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The Bookwatch

Volume 10, Number 11 November 2015 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Computer Shelf Education Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Gardening Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Art Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Anthropology Shelf
Technology Shelf American History Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Business Shelf Science Shelf Crafts Shelf
Agriculture Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Chilled
Tom Jackson
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781472911438, $27.00, www.bloomsbury.com

Chilled: How Refrigeration Changed the World and Might Do So Again comes from a science writer who provides a global history of refrigeration and considers not just the science involved, but the historical and social changes it brought with it. One could anticipate a scholarly approach with such a subject; but the pleasure of Chilled lies in its lively, unassuming tone and scope that presumes no prior knowledge of neither scientific principle nor human history. General-interest readers thus will enjoy a lively consideration that includes such unexpected details as what refrigeration actually does and how it moves beyond kitchens and food preparation into realms of engineering and particle science. The result is a fun pursuit recommended for any with an interest in refrigeration's impact on the world.

The Human Age
Diane Ackerman
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393351644, $15.95, www.wwnorton.com

The Human Age: The World Shaped By Us blends social history, natural history, science, and environmental concerns in a discussion that considers humankind's impact on nature and the environment and its possible futures, and is a wide-ranging survey that documents international efforts to help animals and live in harmony on the planet, as well as forces at work against such ideals. Studies, vignettes about individuals and organizations, and a dazzling array of social and scientific revelations creates an absorbing story perfect for science, social issues, and leisure readers alike!


The Computer Shelf

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

Len Bass, Ingo Weber and Liming Zhu's DevOps: A Software Architect's Perspective (9780134049847, $39.99) joins others in the SEI Series in Software Engineering and comes from three leading architects who discuss the issues of DevOps and its potential for software development and monitoring. Any software engineer interested in this up-and-coming, revolutionary feature will learn about how it could require major changes in system architecture and IT, how to design new systems to work with DevOps, and how to understand these impacts across various platforms and development stages. Three real-world case studies are presented to discuss everything from impact and business plan adjustment to integration and design concerns, with chapters covering monitoring processes, major transition concerns, and advanced concepts such as the design of Sourced Group CDP frameworks. The result is highly recommended for any technical software engineering collection; especially those looking for DevOps-specific insights. Michael Hartl's Ruby on Rails Tutorial, 3rd Edition (97801340777703, $49.99) belongs in any programmer's collection and comes from a leading Rails developer who teaches the basics of Rails for an audience of programmers who may hold little prior familiarity with the program. It relies on the basic best practices of web development to teach the elements of Rails environments and how to build Rails applications, and it includes Ruby programming skills basics, keys to applying techniques to real-world issues, and tackles web development processes using a solid Rails framework. Sample code, methods, and models come with resources and discussions designed to impart the basics to an audience who wants to absorb the basics of better web design through Rails.


The Education Shelf

Worth Writing About
Jake Wizner
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781625310484, $20.00, www.stenhouse.com

Teachers face many barriers revolving around memoir writing, especially when it comes to adolescents, so having guidelines and fresh approaches as in Worth Writing About: Exploring Memoir with Adolescents will prove a short cut for educators who want to address common challenges specific to memoir writing work with adolescents. From students who believe they don't have enough background material to write about their lives to those who don't like revealing themselves on paper, this memoir unit shows how to approach all kinds of students with strategies that work. The result is a handbook packed with details on how to overcome barriers to memoir writing, highly recommended for any teacher working with adolescents.

Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com

Ann Myers and Jill Berkowicz's The Stem Shift: A Guide for School Leaders (9781483317724, $30.00) provides educational leaders with a basic examination of the STEM system and how it applies to preparing students for colleges and careers, and it pairs case studies with discussions of STEM models that work. The perfect audience for this discussion will be school administrators who would apply keys to how and what children learn to larger questions of how shifts in operating principles happen and how STEM's particular brand of education fosters a greater awareness of choices and opportunities in students, better preparing them for the world outside the classroom. The result is a powerful analysis highly recommended for any educator serious about taking school leadership and direction to the next level based on STEM's unique opportunities and perspectives. Dwayne D. Williams' An RTI Guide to Improving the Performance of African American Students (9781483319735, $24.00) provides a step-by-step guide to implementing evidence-based strategies for improving this group's school and testing performance, and takes into account cultural bias and issues, RTI model specifics, and adjustments needed to identify and address disparities in the educational system. Four core characteristics are identified in instruction and culture, and then move into the specifics of the classroom's processes as a whole. The result is a 'must' for any working with African American students in diverse settings who want to apply RTI basics to this group in a fair and effective fashion. Catlin R. Tucker's Creatively Teach the Common Core Literacy Standards With Technology Grades 6-12 (9781483358970, $29.95) provides a powerful survey of how to combine efforts of classroom student success with Common Core standards and requirements, and provides specific recommendations for free apps, tech tools, guidelines and formulas for translating a Common Core standard into a grade-specific, subject-oriented curriculum, and how to apply classroom-tested routines. Packed with classroom experiences, reprodicibles, and activities and templates, view Creatively Teach the Common Core Literacy Standards With Technology as, quite simply, a 'must have' reference.


The Audiobook Shelf

Alert
James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781478928010, $35.00, www.hachetteaudio.com

Alert comes to life in audio under the voices of Danny Mastrogiorgio and Henry Leyva, presenting an engrossing Michael Bennett novel that features a shocking daylight murder by killers who seem unafraid of identification or pursuit. New York detective Bennett suspects this threat is just the beginning of a new brand of danger threatening not just some individuals but all of New York City, so he's facing a threat with much wider-ranging ramifications than one perp could hold. Action comes to life in a well-done audio presentation and the dual narrative style provides plenty of it here, making Alert a special recommendation for listeners who want high drama from their mysteries.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Earth Flight
Janet Edwards
Pyr
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633880986, $17.00, www.pyrsf.com

Earth Flight tells of Jarra, who gains fame in her effort to garner respect for those left on Earth, but who faces political unrest and further fame and danger when the first alien artifact to be discovered involves Jarra in a mission that might take her away from earth. But as one of those 'left behind' who can't leave, how can she go - and if she doesn't, the artifact and its promise will be lost. A gripping narrative makes for a series of impossible scenarios that is hard to put down and satisfyingly compelling and different.

Magic Shifts
Ilona Andrews
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780425270677, $25.95, www.penguin.com

Magic Shifts provides a fine Kate Daniels novel with an unusual premise: magic is coming and going in waves in post-Shift Atlantic, leaving mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate far from their Pack and vulnerable to battles. When their friend vanishes, the two must not only investigate his disappearance, but handle the crippling waves of change that not only affect their world but have led to the emergence of a dangerous new enemy. Fans of novels about magic will relish this vigorous, fast-paced story that rests firmly on the appeal and strength of an unusual world and two compelling protagonists.

Lord of Janissaries
Jerry Pournelle and Roland J. Green
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781476780795, $15.00, www.baen.com

If Lord of Janissaries sounds familiar, with its stories of a soldier and his men who are abandoned in hostile territory when aliens land, that's because this collection consists of three novels of military sci-fi classics presented under one cover. The advantage, especially for newcomers, lies in an uninterrupted saga that doesn't require multiple book acquisitions to prove appealing. Newcomers, especially, will relish this approach, as the adventures of Captain Rick and his crew, who embark on new careers as mercenaries for aliens on a distant planet, come to life.

Stars Wars FAQ
Mark Clark
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781480360181, $24.99, www.applausebooks.com

Stars Wars FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Trilogy That Changed the Movies would ordinarily have appeared in our film section, but is featured here because any sci-fi fan holding a special affection for Star Wars will find this a winner. It compiles facts and questions about the original trilogy from the books and movies and offers insights from early screenplays that were never used to discussions of the stories, film highlights, the rise of Star Wars fiction, and imitators and parodies. Analysis provide discussions and insights of particular interest to prior Star Wars viewers and fans and fill in many details on plots, characters, filming and screenplay production that wouldn't ordinarily be seen by even collectors and prior fans, making this a 'must' for movie-goers and sci-fi followers alike.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Parchment and Old Lace
Laura Child
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425266687, $25.95, www.penguin.com

Parchment and Old Lace provides a fun 'scrapbooking' mystery complete with tips and recipes, and tells of a quandary when author and scrapbook shop owner Carmela discovers a bride-to-be murdered in a cemetery. This puts a quash on supper, the upcoming wedding, and more, and when the victim's sister asks Carmela to help, it becomes a journey into the enemies of Isabelle's past and a killer who might strike again. How does scrapbooking fit into all this? Child weaves a masterful story filled with engrossing twists and turns that makes for a riveting story, hard to put down.

Murder, She Wrote: The Ghost and Mrs. Fletcher
Jessica Fletcher, Donald Bain and Renee Paley-Bain
Obsidian Mystery
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
97804515477361, $23.95, www.penguin.com

Murder, She Wrote: The Ghost and Mrs. Fletcher provides another book based on the TV series and tells of an old friend and real estate agent who undertakes to sell one of Cabot Cove's oldest properties. The 1800s building is in terrible shape and comes with an intriguing story. Unfortunately, it also appears to come with a ghost, challenging even professional agent Eve's sales abilities and turning into a deadly reality when a premonition comes true. Was the death natural, or contrived? An engrossing murder mystery revolving around ghosts, murder, and intrigue creates a spell-binding plot suitable for newcomers and old fans alike - even those who have never seen or heard of the TV series.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How
Andrea Chesman
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781612122045, $19.95, www.storey.com

There's a lot of talk on the market about farm-to-table eating and using fresh ingredients, but many cookbooks lack specifics on how to properly prepare and preserve the fresh foods being advocated - which is different from obtaining a vegetable cookbook. Enter The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How, a compendium of kitchen skills that tells how to mill flour, make cheese, preserve meats, and more: information usually seen in homesteading guides rather than cookbooks. Don't expect your usual recipe guide; but do expect a focus that includes charts and tips on everything from how to roast a duck and make maple syrup from a tree to using poultry shrink bags, pressure canners, and how to preserve the pick of the harvest for tomatoes, strawberries, and more. While the guide offers plenty of recipes, the focus is on using homegrown abundance: access to a blossoming garden or farm and an interest in utilizing fresh ingredients year-round are the only prerequisites to an appreciation of this intersection between recipe and technique.

The Masters at Home: Recipes, Stories & Photographs
MasterChef
Absolute Press
Scarborough House, 29 James Street West, Bath, UK, BA1 2BT
http://www.absolutepress.co.uk
Bloomsbury Press (distributor)
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781472904117, $35.00, www.absolutepress.co.uk

The Masters at Home: Recipes, Stories & Photographs deserves ongoing mention and recommendation as a fine synthesis of stories, recipes and photos centered around master chefs from around the world who share their three favorite recipes here. These enjoy photos by David Loftus in a collection that includes the chef's background, snapshots from their homes, and details on their cooking; so don't expect just a collection of recipes, but something that toes the line between autobiography, culinary history, and recipe book. Loftus's full-page and smaller color photos pepper nearly every page while dishes such as Frozen Pea Puree and hearty lamb and barley Scotch Broth will prove easily accessible to home cooks. The result is a fine survey recommended for any culinary collection.

Summer Cooking
Chicago Tribune
Agate Surrey
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841710, $24.95, www.agatepublishing.com

Summer may be over, but Summer Cooking: Kitchen-Tested Recipes for Picnics, Patios, Grilling and More is not: it's just getting started. While summer fare would seem to be filled with barbecues, cookouts, outside dinner parties, and light fare, it also hosts portable appetizers, quick salads and sides, and light beverages designed for warmer temperatures. Another note: the Chicago Tribute is one of the few newspapers that still runs its own test kitchen; so all these dishes have been tested and tasted by food writers and staff members. From Asian Summer Rolls which came to Chicago via a Laotian immigrant who began her own establishment to Angie Johnson's Pasties, English in origin but packed with flavors and a hand-carried format that lend to quick meals for busy readers, this is a selection of internationally-influenced summer dishes not to be missed!


The Gardening Shelf

Grower's Guides
Red Hot Chili Grower
Kay Maguire
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781784721022, $14.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com

Red Hot Chili Grower: The Complete Guide to Planting, Picking, and Preserving Chilis narrows the gardening and cooking focus to all kinds of chilis, from Scotch Bonnet to Hungarian Hot Wax, and provides step-by-step instructions that begin with sowing seeds and growing chilis to harvesting and using them. While instructions for pickling and preserving the capsicums are included, Red Hot Chili Grower's wealth of details will especially delight gardeners who want a step-by-step focus on growing chilis and handling common problems. There are charts, checklists, photos and illustrations, and most of all, an attention to the particular growing needs and challenges of different kinds of chilis. At-a-glance information includes heat, sowing instructions, growing needs, and key cuisines and dishes that use each chili. The result is a powerful, specific recommendation for any grower who wants a focus on chilis.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Inside the Rise of HBO
Bill Mesce, Jr.
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786497867, $29.95, www.mcfarlandpub.com

Inside the Rise of HBO: A Personal History of the Company That Transformed Television traces the evolution and impact of HBO TV on the industry and offers a wide-ranging coverage that considers the state of the industry before the launch of Home Box Office in 1972 and in the decades since. HBO changed the playing field of television and fostered a new era of premium cable television programming, and Inside the Rise of HBO documents the events that transformed media starting with a single cable channel. One might expect such a coverage to come from a reporter's viewpoint, but this actually comes from one who spent nearly thirty years at Home Box Office in various corporate capacities, and who also served as a screenwriter. His unique perspective makes for the ideal coverage of events from an insider's perspective and makes for a powerful account of the advent, evolution and golden age of paid television. No media collection should be without this thorough, detailed history.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Incredible Herb Trimpe
Dewey Cassell and Aaron Sultan
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490625, $34.95, www.twomorrows.com

Any avid comics reader who knows the character Wolverine or Captain Britain already knows the work of illustrator Herb Trimpe: now here's a survey of his life and art which pairs interviews with the man himself alongside those of his contemporaries and even his son. All this blends with black and white images and color illustrations to capture the life of the man, his place in comic book history, and the many creations he worked on, from comic books to iconic figures. As with others from this publisher, the idea goes beyond representing covers and art to delve into the creator's influences and life, with a powerful blend of interview insights, autobiography, and art making it a 'must' for any cartoon or graphic novel enthusiast.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.jkp.com

Two in-depth art therapy coverages are top recommendations for mental health practitioners, artists interested in art therapy, and collections catering to them, and break the larger topic of art therapy into two easily-digestible surveys. Art Therapy with Physical Conditions edited by Marion Liebmann and Sally Weston (9781849053495, $39.95) covers physical conditions from cancer to colitis and broadens the definition to cover homelessness, chronic conditions, and learning disabilities, and provides articles discussion the philosophical, spiritual, psychological and health issues of art therapy from the perspectives of the therapists who explain how their work is perceived and used by a wide variety of groups. Art Therapy with Neurological Conditions, also edited by Marion Liebmann and Sally Weston (9781849053488, $39.95) gathers insights from specialists who work with dementia, epilepsy, brain injuries, multiple sclerosis and more, and describes how the conditions are approached in the art therapy environment, and how it's worked in rehabilitation efforts. The broad definitions of approaches and conditions lends to the inclusion of articles that present quite a diverse range of perspectives and ideas, making both these collections of central importance to any art therapist or practitioner who would better understand how the therapy is applied and how and why it works with these specific groups.


The Art Shelf

Romaine Brooks: A Life
Cassandra Langer
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299298609, $26.95, www.uwpress.wisc.edu

Romaine Brooks: A Life documents the achievements and life of an expatriate American painter who has largely been represented as a bigot, and fills in many gaps in information about Brooks' real personality, struggles, and creations, up to her death in 1970. More so than most artists, Brooks earned many myths and a reputation that wasn't always positive. This book comes from decades of the author's research on her life, times, and works and offers a well-rounded discussion key to any college-level arts library.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Agents of Babylon
Dr. David Jeremiah
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414380520, $24.99, www.tyndale.com

Dr. David Jeremiah is a noted Christian prophecy expert and a senior pastor in California, and uses the Book of Daniel to explore the results of living in godless times in Agents of Babylon: What the Prophecies of Daniel Tell Us about the End of Days. The author takes the prophecy contained in the Book of Daniel and offers an in-depth examination in language that will appeal to general-interest Biblical readers, building the Biblical story into something that is readily understandable and applied to modern times and modern issues. This takes the form of a dramatization of events in Daniel paired with a closer analysis of the Scripture behind the story and, finally, a wider-ranging discussion of underling Biblical concepts. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for both Bible study students and general Christian readers.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Rock That Quilt Block: Weathervane
Linda J. Hahn
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604602043, $24.95, www.americanquilter.com

Rock That Quilt Block: Weathervane comes from an author with an interest in taking traditional patterns a step beyond the norm, and teaches quilters how to create new designs from standard ones. Instructions break the block into segments that can be paired, changed, or moved around to create new patterns. Nine completed quilts are included for further inspiration and variations on themes, making Rock That Quilt Block: Weathervane a special attraction and recommendation for quilters used to traditional patterns and interested in something different.

One-Skein Wonders for Babies
Judith Durant, Editor
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781612124803, $18.95, www.storey.com

One-Skein Wonders for Babies joins other 'One-Skein Wonders' series titles; this with a focus on clothing for babies, which ranges from blankets and hats to booties and toys. All are knittable by any who understand basic knitting directions, and all provide a wide range of projects and options suitable for quick and easy knitting and gift-giving. The result is a top recommendation for any knitter who wants to produce baby clothes from one skein!


The Anthropology Shelf

Excluded Ancestors, Inventible Traditions
Richard Handler, Editor
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299163945, $29.95, www.uwpress.wisc.edu

Excluded Ancestors, Inventible Traditions: Essays Toward a More Inclusive History of Anthropology represents Volume 9 in the 'History of Anthropology' series and belongs in history and science shelves alike as it surveys the works of lesser-known scholars who created memorable studies but were marginalized due to race, gender, citizenship, or English language proficiency. It offers essays to remedy this formerly exclusionary history, presenting both the careers and the works of notable anthropology historians and considering how the discipline evolved as many of the anthropologists' works were discounted or discredited. From rumors and stories about their credentials, studies, and personas to how their work was dismissed, Excluded Ancestors remedies many problems in the discipline and provides college-level readers with scholarly observations not just about the individuals in question, but about the nature of anthropological investigation as a whole.


The Technology Shelf

GIS Research Methods
Sheila Lakshmi Steinberg and Steven J. Steinberg
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
www.esri.com
9781589483781, $79.99, www.amazon.com

GIS Research Methods: Incorporating Spatial Perspectives is a college-level text describing how researchers in different science disciplines can apply GIS techniques to their research methods, and offers a basic introduction that teaches how to blend spatial thinking and GIS technology into research analysis. From digital data sources and GIS-based analysis methods to taking research and data results and incorporating them into policies and findings, this is a specific focus that is recommended for science and social science collections alike; especially those looking to understand how public participation may be sparked by GIS-supported results. From field research to analysis and evaluation efforts, GIS Research Methods adopts a wide-ranging perspective and approach that doesn't rely on a particular program's version or incarnation to prove successfully accessible.


The American History Shelf

Their Lives, Their Wills
Amy M. Porter
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896729322, $39.95, www.ttupress.org

Their Lives, Their Wills: Women in the Borderlands, 1750-1846 belongs in American history and women's issues collections alike, and uses the form of the will and last testament to explore women's lives and challenges. It may be surprising to some to note that these early wills contained rich history and insights into many facets of frontier life obscured in other places; but the collection proves that when such works are examined along with historical background and other data such as census information and travel accounts, a bigger picture emerges which contrasts sharply with male perceptions of life in the late Spanish and Mexican colonial communities of Texas and northern Mexico. The result is a powerful, highly recommended survey that no college-level women's history or studies holding should be without!


The Literary Studies Shelf

Jewish Noir
Kenneth Wishnia, Editor
PM Books
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
97814629631110, $17.95, www.pmpress.org

Jewish Noir: Contemporary Tales of Crime and Other Dark Deeds belongs in Jewish literature and general fiction collections alike, and gathers a unique set of stories by Jewish and non-Jewish literary writers from Marge Piercy to Harlan Ellison and S.J. Rozan. The focus is on crime stories, but within this genre the tales are diverse and wide-ranging, identifying issues of anti-Semitism and offering additional discussion points surrounding the history and evolution of ethnic prejudice and Jewish social experience. The result is a powerful discussion highly recommended for Jewish history, culture, and literary readers alike; as well as for general noir crime story readers who want more of a literary approach to the topic.


The Business Shelf

A Crowdfunder's Strategy Guide
Jamey Stegmaier
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
1333 Broadway, Suite 1000, Oakland CA, 94612
9781626564084, $19.95, www.bkconnection.com

A Crowdfunder's Strategy Guide: Build a Better Business by Building Community comes from a veteran of seven successful Kickstarter campaigns that have raised over, $1.4 million, and gathers over forty stories of both successes and disasters in the crowdfunding world. More than a how-to guide to Kickstarter, it discusses the basics of how to treat contributors and backers, from communications and updates to soliciting feedback and opinions along the way. If only one book on crowdfunding strategy were to be chosen, it should be this one: from money-back guarantees and creating rewards to diversification, this is a top pick highly recommended for any who want to not just investigating crowdfunding, but understanding the factors that lead to its success or failure.


The Science Shelf

The American Sea: A Natural History of the Gulf of Mexico
Rezneat Milton Darnell
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
9781623492823, $75.00, www.tamupress.com

The American Sea: A Natural History of the Gulf of Mexico comes from an author who worked for more than a decade researching the Gulf of Mexico's natural evolution. This represents not only his own work, but that of his graduate students, research into government agency research, and the overall ecological literature on the area. That doesn't mean that The American Sea is just for scientists alone: it incorporates history, geology, meteorology, and more under one cover and it includes photos of deep water and other organisms along with maps, works of art, and more. The oceanography information is well done, the research transcends most natural histories to embrace facets of other disciplines, and the result is a powerful survey highly recommended not just for college-level science collections, but for any holding strong in Gulf of Mexico history as a whole.


The Crafts Shelf

Jewelry Making 1-2-3
Karin Van Vorhees
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
www.kalmbachbooks.com
9781627001809, $21.99, www.jewelryandbeadingstore.com

Jewelry Making 1-2-3: 45+ Simple Projects comes form an author and teacher who uses easy basic foundation skills combined with bead-working information and materials lists to help newcomers create professional-looking finished pieces. From beads and knots to using spacers, discussions assume no prior jewelry-making skills nor any familiarity with design or materials and explain everything for beginners, making for a collection especially useful for those with minimal tools, skills, and background in jewelry.


The Agriculture Shelf

Gubbeen
Giana Ferguson
Kyle Books
192 - 198 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, England, SW1V 1DX
http://www.kylebooks.com
9781909487246, $35.00, www.kylebooks.com

Gubbeen: The Story of a Working Farm and Its Foods is a standout in many ways; not the least of which is an unusual focus on an Irish family farm's productions of some fifty different types of food plus Gubbeen cheese, which has received awards and international acclaim. It's not too often that a cookbook embraces a tribute to a particular product or a single farm, so Gubbeen stands in a class by itself both for using four perspectives of the farm's family owners to explore its meaning and operations, and for including recipes that use the farm's produce. Readers can enjoy Gubbeen in several ways: as a memoir of a family's culinary heritage and achievements, and as a cookbook replete with recipes for such dishes as Roast Garlic and Chorizo Soup or Cardamom Shortbread.


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


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