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Volume 15, Number 9 September 2005 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Parenting Shelf Art Shelf
Biography Shelf Architecture Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Homeowner's Shelf Musicbook Shelf
Business Shelf Photography Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Travel Shelf Literary Shelf Computer Shelf
Nautical Shelf Native American Shelf International Studies Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf American History Shelf
Sports Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Fiction Shelf Military Shelf
World History Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf Gaming Shelf
Civil War Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Education Shelf
Archaeology Shelf Language Studies Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Psychology Shelf Self-Help Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Economics Shelf Library Video/DVD Shelf Poetry Shelf
Jobs/Careers Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

The Gun Digest Book Of Exploded Gun Drawings
Harold A. Murtz
Gun Digest Books/F&W Publications
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
0896891410 $29.99 1-800-289-0963

The Gun Digest Book Of Exploded Gun Drawings: 975 Isometric Views is a visual reference book especially for collectors, gunsmiths and hobbyists. Featuring detailed, black-and-white diagrams of the many complex pieces in a gun, which labels each piece and shows how each piece fits with the others, The Gun Digest Book Of Exploded Gun Drawings reveals at a glance how hundreds of different handguns, shotguns, and rifles are put together. Very little text is present in The Gun Digest Book Of Exploded Gun Drawings, a massive volume devoted almost entirely to the diagrams themselves, with a complete directory of firearms trade resources and a selected shooting sports bibliography. A fascinating and highly practical resource for serious firearm enthusiasts.

Dover Publications, Inc.
31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, NY 11501
www.doverpublications.com

Many books have been written about bats: some are coffee-table picture books; others scholarly science treatise. Glover Morrill Allen's Bats: Biology, Behavior And Folklore (0486433838, $19.95) originally appeared in 1939 and tackles both mythology and ecology in providing an examination of the role of bats in folklore and substitutions related to them. From biology and natural history to human interactions with and perceptions of bats, Allen's introduction remains a winner. Mark Littmann's Planets Beyond (0486436020, $19.95) republishes the updated, revised 1990 edition to survey the outer planets; from the history of their discovery to modern scientific findings about the planets including Voyageur results. An excellent, narrowed focus which probes the outer solar system alone. Frank D. Prager and Gustina Scaglia's Brunelleschi: Studies Of His Technology And Inventions (048-6434648, $12.95) republishes a seminal 1970 study of an early pioneer of the Italian Renaissance whose architectural ideas changed Europe. His achievements are detailed in a title which surveys not just the art of his works, but the scientific and technological ideas behind them.

Best Editorial Cartoons Of The Year: 2005 Edition
Charles Brooks, Editor
Pelican Publishing
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053
www.pelicanpub.com
978158902841 $14.95 1-800-843-1724

Each year the best of the nation's editorial cartoons are culled from major newspapers, and 2005 offers a winning 33rd annual gathering of works selected for clarity of position and fine execution of ideas - some four hundred in all, by nearly 200 editorial cartoonists. Charles Brooks has edited all the previous editions and his skills haven't diminished in his latest, which represent a range of viewpoints on everything from terrorism and Bush to world-wide news.

Capital Books
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1-800-758-3756 www.capital-books.com

Business travel has increased by 14% since 1994 and is continuing to rise: single parent Charlie Hudson has charted this and has her own experience spending a good part of her parenting years on the rood: from her experience comes The Parent's Guide To Business Travel: Practical Advice And Wisdom For When You Have To Be Away (1931868115, $14.95). Few other guides address the many problems travel separations bring to families: Hudson discusses ways of keeping family connections alive while on the road for all ages of kids, outlines common problems and solutions, and discusses both expected and unexpected absences. An invaluable guide. Melissa L. Jones' Superlatives USA: The Largest, Smallest, Longest, Shortest, And Wackiest Sites In America (1931868859, $16.95) is a travel book of another type: a survey of odder destinations organized in a state-by-state arrangement for easy consultation. From the biggest ball of paint to the longest porch and the world's largest giant rocking chair, Superlatives USA will make a welcome guide to the zaniest of destinations - and will make them easy to find, giving not just descriptions and black and white photos, but directions.

Urban Legends
Thomas J. Craughwell
Black Dog & Leventhal
151 W. 19th Street, New York NY 10011
www.workman
1579124666 $9.95 1-800-722-7202

Urban legends are unbelievable 'city stories' which abound, from the amazing kidney thief who will leave his victims in a tub of ice to the alligator in the toilet or the ghost children of San Antonio who, killed on train tracks, saves anyone whose car would stall nearby. From the 'real' men in black who thwart alien reports to the rude cookie-eater, URBAN Legends: 666 Absolutely True Stories That Happened To A Friend Of A Friend Of A Friend is packed with fun - and social legends.

McGraw-Hill
2 Penn Plaza, New York NY 10121
www.books.mcgraw-hill.com

If you're looking to save money on big-ticket projects, two new books can save you much. Summer's wedding time, and speaking of big-ticket expenses, any on a smaller budget will wish to take a look at Ebay authority Dennis L. Prince, Sarah Manongdo and Dan Joya's How To Buy Everything For Your Wedding On Ebay And Save A Fortune! (0071455-418, $16.95). From tuxes and decorations to flowers, rings, and even wedding gifts, all levels of computer user receive specific tips to locating the best items on Ebay. The authors themselves saved 50-80% of the cost of their wedding on Ebay, and their partnership with Ebay pro Dennis prince adds a dimension of authority to their own tips and experiences. R. Dodge Woodson's Tips & Traps For Remodeling Your Kitchen (0071445862, $16.95) covers all the concerns specific to a kitchen remodel, from how to hire pros and negotiate prices to deciding what to do yourself, how to use charts on labor and materials to estimate costs, and how to understand the pros and cons of different designs and materials options.

Venice: Tales Of The City
Michelle Lovric
Abacus/Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053-0257
www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com
034911899X $13.95 1-800-423-4525

Venice has a lot of history behind it, and any traveler to the city is bound to want to know more - and in a more exciting presentation than the usual travel guide or history can offer. Enter the literary Venice: Tales Of The City: an anthology of both international and native Venice folk who discuss the city's history, culture, and unique travel adventures. First-person encounters present warm and exciting tales which are both fun and informational.

Shoes: The Complete Sourcebook
John Peacock
Thames & Hudson
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
0500512124 $40.00 1-800-233-4830

Fans of the shoe, whether they be fashion-oriented or art-oriented, will welcome John Peacock's fabulous book Shoes: The Complete Sourcebook, which holds over 2,000 illustrations to accompany a comprehensive history of shoes. Another plus: both men's and women's shoes are covered, from the earliest known shoes to modern times; and plenty of color accompany a chronological history which covers footwear trends, manufacture, and influences on changing styles. If only one fashion or art book on shoes were to be chosen for a discriminating library, it should be Peacock's: he leaves nothing out.

Wilderness Press
1200 - 5th St., Berkeley, CA 94710-1306
www.wildernesspress.com

Fire lookouts are common - but you may not know you can not only rent one, but also guard stations, ranger cabins, and more, in the National Forest Systems of Oregon and Washington. 65 such accommodations are covered in Tish McFadden & Tim Foley's How To Rent A Fire Lookout In The Pacific Northwest (089-9973841 $14.95) , ranging from bungalows off major roads to towers deep in wilderness areas. This updated second edition includes over twenty new locations and clear details on what's provided, what to bring, and the lay of the land. If it's hiking and walking you do on holiday, don't miss trail expert John McKinney's The Joy Of Hiking: Hiking The Trailmaster Way (089997385X, $17.95). Newcomers will learn the basics, while seasoned hikers will gain new tips on how to enhance a hike, from wearing layers for different weather conditions to understanding fabric choices and hiking without boots.

Starstruck
Michael Joseph Gross
Bloomsbury
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
1582343160 $23.95 bloomsbury.com

What happens when a fan becomes obsessed with obtaining autographs of famous personalities? As a teen, author Michael Gross collected thousands of autographs by writing fan letters to politicians, actresses, and more. As an adult, he probes the world of celebrity admiration with a more researched eye in Starstruck: When A Fan Gets Close To Fame, examining everything from concerts and tabloid reporting to chasing stars for autographs. And Gross should know: he's one of the crowd. A fascinating, personal probe of what makes fandom.

Electronic Surveillance And Wireless Network Hacking
M.L. Shannon & Steve Uhrig
Paladin Enterprizes
Gunbarrel Center
7077 Winchester Cir., Boulder CO 80301
www.paladin-press.com
9781581604757 $25.00 1-800-392-2400

Issues of privacy are always a key part of American consumer interests, and never so intensely as in the age of information: our modern times. There's plenty of detail on how privacy is invaded - but not what to do about it, so consumers seeking answers will want to turn to Electronic Surveillance And Wireless Network Hacking: Protecting Your Privacy In A Wired And Wi-Fi World for some of these answers and insights. Author Shannon joins security specialist Steve Uhrig to provide insights for consumers with little electronics background. The methods of electronic spying and hacking are explained, from amateur to pro efforts, with an idea on how to assess protections on the market, how to increase security during computer use, and how to use data encryption and privacy software most effectively. Electronic Surveillance And Wireless Network Hacking is very strongly recommended for its wide ranging applicability and value to any consumer concerned about privacy in the electronic age.

Plates & Dishes
Stephan Schacher
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
www.papress.com
1568985053 $16.95 1-800-722-6657

The blue plate special, meatloaf, mashed spuds and more are all specialties of the house for most roadside diners, which are celebrated in Plates & Dishes: The Food And Faces Of The Roadside Diner. Artist/photographer/author Stephan Sacher toured the country in search of picturesque roadside diners and their fare: Plates And Dishes isn't a recipe collection, as one might expect, but a visual, artistic food celebration which juxtaposes photos diner dish specialties with their cooks on facing pages. A warm, inviting visual treat, sans recipes.

New Society Publishers
PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada V0R 1X0

Plenty of gas company pamphlets advise homeowners to assess the energy efficiency of their homes and provide simple answers on how to choose a new energy-efficient appliance; but what if you wish to go further? The Home Energy Diet: How To Save Money By Making Your House Energy Smart (0865715300 $18.95) goes beyond most simple pamphlets, sharing energy specialist Paul Scheckel's advice on how to explore home uses and losses. From measuring and metering to assessing solar energy systems, The Home Energy Diet is an all-in-one book packed with many options and insights. John Schaeffer's 12th edition of Real Goods Solar Living Source Book (091657105X, $35.00) is an even richer presentation, following through with a sourcebook of solar living devices ranging from water heaters and air purification systems to composing toilets and heating systems. It's more than a sourcebook alone, however: articles discuss pros and cons of each system choice, typical uses, and adaptability. Packed with black and white photos, charts, and explanations, Solar Living Source Book covers all renewable energy technologies. Alex Wilson and Mark Piepkorn edit Green Building Products: The Greenspec Guide To Residential Building Materials (086-5715432, $34.95): whether you're a builder or a homeowner, learn the truth about what items are truly 'green' and which are false promises. And get the addresses, phones, and web sites to quickly locate products ranging from cork underlayment for floors to special green paints, finishes, and mechanical and lighting systems. An excellent catalog featuring the latest 'green' residential building material choices.

Cheese
Jerry Apps
Amherst Press/Palmer Publishers
PO Box 296, Amherst, WI 54406
0942495802 $18.95 www.amazon.com

Say 'cheese' and Wisconsin comes to mind - but how many take the time to delve into the cheese industry's history in that state? Wonder no more! In Cheese: The Making Of A Wisconsin Tradition, Wisconsin author and historian Jerry Apps researches the history of cheese-making in Wisconsin from the 1840s to modern times, detailing both the daily lives of early cheese makers and their contributions to making Wisconsin one of the top cheese-producing states in the nation. Stories from cheese makers, milk haulers, graders, and more compliment explanations of different kinds of cheeses, production techniques, and common problems making cheese. Simply put, Cheese: The Making Of A Wisconsin Tradition 'must' for any cheese fan, as well as terrifically informative and fun reading for we of the Badger State!

Wisconsin Wild Foods
John Motoviloff
Trails Media Group
PO Box 317, Black Earth, WI 53515-0317
www.trailsbooks.com
1931599599 $16.95 1-800-236-8088

The author of "Fly Fisher's Guide to Wisconsin", John Motoviloff is one of Wisconsin's leading outdoor writers. His latest book, Wisconsin Wildfoods: 100 Recipes For Badger State Bounties reflects his special expertise as he provides the reader with recipes to showcase Wisconsin's fish, waterfowl, small game, venison, and more. In addition to main entrees ranging from Door County Duck with Cherries to Crock-Pot Barbequed Rabbit, there is a culinary wealth of casseroles, side dishes, salads, sweets and drinks with a distinctive Badger State flair that would grace any dining occasion. Enhanced with a "Game and Wildfoods Vendors" section as well as a "user friendly" index, Wisconsin Wild Foods belongs in every personal, professional, and Wisconsin community library cookbook collection!

The Gag Family
Julie L'Enfant
Afton Historical Society Press
PO Box 100, Afton, MN 55001
www.aftonpress.com
1890434507 $35.00 1-800-436-8443

Art history professor and expert Julie L'Enfant offers a visually stunning and in-depth history one family's life and artistic work in The Gag Family: German-bohemian Artists In America. German-Bohemian immigrant Anton Gag, as well as his two skilled daughters, are especially remembered for their affinity for nature and the countryside. Their efforts to create persisted despite troubles with the threats of severe poverty and illness. Gorgeously illustrated throughout with vintage photographs, full-color reproductions of classic artworks, and more, The Gag Family follows the artists from the mid-1800's to daughters' final years in the mid-1900's. Enthusiastically recommended for libraries and artbook collections.

Steeped In The World Of Tea
Sharon Bard, et al.
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby St., Northampton, MA 01060
1566565561 $20.00 interlinkbooks.com

Collaboratively compiled and edited by the team of Sharon Bard, Birgit Nielsen, and Clara Rosemarda, Steeped In The World Of Tea is illustrated with the wonderful color photography of Juliana Spear. This compendium is a literary anthology about the world's most popular drink and spans the globe from Russia, Japan, and Kenya, to Palestine, Germany, and Sumatra. Here presented are recipes for Moroccan mint tea, the perfect Indian chai, Chinese fertility tea, and so much more. Presented are stories of a tea picnic in the Himalayas, to World War II POWs drinking English tea over chess in a Sumatran jungle. Steeped In The World Of Tea is enthusiastically entertaining reading -- especially for anyone who has enjoyed sipping on a cup of tea in pleasant solitude or a warm engagement with friends.


The Parenting Shelf

I Wanna Be Sedated
Fath Conlon & Gail Hudson, Editors
Seal Press/Avalon Publishing Group
1400 - 65th Street, #250, Emeryville, CA 94608
1580051278 $15.95 www.sealpress.com

Thirty writers offer their wisdom, humor and insights on the challenges of parenting teens in I Wanna Be Sedated: 30 Writers On Parenting Teenagers. Writings come from many notable literary sources, from columnist/humorist Dave Barry to novelist Barbara Kingsolver and more. Each presents their own stories of experiences with teens; from handling sexual issues to racial profiling, drinking parties and more. A 'must' for any parents facing the teen years.

Help Your Kids Get It Done Right At Home And School!
Donna M. Genett, Ph.D.
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Ave., Sanger, CA 93657
www.quilldriverbooks.com
1884956459 $19.95 1-800-497-4909

Identical twins James and Jones are back to present parents with a message reinforced by parable example. Here James notices Jones' kids achieve more and are happier than his own, more regimented routine kids. How is this to be remedied? Chapters contrast different methods of building self-esteem in kids using the parable as an easy example.

Flight Of The Stork
Anne C. Bernstein
Perspectives Press, Inc.
Box 90318, Indianapolis, IN 46290-0318
www.perspectivespress.com
0944934099 $24.95 www.amazon.com

Now in a new revised edition, Flight of the Stork: What Children Think (And When) About Sex And Family Building is a straightforward guide especially for parents, but also valuable to educators and child psychologists, about what children understand about human reproduction at which ages, the stages of cognitive awareness young people pass through concerning the subject, and how parents can best educate young people about it. The revised edition specifically deals with topics pertaining to twenty-first century advances in assisted reproductive technology, donor insemination, and surrogacy. Above all, Flight Of The Stork emphasizes good parenting skills: listening to children, understanding one's own issues, and the importance of honesty and empathy. Flight of the Stork is very highly recommended reading, especially for parents who find themselves flustered explaining the birds and the bees.

What All Children Want Their Parents To Know
Diana Loomans with Julia Godoy
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
1932073132 $14.95 1-800-972-6657

What do kids need to become healthy adults, and what do they wish parents knew about them? Mother/daughter team Diana and Julia offer twelve tips to raising a happy, fulfilled child in What All Children Want Their Parents To Know: 12 Keys To Raising A Happy Child; from teaching by example and allowing for mistakes and growth to curbing destructive behavior in constructive ways and choosing positive discipline. A wise manual for the family soul.

Kids Who Think Outside The Box
Stephanie Lerner
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
0814472753 $15.00 1-800-250-5308

First-person narratives from musicians, executives, and many more extraordinary individuals from science and the arts focus on their childhoods and teens in an effort to recall how and why they thought outside the box, thus becoming famous and successful. Here are 22 achievers from diverse professions who reveal their influences and ideas, teaching parents how to mentor kids and encourage natural gifts. Kids Who Think Outside The Box: Helping Your Unique Child Thrive In A Cookie-cutter World is inspirational.

Eating Disorders: A Parent's Guide
Rachel Bryant-Waugh & Bryan Lask
Routledge
270 Madison Ave., New York NY 10016
www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com
1583918604 $17.95 1-800-272-7737

With Eating Disorders: A Parent's Guide, concerned parents receive an important revised edition to the effectively informed handling for all manner of eating problems in kids and teens. Eating Disorders is an accessible, "user friendly" guide written by experienced clinicians offering specific, practical, applicable advice on a a whole range of common (and not-so-common) eating issues for boys and girls of all ages. From seeking treatment to identifying eating disorders, the latest facts are revised to present new information.


The Art Shelf

Artist Beware
Michael McCann
The Lyons Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
www.lyonspress.com
1592285929 $19.95 1-800-836-0510

If the title sounds familiar, that's because Artist Beware: The Hazards In Working With All Art And Craft Materials And The Precautions Every Artist And Craftsperson Should Take appears in a newly updated, revised edition to provide the latest facts. The latest EPA and OSHA standards for artists is included in this edition, as well as updated details on proper ventilation, machine and tool safety, fiber hazards and more. No practicing artist should be without.

Sasanian And Post-Sasanian Glass In The Corning Museum Of Glass
David Whitehouse
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205, 74-2 Union Street, Manchester, VT 05254
www.hudsonhills.com
0872901580 $65.00 1-800-462-6420

Sasanian And Post-Sasanian Glass In The Corning Museum Of Glass presents 72 objects from the Corning Museum's collection of Sasanian glass. The Sasanians were a dynasty that originated in southern Iran and ruled an empire from Mesopotamia to parts of Central Asia between the early third and mid-seventh centuries. Some Sasanian glass resembled Roman production styles, while others were more specifically reminiscent of Iranian styles. Featuring pieces believed to be Sasanian and "post-Sasanian", meaning these were made in the Sasanian style during the centuries immediately after the fall of the Sasanian dynasty, Sasanian And Post-Sasanian Glass In The Corning Museum Of Glass showcases each preserved object with a detailed description of its dimensions and condition of the piece. Additional commentaries for each piece describe where others like it were found, and speculate on its purpose or use. The entire catalog is divided into eight sections, according to the different techniques used to form or finish the glass objects. While some pieces have suffered from weathering or the effects of time, others are remarkably and beautifully preserved for their great age. Crystal-clear, full-color photographs of every item ensure that Sasanian And Post-Sasanian Glass In The Corning Museum Of Glass is the next best thing to paying a visit to the museum in person.


The Biography Shelf

Dog Tags Yapping
M. D. Elevitch
Southern Illinois University Press
PO Box 3697, Carbondale IL 62902-3697
www.siu.edu/~siupress
0809325276 $29.50 1-800-346-2680

Dog Tags Yapping: The World War II Letters Of A Combat GI offers a glimpse into the catalyst of World War II through the eyes of former GI M. D. Elevitch, who earned the Purple Heart, oak-leaf cluster, and the Combat Infantryman's badge during his service. Collecting Elevitch's correspondence during the war, and illustrated with black-and-white photographs, Dog Tags Yapping is an honest and vividly human account of daily life, hard times, joys and terrible travails. Highly recommended.

Dewey And Elvis
Louis Cantor
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820
www.press.uillinois.edu
025202981X $34.95 1-800-545-4703

Dewey And Elvis: The Life And Times Of A Rock 'n' Roll Deejay is a biography drawn from personal interviews, documentary sources, and oral history collections to give a personal, no-holds-barred view of celebrated disc jockey Dewey Phillips. Indiana University professor emeritus of history Louis Cantor suggests that Phillips zeal for and promotion of rhythm and blues music set the stage for a 1950's transformation in rock-'n'-roll, not to mention Elvis' legendary success. A fascinating, smoothly flowing examination of one man's life and contributions to popular music in the mid-twentieth century.

Remembering Reet And Shine
Michael Schwalbe
University Press of Mississippi
3825 Ridgewood Rd., Jackson, MS 39211
www.upress.state.ms.us
1578066751 $28.00 1-800-737-7788

Sociology professor Michael Schwalbe presents Remembering Reet And Shine: Two Black Men, One Struggle, a double biography of two black men who coped with the societal racism of early twentieth-century America and the pressures of their own families in dramatically different ways, yet both of whom saw their defenses crumble as the became older. Matthew Mason adopted the persona of Dr. Reet, a witty entertainer; while Anthony Atwater became Shine, a street-smart stud and a capital player at both love and violence. Both men would turn to drink to ease their problems, and nearly destroy themselves before finding peace for themselves in old age. A straightforward account that does not herald either man as heroic, but simply offers their profile in an attempt to understand their need to reconcile the demands of being a man with the limitations imposed by social forces.

Healing The Heart, Healing The 'Hood
Olgen Williams
Purdue University Press
1207 South Campus Courts, Bldg. E, West Lafayette, IN 47907
www.thepress.purdue.edu
1557533792 $21.95 1-800-933-9637

Healing The Heart, Healing The 'Hood is author Olgen Williams' powerfully presented personal biography. This is the story of the transformation of a bitter, drug-using Vietnam veteran into a nationally acclaimed neighborhood activist. In December of 2002, for his crime of having stolen less than eleven dollars while serving as a postal worker in 1971, he received one of the seven pardons granted by George W. Bush. Today, he serves as Director of Christamore House, a community center in the settlement house tradition, where he pioneers programs ranging from carpentry to theater, community policing, and parenting to serve the needs of the inner city neighborhood. A vivid portrayal of a life marked by drastic adversity and a dramatic turnaround.

The Man From The Rio Grande
William B. Secrest
The Arthur H. Clark Company
PO Box 14707, Spokane, WA 99214
www.ahclark.com
0870623281 $34.50 1-800-842-9286

The Man From The Rio Grande is a biography of Harry Love, the leader of the California Rangers who pursed and captured Joaquin Murrieta, leader of a gang of Mexican bandits wreaking havoc in the 1850's. Since the pursuit and capture of Murrieta stands out in history, Murrieta's complete story is included as also. Extensively researched, The Man From The Rio Grande traces Love's humble beginnings as an army courier and express rider to his famous achievement in the name of justice, to his efforts as a pioneer sawmill operator and farmer, and his unfortunately failed marriage. A revealing glimpse into life on the American frontier through the eyes of an ordinary man turned legendary hero.

Deaf Women's Lives
Bainy Cyrus, et al.
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
http://gupress.gallaudet.edu
1563683210 $34.95 1-800-621-2736

The collaborative effort of Bainy Cyrus, Eileen Katz, Celeste Cheyney, and Frances M. Parsons, Deaf Women's Lives: Three Self-Portraits presents the lives of three deaf women through their own eyes and in their own words. One works as a counselor for mainstreamed deaf and disabled students; one survived harrowing Nazi attacks upon England during World War II; and one has traveled the world to teach administrators and deaf students how to communicate better. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this inspirational triple biography of women who refused to let their inability to hear limit their lives or their dreams.

The Great Mission
Rabbi Eli Friedman
Merkos Publications
291 Kingston Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11213
0826606814 $20.00 kehotonline.com

At last English speakers receive an in-depth biographical coverage of the man who first explained Jewish mysticism to the general public in The Great Mission: The Life And Story Of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov. But readers anticipating a biography alone will find much more here: The Great Mission blends in philosophy and spiritual insights as well, offering stories and teachings from the founder of the Chasidic movement in a rare set of Judaism research findings. An outstanding, multifaceted presentation highly recommended for Jewish collections.

Confessions Of A Video Vixen
Karrine Steffans
Amistad/HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
www.amistadbooks.com
0060842423 $24.95 1-800-242-7737

Karrine Steffans had a wide reputation as 'Superhead' and took the hip hop world by storm as she participated in sexy videos and became known for partying and drugs. Her Hollywood encounters were a logical extension of a life already damaged by physical violence, teen rape, and single motherhood - but they also served as an avenue to self-esteem and ultimately to salvation. Karrine today is a different person - and Confessions Of A Video Vixen documents how these changes were made.

Finding Atlantis
David King
Harmony Books
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, NY, NY 10019
www.crownpublishing.com
1400047528 $23.00 1-800-726-0600

In 1679 one Olof Rudbeck succeeded in tracing a range of disparate legends to an ancient lost civilization which once thrived north of his native Sweden: he'd spend the last thirty years of his life seeking evidence of his theory. Finding Atlantis: A True Story Of Genius, Madness, And An Extraordinary Quest For A Lost World charts his extraordinary ability to chase down the most diverse clues in his search for the truth. Chapters probe the adventures he had tracing lends of the lost Atlantis, the publication of his 2,500-page history, and his research in uncertain times. Reading at times with the drama of a novel, Finding Atlantis is charged with action and even intrigue - as well as historical accuracy, and remains the only biography of Olof to probe his theories in detail.

Evita: In My Own Words
Eva Peron
The New Press
38 Greene St., New York NY 10013
www.thenewpress.com
1595580417 $13.95 1-800-233-4830

In 1987 a document which appeared to be the deathbed manuscript of Eva Peron was found in a government archive: here it is in paperback, blending a memoir with controversial political insights into Argentina politics. It's not only controversial for its views, but leading scholars question whether Evita wrote this herself: a detailed introduction by Peron scholar Joseph A. Page presents pro and con arguments surrounding its authenticity. A 'must' for any who would understand Argentinean politics.

Images And Echoes
Bianca Covelli Stewart
Dorrance Publishing Company
701 Smithfield Street, 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-3906
www.dorrancepublishing.com
0805965580 $20.00 1-800-788-7654

At the age of ten the author was stricken with near-fatal illness which left her permanently blind: her struggle to adapt to a dark new world is revealed in Images And Echoes: An Odyssey Of Hope. When Stewart quit hoping for a miracle cure and accepted her condition, she in no way let go of the pleasures she'd had before: her active life is enhanced with a guide dog's help and makes Images And Echoes a positive story of adjustment and a life lived to the fullest.

Dreiser's 'Other Self'
Maggie Walker & Mark Walker
Fithian Press/Daniel & Daniel
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
www.danielpublishing.com
1564744531 $17.95 1-800-662-8351

This biography of the life of Arthur Henry could have been reviewed in our literary section, but is featured here for its far-reaching and lively presentation. Author Theodore Dreiser's shocking first novel Sister Carrie might never have gained such fame were it not for his closest friend, one Arthur Henry, who prodded him to write fiction and helped him create his first novel. Henry's life also touched many social reformers and other authors of his time: he deserves his own coverage and thanks to new material recently revealed, the Walkers have at last created a biography following his career and influences.

Sedition And Alchemy
Tim Mitchell
Dufour Editions
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
0720611326 $34.95 1-800-869-5677

The price tag seems hefty for a standard-looking paperback, but Tim Mitchell's Sedition And Alchemy: A Biography Of John Cale packs in exclusive interviews with key figures, was written with Cale's blessing, and holds a healthy set of black and white photos to compliment solid research and musical insights. Sedition And Alchemy also hold the first full published discography of John Cale's work, making it a 'must' reference for any Cale fan. And don't confuse John Cale with JJ Cale: they are two very different musical personalities.

Sex and Rockets
John Carter
Feral House
PO Box 39910, Los Angeles, CA 90039
0922915970 $16.95 feralhouse.com

Jack Parsons led an unusual life: by day he was an inventor who created a rocket that helped the Allies win the war and NASA second a spaceship to the moon; by night he performed Aleister Crowley rituals seeking to create a new human that would finally destroy Christianity. Sex And Rockets was highly acclaimed upon its first publication: its appearance here in a new paper edition adds new photos, packing in black and white illustrations alongside an intriguing focus on Jack Parsons' many complex facets of personality.

American Prometheus
Kai Bird & Martin J. Sherwin
Alfred A. Knopf
1745 Broadway, 17th fl., NY, NY 10019
www.aaknopf.com
0375412026 $35.00 1-800-726-0600

J. Robert Oppenheimer's name is everywhere as 'father of the atomic bomb', but for more than a casual examination of the man's life and contributions, it's essential to partake of American Prometheus: The Triumph And Tragedy Of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the best study of the man in print. Biographical and social details blend in an examination of not just his life or his science, but Oppenheimer's very effect on American society itself. The authors are writers and scholars: the depth of scholarship is quite evident in a biography which deftly blends in issues from Oppenheimer's times, based on thousands of records and letters gathered from archives in America and abroad, FBI files, and interviews with his friends and colleagues. An outstanding achievement.

Earl Hamner From Walton's Mountain To Tomorrow
James E. Person Jr.
Cumberland House
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
1581824556 $22.95 1-888-439-2665

Mention 'Earl Hamner' and savvy book readers will instantly recognize his name as the creator of the beloved Waltons, which became a hit TV show - but there's more to his life than Walton's Mountain, as Earl Hamner: From Walton's Mountain To Tomorrow reveals. Hamner was raised in small town Virginia and discovered writing at a young age, becoming a published writer at the age of six. He did much more than just The Waltons: he produced eight scripts for The Twilight Zone, did the screenplay for Charlotte's Web, and was loved and respected for his talents. A fine account of his lively career and many literary contributions evolves.


The Architecture Shelf

Renovation, 3rd edition
Michael W. Litchfield
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown CT 06470
www.taunton.com
1561585882 $39.95 1-800-477-8727

Now in a entirely revised and completely updated third edition, Renovation continues to be a superbly organized and presented one-stop guide for every aspect of any building renovation or restoration project. Author Michael Litchfield draws upon his more than thirty years of experience and expertise to show how to do electrical wiring, plumbing, finish carpentry, tiling, painting, and wallpapering and many more tasks to improve home aesthetics, functionality, and property values. Color photographs and black-and-white diagrams on almost every page illustrate the extensive instructions. A professional-quality, in-depth resource fully accessible to lay readers, and a "must-have" for anyone considering some serious home improvement elbow grease.

Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way, Box 38, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458-0038
www.creativehomeowner.com

Inspired new home designs and ideas for remodels are a hallmark of these new Creative Homeowner idea books, packed with detailed descriptions, plans, and coverage. Southern Inspired Home Designs (1580111882, $12.95) offers almost three hundred home plans in color, over 240 color photos, and special sections on their decoration. From square footage of different floors and specs of bedrooms and baths to notes about special lot design intentions, Southern Inspired Home Designs is especially recommended for the South, or for any area where Southern-style architecture is a plus. Say you live in the Northeast: you won't feel left out with Northeastern Inspired Home Designs (1580112374, $12.95): over 200 homes in color are featured in a range of picks from top architects and designers. The smart tips on incorporating these designs into a home construction or remodel project are wonderfully practical, as are special chapters on design and decorating choices. Megan Connelly's The New Smart Approach To Kids' Rooms (1580111785, $19.95) updates a best-selling book on designing spaces for children, from using color to producing rooms both parents and kids will enjoy. From comfortable, easily-cleaned flooring kids will play on without worry to room plans which work with furniture choices, New Smart Approach To Kids' Rooms comes packed with color photos and many different ideas and options. Co-authors John D. Wagner and Clayton DeKorne's Barns, Sheds And Outbuildings: Plan, Design, Build (1580-112366, $19.95) provides everything to know bout adding a new barn, shed or garage to a property. Over 800 photos and illustrations aid in the process, from choosing an appropriate design for needs and placement to step-by-step photos of the actual construction process. Competing titles focus on options more than construction techniques and tips. The new, expanded and updated edition of Jay Silber's New Decorating With Architectural Trimwork: Planning, Designing, Installing (1580111815, $19.95) shows how to use decorative trim and molding in all rooms of a house to transform windows, doors, and more. Hundreds of color photos pack a design guide covering almost every room in the house, but the meat here is the inclusion of actual installation instructions, making this a cut above similar-sounding titles which are focused on appearance alone. All are highly recommended for any homeowner who wants more than a casual hand in construction or renovation choices.


The Philosophy Shelf

Open Court Publishing
PO Box 300, Peru, IL 61354
www.opencourtbooks.com

Sensing the 'force' is more than just a Star Wars concept: it can lead to both philosophical and spiritual insights, and Kevin S. Decker & Jason T. Eberl, Eds.' Star Wars And Philosophy: More Powerful Than You Can Possibly Imagine (08126-95836, $17.95) holds implications for all with its solid link between popular culture, philosophy, and social insights. You'd better be a Star Wars fan, which is a requirement for understanding these links: those with such background will find chapters probe the ironies, inconsistencies, and rationale behind Star Wars. Same goes for Tom and Matt Morris' Superheroes And Philosophy: Truth, Justice, And The Socratic Way (0812695739, $17.95): super-hero figures are more popular than ever; and what way to link them to philosophy than through a book which compares actions to ethics. From friendships and moral duty to morality, women and teamwork, Superheroes And Philosophy offers a wide-ranging survey of popular cultural icons and their underlying values systems.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Language Of Life
Debra Niehoff
Joseph Henry Press
c/o National Academies Press
500 Fifth St, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.jhpress.org
0309089891 $27.95 1-888-624-7654

Neurobiologist Debra Niehoff presents The Language Of Life: How Cells Communicate In Health And Disease, an amazing scrutiny of how individual cells communicate with chemical signals, and achieve tasks ranging from recording human memory to healing bodily injury. Though The Language Of Life does not shy from medical terminology, it does attempt to present advanced biological concepts with sufficient explanation to invite curious lay readers along for the ride. A truly fascinating tour of the hidden secrets of the human body.

Incidental Findings
Danielle Ofri
Beacon Press
25 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108-2892
0807072664 $23.95 www.beacon.org

Orphi's postgraduate life involved taking temporary assignments at hospitals and clinics as she traveled the country to recover from her medical residency - during that process she learned much about patients and humanity. Incidental Findings: Lessons From My Patients In The Art Of Medicine shows how she becomes a better healer when she sheds her white coat and enters the hospital as a patient herself, when she travels to rural communities and small towns, and when she learns from her patients - even those she dislikes. A vivid story of patients and changing relationships evolves.

Total Knee Replacement & Rehabilitation
Daniel J. Brugioni, M.D. & Jeff Falkel
Hunter House Publishers
PO Box 2914, Alameda, CA 94501-2914
www.hunterhouse.com
0897934393 $19.95 1-800-266-5592

Total Knee Replacement & Rehabilitation: The Knee Owner's Manual is the collaborative effort of orthopedic surgeon Daniel J. Brugioni and physical therapist Jeff Falkel. Ideal for the non-specialist general reader with questions or concerns regarding knee arthroplasty (total-knee-replacement surgery), this highly recommended instructional reference work provides a complete and detailed description of the full scope of the surgery, including postoperative treatment and the hospital experience. Of special note is the section of preoperative considerations for the reader to consider in determining if (and when) knee arthoplasty is the proper procedure for them. Additionally, more than 145 exercises suitable for people of all ages are provided and arranged from Week 1 to Week 52, enhanced with some 200 photographs and illustrative drawings. There is even a special Q&A section at the end of each chapter to insure that the information within that chapter has been properly assimilated and understood. If you or a loved one are considering knee surgery due to arthritis or injuries, then you need to give a close and careful reading to Total Knee Replacement & Rehabilitation!

Parkinson's Disease And The Family
Nutan Sherma, MD & Elaine Richman
Harvard Unviersity Press
79 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138
www.hup.harvard.edu
067401751X $15.95 1-800-448-2242

Parkinson's is a movement disorder which affects 500,000 people in the US and adds thousands of new cases annually, but despite its prevalence, families often have little resources to guide them in considering treatment options, drug trail potentials, family dynamics, and disruptions and adjustments to daily living. Parkinson's Disease And The Family: A New Guide addresses all manner of family concerns and is a top pick for this reason, going where competitors do not in addressing the daily living challenges of Parkinson's. Especially appropriate for the non-specialist general reader, Parkinson's Disease And The Family is ideal for community libraries.

Multiple Sclerosis
Paul O'Connor, MD, MSC, FRCPC
Firefly Books Ltd.
155 East 34th Street, #5B, NY, NY 10016
1552978893 $14.95 fireflybooks.com

The revised edition of Doctor O'Connor's Multiple Sclerosis: Everything You Need To Know offers all the latest details on the disease from a neurologist with over 20 years clinical experience treating those with MS. From a basic description of what MS is to its symptoms, treatment, and the latest research, this revised, updated edition includes drug tables, case histories, charts, and more.

Guide To Survivorship For Women With Ovarian Cancer
F.J. Montz, MD, KM, FACOG, FACS
Robert Bristown, MD, FACOG
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
www.press.jhu.edu
0801880912 $15.95 1-800-537-5487

Plenty of women's health books discuss ovarian cancer symptoms and treatments - but how do women diagnosed continue their lives? Guide To Survivorship For Women With Ovarian Cancer tells how to live life well after diagnosis. Two Johns Hopkins gynecologic oncologists and a clinical nurse emphases living life well in the face of the uncertainties ovarian cancer brings. Yes, the latest developments in diagnosis and treatment are discussed - but even more so, is the quality of living itself: it's this which sets Guide To Survivorship For Women With Ovarian Cancer apart from the others on the topic of ovarian cancer.


The Homeowner's Shelf

Thatching: A Handbook
Nicholas Hall;
ITDG Publishing/Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
1853390607 $9.99 1-800-232-0223

Thatching is an old roofing art with roots in England which is a dying art as many places outlaw its use due to fire hazards, so it's good to see Nicholas Hall's Thatching: A Handbook promoting the advantages and art of thatch. From thatching tools and techniques to fixing thatch and different thatching methods, Nicholas Hall's is a guide to a dying art form.

The Taunton Press
PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506
1-800-477-8727 www.taunton.com

Home handymen and woodworkers who would construct for the home have some fine new guides to choose from which apply to all kinds of projects. Andy Rae's Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide To Working With Wood (1561586838, $39.95) is a 'must' for any who regularly tackle woodworking projects. A step-by-step reference covers different techniques for working with the wood, packing in nearly a thousand photos and drawings to show how to buy lumber, dry it, store it, join it, and machine it. Andy Rae has his own woodworking business and designs his own furniture; his extensive background making furniture and teaching woodworking lends to a splendidly simple presentation outlining different wood qualities and how to work with them. Fu-Tung Cheng and Eric Olsen's Concrete At Home (156158682X, $32.00) may sound like an unlikely mix for a home environment, but when used property, concrete can look and feel soft and warm while retaining extra durability. Cheng demonstrates how to mix colors and textures for this effect, from achieving a translucent effect to using thermal foam insulation to provide insulation to concrete, which typically has no insulating qualities to speak of. An excellent guide to incorporating concrete's positive qualities into a home. Jeni Webber and Lee Anne White's Front Yard & Backyard Idea Book (1561587-958) is packed with design ideas for the outdoors, from custom play spaces and storage areas to walkways, spas, pools, and landscaping. Each project includes plenty of color photos of completed results, pro and con overviews for material choices and construction strategy, and discussions of how planning can compliment a home's existing features. An excellent project idea book packed with design options.

Renovating Your Home
Alan J. Heavens
Dearborn Publishing
30 South Wacker Drive, #2500, Chicago, IL 60606-7481
www.dearborn.com
1419501577 $18.95 1-800-245-2665

Home remodeling is a popular way of increasing a house's value and functionality, and other books may advise on handling contractors and projects: but if you read only one book before you remodel, make it columnist Alan Heaven's What No One Ever Tells You About Renovating Your Home: it can save you dollars and grief. 15 years' worth of letters, emails and homeowner experience goes into a handy guide which identifies all possible pitfalls and how to avoid them.


The Musicbook Shelf

Raw Power
Mick Rock
Music Sales Corporation
257 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10010
1844495264 $29.95 www.musicsales.com

Raw Power: Iggy & The Stooges showcases the legendary Iggy Pop concert at the Scala Theatre where more than thirty years ago this famous (or infamous) punk rock group were captured by Mick Rock's visceral photography. A minimum of text is interspersed among the full-page black-and-white and color images. More than 200 images, with a foreword by Iggy himself and an interview conducted by the photographer in 1972 comprise is this vividly striking, no-holds-barred look at a 70's rock legend.

Our Own Sweet Sounds
Robert Cochran
University of Arizona Press
355 South Euclid Avenue, Suite 103, Tucson, AZ 85719-6654
www.uapress.arizona.edu
1557287937 $16.95 1-800-426-3797

Now in an expanded and updated second edition including approximately seventy new artists, some of whom became famous after 1996, Our Own Sweet Sounds: A Celebration Of Popular Music In Arkansas by Robert Cochran (Professor of English, Chair of American Studies, and Director of the Center for Arkansas and Regional Studies at the University of Arkansas) provides the reader with an illustrated portrait of the Arkansas community as manifested in celebrated diversity of song. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this enjoyable overview of musical contributions that carried Arkansas' unique flavor and character to the public. An extensive index allows for the quick and easy lookup of individual composers in this fluid chronicle of Arkansas music history.

In Other Words
Anthony DeCurtis
Hal Leonard
PO Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53212
www.halleonard.com
0634066552 $24.95 1-800-637-2852

Musicians from all genres of music speak of their lives and work in In Other Words: Artists Talk About Life And Work. Anthony DeCurtis has spent 25 years interviewing artists from musicians and movie directors to artists and songwriters: many have appeared in Rolling Stone and other notable publications, so it's refreshing to see all under one cover for the first time. From gripping studio session conflicts and moments to why director breakthroughs never seemed to happen, interviews are probing and revealing.

The Diva Next Door
Jill Switzer
Allworth Press
10 E. 53rd St., Suite 510, NY, NY 10010
www.allworth.com
1581154100 $16.95 1-800-491-2808

Palm Beach vocalist Jill Switzer tells how to move a career forward and prosper as a singer in one's local market in The Diva Next Door: How To Be A Singing Star Wherever You Are. Would-be divas with no prior professional background receive a clear focus on what it will take to be a singing star, from training and technical challenges to promotion. Tips on how to sing well range from key changes and keeping the voice hydrated and strong to being sure to thank any involved in helping one's career. Add inspirational stories and keys to understanding the music industry and you have a wide-reaching 'how to' guide for singers who would move to the next level: public performance.

Moran Illustrated Guitar
Moran Graphics
Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1592008607 $24.99 www.courseptr.com

Want to learn guitar from a book? There are plenty of slimmer guides on the market - but none with the depth and detail of Moran Illustrated Guitar, which packs in color illustrations of techniques. From playing different kinds of chords to power rock, single notes, slides, string muting and much more, Moran Illustrated Guitar packs in the step-by-step close-up color photos so it's hard to go wrong. An outstanding instructional which stands apart from similar-sounding guitar 'how-to' guides.

Singing In A Strange Land
Nick Salvatore
Little, Brown
1271 Avenue of Americas, NY NY 10020
0316160377 $27.95 www.twbg.com

Readers interested in both black church music and black history will relish Singing In A Strange Land: C.L. Franklin, The Black Church, And The Transformation Of America. More than just a biography of C.L. Franklin, Singing In A Strange Land uses Franklin's background to explore both African American religion and musical development in America. Salvatore spent eight years extensively researching, including interviewing Franklin's associates, to develop a winning biography which includes so much more than civil rights history alone.

Gregorian Chants
Colin R. Shearing
Mercury Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Dr, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com www.mercury-books.com
1904668526 $35.00 1-800-758-3756

Anyone with an interest in the powerful religious music of the traditional Gregorian Chant will relish Colin Shearing's strikingly illustrated, informed and informative history, which pairs a music cd with a history of chant from ancient Egyptian times to its heyday in the early 9th century. Religious history, social history, and music history all blend together in a fine and detailed survey of the technical forms of Gregorian chant and its evolutionary process.


The Business Shelf

Fire In The Belly
Jerry D. Neal & Jerry Bledsoe
Down Home Press/John F. Blair
1406 Plaza Dr., Winston-Salem NC 27103
www.blairpub.com
1878086987 $26.95 1-800-222-9796

According to all business logic RF Micro Devices should never have been born, much less built to a world-leading high-tech company: yet, it did, and Jerry D. Neal and Jerry Bledsoe chart its amazing rise in Fire In The Belly: Building A World-elevating High-Tech Company From Scratch In Tumultuous Times. Author Neal left his own job to help his friends raise money to start the revolutionary company on a shoestring in 1991: a company which was to market only seven products. These were key products, though, from the first radio frequency integrated circuits cell phones would come to rely on to a power amplifier chip which succeeded in building the company. An entertaining, riveting story of business success results.

Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
www.HBSPress.org

Thousands of companies are partly or wholly owned by their employees, but how do they compare to the usual firms, and are their organizations really more productive? An employee ownership expert, business book writer and consultant team up to answer this question, examining the different types of innovations such companies are taking. Dozens of companies are studied and provided as examples in Corey Rosen, John Case, and Martin Staubus's Equity: Why Employee Ownership Is Good For Business (1591393310 $27.50). Packed with strong examples. W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne's Blue Ocean Strategy: How To Create Uncontested Market Space And Make The Competition Irrelevant (1591396190, $27.95) turns upside down all the insights on strategic success which have formed business foundations in the past. Most companies battle success in an ocean of rivals over shrinking profits: industry boundaries are defined, common, and prices driven lower. Those companies which reach beyond this formula experience explosive growth, as Apple did with the iPod and Curves with its women's fitness centers in an oversaturated fitness market. These innovative companies made proven models of success obsolete by going beyond strategic formulas - and you can, too, using the methods advised in Blue Ocean Strategy.


The Photography Shelf

Fine Art Flower Photography
Tony Sweet
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
www.stackpolebooks.com
0811731812 $19.95 1-800-732-3669

Nature photographer Tony Sweet has a practiced hand and experienced eye, as demonstrated in the many full-page color photos packed into his instructional Fine Art Flower Photography: Creative Techniques And The Art Of Observation. Here's a guide on how to see your flower subject through the lens - from experimental to traditional - and how to employ a range of photographic techniques to enhance your vision. Descriptions include filters and lenses used, and tips for achieving both similar or take-off results.

Voyageur Press
Box 338, Stillwater, MN 55082
www.voyageurpress.com

Star gazers who want area-specific astronomy guides will relish two new "StarWatch" titles by Mike Lynch which are written for newcomers to the art, loaded with simple explanations, and geared to specific areas. Pennsylvania Starwatch (0896586774, $24.95) provides detailed seasonal constellation charts, stories, and tips on how to purchase and use a telescope. Ditto New England Starwatch (0896586782, $24.95), which provides a seasonal set of tips on the changing skies and how to best enjoy them. It's the casual tone paired with science which makes these so accessible to new astrologists of all ages.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116
www.hmco.com

Who is David Scott? He's taught finance and investing at the university level for over thirty years, has written over a dozen books on the subject, and has appeared on both radio and TV shows: so his background lends to further, narrower explanations of financial topics for everyday consumers, and his 'Guides' are clear explorations and perfect starting points for young adults and adults alike. Managing Credit And Debt (0618458700, $9.95) covers everything from how to develop a personal budget to how to prepare in seeking a loan, comparing interest rates and terms, and how to pick and use a credit card. All the lessons usually gained from the school of hard knocks come easily in this reference. Ditto for Investing In Common Stocks (0618458697, $9.95), which tells how to understand valuations, select a broker or firm, consider different risks and investment goals, and more. Both are excellent beginner's guides - and good refresher courses for adults.


The Travel Shelf

Lake Superior
Hugh E. Bishop
Lake Superior Magazine
PO Box 16417, Duluth, MN 55816-0417
www.lakesuperior.com
0942235665 $16.95 1-888-244-5253

Lake Superior: The Ultimate Guide To The Region by Hugh Bishop is a definitive 320-page guide and travel map especially for Lake Superior tourists and travelers. Cities, small towns and regions are listed in alphabetical order, each with black-and-white photographs and road maps, information on where to stay, where to taste the local flavor, and other attractions. The text offers short descriptions of each town and suggestions concerning where to go and what to do to experience local treasures to the fullest. A broad-reaching guide packed with information, and a guarantee that the Lake Superior traveler will never run out of things to do.

Globetrotter's Pocket Doc
Jonathan E. Jensen, MD
Caduceus International
PO Box 144, Hygiene, CO 80501
0971805679 $34.95 www.pkt.com

The English/Spanish edition of Dr. Jonathan E. Jensen's Globetrotter's Pocket Doc: A Medical Translation Handbook For Travelers is a thoroughly "user friendly", 303-page bilingual dictionary of medical words and terms that will enable the English speaking tourist, student, or business traveler to effectively communicate their medical needs to Spanish speaking healthcare professionals while traveling abroad. In addition to a vocabulary covering a large range of medical conditions, illnesses, and injuries, a broad list of prescription and non-prescription drugs with their generic names and dosage are included, as are charts, scales, anatomic diagrams, and essential medical history forms. It is also ideal for English speaking medical personnel here at home faced with treating Spanish speaking patients in either urban or rural settings. Other very strongly recommended bilingual editions of the Globetrotter's Pocket Doc include English/French (0971805644, $34.95); English/Italian (0971805660, $34.95); English/Portuguese (0971805652, $34.95).

Voyageur Press
PO Box 338, Stillwater, MN 55082
www.voyageurpress.com

Two lovely new guides are wonderful picks for back roads adventurers who enjoy lovely scenery. Rhonda Ostertag's Backroads Of Oregon: Your Gudie To Oregon's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures (0896580814, $19.95) is written and photographed by local experts, with vivid color and vintage black and white photos on each page and plenty of local history and color. From coastal bluffs to inland railroads, Backroads Of Oregon is the car traveler's dream. Philip Varney's Ghost Towns Of The Pacific Northwest (08965-85921, $19.95) blends anecdotes with travel information, maps, and photos to provide a blend of history and tour routes for the ghost towns, mining camps and historic forts of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Any with an interest in Northwest history and vintage towns, whether it be armchair traveler or destination visitor, will relish this intriguing history.

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

The second updated edition of Etain O'Carroll & Mark Elliott's Greenland & The Arctic (1740590953, $26.99) is out, and is an indispensable guide for any heading North sans travel group. From overviews of regional history and culture to local sights, activities, and opportunities, Greenland & The Arctic highlights all kinds of opportunities, from transportation options between small towns and remote regions to rare shopping opportunities and plenty of nature. A take-along 'must' for any destination-bound traveler; especially since relatively few other titles cover the region in depth. Also take along Lonely Planet Road Trip: Blue Ridge Parkway (174059939X, $10.00): a glovebox-sized set of maps and tips for enjoying the 469-mile scenic drive which ranges from forest to farmland. This isn't just a car map: it includes hikes, hidden nature, and local Appalachian culture which might otherwise be missed, making it a take-along 'must' for any traversing the Parkway. For a fine armchair read as well as a different approach to tourism, pick up The Lonely Planet Guide To Experimental Travel (1741044502, $18.00) and depart from package trips. Lack money or time to travel? Incorporate these potential 'disasters' into your very trip schedule and come up with something different! From exploring song lyrics to testing etiquette by being outrageous, contributors to The Lonely Planet Guide To Experimental Travel offer some 40 experiments to expand the concept of 'adventure'.


The Literary Shelf

Frank J. Webb: Fiction, Essays, Poetry
Werner Sollors, editor
The Toby Press
Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
1592640982 $14.95 www.tobypress.com

Frank J. Webb: Fiction, Essays, Poetry presents the classic work "The Garies and Their Friends" by African-American author Frank Webb. First published in London in 1857, "The Garies and Their Friends" is a novel that has the distinction of being the very first chronicle of the experience of free blacks in the pre-Civil War Northeast. Furthermore, Frank J Webb: Fiction, Essays, Poetry offers a wealth of material by Webb that has never before been published in book form, including the stories "Marvin Hoyle" and "Two Wolves and a Lamb", essays, and a number of poems. Illustrated with photographs presumed to be of the writer and his wife Mary Webb, and featuring an introduction by the editor, Professor Werner Sollors of Harvard University, Frank J. Webb: Fiction, Essays, Poetry is a worthy contribution to library and personal literature shelves and highly recommended.

Fantasy Fiction: An Introduction
Lucie Armitt
The Continuum Publishing Group
15 East 26th St, #17, NY, NY 10010-1505
www.continuumbooks.com
0826416853 $14.95 1-800-561-7704

Fantasy Fiction: An Introduction is a straightforward introduction to the fantasy literary genre. Written with the same guidelines as other Continuum volumes in the series, Fantasy Fiction includes a broad definition of the genre and its elements, a timeline of historical developments, critical concerns to keep in mind while reading, detailed readings of specific key texts, in-depth analysis of crucial themes and issues, signposts for further study, a summary of the most widely regarded criticisms in the field, a glossary of terms, and an annotated critical reading list. Authors covered include Lewis Carroll, J. R. R. Tolkien, Mary Shelley, J. K. Rowling, H. G. Wells, and more. A handful of black-and-white illustrations grace this skillfully presented overview that will swiftly acquaint literature students, authors and lay readers with a greater understanding of the cultural and literary forces and ideas that drive the fantasy genre.

Contemporary Japanese Literature
Howard Hibbett, editor
Cheng & Tsui Company
25 West Street, Boston, MA 02111-1213
0887274366 $24.95 www.cheng-tsui.com

Contemporary Japanese Literature: An Anthology Of Fiction, Film, And Other Writing Since 1945 is a collection of some of the finest written works in Japan, offering English translations of stories by nearly two dozen authors. Selected by editor and Harvard professor emeritus of Japanese literature Howard Hibbett, Contemporary Japanese Literature is the perfect smorgasbord to experience post-World War II Japanese writings. Contemporary Japanese Literature is particularly recommended for college library shelves and personal literature collections.

Split-Gut Song
Karen Jackson Ford
The University of Alabama Press
Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
www.uapress.ua.edu
0817314563 $35.00 1-800-621-2736

Split-Gut Song: Jean Toomer And The Poetics Of Modernity explores what it means to be a modern African-American poet by scrutinizing Jean Toomer's body of work, in particular "Cane", which was first published in 1923 and widely hailed as ushering in a truly artistic African-American literary tradition. Yet Toomer's experimental literature has often been viewed in terms of political radicalism rather than literary radicalism. Associate Professor of English Karen Jackson Ford offers a close analysis of Toomer's poetry, letters, and essays, extracting an analysis that explores a contradiction between traditional lyric poetry and the crushing pressures of modernity. Toomer's efforts to better understand and convey the tangled complexity that was race and art in 20th century America shines through in this articulate and carefully thought out work of literary criticism.

Death Sentences
Don Watson
Gotham Books/Penguin
375 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10014-3657
www.penguin.com
1592401406 $20.00 1-800-847-5515

The English language is in a sorry state, with cliches, bad wording, and doublespeak phrases abounding. From businesses to politicians and the news media, there are numerous popular sources of such cliches, and consumers are daily bombarded with buzzwords and newspeak. Death Sentences received rave reviews in Australia where it first appeared in 2003: American readers will find it a lively, intriguing collection of ads, ironic language, and assessments of modern language misuse and corruption.

Armed Gunmen, True Facts, And Other Ridiculous Nonsense
Richard Kallan
Pantheon
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
0375423524 $14.95 1-800-726-0600

Unnecessary words can make language disorganized, burdensome, and sometimes indecipherable - yet some of today's most common phrases are redundant or strange. Armed Gunmen, True Facts, And Other Ridiculous Nonsense; A Compiled Compendium Of Repetitive Redundancies organizes phrases under short headings for added impact on why the phrases are outrageous. Among those which are striking: 'May perhaps' phrases which includes close relatives "may possibly" and "might perhaps", 'Each and Every' whose close relatives include "complete and utter" and "full and complete", and 'Sick Leave Time' which includes close relatives "together at the same time" and "until the time".

How To Enjoy Shakespeare
Robert Thomas Fallon
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622
www.ivanrdee.com
1566636183 $16.95 1-800-462-6420

If it's a basic, easy primer to enjoying Shakespeare which is needed, try out Robert Thomas Fallon's How To Enjoy Shakespeare: it comes from a celebrated author whose Shakespeare theatre guides have been celebrated for their ease of access without 'dumbing down' information, and it is directed to newcomers often puzzled about the settings and language of Shakespeare. With such an introduction in hand, access is eased: five chapters address the language, embedded themes within lines, play staging, and plots and characterization. Accessible prose without the 'insider' assumptions of many similar-sounding guides.

Shadowplay
Clare Asquith
Public Affairs
250 West 57th St. #1321, NY, NY 10107
www.publicaffairsbooks.com
1586483161 $26.95 1-877-782-1234

In 16th century England loyal subjects were asked to either serve their monarch or their God, creating a break between God and country which widened into a vast theological/political conflict under Elizabeth 1. Executions and terror arise - through it all one of the most famous figures of his times, William Shakespeare, seemingly made no comment about affairs - or did he? Clare Asquith, a Shakespeare scholar, traces the common code used covertly by writers of his times and reveals the master of the code himself - Shakespeare. His attacks and exposes of the crown are seen from a new perspective, examining his work and his code and its impact. A fascinating study.


The Computer Shelf

Ship It!
Jared Richardson & William Gwaltney Jr.
Pragmatic Bookshelf
www.pragmaticprogrammer.com
0974514047 $29.95 www.amazon.com

Ship It! A Practical Guide To Successful Software Projects is written for software developers who want to make a team effort more valuable, or who want to consider less complicated methodologies rather an XP and TUP or CMMI style methods. The focus is on how to develop and get software out the door with the most cost-effective, quickest methods: culled from methodologies which work, developers will find Ship It! A key to delivering working applications using tools and techniques proven to make a difference in delivery times and costs. Highly recommended!

Peachpit Press
1249 - 8th St., Berkeley, CA 94710
www.peachpit.com

Peachpit's latest titles are wide-ranging and general, promising an equally wide audience of everyday computer users who want clear instructions on using popular programs. The Element K Journals Creative Team's Get The Image You Want: Essential Photoshop Editing Techniques (0321348966, $24.99) comes from a team of writers, editors and designers who together publish a number of monthly how-to journals covering everything from programming to computers in business. Since image editing is a major - and complex - feature of Photoshop, it's fitting that an entire book be devoted to the easiest ways to solve common image-editing problems. From solving poor lighting and color inaccuracy problems to restoring missing image details and saving images with exposure problems, Get The Image You Want comes packed with color examples and solutions. A 'must' for any Photoshop owner, this should've come packed in the box! Dave Cross is a senior developer of education and curriculum: his Photoshop CS2 Help Desk Book (0321337042, $34.99) comes from a trainer's view and from years of fielding questions at Photoshop seminars. It's this background which led to his identification of frequently asked questions - and to Photoshop CS2 Help Desk Book , which allows users to identify common problems and how to fix them, from re-installing proper settings to understanding common warning dialog boxes and how to remedy common problems. Eric Giguere's Make Easy Money With Google Using The Adsense Advertising Program (0321321146, $24.99) presents a four-step process which requires no programming savvy or Web set-up background. Any surfer can use this - and there's no software to buy: Google's free AdSense program will pay you to let companies place ads on your site, and Make Easy Money With Google teaches how to create pages to display such ads and drive traffic to your site. Covers everything from applying for the program to making money with it. John Tollett and Robin Williams' Cool Mac APPs: A Guide To iLife 05, .Mac And More (0321335902, $2.99) may sound familiar: it's in its second edition now, and continues to back Williams' Little Mac Book by offering detailed explanations and tutorials of the main applications Mac OS X installs on your computer. From iLife applications to setting up files for Internet storage and sharing or synchronizing calendars and contact info with a PDA, COOL MAC APPS offers some nifty short-cuts, tricks, and customized set-ups.

Osborne/McGraw
21000 Powell St., Emeryville, CA 94608
www.osborne.com

Three fine new computer titles are excellent tutorial choices. Colin Smith's How To Do Everything With Photoshop CS2 (0072261609, $29.99) packs in the color and also the wisdom of award-winning designer Colin Smith, who teaches how to create, edit and enhance images with the program. Plenty of Photoshop 'how-to' tutorials are on the market: what makes this different is a 'behind the scenes' gallery of images demonstrating the techniques in applications, to show how professional artists use them. From adjusting image size and using built-in tools to handling multiple layers and creating bevels and sheens, basic beginners will find all the applications covered with plenty of visual reinforcement. Chris Sherman, President of Searchwise LLC, reviews Google in his Google Power: Unleash The Full Potential Of Google (0072257873, $24.99). Customize Google for your own fast search needs, differentiate between authoritative references and pop sites lacking authenticity, and recover content that's been removed from the web: these are only a few of the in-depth techniques covered here, and missing in competing titles. Got a Palm and want to make the most of it? Then Dave Johnson and Rick Broida's How To Do Everything With Your Palm Handheld, 5th Edition (0072258705, $24.99) is for you. From the latest new features and tools to new tips on how to customize a PDA, HotSync with a PC, and access the Web, How To Do Everything With Your Palm Handheld doesn't limit itself to particular handheld models, and focuses on fast optimization and integration methods for fine-tuning the Palm's potentials.

Cisco PIX Firewalls
Thorsten Behrens, et.al.
Syngress
800 Hingham Rd., Rockland, MA 02370
1597490040 $49.95 www.syngress.com

If it sounds familiar, that's because Cisco PIX Firewalls: Configure, Manage, & Troubleshoot updates a prior popular edition for Cisco PIX version 7.0, providing the same popular format along with new chapters on how to migrate to 7.0 with minimum hassle. From application inspection function charts and access control lists for ASA uses to configuring a virtual HTTP and adding solutions to common problems, Cisco PIX Firewalls may be used as either a classroom text or a PIX work reference.

Fun With GPS
Donald Cooke
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
1589480872 $19.95 www.esri.com

Think 'GPS' and what comes to mind? Usually in-car navigation systems - but there's much more to GPS and ordinary users may find these devices can be attached to about anything to be use for interesting results. Maps and photos come with each outlined project for hobbyists, athletes, drivers, teachers and more. Use GPS devices to track and map activities, or in a treasure hunt, or to GPS a model airplane's abilities: there's a lot a GPS device can accomplish, and Fun With GPS covers it all.

No Starch Press
555 DeHaro #250, San Francisco CA 94107
www.nostarch.com

Build a reliable, safe mail server using Postfix with the help of Ralf Hildebrandt and Patrick Koetter's The Book Of Postfix (1593270011, $44.95) which presents a basic approach for both novices and network administrators alike. Postfix is an open source email server developed by an IBM engineer: it can be used either bare-bones as a basic relay system, or as a company mail server. The authors are Postfix experts who pack their book with documentation, answers to common questions, plenty of examples, and tips on everything from filtering spam to authenticating users. Packed with practical tips. Jonathan A. Adziarski's Ending Spam: Bayesian Content Filtering And The Art Of Statistical Language Classification (1593270-526, $39.95) provides information on the math approaches used by modern spam filters, their algorithms, and open-source options for ending spam. Zdziarski interviewed many authors of the best spam filters for ENDING SPAM: his insights will help both programmers and network administrators seeking solutions to spam issues. Brian Hook's Write Portable Code: An Introduction To Developing Software For Multiple Platforms (1593270569, $34.95) covers all the basics of writing code for cross-platform use. From avoiding common portability mistakes and finding bugs inherent in platform-specific behaviors to understanding filesystems and understanding preprocessors, Write Portable Code is packed with specifics which lend to both an overall understanding of concepts and the ability to troubleshoot common problems.

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

O'Reilly's titles are consistently practical references for a wide range of computer-savvy readers, from relative beginners all the way through advanced programmers. While their books are diverse in topic and approach, all come with the mark of being written by experienced pros to address hands-on problems and techniques, and all promise lasting reference value. Two fall within the 'Missing Manual' guides - i.e. guides which ideally would have been bundled with their programs to solve common glitches and customization questions. Barbara Brundage's Photoshop Elements 3: The Missing Manual (0596004532, $39.95) features time saving basics, customization tips, and details on digital art fine-tuning. It's easy to understand all the options the powerful Photoshop program offers when consulting a guide which contrasts different avenues for digital artistry. J.D. Biersdorfer's iPOD 7 iTUNES: The Missing Manual, 3rd Edition (0596008-775, $24.95) is edited by David Pogue and provides the latest insights into Apple's pocket wizard. The iPod can be used as a PalmPilot, as an eBook, as a Gameboy - even as a substitute hard drive. All the pros and cons of tweaking its powerful choices are fully explained here. Robbie Allen's Windows Server Cookbook For Windows Server 2003 And Windows 2000 (0596006330, $44.95) teaches advanced users the basics of operating a Windows server system, from common errors experienced from a service to deciphering diagnostic messages and implementing good security practices. Everything from remote administration to users and event logs are covered in a format which clearly defines problems, outlines solutions, and includes the technical code necessary to correct or improve. Deke McClelland and Galen Fott's Photoshop Elements 3 For Windows One-on-One (0596008449, $34.95) bundles a 2-hour 'total training' video hosted by author McClelland with a fine reality-based program which offers the next best thing to a personal trainer. Learn how to organize and categorize photos, how to make corrections and edt, and how to solve common color problems using Quick Fix. Want more? Use Photoshop Elements 3 For Windows One-on-One as a classroom text, too: each lesson ends with a test quiz. Angela Orebaugh, Simon Biles & Jacob Babbin's Snort Cookbook (0596007914, $39.95) covers the open source intrusion detection tool, which is capable of some pretty powerful applications including real-time analysis and packet logging on IP networks. If this sounds like Greek to you, it's because Snort Cookbook is the item of choice for network managers concerned with security measures and countermeasures. Or, choose Nitesh Dhanjani & Justin Clarke's Network Security Tools (0596007949, $34.95), a primer on common customizations and extensions for ordinary security tools. The latest open source tools are covered, from Nikto and Nesus to Metasploit. Write your own network 'sniffer' and analyze code for web applications using the advanced protocols and advice of Network Security Tools. IMovie HD & iDVD 5 by David Pogue (0596100337, $29.95) is another excellent 'Missing Manual' guide which provides insights, new techniques, and the 'missing instruction manual' to the two popular Apple programs. Filmmakers will find this manual essential to understanding film techniques, editing basics, and digital manipulation using these programs. Order the programs, then get the book: they go hand-in-hand and one shouldn't be without the other. Two new 'developer's notebook' guides are important references for programmers and developers at all levels. Jesse Liberty's Visual C#: A Developer's Notebook (059600799X, $29.95) covers the basics of advanced C# programming for experienced C# programmers who want to know what's different about this latest release. From new language features and enhancements to features which use Windows to enhance and reduce code necessity, Visual C# 2005 Developer's Notebook is packed with advanced details. Time-saving tips for software developers and Visual Basic users also reside in Matthew MacDonald's Visual Basic 2005: A Developer's Notebook (0596007264, $29.95): productivity is the emphasis here, with tips on restoring the missing features such as compile-and-run which were active in the previous version of Visual Basic. Learn new language features, deploy smart client networks, and use new forms controls in a workbook packed with examples. There's been a lot of news about the benefits of the Firefox browser, and Scott Granneman's Don't Click On The Blue E! (0596009399, $19.95) explores the new features of Firefox, which eliminates many of the vulnerabilities Explorer holds. Surf faster, safely, and customize Firefox's look while controlling the pop-up ads and other problems, using Don't Click On The Blue E! as you guide. Perfect for Explorer veterans who have been considering switching rather than fighting Explorer. Bruce and Marty Fries' Digital Audio Essentials (0596008-562, $34.95) shows how to legally download and share music, how to hook a PC or Mac to a home stereo, how to record music to hard drive: virtually every facet of the latest technology being used to capture and edit music. Newcomers in particular will appreciate clear explanations of digital audio features, tutorials which are easy to follow, and both hardware and software recommendations.

Signaling System No. 7 (SS7/C7)
Lee Dryburgh, et al.
Cisco Press
201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290-1097
1587050404 $70.00 www.ciscopress.com

The collaborative work of Lee Dryburgh, Jeff Hewett, Lee Dryburgh, and Jeff Hewitt, Signaling System No. 7 (SS7/C7): Protocol, Architecture, and Services teaches aspiring engineers SS7/C7 architectures and expertly shows just how to maintain their operations. Complete with coverage of both North American and international standards, the student engineers and computer network and communication system developers will learn about basic call setup, management, and tear down, personal communications services (PCS), wireless roaming, and mobile subscriber authentication. A seminal and highly recommended work of technical excellence, Signaling System No. 7 (SS7/C7) is enhanced with local number portability (LNP), with toll free (800/888) and toll (900) wireline services are also being covered, as well as other enhanced features and security management.

Web Standards Design Guide
Kevin Ruse
Charles River Media
10 Downer Avenue, Hingham, MA 02043
1584503874 $41.95 charlesriver.com

Web standards are essential to good design, yet most titles covering web design don't focus nearly enough on standardization options and techniques. Learn how to create standards-compliant web sites using Web Standards Design Guide, which explains XML, CSS, xForms and much more. Designers learn when and how to use them, how to convert existing code, and how to fine tune workflow and processes to ensure both compliance and better service efficiency.

Archives & Archivists In The Information Age
Richard J. Cox
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038-4512
www.neal-schuman.com
1555705308 $85.00 1-866-672-6657

Archives & Archivists In The Information Age is a resource that explains in depth the impact, necessity, value and future of archives - particularly digital and virtual archives - in the current technology-driven era. Chapters discuss why profit, nonprofit, public and private organizations need archival consultants; how the age of knowledge has transformed the requirements of being an archivist; why records professionals need to explain themselves; how organizations defend archival positions; and much more. A thorough, at times didactic examination especially useful to librarians, records managers, archivists and information professionals who need to both better understand their profession and be able to skillfully explain to the accountants precisely why archives and archivists are vital part of any organizations budget.


The Nautical Shelf

Cornell Maritime Press
PO Box 456, Centreville, MD 21617
1-800-638-7641 www.cmptp.com

Two excellent how-to boating books are recommended picks for boat owners seeking practical references. David and Zora Aiken's Fiberglass Repair: Polyester Or Expoxy (0870335677, $10.50) comes packed with easy details for boat owners wishing to do typical fiberglass repairs themselves using either polyester or epoxy resin. Literally hundreds of fiberglass boats of all ages still work because their owners undertook such repairs: the authors are long-term live-aboard, avid boaters who have practiced the fiberglass repair techniques herein. Leo Block's Diesel Engines: A Bopat Owner's Guide To Operation And Maintenance (0870334182, $11.95) is for boat owners who want to learn the basics on diesel engine maintenance to avoid costly future repairs. Numerous drawings and step-by-step instruction comes with a survey of typical maintenance requirements and problems, solutions, and explanations of how the diesel boat engine interacts with other boat systems. Both are excellent owner's guides.

Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
www.paracay.com

Four solid boating references from the boating experts at Paradise Cay assure a range of facts will be at the boat-owner's fingertips. The 2002 bicentennial edition of Bowditch's American Practical Navigator (0939837544) is a weighty tome prepared and published by the national Imagery and Mapping Agency in Maryland. Packed with international and foreign nautical charts, details on Logan navigation, discussions of navigation regulations and ocean chemistry and properties, and logarithm charts, The American Practical Navigator is a 'must' reference for any serious boater, and for libraries where boaters congregate. Carolyn and Bob Mehaffy's Cruising Guide To The Hawaiian Islands (0939837269, $29.95) comes from a couple who use San Francisco Bay as their port, and who set sail for Hawaii in 1996 after they retired. Upon their third voyage to the Hawaiian Islands they spent a year taking their boat into all the anchorages and harbors on each inhabited island: Cruising Guide To The Hawaiian Islands presents an island-by-island cruising guide, complete with maps and black and white photos. From approach advice to anchorage and facilities, any serious cruiser heading for Hawaii will want to take Cruising Guide along for the ride. Ditto Ed Bowler's Cruising Guide To San Diego Bay (0939837552, $29.95), a revised, expanded new edition of a classic key to sailing California's San Diego Bay and its harbors. From the most recent bay rules and regulations to area attractions, here are sailing and harbor directions, lists of public transport, hotels and nearby restaurants, even phone numbers and details on bay use permits. An essential boat owner visitor's guide. Mark Nicholas' Essentials Of Living Aboard A Boat: The Definitive Guide For Liveaboards (0939837668, $17.95) comes from one who has lived aboard his boat and has extensive background in how to best do so. From picking the right marina and forecasting costs to buying the right boat, accommodating kids or pets, and planning for all environments year-round, The Essential Of Living Aboard A Boat is a 'must' for any serious plans.


The Native American Shelf

The Native Peoples Of North America
Bruce E. Johansen
Praeger
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275987205 $99.95 www.praeger.com

Expertly compiled by Bruce E. Johansen, the definitive two-volume reference work, Native Peoples Of North America: A History, is a very highly recommended college-level pick for any academic or community library seeking a strong overview of Native American history and culture, and joins the prestigious Praeger's 'Native America: Yesterday and Today' series. Volume 1 covers the earliest indigenous peoples to the movement West, covering Native American origins and the effects of European expansion processes. Volume 2 focuses more narrowly on the rise and fall of Native American regional tribes across the country, from the ending of the frontier to assimilation processes. Together this outstanding two volume set provides an essential and comprehensive coverage.


The International Studies Shelf

Iraq: Providing Hope
Eric Holmes with Michael Parkhouse
Timberwolf Press
202 North Allen Drive, Suite A, Allen, TX 75013
1587522527 $19.95 timberwolfpress.com

Iraq: Providing Hope is an unabashedly upbeat anthology of personal stories from fifty people working and putting their lives on the line to free and rebuild Iraq. Including testimonies from both troops and civilians (but not generals, journalists, or politicians), Iraq: Providing Hope focuses on the human experience of soldiers, sailors, Marines, government employees, aid workers, and Iraqis. Iraq: Providing Hope is narrated in a dynamic, free-form style, with some pages and paragraphs devoted to one speaker then jumping to another and another, not a straightforward chapter style in which each narrative is independent of the other. A vital glimpse into what the heroes who risk their lives in Iraq are really thinking, and an upbeat testimony to the vision of creating a new Iraq of, by, and for the Iraqi people.

How Israelis And Palestinians Negotiate
Tamara Cofman Wittes, editor
United States Institute of Peace Press
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172
www.usip.org
1929223641 $14.95 1-800-868-8064

How Israelis and Palestinians Negotiate: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Oslo Peace Process is an anthology of essays by three learned authors (William B. Quandt, Omar M. Dajani, and Aharon Klieman) and bookended with an introduction and conclusion by editor Tamara Wittes, closely examining cultural attitudes, norms, beliefs, and other factors influencing the delicate and sometimes disastrous Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Essays are titled "Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks: From Oslo to Camp David II", "Surviving Opportunities: Palestinian Negotiating Patterns in Peace Talks with Israel", and "Israeli Negotiating Culture". Extensively researched an pinpoint accurate in its critiques and scholarly assessments of deadly serious political problems, How Israelis and Palestinians Negotiate is a vital and welcome contribution to international political studies and reference shelves.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Good Dogkeeping
Diane Morgan
T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, 3rd & Union Avenue, Neptune City, NJ 07753
www.tfh.com
0793805589 $16.95 1-800-631-2188

Diane Morgan's Good Dogkeeping: Today's Guide To Caring For Your Best Friend from the premiere publisher of pet care books is an in-depth guide to caring for a dog written for pet owners of all ages and backgrounds. Chapters cover common topics such how to housebreak one's dog, how often one's dog needs to be vaccinated, what to look for when buying a puppy, and how to clean dog drool off the walls, as well as more unusual pet problems such as how to cure carsickness in dogs, how to help dogs who are afraid of thunder, and the straight scoop about so-called "doggie day-care". An extensive list of resources as well as a special appendix devoted to breed-specific legislation (and why simply banning certain dog breeds does not solve problems stemming from canine aggression) round out this all-around must-have guide for anyone contemplating becoming a dog owner.

Birds Of A Feather
Linda Johns
Goose Lane Editions
469 King Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 1E5
0864924305 $14.95 www.gooselane.com

Black-and-white photographs illustrate Birds Of A Feather: Tales Of A Wild Bird Haven, which tells true-life stories of award-winning author Linda Johns' experiences rehabilitating wild birds. From raising a chick to its first feathers to taking in a badly injured mother duck and her children to learning how to write with a pigeon on one's arm, Birds Of A Feather gives an unabashed look at the ups, downs, special joys and sad tragedies of caring for feathered friends in need day in and day out. Heartwarming and highly recommended for bird lovers especially.

Insights From Insects
Gilbert Waldbauer
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
1591022770 $18.00 1-800-421-0351

From casual readers who enjoy natural history and bugs to students at the high school and college levels, Insights From Insects: What Bad Bugs Can Teach Us provides a delightful compendium of insect facts. Twenty chapters on twenty insects move from swallowtail butterflies to moths and worms as they provide fun facts and natural history.

Trail Riding
Rhonda Hart Poe
Storey Books
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
1580175600 $19.95 storeybooks.com

Trail Riding: Train, Prepare, Pack Up & Hit The Trail is an in-depth compendium and guidebook especially for horse owners and horse riders. Written by horse owner and "The Gated Horse" magazine editor Rhonda Hart Poe, Trail Riding covers everything from how to use necessary trail tack and gear, to proper training, vices to avoid (in both rider and animal), survival tips for worst-case scenarios, advice for performing well in competitive trail riding, and much more. Black-and-white illustrations and numerous sidebars filled with tips, tricks and techniques round out Trail Riding, a definitive guide, which is enthusiastically recommended for riders of all skill and experience levels.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

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

Baen's new arrivals are wonderful summer reads, recommended for fans of fantasy and action. Andrew Norton's Gods And Androids (0743499113, $7.99) tells of an Emperor who might be an android, and one Tallhassee, a modern archaeologist who has been sent back in time to solve a struggle between Egyptian gods. Two very different lives mingle and are changed in this title, previously published in parts as Android At Arms And Wraiths Of Time and here combined in paper for the first time. Murray Leinster's A Logic Named Joe (0743499107, $7.99) presents a collection edited and compiled by Eric Flint, offering three complete novels of humorous adventure: Pirates Of Zan, Gateway To Elsewhere and The Duplicators. Add three short stories - including the title story predicting home computer worlds - and you have a powerful, fun gathering of Leinster classics under one cover. Merecedes Lackey, Eric Flint and Dave Freer's This Rough Magic (0743499095, $7.99) provides a sequel to The Shadow Of The Lion: familiarity with the prior novel will lend a fast appreciation to this story of Renaissance magic in Corfu in the 16th century. A demon struggles to possess an island to defeat his enemy the Lion of San Marcos in this story of power struggles in a magic world. Martin Scott's Thraxas And The Sorcerers (0743499085, $22.00) combines humor and fantasy as it tells of a discontented Thraxas, who has gambled away his finances and must become an undercover agent at an upcoming Sorcerers Guild meeting. His reluctant assignment leads to a difficult case involving a deadly assassin in this whimsical, fun account. Harry Turtledover's The Time Of Troubles I (1416509046, $26.00) provides two complete Videssos novels under one cover: The Stolen Throne, telling of a fragile peace changed by war and a lord's son who must find a missing heir even though he'd be branded a traitor for so doing; and Hammer And Anvil, telling of the Empire's despot on the throne, and a young exile's intention to liberate his homeland. Political thrills at their best.

The Prodigal Troll
Charles Coleman Finlay
PYR
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
1591023327 $15.00 1-800-421-0351

A human child raised by a band of mythological creatures grows up amongst cruel trolls and must leave his tribe to discover his own human roots in The Prodigal Troll. Maggot is not free even when he leaves his adopted home: the human world is complex and even romance with Lady Portia is fraught with complications. A moving story of heritage and romance evolves.

Ace Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Two fine, revealing science fiction adventures make for highly recommended picks. Charles Stross's Accelerando (0441012-841, $24.95) expands upon his award-winning short story cycle and focuses on radical changes which are affecting the very nature of mankind - and the latest generation of the Macx clan, who have struggled to survive in an accelerated world which changes daily due to molecular nanotechnology. An entrepreneur and his children face dangers from space in something which is systematically dismantling the solar system. Strong characterization brings a complex, absorbing world to life. Jim Butcher's Academ's Fury (0441-012833, $24.95) presents Book 2 of the 'Codex Alera': readers familiar with the prior fantasy introduction will find a quick continuation of the story of a young man, Tavi, who secretly trains to become one of the First Lord's spies of his kingdom. His inability to control the furies makes him vulnerable, but a mysterious attack may bring him fame and glory in this spirited fantasy adventure.

Shadowfall
James Clemens
ROC Books
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
www.penguin.com
0451459946 $24.95 1-800-847-5515

Four millennia have passed since the hundred immortal gods came to Myrillia to form a civilized, safe area protected from the Hinterlands where rogue gods haunt a wilderness: nothing has challenged this peace - until now. A goddess has been murdered, with the only witness a disgraced former Shadowknight who helped the dying goddess and received from her a blessing which healed him - and perhaps sealed his fate as her possible murderer. Pursued by both vengeful gods and humans, Tylar must track down the real slayer in this first book of a projected chronicle series.

Attack Of The Jazz Giants And Other Stories
Gregory Frost
Golden Gryphon Press
3002 Perkins Road, Urbana, IL 61802
www.goldengryphon.com
1930846347 $25.95 1-800-888-4741

Each of Nebula, Hugo, Tiptree, International Horror Guild, and World Fantasy Award finalist Gregory Frost's outstanding tales of fantasy is enhanced by the illustrations of Jason Van Hollander in Attack Of The Jazz Giants And Other Stories, a compendium of imaginative and entertaining short stories. Readers are treated to stories of an apocalyptic being that hides in a Ukrainian village; a horror that dwells in Jack the Ripper's pocket watch; a crossroads in which the Castle of Otranto connects with the Depression Era South, and more. Featuring a foreword by bestselling author Karen Joy Fowler and an afterword to each individual tale by award-winning author John Kessel, Attack Of The Jazz Giants And Other Stories is a dazzling compilation that takes the reader on a dizzying journey through fractured time and space.

Brazilian Science Fiction
M. Elizabeth Ginway
Bucknell University Press
c/o Associated University Press
440 Forsgate Drive, Cranbury, NJ 08512
083875564X $50.00 1-609-655-4770

Brazilian Science Fiction: Cultural Myths And Nationhood In The Land Of The Future is an in-depth discussion of Brazillian science fiction and what it has to tell us about Brazilian culture and society by Professor of Portuguese and Brazilian literature M. Elizabeth Ginway. Chapters examine the cross-narrative icons of the robot, the alien, the spaceship, and the wasteland; dystopian science fiction; reflections on the changing roles of women; and influences of the post-dictatorship Brazilian generation and its delvings into "hard" SF, cyberpunk, alien encounters, alternate histories and parallel universes, and more. Black-and-white photographs of science fiction book covers illustrate this thoughtful and thorough examination which is especially recommended for academic library literary studies collections.


The American History Shelf

"The Taste Is In My Mouth A Little..."
Wayne C. Temple
Mayhaven Publishing
PO Box 557, Mahomet, IL 61853
www.mayhavenpublishing.com
1878044419 $39.95 1-866-586-4493

Written by an internationally recognized and award-winning scholar especially known for his expertise concerning the life of Abraham Lincoln, "The Taste Is In My Mouth A Little...": Lincoln's Victuals and Potables is a most unusual historical discussion of what Lincoln ate and drank, what foods most whetted his appetite, and recipes known to have appeared on his table. Also included is a full reproduction of the 1843 edition of Miss Leslie's "Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches", which the Lincolns were known to possess. A useful and minutely detailed guide for the day-to-day understanding of the profound historical figure that is Abraham Lincoln.

Land Of Sunshine
William Deverell & Greg Hise, Editors
University of Pittsburgh Press
3400 Forbes Avenue, Eureka Bldg, 5th Fl., Pittsburgh, PA 15260
www.pitt.edu/-press
0822942542 $34.95 1-800-666-2211

Los Angeles has long been equated with smog and urban sprawl, but there's more to its development story and problems than meets the eye, as William Deverell and Greg Hise explore in Land Of Sunshine: An Environmental History Of Metropolitan Los Angeles. From earliest times and old ecologies of the area to modern times, Land Of Sunshine provides a different environmental history of greater Los Angeles, providing essays by nineteen leading geologists, ecologists, and historians on the changing perceptions of density, environmental reform, and urban design standards. Urban planning readers, in particular, will welcome these essays lending insight into metropolitan Los Angeles' development influences.

Provincetown
Karen Christel Krahulik
New York University Press
838 Broadway, 3rd floor, NY, NY 10003
www.nyupress.org
0814747612 $29.95 1-800-996-6987

Provincetown, Massachusetts began as a typical New England fishing village, but evolved to become a gay Mecca: how did this happen? Provincetown: From Pilgrim Landing To Gay Resort follows the influences which led to this transition over the decades, using a blend of personal stories and historical accounts to reveal how the city's charm as an early artist's colony lead to a dramatic economic change to a resort town, then a gay boom town. A lively survey of different cultural and social interactions makes for more than just a history: any with an interest in Massachusetts regional events will find Provincetown compelling.

Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
www.arcadiapublishing.com

Arcadia has numerous titles featuring the visual approach to present lively local histories of Massachusetts communities and businesses: so local, in fact, that often a town-by-town coverage offers the depth and details missed by larger area histories. Take The Boston Garden (0738511528, $19.99), for example: here at last is a detailed survey solely for The Boston Garden, a centerpiece of indoor entertainment and home of the Bruins and Celtics - as well as other events. The garden opened in 1928 to an audience who watched local boxer Finnegan defeat the then-world champion Andre Routis - and the excitement and events at the Garden continued non-stop from there, making it one of the most popular entertainment venues in New England. Chapters packed with black and white vintage photos of entertainers and events follow the Garden's evolution over the decades. Rarely are local hospitals given their own complete title, which also makes Children's Hospital Boston (0738-537462, $19.99) a unique presentation. Based on the archive holdings of the hospital, Children's Hospital Boston, one of the oldest pediatric medical centers in the world with roots beginning in 1869, receives a fine visual tour as well as discussions of pediatrics history in America as a whole - an angle which will make Children's Hospital Boston a recommended pick for health history holdings beyond the Boston region. Numerous co-editors affiliated with the Archives Program have worked to make this an outstanding medical history. It's also unusual to see a business profile taking the visual approach - which lends to Alan R. Earls and Robert E. Edwards' Raytheon Company: The First Sixty Years (0738537470, $19.99). Raytheon's history begins in 1922, when the Cambridge company became a major innovator in the electronics industry and moved to become a major contributor of the war effort and beyond. Technology and business writer Earls has produced high-tech stories since the early 1980s, while co-author Edwards is a forty-three-year veteran of Raytheon: together they provide a vivid company history. It's the very local region histories of small cities in Massachusetts where Arcadia really shines. The 'Then and Now' series is just as visually powerful and important as the more modern 'Images of America' series, holding such gems as those by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco, author of more than forty books on Boston's regional history. His West Roxbury (0738512478, $19.99) narrows the focus to an area originally known as Westerly, located six miles from Roxbury's main town center. Westerly was settled by Puritans and consisted mainly of farms and large estates in its early days: changes in later years made it an independent town and saw a building boom which continues to modern times. Plenty of vintage black and white photos follows West Roxbury's many changes. His Milton (0738536954, $19.99) focuses on a town which began as a part of Dorchester, became independent in 1662, and became an important branch of the railway with access to Boston. The blend of vintage and modern photos contrasts old and new Milton in a delightful history survey - and of course, Sammarco also provides the companion Dorchester (0738546962, $19.99) for a complete, rich history of the companion town Milton evolved from, surveying Dorchester's heyday and its religious institutions as well as its railway connections and trademark architectural buildings. Jamaica Plain (073851246X) covers a Boston neighborhood once known as the 'Eden of America', which was a part of Roxbury and West Roxbury before being annexed to Boston in 1874. It was one of the Boston neighborhoods which became known as a 'streetcar suburb': plenty of vintage photos show buildings and routes yesterday and today, contrasting old and new areas of Jamaica Plain. These are simply outstanding histories: recommended picks for any solid collection on regional Massachusetts history.

Berkeley
Ellen Weis & Kiran Singh
Frog, Ltd./North Atlantic Books
PO Box 12327, Berkeley, CA 94712
www.northatlanticbooks.com
1583940936 $16.95 1-800-337-2665

Berkeley, California residents, natives, or visitors will relish this pictorial display of Berkeley's finest houses and scenes in Berkeley: The Life And Spirit Of A Remarkable Town. Kiran Singh's full-page color photos trace the town's most notable neighborhoods and structures, from Telegraph Avenue, the 'Haight-Ashbury of Berkeley' and home to many counter-cultural influences, to the campus of UC Berkeley and West Berkeley's early settlements. A fine coffee table addition or celebration of one of the state's most notable cities.

Yosemite Place Names
Peter Browning
Great West Books
PO Box 1028, Lafayette, CA 94549
www.greatwestbooks.com
0944220193 $18.95 www.amazon.com

Thousands visit California's Yosemite National Park yearly; most don't realize the origins and history behind the many interesting names in this landmark park. History buffs both local and afar will therefore find much to attract and educate in Yosemite Place Names; The Historic Background Of Geographic Names In Yosemite National Park. Arranged alphabetically by place name, it's easy to look up histories which range from names of lakes, gulches and towns to notable explorers and people who left lasting impressions on the park. An excellent reference.

Greetings From The Lincoln Highway
Brian Butko
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
081170128X $29.95 1-800-732-3669

Think Route 66 is America's oldest or first coast-to-coast road? Well, it gets more publicity, but Route 66 wasn't the first: the Lincoln Highway predates it by a dozen years, runs a third longer, and travels coast to coast. Greetings From The Lincoln Highway: America's First Coast-to-Coast Road provides a lively highway history, packing in the maps which depict the original highway and its changes from state to state, the color photos of local color and highway scenery, and of course the all-important history of the highway's past. From vintage posters and ads to restored old stations and services, Butko' Greetings From The Lincoln Highway follows the highway across the country and provides a very colorful, compelling story in the process.

Ashbury Park's Glory Days
Helen-Chantal Pike
Rutgers University Press
100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8099
www.rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
0813535476 $29.95 1-800-446-9323

Freelance writer and photographer Helen-Chantal Pike has seen her work featured in many top publications: her interest in history and photography melds perfectly in her Asbury Park's Glory Days: The Story Of An American Resort. While recent years have not been good to Asbury Park, New Jersey, with many of the boardwalk thrill rides, exciting movie premiers, and resort attractions fallen into disarray, victims of political corruption, Asbury Park's Glory Days re-creates the region's heyday between 1890 and 1980, adding insights into the area's boom and recession cycles and explaining how these cycles linked to Asbury Park's attractions. Packed with vintage photos throughout, any New Jersey resident or fan will find Asbury Park's Glory Days to provide them with an intriguing glimpse of a colorful past.

The University Of Maryland At College Park: A History
George H. Callcott
Noble House
8019 Belair Road, #10, Baltimore MD 21236
www.americanliterarypress.com
1561678899 $24.95 1-800-873-2003

Here's an exploration of the University's two centuries of struggle to achieve state university status; from its initial agricultural college status to its Civil War struggles, its evolution into a tuition-free people's college, and its movement into university status. But The University Of Maryland At College Park: A History isn't just about school politics: within its pages are profiles of student and faculty culture over the decades, social and political atmospheres affecting the college's focus and growth, and how the modern university status is changing the school. A pick for not just University grads and fans; but for any reader of higher education history and politics.

Slave Nation
Alfred W. Blumrosen & Ruth Blumrosen
Sourcebooks
PO Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567-4410
www.sourcebooks.com
1402204000 $24.95 1-800-432-7444

Alfred W. Blumrosen is a law professor at Rutgers specializing in Labor and Employment law as it relates to civil rights enforcement, and the late Ruth G. Blumrosen was also a law professor with a history of civil rights compliance: the two have created a monumental survey in Slave Nation; How Slavery United The Colonies And Sparked The American Revolution. Slavery helped found the republic: when a 1772 London judge banned slavery in England, his edict rippled through the colonies and assured the southern states joined the northern colonies in the 'right for freedom' against England which was as much a fight for the freedom to have slaves as for other political concerns. A lively history ensues, pairing political decision processes with insights on the eventual war between the states, Slave Nation is a work of painstakingly thorough scholarship combined with a thoroughly "reader friendly" text that is completely accessible to the non-specialist general reader and a welcome, enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal, community, or school library American History collection or supplemental studies reading list.


The Sports Shelf

Indy
Terry Reed
Potomac Books
22841 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles, VA 20166
www.potomacbooksinc.com
1574889079 $17.95 1-800-775-2518

If Indy: The Race And Ritual Of The Indianapolis 500 sounds familiar, that's because this is the second updated edition of the most famous motorsport event of all time, adding twenty-five more years of detail, racing events, and track insights in an extensive updated revision. Others books have of course been written about the sport - many weightier tomes - but none with the lore, depth and detail of INDY: The Race And Ritual Of The Indianapolis 500.


The Women's Studies Shelf

It's My Pleasure
Maria Rodale & Maya Rodale
The Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, NY NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
0743270819 $25.00 1-800-223-2336

Why do women feel guilty for the typical things - romance novels, chocolate - which give them pleasure? Maria Rodale is VP of Rodale Inc, the family publishing business she effectively reorganized and expanded. In It's My Pleasure, she and co-author Maya Rodale tell women just how to get past the guilt and find the pleasure. Their personal stories come from two generations and tell how they overcame guilt impulses to embrace this pleasure in their lives, while references to history connect pleasure with strength.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Kabbalah And The Power Of Dreaming
Catherine Shainberg
Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
1594770476 $14.95 1-800-246-8648

Plenty of books have covered the Kabbalah, but choose psychologist/healer Catherine Shainberg's Kabbalah And The Power Of Dreaming: Awakening The Visionary Life if what you seek is a practical application of Kabbalah principles to daily spiritual purposes. There are practices used by seers, sages and prophets to control dreams and visions: Shainberg uses the ancient Sephardic Kabbalah tradition to blend in stories from around the Mediterranean, to be used as examples for readers seeking to develop their own dreaming powers. A fine, specific exploration based on solid spiritual foundations.

Dion Fortune's Book Of The Dead
Dion Fortune
Red Wheel/Weiser
368 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.redwheelweiser.com
1578633362 $9.95 1-800-423-7087

Dion Fortune's Book Of The Dead is a metaphysical and mystical guide to understanding and accepting the transitions that come with death, how to help the dead on their journey and avoid hindering the soul, how to prepare oneself for dying or the loss of the loved one, and how to grieve. Chapters discuss the journey of the soul beyond life, why it is improper to seek to contact the dead under most circumstances, and offers simple advice in contemporary language as to what the living can do for the dying and why. Originally published as "Through the Gates of Death" in 1930, then in a revised edition in 1995, Dion Fortune's Book Of The Dead retains the timely wisdom of psychologist and psychic Dion Fortune (1891-1946), recognized as one of the most insightful contributors to 20th century esoteric thought.

The Encyclopedia Of Tarot, Volume IV
Stuart R. Kaplan & Jean Huets
US Games Systems, Inc.
179 Ludlow Street, Stamford, CT 06902
157281506X $45.00 usgamesinc.com

The Encyclopedia Of Tarot, Volume IV is an extensive visual and descriptive tour of over 800 mass-market tarot decks, limited editions, antique decks, previously unpublished tarot artwork, and 100 published Japanese tarot decks including some based on anime and manga. Black-and-white photographs of deck cards and extensive detailed history and discussion of the artists, themes, and esoteric traditions of tarot. Volume IV is complete within and of itself, and does not hold any duplicated material with Volumes I, II, and III. An excellent reference for anyone interested in learning more about all aspects of tarot, or searching for images of the ideal tarot deck for one's tastes.


The Audiobook Shelf

Rockbound
Frank Parker Day
BTC Audio Books
c/o Goose Lane Editions
469 King Street, Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 1E5
www.gooselane.com
0864923961 $24.95 1-888-926-8377

2005 winner of "Canada Reads", Rockbound is an abridged audiobook version of the classic novel first published in 1928. Set upon Nova Scotia's south shore, it follows an 18-year-old who comes to the windswept island of Rockbound to claim his inheritance with nothing but rags on his back. Navigating the treachery of two warring clans, he gradually settles into life, marrying and having a son. He keeps a secret love for the island's schoolteacher, but he cannot be prepared for the wickedness of his great-uncle and self-proclaimed "king" of Rockbound. Superbly narrated by Shakespearean actor Richard Donat, who skillfully adds color and flavor to the Nova Scotia dialect of the Rockbounders, Rockbound is an enduring parable of treacherous times, where the sudden turning of a man's heart can be as deadly as the shift of wind near a rocky coastline. Highly recommended. 3 CDs, 3 1/2 hours.

Moby-Dick
Herman Melville
Naxos AudioBooks
416 Mary Lindsay Polk Drive, Suite 509, Franklin, TN 37067
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
9626343583 $126.98 1-877-629-6723

Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is a complete and unabridged audiobook version of the classic novel of 19th century whaling, as well as one captain's obsession well past the point of insanity. Accomplished actor and experienced narrator William Hootkins vividly recounts this enduring tale, bringing to life monsters of the sea and of the human mind with frightening clarity, allowing listeners to viscerally experience the daily hardships of whaling life and the saga of man versus nature as never before. Very highly recommended. 19 CDs, approx 25 hours.

John Paul Jones
Evan Thomas
Tantor Media, Inc.
114 Mill Rock Road East, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
www.tantor.com
1400101042 $44.99 1-877-782-6867

Expertly narrated by Dan Cashman, John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father Of The American Navy by Evan Thomas is the complete and unabridged audiobook biography of America's hero from the Age of Sail. Intelligent, cunning, bold, and ruthless; he vowed to sail "in harm's way", to use his own words. Driven by dreams of personal glory rather than purely high-minded ideals, his contribution to America's foundations would continue to have repercussions up to the present day. A rousing, engaging, accurate portrayal that is as much a tale of high adventure as it is a critical examination of the all-too-human weaknesses and extraordinary strengths of a charismatic and courageous man. 12 CDs, 14 hours.

Break Through Pain
Shinzen Young
Sounds True Audio
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
www.soundstrue.com
1591791995 $19.95 1-800-333-9185

Enhanced by an accompanying integrated learning CD, Break Through Pain by Shinzen Young (a very experienced meditation teacher and founder of the Vipassana Support Institute and several North American meditation retreat centers) distills more than 30 years of experience in presented mediation as one of the oldest strategies for effecive pain-free living. Readers will learn how to apply the Buddhist Vipassana traditions that have delved into how to relieve pain for 2,000 years. Techniques to "melt" sensations of pain, break up pain through focused awareness, release the emotions of anger, fear, and resentment that amplify pain, and use pain as a gateway to emotional and spiritual freedom described as thoroughly as possible, for the lay practitioner to use for himself or herself. The practices of controlled breathing, guided meditation and mindful meditation especially are discussed in depth. An accompanying audio CD with easy-to-follow instructions walks the reader through basic techniques for pain relief. Written in plain terms accessible to the lay reader unfamiliar with the ancient practices, Break Through Pain is a "must-read" for anyone in distress or suffering, especially in situations where drugs and other conventional remedies just aren't working.

Random House Audio
1745 Broadway, NY, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com/audio

New audios from Random House promise hours of listening leisure pleasure and are highly recommended picks. Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father (07393-21005, $25.95) provides a memoir by the son of a black African father and a white American mother who explores his foundations as a black American when his father dies in a car accident. His roots odyssey brings him from a small Kansas town to Kenya and comes alive under his own narrative style. Les Standiford's Meet You In Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, And The Bitter Partnership That Transformed America (0739319728, $27.50) receives John Dossett's clear and crisp enunciation as he enlivens a history which reads with all the drama of fiction. Two men who represented the best and worst of American capitalism are revealed in a winning examination of their partnership's stormy relationship. Maria Housden's quiet desperation comes through in her own narrative of her Unraveled: The True Story Of A Woman Who Dared To Become A Different Kind Of Mother (0739319787, $27.50). After the death of her young daughter she broke away from her role as wife and mother and left her three surviving kids in primary custody of her husband to journey on a search for meaning and truth - a journey which would eventually bring her full circle back to her family. Mike Iaconelli's Fishing On The Edge (0739320602, $27.50) is another fine narration by the author himself, who won the 2003 Bassmaster Classic and turned competitive bass fishing upside down. His autobiography is as big as his fish, providing not only lively background, but insights into his success and the development of his 'power fishing style'. A perfect gift for that fisherman who 'has everything'. Danielle Steel's Miracle (0553757-210, $27.50) is narrated by actor Glenn Fitzgerald, whose fine background lends to a warm and evocative rendition of the story of a unique friendship forged from grief and the storm of the century. Two lonely people adrift after tragedy find each other in a romance charged with passion. Roert B. Parker's Appaloosa (0739318-748, $27.50) receives Titos Welliver's dramatic voice, which brings to life the story of one Virgin and Everett, who find the small town of Appaloosa suffering at the hands of a lawless rancher. The two lawmen are used to trouble but their opponent is unusually wily. Good Western action any general listener will enjoy.

Fabulation Or The Re-Education Of Undine
Lynn Nottage
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard., Venice CA 90291
www.latw.org
1580813046 $25.95 1-800-708-8863

Undine, an Ivy League black publicist, is left pregnant and broke when her husband embezzles her money and vanishes. Returning to the Brooklyn projects she left, she enters a world of drug addicts and welfare - and her family roots - in this dark story of a woman who falls and works her way out of poverty. The full-cast audio production of Fabulation Or The Re-Education Of Undine lends a fine, full drama to the involving story.

Highbridge Audio
33 S. 6th St., Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.highbridgeaudio.com

Denise Mina's Field Of Blood (1565119-549, $29.95) receives Heather O'Neill's ability to inject subtle drama and clear voice into a plot as it tells of the murder of a child and a new copygirl's personal connection to one of the young boys implicated in the killing. Her investigation could shake her family's trust even though furthering her career in this thriller. Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life Of Bees (1565115392, $34.95) receives Jenna Lamia's warm and quiet voice: perfect for telling the story of a young girl's life since her mother was killed when she was four. When the warm black woman who has cared for her insults three of the racists in town, Lily decides they need change in this moving story of survival. Garrison Keiller narrates The Adventures Of Guy Noir Radio Private Eye (1565119568, $24.95), presenting 11 episodes lifted from life broadcasts of A Prairie Home Companion. Keiller's dry and classic style pairs with other narrators to recreate a radio show atmosphere as PI Guy Noir tackles some new secrets.

Appaloosa
Robert B. Parker
Books On Tape, Inc.
Box 25122, Santa Ana, CA 92799-5122
www.librarybooksontape.com
1415920192 $27.50 1-800-541-5525

To put it simply, Appaloosa is the best western novel to come down the trail in a long, long time. This is the story of two lawmen, Virgil Cole and his shotgun toting deputy Everett Hitch, who arrive in the small, dusty, lawless western town of Appaloosa. Hired by the city fathers, Virgil and Everett take on renegade rancher Randall Bragg and his gang of gunslingers -- complicated by Virgil's taking up with an opportunist lady of dubious reputation. Titus Welliver's gifted and nuanced narration does full and wonderful justice to Robert Parker's deeply engaging tale of hard violent men, some with their own special brand of honor, in this complete, flawlessly produced and unabridged audiobook edition (5 hours, 3 cassettes) that would make a popular addition any community library audiobook collection. Enthusiastically recommended listening!

Simon & Schuster Audio
1230 Ave. of Americas, NY, NY 10020
www.simonsays.com

Kathy Reichs' latest Cross Bones (07435-44364, $44.36) receives a stirring reading by Michele Pawk reflecting her already-rave reviews as a Broadway actress. An Orthodox Jew is shot to death in Canada and Temperance is called in to investigate puzzling damage to his corpse, when a mysterious photo provides a clue which involves her in an ancient mystery as well as a modern murder puzzle. Archaeology, intrigue, and high drama evolve. Jerry Deaver's The Twelfth Card (0743544315, $29.95) is narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris, who won an Obie Award for his Broadway talents, and presents a new Lincoln Rhyme novel revolving around a cat-and-mouse chase through Manhattan. Who's doing the chasing? A quadriplegic detective this tense thriller comes both abridged and unabridged (0743344331, $39.95) for maximum impact either way.

Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1-800-854-7859 www.brillianceaudio.com

David Colacci narrates Gene Riehl's Sleeper (1593559402, $24.95), adding a powerful verbal touch to the story of an FBI agent with a predisposition for Alzheimer's disease and a willingness to take unusual risks in the course of duty. His latest assignment to locate a sleeper spy and stop her comes to life under Colacci's veteran reading skills. Jodi Compton's Sympathy Between Humans (1593559674, $24.95) receives Marie St. Clair's warm and moving rendition as it tells of a detective haunted by a past case and drawn to a new set of troubles. A twin's search for a missing brother leads Sarah to probe a deeper mystery in this warm tale of intrigue. John J. Nance's Saving Cascadia (1593559568, $26.95) is read by the author, who brings to life his own gripping narrative story of an impossible aviation rescue. A series of earthquakes threatens the Northwest Corridor and an unstable island in this gripping adventure of a daring theory and rescue. Daniel Silva's Prince Of Fire (1596008083, $26.95) receives Guerin Barry's own thrilling style as it tells of an explosion in Rome which leads to a revelation about terrorists who have their hands on sensitive information about sometimes-spy Allon. It's spy vs. spy in an espionage thriller which comes to life in audio.

Audio Renaissance
175 - 5th Ave., New York NY 10010
www.audiorenaissance.com

Michael Cunningham's Specimen Days (1593976895, $39.95) showcases Tony Award-winning Alan Cumming's dramatic Broadway embellishments as it tells of a young boy, a man and a woman featured in each section of the novel at different times. From a terrorist's dangers to a ghost story taking place during the industrial revolution, this three-part saga defies easy categorization - but laces its stories with swift and compelling action. The same swift action is a highlight of Robert Ludlum's many titles, with his The Moscow Vector (1593976771, $44.95) being no exception. Patrick Larkin, himself a writer of thrillers, brings to the table a lively and dramatic style which blends well with Ludlum's international thriller revolving around mysterious deaths in Moscow. For a solid nonfiction thrill, don't miss Thomas L. Friedman's The World Is Flat: A Brief History Of The 21st Century (159-3977514, $29.95), which is narrated by Oliver Wyman and tells of crucial developments in modern times which have created differences between rich and poor around the world. Do new world interconnections require us to move faster just to stay in place, and has the world gotten to small and fast to encourage stable political and social systems? Friedman's contemplations are involving.

Confessions Of A Video Vixen
Karrine Steffans
Harper Audio
10 East 53rd St, NY, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
0060843438 $29.95 1-800-242-7737

If the name Karrine Steffans sounds familiar, it's because she was a sexy siren who appeared in many music videos by top hip hop artists and became a paid video danger who moved on to film in "A Man Apart". These achievements aside, Steffans' autobiography, Confessions Of A Video Vixen, is as much about her associations with celebrities as it is about her life, following her Hollywood life with all the earmarks of high drama: abuse, rape, and drugs. An involving expose of the seedier side of the industry.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Knitting Vintage Socks
Nancy Bush
Interweave Press
201 East Fourth St., Loveland, CO 80537
www.interweave.com
1931499659 $21.95 1-800-645-3675

Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists On Classic Patterns is a hardback, spiral-bound how-to guide illustrated with full color photography throughout. Each sample sock is presented with specifications as to the finished size, recommended yarn, needles, notions, and gauge, as well as explicit step-by-step instructions and trellis patterns. The introduction to sock-knitting basics at the beginning, and depth of detail describing knitting techniques makes Knitting Vintage Socks easily applied by beginning to intermediate knitters. An excellent resource for creating personal, hand-crafted gifts.

Get Started Beading
Button & Bead Magazine
Kalmbach Publishers
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
www.beadandbuttonbooks.com
0871162199 $19.95 1-800-533-6644

From initial stringing to basic bead weaving and easy jewelry wire work, beginners will find the editors of "Bead&Button Magazine" have condensed beading basics into a fine set of project-oriented instructions. The step-by-step color photos and illustrations focus on creating professional, polished results through a variety of weaving techniques and styles. Produce chokers, different necklace styles, and more with this handy beginner's guide.

Leisure Arts
5701 Ranch Dr., Little Rock, AR 72223
www.leisurearts.com

Leisure Arts provide powerful project-oriented guides perfect for crafters wishing to learn new ideas. Take Barbara Finwall, Nancy Javier and Jeri Clements' 4 Seasons Of Fleece: 68 Easy Projects, 11 No-Sew Projects (1574864467, $24.95): organized to cover themes of the four seasons, fleece projects include pillows, pumpkins, colorful beach blankets, butterfly spring purses and hats, and more. While many are designed for children to use and wear, many an adult will find the projects appealing to reproduce. Pat Sloan's Learn To Applique (1574864521, $19.95) needs only a sewing machine to prove inviting. The author's tips on using threads, colors, and themes to enliven and brighten quilt projects makes for an inviting machine quilt stitcher's guide. Creative Collection To Knit (1574824572, $21.95) packs in designs for the whole family, from hats and vests to sweater and scarves. Chart and pattern samples, black and white and some color photos, and basic knitting patterns and instructions make for an excellent, basic set of designs perfect for the family. The editors of "Crochet With Heart Magazine" present Big Book Of Crochet (1574884564, $21.95), packing in over 120 projects from afghans and baby clothes to stylish sweaters. Lovely color photos and a focus on a wide range of crochet pattern styles encourages users to experiment with different techniques. All are lovely titles.

The Ehrman Needlepoint Book
Hugh Ehrman
Reader's Digest Press
Readers Digest Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570
0895778610 $24.95 readersdigest.com

Designs by Kaffe Fassett, Candace Bahouth and Elian McCready are just some of the features in The Ehrman Needlepoint Book, fathering designs from top designers across the country. Ehrman needlepoint kits are of high quality, and The Ehrman Needlepoint Book reflects this quality and the possibilities of customizing chosen themes within the Ehrman kit standards. Patterns - some full-page, all in color - yarns, and discussions of each needlepoint challenge are revealed in a gorgeous presentation delving into the finer points of new and old design combinations. Any needlepoint fan will find The Ehrman Needlepoint Book a compelling volume packed with visual examples and written insights into the Ehrman style.

C&T Publishing
PO Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549
www.ctpub.com

Beginners seeking a user-friendly quilter's guide will find the vivid colors and unusual designs of M'Liss Rae Hawley's Get Creative! (1571202862, $24.95) to be inviting. M'Liss provides only 8 projects to serve as a foundation for gathering skills, but each easy project offers important lessons in color and design and offers enough flexibility for beginners to incorporate their own designs and interests. A lovely collection of formulas and stories. Jan Bode Smiley's The Art Of Fabric Books: Innovative Ways To Use Fabric In Scrapbooks, Altered Books And More (1571-202811, $21.95) tells how to use fabric as a scrapbook and altered book project embellishment. Altered books are a big craft trend, and artist Smiley blends fabric and book arts seamlessly into a collection which includes many ideas, from mini-quilts to paper embellishments and fabric/paper blends. Packed with intriguing ideas. Jan Krentz's Diamond Quilts & Beyond: From The Basics To Dazzling Designs (1571202404, $28.95) tells how to turn a quilt literally into a work of art, using Impressionist painting inspirations to translate to fabric with diamond patterns. Particularly notable is a gallery of quilts which feature hand-painted and diamond patterns, flowers and figures in diamond quilts, and much more. An inspiriting collection.

Follow The Dots To Dazzling Quilts
Joan Segna & Jayme Crow
Martingale & Company
20204 144th Avenue, NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com
1564775976 $24.95 1-800-426-3126

Like polka dots? Then, you'll love reproducing the dotted quilted wonders in Follow The Dots To Dazzling Quilts. Create nine patchwork or applique quilts in different styles, learn how dotted fabrics can work into both a traditional or a random pattern, and get ideas for producing your own dotted fabrics using paint, buttons and more. Full-page patterns and plenty of color photos demonstrate all types of dotted possibilities.

Lark Books/Sterling
387 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016
www.larkbooks.com

Three gorgeous new Lark knitting and crocheting guides are highly recommended and lovely picks. Iris Schreier and Luarie J. Kimmelstiel's Exquisite Little Knits: Knitting With Luxurious Specialty Yarns (1579905366, $19.95) presents 40 original designs for scarves, hats, purses and other small projects even the busiest knitter can enjoy. While the designs are truly modern, relatively little in the way of demanding stitches is required: you can use cashmere or other fancy yarns to create lovely new-looking style with this excellent guide. Fatema, Khadija and Hajera Habibur-Rahman's Gorgeous Knitted Afghans: 33 Great Designs For Creative Knitters (1579903533, $24.95) narrows the project focus to afghan quilts - and to those inspired by Middle Eastern arts. These projects, too, focus on the new versatility offered by new yarns with different textures, but use the lovely Middle Eastern motifs to produce unique, unusual designs. Previous knitting basics will aid in understanding the knitting directions and charts. Kids even have something to try with Jane Davis' Crochet Fantastic Jewelry, Hats, Purses, Pillows & More (1579904777, $19.95). Plenty of contemporary styles and projects - including cd cases - lend to projects which are colorful, attractive, kid-friendly and easy for beginners. Plenty of color photos of kids crocheting pack the presentation.

The Art Of Beadwork
Valerie Hector
Watson Guptill
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0823003078 $24.95 www.wgpub.com

Beadworkers have traditionally received less volume and detail in their guidebooks than quilters, but the genre is growing and has been enhanced by the addition of Valerie Hector's The Art Of Beadwork: Historic Inspiration, Contemporary Design. Valerie Hector is a famous jewelry designer who invited several artists to use a piece of beadwork from another time or culture as inspiration for creating a new piece: The Art Of Beadwork celebrates this effort, blending history and an overview of cross-cultural beading traditions with artist profiles and fun projects for creating necklaces, earrings, pins and more. With the world as its inspiration, The Art Of Beadwork features inspirational pieces from around the world, with diagrams and easy project notes assuring relative newcomers will be able to duplicate the polished results.

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

Piec-Lique: Curves The New Way by Sharon Schamber (1574328808 $24.95) doesn't just come from a quilter; it comes from the originator of a new method of quilting; one which uses curved shapes from piecing which looks like applique. 36 block pattern examples using this simple cured technique range from flowers to block quilt patterns. No pins are needed to use Piec-lique, which helps make curved piecing without pins. The new 2006 wall calendar from American Quilter's society (1574328816, $9.95) is a 'must' for any who either quilt or appreciate the variety possible in quilting. Each month receives its own full color quilt display along with the handy boxes of the calendar which make for practical hanging. Quilters will relish this gift, whether giving or receiving. Jeanna Juleson's American Quilter: Behind The Seams (1574328964, $19.95) offers an unusual insider's video to the lifestyle of Jeanna, host of the new Lifetime TV show American Quilter. Meet top quiltmakers, receive advice on the quilting trade, learn about quilt conventions and shows across the country, and more through a guide which packs in color photos, biographic sketches of quilters, and more. Faye Labanaris' Applique Rose Garden: Vintage Album Patterns (1574-328840, $22.95) nicely displays almost fifty blocks which can be used in a range of quilts, with the rose garden theme throughout. Appliqued roses and batting blend to create three-dimension roses, often enhanced by embroidery, in a guide which is packed with both photo examples and full-page patterns to follow.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Schiffer Publications
4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com

Schiffer's splendid references for collectors expands with the addition of more specialty items perfect for identification and valuation. Bill and Louise Boggess provide the revised 5th edition of Identifying American Brilliant Cut Glass (07643-22095, $19.95), updating prices and adding even more photos to this glass history and reference. Take it to auctions and antique shops, or along to garage sales, but also read it for leisure: tips include how to analyze a pattern and match it to a catalog or book picture. Invaluable reference information. The revised, expanded second edition of Patsy Clevenger's The Collector's World Of M&Ms: An Unauthorized Handbook And Price Guide (0764322-516, $19.95) isn't about candy: it's about the range of advertising and toy items based on the M&M characters which are now collectible items. History blends with current values to keep M&M collectors informed. Steven and Linda Rouland's Knoll Furniture 1938-1960 (0764322109, $39.95) also appears in its second edition to include updated prices to Knoll furniture styles. These pieces became a symbol of the modern design movement in the 1940s and 50s: two decades of Knoll designs are featured in an easy guide to production dates, designers, and prices - all with full color photos throughout.

Antiquing New York
John L. Michel & Barbara N. Michel
Columbia University Press
www.columbia.edu/cu/cup
0231132190 $24.95 1-800-944-8648

Deserving of repeated and ongoing mention is Antiquing New York: The Guide To The Antique Dealers Of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, And Upstate New York: a handy pocket guide to the antique dealers of not only New York City, but outlying areas to upstate New York. Each listing includes not just address and phone, but email, hours, and areas of specialty. Short one-paragraph descriptions list expertise, holdings, and backgrounds where appropriate. The slim pocket tote appearance makes Antiquing New Work a perfect take-along.

Krause Publications
700 East State St., Iola, WI 54990
www.fwpubs.com

Two outstanding little field guides offer pocket access to collectible references suitable for garage sale consultation. Tim Neely edits the values and identification pocket tote Warman's Beatles (089689-1399, $12.99): a guide for not just records but other Beatles memorabilia. You wouldn't think there's be room for color photos in such a little pocket production but there is - and there's over 500 pages of detail on listings from label types to current prices. Dain Gingerelli's Hot Rods Field Guide: American Icons 1930-Present (0896891305, $12.99) packs in 200 color photos of classic hot rods from Model Ts to other classics. Each full-page color photo to this short but info-jammed book includes a facing page describing the owner's efforts in souping up their car, and modifications listings. Over 400 pages pack in some lovely detail. Even more detailed and impressive is Dawn Herlocher's 200 Years Of Dolls Identification And Price Guide, 3rd Edition (0896891674, $29.99): unlike competing doll guides, over 5,000 dolls of all kinds are identified from Raggedy Ann editions to Barbie. The book comes packed with color photos - but the inclusion of manufacturer's marks, comparison charts and histories is what makes 200 Years Of Dolls so special. Of course, there's the latest pricing to aid in valuations. Over 275 doll manufacturers are included in a lovely coverage.

How To Think Like A Collector
Harry L. Rinker
Emmis Books
1700 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45206
1578602025 $14.95 emmisbooks.com

Author Harry Rinker has built his reputation as the Collector Inspector who helps collectors learn what is value and what is not: now hi how to think like a collector furthers the education, going beyond the usual price guide to tell amateurs how to learn what WILL become collectible in the future, how to judge an item's value, and how to collect today's bargains with their collectible future potential in mind. Rinker's forty-plus years of collecting and assessing values results in a large knowledge base and a fun take on the hobby of collecting which guides novices through the confusing world of the collector's mind. A fun, informative guide.

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

Collector Books is the perfect publisher of choice if it's specialty collecting you conduct, with a need for the latest values paired with high-quality color photos. These new arrivals fit the bill of being excellent references and field guides. Carole Bess White's Collector's Encyclopedia Of Made In Japan Ceramics, 1st Edition Identification And Values (1574324454, $24.95) is organized by style ('art deco') as well as by type of item ('tea and coffee items', 'figurines'), making it easy to access a specific kind of made-in-Japan collectible item. Clear color photos of good size accompany descriptions which include written description and the latest values. Collectors of McDonald's items will find useful Michael J. Kelly's McDonald's Drinkware Identification And Value Guide (1574324470, $24.95). By limiting the multitude of McDonald's collectibles, which range from toys to games, to drinkware alone, Michael Kelly is able to focus on characters, styles of cups and glasses, and much more. The accompanying written descriptions include sizes, cup coatings, and more. Mary Frank Gaston's Gaston's Flow Blue China Comprehensive Guide (1574324281, $129.95) provides an identification and values guide to 'flow blue' - a term describing ceramic items with blue underglaze designs. Flow blue underwent a number of changes in transfer printing and glazing: many manufacturers lent their names to flow blue products and discussions which include manufacturer's marks make identification relatively easy - especially with large color photos to help. Joan Van Patten's ABC's Of Collecting Nippon Porcelain: Identification And Values (1574324489, $29.95) covers all kinds of Nippon porcelain, from reproductions and fantasy pieces to animal and bird scenes, Dutch scenes, and more. From old ads for Nippon China to a history of Noritake Company and distributors in the U.S., ABC's Of Collecting Nippon Porcelain is an excellent value guide packed with color photos on every page. Gene and Cathy Florence's Collector's Encyclopedia Of Depresson Glass, 18th Edition (1574324691, $19.95) updates all values and details on depression glass. The authors warn they're running out of space for adding more patterns while keeping the price at the same level through the editions: so consider this latest update still a bargain as it adds information without increasing price or compromising on the color photos packing the exploration. The Florences also present Collectible Glassware From The 40s 50s 60s (1574324608, $19.95) in its 8th revised edition, packing in the latest retail prices for mint condition glassware from a thirty-year period. Changes in values and reference information make this updated edition a 'must'. Excellent specialty references!

Illustrated Guide To Jewelry Appraising
Anna M. Miller. C.G.
GemStone Press
PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
0943763428 $39.99 gemstonepress.com

Maybe you think the fine art of jewelry appraising is one of determining value alone - but there's so much more to the skill, as Registered Master Valuer and jewelry historian Anna Miller reveals in Illustrated Guide To Jewelry Appraising 3rd Edition: Antique, Period & Modern. Her updated, expanded new third edition combines case studies and typical valuation challenges with key documents to aid in the pricing process, instructions on how to do a narrative jewelry description, a methodology for research, and much more. Loaded with practical, technical data, Illustrated Guide To Jewelry Appraising should not be missed by any serious jewelry collector.


The Cookbook Shelf

Your First Time Away From Home (& On Your Own) Cooking Book
Richard J. Baumann
Cedar Valley Publishing
W6248 Lake Ellen Dr, Cascade WI 53011
0964039613 $12.95 www.amazon.com

Your First Time Away From Home (& On Your Own) Cooking Book is a spiral-bound cookbook by Richard J. Baumann and The Wisconsin School of Cookery which is packed from cover to cover with recipes intended especially for first-time cooks. Simple instructions, easy-to-obtain ingredients and helpful hints make Your First Time Away From Home the perfect cookbook for novices who want to eat healthier and more delicious faire than meals in a can or frozen dinners. Recipes include everything from salads and entrees to party drinks, such as Beer Bloody Mary, Ambrosia Salad, Salmon Corn Chowder, Forget-About-It Beef Stew, Peanut Butter Pie, and much more. Your First Time Away From Home is the perfect gift or resource for a young college student striking out on his or her own.

Asian Flavors
Wendy Sweetser
Kodansha America, Inc.
575 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10022
1568363591 $18.95 1-800-451-7556

Asian Flavors: Unlock Culinary Secrets With Spices, Sauces, And Other Exotic Ingredients is cookbook filled with 120 delicious recipes from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Korea, and Indonesia. Each sumptuous dish makes use of distinctive culinary spices and ingredients to promote flavors rarely experienced in the West, and full-color photography illustrates the majority of the dishes in all their gustatory appeal. Simple instructions readily accessible to chefs of all experience levels make Asian Flavors a superb introduction to a wide sampling of Eastern ingredients and techniques.

The Cook's Book
Jill Norman, editor-in-chief
DK Publishing, Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
0756613027 $50.00 www.dk.com

The Cook's Book is an extensive, gigantic compendium filled to the brim with not only 650 recipes, but also instructions for 350 essential cooking techniques and tips from the world's top chefs. Techniques discussed range from basic egg cooking to carving and roasting wild duck to how to prepare a coconut to how to poach fruit. Dishes incorporating styles from around the world, including Chinese, Thai, Latino, Indian, and more cuisines are presented alongside classic favorites and signature dishes from famous chefs. Due to the extensive detail The Cook's Book uses in discussing kitchen techniques, this is a top-notch resource for the aspiring to intermediate chef. Highly recommended.

In The Heat Of The Kitchen
Gordon Ramsay
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030-5773
0764588346 $29.95 1-800-225-5945

Gorgeous full-color photography of mouth-watering creations illustrates In The Heat Of The Kitchen, a collection of top- notch recipes by Gordon Ramsay, acclaimed chef, restaurateur, and host of the hit television show "Hell's Kitchen." Exquisite dishes include Herb Brioche Crusted Mussels, Chicken Fricassee with Peas and Fava Beans, Wild Rice Jambalaya, Chilled Plum Soup, Passion Fruit and Orange Tart, and many more. Peppered with cooking tips and tricks - such as separating the legs from the breast of a bird one is about to cook, in order to avoid overcooking one part or undercooking another - In The Heat Of The Kitchen is a superb collection of inventive and delectable treats ideal for intermediate to advanced chefs.

Grandma's Back To Basics All Natural More Than Just A Cookbook
Teresa Thompson
Dorrance
701 Smithfield St., 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
www.dorrancepublishing.com
0805962867 $22.00 1-800-788-7654

Much more than just a collection of old-time recipes, Teresa Thompson's Grandma's Back To Basics All Nature More Than Just A Cookbook also comes packed with tips and notes about cooking, from how to remove that fishy smell when baking fish to peeling potatoes more easily or how to peel peaches. Such hints are included with nearly every recipe.

Chronicle Books
85 - 2nd St., Sixth Floor, San Francisco CA 94105
www.chroniclebooks.com

There are numerous theme cookbooks on the market, so what makes Barbara Scott-Goodman's The Beach House Cookbook (0811843084, $24.95) a winner? For one thing, it uses the theme of seaside freshness to create feasts based on seafood and fresh vegetables. So readers should have an affection for fresh seafood in order to appreciate The Beach House Cookbook. From an Oyster and Vegetable Bisque to Grilled Swordfish with Mango Salsa, emphasis is on recipes which are quickly and easily prepared, lending to beach picnics and vacation cooking. Perhaps it's the professional cooking secrets of chefs which is of interest: if so, Linda Carucci's Cooking School Secrets For Real World Cooks (0811842436, $22.95) is the item of choice, covering kitchen tools, seasonings, and secrets of producing consistently high-quality results. From keeping a chicken moist to cleaning food processor blades and seasoning bean cooking water, Cooking School Secrets For Real World Cooks: Tips, Techniques, Shortcuts, Sources, Hints And Answers To Frequently Asked Questions Plus 100 Sure-fire Recipes To Make You A Better Cook is the item of choice for all levels of home cook.

Holy Cows & Hog Heaven
Joel Salatin
Polyface Inc./Chelsea Green
White River Junction, VT 05001
www.chelseagreen.com
0963810944 $17.95 1-800-639-4099

Written by a farmer, Holy Cows & Hog Heaven: The Food Buyer's Guide To Farm Friendly Food is intended to empower food buyers to choose other than from the big industrialized farm system. Menus and what's chosen for them is a conscious decision, Joel Salatin maintains: eating in sync with the season rather than choosing imported foods, understanding specialty and diversification in foods, and getting sanity back into food regulations are only a few of the topics addressed in a title designed to return eaters to neighbor-friendly terms.

Whitecap Books Ltd.
351 Lynn Ave.
North Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7J 2C4
www.whitecap.ca

Two excellent food and wine books offer something different from most: unique topics or approaches which promise not to duplicate the average cook's collection. Andrew Brooks' The Definitive Wine Tour Guide: Crush On Niagara (155285-6607, $19.95) comes from a sommelier/Niagara tour director who knows Ontario Canada's wine country quite well. Blending regional history with top wine picks and winery hours, Crush On Niagara provides plenty of wine savvy tips to accompany its destination-oriented material on recommended wineries, when to visit, wine features and more. All cooks with a flair for fish will welcome Bill Jones' Salmon: The Cookbook (1552856453, $19.95): here the best salmon dishes from Whitecap Books feature both Atlantic and Pacific species - something different than most cookbooks - from some of Whitecap's many authors and chefs. From discussions of different salmon species and flavors to different cooking methods, the book comes packed with color illustrations and dishes such as Indian Candy Cakes or a spicy Hot Smoked Salmon: not to be found in every title.

Grilling For Life
Babby Flay, et al.
Scribner
1230 Ave. of Americas, NY, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
0743272722 $22.00 1-800-223-2336

There are already plenty of 'how to grill' cookbooks on the market: so what makes Babby Flay, Stephanie Banyas & Sally Jackson's Grilling For Life: 75 Healthier Ideas For Big Flavor From The Fire something special? It's the first to address issues of how to get the boldest flavor possible from food and fire while making healthy choices in the process. From choosing heart-healthy oils and herbs to using vinegars and honey to replace sugared commercial sauce options, Grilling For Life is packed with juicy ideas - many of them refreshingly different.

Collectors Press Inc.
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
www.collectorspress.com

The popularity of the expanding Collector Press 'Retro Cookbook' series, which combines images from yesterday with theme-oriented entertainment recipes, continues with these latest arrivals packed with inspired dishes and equally inspirational vintage illustrations. C.W. Welch's Retro Ranch: A Roundup Of Classic Cowboy Cookin' (193311200X, $16.95) provides hearty meat-based dishes from a time when the West was still wild and cowboys dined by the open fire. What kinds of foods would this be? From Hearty Hamburger Pie with a Bisquick Crust to Bacon and Onion Potatoes and Ham and Noodle Bake, this is man's food at its best. Geraldine Duncann's Retro Fiesta: A Gringo's Guide To Mexican Party Planning (1933112018, $16.95) journeys South of Border to explore Mexican fiesta foods appropriate for celebrating. From Mexican buffet dishes to spicy soups and salads, colorful cultural insights blend with appealing basic dishes. Linda Everett's Retro Beach Bash: A Sun Lover's Guide To Food And Fun (1888054751, $16.95) surveys the foods and fun of the 1950s beach scene, offering a companion to beach activities for the whole family. Here 100 recipes for beach picnics and barbecues blended with colorful 1950s illustrations throughout. Southern classic Fried Chicken, Sea Devil Eggs and more. If the classic recipes don't satisfy, something's wrong - and the illustrations are equally heart-warming. Linda Everett's Retro Happy Hour: Drinks And Eats With A 50s Beat (188805476X, $16.95) is also lively and fun: the classic cocktail party really took off in the 1950s and this event's flavors are ably captured in a party guide packed with finger foods and ideas for everything from theme parties to informal gatherings. A delightful, festive set of books with the unusual attribute of appealing both to cooks and to those with a penchant for the past.

Pie In The Sky
Susan G. Purdy
William Morrow & Company
10 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
0060522585 $29.95 1-800-242-7737

Here at last is a guide to successful baking at high altitudes which will delight cooks who reside between 3,000 and 10,000 feet above sea level and have found their breads flat and their cakes collapsed. Baking at high altitude is challenging, yet only a handful of small-press cookery titles and regional offerings have addressed the special challenges of baking at high altitude, until now. Purdy has stayed at five different locations and elevations across the country to adjust recipes to perfection: Pie In The Sky presents reliable recipes to replace questionable conversions of the past.

Raw Food Real World
Matthew Kenney & Sarma Mengalilis
Regan Books/HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., NY, NY 10022-5299
0060793554 $34.95 reganbooks.com

The authors are unlikely candidates for raw food promotion: both graduates of the French Culinary Institute, they savored New York's most sophisticated restaurants until a friend brought them to a small raw/vegan restaurant packed with flavor more than style. Kenney and Melngailis discovered a new world there - one which incorporated flavor into healthy eating styles - and their explorations of raw foods evolved into Manhattan's Pure Food and Wine restaurant, which elevated raw food to gourmet status. Raw Food/Real World: 100 Recipes To Get The Glow promotes this cuisine, from cold yet flavorful soups to wraps, pastas, and much more. Add numerous color photos and discussions of health and raw food concerns and you have an appealing guide newcomers to raw cuisine will relish.

Clarkson Potter
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com

Clarkson's cookbooks are inviting visual treats and two new arrivals are no exceptions. Robin Vietta-Miller's Picnics: Easy Recipes For The Best Alfresco Foods (1400046963, $14.95) arrives just in time for summer and the warm weather, offering picnic fare with a twist: new ideas and dashes of innovation. Packed with enticing color photos Picnics holds such dishes as Chilled Meat Loaf Sandwiches with Spicy Ketchup, Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches with Almond Mayonnaise, Smoked Salmon and Black Bread and more. Micol Negrin's The Italian Grill: Fresh Ideas To Fire Up Your Outdoor Cooking (140-0054222, $25.00) goes beyond burgers and dogs to offer Italian-style foods suitable for the grill. What kinds of dishes could these be? From Garlic Pork Loin with Medieval Spices to Smoky Pepper Strips in Lemony Caper Marinade, here's plenty of ideas appropriate for the grill which hold Italian roots. Photos abound here, too, inviting cooks to try the easy dishes.

Wine Appreciation Guild
360 Swift Ave., Unit #34, S. San Francisco, CA 94080
www.wineappreciation.com

Once you get beyond the usual casual reader's grape or buying guide there's typically not a ready availability to in-depth references appearing on the market each season, so two ground-breaking titles are most notable achievements and essential picks for any serious wine library or home collection. Yes, there are other books on Pacific regional wines available - but few with the depth and subject of Michael Cooper's extensive Wine Atlas Of New Zealand (1869589211, $60.00). Here's a region-by-region profile to over 280 wine companies accompanying in-depth profiles of 10 selected New Zealand winemakers and packed with maps and new photos. Analysis of climate, soils and wine styles accompany an illustrated history of the wine industry and a regional organization just perfect for the destination-oriented New Zealand wine fan. But you don't have to be traveling there to appreciate the extensive geography and wine grape facts packed into Michael Cooper's Wine Altas Of New Zealand: with John McDermott's color photos gracing nearly every page, armchair wine fans have a lot to enjoy, too. Jeffrey Caldewey and Chuck House's Icon: Art Of The Wine Label (1891267302, $85.00) is also a highly recommended, distinguished guide which offers a collection of work by the modern masters of wine label design who have for decades helped define global wine label design strategies around the world. Icon is a collection of some of their best works, providing both an artistic assessment of the art of iconography to examples of 120 wine labels and bottle designs complete with their distinctive branding qualities. Both books are exceptional, unusual reads.

The South African Illustrated Cookbook
Lehla Eldridge
Struik/International Publishers Markt.
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
www.internationalpubmarket.com
1868727181 $10.95 1-800-758-3756

South African cookbooks are few and far between on today's market; not to mention the fact that those available tend to either focus on traditional dishes alone, or nuevo cuisine alone. The South African Illustrated Cookbook is a cut above the rest: it provides variations on traditional themes while presenting many classics given to the author by South African friends from various ethnic origins. The result is a gathering of traditional delights and variations colored by fun illustrations throughout.

The Slow Down Diet
Marc David
Healing Arts Press/Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
1594770603 $14.95 1-800-246-8648

Don't expect another recipe-laden dieter's cookbook in The Slow Down Diet: Eating For Pleasure, Energy & Weight Loss: this is an 8-week program presented by nutritionist Marc David which blends nutrition and psychology in a discourse on how to understand our relationship to food and how to eat in ac different manner. His program encourages exploring personal relationships to food in an effort to avoid fad diets and common nutrition myths surrounding 'eat less/exercise more'. Some eye-opening facts are revealed.

Cocktails In New York
Anthony Giglio
Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue So., NY, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
0847826643 $29.95 1-888-330-8477

Plenty of New York establishments have developed their own popular and custom cocktails or produce memorable classics, both of which are explored and celebrated in Cocktails In New York: Where To Find 100 Classics And How To Mix Them At Home. Both a travel guide to memorable New York establishments and a cookbook, Cocktails In New York comes packed with black and white photos of establishments, written descriptions of each cocktail's attributes, and insights on what makes each a cut above the norm. A 'must' for cocktail lovers.

Recipes From A Very Small Island
Linda & Martha Greenlaw
Hyperion
77 W. 66th Street, NY, NY 10023-6298
www.hyperionbooks.com
1401300731 $25.95 1-800-759-0190

Linda Greenlaw is known for his boating and fishing advice; but here's another connection: a cookbook which gathers dishes from her mother, Martha, to celebrate her homecoming from the sea. Here are hearty dishes, from the family favorite Maine Shrimp Bisque to Grilled Swordfish with Double Mustard Sauce and Mama's Maple-Flavored Baked Pea Beans, many with color photos of artistically arranged completed dishes. If it's hearty yet appealing dishes you wish, with a New England flavor, be sure Recipes From A Very Small Island is on your shelf.

Le Cordon Bleu Quick & Easy
Jeni Eright & Le Cordon Bleu Chefs
Thunder Bay Press
5880 Oberlin Dr., San Diego, CA 92121
www.thunderbaybooks.com
1592231985 $24.98 1-800-788-3123

Le Cordon Bleu is the most famous culinary arts institute in the world, offering courses in schools around the world: it's also famous for classic French dishes which typically require in-depth cooking skills and lots of time. Cooks who want the flavor without the prep hours will thus welcome Le Cordon Bleu Quick & Easy: a set of recipes which minimize shopping and prep times while retaining the classic French-flair cuisine features. From Pan-Fried Scallops with Mango and Salsa to Thai Chicken with Peppers, both French and international flavors blend in delicate sauces and spices. Blend in lovely color photos and you have a real winner.

The Swedish Table
Helene Henderson
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South, #290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
0816645132 $29.95 upress.umn.edu

Author/cook Helene Henderson is an Afro-American, Swedish-born chef raised in Sweden, where she learned to cook: her childhood memories spice The Swedish Table, an inviting and unusual blend of dishes which blend traditional Swedish flavors with modern updates. Discussions of Swedish traditions and celebrations and many color photos spice a fine set of dishes, from a Lox and Cream Cheese Quiche to an unusual Juniper/Lavender Marinated Leg of Lamb. Where the usual Swedish cookbook emphases fish main dishes, The Swedish Table ably demonstrates the diversity of Swedish dishes available to cooks.

American Diabetes Association
1701 N. Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311

Two excellent 'Month of Meals' collections for diabetics are outstanding selections for busy diabetics who need specifics on diabetic exchanges and carb counts, along with easy menu combinations for quick consultation. The 3rd updated edition of Old-Time Favorites (1580400795, $19.95), for example, provides a menu planner for 28 days of breakfast, lunch and dinner options, with pages split into three parts to make it easy to flip to any combination. Enjoy Apple Flapjacks with Turkey Sausage, Sausage and Corn Bread Pie, and more. Sabor Festivo Latino (158040-1767, $19.95) is presented entirely in Spanish and holds the same winning format and information for such dishes as Papaya Al Horno or Sofrito. Don't stop here if you love the easy format, color photos and appealing dishes: there's a whole collection of "Meals in Minutes" menus for diabetics!


The Fiction Shelf

Maggie's Way
Lucinda Stein
Western Reflections Publishing Co.
219 Main Street, Montrose, CO 81401
www.westernreflectionspub.com
1932738215 $13.95 1-800-993-4490

Set during America's era of westward expansion, Maggie's Way: The Story Of A Defiant Pioneer Woman is an exciting novel about a mother and daughter determined to control their own destiny. Maggie's mother immigrated from her native Ireland to a brave new world across the Atlantic; yet young Maggie is not content to stay working as a servant to wealthy men and women. She longs to take her life and freedom in her own hands by journeying into untamed Colorado territory. So begins a grand adventure of discovery, courage, determination, and revelation, in this upbeat and enthralling saga.

Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit!
Stephen Lodge
Behler Publications
22365 El Toro Road, #135, Lake Forest, CA 92630
www.behlerpublications.com
0974896217 $15.95 1-800-830-2913

Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit! is a most unusual American western, for it is set in the modern twenty-first century! Following the journey of a longhorn cattle driver as he herds his animals on a 1,000 mile journey across 21st Century America, it is a parable of faith, courage, and hard work pitted against forces of greed and corruption, and hearkens to the notion that honor is just as important now as it was one hundred and fifty years ago. An upbeat, enthusiastically gung-ho western read.

The Ghost Writer
John Harwood
Harcourt
15 East 26th Street, New York NY 10010
www.HarcourtBooks.com
0156032325 $14.00 1-800-543-1918

A timid librarian's relationship with a beautiful English pen pal confined to a wheelchair seems threatened by not only a projected meeting, but by the presence of ghosts and a mystery of heritage which will draw them all into a dangerous set of relationships. Here's a wonderful ghost story for fans of the genre: deliciously slow to build tension, strong with characterization, and with unexpected twists and turns of plot and intrigue.

Dancing In The Dark
Mary Jane Clark
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
0312323158 $21.95 1-888-330-8477

Diane decides to bring her kids to the New Jersey Shore when her reporter job leads her to investigate a story, but when victims begin vanishing after her interview, Diane soon finds herself and her family in danger. Dancing In The Dark is classic Clark drama/intrigue at its best, packed with solid characterization, realistic characters, and twists and turns. Fans of Clark's style won't be disappointed in the unpredictable action of Dancing In The Dark.

Algonquin Books
Box 2225, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2225
www.algonquin.com

Tessie is the widowed mother of a teen who moves to Florida for a new life, and struggles to move ahead despite her grief over the past, in Betsy Carter's moving novel The Orange Blossom Special (156-5124499, $23.95). Here mourning and hope blend in a story of 1958 Florida: a moving tale of new beginnings and laying old loves to rest. Emyl Jenkins' Stealing With Style (1565124456, $22.95) is a highly recommended mystery revolving around an antiques appraiser. When Sterling is called in to examine a diamond brooch found at the Salvation Army thrift store, she uncovers a pattern of relics which leads to a dangerous course of investigation involving one of the oldest families in the small town. Scammers and schemes permeate a rich, involving story especially recommended for collectors with an eye to mystery and treasure.

Good Night, Henry
Jennifer Olds
New American Library
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0451215184 $12.95 penguin.com

Melvina is raising two boys on a California horse farm with the help of a twin sister, father and boyfriend, facing the disappearance of her brother and handicap of her son with spirit until her estranged husband shows up, wanting to make up for lost time with his family. A story of struggle, courage and love evolves.

Inheritance
Lan Samantha Chang
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Ave., New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
0393327116 $13.95 1-800-233-4830

Inheritance is a wide-ranging novel spanning seven decades and set in both China and America, following young girls Junan and Yinan who form a strong bond when their mother commits suicide in despair over having no sons. A daughter tries to make sense of her family's turbulent history in the 1930s and 40s, clarifying her beliefs and values in the process, in the hard-hitting Inheritance which tells of family pain and struggle. A moving story which reaches out on many levels and grabs the reader with an intense emotional story.


The Military Shelf

The Jail That Went To Sea
Peter Haining
Robson Books/Parkwest Publications
Box 20261, New York , NY 10025-1512
http://www.parkwestpubs.com
186105727X $14.00 646-215-9003

Written by a former newspaper reporter turned British historian, The Jail That Went To Sea: An Untold Story Of The Battle Of The Atlantic, 1941-42 is a true story of World War II. Despite Britain's valiant and lonely struggle against Hitler's Germany, Glasgow remained the "Gangster Capital of the British Isles", where murderous mobs controlled crime, vice, and rackets. The government, desperate for men to sail merchant ships across the Atlantic patrolled by U-boats and collect crucial supplies, implemented and unprecedented plan to press convicts from Glasgow's Barlinnie Prison to crew the merchant ship, the George Washington. The Jail That Went To Sea reveals plots of mutiny, vicious rivalries and firm alliances, brings to life the lethal Glasgow underworld, and describes how the dangerous operation was very nearly snuffed out. A fascinating glimpse into an oft-overlooked vignette of history.

Defense Strategy For The Post-Saddam Era
Michael E. O'Hanlon
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
www.brookings.edu
0815764677 $18.95 1-800-275-1447

America's ongoing war on terror is resulting in soaring budgets: Brookings foreign policy expert Michael O'Hanlon's guide provide a seasoned set of budget and policy recommendations for strengthening the US military without breaking the budget in his Defense Strategy For The Post-Saddam Era. Chapters use present military operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan to analyze how reductions in different types of military programs might free up funds to add more ground troops to the military. An intriguing, practical set of suggestions based on military realities.


The World History Shelf

A People's History Of Iraq
Ilario Salucci
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
www.haymarketbooks.org
1931859140 $12.00 1-773-583-7884

A People's History Of Iraq: The Iraqi Communist Party, Workers' Movements, And The Left 1924-2004 is an in-depth critical analysis of the Iraqi Communist Party and its contributions to the worker's movement and the Left in Iraq. From its history of standing up to British occupiers and the installed monarchy, to its resistance to Saddam Hussein's ruthless dictatorship, to its role in helping to shape Iraq's present and future, A People's History Of Iraq sheds light on a very overlooked aspect of Iraqi politics and social forces. Highly recommended for library and individual history shelves.

Unmaking Imperial Russia
Serhii Plokhy
University of Toronto Press
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 2W8
www.utppublishing.com
0802039375 $95.00 1-800-565-9523

Author and historian Serhii Pokhy presents Unmaking Imperial Russia, an examination of the framework in which Russian history in general and Ukrainian history in particular is viewed. In particular, the work of Ukrainian historian Mykhailo Hrushevsky (1866-1934) is closely scrutinized, as Hrushevsky, who became the first head of the independent Ukrainian state in 1918, dared to challenge the "all-Russian" historical paradigm and create a history that nationalized the Ukraine's past. Drawing upon both present-day and Hrushevsky's amassed knowledge of linguistics, anthropology, ethnology, and archaeology, Unmaking Imperial Russia strives to give a more accurate and in-depth understanding of Ukraine history, and specifically expose misconceptions brought about by over-reliance on the "Imperial Russia" history model. Unmaking Imperial Russia is therefore one step removed from a standard history text, as it strives to reexamine popularly held lessons of history and draw new conclusions about and from the past. A welcome contribution to world history shelves.

The Golden Age Of Islam
Maurice Lombard, author
Joan Spencer, translator
Markus Wiener Publishing
231 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
www.markuswiener.com
1558763228 $22.95 1-609-921-1141

Skillfully translated into English, The Golden Age Of Islam is a historical examination of the Islamic world from the seventh to the eleventh centuries. Chapters discuss cultural, racial, and linguistic differences between different geographic areas; monetary power and urban rhythms; and the powerful influence and complex dynamics of trade. A handful of black-and-white maps and illustrations enhance the clearly worded yet compact overview of great events and notable figures of the era. An excellent resource for library and history reference shelves.

Visual Meaning In The Bayeux Tapestry
J. Bard McNulty
The Edwin Mellen Press
PO Box 450, Lewiston, NY 14092-0450
www.edwinmellenpress.com
0773466185 $89.95 1-716-754-2788

J. Bard McNulty (former Chairman of the Department of English, Trinity College, Hartford) is an acclaimed expert on the Bayeux Tapestry having written "The Narrative Art of the Bayeux Tapestry Master" (1989), as well as having lectured on the tapestry in number academic conferences in the United States, England, France, and Italy. In Visual Meaning In The Bayeux Tapestry: Problems And Solutions In Picturing History, Professor McNulty begins with an introduction to the anomalies of the Tapestry's account of William the Conqueror's invasion and conquest of England in 1066 AD, and the use of pictures as vehicles of historical narrative. Professor McNulty then turns to addressing modern difficulties with the Tapestry's account and the expanding context of Tapestry studies. Additional chapters are devoted to "Borders: Relationships Among Images"; "A Case Study: Harold in France"; and "The Tapestry's 'Kind'". Enhanced with extensive Notes, a Bibliography, and an index, Visual Meaning In The Bayeux Tapestry is a seminal and highly recommended work of impeccable scholarship, representing an enduring contribution to our historical understanding for, and appreciation of, the Bayeux Tapestry.

Building The King's Highway
Bruce A. Castleman
University of Arizona Press
355 South Euclid Avenue, Suite 103, Tucson, AZ 85719-6654
www.uapress.arizona.edu
0816524394 $39.95 1-800-426-3797

Building The King's Highway: Labor, Society, And Family On Mexico's Caminos Reales 1757-1804 is a scholarly social history of the road construction labors who worked in late Bourbon Mexico. The importance of the silver trade for the Spanish colonial effort is thoroughly documented, but the efforts of those who created the roads upon which trade moved is much less well-known. Building The King rectifies this imbalance by meticulously scrutinizing patterns of the road workers' lives, transitions from draft to free-wage labor, notable events during the construction of individual roads, and much more. A focused and in-depth analysis, and a welcome addition to college library and world history shelves.

Greenwood Press
PO Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
www.greenwood.com

These outstanding new titles are recommended picks not only for public and college library holdings, but for high school upper grade levels. Marilyn Stokstad's Medieval Castles (0313325251, $45.00) blends thirty illustrations with twenty brief biographies of rulers, builders, and histories of medieval castles, reviewing both military and social systems to consider the construction and popularity of castles and other fortifications of their times. From different castle purposes to the symbolism of architecture, Medieval Castles is a highly recommended addition to Greenwood's 'Guides to Historic Events of the Medieval World' series. Another strong addition to the series if Matthew S. Gordon's Rise Of Islam (0313325227, $45.00), covering the birth of Islam in the 7th century and its expansion from the Arab world to the collapse of the Islamic empire in the early 10th century. The focus on how the new religion merged with social goals to become a worldwide influence is particularly intriguing. Charles Killinger's Culture And Customs Of Italy (0313324891, $49.95) joins others in Greenwood's 'Culture and Customs of Europe' series to explore the land, people and history of Italy. Food, sports, literature and religion alike are examined in relation to Italian life and modern customs.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Yahweh Versus Yahweh
Jay Y. Gonen
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress
0299203301 $29.95 1-800-621-2736

Yahweh Versus Yahweh: The Enigma Of Jewish History is an in-depth scrutiny of duality of God's nature as perceived in virtually all forms of Judaism and throughout all of history. On one side is a merciful and loving God; another is the jealous, vengeful, and ruthless god who visits the sins of the fathers upon the children. This seemingly schizophrenic dichotomy has had tremendous psycho-historical reverbations, claims author Jay Gonen, and has instilled a deep sense of precariousness concerning the self in relation to God, Gentiles, the land of Israel and the End of Days. The shared dual view of God, Gonen argues, continues to condition Jewish expectations in the wake of the Holocaust and the rise of modern-day Israel, and the incongruity between the two natures of God as depicted in holy scriptures has yet to be resolved despite all attempts - if it can be resolved at all. Chapters include reflections on "When Will the Messiah Arrive?", "Fateful Holidays", "Messianism, Zionism, and Holocaust" and more. Yahweh Versus Yahweh is unflinching and unflattering in its close scrutiny of Judaic holy texts, beliefs, and history, yet it is that same blunt and valuable full honesty - regardless of whether one agrees with the author's scriptural interpretations and psycho-historical claims - that make it valuable reading for religious philosophers and social scientists.

Finding Our Way
Barry W. Holtz
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, 2nd floor, Philadelphia PA 19103-1399
www.jewishpub.org
0827608187 $16.00 1-800-234-3151

Now with a new study guide, Finding Our Way: Jewish Texts And The Lives We Live Today is an examination of how the great texts of Jewish tradition apply to people living in the modern world today. Barry W. Holtz, Florence Baumritter Professor of Jewish Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary and award-winning author, carefully leads the reader through frameworks that Jewish tradition can provide to thinking about God, prayer, ritual, charity, friendship, justice, and other concerns. Especially recommended for adult Jewish learners, educators, and any individual questioning the intersection of holy writings, traditional practices and the demands of daily life.

A Nation Scattered
Henry Tzvi Lantner
Mazo Publishers
2738 Treemont Street, Suite #2, Jacksonville, FL 32207
9657344018 $16.95 mazopublishers.com

A Nation Scattered: Should Jews Still Live In The Diaspora? by Henry Tzvi Lantner addresses the complex issues of Jewish communities abroad in the world when the State of Israel exists as a national homeland for the Jewish people. Eleven thought-provoking essays discuss issues of assimilation, decreased birth rates, a high proportion of intermarriage pose challenges to the continued survival of Jews as a culture, faith and identity living outside of Israel. Sample essays include "Conventional Versus Alternative Medicine Or Different Health Services For Rich And Poor Jews", "How Difficult It Is To Be A Jew, Not Only Among Non-Jews, But Also Among Jews As Well", and "Why Do Descendants Of Jewish Forced Converts to Christianity Return To The Jewish Fold?" A sober, at times personal, literate, and reflective discussion on the future of the Jewish people both within and without Israel.

Jews On Trial
Robert A. Garber, editor
KTAV Publishing House
930 Newark Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07306
0881258687 $25.00 www.ktav.com

Jews On Trial is a close examination of anti-semitism exposed in a variety of legal settings, including legal settings of literature (such as Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice") and all-too-real trials of history, ranging from accusations of "blood libel" to the infamous trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg to a modern libel suit in British courts against Holocaust denier David Irving that effectively put the existence of the Holocaust itself on trial. Methodically scrutinizing each case, Jews On Trial dissects the lessons of history and reveals details with exacting thoroughness. A highly recommended and welcome addition to library and personal Judaic studies and history collections.


The Gaming Shelf

Offbeat Nimzo-Indian
Chris Ward
Everyman Chess/Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
www.everymanchess.com
1857443691 $19.95 1-800-243-0495

Written by Grandmaster, former British Champion, and Nimzo-Indian expert Chris Ward, Offbeat Nimzo-Indian is an in-depth chess guide to the Nimzo-Indian defense, one of Black's most intractable means of fortifying itself against White. Offbeat Nimzo-Indian specifically examines three underrated ways of retaliating against the Nimzo: the Samisch, the Leningrad and the 4 f3 variation. Each technique can be used to heavily pressure one's opponent from the very beginning of the game. A wealth of examples and sample games expertly illustrate this focused supplementary guide for intermediate to advanced chess players.

Mensa Guide To Blackjack
Joshua Hornik
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016
140270979X $12.95 1-800-805-5489

Mensa Guide To Blackjack is a no-nonsense handbook of tested and proven techniques to win at casino blackjack. Written by a former professional solo and team blackjack player, as well as a member of the MIT Blackjack Team, Mensa Guide To Blackjack explains card-counting strategies and dispels common myths - one does not have to be extraordinarily skilled at math to count cards; card-counting is neither cheating nor illegal; and no one can be arrested for card-counting. Card-counting will get one banned from a casino, if one is suspected or caught doing it, because casinos know card-counters can win - therefore Mensa Guide To Blackjack offers simple exercises and techniques to practice until card-counting becomes so ingrained, one won't give away telltale signs while doing it (although betting and winning too much at high-limit tables may well tip a casino off!) Chapters cover both basic blackjack and rules variations, betting to win, refining basic strategies, playing with a team, and much more. An absolute "must-read" for anyone who wants to play casino blackjack to win.


The Civil War Shelf

Bouquets From The Cannon's Mouth
Robert E. Eberly Jr.
White Mane Publishing Company
PO Box 152, Shippenburg PA 17257
1572493739 $34.95 1-888-948-6263

In Bouquets From The Cannon's Mouth: Soldiering With The Eighth Regiment Of The Pennsylvania Reserves, Robert Eberly pays meticulous attention to historical detail. Five ordinary soldiers give first-hand accounts of what it was like to be embroiled in our country's most domestically devastating conflict - the American Civil War. The primary testimonies are often brief, and supplemented with narration concerning the fates of individuals, regiments, leaders and followers. Written to be accessible to the lay reader, yet smoothly laying out primary sources in context for the serious historian's in-depth reference, Bouquets From The Canon's Mouth is especially recommended for American Civil War and history shelves.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Book Design And Production
Pete Masterson
Aeonix Publishing Group
6171 Hillside Drive, El Sobrante, CA 94803-3617
0966981901 $29.95 www.aeonix.com

Book Design And Production: A Guide For Authors And Publishers will enable even the most novice aspirants to publishing an ideal instructional guide to every aspect of book publishing. A pioneer in the use of on-demand printing technology back in 1982-83 when he was in charge of publishing all price lists for a large railroad, and having operated several book design, printing and typesetting businesses for clients which included HarperCollins and McGraw-Hill, Pete Masterson takes the reader through every step of the book creation process. A master at the craft of book creation, Masterson clearly explains why 90% of all designers will prove wrong for a particular title -- and the ten crucial questions to ask when interviewing book designers; why Microsoft Word is a poor layout choice -- but what to do if you end up having to use it anyway; why the wrong fonts can ruin a book -- and how to pick the right ones. Covering both the outside (cover) of a book, as well as its interior design, and thoroughly "user friendly" throughout, Pete Masterson's Book Design And Production is one of those indispensable instructional references that should be on the shelf of anyone seeking to produce their own books so as to be as marketable (and profitable) as possible.

Book Proposals That Sell
W. Terry Whalin
Write Now Publications/ACW Press
5501 N 7th Ave, #502 Phoenix, AZ 85013
www.writenowpublications.com
1932124640 $14.00

More than 80% of all nonfiction books are sold from a book proposal, according to W. Terry Whalin, author of more than 60 nonfiction books and Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Book Proposals That Sell breaks down the art of refining and pitching one's idea into simple individual steps such as "Know the audience for your book", "Keep the title and format simple", "Always include a SASE", "Maintain a log of your submissions", "Delete any hype" and more. Written in straightforward, no-nonsense terms easily accessible to writers of all skill and experience levels, Book Proposals That Sell is highly recommended for its nuts and bolts practical information drawn from research and extensive personal experience.

Say What You Mean!
R. L. Trask
David R. Godine, Publisher
9 Hamilton Place, Boston, MA 02108
www.godine.com
1567922635 $25.00 1-800-344-4771

The highly skilled and experienced linguist R.L. Trask offers no-nonsense vocabulary advice Say What You Mean!: A Troubleshooter's Guide To English Style & Usage.. Structured like a dictionary, Say What You Mean! is specifically a compendium of English words that are all-too-often misused or confused - such as "sped" vs. "speeded", and the proper usage of "Sir" or "Dame" - these titles may be used with the full name or just first name, but using them with the last name only is improper! Although particularly useful for British English speakers adjusting to American English spellings and definitions and vice-versa, Say What You Mean! is an utterly invaluable reference and serious-minded writers of all formats are enthusiastically recommended to peruse Say What You Mean! cover to cover in order to avoid common mistakes and misconceptions.

How To Publish Your Nonfiction Book
Rudy Shur
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Rd., Garden City, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
0757000002 $16.95 1-877-900-2665

Having a great idea for a book is only the first, baby step to getting it published and publicized: but how does the writer with a manuscript publish a nonfiction book? First it's necessary to define the book's audience and category, so you know where it fits into the overwhelmed publisher's marketplace - it's niche. Then, consider how to choose a publisher who will be the best choice for your title. Finally, submit a package to make acceptance more likely. The Square One formula revealed in How To Publish Your Nonfiction Book deftly walks the would-be author through all the steps necessary to avoid common mistakes and up the chances for success.

MovieMind For Screenwriters
William Ronald Craig
On the Flats Publishing
PO Box 2240, Berkeley, CA 94702
www.on-the-flats-publishing.com
0972080228 $24.95

Written by a former University Professor of Screenwriting, MovieMind For Screenwriters: Write It Right And Get It Written is a no-nonsense guide to planning, writing, and polishing a Hollywood-quality screenplay. But chapters cover much more than creating believable characters, proper format style, layout, examples, recommended steps for revising rough drafts and other writing techniques; the final section of MovieMind informs an aspiring screenwriter of exactly what to expect when trying to break into the business! Some issues - such as whether one should include a bold copyright notice when submitting a script (technically unnecessary since copyright in America is automatic without the notice, and some claim the notice gives a "sue-happy" impression that will get one's script dropped like a hot potato) - are given over to controversy, in which case MovieMind For Screenwriters presents both points of view and lets the reader judge. Other topics covered include the requirements to get into the Writer's Guild Association, to how to get noticed when most producers won't read scripts from previously unpublished authors, to how to protect one's rights, and much more. MovieMind For Screenwriters is an all-purpose introductory guide to writing for quality, profit, and pure entertainment, and an absolute must-have for anyone interested in writing for the big or small screen.


The Education Shelf

147 Practical Tips for Teaching Diversity
William M. Timpson, et al.
Atwood Publishing
PO Box 3185, Madison, WI 53704
1891859501 $12.50 1-888-242-7101

Collaboratively written by William M. Timpson, Raymond Yang, Evelinn Borrayo, and Silvia Sara Canetto especially for educators, yet useful to parents and anyone who works with young people, 147 Practical Tips For Teaching Diversity is a no-nonsense guide offering proven techniques to promote collaboration among students. Tips include "Connect thinking and personal experience to research", "Counter polarization", "Teach activism", "Recognize the validity of other worldviews" and many more. Each tip is further expounded upon in several paragraphs, often with examples or quoting references and studies. A handy, easy-to-absorb supplement useful for stimulating contemplation and broader understanding.

Writing Better
Steve Graham & Karen R. Harris
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc.
Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com
1557667047 $25.00 www.amazon.com

Special Education professors Steve Graham, Ed.D. and Karen Harris, Ed.D. combine their talents in Writing Better: Effective Strategies For Teaching Students With Learning Difficulties, a methodical and practical guide for educators. Chapters address genre specific writing strategies, paragraph-writing, goal-setting, brainstorming and other strategies, ways of fostering self-monitoring and self-regulating writing skills, and more. An invaluable, practical resource that explains its ideas in depth with boxed tips and numerous examples, supported heavily with research and classroom experience.

Improving Test Performance Of Students With Disabilities
Judy L. Elliott & Martha L. Thurlow
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 1320-2218
www.corwinpress.com
141291728X $34.95 1-800-818-7243

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Improving Test Performance Of Students With Disabilities... On District And State Assessments by Judy L. Elliott (Assistant Superintendent of Special Education, Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach, California) and Martha L. Thurlow (Director of the National Center on Education Outcomes and a special education researcher for the past fifteen years) offers classroom instructors and school staff members a wealth of strategies for improving instructions, optimizing student accommodations, and test preparation guidelines to aid students with unique learning challenges. Self-tests to double-check the depth of one's knowledge and understanding pepper this straightforward guide grounded heavily in practicality, and sample tables and worksheets designed to engage instructors and learners help with a "hands-on" approach above and beyond dry theory. An excellent resource particularly for public school educators.

From Phonics To Fluency
Timothy V. Rasinski & Nancy D. Padak
Addison-Wesley-Longman
75 Arlington St, #300, Boston, MA 02116
www.awl.com
0321049039 $25.99 1-800-428-5331

In From Phonics To Fluency: Effective Teaching Of Decoding And Reading Fluency In The Elementary School, Kent State University academicians Timothy Rasinski and Nancy Padak collaborate to provide the reader with successful teaching strategies, elucidated in detail, to help young people understand phonics and become better readers. Chapters cover onsets, rimes, and basic phonic patterns; how to teach advanced word patterns; world walls; word banks and word sorts; contextual word recognition; word games; assessing word recognition and reading fluency; and much more. Filled with sample charts, diagrams, games, and instructional materials, From Phonics To Fluency is an excellent supplementary resource for school teachers, tutors, and home schoolers alike.


The Archaeology Shelf

The Goddess Of Sha'ar Hagolan
Dr. Yosef Garfinkel
Israel Exploration Society
c/o Biblical Archaeology Society
4710 41st Street NW, Washington, DC 20016-1700
9652210560 $15.00 www.amazon.com

Sha'ar Hagolan Museum curator and lecturer of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem dr. Yosef Garfinkel presents The Goddess Of Sha'ar Hagolan, a wondrous and thoroughly detailed tour of the archaeological excavation of the settlement of Sha'ar Hagolan, in present-day Israel. Since its discovery, approximately 300 prehistoric art objects have been unearthed, and approximately 70 figurines of fired clay and stone were discovered in one of its structures. The Goddess Of Sha'ar Hagolan displays a wide selection of artifacts, but it is more than simply a display of prehistoric items; both the detailed text and the full-color photographs throughout walk the reader through the methodical steps of excavation, and the hard work that archaeologists do to carefully preserve forgotten treasures. Accessible to lay readers, students, and seasoned archaeologists alike, The Goddess Of Sha'ar Hagolan is an eye-opening voyage of discovery and recommended to any burning with curiosity about ancient civilizations.


The Language Studies Shelf

China Books & Periodicals, Inc.
2929 Twenty-Fourth Street, San Francisco, CA 94110-4126
1-800-818-2017 www.chinabooks.com

China Books & Periodicals is the premier publisher of Chinese language, culture, and travel guides available for the American scholar, student, businessman, or tourist. Basic titles that should be included as core additions to any personal, professional, or academic Chinese Language Studies reference and instructional collection include Wu Jingrong's New Age Chinese-English Dictionary (7100027179, $54.95), a substantial single volume reference that features more than 120,000 terms -- including popular new words in all areas of business, science, and popular culture. Each entry provides a precise explanation and a sample of the usage for that particular word. The Right Word In Chinese (9620710622, $18.95) by Irene Sauncers offers the non-specialist general reader with a quick and easy way to learn enough Chinese to make themselves understood wherever they travel through China whether in urban settings or the rural areas. This quick "user friendly" reference of everyday and specialized vocabularies is highly portable and especially applicable for business and recreational tourists visiting China. Expertly organized and edited by Zhao Jinming, Chinese Conversations For Foreigners is a two-volume set specifically designed as a fast and effective method of learning conversational skills in a hurry, utilizing dialogues in Pinyin and characters. Both Volume 1 (7561910495,'$16.95) and Volume 2 (756191072X, $16.95) offer twenty lessons that can be augmented with a set of two accompanying language tapes ($14.95 each) and offer the lessons in a question and answer format that is ideal for short-term and night course curriculums, as well as intensive training curriculums that have as their focus a practical application of Chinese for beginners. All three of these outstanding instructionals are invaluable additions to college and university level Language Studies library reference and resource shelves.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

How They Cast It
Rob Kendt
Lone Eagle Publishing Company
1024 N. Orange Dr, Hollywood CA 90038
www.hcdonline.com
1580650619 $18.95 1-800-815-0503

Former Editor-in-Chief of "Back Stage West" magazine and Los Angeles Times theatre critic Rob Kendt is the author How They Cast It: An Insider's Look At Film And Television Casting, a keen examination of the film and television casting process for popular modern-day shows including "Will and Grace", "The Lord of the Rings", "Alias" and many more. The "presenting partner" of How They Cast It is Breakdown Services, a successful casting notice firm that contributes insights, anecdotes, sample documents from the casting process, and valuable suggestions for casting directors and auditioning actors alike. How They Cast It is not written in a "how-to" or textbook style; it is entirely about the close analysis of its chosen cases, each of which forms a different chapter, giving it an episodic structure that is as enjoyable for lay people wondering how the "Friends" cast was selected as it is useful for professionals who have already studied "how-to" manuals and want to learn from real-life examples.


The Psychology Shelf

The Broken Mirror
Katharine A. Phillips, M.D.
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Ave., NY, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com
0195167198 $19.95 1-800-451-7556

Now in a revised and expanded edition, The Broken Mirror: Understanding And Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a close examination of body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD, in which sufferers become so obsessed with perceived flaws in their appearance as to experience disruption or depression in their lives. All too often those afflicted with BDD are too embarrassed to speak of their concerns. Katharine Phillips, M.D., author and director of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Body Image Program at Butler Hospital in Rhode Island, brings her expertise to bear on this comprehensive general text for psychologists and lay readers alike. Chapters include testimonies of people with BDD, definitions and how to diagnose BDD, causes of BDD, how BDD can be treated with medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy, how BDD relates to anorexia nervosa, obsessive compulsive disorder and other conditions, advice for family members and friends of those with BDD, and more. Presenting a complex medical and psychological problem without straying into excessively technical language, The Broken Mirror is highly recommended.

Emotion-Focused Therapy For Depression
Leslie S. Greenberg & Jeanne C. Watson
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
1591472806 $59.95 1-800-368-5777

Psychologist Leslie S. Greenberg, Ph.D. and associate professor of Adult Education, Community Development and Counselling Psychology Jeanne C. Watson, Ph.D. present Emotion-Focused Therapy For Depression, a straightforward manual for depression treatment focusing upon the therapeutic relationship that especially focuses upon arousing and evoking emotions. Written in a clinical style and enhanced with sample cases and dialogues, evidence from studies, recommendations for practice, and acknowledgements of skepticism toward this form of therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy For Depression is a vital resource for psychologists and counselors as it strives to thoroughly clarify a useful tool for helping those in dire need. Highly recommended for college and professional psychology reference shelves.


The Self-Help Shelf

Think Thin, Be Thin
Doris Wild Helmering & Dianne Hales
Broadway Books
Gulotta Communications (publicity)
1745 Broadway, NY, NY, 10036
www.broadwaybooks.com
0767916964 $12.95 1-800-726-0600

A collaborative work by psychotherapist Doris Wild Helmering and author Dianne Hales, Think Thin, Be Thin: 101 Psychological Ways To Lose Weight is the perfect companion to any diet and weight-loss program. Each of the 101 tips addresses a key aspect of human behavior - the necessity of applying one's mind to a goal to make it reality. From "No More Negatives", which warns the reader away from negative self-talk and focusing on what one can't do, to "How Were You Scripted?" which encourages the reader to think about the eating habits he or she ingrained when growing up, to "Six Ways To Keep Off Weight" which include joining a "tribe", or group of exercise and health-conscious people, finding new emotionally satisfying foods that are low in calories, and the importance of looking for joy and meaning beyond one's food life. While not a complete weight-loss program, Think Thin, Be Thin is a vital supplement for recasting one's mental focus on a thinner, healthier, and happier self.


The Social Issues Shelf

America's Unpatriotic Acts
Walter M. Brasch
Peter Lang Publishing USA
275 Seventh Avenue, NY, NY 10001
www.peterlangusa.com
0820476080 $24.95 1-800-770-5264

America's Unpatriotic Acts: The Federal Government's Violation Of Constitutional And Civil Rights is a stinging indictment of America's abusive acts, particularly against its own residents and citizens, in the twenty-first century. Chapters address how post-9/11 hysteria prompted the passing of vague legislation that attacked civil liberties; the secret rounding up, jailing, and deportation of American residents who had committed no crime whatsoever due, largely due to ethnicity; the abominations perpetrated at Guantanamo Bay; how restricting protestors of any kind to "free-speech zones" around the president and government officials does not protect them (anyone meaning harm simply has to avoid carrying a protest sign) but creates the media illusion that their policies are supported without dissent; and more. A chilling portrayal of the increased trampling of civil rights in America today.


The Economics Shelf

China And Socialism
Martin Hart-Landsberg & Paul Burkett
Monthly Review Press
122 West 27th St., New York, NY 10001
www.monthlyreview.org
1583671234 $15.95 1-800-670-9499

In China And Socialism: Market Reforms And Class Struggle, co-authors Martin Hart-Landsberg (Professor of Economics, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Oregon) and Paul Burkett (Professor of Economics, Indiana State University) provide the non-specialist general reader with an informed and informative descriptive analysis of Chinese capitalism as practiced today. Chapters cover China's economic transformation, as well as contradictions both domestic and international to this transformation. Tables, figures, and a wealth of research back the history, theories, and projects with solid data. A "must-read" especially for political scientists, economists, and businessmen seeking to better understand the changes that continue revolutionize China's economic model to this day.

Promises, Performance, And Prospects
Antonio Martino
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, Suite 300, Indianapolis, Indiana 46250-1684
0865975639 $10.00 www.amazon.com

Promises, Performance, And Prospects: Essays On Political Economy, 1980-1998 collects key writings of Antonio Martino, Italian statesman and political economics professor. Motivated by classical liberal thought yet also concerned with issues of political economy as fiscal responsibility, the threat of statism to individual liberty, and the migration of overtaxed citizens to the underground economy, Martino's essays may focus particularly on Italy's circumstances yet involve extensive analysis of problems that are germane to all advanced democratic societies. Essays include "Budget Deficits and Constitutional Constraints", "Is Social Justice a Myth?", "Was Keynes a Keynesian?", "European Monetary Union: A Fatal Mistake?", "A Comment on 'Nineteen Eighty-four: A False Alarm?'" and many more. Especially recommended for college library and economics studies shelves.


The Library Video/DVD Shelf

Bless Me, Father
Acorn Media Group
801 Roeder Road, Suite 700, Silver Spring, MD 20910
1569387605 $59.99 acornmedia.com

Bless Me, Father: The Complete Collection is the complete collection on DVD of the British situation comedy about a young priest (Daniel Abineri) learning the tricks of the trade from a crusty veteran (Arthur Lowe) with a brogue and a keen eye for the bottom line. Based on the popular autobiographical novels of Peter de Rosa, Bless Me, Father is set in 1950's suburban London and includes a supporting cast of a sharp-tongued housekeeper (Gabrielle Daye) and a Mother Superior who acts similar to a queen (Sheila Keith). The DVD set presents all 21 hilarious episodes, including the final 3 episodes which have never before been released! Special features include bios of Arthur Lowe and Peter de Rosa, cast filmographies. Witty, sardonic, rip-roaring clean fun. 3 DVDs, 525 min, full screen, color.

A Science Odyssey
Charles Osgood, host
WGBH Boston Video
c/o SSA Public Relations
148 Madison Avenue, 16th floor, PH-1, New York, NY 10016
1593752709 $79.95 1-800-949-8670

A Science Odyssey is a five-DVD, ten-hour series that explores the wonders of scientific discovery throughout the century. Titled "Origins", "Bigger, Better, Faster", "In Search of Ourselves", "Mysteries of the Universe", and "Matters of Life and Death", episodes explore everything from the intricate workings of computers to the components of the human brain to the wonders of the stars. Each episode also covers how advances in technology and human understanding have revolutionized culture and daily life in the past hundred years. Special DVD features include printable materials for educators, a closed caption option, and a described video feature for the visually impaired. A jaw-dropping chronicle of advancements, theories, and what they tell us about ourselves and the universe we live in, suitable for viewers of all ages. 5 DVDs, 560 minutes, fullscreen color.

Tut: The Boy King
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
www.montereymedia.com
#346662 $19.95 1-800-424-2593

Hosted by Orson Welles, Tut: The Boy King is the original award-wining documentary on the discovery and contents of the Egyptian tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. This beautifully produced DVD edition is enhanced with updated features which include "The Remarkable Discovery", "The Mysterious Life and Death of Tutankhamen"; Enduring Questions About the King", "Tutankhamun Timeline", "Mapping the Tomb", and a Photo Gallery. Tut: The Boy King will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Video/DVD collections.

Tai Chi Interwave
Joey Bond
Janson Media
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
1568392575 $29.95 www.janson.com

In the two-disc DVD Tai Chi Interwave, Tai Chi Master Instructor Joey Bond guides viewers through 24 distinctive movements of the classical Chinese art-form of Tai Chi. A simple and straightforward instructional, intended for Tai Chi practitioners of all skill and experience levels, Tai Chi Interweave involves a wide variety of classic Tai Chi postures including White Crane Spreads Wings, Wave Hands Like Clouds and Part the Wild Horse's Mane. An excellent introduction to an art useful for exercise, relieving stress and tension, posture improvement, and mental focus. 172 minutes.

Mujaan
Ragcha Media
641 Vernon Ave., #2, Venice, CA 90291
No ISBN $19.95 www.mujaan.com

A twenty-five minute full color documentary in a DVD format, Mujaan (The Craftsman) is about Mongolian nomads and presents how Mongols build a home using the same simple tools, strength and ingenuity that their ancestors have for the past thousand years. Mujaan also demonstrates Mongolian slaughter techniques as well as their music, cooking, felt-making, and painting. Mujaan can be summed up as offering viewers a kind of meditation on work and offers a glimpse into a rapidly disappearing way of life that even in one of the remote corners of the world, is giving way to the onslaught of industrialization and mass production. Highly recommended for personal and community library collections, DVD insert includes background information and lessons suitable useful for inclusion as a school curriculum supplementation.

Howard Hughes
MPI Media Group
16101 South 108th Avenue, Orland Park, IL 60462
www.mpihomevideo.com
$14.98 1-800-777-2223

Howard Hughes: The Man & The Madness is the stranger-than-fiction true story of billionaire businessman, record- setting aviator, invention mogul, and recluse Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. (1905-1976). Despite his stunning accomplishments, Hughes had no true friends or family; his obsessive-compulsive disorders and drug abuse worsened as he aged and cut himself off more and more from the outside world. This remarkable DVD biography includes special features such as newsreel footage of Hughes' notable accomplishments in the 1930's through 1950's, and is an astounding examination of a brilliant, driven, and tragic man. 98 minutes, color and black-and-white.


The Poetry Shelf

The Black Beach
J. T. Barbarese
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
www.unt.edu/untpress
1574411888 $12.95 1-800-826-8911

Winner of the 2004 Vassar Miller Prize in Poetry, The Black Beach is an anthology that contrasts between everyday acts, such as putting children to bed or coaching Little League, and the mysteries that linger beyond the commonplace. Celebrating the transcendence that is available to all through love and the sensory experience, and skeptically questioning claims of higher understanding that repudiates such basic building blocks of life, The Black Beach is a profoundly inspired view of God and the cosmos as surely as it is a celebration of unsung heroes of parenting. The Lost Beatitudes: Blessed are the sons-of-bitches / since that includes most of us. // Blessed are the Christians and Jews and all Fundamentalists / who remind us in the end that it's all about real estate. // Blessed are the religions without transcendence, the Wiccans and Theosophists and Druids. // Blessed are the middle-aged folk who jog to stay in shape, / sleek black shadows majestic in Spandex on gentle slopes. // Blessed are the nude and the nudists / for flesh is our precious illusion. // Blessed are the beautiful for beauty / is the decisive consolation // Blessed are those who pine and pray for the Rapture, / for assuring me that I will be left behind.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Capitalizing On Career Chaos
Helen Harkness
Davies-Black Publishing
3803 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
www.daviesblack.com
0891062092 $18.95 1-800-624-1765

Capitalizing On Career Chaos: Bringing Creativity And Purpose To Your Work And Life is an easy-to-follow, four-step process for revitalizing, redirecting, or crafting a career from the inside out. Written especially for the twenty-first century, when job security is no longer reliable and the productive worker must learn to be increasingly flexible and open to learning new things, Capitalizing On Career Chaos is a valuable resource for preparing oneself to seize opportunity and look beyond one's immediate surroundings. Highly recommended.

Down through the millennia, from clay tablets to computer screens, books have changed their shapes and formats, but never their purpose -- to record, to inform, to entertain, and to contribute to the cultural wealth that is the bedrock of civilization.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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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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