she fought off her suicidal tendencies to reclaim her soul. With plenty to help other people fighting their own depression, "Struck by Living" is a choice and highly recommended read.


The Fiction Shelf

Sing
Lisa T. Bergren
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4040 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
9781434767073, $14.99, www.davidccook.com

When life goes sour, a return to family may be all you have to stay afloat. "Sing" tells a story of three different lives of the St. Clair family in the later half of the nineteenth century. One faces a harsh winter of Colorado, another faces the scams and subterfuge of Paris, and yet another loses his boxing career to be forced to work on a ship. With no where to turn, they start on the long journey home, hoping family will deliver them from the crisis they face. "Sing" is a top pick and very highly recommended read.

Gasoline
Quim Monzo
Open Letter
Lattimore Hall 411, Rochester, NY 14627
9781934824184, $14.95, www.openletterbooks.org

Nothing takes one's steam quicker than being replaced. "Gasoline" is the tale of Heribert, a man grappling with his own artistic block and loss of love for life. Uncaring for his family, for his life, for anything, he watches as another individual by the name of Humbert takes over everything he does, doing it better. A fascinating read of the decline of a great mind and the rise of another, "Gasoline" is a choice and very highly recommended read that shouldn't be missed.

The Roosevelt Gambit
G. B. Eubanks
Lightning Source
9780982553800, $25.95, www.rooseveltgambit.com

The wrong doers of the world often cooperate, creating a tangled web that good men must untangle. "The Roosevelt Gambit" is a historical novel set in the early twentieth century as Leighton Hanshaw finds in his hands a web of issues that endanger the lives of his president, his country, the world itself, and himself as well. "The Roosevelt Gambit" is an exciting action and adventure read for fans of historical fiction.

The Second Trial
Rosemarie Boll
Second Story Press
20 Maud Street, Suite 401, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
9781897187722, $11.95, www.secondstorypress.ca

A life shattering event forces changes that no child wants. "The Second Trial" tells the story of Danny McMillan as he tries to come to terms with his radically changed life after a horrible act of his father against his mother. Forced to relocate to a new life, Danny finds it hard to adapt, and the temptation to rebel is so very strong. "The Second Trial" is a read of a child finding it hard to adapt to a new world, which many young readers may find relation to. Highly recommended.

With One Foot in the Butterfly Farm
L. D. Brodsky
Time Being Books
10411 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63131
9781568091297, $14.95

It's a bit hard to go through life and not lose your mind a little. "With One Foot in the Butterfly Farm" is a collection of short fiction with absurd twists from L.D. Brodsky as he tells tale of workplace shenanigans, the duty that drives us through life, and the things you face simply living in one's home. Funny yet poignant, "With One Foot in the Butterfly Farm" is a choice pick for humorous fiction collections.

Feeding Mrs. Moskowitz & The Caregiver
Barbara Pokras and Fran Pokras Yariv
Syracuse University Press
621 Skytop Road, Suite 110, Syracuse, NY 13244-5290
9780815609780, $19.95, www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu

The elderly have quite a bit of wisdom, and often you'll get it whether you want it or not. "Feeding Mrs. Moskowitz & the Caregiver" is a pair of two novellas focusing on the topic of the elderly and their interactions with the people around them. 'Feeding Mrs. Moskowitz' is the story of the titular elderly lady and her encounters with a girl rapidly approaching middle age. 'The Caregiver' tells the tale of a caregiver and her job at an assisted living facility. "Feeding Mrs. Moskowitz & The Caregiver" is an enticing read that shouldn't be missed.

Drenched
Marisa Matarazzo
Soft Skull Press
c/o Counterpoint
2117 Fourth Street, Suite D, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781593762711, $14.95, www.softskull.com

Love and lust know no boundaries for many. "Drenched: Stories of Love and Other Deliriums" is a collection of short fiction from Marisa Matarazzo as she puts together a collection of tales blending the sensual and the fantastic. Her stories tell real facts of love and the many questions asked as people face it and throughout it. Riveting and thought provoking reading, "Drenched" is a choice pick for any fiction collection.

The Adventures of Glinda Gale
J. A. Holst
TV Acres Books
1965 Broadway Street, Stockport, OH 43787
9780979413322, $15.95, www.tvarces.com

The knowledge of Oz doesn't simply die with Dorothy. "The Adventures of Glinda Gale: A Reimagining of the Wizard of Oz" presents a new take on the story of Oz, as through Dorothy's daughter Glinda, J.A. Holst presents a deeper exploration of L. Frank Baum's original Wizard of Oz story, presenting many different takes on the elements of the story, answering questions never answered in the original work. "The Adventures of Glinda Gale" is a solid addition to any fiction collection and for anyone looking for a twist on Oz.

The Druid Isle
Ellen Evert Hopman
Llewellyn Worldwide
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
9780738719566, $18.95, www.llewellyn.com

The nature of the Druids is mysterious to outsiders, and therefore it was sought to be destroyed. "The Druid Isle" is a novel following Aife and Lucius, two individuals who find themselves on the Druid Isle, in the third century AD. Faced with the coming Roman army, Ellen Evert Hopman tells a story of the Celts and druids that is riveting, intriguing, and steeped in Celtic history. "The Druid Isle" is a top pick for any fiction collection focusing on spiritual and new age elements.

Life of a Star
Jane Unrue
Burning Deck
71 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence, RI 02906
Small Press Distribution
1341 Seventh St., Berkeley, CA 94710
9781936194001, $14.00, www.spdbooks.org

Love is such a sweet thing that many spend their lives searching for it, but never truly obtaining it. "Life of a Star" tells the story of one such woman whose journey brings her through journeys of her body, and journeys of her mind. Jane Unrue creates a truly riveting novel that brings new perspective on the woman's search for love, and so much more. "Life of a Star" is a top pick for literary fiction collections.

Somewhere to Belong
Judith Miller
Bethany House
11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55438
9780764206429, $14.99, www.bethanyhouse.com

Sheltered from the world in her village, happiness seems uncertain. "Somewhere to Belong" tells the story of Johanna Ilg, a woman of Main Amana, a Christian village with its own unique way. When a new girl arrives in her town from the city of Chicago, she finds her view of the world tipped upside down, being brought to new experiences from Berta. "Somewhere to Belong" is a fascinating and thoughtful read, highly recommended.

Breathing, In Dust
Tim Z. Hernandez
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896726727, $26.95, www.ttupress.org

The world never seems bright when everything around you is so dark. "Breathing, In Dust" is the story of Tlaloc, a seventeen year old facing the challenges of his life in California's agricultural land and all of the unique and unfortunate characters that seem to compose it. Loc faces his life and tells his story, one of people trying to make their way and facing the failures of life along the way, dragging Loc down as he tries to make a better life for himself. "Breathing, In Dust" is a top pick for literary fiction collections focusing on the southwest.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Geosynchron
David Louis Edelman
PYR Books
c/o Prometheus Press
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781591027928, $16.00 www.pyrsf.com

GEOSYNCHRON is Volume 3 of the 'Jump 225' trilogy, concluding a saga and therefore recommended for science fiction collections possessing the prior volumes. It continues the story of a civil war between Len Borda and Magan Kai Lee within the Defense and Wellness Council, and offers a political thriller that takes the contenders around the world and into the sky as they battle for the truth behind a revolt that ended humanity hundreds of years in the past. The tense thriller is brought to gripping conclusion, here.

The Lotus Eaters
Tom Kratman
Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
9781439133460, $24.00 www.baen.com

THE LOTUS EATERS provides an excellent blend of military science fiction and action as it tells of Carrera, who has won a war that proves to be only the first in a series. With his only son under fire and an enemy fleet hunting his submarines, he faces many dangers and challenges. A riveting story of military encounters and romance emerges in this fine action-paced read.

TOR Books
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com

George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, Editors's WARRIORS (9780765320483, $27.99) is a fine compendium of new fiction by top names in the science fiction field - Diana Gabaldon, David Weber, Peter S. Beagle, to name just a few. Stories about warriors have been a literary tradition, but these represent works from a dozen different publishers and genres on the theme of a warrior - and each story appears here for the first time, making this an especially notable collection. Norman Spinrad's HE WALKED AMONG US (9780765325846, $27.99) tells of a hack agent who discovers Ralf, who claims to be from the future with an important message. In his future, humanity is barely alive and the planet nearly dead. When a science fiction writer and a New Age guru become involve, Ralf's powerful warning begins to see light in this fine account of past/future connections.

Frost Moon
Anthony Francis
Bell Bridge Books
PO Box 300921, Memphis, TN 38130
9780984325689, $14.95, www.belbridgebooks.com

When the police find themselves outclassed, they call on the elite for help. "Frost Moon: Book One of the Skindancer Series" is set in a contemporary world of Magic. Dakota Frost is the best magical tattoo artist in Atlanta, and when a serial killer guns for tattoo magic users, and the police baffled, Dakota finds herself diving deeper into the magical underworld of Atlanta. "Frost Moon" is a choice and fascinating pick that shouldn't be overlooked for fantasy readers.

With Folded Hands... And Searching Mind
Jack Williamson
Haffner Press
5005 Crooks Road, Suite 35, Royal Oak, MI 48073-1239
9781893887374, $40.00, www.amazon.com

Jack Williamson was a grand master of the science fiction genre. His original tales ranged from full length novels to the short stories. The seventh volume in the outstanding Haffner Press series of Jack Williamson's writings, "With Folded Hands... And Searching Mind, The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson" is a 544-page compendium showcasing fifteen of his short stories original published in the science fiction magazines of the 1940s and 50s and range from "Backlash" (Astounding Science Fiction, August '41); "Conscience, LTD." (Unknown, August '43); and "Cold Front Coming" (Blue Book, June '45); to "The Moon and Mr. Wick" (Comet, Summer '50); "Hocus-Pocus Universe" (Science Stories, October '53); and "Beans" (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, November '58). Enhanced with an informative 'Foreword' by science fiction author Robert Silverberg, and an 'Afterword' by Jack Williams, this superbly organized and presented collection of short stories is a highly recommended addition to community library Science Fiction collection -- and an absolutely 'must read' for the legions of Jack Williamson fans. Those dedicated fans would also do well to visit the Haffner Press web site at www.haffnerpress.com for a complete listing of all of their "Golden Age" of science fiction authors, including the previous six volumes comprising their Jack Williamson series.


The Business Shelf

10 Steps to Successful Teams
Renie McClay
ASTD Press
c/o Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
1562866753, $19.95 www.bkconnections.com

10 Steps to Successful Teams is a 'must' for any business library catering to project managers! It uses a process-oriented approach to guide readers through building strong teams and includes tools that help identify team roles, track progress, encourage creative brainstorming, and more. No business or manager's library should be without this fine, creative guide honing in on the exact pointers that make up a superior team effort!

Rework
Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson
Crown Business
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, New York, NY 10019-4305
9780307463746, $22.00 www.crownpublishing.com

REWORK tells how to succeed in business through a different path than other business books. It shows how business plans can be harmful, why outside investors aren't always a good idea, and why you need less to start a successful business than you think. It entirely 'reworks' the idea of successful business pursuits, offering an alternative to the usual business guide that builds its foundation on a business plan. An easy-going, inspirational approach makes REWORK a top pick.

Think Big!
Les Pardew and Brant Slade
Course Technology
20 Channel Center St., Boston, MA 02210
1435454758, $19.99 www.courseptr.com

THINK BIG! AN ENTREPRENEUR'S GUIDE TO PARTNERING WITH LARGE COMPANIES offers keys to partnering with large companies to build business. Small business owners interested in growing their business through key partnerships learn all the basics: from approaching a large company for product development or expansion to potential pitfalls. Real-world case histories abound.

Wiley
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256
www.wiley.com

Vicky Ward is the only person outside Lehman who has the 2002/2003 diaries recorded by the company's senior executives - and thus reveals a rare insider's story of experiences in THE DEVIL'S CASINO: FRIENDSHIP, BETRAYAL, AND THE HIGH STAKES GAMES PLAYED INSIDE LEHMAN BROTHERS (9780470540862, $27.95). Her interviews with many previously off-the-record insiders and dealers offers new information and research to provide a fine survey of Lehman Brothers and its two real leaders - one who brought it to power, the other who dominated the company to its crash and burn. Any business library will find this engrossing. Brian Solis' ENGAGE! THE COMPLETE GUIDE FOR BRANDS AND BUSINESSES TO BUILD, CULTIVATE, AND MEASURE SUCCESS IN THE NEW WEB (9780470571095, $24.95) provides a fine survey of social media tools, considering what makes people listen and how to understand the dynamics of true engagement. The focus on creating meaningful conversations makes for a powerful survey perfect for entrepreneurs seeking more effective use of business systems.

Becoming Your Own Business Coach
George W. Watts
Praeger
c/o ABC-CLIO
130 Cremona Dr, Santa Barbara, CA
9780313383618, $34.95 www.abc-clio.com

Becoming Your Own Business Coach is a top pick for any who want readers to become their own instructional agents for change. Its premise is that the better you understand yourself, the more successful an executive you'll become - and this provides clear, practical ways executives can grow through introspection and self-awareness. His book challenges readers to become part of their own professional growth - and offers pointers on the path to this awareness. Any business library needs this.

Your Career Game
Nathan Bennett & Stephen A. Miles
Stanford Business Books
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804756280, $24.95, www.sup.org

You're playing a game whether you know it or not. "Your Career Game: How Game Theory Can Help You Achieve Your Professional Goals" is a guide to navigating the challenges of one's career, and how treating it like the competition it is can give one a leg up in the long run. Playing a meta game with the other people out for one's job (and after landing the job!) can do much for one's career success. "Your Career Game" is a top pick with a wealth of sage advice.

Smart Pricing
Jagmohan Raju & Z. John Zhang
Wharton School Publishing
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
9780131494183, $34.99, www.whartonsp.com

A price tag determines your profit, availability and can attract or push away prospective buyers. "Smart Pricing: How Google, Priceline, and Leading Businesses Use Pricing Innovation for Profitability" is a guide to the art of pricing and how it can radically change how a business markets its products. Introducing new ideas to prices beyond what is considered conventional wisdom, "Smart Pricing" is a must for any student breaking into marketing, and serves well as a reference text for community and college library business collections.

Damage Control
David Eddie
McClelland & Stewart
75 Sherbourne St., 5th Floor, Toronto, ON M5A 2P9
9780771030413, $29.99, www.mcclelland.com

When disaster happens, what you do next decides if it's a footnote or a great calamity. "Damage Control: How to Tiptoe Away from the Smoking Wreckage of Your Latest Screw-Up With a Minimum of Harm to Your Reputation" is a guide to making the least out of the worst. David Eddie writes that no one is perfect, and the difference between a perennial screw up and someone who isn't is how one responds to said screw ups. "Damage Control" is a choice pick for anyone who freaks out over their real or imagined status as a screw up.


The Education Shelf

Enhancing RTI
Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
9781416609872, $26.95, www.ascd.org

It's best to help kids who are falling behind before they fall behind. "Enhancing RTI: How to Ensure Success with Effective Classroom Instruction & Intervention" is a discussion of RTI - Response to Intervention programs as Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey urge readers to help struggling learners by tailoring curriculums to better enable those who are lagging to catch up. "Enhancing RTI" is a thoughtful and scholarly look at helping slower learners, and a top pick for educational collections.

US Citizen, Yes
Ronna Magy
Heinle Cengage Learning
25 Thomson Place, Boston, A 02210-1202
9781424095995, $24.95, www.elt.heinle.com

The American Dream, the right and legal way. "US Citizen, Yes, Preparing for Citizenship" is a guide for immigrants who are trying to gain United States Citizenship through the American citizenship tests that are given to question an immigrant's ability to assimilate and participate in American society. With many practice tests to prepare, and information about activities to pursue as well as a helpful audio CD, "US Citizen, Yes" is a must for anyone who is embracing citizenship through the paperwork.

Classroom Reading Assessments
Frank Serafini
Heinemann
361 Hanover Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801-3912
9780325027128, $26.25, www.heinemann.com

Measuring reading comprehension can be of certain challenge to many teachers. "Classroom Reading Assessment: More Efficient Ways to View and Evaluate Your Readers" is an educational resource dedicated to helping teachers better measure how well their students are coming along in mastering the English language and their reading comprehension. With plenty of activities and advice, "Classroom Reading Assessment" is an invaluable tool for any reading teacher, highly recommended.

The Child's World, second edition
Jan Horwath, Editor
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market St. #400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781843105688, $45.00 www.jkp.com

The second updated edition of THE CHILD'S WORLD provides a new, updated survey on assessing children in need and blend practice, policy and theory to produce a fine guide to the developmental needs of kids. Any practitioner in children's services who use the Framework system needs this resource for assessment.

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

The second updated edition of Mandia Mentis, et. al.'s BRIDGING LEARNING: UNLOCKING COGNITIVE POTENTIAL IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM (9781412969956, $28.95) provides education collections with a winning survey of thinking skills and Instrumental Enrichment programs and approaches. Fourteen core thinking skills discuss cognitive capacity and problem solving, and introduces skills and examples for informal learning. Susan Brooks-Young's TEACHING WITH THE TOOLS KIDS REALLY USE: LEARNING WITH WEB AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES (9781412972758, $28.95) is written for educators who wish to integrate mobile technologies into the classroom and covers the ethical use of such technology. From an overview of Web 2.0 tools in K-12 settings to wiki, RSS feeds, microblogging, and more, this is a 'must' for any teacher who would blend the latest technology trends into a teaching effort. Nancy DeVries Guth and Tamie Pratt-Fartro's LITERACY COACHING TO BUILD ADOLESCENT LEARNING (9781412972260, $26.95) tells readers how to work with teachers to improve adolescent literary achievement. School districts are focusing their attention on adolescent literacy skills and using coaches for support: this focuses on five foundations of adolescent literacy and uses field experience to provide guidance on how these literacy coaches work. John F. Eller and Sheila Eller's WORKING WITH AND EVALUATING DIFFICULT SCHOOL EMPLOYEES (9781412958684, $26.95) tells how to manage difficult school employees and is written by administrators well versed in various field techniques and their pros and cons. From templates for developing improvement plans and conversing with employees to strategies for working with all kinds of staff, this is a key reference. Abby Barry Bergman, Judy Powers and Michael L. Pullen's THE SURVIVAL KIT FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL (9781412972772, $43.95) packs in forms, letters, checklists and more and is designed for busy administrators considering daily challenges faced by all elementary school principals. From understanding NCLB requirements and new technologies to becoming better leaders and evaluators, this offers tips for diverse settings and school sizes, and is a solid principal's resource. Ron Nash's THE ACTIVE MENTOR: PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING NEW TEACHERS (9781412980500, $28.95) is a top pick and offers an essential key to new teacher retention and satisfaction. It shows how educators can build mentoring programs and cover strategies, real-world applications and case histories, and how professionals can promote teacher effectiveness. It's a fine, solid guide for any education collection. USING THE PARALLEL CURRICULUM MODEL IN URBAN SETTINGS GRADES K-8 by Sandra N. Kaplan, et.al. (9781412972185, $56.95) offers a wonderful introduction to applications of the parallel curriculum model to this grade group, offering lesson plan formats and keys to implementing them and tips on motivating students. Teachers will find this an important, key acquisition. Diane Hodges' SEASON IT WITH FUN! A YEAR OF RECOGNITION, FUN, AND CELEBRATIONS TO ENLIVEN YOUR SCHOOL (9781412969086, $33.95) offers proven techniques designed to revitalize a school community. From producing fantastic assemblies and introducing special celebrations within and outside the classroom to blending new administrators into a school culture, this provides a top pick for any school. Ian Jukes, Ted McCain, and Lee Crockett's UNDERSTANDING THE DIGITAL GENERATION: TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE NEW DIGITAL LANDSCAPE (9781449585594, $25.95) is a top pick for any collection strong in blending the basics of childhood education with educational processes. New technologies affect nearly every facet of a child's life - and this tells how to shift instructional patterns to incorporate these new teaching tools. Diane Yendol-Hoppey and Nancy Fitchman Dana's POWERFUL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING EXPERTISE WITHIN THE FOUR WALLS OF YOUR SCHOOL (9781412979757, $31.95) provides an analysis of the critical elements needed for schools to integrate processes that engage teachers and administrators. Professional development takes on a new edge with a resource that shows how collaborative effort can lead to powerful social school environments. Administrators, in particular, will relish this. Paul C. McCable and Steven R. Shaw's PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: CURRENT TOPICS AND INTERVENTIONS FOR EDUCATORS (9781412968768, $33.95) provides a key go-to reference for psychiatric health topics for school psychologists, counselors and administrators, and offers insights on the most relevant psychiatric health issues for educators. From the use of atypical antipsychotics with autism to the medical management of ADHD, this pairs case studies with strategies educators can use. Karen D. Olsen's WHAT BRAIN RESEARCH CAN TEACH ABOUT CUTTING SCHOOL BUDGETS (9781412980494, $33.95) offers a unique approach in applying brain research to budget analysis. By focusing on analytical thinking over emotion or tradition or even school politics, this provides keys to putting more effective strategies in place, and packs in chapters showing how to develop and direct a more methodical process.

Go Green Rating Scale Handbook
Phil Boise
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117
9781605540078, $29.95 www.redleafpress.org

Go Green Rating Scale Handbook for Early Childhood Settings is a 'must' for any evaluating the environmental health of a program. Use this book to evaluate a site or verify topics addressed in the rating scale, to improve a score, or to inform parents about benefits of a green early childhood program. A powerful key for any early childhood education library.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Superbug: The Fatal Menace of MRSA
Maryn McKenna
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781416557272, $26.00 www.simonandschuster.com

Superbug: The Fatal Menace of MRSA discusses the history and threat of drug-resistant staph, an epidemic that threatens the world. It's not just an occasional occurrence - it's a persistent, planet-wide threat that has grown over fifty years and has spread into the food chain. It kills at least 19,000 Americans yearly - and this examination represents some 200 interviews and research conducted since 2006 on the topic. No health library should be without it!

Drug Abuse Sourcebook, third edition
Joyce Brennfleck Shannon, Editor
Omnigraphics
Box 31-1640, Detroit, MI 48231-1640
9780780810792, $93.00 www.omnigraphics.com

The third updated edition of Drug Abuse Sourcebook is a fine reference for college-level health collections, documenting the abuse of illegal substances and prescription medicines alike. Facts about commonly abused drugs and causes of addiction blend medical with social issues while an invaluable section on strategies that work for prevention make this a top reference.

Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-Existing Diabetes
Cheryl Alkon
Demos Health
11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10036
9781932603323, $18.95, www.demoshealth.com

Diabetes presents many new challenges, especially in pregnancy. "Balancing Pregnancy with pre-Existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby" is a guide to dealing with pregnancy as a diabetic and the issues one will face as a diabetic mother. From planning the pregnancy, to the dealing with the many stages to facing the unfortunate of miscarriages and the success of birth, "Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-Existing Diabetes" is an informative and highly useful pick which shouldn't be missed.

Nordic Walking for Total Fitness
Suzanne Nottingham & Alexandra Jurasin
Human Kinetics
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
9780736081788, $19.95, www.humankinetics.com

Walking is healthy exercise in itself, but throwing some technique into it can enhance it. "Nordic Walking for Total Fitness: Your Path to a Lean, Strong, and Fit Physique" is a guide to Nordic walking and its many health benefits. Outlining six workouts that one can use to enhance one's health, each with different focuses,. With plenty of tips for tweaking one's routine for better form and execution, "Nordic Walking for Total Fitness" is an ideal pick for those who want to add more vigor to health walks.

Health Care Meltdown
C. Rocky White
Alan C. Hood & Company
PO Box 775, Chambersburg, PA 17201
9780911469301, $15.00, www.hoodbooks.com

Nothing is perfect, but our health care system is one of the furthest things from it. "Health Care Meltdown: Confronting the Myths and Fixing Our Failing System" offers Robert H. LeBow, a physician in his own right, as he offers his own piece of mind to the many problems today's health care system faces, such as millions being uninsured, the rising cost of simply getting sick, and how it's destroying lives across the country. Suggesting his own ideas for solutions, "Health Care Meltdown" is a choice pick for those seeking another voice in the health care debate.

The Core Concepts of Occupational Therapy
Jennifer Creek
Jessica Kingsley Publisher
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849050074, $36.95, www.jkp.com

It isn't healthy to recover from an injury doing nothing. "The Core Concepts of Occupational Therapy: A Dynamic Framework for Practice" is a guide to the concepts and nuances of occupational therapy, stating how such tasks can do wonders for helping individuals recover from injury. Discussing how to pick the right occupational therapy for the problem, motivation, performance and creation, and so much more, "The Core Concepts of Occupational Therapy" belongs in any health collection focusing on more specialized healing techniques.

Rethinking Nutrition
Susan Nitzke & Collaborators
Redleaf Press
10 Yorktron Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605540313, $27.95, www.redleafpress.com

A well fed child is a happy child and a healthy child. "Rethinking Nutrition: Connecting Science and Practice in Early Childhood Settings" discusses pediatric diet and its importance in childhood development. Early childhood diet is highly vital in patterning eating habits for the future, and as well as giving a child everything they need to grow to their fullest physical and mental potential. "Rethinking Nutrition" is a fascinating read, well worth adding to any health studies collection.

Mental Health, Naturally
Kathi J. Kemper
American Academy of Pediatrics
814 N. Franklin St., Chicago, IL 60610
9781581103106, $19.95, www.ipgbook.com

A good mind needs a good body to be apart of. "Mental Health, Naturally: The Family Guide to Holistic Care for a Healthy Mind and Body" is designed around helping parents help their families keep up their mental health, and what a parent can do to encourage good mental health throughout their lives. Exercise, good sleep habits, a good diet, and much more are what a parent can do to keep their children happy and develop good outlooks for life. "Mental Health, Naturally" is a choice pick for any concerned parent who wants to keep their child healthy on multiple fronts.


The Economics Shelf

Money Assassins
Chad Viminitz
Insomniac Press
520 Princess Ave, London, ON Canada N6B 2B8
9781897178829, $19.95, www.insomniacpress.com

Saving and prudence seem to be dying values in today's world. "Money Assassins: How They Stole Your Financial Freedom and How You Can Get it Back" is a guide for those who want to stay out of debt and be profitable in their lives when today's world seems to be out to eliminate anything you save and encourage spending well beyond one's means. With tips on keeping ahead of those who want to strip you of your wealth, "Money Assassins" will prove to be a highly valuable read.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Acting for Love & Money
Paul G. Gleason & Gavin Levy
Meriwether Publishing Ltd.
PO Box 7710, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7710
9781566081672, $19.95

Acting is a passion for many, but it often fails to pay the bills. "Acting for Love & Money: Connecting the Craft to the Industry" is a guide to how to become an actor who lives doing what he loves and actually gets paid for their talents. With tips on getting that first break, settling for something that may not be ideal but puts food on the table, making friends, nailing that audition, and so much more, "Acting for Love & Money" is a choice pick for the actor who wants to act, not bus tables.

The Green Screen Handbook
Jeff Foster
Sybex
c/o Wiley Blackwell
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
9780470521076, $49.99, www.sybex.com

The green screen is a versatile technique, and can be used wonderfully, if you use it well. "The Green Screen Handbook: Real-World Production Techniques" is a guide to the green screen and how to use the method to its fullest power. Setting up the shot, how to make post-production flow as smoothly as possible, troubleshooting, helping actors with an environment that's not their yet, Jeff Foster, an expert in production does well in going all out in helping readers master the shooting techniques of the green screen. "The Green Screen Handbook" is a choice pick and a reference that should be on hand for anyone producing movies or television.

Epics, Spectacles, And Blockbusters
Sheldon Hall & Steve Neale
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814330081, $34.95, www.amazon.com

The Holy Grail of the American film industry is the production of a massively financially successful movie. Such productions are called 'blockbusters'. The collaborative work of Sheldon Hall (Senior Lecturer, Stage and Screen Studies, Sheffield Hallam University) and Steve Neale (Professor of English, University of Exeter), "Epics, Spectacles, and Blockbusters: A Hollywood History" is the newest addition to Wayne State University Press' outstanding 'Contemporary Film and Television Series'. This 363-page compendium presents a comprehensive and detailed history of the large-scale, high-cost movie from the beginning of movie-making in the 1890s down to the present day. The genres of such films range from comic book adaptations, to biblical epics, to animated features, to science fiction extravaganzas, and more. Chronological organized, the impact of technological developments on movie making is fully integrated into this superbly written and scholarly history, making "Epics, Spectacles, And Blockbusters" an invaluable and core addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Hollywood History & Film reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Before Oprah
Michael Banks
Orange Frazer Press
PO Box 214, Wilmington, OH 45177
www.orangefrazer.com
9781933197494, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Today's enduring popularity and success of female hosted television talk shows is due to a woman by the name of Ruth Lyons. She was a pioneer in radio and television broadcasting whose audiences in the 1960s were block-buster successes, making her justifiably considered as being the single most influential housewife in America. Her amazing story is told in wonderful detailed by Michael Banks in "Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, The Woman Who Created Talk TV", a 260-page biography of a woman who, in her day, was as popular and influential as Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart are in ours. Superbly written and totally engaging from first page to last, "Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, The Woman Who Created Talk TV" is strongly recommended for both academic and community library 20th Century American Biography collections.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

The T206 Collection
Tom Zappala & Ellen Zappala
Peter E. Randall Publisher
PO Box 4726, Portsmouth, NJ 03802-4726
9781931807944, $38.00, www.amazon.com

Baseball cards have been around for almost as long as the game itself. The collaborative project of Tom Zappala and Ellen Zappala, and with the assistance of Lou Blasi, "The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories" is an impressive 224-page compendium featuring beautifully reproduced images of the early baseball card T206 series featuring 393 players. Enhancing this outstanding collection of 500 baseball cards, each of which is flawlessly reproduced in full color, "The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories" includes succinct biographies of all the T206 players, as well as player anecdotes revealing the earliest days and evolution of baseball. Of special note is the informed and informative chapter on baseball card grading and valuations making "The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories" an especially valued and valuable addition to both academic, and community library collections -- and an absolute 'must' for all dedicated baseball card enthusiasts.

Complete Price Guide to Watches No. 30
Richard e. Gilbert, et al.
Tinder Box
c/o Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
www.collectorbooks.com
1574326430, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Long considered to be the 'bible' of antiquarian and collectible timepieces, this 2010 edition of "Complete Price Guide to Watches" is fully updated with new price information for literally thousands of entries. The collaborative effort of Richard E. Gilbert, Tom Engle, and Cooksey Shugart, "Complete Price Guide to Watches No. 30" is a 1,216 page compendium listing 10,350 watches, and is enhanced with 7,850 black-and-white illustrations and covering both American and Europe pocket watches and wrist watches. Of special note are the profusion of tips, history, terminology, and other specialized information useful for both the dealer and the collector. making "Complete Price Guide to Watches No. 30" a core addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Antiques/Collectibles reference collections.

Collecting Rocks, Gems And Minerals
Patti Polk
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.krausebooks.com
9781440204159, $17.99, www.amazon.com

In "Collecting Rocks, Gems & Minerals: Easy Identification - Values - Lapidary Uses", author Patti Polk draws upon her more than twenty years as a skilled lapidary artist and gem cutting expertise and experience to compile a profusely and beautifully illustrated, 272-page compendium of superbly organized and presented minerals for amateur 'rockhounds' and professional collectors alike. Each entry is enhanced with detailed information about that particular gem or mineral's characteristics. "Collecting Rocks, Gems & Minerals: Easy Identification - Values - Lapidary Uses" is more than a simple encyclopedic presentation of assorted gems and minerals as Patti Polk also provides informed and informative information on what these gems and minerals are, as well as their uses for lapidary and display. Of special note is the entry on 'Buying and Selling Rocks, Minerals, and Gemstones'. Providing an illustrated wealth of information and examples, "Collecting Rocks, Gems & Minerals: Easy Identification - Values - Lapidary Uses" will proved an enduringly popular and valued addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

Absolutely Chocolate
Fine Cooking Editors
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
9781600851339, $29.95 www.taunton.com

ABSOLUTELY CHOCOLATE: IRRESISTIBLE EXCUSES TO INDULGE packs in over fifty color photos as it provides not just a chocolate-filled recipe guide, but insights on how chocolate is made, how to choose it, when to use cocoa and when chocolate, and much more. Over a hundred recipes accompany the photos and tips making this a winner for any general lending library.

Sri Lankan Cooking
Douglas Bullis and Wendy Hutton
Charles Tuttle
c/o Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9780804841368, $19.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com

Luca Invernizzi Tettoni's fine full-page color photos compliment this special treatment SRI LANKAN COOKING, a recommendation for any lending library strong in Asian representation. Sri Lankan cooking is often blended into more general India cookbooks, so it's a pleasure to see a volume that stands alone. From Butter Rice and Crispy Dosai Pancakes to Prawns in a Coconut Curry Gravy, this is an excellent pick.

Justin Wilson's Easy Cookin'
Justin Wilson
Pelican Publishing
1000 Burmaster St., Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781589807907, $25.00 www.pelicanpub.com

JUSTIN WILSON'S EASY COOKIN' packs in over a hundred recipes for classic home cooking and comes from a chef who was always seeking ways to make his cooking easier, using flavored salts and powers instead of peeling and chopping onions and garlic, and focusing on maximum flavor for minimum effort. His book offers delightful access to any collection catering to would-be cooks.

Slim & Scrumptious
Joy Bauer
Morrow
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
9780061834776, $24.99 www.harpercollins.com

Color photos pair with low-calorie recipes and mouth-watering flavor in Slim & Scrumptious, a fine survey of new ideas to please even picky eaters. These are quick, versatile dishes intended for the family with many picky eaters and offers low-calorie yet tasty adaptations of classic, rich foods.

Pillsbury Easy As Pie
Pillsbury
Wiley Publishing
c/o John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470485538, $19.95 www.wiley.com

Pies needn't be time-consuming pains - not with Pillsbury Easy As Pie, which pairs lay-flat binding for ease of cooking with tested pie dishes - up to 140 - ranging from basic everyday pies to holiday specialties. Full-page color photos of each finished result accompanies recipes which are very simple, making for a top pick cookbook any general lending library must have.

Chocolate Cakes
Elinor Klivans
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811868723, $22.95 www.chroniclebooks.com

CHOCOLATE CAKES packs in fifty cakes for all occasions with fine color photos by Ann Stratton accompanying tube cakes, rolled cakes, layer cakes and more. The range of cakes and their relative ease of production make this a fine general lending library choice, highly recommended for readers who want a focus on chocolate cakes only!

Complete Guide to Making Your Own Wine At Home
John Peragine
Atlantic Publishing
1405 SW 6th Ave., Ocala, FL 34471-0640
9781601383587, $24.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

Complete Guide to Making Your Own Wine At Home is a fine pick for any would-be home winemaker just starting out. From distillation ingredients to producing home wine either on a limited scale for a personal collection or for starting a home winery, this covers all the basics and even provides recipes. Home winemakers will find the specific information to be a great starting point to successful production.

On a Dollar a Day
Christopher Greenslate and Kerri Leonard
Hyperion
114 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10011
9781401310189, $14.99 www.hyperionbooks.com

ON A DOLLAR A DAY: COUPLE'S UNLIKELY ADVENTURES IN EATING IN AMERICA explores what happens when two high school teachers get fed up with giant grocery bills and decide to feed themselves on one dollar each per day. Their discoveries include tips on how to eat on, $4.13 a day (the food stamp allotment) and offer insights on food politics, from how companies 'short size' packages so you pay more for less, and how groceries auction off foods past their 'sell by' dates.

Big Buy Cooking
Editors of Fine Cooking
Taunton Press
Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
9781600851544, $19.95 www.taunton.com

Good cooks know bulk ingredients save money - but they also pose a problem once the initial recipe is used: how to use up all the bulk? This book offers recipes for common bulk-buy foods, from sun-dried tomatoes to various cheeses, meats, and canned goods. It packs in color photos and appealing dishes and is a top pick for any lending library where cooks frequent bulk-buy stores for top bargains.

Passover Lite Kosher Cookbook
Gail Ashkanazi-Hankin
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster St., Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781589804982, $17.95, www.amazon.com

The Passover meal is a culinary tradition that presents something of a challenge to the health-conscious kitchen cook. That's why the "Passover Lite Kosher Cookbook" by Gail Ashkanazi-Hankin is such a welcome addition to family and community cookbook collections. Showcasing low-fat and low-cholesterol dishes suitable for the eight days of the Jewish holiday of Passover, the recipes range from Sweet Orange Matzah Brie; Cucumber Radish Salad; Smoked Whitefish Frittada; and Vegetable Pizza; to Broccoli Knishes; Candied Sweet Potato Tzimmes; Miniature Passover Bagels; and a No-Cholesterol Chocolate Chiffon Cake. While the focus is on appropriate dishes to serve as part of Passover meals, these are nutritious, delicious, and easy-to-prepare soups, salads, entrees, and desserts that would be well received at the family dining table any time of the year!

New Orleans Kitchens
Stacey Meyer & Troy Gilbert
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton UT 84041
www.gibbs-smith.com
9781423610014, $30.00, www.amazon.com

New Orleans enjoys a culinary legacy that includes its Spanish, Cajun, African-American, Native American, and French roots. Collaboratively compiled and presented by native New Orleans fine food enthusiasts Stacey Meyer and Troy Gilbert, "New Orleans Kitchens: Recipes from the Big Easy Best Restaurants" showcases 216-pages of dishes selected from the menus of the very best restaurants that this Louisiana community has to offer. Ranging from Proscuitto and Melon Salad with Ricotta Salata; Louisiana Blue Crab Cakes with Mango Ancho and Chipotle Chutney; Lobster Bisque; and Lady Cream Pea, Andouille Sausage and Kale Soup; to Sauteed Catfish with Louisiana Shrimp and Jalapeno Slaw; and Braised Greens with Bacon and Onion, each recipe is 'kitchen cook friendly' with complete lists of ingredients and easy-to-follow instruction. Superbly enhanced with paintings and color photography throughout, "New Orleans Kitchens: Recipes from the Big Easy Best Restaurants" will prove to be an especially welcome and popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections!

Eating Local
Janet Fletcher & Sur La Table
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
9780740791444, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Local farmer's markets have grown increasingly popular and accessible with those who want the freshest seasonal ingredients at the lowest possible 'carbon footprint' possible. "Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America's Farmers" by cook book author Janet Fletcher (in cooperation with the successful Californian restaurant Sur La Table) is a 320-page compendium packed with thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes utilizing farm-fresh seasonal ingredients found in local community farmer's markets. Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout with color photography, the recipes range from Grilled Eggplant Cannelloni with Ricotta and Prosciutto; to Pickled Yellow Wax Benas with Fresh Dill; to Home-Dried Tomatoes in Herbed Olive Oil; Skillet-Cooked Creamer Potatoes with Rosemary; to Peach and Boysenberry Cobbler. Of special note are the succinct introductions to showcase farms representing the kind of 'family farm' agriculture that is the source of what local farmer's markets have to offer grateful communities, making "Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America's Farmers" a particularly appropriate and highly recommended addition to personal and public library cookbook collections.

Simple And Genuine
Mamma Agata
Privately Published
www.mammaagata.com
9788890464508, Euros 35.00, www.amazon.com

A profusely and beautifully illustrated 223-page compendium of authentic Italian family culinary recipes, "Simple And Genuine" showcases the meal-time magic of traditional Italian fare coming out of Mamma Agata's lifetime of kitchen cooking for her family and friends. Combining simplicity with elegance, the recipes range from Parmigiana de melanzane (Eggplant Parmigiana); to Pasta con broccoli e formaggio affumicato (Broccoli and Smoked Cheese Pasta; to Arrosto de maiale (Roasted Pork Loin); to Pizza fritta (Fried Pizza). A veritable cornucopia of meal time menu items that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite, "Simple And Genuine" truly lives up to the promise of its title and is especially recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

1001 Low-Carb Recipes
Dana Carpender
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1721
www.quaysidepublishinggroup.com
9781592334148, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Low-carb cooking expert and the author of seven Low-Carb cookbooks, Dana Carpender has compiled 1001 of her very best low-carb recipes laid out with complete listings of ingredients and 'kitchen cook friendly' step-by-step preparation instructions. The result is a 576-page cookbook that will prove to be a never ending source of culinary inspiration for anyone seeking low-carb meals that will please even the most gourmet of palates and satisfy even the most demanding of appetites. From Warm Brie with Sticky Nuts; Sunflower Parmesan Crackers; Italian Sausage Soup; and Fried Brussels Sprouts; to Slow Cooker Chicken Guadeloupe; Maple-Glazed Corned Beef with Vegetables; Cranberry Barbecue Sauce; and Cocoa-Peanut Logs, "1001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes from Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back" truly lives up to the promise of its title and is an enthusiastically recommended as an inexpensive and expansive addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections!

The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook
Harvest House Publishers
Georgia Varozza
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736928588, $14.99, www.amazon.com

The Amish community is noted for the simplicity of their family-centered and devout lifestyle. That elegant simplicity clearly extends to their cuisine as evidenced by the recipes assembled in "The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook: Plainly Delicious Recipes from the Simple Life", a spiral bound 272-page compendium of thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes ranging from Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy; Honey Oatmeal Bread; Mennonite Stew; and Baked Acorn Squash with Hamburger Filling; to Busy Day Ham Casserole; German Meatballs with Sauerkraut; Amish Vanilla Pie; and Crackletop Molasses Cookies. Each recipe is clearly put forth with a complete list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions allowing even the most novice of kitchen cooks to successful prepare and serve this dishes which are as nutritious as they are delicious -- and suitable for any and all dining occasions. "The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook: Plainly Delicious Recipes from the Simple Life" is a very highly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Diet Rebel's Cookbook
Jillayne Clements & Michelle Stewart
Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
www.cedarfort.com
9781599553610, $17.99, www.amazon.com

A healthy mind in a healthy body is the common goal of us all. The collaborative work of whole food cooking experts Jillayne Clements and Michelle Stewart, "The Diet Rebels Cookbook: Eating Clean and Green" is a 288-page compendium of basic information about the impact foods have on our health, as well as pertinent information and invaluable tips on eating and cooking healthy. Of special note is the provision of a 'Complete One-Year Food Storage List'. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Diet Rebels Cookbook: Eating Clean and Green" is packed with useable instructions for everything from sprouting grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes; to basic dairy recipes, natural sweeteners, and the basics of making stocks and broths. The recipes range from a Spinach Cranberry Salad, to Hummus Wraps, to a Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce, to Homemade Popcorn, to Pumpkin Cake. A veritable cornucopia of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, easy to prepare dishes for any and all dining occasions, "The Diet Rebels Cookbook: Eating Clean and Green" will make a welcome and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections for the health conscious consumer.

Table For Two
Warren W. Caterson
Winfield & Scott Press
3501-B North Ponce de Leon Blvd., #372, St. Augustine, FL 32084
www.TableForTwoCookbooks.com
9780980156812, $16.95, www.amazon.com

Creating meals especially suited for just two people calls for a particularly specialized familiarity with the culinary arts. That's why Warren Caterson's "Table For Two: The Cookbook For Couples" is especially appropriate. This 272-page compendium is a cornucopia of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, gourmet quality recipes suitable for any two-person dining occasion be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner. After succinctly informative opening chapters on measurements, cooking terms, and ingredients, there are 'kitchen cook friendly', step-by-step recipes for soups, salads, side dishes, and main entrees (including seafood, poultry, beef, pork, and lamb). Of special note are the chapters devoted to vegetarian dishes, desserts, and what to do with leftovers! From Fillet of Sole with Shrimp Sauce; Grilled Tuna Steak; Chicken and Mushrooms Florentine; and Beef Burgundy; to Lamb Curry; Vegetable Biryani; Green Beans with Water Chestnuts; and Chilled Mixed Fruit in White Whine, "Table For Two" is an outstanding recipe collection and a welcome addition to both personal and community library cookbook shelves.


The World History Shelf

Afghanistan
David Isby
Pegasus
80 Broad Street, Fifth Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781605980829, $28.95, www.pegasusbooks.us

Afghanistan has been anything but a pure success story for American forces. "Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires, a New History of the Borderland" is a recent history of the chaos in Afghanistan and the tumultuous nature of the region, and how America seems to be falling into the same rut other nations have faced in trying to occupy and control the region. Looking at history and the problems that face modern Afghanistan outside problematic forces, "Afghanistan" is an insightful read for anyone who wants to understand the problems America faces in the country.

Robin Hood
John Paul Davis
Peter Owen Publishers
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9780720613391, $29.95, www.peterowen.com

All folk lore has basis in reality, but who was the real Robin Hood? "Robin Hood: the Unknown Templar" looks at the possible reality that paints Robin Hood as a member of the Knights Templar, the famous religious order of knights in the middle ages. But how did he become known as the freedom loving outlaw of the Crusades period? "Robin Hood: The Unknown Templar" is a fascinating study of the legend of Robin Hood and who the man truly was.

Anarchism and the City
Chris Ealham
AK Press
674-A 23rd Street, Oakland, CA 94612
9781849350129, $20.00, www.akpress.org

Spain has had quite the decline from a super power of the colonial era. "Anarchism and the City: Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Barcelona 1898-1937" examines the political turmoil that Spain faced spanning from the time of the Spanish-American War to the early grumblings of World War II. Focusing on Barcelona, one of Spain's largest cities, Chris Ealham paints a picture of a country in turmoil well. "Anarchism and the City" is a strong addition to any history collection.

Against All Hope
Hermann Langbein
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 7, St. Paul, MN 55113
9781557788825, $24.95, www.paragonhouse.com

While some endure and hope for the best, there were those who fought. "Against All Hope: Resistance in the Nazi Concentration Camps: 1938-1945" tells the story of the Jews who resisted their oppressors even in hopeless situations where they were unarmed against the German forces holding them captive. Hermann Langbein tells his own story of standing up in the final days of the war in the notorious camp of Auschwitz, and how he and others he knew made their stand even in hopeless situations. "Against All Hope" is a fascinating and uplifting read that shouldn't be missed by history readers.

A History of the Late Medieval Siege, 1200-1500
Peter Purton
Boydell Press
c/o Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Ave., Rochester, NY 14620-2731
www.boydellandbrewer.com
9781843834496, $115.00, www.amazon.com

The development of fortified castles and walled towns created a form of offensive warfare known as the siege. Hostile forces would surround the castle or protected town and prevent anyone from entering or leaving, and all the while trying to break down the castle's defenses or break through the walls shielding the town from assault. Siege warfare became a focus for military technological advances both in equipment, weaponry, and strategy. "A History of the Late Medieval Siege, 1200-1500" by medieval fortification expert Peter Purton is a 528-page compendium providing a detailed history from 450 A.D. to 1200 A.D. of siege warfare from the 5th century Mongol conquests in Europe and Asia, to the 13th century 'golden age' of siege warfare sophistication, to the changes in siege warfare brought about by the introduction of gun powder and canon in the 15th century. Enhanced with the inclusion of a useful time line, an substantial glossary, an extensive bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "A History of the Late Medieval Siege, 1200-1500" is an impressively informed and informative work that is especially recommended for both academic and community library Military History reference collections.


The Crafts Shelf

Crystal Brilliance
Anna Elizabeth Draeger
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachbooks.com
9780871162953, $21.95, www.amazon.com

The making of jewelry is an increasingly popular home craft. In "Crystal Brilliance: Making Designer Jewelry with Crystal Beads", professional jewelry designer Anna Elizabeth Draeger has compiled a superbly organized and presented, profusely illustrated, 80-page compendium of thirty different do-it-yourself projects utilizing the impressive brilliance and many colored hues of Swarovski crystals. The project designs range from the Classic to the Romantic, from the Geometric to the Organic. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Crystal Brilliance: Making Designer Jewelry with Crystal Beads" will enable even the most novice jewelry maker to produce elegant pieces that suitable for any and all occasions, making it an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library Crafts & Hobbies instructional resource collections.

Easy Beading: Volume 6
BeadStyle Magazine Editors
Publicity Department
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachbooks.com
9780871162915, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Taken from the pages of BeadStyle Magazine, this is the sixth volume in the Easy Beading series and features 248 beading projects, each with clear, 'user friendly', step-by-step illustrated instructions. These projects are organized and grouped into the categories of Gemstones; Crystals; Metal and Chain; Mixed Media; Pearls; Glass and Ceramic. Enhanced with a Beader's Glossary' and a basic guide to beading techniques for novice beaders, "Easy Beading: Volume 6" is strongly recommended for personal, professional, and community library instructional reference collections. Also very highly recommended are the five other volumes in this outstanding series: "Easy Beading: The Best Projects from the First Year of BeadStyle Magazine" (9780871162175, $29.95); "Easy Beading, Volume 2: The Best Projects from the Second Year of BeadStyle Magazine" (9780871162267, $29.95); "Easy Beading, Volume 3" (9780871162410, $29.95); "Easy Beading, Vol. 4: The Best Projects from the Fourth Year of BeadStyle Magazine" (9780871162632, $29.95); and "Easy Beading Volume 5" (9780871162885, $29.95).


The Woodworking Shelf

Civil War Woodworking
A. J. Hamler
Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
www.woodworkerslibrary.com
9781933502281, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Civil War re-enactments continue to increase in popularity. A key to those re-enactments is authenticity, not only in uniforms and equipment, but in such ancillary items as ammunition boxes, camp tables and stools, officer field desks, tent pegs, candle lanterns, and even games. That is what makes A. J. Hamler's "Civil War Woodworking: 17 Authentic Projects for Woodworkers and Reenactors" such an valued and valuable instructional guide for the dedicated woodworker and re-enactor. Each of the featured seventeen woodworking projects is superbly illustrated with clear, concise and easy to follow instructions. Each individual project begins with a complete description of the item, including both its overall dimensions and individual component dimensions. Superbly illustrated throughout and thoroughly 'user friendly', the "Civil War Woodworking: 17 Authentic Projects for Woodworkers and Reenactors" is a unique and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Woodworking and Civil War Studies reference collections.


The Science Shelf

The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology
Masaharu Takemura Sakura
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro Street, #250, San Francisco, CO 94107
9781593272029, $19.95 www.nostarch.com

The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology uses black and white comics to explain complex science, making this more accessible to students who would find the traditional approaches challenging. Join characters Ami and Rin as they journey through the body, learning about protein synthesis, cell division, and genetics along the way. The blend of fiction action with science makes this an appealing, fine read especially recommended for any students struggling with traditional molecular biology teachings.

The Biology of Small Mammals
Joseph F. Merritt
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
0801879507, $60.00 www.press.jhu.edu

The Biology of Small Mammals represents the first college-level exploration of the lives of small mammals in decades, and comes from a mammalogist who provides discussions of a range of small mammals around the world. In discussing behavior and species, this collection outlines how the size difference provides different physiological and ecological challenges than larger mammals. Any college-level natural history library needs this survey.

Decoding Reality
Vlatko Vedral
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016-4314
9780199237692, $29.95 www.oup.com

DECODING REALITY: THE UNIVERSE AS QUANTUM INFORMATION comes from a quantum science researcher who writes about the nature of reality and weightless information. From the nature of information to thoughts about the quantum world's operations, this is an excellent survey for any college-level physics collection.

Einstein's Telescope
Evalyn Gates
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10011
9780393338010, $16.95 www.wwnorton.com

EINSTEIN'S TELESCOPE: THE HUNT FOR DARK MATTER AND DARK ENERGY IN THE UNIVERSE provides a powerful scientific examination of one of Einstein's most intriguing theori4es: that gravitational distortions would allow space to act as a telescope more powerful than humans could build. Cosmologists are using his technique to detect revolutionary realms - and EINSTEIN'S TELESCOPE provides a fine blend of astronomy theory and practice as it tells of the concept and how it's being applied. Both science holdings and general-interest libraries will find this a thorough, lively account.

Chemistry With Charisma: Volumes 1 & 2
Mickey Sarquis, et al.
Terrific Science Press
Center for Chemistry Education
Miami University Middletown
4200 East University Blvd., Middletown, OH 45042
Vol. 1: 9781883822552, $21.95, www.amazon.com
Vol. 2: 9781883822569, $21.95, www.amazon.com

Collaborative designed, written and compiled by the team of Mickey Sarquis (Director, Center for Chemistry Education & Terrific Science Programs, Miami University, Middletown, Ohio); Lyn Hogue (Center for Chemistry Education, Miami University); Susan Hershberger (Center for Chemistry Education, Miami University); Jerry Sarquis (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University); and John Williams (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University), The two volume "Chemistry With Charisma" is specially designed for use with middle and high school science students. Volume one features twenty-four lessons that will hold students attention in the classroom while demonstrating through informative and interesting experiments basic principles of chemistry. Volume two is a compilation of an addition twenty-eight lessons. Together these volumes comprise an outstanding addition to supplement any middle or high school science class curriculum with their illustrated, step-by-step instructions for both teacher and student. Each lesson fully complies with National Science Education Standards, listing the relevant standards for grades 5 - 12. Also highly recommended for home schooling, "Chemistry With Charisma: Volumes 1 & 2" will prove to be an invaluable academic and community library instructional resource collection.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Knitting Sweaters from the Top Down
Cathy Carron
Lark Books
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781600595547, $17.95 www.larkbooks.com

Knitting Sweaters from the Top Down provides a fine guide to top-down sweater-knitting and tells how to knit a sweater in one piece, with no seams. Easy techniques allow knitters to adjust a garment as they go, offering over twenty chic projects that can also be used as design templates for further pattern-free work. A fine pick for any knitter's library, this takes a far different approach than most.

Martingale & Company
20205 - 144th Ave NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com

Doreen L. Marquart's SATURDAY STYLE: CASUAL KNITS FOR WEEKEND WEAR (9781564779182, $26.99) offers a fine selection of casual knit projects that can go with jeans or work clothes alike. From yoke jackets and classy simple summer tees to pullovers and cardigans, full-page color photos accompany fine knitter's guides perfect for any lending library looking for something different. The staff of That Patchwork Place offers A BAKER'S DOZEN: 13 QUILTS FROM JELLY ROLLS, LAYER CAKES, AND MORE (9781564779755, $21.99), a fine quilter's survey focusing on quilting with precut fabrics. Thirteen quilts designed by the staff offers a range of uses for fat quarters, and presents Jelly Rolls, 5" charm squares, and more. Cathy Wierzbicki's GEOMETRIC GEMS: QUILTS FROM DIAMONDS, CIRCLES AND SQUARES (9781564779823, $18.99) offers a fascinating, different perspective on producing new quilt designs using angles. The complex-looking results are actually pleasing to the eye and easier to produce than one would think, pairing large-sized color photos of completed quilts with step-by-step instructions any quilter will enjoy.

Built By Wendy Dresses
Wendy Mullin with Eviana Hartman
PotterCraft
c/o Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307461339, $27.50 www.pottercraft.com

Built By Wendy Dresses offers a fast, easy way to put together custom-fit dresses offering over twenty patterns and DIY dress designs that are easy to sew and in high style. All the featured dresses are based on three basic dress shapes, and offer full-size patterns along with step-by-step instructions on using them. Not suitable for lending libraries - but beginning sewers must have this!

Adaptable Quilting Designs
Sue Patten
American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781574326673, $24.95 www.americanquilter.com

Adaptable Quilting Designs provides over forty designs adaptable to tricky spaces on quilts, from setting triangles to sashings, using templates formatted for ease of reducing or enlarging. Each pattern is shown with two or more variations and over 100 ideas for both hand and machine quilting, with dozens of color photos creating a powerful pick for any home quilter.

Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts
Kaffe Fassett
Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Inc.
c/o Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10011
www.abramsbooks.com
9781584798378, $35.00, www.amazon.com

In addition to their utilitarian value in keeping folks warm at night in their beds, the quilt quickly became a means of artistic expression by the women who made them. Those utilitarian and artistic values continue to be of importance for each new generation of quilt makers. That's why "Kaffe Fassett's Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts: 23 Original Quilt Designs" by quilting expert Kaffe Fassett (a fabric designer for Rowan Patchwork and Quilting and the primary knitwear designer for Rowan Yarns) will prove to be a popular addition to personal and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections. Organized into six basic shape sections (squares; rectangles; triangles; diamonds; quarter circles; and circles), the patchwork designs are profusely illustrated enabling even the most novice of needlecrafters to successfully reproduce them. Of special note is the clear and accessible information provided on Basic Techniques and Templates making "Simple Shapes, Spectacular Quilts" an invaluable resource for making spectacular quilts out of ordinary shaped cloth patches.


The Art Shelf

How to Draw and Paint Dragons
Tom Kidd
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764143861 $21.99 www.barronseduc.com 1-800-645-3476

How to Draw and Paint Dragons is an extraordinarily beautiful self-teaching art book. Budding artists of all skill and experience levels will learn the basics of drawing and painting, with a focus on these legendary creatures. From researching the anatomy of natural creatures for a guideline, to selecting one's tools and equipment (whether physical or digital media), to effectively applying light, color and texture, to applying the power of storytelling in one's art and more, How to Draw and Paint Dragons is filled cover to cover with invaluable information for aspiring artists everywhere. The example illustrations are in gorgeous full color; any dragon lover will find How to Draw and Paint Dragons a joy to page through regardless of personal artistic inclination. Highly recommended.

Botany For The Artist
Sarah Simblet
DK Publishing, Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.dk.com
9780756652500, $40.00, www.amazon.com

An art instructor at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, University of Oxford, and at the Royal College of Art in London, Sarah Simblet draws upon her many years of experience and expertise in "Botany for the Artist: An Inspirational Guide to Drawing Plants" to create a superbly organized and presented 256-page, fully illustrated compendium of step-by-step illustrations and instructions that will enable even the most novice of art students to produce accurate drawings of plants ranging from roots, stems and leaves, to flowers, fruit, cones, and seeds. Of special note is the opening chapters providing insights into the elements of such images, as well as to the materials and basic techniques required for producing them. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Botany for the Artist: An Inspirational Guide to Drawing Plants" is especially recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library Art Instruction reference collections. Also highly recommended are two previously published art instruction manuals by Sarah Simblet: "Sketch Book for the Artist" (9780756608163, $30.00) and "Anatomy for the Artist" (9780789480453, $40.00).

The Complete Graphics of Eyvind Earle, third edition
Eyvind Earle Publishing
2150 Garden Road, Bldg. B-8, Monterey, CA 93940
www.eyvindearle.com/Books.aspx
9780965058735, $150.00

The late Eyvind Earle was an American artist whose craftsmanship and skill produced museum quality artworks. He was also a gifted poet and writer. Long out of print and now presented in a new third edition, "The Complete Graphics of Eyvind Earle" is the first of a two volume set showcasing the man, his work, and his career. This 360-page compendium superbly presents 160 full color images of his artwork and is enhanced with the inclusion of an autobiography, as well as samples and examples of his writings and poems. Of special note is the chronology provided of his remarkable careers. An ideal introduction to the life and accomplishments of Eyvind Earle, "The Complete Graphics of Eyvind Earle" is a superbly crafted and produced publication that is strongly recommended for professional, academic, and community library American Art History reference collections. Also highly recommended for such collections are four other volumes encompassing the work of this remarkable and diversely talented artist: "The Complete Graphics of Eyvind Earle: Volume II"; "The Complete Christmas Card Art of Eyvind Earle"; "Horizon Bound on a Bicycle: The Autobiography of Eyvind Earle"; and "The Poems of Eyvind Earle" -- all of which are available on the Eyvind Earle Publishing web site at www.eyvindearle.com/Books.aspx

Ancient Egyptian Art
Alice Cartocci
The American University in Cairo Press
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.aucpress.com
9789774163234, $39.95, www.amazon.com

The artists and craftsmen of ancient Egypt produced enduring works of exquisite beauty. The level of their artistry was known and appreciated by their contemporaries for a span covering some four thousand years from the ivory combs of Predynastic Eygpt, to the distinctive statuary of the Old Kingdom, to the impressive tomb paintings of the New Kingdom, to the painted portraits and jewelry surviving from the Egypt of the Ptolemaic and Roman eras. "Ancient Egyptian Art: Visual Encyclopedia" is a profusely and superbly illustrated 352-page compendium providing a chronologically oriented antiquarian art history of Egypt, replete with examples drawn from museum collections from around the world. Informed and informative, "Ancient Egyptian Art: Visual Encyclopedia" is enhanced with succinct introductions and surveys of the distinctive eras comprising Egyptian history, major archaeological achievements; a chronology, and a glossary. A seminal work of impressive scholarship and remarkable beauty, "Ancient Egyptian Art: Visual Encyclopedia" is an ideal and highly prized addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Art History and Egyptology reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Goude Touch
Jean-Paul Goude
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500514863, $65.00, www.amazon.com

Jean-Paul Goude was an artist who created images to sell products for the Parisian department store 'Galeries Lafayette'. "The Goude Touch: A Ten-Year Campaign for Galeries Lafayette" is a 224-page, richly and profusely illustrated compendium showcasing his unorthodox images and features more than one hundred working documents that include preliminary sketches, drawings, and final images -- including ones that were featured in billboard advertising. Innovative, iconoclastic, and a creatively gifted artist with a sense of humor, "The Goude Touch" is an ideal introduction to the artist and the best of his work, making it a highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Contemporary Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Business of Being an Artist, fourth edition
Daniel Grant
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St. Suite 510, New York NY 10010
9781581156737, $27.50 www.allworth.com

Now in a newly expanded and updated fourth edition, The Business of Being an Artist provides a fine instruction manual on the 'art' of business survival, expanding on Daniel Grant's classic reference for developing a career as a successful artist. New sections on how to market and sell art in a weak economy supplement tips on marketing online, creating a website and blog, and more. A fine pick for any aspiring artist who would go pro, this is filled with art-specific business practices.

Art of the Middle East
Saeb Eigner
Merrell Publishers
38 High Avenue, 4th fl., Nyack, NY 10960
www.merrellpublishers.com
9781858945002, $69.95, www.amazon.com

ART OF THE MIDDLE EAST: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART OF THE ARAB WORLD AND IRAN is packed in history and artistic expression and provides a fine panoramic portrait of art history in the Arab world today. Modern and contemporary art from the mid-1950s to modern times are provided in a powerful survey highly recommended for any college-level arts or Middle East history holding: it's unparalleled in scope and presentation and packs in full color, dramatic images and plenty of detailed history.

Breaking Ground
Barbara Lovenheim, Editor
Hudson Hills Press
3556 Main St., Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953546, $55.00 www.hudsonhills.com

BREAKING GROUND: A CENTURY OF CRAFT ART IN WESTERN NEW York is the first book to explore the history of craft art in the region, packing in vintage and modern photos along with a history of the works of early pioneers and modern artists alike. BREAKING GROUND covers the region because in the early 1900s it was a hub of the Arts and Crafts Movement - and key to understanding the evolution of American art as a whole.

Radiant Oils
Arleta Pech
North Light Books
4700 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati OH 45236
1600611761, $29.99 www.artistsnetwork.com

RADIANT OILS: GLAZING TECHNIQUES FOR PAINTINGS THAT GLOW tells painters how to create eye-popping still lifes by using transparent color in oil painting. Her focus on layering over mixing colors offers insights into increasing luminosity and texture and offers step-by-step instruction packed with color photos of every step.


The Anthropology Shelf

Adam's Tongue
Derek Bickerton
Hill and Wang
18 West 18th Street, new York, NY 10011
9780809016471, $16.00, www.fsgbooks.com

How did mankind evolve from grunting at one another to having thousands of different languages across the globe? "Adam's Tongue: How Humans Made Language, How Language Made Humans" is a discussion of the origins of language, casting an investigative eye onto the animal kingdom and how they communicate with one another. Composed with formal knowledge but an informal flare, "Adam's Tongue" is a fascinating read on language which will captivate anyone intrigued with how humans became what they are today.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Crash Course in Jewish History
Ken Spiro
Targum Press
22700 W. Eleven Mile Rd., Southfield, MI 48034
9781568715322, $31.99, www.targum.com

Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world. "Crash Course in Jewish History: From Abraham to Modern Israel" is a text analyzing the history of Judaism from its earliest days, how it came to be, how it gained its followers, and how it sired the start of the Abrahamic faith. Even today, Judaism's principles are shared throughout much of the world by both Jews and non-Jews. Insightful, thought provoking and riveting reading, "Crash Course in Jewish History" is an absolute must for any library collection focusing on religious history.

King of the Jews
Norman Gelb
The Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
9780827609136, $22.00, www.jewishpub.org

Driven from their homeland, the idea of a Jewish Nation never truly died. "King of the Jews: The Origins of the Jewish Nation" delves into the idea of the Jewish nation and its leadership, spanning from biblical times to how these figures and ideas still hold powerful place in today's Israel. "King of the Jews" is a strong pick for historical selections discussing the idea of the Jewish nation and its relationship with Israel.

Who By Fire, Who By Water
Lawrence A. Hoffman
Jewish Lights
PO Box 237, Sunset Farm Offices, RT. 4, Woodstock, VT 05091
9781580234245, $24.99, www.jewishlights.com

Some things are lightning rods of controversy. Un'taneh Tokef is one of them. "Who By Fire, Who By Water" is a collection of Rabbis and other Jewish thinkers as they converge and offer their own thoughts and opinions on the controversial piece of Jewish literature and what it means in regard to the Jewish new year. For those seeking a fascinating look into one of the hotly debated topics of modern Judaism, "Who By Fire, Who By Water" is a core addition to any Judaic studies collection.


The Photography Shelf

Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography
NK Guy
RockyNook
26 West Mission Street, Ste 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93111-2432
9781933952444, $44.95, www.rockynook.com

Some things can't wait for a good picture. "Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography" discusses flash photography with the Canon EOS, and its many features which can help would be photographers get that instant picture they want. Covering every feature and technique one can use with the equipment to make vivid and natural pictures, NK Guy gives full advice on everything from preparation to doing it on the fly. "Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography" is an insightful and very useful photography manual, enthusiastically recommended.

Nature: Art And Structure
Mara K. Fuhrmann
H. F. Ullmann
c/o Langenscheidt Publishing Group
15 Tyger River Drive, Duncan, SC 29334
www.langenscheidt.com
9780841611023, $49.99, www.amazon.com

With its tri-lingual (English, German, French) captions, "Nature: Art And Structure" showcases both a national panorama of natural phenomena and the German photographer Mara K. Fuhrmann's impressive skills in capturing their images. From the tiny subject of a white cottongrass blossom in a Netherlands wetland, to the UNESCO world heritage site Goreme Valley landscape; to a two-page photograph of a gorge canyon in Provence, France, "Nature: Art And Structure" is a truly impressive and memorable 215-page excursion of the beauty and wonder and natural artistry of the flora and fauna that the forces of nature have sculpted unassisted and unhindered by the hand of man. "Nature: Art And Structure" is highly recommended for both personal and academic library Photography collections, and would make a particularly excellent choice as a community library Memorial Fund acquisition.

The Underwater Photographer, third edition
Martin Edge
Focal Press
30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803
9780240521640, $39.95, www.focalpress.com

Vivid underwater pictures have much that attracts viewers. "The Underwater Photographer" is the third edition of Martin Edge's advisory guide as she hopes to get readers started in this complex yet rewarding field. From suitable cameras for the job, the right filters, preparations for shots, rookie starting advice, and more. Serving as both a how to guide and a quick reference for veteran water photographers, Edge applies his work well, making "The Underwater Photographer" an invaluable resource for the field.

Focal Press
30 Corporate Dr #400, Burlington, MA 01803
www.focalpress.com

The fourth updated edition of Martin Edge's THE UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER (9780240521640, $39.95) offers a fully updated survey that represents a comprehensive revision on everything from basic underwater photo techniques to specialized underwater shooting. It's the only in-depth guide to underwater photography available, packs in over 500 images, and covers everything from underwater composition and close-ups to using the wide angle lens underwater. Any photography library needs this. Also recommended is the second updated edition of Ctein's DIGITAL RESTORATION FROM START TO FINISH (9780240812083, $39.95), an in-depth guide to repairing and restoring old and damaged photos. From scanning faded prints to correcting uneven exposure and fixing color, this is packed with color screen shots and examples throughout.

150 Projects to Strengthen Your Photography Skills
John Easterby
Barrons
250 Wireless Road, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764144707, $21.99 www.barronseduc.com

150 Projects to Strengthen Your Photography Skills offers over a hundred projects that teach how to improve photography skills, with projects covering equipment, shooting details, and technical specifications. From obtaining photography training and building a career to building upon basic skills, this comes from a course leader of photojournalism and is packed with 'how to do it better' advice perfect for college-level photography students.


The Political Science Shelf

A Presidency in Peril
Robert Kuttner
Chelsea Green
PO Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603582704, $25.00, www.chelseagreen.com

Promises can prove hard to keep when the realities of power settle in. "A Presidency in Peril: The Inside Story of Obama's Promise, Wall Street's Power, and the Struggle to Control Our Economic Future" puts an eye onto the Obama Presidency as Robert Kuttner offers a through analysis of Barack Obama's first year in office. Even handed, he's critical of Obama's failures but still shows there is hope in his remaining years as the President settles into office. "A Presidency in Peril" is an enlightening and riveting read sure to please.


The Music Shelf

Making Music with Sonar Home Studio
Craig Anderton
Course Technology
20 Channel Center St., Boston, MA 02210
9781598639735, $34.99 www.courseptr.com

Making Music with Sonar Home Studio is a fine pick showing how to use the Home Studio program as a creative tool. It uses the program's owner's manual as a foundation for explaining how to use the program, from optimizing a recording setup to composing and mixing down a song. Step-by-step details are powerful in customization and options.

House of Hits
Andy Bradley & Roger Wood
University of Texas Press
PO Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
9780292719194, $34.95, www.utexaspress.com

One of the biggest capitals of music in America got started due to a zoning law oversight. "House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/Sugarhill Recording Studios" tells the story of how after the end of World War II, this small recording studio grew and became a juggernaut of music, bringing many hits and musical legends, such as Willie Nelson, into the American lime light. An in-depth history traces its history from the 1950s to the modern era where it sponsors acts like Destiny's Child. "House of Hits" is a fascinating piece of Texan music history, highly recommended. Also for Texan music fans is "Texas Tornado: The Times & Music of Doug Sahm" (9780292721968, $24.95, www.utexaspress.com), a look at the career and early death of Doug Sahm, a contemporary of Bob Dylan.


The Travel Shelf

The Ship Hotel
Brian Butko
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
9780811736312, $19.95 www.stackpolebooks.com

THE SHIP HOTEL: A GRAND VIEW ALONG THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY covers the highway's most famous attraction, blending vintage images with the author's own 'you are there' style narrative to create a lively survey of bygone years. Color illustrations throughout and a handy pocket format makes this a real winner.

Lonely Planet
150 Linden St., Oakland, CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

Damien Simonis, et.al.'s ITALY (9781741792294, $25.99) is a take along tote 'must' for any independent traveler planning a trip to the country. It offers history, cultural insights, tips on where to go and how to travel, and keys to Italy's regional attractions and is written by experts who provide a fully updated guide packed with honest, accurate advice. Over 170 maps and full-color illustrations make for the traveler's reference of choice. China Williams, et.al.'s SOUTHEAST ASIA ON A SHOESTRING (9781741792331, $26.99) is also a 'must' take-along for any independent budget-minded traveler planning a trip to Southeast Asia. It covers everything from sightseeing and shopping to current events, provides itineraries for easy travel, and is a top reference packed with maps and specific detail. Similar in format and detail is Ryan Ver Berkmoes' INDONESIA (9781741048308, $31.99), offering the same detailed itineraries, updated information, maps and more on all areas of the vast Indonesian archipelago. Another 'must take-along tote'. USA (9781741792355, $29.99) is a thick guide for a take-along tote, but it packs in road trip coverage and custom itineraries, offers pull-out maps (over 146 maps total), and is filled with tested tips on travel across the country. History, culture and travel specifics make this a top guide.

Moon's Belize
Joshua Berman
Avalon Travel Publishing
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9781598802108, $17.95 www.moon.com

Moon's Belize provides a winning survey of sights, activities, and travel in Belize, packing in over forty detailed maps and offering firsthand experience to document the best of Belize's offerings. Packaged in a book small enough to become a take-along tote, this will appeal to any library strong in South American travel destinations for independent travelers.

England
Insight Guides
36-36 33rd Street, 4th Floor, Long Island City, NY 11106
9789812820662, $24.99

So much history is concentrated in the capital of the United Kingdom, that experiencing it all can prove difficult. "England" is another guide from Insight Guides to best help travelers get the full experience that comes with a trip to England, and its many attractions. Focusing on the non-London attractions the country can offer, it presents much else one can experience outside the city and the wonderful sights and natural beauty the country and its long history hold. "England" is a choice and solidly recommended pick that shouldn't be missed for any prospective traveler.

Speak the Culture Italy
Thorogood
c/o Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20194
1854186280, $24.95, www.speaktheculture.net

There's more to Italy than a bunch of gods and Spaghetti. "Speak the Culture: Italy" is a crash course in Italian culture in Thorogood's Speak the Culture series, giving a deeper insight into the substance of the Italian people than simply their language. From their historical icons to their modern pop culture, "Speak the Culture" is an insightful read for anyone who wants a better grasp of Italian culture or who wants to visit the country without the big glowing neon tourist sign over their head.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Zen Women
Grace Schireson
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
9780861714759, $16.95, www.wisdompubs.org

Buddhism is, much like many world religions, male dominated. "Zen Women: Beyond Tea Ladies, Iron Maidens, and Macho masters" is an exploration of women in regards to the Buddhist faith. From early women who embraced Buddhism and how their adherence differed from the men, the early nuns of Buddhism, and how the women of today follow the faith, "Zen Women" is insightful and answers many questions, a top pick for any woman with an interest in Buddhism, or anyone with a general interest in the philosophy.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Your Money: The Missing Manual
J.D. Roth
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9780596809409, $21.99 www.oreilly.com

Your Money: The Missing Manual joins others in the 'Missing Manual' references and should be a part of any business or personal finance consumer's library. It covers all the basics, discussing the best ways to get and reach financial goals, how to use credit wisely, how to get the most from investments, and more. The result is a top all-around financial guide any consumer or student will relish.

Obsessive Consumption
Kate Bingaman-Burt
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781568988900, $19.95 www.papress.com

OBSESSIVE CONSUMPTION: WHAT DID YOU BUY TODAY provides a fun selection of three years of the author's ink drawings of daily items accompanied by annotations, mocking her relationship with her purchases and offering insights on mass-produced items. While its likely audience will be art and drawing libraries, it shouldn't be missed by any general consumer collection - and is reviewed here for recommendation to this audience, as well.

House Investor's Manual
Lambert Munz
Dog Ear Publishing
4010 W. 86th Street, Ste H, Indianapolis, IN 46268
9781608443390, $17.95, www.dogearpublishing.net

It's disheartening to buy something and have its value plummet. "House Investor's Manual: Buying Rules: Ignored, Unknown, or Untold" is an investor's guide to successful buying on the real estate market to avoid the poisoning purchases that lurk around every corner for the investor. Lambert Munz gives solid advice on how to feast instead of famine, and anyone breaking into the investment game should consider "House Investor's Manual."


The Automotive Shelf

Yenko: The Man, The Machines, The Legend
Bob McClurg
CarTech
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
9781932494853, $39.95 www.cartechbooks.com

Yenko: The Man, The Machines, The Legend follows the legendary cars Yenko designed: projects that began with the Stinger Corvairs and ended with turbocharged Camaros and Vegas, among others. His life and achievements provide a detailed examination of his cars, with facts stemming from interviews with Yenko family members, former employees, and professional co contemporaries. Auto buffs will relish this in-depth survey, packed with color photos throughout.

Collector's Originality Guide: Corvette 1968-1982
Tom Falconer
Motorbooks International
400 1st Avenue North Suite 300, Minneapolis MN 55401
9780760337479, $24.99 www.motorbooks.com

Collector's Originality Guide: Corvette 1968-1982 provides a compendium of parts, finishes, op0tions and trim pieces for all fourth-generation Corvette models, packing in details on restored vehicles from 1968 to 1982 and collectible factors from signature markings to factory identification plates. Recommended not just for auto collections, but for any library catering to collectors overall.

Electric and Hybrid Cars, second edition
Curtis D. Anderson & Judy Anderson
McFarland
PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
9780786433018, $45/00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

The energy source of the future will not be fossil fuels, but what will it be? "Electric and Hybrid Cars: A History" is the second edition of the history of cars under alternative fuel sources have been making their way from fringe science to being accepted as the mainstream and an icon of the environmentally conscious. Electric cars have been around for decades, and their promotion has changed over the decades, and what the future holds. "Electric and Hybrid Cars" is a fascinating look at the history of alternative cars, a top pick for any automotive history collection.


The International Studies Shelf

The Constitution of Vietnam
Mark Sidel
Hart Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave. Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
9781841137391, $42.00, www.hartpub.co.uk

One improves one's own government by looking around the world for new thoughts and ideas. "The Constitution of Vietnam: A Contextual Analysis" analyzes how the constitution for Vietnam has taken hold in the later half of the twentieth century. After World War II and through the Cold War with many full blown wars throughout the past fifty years, it has led to many revisions and changes, providing a unique model of administration. Covering its history decade by decade, "The Constitution of Vietnam" proves to be a fascinating and very highly recommended read, an ideal addition to any law or history collections.


The Parenting Shelf

Contemporary Fathering
Brid Featherstone
The Policy Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 NE 58th Ave. Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213-3786
9781861349873, $34.95, www.policypress.org.uk

The meaning of being a father has changed over the years. "Contemporary Fathering: Theory, Policy, and Practice" is a guide to what it means to be a father in the twenty first century. The value of a father has been discussed by many psychologists and Brid Featherstone does well in outlining the many thoughts and details that surround the father, and uses a feminist perspective that highlights why the father is still important in today's era of single parents. "Contemporary Fathering" is a strong pick with many thoughtful ideas for readers, highly recommended.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

The Great Global Warming Blunder
Roy W. Spencer
Encounter Books
900 Broadway #601, New York NY 10005
9781594033735, $23.95 www.encounterbooks.com

The Great Global Warming Blunder: How Mother Nature Fooled the World's Top Climate Scientists offers a simple explanation for why forecasts of a global warming Armageddon represent a major scientific blunder. Climate researchers have mixed up cause and effect in their analysis of cloud behavior - and Dr. Spencer exposes the political and financial biases that have influenced climate research. Any library strong in global warming issues needs this different analysis and approach.

Climategate
Brian Sussman
WND Books
marketing@wndbooks.com
9781935071839, $25.95 www.wndbooks.com

CLIMATEGATE: A VETERAN METEOROLOGIST EXPOSES THE GLOBAL WARMING SCAM comes from a former meteorologist turned talk show host and offers a range of stories to link modern environmental leaders to communists and faulty thinking. From past climate records that show climate was warmer than it is today to the assessment that global warming is a convenient theory allowing companies to reap billions, this offers an attack on the entire global warming concept - and analyzes reasons behind its ideas.

Beyond Naturalness
David N. Cole & Laurie Yung, editor
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009
9781597265096, $35.00, www.islandpress.org

The world is more rapidly changing now than ever before. "Beyond Naturalness: Rethinking Park and Wilderness Stewardship in an Era of Rapid Change" is an analysis of the current park systems of the United States and how they could stand to be updated in today's world of high technology and new and rising threats to the natural world. With chapters on climate change, understanding it in regards to parks, and much more, "Beyond Naturalness" is a fine resource for anyone concerned with the status of today's natural parks throughout the world.


The Language Studies Shelf

Word Catcher
Phil Cousineau
Viva Editions
2246 Sixth St., Berkeley, CA 94710
9781573444002, $15.95, www.vivaeditions.com

The lexicon expands throughout history, but few know the stories behind the words. "Word Catcher: An Odyssey Into the World of Weird and Wonderful Words" delves into the English language and tries to find the history behind the names and common phrases we udder every day and how they came to be. From countries being founded on utterances, to the interbreeding with other languages that impact the world over, Phil Consuineau brings readers quite the riveting and fun read. "Word Catcher" is a solid addition to any trivia collection.


The Psychology Shelf

Zen and Psychotherapy
Joseph Bobbrow
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th, New York NY 10110
9780393705799, $27.50 www.wwnorton.com

Zen and Psychotherapy: Partners in Liberation offers a strong survey on the transformative experience in psychotherapy. While Zen and psychotherapy are quite different paths and approaches, and have even had an adversarial relationship in the past, they share the common qualities of being a journey and process of inquiry, valuing truth and awareness. The dynamics of both are explored in a fine survey of emotional and spiritual development and shows how both can change our lives.

My Brain Made Me Do It
Eliezer J. Sternberg
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616141653, $21.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

My Brain Made Me Do It: The Rise of Neuroscience and the Threat to Moral Responsibility draws important connections between brain science and issues of responsibility and morality, examining how the brain affects the exercise of will, how Parkinson's and other diseases reveal keys about controlling our actions, and how the evolution of brain chemistry has affected choices and actions overall. A top pick for any college-level health, science or social issues collection.

AP Psychology, fourth edition
Allyson J. Weseley, Ed.D and Robert McEntarffer
Barron's
250 Wireless Road, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764195255, $29.99 www.barronseduc.com

The fourth updated edition of AP Psychology is a 'must' study guide offering the latest practice tests available, study tips, and strategies covering various research methods. Two more practice tests with answers and explanations appear on an accompanying CD-ROM, making for a key student's study guide perfect for any high school collection.

Welcome to the Jungle
Hilary Smith
Red Wheel, Weiser, Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 1950
9781573244725, $14.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

Once driven, determined, the next subdued and melancholy. "Welcome to the Jungle: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bipolar But Were Too Freaked Out to Ask" is a guide for non-sufferers who want to best understand bipolar disorder and the baggage and challenges that come along with it. Hilary Smith presents thoughts and answers to even help those faced with the disorder but are unsure of the effects of their medication, insurance woes, and much more. "Welcome to the Jungle" is a powerful resource, not to be missed.


The Computer Shelf

Web 2.0 and Social Networking for the Enterprise
Joey Bernal
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0137004893, $39.99 www.ibmpressbooks.com

Web 2.0 and Social Networking for the Enterprise: Guidelines and Examples for Implementation and Management Within Your Organization provides a winning survey connecting social networking approaches with proven techniques for increasing productivity. New case studies from IBM and many of its social networking sites accompany insights covering different technologies ranging from AJAX and REST to tagging and portals. The result's a fine coverage any social networking computer or business library needs.

Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.informit.com

Bruce Powel Douglass's Real-Time Agility: The Harmony-ESW Method for Real-Time and Embedded Systems Development (0321545494, $54.99) comes from a leading embedded-systems consult who covers model-driven development and agile methods, analyzing plans, requirements, and three levels of agile design processes. Examples pack a survey that can serve as a tutorial as well as a developer's reference guide. B.V. Kumar, Prakash Narajyan and Tony Ng's IMPLEMENTING SOA USING JAVA EE (0321492153, $54.99) is for any library offering Java programmers keys to success, and covers SOA development ranging from messaging and registries to using Java persistence API and implementing SOA at all web and business processes. The result is an outstanding read perfect for any programming collection. Roman Pichler's AGILE PRODUCT MANAGEMENT WITH SCRUM: CREATING PRODUCTS THAT CUSTOMERS LOVE (0321605780, $34.99) offers the first guide to Scrum-based agile product management and comes from a leading Scrum consultant who uses real-world examples to show how product owners can use Scrum to maximum benefit. From understanding the product and planning its release to understanding sprint meetings and ownership issues, this is a fine pick for Agile and project management collections alike. Technical college-level collections strong in advanced computer and business topics will relish Eileen C. Forrester, Brndon L. Buteau and Sandy Shrum's CMMI FOR SERVICES: GUIDELINES FOR SUPERIOR SERVICE (0321635892, $69.99), a fine survey discussing guidelines that can help organizations establish and improve processes for delivering services. From the basic concept of CMMI-SVC to general and specific practices and useful references, it's a survey no library should be without.

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

HEAD FIRST EXCEL by Michael Milton (9780596807696, $34.99) offers a winning survey that uses the latest research in cognitive science and learning theory to provide a content-rich, visual approach to learning Excel. From making basic calculations key to any workflow to handling worksheets and pivot table analysis, this is a brain-friendly guide Excel users will relish. Jonathan Stark's BUILDING IPHONE APPS WITH HTML, CSS, AND JAVASCRIPT (9780596805784, $29.99) offers a fine survey of mobile development tools and open source web technologies that can design and build apps for the iPhone and iPod touch without using Cocoa or Objective-C. Learn how to use various tricks to hook into advanced iPhone features with this fine programmer's guide. Kevlin Henney edits 97 THINGS EVERY PROGRAMMER SHOULD KNOW (9780596809485, $29.99), a fine survey of basic programming 'musts' with contributors from across the board in the industry - from Verity Stob to Michael Feathers and more. All kinds of projects and concerns are addressed, from using code in domain language to keeping the build clean and including tools for static code analysis in a project's framework. Alasdair Allan's LEARNING IPHONE PROGRAMMING (9780596806439, $29.99) offers fine keys to building sample applications using Xcode tools and the Objective-C programming language. From building a data-entry interface and storing data to understanding hoc distribution, this presents a fine key for any iPhone programmer.

Pragmatic Programming
P.O. Box 293325, Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
www.pragprog.com

Terence Parr's LANGUAGE IMPLEMENTATION PATTERNS: CREATE YOUR OWN DOMAIN-SPECIFIC AND GENERAL PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES (9781934356456, $34.95) tells how to build file readers, data readers, code generators and more - without a strong computer science background. The author offers insights into common design patterns key to development for Java and other programmers, creating a guide that isn't language-specific, but pattern-oriented. Any programmer's library needs this. Also highly recommended is Tim Isted's BEGINNING MAC PROGRAMMING: DEVELOP WITH OBJECTIVE-C AND COCOA (9781934356517, $34.95), which shows beginners how to write software for the iphone, ipod, ipad and Mac applications. A basic knowledge of these systems is required, but no programming background: guides to free software, tools, and more lets developers and basic Mac programmers learn the basics quickly.

Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture
Bradley Cantrell and Wes Michaels
Wiley
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46256
9780470403976, $75.00 www.wiley.com

Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture: Contemporary Techniques and Tools for Digital Representation in Site Design provides architecture and landscape workers with principles of analog representation and how they cross over to digital techniques. From comparisons between analog and digital rendering to computing basics, using hand-drawn linework and perspective drawings, and more, this packs in over 500 color drawings and photos to illustrate proven techniques for architecture and computer collections alike.

Focal Press
30 Corporate Drive Suite 300, Burlington, MA 01803
www.focalpress.com

Wes McDermott's REAL WORLD MODO: IN THE TRENCHES WITH MONDO (9780240811994, $49.95) is a top pick for any college-level graphics library. It explores the 3D tool, offering an artist-friendly survey of Modo's tools and 3D rendering engine and providing clear tips and tricks for its use. Digital artists will find this key to using Modo 401's power and many benefits, with plenty of visuals to reinforce learning. A top pick for any seeking a definitive Modo coverage. Eric Luhta's HOW TO CHEAT IN MAYA 2010: TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR THE MAYA ANIMATOR (9780240811888, $44.95) comes with a companion DVD with animated examples and scene files and is packed with classic animation secrets from pros. From tools to streamline the process to working with Maya to obtain quality results, this documents which circumstances call for specific techniques and is a pick for any Maya user. A similar format is presented in Chris Georgenes' fine HOW TO CHEAT IN ADOBE FLASH CS4 (9780240521312, $39.95), providing an animator's inside tips on how to work from problem to solution in Flash. Secrets used by pros to produce professional results lend to a fine book and CD package teaching a range of tricks.

Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics, second edition
Brian Clifton
Sybex, Inc.
c/o John Wiley & Sons
989 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103
9780470562314, $39.99 www.sybex.com

Any who want to learn how to implement and apply advanced web analytics techniques will welcome the second updated edition of Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics. It offers a new edition pairing best practices for a web metrics program with insights on how to optimize website performance and learn from AdWords, AdSense, and more. From blending Google Analytics data with third-party systems to using new Google features, Google users will find this a winner.

Lining Up Data
Margaret M. Maher
ESRI Press
380 New York St., Redlands, CA 92373-8100
9781589482494, $24.95

Presenting it in a simplistic and easy to use way, map data can deliver facts quickly and efficiently. "Lining Up Data in ArcGIS: A Guide to Map Projections" is a guide to understanding the program ArcGIS and what it can do for making the maps one needs. With step by step instructions assisted by full color photographs and diagrams, Margaret M. Maher presents a complete and comprehensive guide to help users of the program master it. "Lining Up Data in ArcGIS" is a top pick for any computer and technology collection focusing on data programs.


The Architecture Shelf

Green Restoration
Aaron Lubeck
New Society Publishers
Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865716407, $37.95 www.newsociety.com

GREEN RESTORATION: SUSTAINABLE BUILDING AND HISTORIC HOMES offers the author's expertise as a restoration contractor and preservation consultant, providing builders and homeowners alike with a fine guide to restoring historic buildings using green practices. Room-by-room restoration descriptions offer solutions for all kinds of issues from sealing an old crawl space to replacing windows. This will be a key guide for any library strong in home renovations.

Lilian J. Rice
Diane Y. Welch
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764334566, $49.99, www.amazon.com

In 1923 Lilian J. Rice was provided the opportunity to design and develop Rancho Santa Fe -- a planned upper-class Southern California community. She was so successful that it launched her architectural career designed and building homes for some of the best known entertainers and movie stars of the era. "Lilian J. Rice: Architect of Rancho Santa Fe, California" by biographer and historian Diane Y. Welch is a 224-page beautifully illustrated compendium showcasing the architectural accomplishments of a truly gifted architect with an impressive roster of discerning patrons. Profusely illustrated with 394 captioned illustrations, "Lilian J. Rice: Architect of Rancho Santa Fe, California" includes floor plans, architectural renderings, and superbly reproduced full color photography. Informed and informative, "Lilian J. Rice: Architect of Rancho Santa Fe, California" is a fitting and highly recommended addition to professional, academic, and community library American Architectural History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Large Print Shelf

Rifle Pass
Max Brand
Sagebrush
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780753185087, $27.99, www.amazon.com

Classic Max Brand adventure yarns set in the Old West, "Rifle Pass: A Western Trio" showcases three of his best short stories this large print edition. 'Nighthawk Trail' features one of the most dangerous men in the west in his search to find the great horse Nighthawk. 'The Vamp's Bandit' has rowdy ranch hand Bob Nelson graduating to stage holdup's and being wanted by the law. 'Rifle Pass' has an aging sheriff trying to get his shiftless son to prove himself by appointing the young man a deputy and sending him after the outlaw Harry Sanford. Roaring good reads, all three of these short stories are gems of western adventure, making "Rifle Pass: A Western Trio" an ideal and enthusiastically recommended addition to community library Large Print fiction collections. Also very highly recommended for these collections are two new westerns from Sagebrush: Ray Hogan's "The Searching Guns" (9780753185094, $28.64) and Francis W. Hilton's "The Long Rope" (9780753185100, $27.99).


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Simpsons Futurama: Crossover Crisis
Bill Morrison, Editor
Abrams
115 W 18th St., New York NY 10011
9780810988378, $24.95 www.abramsbooks.com

The Simpsons Futurama: Crossover Crisis is a Simpsons comic guide any collector simply must have. It's not just that full-color cartoon drawings pack the book, or that it blends two very different shows - The Simpsons and Futurama - but it provides a fine series of interactions and concludes with a first-edition collectible comic book in the back pocket. Packed in a gorgeous full-color slipcase, it's a collector's winner.

Sal Buscema: Comics' Fast & Furious Artist
Jim Amash with Eric Nolen-Weatherington
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleigh, NC 27614
1605490210, $26.95 www.twomorrows.com

Sal Buscema: Comics' Fast & Furious Artist provides a fine review of a Marvel Comics artist who became one of the most recognized artists of the comic world. He created some of Marvel's most memorable storylines and had a ten-year run with The Incredible Hulk: his creations cemented some of the most famous runs of the comic universe and here black and white and color panels compliment many Buscema insights, key to any serious comic collector's shelf.

The Legacy
Andrew McGinn & David Neitzke
Gauthier Publications
Box 806241, Saint Clair Shores, MI 48080
9780982081266, $10.95, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of author Andrew McGinn and illustrator David Neitzke, "The Legacy" is the story of a young man of artistic talent being saddled with the unwanted responsibility of continuing his successful cartoonist father's newspaper comic strip, thwarting his own ambitions of being a graphic novelist. A rollicking good read from beginning to end, "The Legacy" is thoroughly entertaining and carries an all to familiar message of what happens when parental expectations are foisted upon a most reluctant 'next generation'. Highly recommended for both personal and community library graphic novel collections, "The Legacy" is witty, poignant, and a terrific read!


The Mathematics Shelf

Surveys in Differential Geometry: Volume 14
Lizhen Ji, et al.
International Press of Boston
PO Box 43502, Sommerville, MA 02143
http://intlpress.com
9781571461407, $85.00, www.amazon.com

Deftly compiled and edited by the academic editorial team of Lizhen Ji (University of Michigan), Scott A. Wolpert (University of Maryland), and Shing-Tung Yau (Harvard University), "Surveys in Differential Geometry: Volume 14, Geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces" is a collection of lectures delivered at the 2009 JDG conference. Comprising this 418-page compendium are Divisors in the moduli spaces of curves (Enrico Arbarello and Maurizio Cornalba); Stability phenomena in the topology of moduli spaces (Ralph L. Cohen); Birational aspects of the geometry of Mg (Gavril Farkas); The universal Whitham hierarchy and the geometry of the moduli space of pointed Riemann surfaces (Samuel Grushevsky and Igor Krichever); Brill-Noether theory (Joe Harris); GL+2(R)-orbit closures via topological splittings (Pascal Hubert, Erwan Lanneau, and Martin Moller); Harmonic mappings and moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces (Jurgen Jost and Shing Tung Yau); Algebraic structures on the topology of moduli spaces of curves and maps (Y.-P. Lee and R. Vakil); Recent development on the geometry of the Teichmuller and moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces (Kefeng Liu, Xiaofeng Sun, and Shing-Tung Yau); The universal properties of Teichmuller spaces (Vladimir Markovic and Dragomir Saric); Geometry of Teichmuller space with the Teichmuller metric (Howard Masur); GIT constructions of moduli spaces of stable curves and maps (Ian Morrison); Riemann surfaces, integrable hierarchies, and singularity theory (Yongbin Ruan). "Surveys in Differential Geometry: Volume 14, Geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces" is an invaluable core addition to academic library Advanced Mathematics resource and reference collections and supplemental study lists in the specific field of Riemann Geometry.


The Sports Shelf

High Heat
Tim Wendell
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780306818486, $25.00 www.dacapopress.com

HIGH HEAT: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE FAST BALL AND THE IMPROBABLE SEARCH FOR THE FASTEST PITCHER OF ALL TIME moves from the records of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in New York to a lab in Alabama, analyzing the nature of the fastball in its scientific form and in the sport of baseball. How can one determine what makes the fastest fast ball? HIGH HEAT interviews Hall of Fame names and baseball greats alike as it surveys pitching stars and their influence on the history and nature of baseball. Any sports library will relish this.

Fifty-Nine in '84
Edward Achorn
Harper
c/o HarperCollins
10 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780061825866, $25.99 www.harpercollins.com

Fifty-Nine in '84: Old Hoss Radbourn, Barehanded Baseball and the Greatest Season a Pitcher Ever Had comes from a Pulitzer Prize finalist and tells of pitcher Charles Radbourn's 1884 season, when he set a record that would never be broken. His biography blends with a history of baseball in the late 19th century and the culture of ill repute it fostered, with its image as a profession of hard-drinking men who cheated and would maim an opponent to win the game. Any baseball library needs this history.

Gold Medal Physics: The Science of Sports
John Eric Goff
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
0801893224, $25.00 www.press.jhu.edu

Gold Medal Physics: The Science of Sports offers a fine, satisfying blend of science and sports perfect for any library strong in athletics. It analyzes the science behind soccer, cycling, skating, diving and many other competitive sports, using key players in the fields to explain the basic physics behind everyday athletic achievement. Sports libraries will find this engrossing.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Murder, She Wrote: Nashville Noir
Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain
Obsidian Mysteries
c/o Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451229274, $22.95 www.penguin.com

Murder, She Wrote: Nashville Noir is based on the TV series and provides a fine new book in a mystery series. Here music and murder clash when a country music publisher is murdered by a young talent, and Jessica is called upon to help a daughter in trouble. A fine mystery evolves, perfect for any general lending library.


The Literary Shelf

Writers on the Spectrum
Julie Brown
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Box 960, Herndon, VA 20172-0960
9781843109136, $54.95 www.jkp.com

Writers on the Spectrum is for any college-level library strong in literary analysis. It shows how the writings of some of the world's most celebrated authors indicate signs of autism and Asperger Syndrome, considering structure, content and writing style in its exploration of an autistic perception of life. A range of writers are considered in an analysis identifying signs of autistic perceptions of life and themes of alienation, making this an outstanding presentation for any literary collection.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Just Don't Call Me Ma'am
Anna Mitchael
Seal Press
1700 - 4th St., Berkeley, CA 94710
9781580053167, $15.95 www.sealpress.com

Just Don't Call Me Ma'am tells of the author, a southern gal who left Texas in search of a new life, and finds life changes in different parts of the country. Her account of being a twenty-something in search of change offers cultural and social insights as well, making for a humorous, honest and moving story.

Where Women Create: Book of Inspiration
Jo Packham and Jenny Doh
Lark Books
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
9781600595646, $24.95 www.larkbooks.com

Where Women Create: Book of Inspiration gathers the stories of over twenty women who reveal the influences on their artistic processes and provide color photos of their work spaces. From painting elements from nature to a textile designer's colors, this packs in lovely surveys of creative environments conducive to change.

Feminist Bioethics
Jackie Leach Scully, Ph.D., et.al.
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218
9780801894251, $30.00 www.press.jhu.edu

FEMINIST BIOETHICS: AT THE CENTER, ON THE MARGINS is a powerful college-level consideration of medical ethics perfect for both health and women's studies libraries. It considers the place of feminist bioethics in the international bioethics community, offering an analysis of the current state and trends of feminist bioethics and how different types of feminism can inform and strengthen feminist bioethics. From cancer genetics to rape and prenatal selection, feminist bioethical thought is covered both philosophically and medically.

The Day I Shot Cupid
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Voice
c/o Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401341121, $23.99 www.hyperionbooks.com

The Day I Shot Cupid: Hello, My Name is Jennifer Love Hewitt and I'm a Love-aholic offers a funny first book by an actress who explores the modern challenges of dating and provides a host of practical tips, from how to text flirt to how to breakup and recover. Insights on what men and women really want and need accompany the humor and serious examination: perfect for any general or women's studies library.

Work It!
Jesse Garza and Joe Lupo
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811865227, $24.95 www.chroniclebooks.com

WORK IT! VISUAL THERAPY'S GUIDE TO YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER WARDROBE comes from two stylists who have spent years revamping wardrobes and showing women how to look good. This focus is on business attire and covers all the basics, from determining individual work personality to establishing career goals and customizing a wardrobe to meet them. Any business or women's issues library needs this.


The Nautical Shelf

Seas and Waterways of the World
John Zumerchik and Steven L. Danver, Eds
ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9781851097111, $165.00 www.abc-clio.com

Seas and Waterways of the World: An Encyclopedia of History, Uses and Issues appears in a fine two-volume set packing in over a hundred entries, organized alphabetically with 3 sections and coming from nearly fifty contributors who are experts in water-based commerce and economics. From important events in nautical history to photos, maps and more, this pairs primary source documents with key reference facts in a title perfect for college-level nautical history libraries.

After the Bounty
James Morrison, Edited by Donald A. Maxton
Potomac Books
22841 Quicksilver Dr, Dulles, VA 20166-2012
9781597973717, $29.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com

AFTER THE BOUNTY: A SAILOR'S ACCOUNT OF THE MUTINY AND LIFE IN THE SOUTH SEAS provides a winning survey of the famous Bounty's voyage by fellow mutineer James Morrison, boatswain's mate, and follows his journeys through the South Seas. His stories of adventures after the Bounty mutiny makes for a powerful historical journal packed with nautical adventure and perfect for any nautical history library.

Afloat on the Tide
Nancy Rich and Peter H. Spectre
Sheridan House
145 Palisade St., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
9781574092851, $29.95 www.sheridanhouse.com

AFLOAT ON THE TIDE: WOODEN DINGHIES, PRAMS, SKIFFS AND OTHER ROWBOATS is an outstanding pick for any interested in small boat craftsmanship. The author's been photographing small rowboats of the Atlantic Coast for a decade and here provides a fine collection of color photos reflecting the journey of the small wooden craft. Small boat fans will find this a real winner and a top pick for any nautical history collection.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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