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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 5, Number 5 May 2006 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Senior Citizen Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Travel Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Self-Help Shelf Fiction Shelf
Poetry Shelf Gardening Shelf American History Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Parenting Shelf Political Science Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Language Studies Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Military Shelf Social Issues Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Sports Shelf Biography Shelf Folklore Shelf
Business Shelf Criminology Shelf Education Shelf
Native American Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf Art Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Chocolate French
TCB Cafe Publishing
PO B 471706, San Francisco, CA 94147
0976768216 $19.95 1-415-263-6800 www.chocolatetelevision.com

The revised and expanded second edition of Chocolate French: Recipes, Language, And Directions To Français au Chocolat, collectively gathers a wealth of fun and interesting biographical information, facts, recipes, colored photography, and intriguing references for world-wide chocolateers. Providing readers with fifty great chocolate recipes from the world's most renowned chefs and chocolateers, Chocolate French is an informative exploration of the fascinating and passionate relationship between chocolate and its most worldly and imaginative creators. Chocolate French is very highly recommended for its unique and thorough coverage of the inspiring world of dedication and consumption in the ever-popular production of chocolate.

Seed's Sketchy Relationship Theories
The Seed & German Seed
Author House
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403
1420800302 $22.95 www.amazon.com

Seed's Sketchy Relationship Theories (How To Become A Bar Regular) is an engaging, entertaining, analytical, and rather knowledgeable guide to the process of dating. Seed's Sketchy Relationship Theories provides readers with an observational insights drawn directly from the grass roots of life organized in sections dedicated to "The Formative Years", "Getting In The Game", "You Have Someone You Think You Want To Keep - Now What?", "It's Not Working: Picking Up The Pieces Of You", "For Better Or Worse You're Staying", and "Other Realms (Roommates, The Gay World, and a Closing Rant). Seed's Sketchy Relationship Theories is very highly recommended as an outstanding compendium of logical and informative ideas and ideals for dating, relationships, marriage, and general advice for readers unsatisfied or dissatisfied with their current relationship status -- including not having one.

Millenials And The Pop Culture
William Strauss & Neil Howe
LifeCourse Associates
9080 Eaton Park Road, Great Falls, VA 22066
0971260605 $49.00 1-866-537-4999 www.lifecourse.com

Co-authored by William Strauss and Neil Howe, and with the additional assistance of Pete Markiewicz, Millenials And The Pop Culture: Strategies For A New Generation Of Consumers is an informed study focusing upon a decreasing in entertainment consumption by the "Millenial generation". Providing readers documentation of this cultural phenomena through a series of polls, interviews, surveys, and ratings, Millenials And The Pop Culture delves deeply into the seeming demise of music concerts, big-screen movie viewing, and traditional music distribution sales, while informing readers of the increasing popularity and social change in computer games and game systems as key providers of significantly less limited formatting of entertainment delivery systems. Millenials And The Pop Culture is very strongly recommended as an invaluable and in-depth study of the Millenial generation that will be of particular interest to students of the generation-based social and cultural shifts, as well as those professionally involved with economics, marketing, and the entertainment business.

A Field Guide To Gold, Gemstone, And Mineral Sites Of British Columbia
Rick Hudson
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
1550173537 $26.95 1-604-883-2730 www.harbourpublishing.com

The newly revised and substantially updated second edition of A Field Guide To Gold, Gemstone, And Mineral Sites Of British Columbia: Volume 2 - Sites Within A Day's Drive Of Vancouver by Rick Hudson is an insightful and informative collection of area locations filled with the accessible beauties of natural minerals and gems to be found in the Vancouver area. As a concise compendium practical information for finding and recovering prized gemstones and minerals, A Field Guide To Gold, Gemstone, And Mineral Sites Of British Columbia combines the author's years of experience and "know-how" with practical mapping and discovery methods. Enhanced with maps and site drawings, a glossary of geological terms, addresses of government offices, museums and mineral clubs/associations, A Field Guide To Gold, Gemstone, And Mineral Sites Of British Columbia is very strongly recommended for do-it-yourself mining hobbyists with respect to more than 260 sites in the British Columbia and Vancouver area.

e-Plan Your Wedding
Crystal & Jason Melendez
Mediasoft Press
PO Box 610487, San Jose, CA 95161
1933457007 $18.95 www.eplanyourweddin.com www.mediasoftpress.com

e-Plan Your Wedding: How To Save Time And Money With Today's Best Online Resources by Crystal and Jason Melendez is a creatively practical and innovative guide to finding and securing an inexpensive yet fulfilling wedding ceremony and reception by way of the internet. As the internet continues to mature and expand, ordinary people find more and more of what they wish to accomplish or research can be quickly done on-line -- something past generations never had, and e-Plan Your Wedding is the ultimate "user-friendly" reference for swift and tactful preparation of the big matrimonial day. e-Plan Your Wedding is very strongly recommended instructional resource for wedding planners, especially for aspiring newlyweds anticipating their own do-it-yourself, cost-efficient, wedding planning.

Stories From Someone Older Than Television
Margie Zats
Beaver's Pond Press
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 216, Edina, MN 55439-2129
1592981291 $14.00 www.beaverspondpress.com

Stories From Someone Older Than Television by Margie Zats with illustrations from Jerry Fearing is an eclectic collection of peculiar stories and creative oddities, Including eight fun and tasty recipes. Stories From Someone Older Than Television is a unique and humorous telling of tales drawn from Margie Zats' own life and memories. With a text that is occasionally enhanced with illustrations by cartoonist Jerry Faring, Stories From Someone Older Than Television is very highly recommended to all readers with an interest in funny biographical short-stories -- as well as those with an interest in hearty home-style cooking.

Vale
Adrian Krieg
A2z Publications
8724 SR 70 E, #143, Bradenton, FL 34202
0974850233 $22.50 www.amazon.com

Vale: The Illuminati And Its Plans For The Future by Adrian Krieg offers a comprehensive and inherently intriguing understanding of the worlds most secretive organization, the Illuminati. Providing his readers an understanding of who the Illuminati are and what their American domicile is, Krieg lays out the relationship between communism, Zionism, and the Illuminati, how the Illuminati has controlled elections (including the presidential candidacy process), how they control fiat currency; how they control banking worldwide, how they are changing our society with foreign treaties and agreements, their near total control of the mainstream media, and why in the 21st century we are little better slaves. Vale: The Illuminati And Its Plans For The Future is a conceptual understanding of the grass roots of modern and digressing America and its relationship to worldly "underpowers". Vale: The Illuminati And Its Plans For The Future is very highly recommended to all patriotic and subversive Americans searching for a complete understanding of the worldly active power which restricts the truth and well-being of so many.


The Senior Citizen Shelf

Invent Your Retirement
Art Koff
Oakhill Press
Maryglenn McCombs (publicity)
2817 West End Avenue, Suite 126-274, Nashville, TN 37203
1886939764 $16.95 www.oakhillpress.com

Very highly recommended and informative reading, Invent Your Retirement: Resources For The Good Life by Art Koff is a quality reference for soon-to-be retirees searching for a "user-friendly" guide in preparing for retirement. Educating readers on all aspects and foresight into retirement, Invent Your Retirement covers a decision process consisting of tips and tactics to determine an ideal residential location, longevity via exercise, working, volunteering, further schooling, dietary adjustments, adopting a pet, understanding memory loss, beginning a business or home office, becoming computer literate, protecting credit, funding retirement, estate planning, investment strategies, insightful health matters, prescription drugs, assisted living, long-term care insurance, nursing homes, and understanding how Social Security and Medicare. Invent Your Retirement is a superb collection of useful and instructive material for successful retired living.

The Senior's Guide To End-Of-Life Issues
Rebecca Sharp Colmer & Todd M. Thomas
Elklektika
PO Box 157, Chelsea, MI 48118
0965167208 $16.95 www.theseniorsguide.com

Collaboratively written by Rebecca Sharp Colmer (Certified Senior Advisor) and Todd M. Thomas, The Senior's Guide To End-Of-Life Issues: Advance Directives, Wills, Funerals And Cremations offers an especially "reader friendly" commentary and advice to understanding of the entire process of preparing for the financial, legal, and ceremonial aspects death, as well as the more practical considerations when dealing with the loss of loved ones, and one's own demise. Covering variable concepts of the non-spiritual and reality behalf of death, The Senior's Guide To End-Of-Life Issues informatively answers questions such as Do I need a will?; What if I die without a will?; What is palliative care?; Who is eligible for hospice care?; What is a Living Will?; What is a Durable Power of Attorney for health care?; What is a CPR directive?; What is a holographic will?; Who should have a trust?; Should I pre-pay my funeral arrangements? and How much does the average funeral cost?. An important addition to any personal, senior citizen center, or community library reference collection, The Senior's Guide To End-Of-Life Issues is very highly recommended reading, especially for aging seniors searching for an appropriate and practical funeral service.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The 12 Moon Signs In Love
Vera Kaikobad
Dog Ear Publishing
4010 West 86th Street, Suite H, Indianapolis, IN 46268
1598580264 $24.99 1-602-330-9171 www.astrologycompatibilityreports.com

The 12 Moon Signs In Love: A Lover's Guide To Understanding Your Partner by seasoned astrologist Vera Kaikobad is an inherently engaging and usefully informative compendium of expert commentary on every aspect of "romantic astrology". Delightfully educating its readers in an easy-to-follow manner, The 12 Moon Signs In Love introduces and explores the many levels and approaches to the science of astrological study and its application for human romance based upon the influence of the moon and the astrological domain. The 12 Moon Signs In Love is very highly recommended reading, especially for dedicated students of astrology, and most particularly for those searching for a greater and more definitive astrological exploration of their love-life in terms of what to look for and what to expect as revealed in the heavens.

Philosophers Stone
Hank Kroll
Infinity Publishing
1094 New DeHaven Street, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2713
0741422352 $19.95 www.alaskapublishing.com

Philosophers Stone by scientist, adventurer, inventor, and entrepreneur Hank Kroll, is an amazing study of the monatomic element (the m-state) or white-powder-of-gold carried in the Ark Of The Covenant of ancient Israel. Deftly authored to inform readers of the author's incredible thirty-year-study conducted for the purpose of understanding this unique superconducting particle, Philosophers Stone deftly covers how it works, its effects, and the expansive abilities which it possesses. Providing readers with seven recipes and multiple particulars for practical and easy creation of the same constructs the ancient priests used to retain an extensive wisdom, knowledge, and to extend their longevity thousands of years ago, Philosophers Stone is very strongly recommended for students of metaphysics in general, and those who are interested in the history of the Ark of the Covenant in particular.

Angelic Force
Marilyn Raphel et al
DoubleLight Publishing
PO Box 361935, Milpitas, CA 95036-1935
0977360202 $24.95 www.doublelight.com

Jointly authored by the team of Marilyn Raphael (teacher of spiritual and psychic development for over thirty years), Sheree Wu (master's graduate of the University of Texas at Austin), and Victor K. Chu (hypnotherapist certified by the American Counsel of Hypnotist Examiners), Angelic Force: A Modern Medium's Communication With The Spirit World, offers an engaging, informative, and intriguing perspective in the form of a study of outstanding abilities granted at birth to Marilyn Raphael, and the complex world of modern psychic perseverance. Introducing readers to particular constructs and sage wisdom drawn directly from the her personal experience. Angelic Force definitively informs readers of the obstructive barriers involved when confronting the spiritual world. Angelic Force is very strongly recommended to all students of ethereal studies and metaphysics for its conceptual content, precise information, and open-minded perspective.

Channeling Vysotsky
T. Tanika
The Spirit Communicator's Press
16594 Calneva Dr, Encino, CA 91436
0976453800 $19.70 www.tanika.com

Dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the death of Vladimir Vysotsky (1938-1980) the icon and rebel of Russian poetry, this bi-lingual (Russian/English) edition of Channeling Vysotsky: A Poet's Journey From Limbo Into The Light, translated by Tatyana Tanika is a remarkable study of the timeless poets afterlife and his substantial influence from beyond the grave. Recognizing Vysotsky's iconoclastic influence and living persuasion, Channeling Vysotsky produces an exclusive biographical and metaphysical study of one of Russia's most engaging poets and musicians in a bilingual format of Russian and English. Channeling Vysotsky is very highly recommended to all supporters of the once comprehensive intentions and post-life spiritual furtherment of the great poetic hero Vladimir Vysotsky and his timeless works.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Conscious Healing
Sol Luckman
Pheonix Center For Regenetics
PO Box 18472, Asheville, NC 28814
1591138434 $19.99 www.phoenixregenetics.org

Conscious Healing: Book One On The Regenetics Method by Sol Luckman (Co-founder of the Phoenix Center for Regenetics) is an original approach to self-healing and provides readers with invaluable understanding of introspective anatomy. Methodically guiding readers through a simple and easy-to-use process and methodology, Conscious Healing offers an exclusive and conceptual detailing of Sol Luckman's revolutionary healing process and study. A welcome addition to personal, professional, and academic library Alternative Medicine reference collections, Conscious Healing is to be given high praise for its remarkable coverage of the many intricacies of regenetics and its progressive discovery, and is very highly recommended to all seeking an education on alternative self-healing procedures.

Dancing With Fear
Leila Peltosaari
Tikka Books
PO Box 386, Verdun P.O., Verdun, Quebec, Canada, H4G 3G1
1896106056 $18.95 www.dancingwithfear.org

Competently compiled and deftly edited by Leila Peltosaari (currently five years cancer free), Dancing With Fear: Tips And Wisdom From Breast Cancer Survivors is an inspired and inspiring collection of shared advice and real-life experience in surviving breast cancer contributed by 125 women. Educating readers on the whole process of discovering breast cancer and guiding readers through an informed approach to the diagnosed condition possible, Dancing With Fear tactfully presents an easy-to-follow guideline of finding the tumor, dealing with the doctors and surgeries, lymphedema, chemotherapy and radiation, tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors, fear of recurrence, complementary and alternative treatments, optimism and pessimism, support and humor, spirituality and facing death, and aftermath and reclaiming life. For its outstanding collection of informed and helpful information, Dancing With Fear is very strongly recommended to all women at risk of or diagnosed with breast cancer.

A Breakthrough In Prostate Cancer Treatment
Panos G. Koutrouvelis
URPI Press
8320 Old Courthouse Road, Suite 150
0977696405 $24.95 1-703-356-9674 www.prostatebrachytherapy.info

A Breakthrough In Prostate Cancer Treatment: What Every Man Should Know -- 3-D Stereotaxis by Panos G. Koutrouvelis (12 years experience in therapy and treatment of Prostate cancer patients and American Board-certified in Radiologym Radiation Therapy and Nuclear Medicine) is an innovative and progressive understanding of a modern discovery in prostate cancer treatment. Informing readers of the life threatening diagnosis of prostate cancer, effecting nearly 240,000 American men yearly, A Breakthrough In Prostate Cancer Treatment diligently and knowledgeably educates its readers on the many intricacies of prostate cancer, its frequent symptoms, its scientific attributes, and the approach of treatments for it. A Breakthrough In Prostate Cancer Treatment is very strongly recommended for all readers, but most particularly males concerned with contracting prostate cancer, or those already diagnosed with prostate cancer and who are searching for a informative guide to their condition, as well as to all doctors, radiologists, and medical support staff specializing in the treatment of prostate cancer.

The Cancer Link
Brett Swailes
Alpaca Publishing Group
PO Box 27, Elverson, PA 19520-0027
0977371905 $17.99 www.thecancerlink.com

The Cancer Link: Is What You Drink by journalist Brett Swailes is a "reader friendly" study of the affects which water may have as a contributing cause to cancer, diabetes, and vascular diseases. Introducing the reader to the World Health Organization's expertise on cancer-causing water attributes, elements and pollution, specific recommendations are made for a more effective and governmentally active pursuit in remedying the problems of deleterious water supplies, of practical alternatives and inexpensive solutions, and cogent reasoning to support the claim that bottled water may not actually help anything. A welcome contribution to Alternative Medicine reference collections, The Cancer Link is very highly recommended especially for anyone concerned for their family and health.

Pills, Bills, And Parkinson's Disease
Paul A. Luscombe
Pal Publishing Company
10755 Bachelor Valley Road, Witter Springs, CA 95493
AtlasBooks, dist.
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
0970437234 $24.50 www.amazon.com 1-800-BOOKLOG www.atlasbooks.com

Pills, Bills, And Parkinson's Disease: Coping With The On-Off Syndrome by Paul A. Luscombe is an informative and "reader friendly" guide through the pain and struggle of dealing with Parkinson's disease. Insightfully engaging the reader in the stories from his own past, through his discovery, understanding, and progression through his own diagnoses and his undesired adaptation to his very active life, Paul Luscombe presents Pills, Bills, And Parkinson's Disease as a kind of helping hand for those who are in the midst of their own difficulties in facing their Parkinson's diagnoses. Pills, Bills, And Parkinson's Disease is very strongly recommended reading, most especially to readers with a diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease for themselves or a loved one.

Hospital Battlefield
Lynne & Joseph Golonka
Author House
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403
1420873504 $17.50 www.authorhouse.com

Collaboratively written by the husband and wife team of Joseph Golonka (Graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the State University of New York, College of Medicine in Syracuse with a Doctor of Medicine degree) and Lynne Golonka (Graduate of the College of St. Rose, Syracuse University, and the University of New York with a Doctorate in Counseling, is a Registered Nurse, trained in Meditation, certified as a Legal Nurse Consultant and Licensed in Counseling), Hospital Battlefield: A Field Manual For Survival identifies and explains of the realities of hospitalization, including the strengths and weaknesses of the modern hospital system. Informatively educating readers on the agendas of doctors and the medical support staff, as well as the rational behind large procedures and standard medical practices, Hospital Battlefield also acts as a kind of preparatory guide for non-specialist general readers anticipating being hospitalized and needing a sound reference for asking the right questions, and identifying to whom they may best be directed. Hospital Battlefield is very highly recommended, fundamentally essential reading as an excellent and accessible introduction to the world prospective hospital patients will experience.

Wellness: Piece By Piece
Pat Sullivan
Health Press
2920 Carlisle NE, Suite 111, Albuquerque, NM 87110
0929173465 $16.95 www.healthpress.com

Wellness: Piece By Piece by Pat Sullivan is a highly informative study of what constitutes a chronic illness and a quite helpful guide to the healing process for such a condition. Introducing readers to chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, candida, allergies, brain fog, the detoxification of mercury and other heavy metals, healing the gut, balancing hormones, clearing infections, proper nutrition, and the spiritual and physical connection with chronic illnesses, Wellness: Piece By Piece provides a concise and complete understanding of the incapacitating disorders. Wellness: Piece By Piece is very strongly recommended as a reliable and "reader friendly" reference or guide for coping with any form of chronic illness with respect to oneself or a loved one.

Patient Handbook To Medical Care
J.L. Richardson
Bend of the River Books
PO Box 330645, Miami, FL 33233-0645
0977178927 $16.95 1-866-362-0411 www.mypatienthandbook.com

Patient Handbook To Medical Care: Your Personal Health Guide by J. L. Richardson (a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has completed her residency training at Georgetown University) is a helpful, practical, "reader friendly" guide to a comprehensive understanding of what it is like to be a medical patient and how to get what you need to make competent medical decisions. Teaching readers on how to keep medical records and a medical diary as well as their importance in making good medical decisions, what to expect from a doctor visit to ensure valid and appropriate medical attention, information about medical tests and specialists, and even what to look for and/or require in a managed healthcare plan, Patient Handbook To Medical Care acts for properly aiding in becoming an informed patient. Patient Handbook To Medical Care is very highly recommended to everyone searching for an accessible, jargon free format with which to analyze their own health records and retain a positive doctor-patient relationship.

The Tortoise Diet
Patricia S. Church
Phyto Publishing
12222 Poway Road, Suite 18, Poway, CA 92064
Penny C. Sansevieri Author Marketing Experts (publicity)
PO Box 421156, San Diego, CA 92142
097735380X $21.95 www.wintheracetolose.com

Very highly recommended for health and weight conscious readers, The Tortoise Diet: Win The Race To Lose by Patricia S. Church offers a series of outstanding weight-loss techniques for an effective and healthy way to loose significant weight. Introducing readers to and extensive set of step-by-step assignments, The Tortoise Diet engages readers in a permanent weight loss program with twenty-five essential habits, realistic solutions, and a wealth of attractive menus and compatible recipes. The Tortoise Diet is an excellent and "user friendly" compendium of weight-loss ideals from the writing of a woman who experienced significant weight loss first hand.

The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution
Stephen Wangen
Innate Health Group
1229 Madison Street, Suite 1220, Seattle, WA 98104
0976853787 $14.95 www.ibstreatmentcenter.com www.karenross.com

The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution by Stephen Wangen (Founder of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment Center) has as its focus a medical condition estimated to affect as many as fifty million Americans today. A complete guide for the procedures involved with IBS, The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution informs readers of the causes of IBS in general and how to find the particular cause(s) of their own IBS symptoms; why most treatments don't directly address the causes of IBS; how to treat IBS once the cause is discovered; where to go for help; and how to live life with a healthier and less irritated digestive system. The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution is very highly recommended for non-specialist general readers having to deal with the condition of IBS with themselves or a loved one, as well as those who are newly diagnosed with IBS and are searching for a complete and thorough explanation of (and treatment for) irritable bowel syndrome.

The Death Of Mammography
Rene Jackson & Alberto Righi
Caveat Press
PO Box 3400, Ashland, OR 97520
0974524530 $19.95 www.rjacksonrn.com

Co-authored by Rene Jackson (Special Procedures Nurse in Medical Imaging at Charlotte Regional Medical Center, Punta Gorda, Florida) and Alberto Righi (Medical Director of a radiology group in Florida), The Death Of Mammography: How Our Best Defence Against Breast Cancer Is Being Driven To Extinction is an in-depth and thought-provoking study of the beneficial diagnostic tool of mammography and the legal and economic challenges this procedure is encountering. Comprehensively analyzing the positive use of the use of the mammogram, The Death Of Mammography provides readers with a clear description of breast cancer and treatment options, explains mammography technology, reveals how legislative and legal issues are restricting breast-cancer screening, and realistic solutions and reforms. The Death Of Mammography is very strongly recommended for non-specialist general readers and health activists involved with the issue of breast cancer and mammography.

How Can I Heal What Hurts?
Daniel J. Benor
Wholistic Healing Publications
PO Box 502, Medford, NJ 08055
0975424831 $34.95 1-609-714-1885 www.wholistichealingresearch.com

The second volume in the "Healing Research" series, How Can I Heal What Hurts?: Wholistic Healing And Bioenergies by Daniel J. Benor (wholistic psychiatrist, founder of The Doctor-Healer Network in England and America, Founding Diplomate of the American Board of Holistic Medicine, and the Coordinator of the Council for Healing) is an expansive collection of studied understandings of the practice of the wholistic medicine and the world of healing and alternatives. Introducing readers to a remarkable grasp of the nature and wide knowledge of wholistic healing, How Can I Heal What Hurts? covers everything from Complementary/Alternative Medicine Therapies to Geobiological Effects, creating for non-specialist general readers an ultimate concordance of sound and basic information. For its professional outlook, accessible text, and invaluable information, How Can I Heal What Hurts? is "must" reading for healers and anyone else with an interest in wholistic healing methodology and the study of alternative medicines.


The Travel Shelf

Michigan's West Coast
Brian Hutchins
Abri-LLC
10815 Oakwood Road, Roscommon, MI 48653
0976075490 $24.95 1-989-275-4658 www.travelmichigancoast.com

A confidently highly recommended resource guide for the traveler, Michigan's West Coast: Explore The Shore Guide by Brian Hutchins is a precise and informative reference for lower Michigan's beautiful sights and landmarks along western shore. Knowledgeably engaging readers with a wealth of information, pictures, and maps, Michigan's West Coast is enhanced with features such as "hidden" beaches, coastal campgrounds, lighthouses and public access, fishing locations, launch sites for canoes and kayaks, great hiking trails/areas, and website addresses for further study. Michigan's West Coast acts as a remarkable guide for anybody wishing to discover a more in-depth, less known area of lower Michigan and its Lake Michigan coastal region.

Upper Mississippi Valley By Motorcycle
Kay Fellows
The Motorcycle Publishing Company
PO Box 560989, Rockledge, FL 32956
1892216566 $24.95 www.netpv.com

Upper Mississippi Valley By Motorcycle by Kay Fellows is an informative guide for exploring the areas in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin surrounding the Mississippi river by motorcycle. Concisely covering all road systems from the Quad Cities in Illinois and Iowa, and the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Upper Mississippi Valley By Motorcycle knowledgeably informs readers of the most scenic and majestic roadways, the kindest people in the most friendly stops, and so much more that is useful when traveling all around the "Father of Waters" by motorcycle. Upper Mississippi Valley By Motorcycle is very highly recommended for all readers searching for an interesting and well authored mapping of the Midwest surrounding the Mississippi River for a fun and beautiful exploration from atop a motorcycle whether alone or in the company of others.

America At Twelve Miles An Hour
Phil Shrout
Merphi Associates Publishers
7725 Harnesfield Lane, Conord, OH 44077
1929774303 $16.95 www.amazon.com

America At Twelve Miles An Hour: A View From The Edge Of The Road by Phil Shrout is the entertaining story of a summer-long journey the author, at the wry age of fifty-four, made with his wife when they traveled by bicycle from the coast of Oregon through the far stretches of America, including the bucolic South. Colorfully describing the entire journey, America At Twelve Miles An Hour includes a wealth of wonderful and interesting facts about America's unknown frontier and the peculiar intricacies which make up the extensive diversity of our unique states. America At Twelve Miles An Hour is very highly recommended to all non-specialist general readers considering their own coast-to-coast bicycle journey in a nation-wide exploration of America's greatest oddities.

Food And Drink In Argentina
Dereck Foster & Richard Tripp
Beagle Bay Books
3040 June Meadows Road, Reno, NV 89509
0977217604 $14.95 www.beaglebay.com

Expertly researched and co-authored by Dereck Foster & Richard Tripp, Food And Drink In Argentina: A Guide For Tourists And Residents is an informed and informative introduction and "user friendly" reference for dining-out while traveling or working in the beautiful South American nation of Argentina. Included is an A to Z translation for beverage and food terms, advice on where to eat and what to drink, information on exploring the great wine country in Argentina, tips on shopping for food, advice for special diets and those traveling with children, and a wealth of regional recipes and culinary dishes. A "slips easily into your pocket or purse" guidebook, Food And Drink In Argentina is to be given high praise and a very strongly recommended for planning an Argentina itinerary.


The Money/Finance Shelf

He Said It! I Did It!
Charles W. Buffington, Jr & III
Orman Press
4200 Sandy Lake Drive, Lithonia, GA 30038
1891773631 $24.95 www.maryglenn.com

Highly recommended reading for anyone seeking to acquire effective control of their own finances whatever their present fiscal circumstances, He Said It! I Did It!: Lessons From My Father On Mastering Personal Finance, co-authored Charles W. Buffington, Jr. and Charles W. Buffington, III, is a thoroughly "user-friendly" guide for all readers as a simple, easy-to-follow reference for management of personal finance and the proper utilization fiscal resources for the creation of wealth and prosperity. Introducing readers to effective and efficient collection of strategies useful in the money-making process, He Said It! I Did It! details every aspect of a helpful, practical, and innovative approach to well financed living, investment, and progression. He Said It! I Did It! is perfect for readers searching for a quick and practical reference in their pursuit of financial stability, growth and abundance.

Pinch A Penny Till It Screams
Madeline Clive
Lucerna Publishing
2936 - 34th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406
0975423606 $12.50 www.amazon.com

Pinch A Penny Till It Screams: Everything You Wanted To Know About Frugal Survival Skills But Didn't Know Where To Look by Madeline Clive is an informed and informative collection of knowledgeable, useful, practical tactics and strategies for a more financially astute approach to living well without spending much to do so. Introducing readers to an insightful understanding of how to most tactfully manipulate and utilize every penny they earn, Pinch A Penny Till It Screams includes the author's hard-won wisdom ranging from the establishment of housing, to the cheapest aspects of insurance, to the necessities of practical budgeting. Pinch A Penny Till It Screams is very highly recommended to all one having to live on a budget, who are planning for their retirement, who are constrained by their financial circumstances, or who are suffering from a financial set back and must reorder their fiscal affairs or amend their lifestyle.

Get Inspired To Retire
David Saylor & Greg Heffington
Kaplan Publishing
30 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606-7481
1419535684 $14.95 www.kaplanpublishing.com 1-800-223-2336

Knowledgeably co-authored by David Saylor (Vice President of Van Kampen Investments in charge of creative development for the Van Kampen Consulting Investment programs) and Greg Heffington (Vice President of Van Kampen Investments), and with the assistance of Susan J. Marks, Get Inspired To Retire: Over 150 Ideas To Help Find Your Retirement is an innovative and "user friendly" introductory guide for non-specialist general readers needing to plan for their retirement. Providing readers with an engaging compendium of informative and creative ideas ranging from volunteer work, culinary indulgence, witnessing a space launch, and exploring spirituality, Get Inspired To Retire acts as an inspirational discovery resource for many fun activities. Get Inspired To Retire is very strongly recommended for personal and community library retirement planning reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Trail Of Vengeance
Peter James Quirk
Hopewell Publications
PO Box 11, Titusville, NJ 08560-0011
1933435038 $15.95 www.hopepubs.com

Trail Of Vengeance by Peter James Quirk is the enticing tale of Lisa Rossi, a young detective for the Brooklyn Police Department, who is faced with a case of jewelry thievery and murder, be the murder that of her own partner. Readers will follow Lisa through her investigation as it leads her through Europe and the introduction to a more appealing life as she works to solve the seemingly bottomless case. Trail Of Vengeance is very highly recommended reading for all mystery buffs.

Ambition
Johnathan Isom
M2N Publishing
558 Ridgeway Center Parkway, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38120-4011
0976189704 $24.95 www.jisom.com

Ambition: Be Careful What You Ask For by Johnathan Isom is a thrilling mystery novel depicting the pursuit of Dr. Stenson Hall who joins up with Melanie Walker in his dedicated pursuit to finding his missing sister Gina. As Ambition progresses, Walker is invited to take part in a dangerous scheme when in its digressing midst she and Hawk discover the love which they retain for one-another and the terrors from which they must run. Ambition is very highly recommended as an engaging and gripping novel to all readers searching for an intelligently crafted modern mystery with endlessly intriguing plot twists and thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end.

A Circle Of Dreams
Annie Rogers
Bivens and Jensen Publishing
Cleveland Road, St. Michaels, MD 21663
0977018318 $15.95 www.annierogers.com

A Circle Of Dreams by Annie Rogers (the collaborative pen name of Mala and Roger Burt) is an engaging mystery novel that begins with Jamie Elliott's arrival in St. Lucia from New York. Then there is the matter of a two-hundred-year-old relic and an untold mystery unraveling before Jamie's eyes. A terrific read, especially for mystery buffs who appreciate originality and a well crafted storyline, A Circle Of Dreams involves Jamie's cheating husband, an ethereal attraction to Andre Demontage, and the recent death of her mother, all ultimately carrying the reader through a dramatic and suspenseful tale.

The Killing Of Strangers
Jerry Holt
Lucky Press
126 South Maple Street, Lancaster, OH 43130
0977630048 $14.95 www.luckypress.com

Set in 1995, The Killing Of Strangers is a suspense thriller concerning an investigation of the events surrounding the Kent State University shootings in 1970. Sam Haggard finds himself fired from his job as a security copy, dumped by his wife, and down on his luck in the southern Ohio rust belt city he calls home. When he is offered the job of guarding Crystal Jones, a woman who was a one-time radical whose activist husband nicknamed Lucifer in the anti-war movement and who had suddenly disappeared after that infamous day at Kent State. When Crystal is killed while under Sam's protection, he finds that Crystal's daughter Corrie and himself are the targets of the killer, apparently someone who is determined that the secrets of the Kent State affair remain buried in the past. Author Jerry Holt's debut novel, The Killing Of Strangers shows him to have a genuine talent for entertaining storytelling and will leave his readers looking eagerly toward his next novel.


The Self-Help Shelf

Your Life Manual
David Ambrose
Revolution Mind Publishing
PO Box 51113, Beddington R.P.O, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T3K 4A3
0973936207 $14.95 www.yourlifemanual.com

Your Life Manual: Practical Steps To Genuine Happiness by David Ambrose is an accessible and philosophical introduction to living purely and properly in an ever-changing world. Engaging readers by using a simple basis which teaches how to stop sabotaging ones-self, minimize the negative effects of things which have gone wrong, discovery of reasonable and practical philosophy for living, finding what the difference between transitory and real happiness, rediscovering the things which make on really happy, taking charge of one's life, and changing the surrounding world, Your Life Manual is an advanced "how to" manual offering an insightful understanding of life and its true pursuit. A welcome addition to any personal self-help or self-improvement reading list, Your Life Manual is ideal for anyone searching for a more productive and meaningful philosophy for themselves.

Cyber Love's Illusions
Anna Alden-Tirrill & Jonathan van Helsing
White Cottage Publishing Company
2100 M Street N.W. Suite #170-308, Washington, DC 20037-1233
1885831099 $19.95 1-202-315-3786 www.cyberlovesillusions.com

Knowledgeably co-authored by Anna Alden-Tirrill and Jonathan van Helsing, Cyber Love's Illusions: Exposing The Romance Scams Of Internet Dating is an in-depth study of, and guide to, the commonly encountered schemes of internet-based romance scams. Deftly exploring internet dating and romance scamming from the perspective a professional directly involved with such scams, Cyber Love's Illusions compiles and presents a complete understanding of the modern and progressive theft of billions of dollars and thousands of broken dreams and expectations yearly. Cyber Love's Illusions is very highly recommended reading, especially and particularly for those who are searching for a safe and sound approach to internet-romance and true love.

Body Language on the Job
Patrick W. Miller
Miller And Associates
9235 Greenwood Avenue, Munster, IN 46321
0967327997 $9.95 www.pwmilleronline.com

Body Language on the Job by academician, administrator and business manager Patrick W. Miller is a lively and informative introduction to understanding the importance of "body language" and its particular implications for the work site. Acting as a "how-to" manual for a practical and informed reference to understanding and utilizing body language, Body Language on the Job educates its readers with over 75 detailed illustrations, 65 motivational quotations, 40 guidelines for supervisors, 60 review items with answers, and a great plethora of useful and helpful information. Body Language on the Job is very highly recommended reading for all businessmen, supervisors, and employees, as well as anyone interested in understanding of body language, verbal intonation, and the real message portrayed in communication as an exceptional reference for proper speech, etiquette, and mannerisms.

Spiriting Around
Martin "Mark" Tomback
Mooring Field Books
9369 Sheridan Street, #555, Cooper City, FL 33024
0975524801 $14.95 www.spiritingaround.com

Spiriting Around: A Modern Guide To Finding Yourself by Martin "Mark" Tomback has as its focus an intriguing philosophical and spiritual conception of dealing with the modern world. Engaging readers with a highly informed and extensively studied documentation of his conclusive vision and understanding, Tomback offers Spiriting Around as an interpretive compendium of societal misleads and individual acceptance. Thoroughly "reader friendly" with its well crafted text, Spiriting Around is very highly recommended to all readers struggling with their own self-identity issues, particularly with respect to an expansive and expanded analytical understanding of the world's most often difficult objectives, controls, and constructs -- and what influence they might have on the individual.

Out Of The Box And Into Yourself
Nancy Marie
Inner Eye Publishing
PO Box 559, Mount Shasta, CA 96067
0966041836 $14.95 1-530-926-0365 www.innereyepublishing.com

Out Of The Box And Into Yourself by Nancy Marie is an inquisitive and fun introduction to the art of introspection. Engaging for both children and adults, Out Of The Box And Into Yourself guides readers through hardships and fast-times while providing a "life lesson" greatly needed to be learned by all. Out Of The Box And Into Yourself is very highly recommended reading for children and their parents as an informative guide to not only finding a place among society and within themselves.

Beyond Code
Rajesh Setty
SelectBooks
1 Union Square West, Suite 909, New York, NY 10003
1590791029 $19.95 www.selectbooks.com

Beyond Code: Learn To Distinguish Yourself In Nine Simple Steps by Rajesh Setty (a journalist, technology enthusiast and chairman of CIGNEX - a company that promotes open source in business), is an introductory guide to the process of achieving self-distinction in life. Equipping non-specialist general readers with an easy-to-follow and accessible reference for competently creating relationships, listen to others, and build a reputable awareness for clients and team members in the representative world of business, Beyond Code advocates the uprooting of dysfunctional business oriented tactics and ideals. Beyond Code is very strongly recommended reading and a welcome addition to personal and community library Self Help/Self Improvement reference collections.

Choosing Joy At Work
Roger Wyer
Bixworks Studio
835 Warner Road, Suite 101, Gilbert, AZ 85233
0977652505 $14.95 www.bizworksstudio.com

Choosing Joy At Work: Learn The Process Of Being Happy And Living More Fully by Roger Wyer (consultant, coach, and change agent to small business and nonprofit organizations) is an innovative and practical approach to a happier, more satisfactory working life. Acting as a well-detailed strategy guide for the creation of a more confluent, joyous workplace, Choosing Joy At Work nicely maps Wyer's more then twenty years of experience improving how people labor together in the workplace. Choosing Joy At Work is very strongly recommended for all readers acting as administrators or managers for businesses, but more particularly to anyone facing life with an unsatisfactory perspective of their own working life and workplace environment, searching for an intelligible and pragmatic approach to a better, less compromising and happier working life.

Your Daily Walk With The Great Minds Of The Past And Present
Richard A. Singer, Jr.
BookSurge
www.booksurge.com
1419625322 $20.99 www.yourdailywalk.org

Your Daily Walk With The Great Minds Of The Past And Present is a highly intimate and engaging philosophy presented by psychotherapist and recovered addict, Richard A. Singer, Jr. Acting as a guide for readers seeking a valid concept of life, its meaning, fulfillment, and contentment in what truly is life. Your Daily Walk With The Great Minds Of The Past And Present provides research and analysis consisting of a comprehensive presentation of the great philosophers and historical figures Gandhi, Lincoln, Einstein, Buddha and many more intriguing minds. Your Daily Walk With The Great Minds Of The Past And Present is very strongly recommended for those lost in the daily tedium of life, or the indulgence of a drug induced escape and addiction for its invaluable grasp of worldly study and in-depth analysis of the surrounding experience.

The Evolution Of Happiness
Gerald Jerome Jordan
Omonomany
5050 Poplar Avenue, Suite 1510, Memphis, TN 38157
1590960041 $15.00 www.omonomany.com

The Evolution Of Happiness In Diverse Religions And Schools Of Psychology by Gerald Jerome Jordan (Executive Officer at the Youth Habitation Center) is an original, thought-provoking study of the mind with respect to the definitive relationship between happiness and the religious and psychological ideals of what is and is not productive for the individual. Benefitting from the intellectual studies of the forefathers of psychology and touching upon the theological conclusions of the many religious sects throughout history, The Evolution Of Happiness offers the non-specialist general reader a complete and thorough comprehension of just what happiness is as defined by divers schools of psychology and religions. The Evolution Of Happiness is to be given high praise and is very strongly recommended reading, especially to all students of psychology, theology, and "universal wisdom" as an invaluable, articulate, and "reader friendly" study.

The Trance Of Scarcity
Victoria Castle
Sagacious Press
c/o The Visioneering Group
11837 Darlington Avenue, Suite 1, Los Angeles, CA 90049-5449
0977133109 $15.97 www.tranceofscarcity.com

The Trance Of Scarcity: Hey! Stop Holding Your Breath And Start Living Your Life by Victoria Castle is a unique and practical guide for achieving an overall beneficial convergence of the ethereal and physical aspects of our life. Introducing readers to a new perspective and guide to a happier, more productive, more confluent, more fulfilling life, The Trance Of Scarcity provides a solid basis of three major strategies for breaking free of the "Trance of Scarcity": defying the cultural "common sense" that scarcity is an unchangeable truth and revealing it for its mere story status; leveraging the two elemental realities of our stories; and the personal constructs and realities; and empowering ourselves with the "Cycle of Abundance" with the result of a greater ease, freedom, and personal satisfaction. The Trance Of Scarcity is very strongly recommended to readers who are searching for a practical and instructive approach for creating a more innovative and satisfactory sense of self and a more flowing combination of reality.

Open Your Mind And Say "Aha"
Leonard Torok
Trillium Creek
5779 Wooster Pike Road, Medina, OH 44256
0977226603 $22.95 www.trilliumcreekohio.com

Open Your Mind And Say "Aha": The Guide To Discovering Your Healing Powers by Leonard Torok (Medical Director of Ohio Holistic Medicine and the President of the Ohio State Homeopathic Medical Society) offers the reader a comprehensive understanding of the universal power of self healing. Drawing from ancient wisdom of Chinese and Homeopathic medicines, Open Your Mind And Say "Aha" informs readers on the fundamentals and ideals involved with the variations and intricacies of self-healing treatments and methods. As a detailed guide for its invaluable knowledge and "reader friendly" text, Open Your Mind And Say "Aha" is very strongly recommended for all readers seeking to study homeopathy .

Simplicity
Clary Lopez
Angel Publishing
PO Box 20044, Bradenton, FL 34204
1411631625 $7.99 www.clarylopez.com

Simplicity: Richness Of Life by Clary Lopez is an inspired and inspiring guide to organizing one's life to reflect a healthy balance of body, mind, and soul. Lopez's easy-to-follow tactics and strategies so clearly outlined and illustrated in the pages of Simplicity provides readers with a quick and effective format with which to take control of their lives instead of letting the events and circumstances of their lives control them; make certain their legacy lives on through succeeding generations; how to create an environment where marriage and family flourish; and so many other knowledgeable ideals for a life of greater peace, joy and spiritual resplendence. For its invaluable understanding and "user friendly" narrative text, Simplicity is very strongly recommended for all who are struggling to manage their active lives through money, religious, marital or other issues.

Born To Be
Stephen Bastien
Make A Difference Publications
600 Davis Street, Evanston, IL 60201
0976524635 $24.95 1-847-491-1900 www.makeadifferencepublications.com

Born To Be (A Four-Step Method To Reconnect With Your Special Abilities): Discover Who You Are And Begin Living The Life You've Dreamed Of by Stephen Bastien is a "reader friendly" and insightful guide for opening the world to our unique abilities. Introducing to readers and analyzing the concepts of how and why one might have disconnected from those abilities, how to reconnect with just the right combination to be original and remain an entity, and how to turn inborn abilities into an occupation that will create the life always desires, Born To Be professionally presents practical and informative resolutions and ideals for marketable, progressive, and innovative design in building a personal business or finding proper placement for anyone's true desires or aspirations. Born To Be is very highly recommended for all readers searching for a knowledgeable and thorough guide for discovering and developing their greater selves.

There Are No Mistakes
Elenor Wiley
Red Wheel Book Publishers
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newbuyryport, MA 01950
1573242624 $17.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

There Are No Mistakes: Becoming Comfortable With Life As It Is, Not As It "Should" Be by Eleanor Wiley with the assistance of Caroline Pincus is an informed and inspiring collection of practical and intuitive commentaries focused on the goal of achieving an overall betterment of self and self-perception. Introducing readers to diverse but effective tactics and strategies, There Are No Mistakes provides knowledgeable guidelines for knowing where you came from, knowing your own personal story; accepting yourself; owning your own pain, hurt, and vulnerability; laughing at yourself; finding community; taking care of yourself; giving yourself permission to change your mind; willingness to fall apart and put yourself back together again;, creating a self help "tool box"; and just going with the flow. An innovative guide and "reader friendly" introduction to self-discovery and contentment, There Are No Mistakes is very strongly recommended.


The Fiction Shelf

We All Fall Down
Julie Wright & Russ King
The North River Press Publishing Company
PO Box 567, Great Barrington, MA 01230
0884271811 $24.95 www.northriverpress.com

We All Fall Down: Goldratt's Theory Of Constraints For Healthcare Systems, delightfully co-authored by Julie Wright and Russ King is an entertaining and thought-provoking novel in which co-authors Julie Wright and Russ King explore the intricate world of TOC and its effective use when applied to health care and service industries. Engagingly whisking its readers through Beth Segar's every-day digressively tedious life in combat with coworkers and happiness, We All Fall Down depicts the amusing tale of her introduction of Theory of Constraints in the workplace and its immediate effectiveness. We All Fall Down is unique and very highly recommended reading.

The Priest And The Nazi
John LeConte
Hopewell Publications
PO Box11, Titusville, NJ 08560-0011
1933435046 $17.95 www.hopepubs.com

The Priest And The Nazi by John LeConte is a well crafted novel depicting the story of a highly ranked Nazi SS Officer and his encounter with a Bavarian Priest upon fleeing a defeated Germany. Engaging its readers in an original authorship and unique style, The Priest And The Nazi carries reader's full and complete attention through an intricate and unique tale in which fate and honor, human nature and truth are all interwoven elements. With its outstanding plot and artful storytelling, The Priest And The Nazi is a very highly recommended and entertaining read.

Detour
Richard Messe
Hats Off
c/o Spotlight Publicity
610 East Delano Street, Suite 104, Tucson, AZ 85705
1587365359 $33.95 www.hatsoffbooks.com

Detour by Richard Meese is a catching and engaging suspense novel providing the reader with a romantic tale of the everyday, mundane frequency and predictability of Margaret Brady's routine existence -- and the one day which changed the entire rest of her life. Vividly carrying readers through Margaret's violent abduction in broad daylight on one otherwise ordinary Monday morning, Detour then throws her in the hands of her handsome rescuer, NSA agent, Steve Solo as they make their way to Switzerland where their potential love may ideally expand. A work of well crafted originality, Detour by Richard Meese is enthusiastically recommended to readers of general fiction, mystery, and romance.

O'Sullivan's Odyssey
Rick Spier
Monteiro & Company
120 East 56th Street, New York, NY 10022
0975439804 $28.95 www.monteiroandco.com

An award-winning novel by Rick Spier, O'Sullivan's Odyssey tells of the incredible sojourn by young Donal O'Sullivan and his journey through a life lived in service to his father and the revival of his family name. Engagingly exploring the mind of Donal in an impoverished Ireland and then a war-torn American south during the American Civil War, O'Sullivan's Odyssey carries readers through an enthralling tale of surviving a winter of depression, a journey of mental, physical, and spiritual growth, and a summer of healing. A welcome addition to community library fiction collections, O'Sullivan's Odyssey is very highly recommended for its unique and inspiring presentation of the human mind and its historical depiction of a life lived in "interesting times".

Sex On The Side
Jessie Jamie Coleman
Autumn Girl Press
PO Box 1424, Chicago, IL 60690
0976696436 $9.95 1-312-961-9983 www.jessiejameiecoleman.com

Sex On The Side by Jessie Jamie Coleman is a comedic screenplay telling the tale of an attractive young Josh John and his pursuit of a woman searching for a more than purely sexual relationship. As a hopeless romantic, Josh John only seems to attract women interested in casual sex and nothing more. As Sex On The Side progresses, John discovers one new woman with potentially more then mere sexual desires for him, however knowing only her initial he hasn't too much to work from for getting to know this woman, who may be more than just a sex-craved lunatic as all of his past relationships have been. Sex On The Side is highly entertaining and strongly recommended reading that will leave the reader hoping to eventually see it performed on stage or in film.

The Christmas Letter
Kevin Prochaska
Evergreen Press
PO Box 191540, Mobile, AL 36619
1581692048 $10.99 www.evergreen777.com

The Christmas Letter by Kevin Prochaska is a heartwarming novel depicting the story of Viola Martin and her unexpected friendship with her inquisitive and perky grandson Jimmy. As the story creatively progresses, one of Jimmy's friend's houses burns down near Christmas time. This is terrible, and Viola feels she must contribute in any way possible. As Jimmy sees his grandmother now as a hero, The Christmas Letter becomes an engaging tale of growing intimacy as an aging woman who feels no longer useful replenishes her spirit and gains her needed confidence. The Christmas Letter is very highly recommended all year round to readers who are searching for a well crafted novel with page after page of engaging storytelling.

Hesed
Maytee Aspuro y Gonzalez
Cavalier Press
PO Box 6437, Falls Church, VA 22040
0976566451 $19.95 www.cavalierpress.com

Hesed by Maytee Aspuro y Gonzalez is the engaging story of Nicole Isabel Thera and Elizabeth Ann Kelly, and their pursuit of a lesbian romance that ran against the modern societal barriers set before them. As Elizabeth Struggles with her Christian devotion in the midst of her relationship, Hesed progressively carries readers through the realities of the pains and struggles inflicted upon lesbians and lesbianism in a world unwilling to accept such a relationship and life-commitment, and among other things, the two women who must be willing to accept one another whole-heartedly. Hesed is very strongly recommended reading, especially for those with an interest in homosexual studies, as well as the sociological and religious constructs set to restrict total freedom in pursuit of same-sex intimacy or romance, as well as to those merely looking for a highly personal and intimate romance novel with an ultimately intriguing and non-traditional plot.

The Angel's Fall
Travis Lyon
TeaLemon Publications
3881 Windover Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15668
0975292323 $13.00 www.tealemon.com

The Angel's Fall by Travis Lyon is an engaging and original novel telling the story of the "Angel of the First Order", Kyrael, and his perilous journey to unseat the "Archduke of Felony" in an unfamiliar hell. Enthralled readers will follow Kyrael through a truly gripping tale as he encounters the evil force of Grigori in Hell's Second Circle as the realization of God's creation dishearteningly reflects Kyrael's mind -- if only God can create an Angel, then what might it take to destroy one? The Angel's Fall is an outstanding, well crafted novel, and very highly recommended as fast-paced work of compelling fiction.

Saving Miss Oliver's
Stephen Davenport
H.H. Bonnell Publisher
PO Box 11220, Oakland, CA 94611-1220
0976925524 $17.95 www.amazon.com

Saving Miss Oliver's by Stephen Davenport is an original novel depicting the potential demise of New England's "Miss Oliver's School for Girls". When the school's board of trustees fires Marjorie Boyd, the schools headmistress for the past thirty-five years, her successor Fred Kindler is faced with the increasingly difficult task of reviving the school and retaining its students. From the very first paragraphs, Saving Miss Oliver's is an engaging novel and is very highly recommended to all general fiction readers, particularly those intrigued by the inter-political struggle of modern private and preparatory school systems.

The Cross
Gene Shaffer
Thunder Ridge Publishing
PO Box 3869, Prescott, AZ 86302
0977414108 $24.95 www.cableone.net

The Cross by Gene Shaffer is a well crafted novel of the escalating contempt held for an American Cardinal as his interpretation of a two-thousand-year-old inscription as the missing final verses from the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Mark. As the Cardinal's election and coronation as Pope approaches, his discovery results in a political turmoil. Against the backdrop of the Catholic church, The Cross leads its readers through a story of murder, divisions of loyalty, terrorism, suicide and scandal. An "instant classic" and sure to be timeless tale, The Cross is very highly recommended reading.

Bluewater Seven
Don McLain
Blue House Publishing
1439 Dagg Road, Yoakum, TX 77995
0977677516 $29.95 www.bluewaterseven.com

Bluewater Seven: South From Alaska, a novel by Don McLain, is an engaging story of working and living on the oil rigs off of the coast of western America during one greatly difficult winter. As the courageous crew move an offshore drilling rig from the northern coast through the Gulf of Alaska to the Californian coastal regions, readers are treated to an active and engaging tale, thrilling its readers with an dynamic story of barfights, a loathsome fisherman, and the dangers of the open ocean. Bluewater Seven is very highly recommended to those with an interest in general fiction who are searching for an enticing novel based on a true story and depicting the realities of the life of oil-rig men.

The Looming Fog
Rosemary Esehagu
Oge Creations Books
c/o Gulotta Communications
341 Lexington Street, Newton, MA 02466
1933496002 $13.95 www.ogrecreationsbooks.com

The Looming Fog is Rosemary Esehagu's debut novel skillfully depicting the story of an abandoned child whose life-long difficulties are the cause for a deeply horrific isolation and loneliness. Following the child though the horrors of being intersexual, The Looming Fog gradually eases into the inspiring telling of a life in which solitude is accompanied by others searching to break free of the societal expectations and assigned roles. The Looming Fog is very strongly recommended reading for all who have ever been different from others around, and those who appreciate an intimate story with a remarkable outcome suffused with the bittersweet truths of dreamers everywhere.

Perfect Pitch
Ron Odrich
Gadd Books
292 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
0977405311 $19.95 www.gaddbooks.com

Perfect Pitch: A Hamptons Tale by Ron Odrich is an engaging novel which delves deeply into three generations of family and the life of the brilliant epidemiologist, Sergio Petri. Page-for-page, Perfect Pitch is an elaborate and entertaining tale as the Hamptons billionaire is found lifeless in the pool he had newly installed in his abode, resulting in an investigation of Petri with respect to his determination to understand the cause of the pool's contamination, and his enigmatic familial heritage, which because of his adopted youth he was never previously aware of. A welcome addition to community library fiction collections, Perfect Pitch is very highly recommended for its often intimate, perpetually enthralling, and skillfully abstruse plot.

Desire And Its Shadow
Ana Clavel
Aliformation Publishing
117 Warwick Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
0970765258 $14.95 www.aliformgroup.com

Ana Clavel's Desire And Its Shadow is a mind engaging novel depicting the life of Soledad and her awakening. As strange as it may appear, Soledad's wishes always seem to come true, and with the wish of disappearing, she finds herself in the center of Mexico City without a soul around her. Desire And Its Shadow encompasses a world of Aztec history, unexpected despondency, the depths of the city's most impoverished inhabitants, and an urban underworld in which the most insightful are the blind. A deftly authored blend of sexual discovery, vividly depicted story line, and an understanding of a Mexico City underworld battlefront, Desire And Its Shadow is very highly recommended for all general fiction readers.

The Loch
Steve Alten
Tsunami
c/o Blanco & Peace Enterprises (publicity)
359 West Chicago, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60610
0976165929 $14.95 www.tsunamibooks.com

The Loch is the engaging and entertaining story of Zachary Wallace, a young marine biologist whose dreadful experience of nearly drowning causes a great crippling trauma in his recent expedition in the Sargasso Sea. Author Steve Alten draws upon an impressive knowledge of the Loch Ness Monster and employs the latest research in The Loch, creating an amazing narrative reality with respect to Angus, Zachary's father, and the terrors of his childhood which Zachary must face in order to save him. A creative and clever story, as well as demonstrating an outstandingly skillful incorporation Loch Ness lore, The Loch is very strongly recommended to those with an interest in the a novel of the Loch Ness Monster.

George And The Angels
Glenn Meganck
Beachfront Publishing
PO Box 811922, Boca Raton, FL 33481
1892339595 $25.00 1-561-997-5780 www.beachfrontentertainment.com

Glenn Meganck's George And The Angels is an outstanding novel about George Richard's terribly mundane, tedious, and seemingly aimless existence. As George progressively becomes disappointed in his life, the gray surrounding him becomes evermore appropriate, and the calling of what seems to be angels brings him briefly to his wife's decision to commit him to a hospital. Readers follow the voices of angels as they beckon him irresistibly to a small boat in the middle of an ocean, which soon becomes his greatest challenge. A truly timeless and well crafted story of one man's decision to create his own fate in life and pursue even the most disillusioned dreams, George And The Angels is very strongly recommended and entertaining reading.

Neither Sand Nor Sea
Kathleen Kubik
Keene Publishing
Gulotta Communications (publicity)
341 Lexington Street, Newton, MS 02466
0976680513 $15.00 www.keenebooks.com

Neither Sand Nor Sea by Kathleen Kubik is an inspirational novel depicting the life of the young interior designer Carla Montgomery and her assignment to the house of Julian Swann. As the twenty-seven-year-old Carla pursuits the design of the wealthy and picky Julian Swann, she must also deal with her mother's death, her unexpected love for a rugged Norwegian sea captain, and a year of situational difficulties which must decide for Carla what the rest of her life will be. A productive, inspirational, superbly crafted and totally engaging novel of the life and pursuit common to so many young women today, Neither Sand Nor Sea is very highly recommended reading .

A Year With The Hoopers
James Hoby
Hesitation Books
PO Box 11411, Alexandria, VA 22312
0972980423 $12.95 www.hesitationpress.com

A Year With The Hoopers is a hilarious collection of letters, lists, school essays, notes, greetings cards, e-mails, newspaper clippings, medical reports, legal instruments, journal entries, inscriptions and more as provided by John, Helen, and Jenny Hooper. Tactfully presented by Hoby, A Year With The Hoopers tells the tale of one man's discovery of a box having been thrown from a van which contains several random objects of little value, as well as an extensive supply of shredded paper as packing. A Year With The Hoopers is a collection of the scanned and re-assembled papers found in that box, and for its fun and inventive plot and story, A Year With The Hoopers is very highly recommended among modern fiction and satirical works.

Agent 008: The Untold Story
Eriq Prince
Trafford Publishing
2333 Government Street, Suite 6E, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8T 4P4
1412046262 $28.00 1-888-232-4444 www.trafford.com

Agent 008: The Untold Story: Operation Earthquake -- Tsunami by Eriq F. Price is the riveting story of Eriq Prince, the "00" African American Secret Service agent whose pursuits are just as hazardous and vital to the interests of the free world as his "00" predecessors. As a take from the James Bond movie, Never Say Never Again, Agent 008: The Untold Story depicts the story of a world-wide engagement of the renowned spy from the streets of New York City charged with eliminating the merciless Yoshomoto who is suspect to the plot of killing thousands of Americans. Agent 008: The Untold Story is very highly recommended for all readers who enjoy spy-fiction and espionage lore as a fictional account, but one which is based upon actual events.

Autumn Shadows In August
Robert W. Norris
Lulu Press
3131 RDU Center, Suite 210, Morrisville, NC 27560
1411672976 $13.92 www.lulu.com

Autumn Shadows In August by Robert W. Norris is an engaging and entertaining novel about David Thompson, an American teaching at a Japanese University and his dealing with hepatitis C. As Thompson an his wife realize the significance of their lives and what they've entirely done, Autumn Shadows In August begins its story through the retracing of a once young man's journey through Europe from Germany to Rome, replete with intriguing twists and adventurous intricacies. Autumn Shadows In August is very strongly recommended for all general fiction readers for its evocative telling and unique style and presentation of a timeless tale from the depths of an unhappy life in Japan to the hot pursuit of an aging ghost and an overall remarkable story.

Hawkins County
Steven Merrill Ulmen
Lulu.com
3131 RDU Center, Suite 210, Morrisville, NC 27560
1411688074 $16.75 www.lulu.com www.EagleEntertainmentUSA.com

Pat O'Connor is a juvenile delinquent who, with the aid of his alcoholic father, spends most of his time outrunning the police who have a warrant for his arrest for a probation violation. His gang consists of five other delinquents, including their sociopathic son of Judge Charles Halloran, the Hawkins County Juvenile Court Judge. Can cocky, wise-cracking Juvenile Probation Officer Jack Johnson keep Pat and his buddies from self-destruction? Can he divert any of them from becoming career criminals and long term incarcerated prisoners of the state's penal system? Set in a southern Minnesota rural community and drawing upon his many years of service as a Juvenile Probation officer, Steven Ulmen's debut novel is an original story (but one that could be taken from the ledgers of any juvenile justice system today) told with a humor and candor that holds the readers full and rapt attention from beginning to end.

Ramblin' Rose And The Internet Newsletter
John E. Carson
Aspirations Media
7755 Lakeview Lane, Spring Lake Park, MN 55432
0977604314 $10.99 1-763-242-1586 www.aspirationsmediainc.com

Ramblin' Rose And The Internet Newsletter by John E. Carson is a unique and well crafted story of a twelve year old girl named Ramblin' Rose. Her destruction of her mother's prized porcelain china during a tug-of-war match with Samson the Great, her dog, propelled her into the adventure of a lifetime. Readers of all ages will be enveloped in the evermore fun and informative pursuit upon which Rose embarks on in order to replace her mother's rare china. Ramblin' Rose And The Internet Newsletter goes on to reveal more and more of the young narrator's family history and the truths behind all of the stories she remembers her grandfather telling her from the earlier years of her life. Ramblin' Rose And The Internet Newsletter is very highly recommended as an active and fun read, particularly for children, for the inventive and engaging story it tells. Older readers should be aware that the typeface is quite small and will require good eyesight or a good magnifying glass. But the extra effort is well worth it.

Jones Of Old Lincoln
Doak Maddox Mansfield
CounterbalanceBooks
1419 2nd Avenue West, #304, Seattle, WA 98119
0977490637 $14.95 1-206-374-2164 www.counterbalancebooks.com

Jones Of Old Lincoln by Doak Maddox Mansfield is an engaging biographical novel based upon the life of George Washington Jones, a prominent nineteenth-century politician from Lincoln County, Tennessee. Deeply delving into the life and the remarkable accomplishments of an unusual man, Jones Of Old Lincoln is a complex study and intimate story of a man whose desires and accomplishments still shape the lives of many today. Jones Of Old Lincoln is a very strongly recommended novel because of a superbly crafted narrative, and author Doak Mansfield's creative interpretation in an easy-to-read history-based fiction based on the outstanding successes of the great American politician.

Foreign Words
Vassilis Alexakis, author
Alyson Waters, translator
Autumn Hill Books
1106 Yewell Street, Iowa City, IA 52240
0975444417 $16.95 www.autumnhillbooks.com

Foreign Words deftly authored by Vassilis Alexakis and knowledgeably translated by Alyson Waters is an engaging novel depicting the aging narrator's decision to recount his familial history in a Central African Republic. Vividly carrying the reader through his life in Paris and his father's death in Greece, Foreign Words takes place in Alexakis' disposition and purity in finding soul and self in the midst of his studies of the Sango language and the profoundly expansive world of living and opportunity provided as he delves deeper into the language. Foreign Words is to be given high praise and strong recommended for its articulate detailing and gifted storytelling that holds the readers rapt attention from beginning to end.

Redemption's Song
Teresa Slack
Tsaba House
2252 - 12th Street, Reedley, CA 93654
0972548629 $16.99 www.TsabaHouse.com

The second book in the Jenna's Creek series, Redemption's Song is the story of two prideful women in love with one man. Their obsession with their own desires and willful conflict with one another risks blinding them to their Christian faith in God. A profound saga about the consequences of sin and misdeeds, and the importance of keeping God in one's heart, Redemption's Song balances the misery caused by selfish behavior with the potential for atonement through God's loved. A heartfelt novel, reflecting the author's deeply held faith. Also recommended is the first book in the Jenna's Creek series, "Streams of Mercy".

New Beginnings
Patti Ann Bengen
Book Worm Publishing
PO Box 759, Shoreham, NY 11786
0977405907 $19.95

New Beginnings is a novel about the vicious reality of domestic violence. A blissful wedding and ordinary marriage sours day by day into a gradual nightmare; no matter how hard Heather tries to please her husband with her appearance, personality, or cooking, the relationship deteriorates. Even when it worsens into beatings, Heather clings to the memory of the man she married, rather than the monster he has become. Yet it takes a terrible tragedy, which strikes even as a criminal secret from Heather's past surfaces, that force Heather to choose between enduring endless abuse and striking out to take back control of her own life. A gripping saga of the long, hard road to personal independence.

Merry Town, Missouri 1945-1948
Nickell John Romjue
Xlibris Corporation
2 International Plaze, Suite 340, Philadelphia, PA 19113-1598
1413477763 $17.84 www.xlibris.com

Set in a small American town after the turmoil of World War II, Merry Town, Missouri 1945-1948 is a novel about a 12-year-old boy and his talented politician grandfather, who has a gift for being able to "read" people an events. Their adventures together bring the spark of change to history, economy, politics, religious, social, and musical life of their home. An upbeat look at small-town life, written with the sparkling wit and charm of a Missouri native.

In Search Of The Silk King
Maya Herman
Xlibris
2 International Plaza, Suite 340, Philadelphia, PA 1913-1598
1413491189 $20.99 www.xlibris.com

In Search Of The Silk King by Maya Herman is the intriguing story of the mysterious disappearance of Jim Thompson, the "Silk King" of Thailand. Deeply engaging its readers with an ever-thickening plot and the eclectic and vivid storytelling style of Maya Herman's, In Search Of The Silk King opens to the Part One, Tapes and Voices and entails the romantic, heroic, and concise telling of a secret filled novel. In Search Of The Silk King is very highly recommended to general fiction readers for its original and outstanding story which will leave the reader looking forward to the next Maya Herman novel!

Karma's A Bitch
J. Gail
Jazoli Publishing
PO Box 1316, Brookhaven, PA 19015
0972697837 $14.00 www.jazolipublishing.com

Karma's A Bitch: Laugh Now. Pay Later. by J. Gail is the original and superbly written story of low-life womanizer Tony Jackson. Ridiculed by friends for sleeping with other girls in his girlfriend's bed, Karma's A Bitch is the story of Tony's exploits in robbing a convenience store, stealing from friends, his girlfriend, and people he has never met, all of which eventually leading him to an ultimate repercussion from of an intense load of karma. Karma's A Bitch is highly recommended as a creative and thought-provoking novel of just what can happen to an immoral and deceptive man by way of cosmic payback.

Fifty/Fifty Split
Rick Mizuno
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
Author Marketing Experts (publicity)
0595673783 $25.95 www.iuniverse.com

Fifty/Fifty Split by Rick Mizuno is the entertaining and engagingly written novel of Suzy and Michael Cowan and the terrible destruction of their marriage. As Suzy's coming arrival at her dream job shortly involves an involvement with of another man, Fifty/Fifty Split swiftly carries readers through the emotional struggle and pursuits of both Michael and Suzy as their relationship deteriorates and their lives lead them in separate directions, yet they retain just enough of an emotional bond to one-another to possibly survive as a couple. A welcome addition to community library contemporary fiction collections, Fifty/Fifty Split is very highly recommended as an remarkably intimate and highly gripping tale of deceit, marriage, and enduring love.

The Cattle
Greg M. Sarwa
Ampol Publishing
3149 Dundee Road, #324, Northbrook, IL 60062
0976620200 $14.95 www.gregsarwa.com

The Cattle by Greg M. Sarwa is the chilling tale of the "Real ID Act of 2005" and an engaging not-so-futuristic depiction of a future where their government mandated implants secured in every American citizen's body. Grippingly depicting the intricacies of the "Real ID Act" and the United States National Identification System, The Cattle carries readers through the entire process as systems are developed and tested in a sense of the "Mark of the Beast" lore. However, the "Mark of the Beast" includes a greater agenda than a collectively identifying every person. The Cattle slowly reveals the true intent behind the technology and public policy. The Cattle is very highly recommended reading for its vivid writing and outstanding predictive interpretation of a quite possible American future if we are not diligent in being aware of today's political trends and technological possibilities.

Drama in the Church
Dynah Zale
Q-Boro Books
165-41A Baisley Boulevard., Suite 4, Mall #1, Jamaica, NY 11434
0977624714 $14.95 www.qborobooks.com

Drama in the Church is a novel about the dangers of getting what one wishes for. A young woman seduced by the imagined lifestyle of being a gangster's girlfriend prays to God that she will find a thuggish boyfriend of her very own. When a handsome convict becomes interested in her, she is at first excited by her dreams come true; then the harsh realities of having a relationship with a criminal become all too clear. Seeking comfort in the sanctuary of the church, she examines the problems and hidden truths within herself, as well as the dark secrets of others around her. A passionate saga of love, lust, self-doubt, and the quest for wholeness, Drama in the Church is as captivating as it is salacious.

Summer Cruising
Dave Benbow
Palari Publishing
PO Box 9288, Richmond, VA 23227
1928662072 $14.95 1-866-570-6724 www.palaribooks.com

Dave Benbow's Summer Cruising is a novel of gay romance and steamy sex aboard the cruise ship RMS Princess Diana as it and her passengers sail through the waters of a sun-drenched Mediterranean, stopping off at picturesque ports of call along the way. Then this idyllic holiday is assaulted by a psychopath whose plan is to send the luxury liner and all aboard her to the bottom of the sea. What follows are daring escapes, personal sacrifices, and heart-pounding rescues as the crew and passengers of the RMS Princess Diana struggle to survive not only the sinking ship, but each other! Summer Cruising documents Benbow as a master storytelling whose finely honed art draws the reader in from the very first page and holds both interest and attention all the way through to a climactic and memorable end.

Eddie And Me On The Scrap Heap
Marc Littman
Privately Published
10331 Gloria Avenue, Granada Hills, CA 91344
1419611305 $16.99 www.autismUpside.com www.amazon.com

Marc Littman's debut novel, Eddie And Me On The Scrap Heap, is the story of autistic nine-year-old Eddie and the remarkable changes he makes in the people around him, including Uncle Natie Newman (who is a forty-year-old would-be reggae singer who hasn't ever been to Jamaica but speaks and looks Jamaican), Captain Jake (an artist and pirate who has aspirations of sailing to Tahiti in the beached yacht which overlooks the broken cars of Jolly Roger's U-Pick junkyard), and Sharon (who is a modern day witch with a tragic past). Eddie, Eddie And Me On The Scrap Heap is the delightful and original story of how the three social misfits try to help Eddie with his autism-based poor social skills and provide him with a positive and creative atmosphere in which to grow. Eddie And Me On The Scrap Heap is very strongly recommended reading as an outstanding first-time novel with a delightful roster of memorable characters.

Apocrypha
T.S. Ferguson
Tate Publishing & Enterprises
127 East Trade Center Terrace, Mustang, Oklahoma 73064-4421
1933148683 $19.95 www.tatepublishing.com

Apocrypha by T. S. Ferguson is an engaging novel depicting the lives of Scott Chad (an American mineralogical surveyor, geologist, and amateur archeologist), his partner Samuel Rogowski, and a spy sent from the Israeli secret intelligence named Julia Apostoli, as they excavate a lost tomb in the desert outside of Cairo. Apocrypha swiftly depicts the finding of the trio's discovery of a cave which has scriptures telling of writings hidden by Mohammed. The three protagonists must escape the grasp of two terrorist groups determined to steal the writings for their own profit and political advantage. An original and creative novel enhanced with many theological specifics of Islam, Apocrypha is very strongly recommended and entertaining reading, especially for those with an interest in the Middle-Eastern culture.

Persian Dreams
Maryam Tabibzadeh
Iceni Books
610 East Delano Street, Suite 104, Tucson, AZ 85705
1587364867 $27.95 www.dreamsinpersia.com

A timeless novel, Persian Dreams by author and poet Maryam Tabibzadeh is the superbly crafted and engaging story of three people whose lives and struggles propel them through one hundred years of history in a country of everlasting poverty, continuous political struggle, and the destructiveness of war, Persian Dreams follows the diverse character setup of Talah, a woman striving for survival after the loss of her second husband, Baback, Talah's first son whose struggle with faith and religion becomes his greatest in the midst of a growing love affair, and Baback's daughter Nosha who relentlessly aims to escape the second-class citizenship forced onto the women of her country. Persian Dreams is very highly recommended reading as a strong and powerful intimate tale of one family's greatest struggle in a time of pain for all.


The Poetry Shelf

Ten Years Running
Mary Johnsen
Lulu.com
3131 RDU Center, Suite 210, Morrisville, NC 27560
141166132X $12.95 www.lulu.com

Ten Years Running is a collection of lyrical and artistic poetry drawn from the romantic works of Mary Johnsen. Offering readers ninety-three nicely crafted poems, Ten Years Running is an excellent introduction to Johnsen's thoughtful, entertaining poetry. Flower Child: Didn't we just think/we'd live forever?/Our youth was our armor/We were out to change the world/with love and peace/But the world changed us instead./Didn't it./Now instead of/summers never ending,/we have years that fly away./My optimism faded/as gradually as my dreams.//I was going to leave/my footprints/in the sand of time./but the sands of time/have left their mark/on me…

Remorseless Loyalty
Christine Gelineau
The Ashland Poetry Press
Ashland University, Ashland, OH 44805
0912592575 $12.95 www.ashland.edu/aupoetry

Remorseless Loyalty is an eclectic collection of creative and innovative poetry from the work of Christine Gelineau (winner of the 2004 Richard Snyder Publication Prize, and Assistant Director of the Creative Writing Program at SUNY Binghamton). Gracefully offering its readers a lyrical investigation into the literary complexities of Gelineau's work, Remorseless Loyalty is a superbly presented anthology of poetic rhetoric. Spring Again: Spring again//that old chicanery/of sun-finished flowers//The meadows/are tricked out/in sudden green,//the rivers gulping,/tearing to the sea//We are so eager to believe/the sleight-of-hand/the magic cotton-tailed trees//Smoke-white blossoms/cloud the air yet/beneath//our feet the earth maintains her old sure suck.

Viewpoint
Juli Nunlist
Hobblebush Books
17-A Old Milford Road, Brookline, NH 03033
0976089637 $15.95 www.hobblebush.com

Viewpoint is an elegant collection of purely stylistic poetry drawn from the works of musician, composer and poet Juli Nunlist. Delightful and insightful, Viewpoint showcases a timeless poetic tribute to an inspiring mind at works. I Have Just Finished Mending: your old blue sleeveless sweater:/the bottom was raveling/and there was a small moth hole/in the back. You've worn it for/seventeen years. I don't know/how many times it's needed/mending. I asked why on earth/you keep wearing the shabby/old thing. Kate, you said--so I/knew it: it was our daughter's gift./All right, I'll keep mending it.

Nothing Fictional But The Accuracy Or Arrangement (She
Sawako Nakayasu
Quale Press
93 Main Street, Suite 2, Florence, MA 01062
0974450367 $12.00 www.quale.com

Nothing Fictional But The Accuracy Or Arrangement (She is a collection of vividly written prose poems representing the work of Sawako Nakayasu. As an inspirational anthology of introspective poetic rhetoric, Nothing Fictional But The Accuracy Or Arrangement (She grants readers an reflective understanding of Nakayasu's eccentric and engaging self. Excerpt: "tunes herself to the pitch of a closing door, a flat give or take as the exit escapes her//delivers words according to geography--long letters with more distance, short bursts to an ear, distance of a turn of the head comes down, hard, a most tender hard most//shoulders herself with the bags of another perception//smokes rapidly as a nod to exercise//has story to tell it later"

Sleeping With The Dead
W.D. Ehrhart
Adastra Press
16 Reservation Road, Easthampton, MA 01027
0977666700 $14.00 www.amazon.com

Sleeping With The Dead is a timeless and memorable collection of W. D. Ehrhart's poetry. Filled from first page to last with Ehrhart's remarkable style and progressive poetic resonance, Sleeping With The Dead is an twenty-four page, handsewn, elegant, showcased presentation. Sleeping With The Dead-- I dreamed about you again last night./This time, you were living in Tennessee,/on a horse farm, married, children/I think, it wasn't clear--but I finally/got you to see that I don't love you,/not like that: as if my world would end/without you in it.//O, to have been/so close, to have shared your bed, to have/felt like I'd been raised from the dead/after all those dead I slept with/every night. It almost drove me mad/to let you go.//But that was years ago,/married nineteen years and sorry only/that I've never had the chance to tell you/that it's okay, that I'm okay,/that no one could have saved me then,/not you or God, that I don't love you/anymore, but hope someone does.

The Alabaster Plant
Shannon L. Sanford
Infinity Publishing
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041
0741415399 $15.95 www.infinitypublishing.com

The Alabaster Plant is an intriguing collection of eclectic and endearing poetry drawn from the most endlessly engaging collection of Shannon L. Sanford's inspiring analogies, metaphors, and latent wordings. The Novice Wine Taster: Grapes and seeds/Punched by a thorn/Dripped/To a deep raspberry bitter/A cranberry hint of subterfuge//Perhaps a swish of the goblet shall free it/The essence spinning//Little spots of cork sinking in the whirling center//A burning berry bush/A deep cinnamon gone bad//Red as velvet in winter/Or purple oil with blood drops//Up the flat syrupy concoction/Under the palate//Nothing like the aroma

The Inanity Of Music And Wings
Zachary Michael Jack
New Buffalo Press
902 South Randall. Suite C-171, St. Charles, IL 60174
1595409610 $15.95 www.1stworldlibrary.com

The Inanity Of Music And Wings is an outstanding anthology of inspiring and evocative work by the remarkably gifted poet Zachary Michael Jack. Compiling some of the best of Jack's most compelling verse, The Inanity Of Music And Wings revitalizes the definition of modern poetry as an intangible escape from the reality of what is false, and creates an infinite essence of truth and beauty through word driven images. Bird On What Must Be Broken: We share a ruin--mine a pinprick burrowed/in the side of this hardwood column,/yours a shuttered room in a crumbling mission./The whole city's an imperfect thing--the cars/slow to fire, the black-trousered men/painstaking their exits. If you could/use your hands, if your hands held/the enviable knowledge a woman feels/when she screams with joy, if the could/touch that machinery… The old bricks/falling off the hotel wait for the mason,/from whose rough hands they learned trust./Repair a thing and it's yours forever.

The Disheveled Bed
Andrea Carter Brown
Cavan Kerry Press
6 Horixon Road, #2901, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
0972304533 $16.00 www.cavankerrypress.org

The Disheveled Bed is an eclectic and highly intimate anthology of the most engaging and inspiring philosophical poetry showcasing the conceptual and individualistic style of Andrea Carter Brown. Deftly compiling The Disheveled Bed from first page to last with poetry which is both deeply involved and sporadically intuitive, Brown's works are to be given extensive praise and high honor. X (Tuesday Yet Again, or 2 +13 + 14 + 1): The state where we will meet boasts more/than fifteen fourteeners strung along the twisted/Divide like a strand freshwater pearls/abandoned during love-making. We last came//to this valley two years ago to leave behind/what we couldn't change. The highest we made it/then was 12,000 feet. At Quartz Ridge the world/fell away but I wouldn't let go. Crisscrossing//the continent has since become a way of life./This time when my heart beats as if it might/break, I know it won't. Far below, the frosted/Front Range beckons. From opposite directions//our planes approach; somewhere in the terminal/we'll find each other before the next flight.

The Horizon Is Far Away
Ivan Schneedorfer
Shoreline Press
23 Ste-Ane, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada, H9X 1L1
1896754465 $11.95 www.shorelinepress.ca

The Horizon Is Far Away is an engaging collection of the intriguing and thoughtfully poetical rhetoric of Ivan Schneedorfer. Deftly compiling the most evocative and eclectic works of Schneedorfer, The Horizon Is Far Away intuitively carries readers through an artful and unique approach to the "mind's muse" of the poet. 32: all/the girls/laugh at me//but/they do it/tenderly//are we not/on speaking term?//is our silence/reasonable?//some/of us are/lunatic//some/of us are/sunstroked

Home Of Sudden Service
Elizabeth Bachinsky
Nightwood Editions
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada VON 2H0
0889712123 $16.95 1-604-883-2730 www.nightwoodeditions.com

Home Of Sudden Service is an engaging collection of Elizabeth Bachinsky's insightfully intimate poetry. Showcasing some of her best work, Home Of Sudden Service assaults barriers with a kind of subversive poetry that will be especially appreciated by the discerning reader. Night Voices: I want the chilled blue/nights I gave to girls I'll never see again./I want their long cool limbs,/the faint movement their bodies made beside me,/rain on the flysheet of our tent, a lake below/us, dark and quiet, but for night/birds--bats--hurtling through the bent/branches above. I want my girls back-/lit by the moon then warmed/by the campfire we built together./I want their secrets. To hear/their high laughter from a distance/among the trees, so far from the houses where/we lived, we felt free.

Beggars At The Wall
Rochelle Ratner
Ikon Inc.
151 First Avenue, #46, New York, NY 10003
0945368119 $12.95 www.amazon.com

Showcasing the work of lyrical poet Rochelle Ratner, Beggars At The Wall is an impressive and memorable anthology of inspiring and analytical verse. Beggars At The Wall ably and deftly presents the diligent grace of Ratner's most timeless political and expressive word images. Progressing Through The Negev: And to our left we see/the Bedouin woman/hurrying her infant out/of the hospital complex/before the Evil Eye sees//get back to the tent//Our guide points out/she'd wanted to stay there/with her midwife/with her husband's strong hands/ that he hasn't washed/these nine months.

Sanctuary
Adrienne Su
Manic D Press
PO Box 410804, San Francisco, CA 94141
193314906X $13.95 www.manicdpress.com

Wryly filled with endearing philosophical metaphor, Sanctuary is an amazing collection of clever, intuitive, and intelligent poetry drawn from the writings of Adrienne Su. Smart. Sanctuary persistently and fluently defines the progressive and independent mind of Su, which itself is utterly thought-provoking and keenly produced with diligent and promiscuous tongue. The First Trimester: Since you haven't told and look the same,/there's plenty of time to adapt to the changes.//Nobody holds open doors. Subway riders/gaze deeply into the face of Ann Landers.//The driver who edges you out in the parking lot/does it again, unashamed, at the checkout.//Bring something back to Customer Service/and get glowered at, a fish your only witness.//Inquire about uncooked eggs in the Caesar/salad, uncoiling the waiter's covert anger.//With drinking pals, order juice or Evian;/prepare to be seen as a budding Puritan.//Before the belly arrives to explain itself,/you have to appear to look out for yourself,//which nobody likes, so when snaps and buttons/begin to resist, you're ready and willing to fatten.

Dawn in the Big House
Christopher Presfield
Pygmy Forest Press
1125 Mill Street, Springfield, OR 97477
0944550738 $10.00 541-345-9635

Dawn in the Big House is a collection of poems about life inside prison, written by an inmate of one of California's penitentiaries (he has been incarcerated for various drug-related property crimes, and has no history of violent offenses). The brief, free-verse expressions offer an unforgettable glimpse into life behind stone walls. Dawin in the Big House is a compilation that, once started, literally cannot be put down. "One Lives in Stone": So long the wind begins to fade / to gray, one lives in stone, steel / as though no other form exists, / contained under a nervy sky.


The Gardening Shelf

Lawns Natural And Organic
Don Williamson
Lone Pine Publishing
1808 "B" Street, Suite 140 Auburn, WA 98001
9768200146 $16.95 1-800-661-9017 www.lonepinepublishing.com

Lawns Natural And Organic by lawncare expert Don Williamson is an extensive, profusely illustrated collection of innovative, comprehensive tips and strategies for the overall maintenance of quality gardens and lawns for central and northern range of botanical environment in America. Introducing readers to an expansive exploration of the most common turfgrass species, soil and their nutrient requirements, planning for existing light and water conditions, lawn installation techniques, maintenance, including fertilization, aerating and thatch control, pest management for insects, weeds and diseases, troubleshooting for lawn repair and renovation, an annual lawn maintenance calendar, and low-maintenance and groundcover alternatives, Lawns Natural And Organic diligently compiles all the necessary information for creating, organizing, and maintaining a beautiful lawn. Lawns Natural And Organic is very strongly recommended to all homeowners, landscapers and professional gardeners considering the renovation a lawn -- as well those in the profession of lawn maintenance for its outstanding and invaluable knowledge of lawn upkeep.


The American History Shelf

Stealing The Mississippi River
Donna Christoph Huegel
Joel Lovstad Publishing
1605 Henry Johns Boulevard, #5, Bangor, WI 54614
0974905844 $19.95 1-877-634-4414

Stealing The Mississippi River: Fascinating History Of The La Crescent, Minnesota Area by Donna Christoph Huegel is an inherently entertaining 177-page paperback collection of engaging stories showcasing the people and events of the La Crescent region of Minnesota. Comprised of sixty engaging and timeless stories ranging from before the European settlements through the frontier decades of the 19th century, Stealing The Mississippi River is very highly recommended students of regional American history in general, La Crescent area residents and visitors /vacationers in particular.

Hatfield And McCoy Feud
Phillip Hardy
Mad Monk Productions
17121 Berlin Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92649
1411681279 $TBA www.amazon.com

Hatfield And McCoy Feud: Kingdom Of The Hollow, The Story Of The Hatfields And McCoys by Phillip Hardy (Staff Writer for the "Sound of the Sirens" online magazine) is the famous story of a blood feud between two struggling families and their kinfolk and friends in the years following the economic hardships which descended upon their mountain region after the end of the debilitating American Civil War. With a skillfully presented narrative account of the background and initial causes of the feud between the Hatfield and McCoy clans, Hardy informatively reveals how in 1878 Randolph McCoy accused Floyd Hatfield of stealing one of his hogs, which in short time thereafter escalated in a "tit-for-tat" fashion what eventually would result in the deaths of a dozen people and an eventual Supreme Court hearing. A highly detailed and informed account of the legendary tale of two stubborn southern families, the Hatfield And McCoy Feud: Kingdom Of The Hollow is a welcome contribution to personal, academic, and community library American History collections.

Missing Links To The Culper Spy Ring?
Bernadine Fawcett
Infinity Publishing.com
1094 New Dehaven Street, #100, West Conshochocken, PA 19428-2713
0741421593 $22.95 www.fawcettcounseling.com www.infinitypublishing.com

Missing Links To The Culper Spy Ring? by Bernadine Fawcett is a unique contribution to our understanding of the Revolutionary War's inner-workings with respect to the use of espionage by the colonists against their British adversaries. Presenting readers with an in-depth analysis of Rev. Andrew Eliot's (a Connecticut revolutionary war spy) relationship to, and exchange of information between, George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Hancock, and Andrew Jackson, Missing Links To The Culper Spy Ring? leaves no detail out of its history of the lineage shared between Rev. Eliot's wife and Vice President Aaron Burr, and how letters between them led Bernadine Fawcett discover intimate accounts of a "Patriot Spy Ring" A seminal and quite original contribution to American Revolutionary War History, Missing Links To The Culper Spy Ring? is very highly recommended for personal, academic, and community library collections.

The Golden Quest And Nevada's Silver Heritage
Jody Horner & Rick Horner
19th Century Books
c/o Electric Canvas
1001 Art Road, Pilot Hill, CA 95664
0976697645 $21.95 www.19thCentury.us

Profusely illustrated with historic black and white photos and highly recommended for personal, academic, and community library American History collections, The Golden Quest And Nevada's Silver Heritage chronicles life and times in the Lake Tahoe region (including the Western Mining districts of Nevada) during the 1800s. Incorporating more than 130 personal stories from the men and women who lived and worked in the region, The Golden Quest And Nevada's Silver Heritage is enhanced with more than 130 personal stories drawn from journals, diaries, and letters. These stories and anecdotes showcases the humor, anguish, and determination of the people who settled the country. From tragedy to triumph, from hijinks to heroics, The Golden Quest And Nevada's Silver Heritage provides modern readers with a "you are there" perspective on what life was really like so long ago with all of its joys and tragedies, its hardships and successes.

Texas In Her Own Words
Tweed Scott
Redbud Publishing
109 Providence Court, Victoria, TX 77904
0972029370 $24.95 www.redbudpublishing.com

Enhanced with an informative foreword by Kinky Friedman, Texas In Her Own Words as told by Tweed Scott is a fascinating and informative study of the Texan. Compiling interviews with people drawn from all walks of Texas life, Texas In Her Own Words includes commentary and observations from stars such as Willie Nelson, Darrell Royal, and Liz Carpenter; a wealth of fun and interesting facts of the great state; illustrative pictures vividly capturing the pride of many Texans; the origin of the Texas image and attitude; and discussion points for diehard Texans or book groups study the history and culture of the Lone Star State. Texas In Her Own Words is very highly recommended for its concise analysis of Texas pride and its wonderful in-depth coverage of every given style and stereotype of Texan.

Duelists Of The Old West
Charles L. Convis
Pioneer Press
PO Box 216, Carson City, NV 89702-0216
1892156229 $8.95 www.amazon.com

Duelists Of The Old West by Charles L. Convis is an engaging collection of twenty true stories of the old west and its relentless history. Compiling true tales (little-known to many) of the old west and the many duelists featured in its frontier history, Duelists Of The Old West carries readers through the real-life stories of Doctor Messenger, Second Shot, Scarlet Lady Shootout, Dueling Doctors, Spilling Ink Instead Of Blood, A Tragic Meeting In Texas, and many more drawn from many contributors including Mark Twain, Wild Bill Hickok, and other knowledgeable authors. Duelists Of The Old West is very highly recommended and entertaining reading for students of American history in general, and American Western History enthusiasts in particulars. Also recommended from Charles L. Convis' "True Tales of the Old West" series is the companion volume, Pioneer Loggers And Lumber Workers (18921256210, $8.95).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Fairy Houses… Everywhere!
Barry & Tracy Kane
Light-Beams Publishing
10 Toon Lane, Lee, NH 03824
097081044X $14.95 www.light-beams.com

Fairy Houses… Everywhere!, is a compilation of photographs and writings assembled by Barry & Tracy Kane, into an eccentric collection of brief, illustrated descriptions of wild and intricate fairy homes, mansions, cabins, marinas, gardens created by the artistic imagination of the authors. Providing readers with a complete and timeless anthology of a hobby-turned-profession, Fairy Houses… Everywhere! explores the fantasy world of fairies as a fun task with an appeal to readers of all ages. Fairy Houses… Everywhere! is highly recommended for its undeniably entertaining, wonderfully fun, innovative ideals and explorative concepts.

The Lost Valley / The Wolves of God
Algernon Blackwood
Stark House Press
2200 "O" Street, Eureka, CA 95501
1933586044 $19.95

The Lost Valley / The Wolves of God reprints two hard-to-find anthologies of fantasy, horror, and occult short stories in a single volume. Written by Algernon Blackwood, who forsook his Catholic upbringing to explore Oriental religion and the occult, the stories were created during the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, and reflect the changing world of that tumultuous era. A tantalizingly mysterious collection, especially recommended for fans of gaslight horror and occult tales by more widely publicized authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard.

Seer's Quest
Chad Corrie
Aspirations Media
7755 Lakeview Lane, Spring Lake Park, MN 55432
0977604306 $16.99 1-763-242-1586 www.aspirationsmediainc.com

Seer's Quest by Chad Corrie is an entertaining introduction to the world of Tralodren. This is the remarkable story of Dugan (an the escaped gladiator), Vinder the dwarven ax, Cadrissa the young mage, and a blind elven seer with his assistant. Depicting the tale of this diverse group's journey to Takta Lu Lama for the purpose of retrieving information lost for over a thousand years, Seer's Quest is a riveting action/adventure fantasy novel of three mercenaries and a young knight who unexpectedly joined together in a quest, even though they are all entirely distrustful of one-another, and the elven seer foretells of an even grander endeavor of which they might all engage. The first volume in the "Divine Gambit" trilogy, Seer's Quest is very highly recommended for all "sword & sorcery" fantasy buffs for its remarkable detailing of a highly intricate world filled with adventure.

The Didymus Contingency
Jeremy Robinson
Privately Published
44 Fortier Drive, Rochester, NH 03867
1411627148 $18.00 www.jeremyrobinsononline.com

The Didymus Contingency is a dark science fiction novel about a time-traveler turned widower. Dr. Tom Greenbaum's wife was murdered for her Christian faith; in anger, Greenbaum resolves to travel to ancient Israel to disprove Jesus Christ's resurrection once and for all. Yet Greenbaum's rage just might alter the course of history and bring ruin to billions of lives, including his own. Greenbaum's colleague Tom pursues him, hoping to avert disaster. Menaced by friends, enemies, an assassin from the future, and a demon that cannot die, the two men are adrift amid a potentially world-shattering cataclysm, in this thrilling and fast-paced "what if?" scenario.

Marty Boggs And The Curse Of Kutkara's Tomb
M. T. Acquaire
Archebooks Publishing
444 Grove Park Drive, Locust Grove, GA 30248
1595071121 $28.99 www.archebooks.com

Marty Boggs And The Curse Of Kutkara's Tomb by M. T. Acquaire (the collaborative pen name of Matthew Acquire and his wife Tanya), is a creative fantasy story depicting the life of the twelve-year-old Marty Boggs and his very troubled life. Tactfully carrying its readers through the mysterious disappearance of Marty's mother, the terrors of the bully at his new school, his comatose grandfather archeologist and the peculiar and seemingly valid questioning of weather the housekeeper is really human, Marty Boggs And The Curse Of Kutkara's Tomb is a humorous, evocative, and engaging story of the incredible mystery of the young Boggs' magical life. Marty Boggs And The Curse Of Kutkara's Tomb is to be given high praise and is very highly recommended for its outstanding style and unique story for all readers, young and old, endlessly in love with the magical realm of fantasy fiction and the battle of good and evil.

Ending An Ending
Danny Birt
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595375731 $22.95 www.iuniverse.com

Ending An Ending: First Book Of The Laurian Pentology by Danny Birt is the introduction to a world of polytheistic beliefs in which the hero Sanct defies the law of the Gods', without memory, skill, or perception of self-purpose. Introducing an expansive world of great detail and intricacies, Ending An Ending creatively presents Sanct's possession of a staff which has the potential to guide the world back to its rightful path from a potential disintegration. Original and entertaining Ending An Ending is very highly recommended for science-fiction fans as a particularly well-authored and vividly detailed novel that will leave the reader looking forward to the next installment of the Laurian Pentology.

Vrolok
Nolene-Patricia Dougan
Author House
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403
1420881639 $30.99 www.authorhouse.com

Based upon of a poem anonymously published in 1906, Vrolok by Nolene-Patricia Dougan is an original engaging story of Isabella, the leader of the vampires after the death of Vlad Dracula. Carrying readers through the gripping tale of Isabella's dark journey, Vrolok diligently depicts the intricate life of the immortal vampire including her inevitable nemesis. A superbly crafted and complex dark fantasy novel, Vrolok is very highly recommended as an evocative and captivating tale of the immortal race of the Vrolok, or vampire, as their leader's desires to lead a nation of their kind comes to an unexpected and exciting conclusion. Vrolok will leave her readers looking eagerly towards Nolene-Patricia Dougan's next foray into dark fantasy.


The Parenting Shelf

The Song Of Father-Son
Peter H. Putnam
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595675557 $31.95 www.iuniverse.com

The Song Of Father-Son: Men In Search Of The Blessing by Peter H. Putnam is a guide for young men and their fathers everywhere. As told by Putnam, many young men in modern American society have never received "The Blessing", a traditional gift given by a father as his son enters or prepares for manhood. In a tradition common to all three of the Abrahamic faiths, The Song Of Father-Son knowledgeably embraces the power of giving a son his father's full conviction and endorsement through the means of an empowering blessing which all growing young men should rightfully receive as a part of their familial legacy. For its ideals and pertinence within the context of these modern times in America, The Song Of Father-Son is strongly recommended reading for all fathers wanting to raise their sons up to manhood with, one day, sons of their own.


The Political Science Shelf

Diversions
Ed Hall
Morris Publishing
3212 East Highway 31, Kearney, NE 68847
0974513318 $10.95 www.halltoons.com

Diversions And Other Political Observations by award winning cartoonist Ed Hall is a radical collection of satirical political drawings and cartoons. In a tactful and skilled approach to the visual criticism of America's political events from 2003 to 2006, Diversions deftly covers every ground of controversial and sketchy issues and is a great take on Bush's great horizon of mistakes and mishaps. Diversions is very highly recommended to all readers searching for an interesting compendium of cynical and hilarious satirical politically inclined illustrations for Hall's unique and amusing style and interpretation of his subject.

America's Controversies
Ksenija Arsic
Llumina Press
PO Box 772246, Coral Springs, FL 33077
1595264809 $12.95 www.llumina.com

America's Controversies: The Death Penalty, Clinton's Presidency, And Export Of Democracy To Nicaragua by journalist researcher and writer Ksenija Arsic is an intriguing collection of independent essays and original research papers covering various aspects of modern America's political activities both national and international. Writing on such topics as capital punishment in terms of American and Canadian views which conflict with or are oppose to those of the Western European nations. Drawing from many in-depth research studies, America's Controversies expressly contributes to an expert descriptive analysis of America's actions and policies. A welcome addition to personal and academic library Political Science reference collections and Social Issues reading lists, America's Controversies is very highly recommended and informative reading.

Unacceptable
Walter M. Brasch
Booksurge
Renn & Gerber Media Relations (publicity)
5341 Dorchester Road, Suite 16, Charleston, SC 29418
1419618393 $12.99 www.booksurge.com

Unacceptable: The Federal Response To Hurricane Katrina by journalism professor Walter M. Brasch is an informative and critical analysis of the inefficiency and ineptitude of the American government's response to the natural disaster and consequent widespread tragedy of hurricane Katrina. Providing an accessible and "reader friendly" in-depth study of predictive and retrospective texts, quotes, and conceptual understandings, Unacceptable guides readers through the many contributing factors which resulted in the Bush administration's dysfunctional political policies, such as downgrading FEMA while pushing new resources into the anti-terrorism campaigns and the war in Iraq. To be given high praise for its candor, Unacceptable is very strongly recommended reading for anyone interested in contemporary politics and current events for its outstanding and precise study of the federal government poorly performance and indecisive action for one of the worst natural disaster in American history.

Deadly Dogma
Grant F. Smith
Institute for Research: MEP
Calvert Station, PO Box 32041, Washington, DC 20007
0976443740 $12.95 www.irmep.org

Deadly Dogma: How Neoconservatives Broke The Law To Deceive America by Grant F. Smith (Director of Research at the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy, Washington, D.C.) is a revelation of how right-wing religious pernicious influence played a significant role in the influencing of America's politically right-wing executive members. A documented presentation, Deadly Dogma exposes the fraudulent neoconservative movement with respect to tax fraud, wire fraud, and extortion in support of their religious beliefs and theological view of the Middle East. Deadly Dogma provides a clear and descriptive analysis of a modern American government under the influence and control of the neoconservatives who engage in a disdainful insecurity-based spite for the world outside of their own, and the propaganda they are willing to present as a means to control the American populace. Deadly Dogma is very strongly recommended reading as a superbly presented study of the political right wing and their perspectives on foreign policy, as well as previously unnoted facts with respect to the far reaching contributions of the neoconservative's current reign at the federal level of American governance.

Terror! Terror! And Tom Walker Two
Henry A. Buchanan
Author House
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403
142086145X $24.95 www.authorhouse.com

Terror! Terror! And Tom Walker Two by Henry A. Buchanan has as its focus three men and their philosophical analysis of the recent war in the Middle East. Following Deacon, the Professor, and Abner Pea through their local debates and discussions of the war in a fact-full and humorous manner, Terror! Terror! And Tom Walker Two offers an impressive descriptive analyses of the moral, ethical, religious, and political issues of the current war in an engaging and "reader friendly" format for an easy, yet informative read. A welcome contribution to the ongoing national dialogue with respect to the "War on Terror" purportedly taking place around the world, Terror! Terror! And Tom Walker Two is very highly recommended as a humorously innovative augmentation our understanding of what's going on with respect to America's military actions abroad and political activities here at home.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

With Healing Wings
Marsha Maurer
Chalice Press
c/o Christian Board of Publication
PO Box 933119, Atlanta, GA 31193-3119
0827242522 $14.99 www.chalicepress.com

With Healing Wings: Prayers For Those Who Hurt And Those Who Care by inspirational speaker and writer Marsha Maurer is an inspired and inspiring collection of intimate and quotable mantras and prayers for those in the midst of a dispute with friends, family, God, or the adverse circumstances in their personal lives. Providing readers with an outstanding collection of personal and enveloping wisdom and knowledgeable prayer, With Healing Wings is an excellent compendium of the most helpful and enlightening Biblical quotes and proverbs. With Healing Wings is very highly recommended as an ideal and considerate gift for anyone who is distressed, as well as a superb reference for proper and helpful prayers in times when prayer is most needed.

The Truth
The Oracle Institute
The Oracle Institute Press
PO Box 368, Hamilton, VA 20159
0977392902 $15.00 1-540-882-9252 www.theoracleinstitutepress.org

A project of the Oracle Institute (A charity designated to revealing Truths from the past, present, and future), The Truth: About The Five Primary Religions And The Seven Rules Of Any Good Religion is an intricate mapping and documentary study of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. Identifying the similarities among each of these otherwise diverse religious movements, The Truth concisely describes the evolution of religion and theology through the past twenty-thousand years, the fracturing of the New Age movement, and the nearing of the fourth coming Spiritual Paradigm and revolution of societal perspectives. The Truth is to be given high praise and is very strongly recommended reading for dedicated students of interfaith religious studies.

Amish Confidential
Chris Burkholder
Argyle Publishing
PO Box 72, Argyle, IA 52619
0977268004 $19.95 www.argylepublishing.org

Amish Confidential: The Bishop's Son Shatters The Silence by Chris Burkholder (the son of an Amish bishop) is the author's autobiography of his childhood and upbringing among the Amish. Delving deeply into the true terrors of the incest, child abuse, rape, bestiality, and terrifying violence that are the obscured realities and occasioned elements of Amish life, Amish Confidential defies the common view of the religion as non-violent, while defining its constructs as brainwashing based upon the first-hand experiences of the author whose excommunication from father, home, community, and faith sent him into a life amidst the 'sinful and condemned world'. Amish Confidential is very strongly recommended to students of contemporary Amish or Mennonite culture.


The Language Studies Shelf

Enigmas Of The English Alphabet
Alvaro J. Alves-Milho
Author House
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403
1420874144 $13.95 www.authorhouse.com

Enigmas Of The English Alphabet by Alvaro J. Alves-Milho is an informative understanding of the in-depth complexities of the English language. Comprehensively compiled and arranged for ease of use by non-specialist general readers, Enigmas Of The English Alphabet expansively contributes for a greater and more accurate conceptual grasp of the rules and peculiarities of the a difficult and sometimes contradictory language. Enigmas Of The English Alphabet is very strongly recommended, especially to readers new to the English language, as well as those who are searching for a "user-friendly" and easy-to-follow guide to the many diversities and specifics of a language that even native-born speakers can have difficulties with.

American English Compendium
Marv Rubinstein
Schreiber Publishing
51 Monroe Street, Suite 101, Rockville, MD 20850
0884003167 $27.95 www.schreibernet.com

The third and newly revised edition of American English Compendium: A Portable Guide To The Idiosyncrasies, Subtleties, Technical Lingo, And Conventional Wisdom Of American English by Marv Rubinstein is a "student friendly" collection of the many intricacies of the English language and the variable differences of American English from its British counterpart. A significant and informative reference for studying the English language, American English Compendium provides readers with an understanding and history of quotes, common proverbs, slogans aphorisms, colloquialisms, medical terms, acronyms, abbreviations and much more. American English Compendium is very strongly recommended to all students of the English language, speakers both native and foreign to its vernacular.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Eco Civilization 2140
Roy Morrison
Writiers Publishing Cooperative
PO Box, 201, Warner, NH 03278
1930149379 $12.95 www.essentialbooks.com

Eco Civilization 2140: A Twenty-Second-Century History And Survivor's Journal by Roy Morrison is a comprehensive introduction to a range of ideas and innovations with respect to modern energy alternatives and potential ecological struggles and possible advancements for the coming generations. Delving deeply into modern economics and the study of the futuristic town of Warner, New Hampshire in the year 2140, with a conceptual and likely predictive analysis of the post-ecological crisis of the 21st century, Eco Civilization 2140 is an essential log and wide understanding of the future world and its history in the times between now and then. With its unique approach of "reversed historical perspective", Eco Civilization 2140 is highly recommended reading for environmental activists and policy makers for its post-modern ideals and grand interpretation of futuristic and near-future realistic study of political sciences, ecology, and energy studies.

Creating The National Environmental Master Plan--2006
John M. Tettemer
Juniper Springs Press
c/o Event Management Services & Publicity Firm (publicity)
1127 Grove Street, Clearwater, FL 33755
0967887666 $14.95 www.amazon.com

Creating The National Environmental Master Plan--2006 by civil engineer and environmental activist John M. Tettemer is an informed and informative descriptive study of the steps to be taken in a short time if we are to salvage and protect the environment through sound public policy and scientifically appropriate initiatives in reversing the negligent American mentality toward the natural world. Introducing readers to a planned ten-step approach to taking action and pursuing environmental protection goals, Creating The National Environmental Master Plan--2006 comprehensively presents an analysis and "reader friendly" understanding of what might most ably help realize environmental goals through cooperatively developing new national, state, and regional pro-planning practices for precisely mapping the course of future environmental initiatives. Very strongly recommended for environmental activists and policy makers searching for a guide to making a difference in assisting the planet's environmental well-being, Creating The National Environmental Master Plan--2006 is a welcome and core addition to personal, professional, and academic library Environmental Studies reference collections.


The Military Shelf

Twice Forgotten
John F. Kidd & Erwin C. Winkel II
Vantage Press
419 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
0533151937 $13.95 www.amazon.com

Co-authored by John F. Kidd (Retired Chief Petty Officer from the United States Navy) and Erwin C. Winkel II, Twice Forgotten is the true story of John Kidd's enlistment into the US Navy in 1939, which with the outbreak of World War II lead in a short time to his being captured by the Japanese and held as a prisoner of war for its duration. Presenting his personal story with humor and tact, Kidd and Winkel describe the hardships, difficult circumstances, and the brutal treatment he and his fellow prisoners-of-war experienced while in the hands of the Japanese. A welcome addition to the growing library of World War II autobiographies and memoirs, Twice Forgotten is very highly recommended reading for anyone with an interest in the history of World War II as a well authored documentation of first hand experience of what it was like to be prisoner of the Japanese during World War II.

American Battlefields of World War I Chateau-Thierry--Then and Now Volume One: Enter the Yanks
David C. Homsher
Battleground Productions
PO Box 624, 85 Tilton Avenue, #4, San Mateo, CA 94401
0970244304 $39.95 www.battlegroundpro.com

American Battlefields of World War I Chateau-Thierry--Then and Now Volume One: Enter the Yanks is the first in a new series of World War I guides by battlefield expert Dave Homsher. Volume One presents the experiences of American doughboys in and near the Marne Salient in 1918, drawing extensively upon primary sources and personal testimonies, and illustrated with black-and-white drawings and photographs on virtually every page. Written for lay readers, military historians, and travelers in France interested in personally visiting the battlefields, American Battlefields of World War I Chateau-Thierry presents an in-depth visual and verbal experience sure to give the reader as accurate an understanding as possible of this deadly conflict.


The Social Issues Shelf

American Meth
Sterling R. Braswell
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595380212 $15.95 www.iuniverse.com

American Meth: A History Of The Methamphetamine Epidemic In America by Sterling Braswell is a highly researched documentation of the use and abuse of methamphetamines as contemporary America's quintessential addictive drug. Delving deeply into an understanding of the drug's molecular significance and its physiological, psychological, and anatomical effects on humans, American Meth comprehensively presents readers with an accurate understanding of methamphetamine's structural origins and history with examples of users from Hitler, President Kennedy, Elvis, Jack Kerouac and many more. American Meth is very strongly recommended to all students of narcotic drug abuse as an outstanding analysis of every given aspect of the methamphetamine progression in history, its contribution to the shaping of the modern world, and its progression through present day America.


The Literary Shelf

Three Contemporary Brazilian Plays
Plinio Marco et al
Host Publications
451 Greenwich Street, Suite 7J, New York, NY 10013
0924047291 $50.00 www.hostpublications.com

Three Contemporary Brazilian Plays is a compendium of three great dramas by Plinio Marcos, Leilah Assumpcao, and Consuelo de Castro. Inclusive of the tales 'Two Lost In The Filthy Night', the tale of two verbally talented paupers in poor and finite living quarters with outstanding dialogue (Marcos), 'Moist Lips, Quiet Passion', telling of a lowly couple struggling to obtain their "big orgasm" in attempt to retain a faithful and active relationship (Assumpcao), and 'Walking Papers', the increasingly intricate plot of one man and one woman fragmenting situations between one-another which intriguingly trace the edge of insanity (Castro). Three Contemporary Brazilian Plays is very highly recommended students of contemporary Brazilian culture -- particularly the arts and theatre.

Nothing Fictional but the Accuracy or Arrangement
Sawako Nakayasu
Quale Press
93 Main Street, Suite 2, Florence, MA 01062
0974450367 $12.00 413-587-0776 www.quale.com

Nothing Fictional but the Accuracy or Arrangement is an unusual blend of free-verse poetry and stream-of-consciousness narrative. Structured in the format of run-on sentence fragments divided into pseudo-paragraphs, Nothing Fictional but the Accuracy or Arrangement follows a woman's journey through seemingly mundane tasks, frustrations, issues, and inspirations. The result is a unique creation that requires the reader's full immersion to experience the trials and travails of life one fleeting moment at a time. "fills her garden her days her garden her days her guard - / watches over - replacing dead flora with the newly acquired, / the newly blooming, the newly and forcefully belonging - / safety in perennial growth - or insistence"


The Sports Shelf

Worst To First
Vince Prygoski
Outskirts Press
10940 South Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
1598002767 $13.95 www.outskirtspress.com

Worst To First: Or A 'Shock'ing Tale Of Women's Basketball In Motown by Vince Prygoski is an intriguing telling of the 2003 Detroit Shock WNBA championship winners. Informatively exploring the history of the Shock's 2003 basketball season, Worst To First compiles the thrilling story and fascinating facts of one of the least expected to succeed teams and their historic victory. Worst To First is very strongly recommended to readers with an interest in the WNBA league of basketball, and most particularly fans of the Shock team and their hallmark year of outstanding basketball triumph.


The Biography Shelf

Aging Gracefully Together
John Schlarbaum
Scanner Publishing
5060 Tecumseh Road East, Suite 1106, Windsor, ON, Canada N8T 1C1
0973849819 $15.95 1-519-987-3625 www.scannerpublishing.com

Aging Gracefully Together: A Story Of Love And Marriage by John Schlarbaum is an intimate autobiographical account of one couple's undying love from the time of their engagement through their fifty years of domestic partnership. Captivating readers from first page to last, the story of Henry and Tina Cole's hopes, dreams, joys, heartaches, struggles and triumphs is an inspiring story of love and marriage. Aging Gracefully Together showcases a thoughtful and caring relationship and is very highly recommended reading -- especially for those who are themselves about to embark upon a lifetime matrimonial journey together.

Enjoying The Ride
Win Straube
SCI Corporation
14 Mahogany Court, Plainsboro, NJ 08536
097770310X $15.99

Enhanced with the addition of an accompanying CD "Music of Hawaii", I Don't Know Where I Am Going But I Am Enjoying The Ride by Win Straube is the inspiring tale of one man's remarkable exploration and full-pursuit of what life has to offer. Carrying readers through an inherently interesting and well written 444-page autobiographical account which is enhanced with 134 photographs, maps, and illustrations, Enjoying The Ride begins with the story of his escape and evasion of the bombing of Dresden at a young age, and continues as an extensive compendium of not only Win Straube's life, but a complete and thorough creative understanding of his ancestral heritage and the accomplishments of his family. Enjoying The Ride is very strongly recommended reading the truly remarkable story a man, a family, and a lineage.

Revolutionary Heart
Diane Eickhoff
Quindaro Press
PO Box 3463, Kansas City, Kansas 66103
0976443449 $14.95 www.quindaropress.com

Revolutionary Heart: The Life of Clarina Nichols and the Pioneering Crusade for Women's Rights is the amazing true life story of Clarina I. H. Nichols (1810-1885), one of America's first female newspaper editors. A founder of the American women's movement, Nichols had experienced some of the most terrible heartbreak a married woman could experience, yet she not only faced head-on the challenges of financial hardship and single motherhood; she also crusaded to improve life for women and remedy their mistreatment. Author Diane Eickhoff has gone to great lengths to collect Nichols' scattered writings, and assemble as many other sources as possible to give a complete portrait of this trailblazing woman. Highly recommended, especially for library and women's studies collections.

Anne Boleyn
Joanna Denny
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306814749 $26.00 1-800-242-7737 www.perseusbooks.com

Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen is a biography of Anne Boleyn, wife to King Henry VIII, and one his many victims executed through the courts on charges of adultery. Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England's Tragic Queen stands firmly against accounts written by Boleyn's enemies, which presume her guilt on the charge; instead, the biography reveals how callous Henry VIII wanted Boleyn out of the way so that he could wed again and, he hoped, conceive a son. Boleyn's final days were characterized by a strength of grace and spirit, and above all, a desire to protect her daughter Elizabeth from the brutal intrigues of the aristocracy and even her own husband. A compelling and extensive scrutiny of the much-maligned Queen and her legacy to British history.

Questing France
Marilyn Barnicke Belleghem, M.Ed.
Quest Publishing
PO Box 1640, Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 5A1
0973412925 $19.95 www.questpublishing.ca

Questing France is one woman's personal testimony about dealing with marital infidelity. Confronted with evidence of her husband's affair, author Marilyn Barnicke Belleghem embarked on a personal journey to understand her own roles as wife, mother, sibling, friend, and businesswoman. She studied how others deal with marriage after an affair, the reasons why some return to the marriage and some do not, and how to help children cope with parental conflict and infidelity. A profoundly cathartic book that shows the reader how to look deep within and focus upon the most important things in life.

Invisible No More
Joyce Kramer, Renee Fisher, and Jean Peelen
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595347622 $13.95 www.iuniverse.com

Invisible No More: The Secret Lives of Women Over 50 is a memoir of three different women who each tell the story of their life journey to their golden years. Written with wit, aplomb, modesty, and enthusiasm, Invisible No More covers topics ranging from sexuality at five decades to faith and spirituality, maintaining physical health (and a trim waistline), shifting gears, and contemplations on the difference between solitude and loneliness. Invisible No More earns its distinction of being an iUniverse reader's choice book through its honesty, optimism, and life-affirming insights. Highly recommended.

Gittin' Western
Duane Wiltse
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595347223 $18.95 www.iuniverse.com

Gittin' Western by Duane Wiltse is the inspiring and gripping story of one man's struggle in pursuit of his life's dream to establish a big game hunting business. Having moved from Michigan to the frontier of the Wyoming and western American Rocky Mountains, Gittin' Western tells of Wiltse's experiences with runaway horses and mules, forest fires, the bureaucratic constraints of the government, bear attacks, the assistance of New Mexico Indians, the death of his wife, and so much more. An engaging autobiography. Gittin' Western is very highly recommended as an entertaining memoir for readers with a interest in the candid story of a western life.


The Folklore Shelf

Legends of the Rhine
Joanne Asala, editor
Penfield Press
215 Brown Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52245-5842
1572160403 $12.95 319-337-9998

Legends of the Rhine is a collection of classic folk tales about the Rhine river in Germany. Each story is only a few pages long, yet all have their roots in long-held legend. The black-and-white interior illustrations date from 1833 to the late 19th century, and are from the collection of German expert Dr. Reichmann of Indiana. Folk tales range from traditional to supernatural in tone; Legends of the Rhine is an absorbing read and a reflective look at the life, culture, and storytelling of Germany.


The Business Shelf

More Build It Big
Direct Selling Women's Alliance
Kaplan Publishing
30 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606-7481
1419520032 $17.95 www.kaplanpublishing.com

More Build It Big: 101 Insider Secrets from Top Direct Selling Experts is a handy guide to home-based business, written by professionals in The Direct Selling Women's Alliance especially for those interested in a home-based businesses that rely heavily upon network marketing, party-plan, and person-to-person sales. Individual essays by different authors on a wide variety of topics give solid pointers on the latest strategies, trends, and resources, as well as tips, tricks and techniques to improve customer relations and boost sales. From using a newsletter to enhance one's visibility to taking advantage of tax incentives to improving one's skill at friendly conversation, More Build It Big is a highly recommended supplemental resource and self-teaching tool for the dedicated entrepreneur. Also highly recommended is the previous book in the series, "Build It Big".

Maximum Marketing, Minimum Dollars
Kim T. Gordon
Kaplan Publishing
30 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606-7481
1419520024 $18.95 www.kaplanpublishing.com

Maximum Marketing, Minimum Dollars: The Top Fifty Ways To Grow Your Small Business by author, national columnist, marketing expert, media spokesperson, and lecturer Kim T. Gordon draws upon her more than 27 years of experience in helping small-business owners in this informed and informative guide to expanding and profitably enlarging a small business regardless of the product or service to be marketed. Knowledgeably providing readers with an understanding of how to implement powerful marketing plans while staying on budget; identifying the right market niches and conduct customer research; the production of leverage e-mail lists, Web sites, and online PR; reinvention of traditional tactics like magazine, radio, and television advertising; and combinations of sales and marketing techniques for low-cost effective results, Maximum Marketing, Minimum Dollars is very highly recommended and profitable reading, especially for all small-operation entrepreneurs searching for an expertise-based advisory for successfully running a small business enterprise.


The Criminology Shelf

Superthief
Rick Porrello
Next Hat Press
PO Box 23, Novelty, OH 44072
0966250850 $25.95 www.superthief.com

Superthief: A Master Burglar, The Mafia, And The Biggest Bank Heist In U.S. History by Rick Porrello is the story behind some of the greatest incidents of thievery, deception, and burglary drawn from the infamous life of Phil Christopher. With mild alterations for the protection of others, Superthief is the remarkable narrative story of the great United California Bank robbery in 1972, along with dozens of other intriguing stories about and interviews with Mr. and Mrs. Phil Christopher. For its candor and engaging biographical stories of life as a career criminal, Superthief is to be given high praise and very strongly recommendation for personal reading lists, criminology studies supplemental studies, and community library collections.


The Education Shelf

A Practical Introduction To Writing Studies
J.K. Dennis
Three House Publishing
PO Box 6672, Chesterfield, MO 63006
0976642913 $29.99 www.3hp.com

A Practical Introduction To Writing Studies: A Workbook For Student Writers by J.K. Dennis (Forest Park College) is an ideal introductory reference and workbook to the art of writing. Featuring a range of individual texts for an evaluation and discussion providing students with a practical approach to learning how to write, A Practical Introduction To Writing Studies prepares them for success and discipline in written communications, acknowledges the students ability to participate in critical conversation and writing styles, recognizes the importance of helping students at all levels to learn on basic method for writing research papers and two of the more commonly used documentation formats, uses the Socratic method to expose students to the history, theory, and research throughout writing studies, and promotes the idea that writing studies is a structurally important and essential study for high school and college students. For its superbly presented workbook format, A Practical Introduction To Writing Studies is very strongly recommended for all students as a comprehensively informative guide to learning how to write effectively.


The Native American Shelf

Crazy Horse The Unconquerable
Frank Salazar
WPI Publishers
810 North Main Street, #300, Spearfish, SD 57783
0977056201 $24.95 www.wpipub.com

Crazy Horse: The Unconquerable by Frank Salazar is the story of the fascinating tale of the Native American war chief and spiritualist. The result of more than twenty years of study of the life and death of Crazy Horse by the author, this descriptive and analytical biography comprehensively presents the intricate tale of this Lakota leader and his Northern Cheyenne peoples as they confronted and were ultimately overcome by the white culture. A welcome addition to the growing library of Native American biographical and spiritual literature, Crazy Horse: The Unconquerable is very strongly recommended reading which is fully accessible for the non-specialist general reader searching for an easy-to-follow study of the inspiring life of the great Lakota warrior called Crazy Horse.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

One-Hundred-And-One Quick Courtroom Tips For Busy Lawyers
Bob Gerchen
Legal Action Publishing
6165 Delmar Boulevard, Suite 201, Saint Lois, MO 63112
0976845407 $34.95 1-314-863-0909 www.courtroompresentationtips.com

One-Hundred-And-One Quick Courtroom Tips For Busy Lawyers by trial consultant Bob Gerchen is a handy and "reader friendly" reference for proper and effective civil or criminal courtroom presentation preparation. Introducing readers to an easy-to-follow practical guide for courtroom demeanor, platform skills, jury selection, exhibits, language, trial strategy, and witnesses, One-Hundred-And-One Quick Courtroom Tips For Busy Lawyers walks the reader through an intelligent and easy-to-follow understanding of the courtroom proceedings with a format perfect for the novice lawyer who would need it the most. One-Hundred-And-One Quick Courtroom Tips For Busy Lawyers is very strongly recommended reading for all aspiring attorneys as an exceptional introductory guide for preparing a more effective, practical, and helpful approach to their courtroom presentations.


The Art Shelf

Thornton Dial in the 21st Century
Joanne Cubbs, et. al.
Tinwood Books
512 Means Street NW, Suite 305, Atlanta, Georgia, 30318
097191043X $65.00

Thornton Dial in the 21st Century is a full-color, coffee-table artbook of the fantastic works of Thornton Dial, whose often abstract works redefine the concept of "multimedia" - instead of just traditional oil paints on canvas or the like, he was known to use oil with cloth, tin, clothing, enamel, string, rope, spray paint, and any number of other unusual articles to create truly distinctive and three-dimensional canvas creations, not to mention sculptures. Although Thornton Dial in the 21st Century offers a handful of essays about Dial's artistic stages, his vision, and his creative process, most of Thornton Dial in the 21st Century is devoted solely to showcasing the art itself. Highly recommended for both public and private library shelves devoted to modern art.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Living With Bears
Linda Masterson
PixyJack Press
PO Box 149, Masonville, CO 80541
0977372405 $20.00 www.PixyJackPress.com

There are more than 900,000 black bears in North America. These bears range from Florida to British Columbia and as a result of the expansion of human settlements and a reduction of their natural habitats, human-bear contacts and conflict are increasing every year. Sometimes with tragic results for both humans and bears alike. Living With Bears: A Practical Guide To Bear County describes Black Bears and their behavior; explains how to "bear-proof" your home; how to stash trash safely; how to hike and camp in "bear country"; addresses the issues of bird feeding, gardening, and farming in "bear country"; describes bear behavior modification techniques and strategies; and teaches how to avoid bear encounters and attacks. Enhanced with illustrative case studies from the United States and Canada, a bibliography, a comprehensive index, and featuring an extensive appendices that includes Black Bear Populations by State/Territory; Bear Resources, Organizations and Volunteer Groups; Government Agencies - United States; Government Agencies - Canada; Wildlife Education & Information Bear Deterrents; Recommended Reading Viewing; and Sample Community Ordinances, Living With Bears is an invaluable addition to personal reading lists for hikers, camper and wilderness enthusiasts, as well as school and community library Pets & Wildlife reference collections.


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


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