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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 22, Number 9 September 2012 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Needlecraft Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Audiobook Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Travel Shelf Sports Shelf Dance Shelf
Military Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Computer Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Architecture Shelf
Fashion Shelf Photography Shelf Education Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Biography Shelf
Political Science Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Business Shelf
Music Shelf Crafts Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Nautical Shelf Gardening Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
Aviation Shelf Gaming Shelf Automotive Shelf
Memoir Shelf Poetry Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Fiction Shelf Parenting Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Human Sexuality Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Jobs/Career Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Art Shelf
Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf Holocaust Studies Shelf
Economic Studies Shelf Large Print Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf International Studies Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Psychology Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf Library Science Shelf
Law/Justice Shelf Civil War Shelf Agriculture Shelf
Autism Shelf Mathematics Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Journalism Shelf Language Studies Shelf Anthropology Shelf
Sociology Shelf Reference Shelf Wisconsin Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

The Long Ride
Lucian Spataro Jr., Ph.D.
Green Rider LLC
c/o KSB Promotions
55 Honey Creek, NE
Ada, MI 49301
9780983501909 $35.00

Illustrated with full-color photography on almost every page (and a handful of sketched color artwork or vintage black-and-white photos), The Long Ride is a captivating coffee table book chronicling one man's record-setting horseback journey across America. Lucian Spataro Jr., Ph.D. planned this journey for two years not just for the thrill; he sought to draw human attention to environmental issues, from local stewardship to the destruction of the world's rainforests. Images from Spataro's own photography collection (as well as from historic sources) and Spataro's own first-person testimony bring the reader on a virtual cross-country tour along with Spataro and his hardy Arabian steed. The Long Ride is an extraordinary browse that will appeal especially to environmentalists and horseback riding enthusiasts, and is worthy of the highest recommendation.

That Mad Game
J. L. Powers
Cinco Puntos Press
701 Texas Avenue, El Paso, TX 79901
9781935955221, $16.95, www.cincopuntos.com

War doesn't make for a good environment to grow up in. "That Mad Game: Growing Up in a Warzone" is a collection of memoirs and essays focused on around the globe as there are many stories of people growing up surrounded by violence. The essays and stories are drawn from current events and history, from World War II to current incidents in Israel and Palestine, providing a broad view of the impact war can have on the child. "That Mad Game" is a strongly recommended addition to any world history and international issues collections.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Download the Weird
Ripley Entertainment Inc.
7576 Kingspointe Pkwy., Suite 188
Orlando, FL 32819
9781609910327 $28.95 www.ripleybooks.com

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Download the Weird is the latest annual of bizarre and extraordinary wonders from Ripley Publishing. Illustrated with full-color photography throughout, Download the Weird showcases incredible things ranging from the icky to the miraculous, from the Inflatable Crowd Company whose rubber dummies substitute for human extras in a wide variety of popular movies, to a two-headed milk snake, a motorcycle designed to resemble the monsters from the movie "Aliens", a centipede that catches and eats bats, a dress made from human hair, an artist who creates works from her own vomit, a diversity of gut-wrenchingly gross human parasites, and much more! Readers of all ages will enjoy browsing the fantastic-yet-real creatures, people, and creations, a free downloadable app for Apple or Android allows one to check out kooky bonus content. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Download the Weird is sure to be a smash hit for anyone who enjoys learning about oddities that are wildly off the beaten path.

Living Nonviolent Communication
Marshall Rosenberg
Sounds True
413 South Arthur Avenue
Louisville, CO 80027
9781604077872, $17.95, www.soundstrue.com

Violence should never be an option. "Living Nonviolent Communication: Practical Tools to Connect and Communicate Skillfully in Every Situation" is a guide to reaching out and promoting clearer and more spiritual communication in life. Drawing on the practice of 'Nonviolent Communication', Marshall Rosenberg has elaborated on the details of this practice and how it has flourished and helps readers improve their relationships. "Living Nonviolent Communication" is a strong pick for communication and self-help collections, recommended.

The Book for Dangerous Women
Clare Conville, Liz Hoggard, & Sarah-Jane Lovett
Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
841 Broadway, 4th floor
New York, NY 10003
9780802120182, $20.00, www.groveatlantic.com

One will never get anywhere without taking any risks. "The Book for Dangerous Women: A Guide to Modern Life" follows three British women. Clare Conville, Liz Hoggard, & Sarah-Jane Lovett come together and give women everywhere witty advice on taking charge of their lives, and squeezing something much more out of it all. "The Book for Dangerous Women" is a fine addition for humor and inspirational collections, not to be overlooked.

Think
Lisa Bloom
Vanguard Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9781593156596, $25.99, www.vanguardpressbooks.com

Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World reveals the paradoxes that American girls and women are living today, from excelling in education but obsessing over celebrities and tabloid media to outperforming males in employment yet spending more time and money on appearances. The result is an admonishment to take time to reclaim focus and focuses on how rethinking common but self-limiting practices can give us more time to act in a better manner. From using time more efficiently to connecting with communities, this is filled with fine insights for women who want to make the most of their newfound freedoms and abilities.

Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations
Linda Gross Cheliotes and Marceta Fleming Reilly
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781452202570, $23.76, www.corwin.com

What does coach leadership look like in the real world? Opening the Door to Coaching Conversations gathers insights on coaching styles using stories from experienced coaches on the Coaching for Results team. Examples document real problems and how coaching addressed them, in the process discussing everything from accountability and core values to building high expectations and community involvement processes. Sidebars of case histories pair with concrete 'how to' information for fine insights suitable for any collection interested in coaching's potentials and applications.

The Tempo of Modernity
Gabriel R. Ricci
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842914, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

The Tempo of Modernity is a solid recommendation for college-level audiences studying literature, philosophy and culture alike, and provides a survey of how time began to bend in the first half of the 20th century, influenced by new physics and Halley's Comet. Perceptions of time in general and the particular concept of 'time bending' as a system of literary criticism are the theme of an excellent study that considers a range of modern concepts and writings about them. It's a recommended pick for any college-level literary and philosophy holding.

2052: A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years
Jorgen Randers
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603584210, $24.95, www.chelseagreen.com

2052: A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years comes from one of the coauthors of The Limits to Growth, a study that considered how humans would adapt to the physical limitations of Earth as they pursued limitless growth. 2052 furthers the consideration, using the author's own experience in sustainability and global forecasting plus the predictions of over thirty scientists, economists and others on the subject. From issues of food and energy to endless growth cycles, this provides a fine survey essential for any collection strong in forecasting and social issues.

One Big Thing
Phil Cooke
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9781595554840, $22.99, www.thomasnelson.com

ONE BIG THING: DISCOVERING WHAT YOU WERE BORN TO DO provides practical strategies to help find true purpose and uses case studies from branding to consider connecting one's calling to a bigger picture. This is a blend of business and personal savvy and comes from advice the author has shared with major organizations and thousands that follow him through his blog, and offers a fine survey highly recommended for any who want a better grasp of their life and ultimate goals and connections to a bigger, better world.

America, You Sexy Bitch
Meghan McCain and Michael Ian Black
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
44 Farnsworth Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02210
9780306821004, $26.00, www.dacapopress.com

AMERICA, YOU SEXY BITCH: A LOVE LETTER TO FREEDOM details the experiences of a Republican and Democrat who road-tripped across America to see if two people with very different political beliefs had any common meeting point. As they interacted with one another and many of the people they met, they discovered the unexpected: their polarized beliefs and biased expectations turned into respect for themselves, each other, and those they encountered. AMERICA, YOU SEXY BITCH is a social and political romp recommended for any general lending library.

Delmar
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place
Stamford, CT 06902
www.cengage.com/delmar

Dr. John C. Larkin and Dr. Concetta M. Duval's PRACTICAL PROBLEMS IN MATHEMATICS DRAFTING AND CAD, 4TH EDITION (9781111316808, $37.75) updates content to include a new section on Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, new units on 3D geometry, and new problems divided into skill problems versus CAD problems, and is a pick for any reference collection strong in drafting and engineering skills. It reviews modern drafting problems and industry practices and provides step-by-step examples linking math to applied problems, reflecting emerging drafting and CAD technologies and providing concepts geared to enhancing math skills in any drafting field. A fine classroom in a book, this will enhance any course in drafting and applied CAD. Robert H. Zedlitz's HOW TO GET A JOB IN HEALTHCARE, 2ND EDITION (9781111640088, $85.95) covers the basics of health care careers and updated employment documents, applications, and interactive software supporting the job search process. From a new activity focus on how to start and keep a job to the latest online resources, this is a 'must have' reference for any student who wants to enter the health care field. Alan J. Kalameja and Mark Voisinet's SOLIDWORKS TUTOR 2012 (9781435496781, $72.95) provides a fine step-by-step survey of SolidWorks 2012 Tutor and provides a software reference that teaches all the basics. Each chapter builds on previous chapter skills and begins with an introduction to the software and navigating its interface. From short exercises to longer tutorials, this provides a foundation in SolidWorks that is a 'must' for any user of the software.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Blocks, Borders, Quilts!
Sunny Steinkuhler, author
The Patchwork Place
c/o Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Ave. NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604681536, $27.99 ShopMartingale.com

"Blocks, Borders, Quilts!: A Mix-And-Match Workbook for Designing Your Own Quilts" is a quilter's dream of a pattern source, block and quilting design workbook, specifically designed to allow the quilter maximum freedom of design, block, border, and color choices. In the beginning are several handy instructional pages with suggestions for how to use the book, thoughts on color and contrast, the magic turn, the medallion template, and sample quilt plans. This is followed by two chapters on blocks (12" and 6"), and four chapters on different width borders (1'', 4", 6", and 3"). finally there are specific helps with construction techniques and 50 pages of paper- foundation patterns. Throughout "Blocks, Borders, Quilts!" is filled with color coordinated illustrations of examples of quilts, borders, and blocks. Thus the 12" blocks are referenced in blue, the 3" borders are referenced in light violet, the 6" blocks chapter is illustrated in green, etc. This is very helpful for keeping track of which chapter you are working with. "Blocks, Borders, Quilts!" is a fantastic sourcebook for the creative but perhaps less experienced quilter, and also offers wonderful new ideas for the seasoned quilter, for fresh approaches. Other titles about quilt making by the same publisher that are also highly recommended include "Baltimore Blocks for Beginners (9781604681727, $19.99)," by Mimi Dietrich, and "Quilts from Grandmother's Garden (9781564776426, $24.99)," by Jaynette Huff.

Quiltings, Frolicks & Bees
Sue Reich
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road
Atglen, PA 19310
9780764340987 $29.99 www.schifferbooks.com

Featuring full-color photographs of historic quilts throughout, Quiltings, Frolicks & Bees: 100 Years of Signature Quilts is a repository of American newspaper articles written about needlework activity in the late 19th and earth 20th centuries. The text of each article is reproduced in easy-to-read font. "Signature Quilts" inscribed with the names of hundreds of dedicated needlecrafters, often kept today as historical records, are also displayed in all their glory. Quilts, Frolicks & Bees is not just a book about the history of quilting in America - it's a treasury of mementos from America's proud pioneer legacy, and an extraordinary joy for quilt-makers of all skill and experience levels to read.

Make Your Own Quilting Designs & Patterns
Judy Woodworth
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290
Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600353 $21.95 www.aqsquilt.com

Award-winning quilter Judy Woodworth presents Make Your Own Quilting Designs & Patterns, a guide designed to encourage intermediate to advanced quilters to make their own, striking quilting designs. Tips, tricks, and techniques for unleashing one's creativity, shrinking or enlarging any pattern, creating symmetrical or asymmetrical designs, using stencils and more fill this handy guide. Make Your Own Quilting Designs & Patterns is also packed with stunning, full-color photographs of amazingly distinct and original quilts, as well as a handful of sample stencil designs that form the basis of incredibly captivating works of cloth beauty. "You can draft any size compass or star depending on how many times you divide the 360 degrees of the protractor. Traditionally a Mariner's Compass has 16 or 32 points." Make Your Own Quilting Designs & Patterns lives up to its title as a repository of practical methods as well as inspiration, and is highly recommended especially for ambitious and creative quilters.

Fleece Hat Friends
Mary Rasch
Lark Crafts
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016-8810
www.sterlingpublishing.com
9781454703549 $17.95 larkcrafts.com

Fleece Hat Friends: 25+ Easy-to-Sew Projects is a delightful how-to needlecrafting book to making animal-face themed children's hats. Cartoon-eyed owls, cuddly spiders, even a monkey hat with an accompanying monkey-tail design sweatshirt and more designs fill this delightful craft guide that makes working with fleece and felt fun. Templates, step-by-step instructions, and full-color photographs make Fleece Hat Friends a great resource for creating warm and unforgettable gifts for young ones. Fleece Hat Friends is highly recommended as an excellent (if somewhat offbeat!) supplement to any needlecrafter's pattern library.

Simple Expression Quilts
Morgan
American Quilter's Society
P.O. Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600117, $19.95, www.americanquilters.com

Simple Expression Quilts teaches how to take a single patchwork quilt and adorn it with a word to express belief, hope, faith, grace, peace, kindness and more, and is a pick for any who would choose from the word or alphabet patterns provided and adorn them with appliques. Chapters are packed with color photo examples, patterns and ideas for making the most of these inspirational quilts, highly recommended for any level of quilter.

Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com

Sheryl Thies's KNITTING BY NATURE: 19 PATTERNS FOR SCARVES, WRAPS, AND MORE (9781604681550, $24.99) provides a follow-up to her other popular books on wraps and presents followers with a new collection of nature-inspired designs. Knitting ideas embrace shawls, scarves, wraps and shrugs and reflect designs inspired by nature's flowers, grasses and vines, so the patterns are unique and fun. These modern creations require minimal or no finishing, making KNITTING BY NATURE perfect for those just entering into the knitting world. Kim Diehl's SIMPLE CHARM: 12 SCRAPPY PATCHWORK AND APPLIQUE QUILT PATTERNS (9781604680669, $28.99) pairs lovely color photos with quilt patterns packed with the author's signature mix of patchwork and applique, and is a fine addition to any quilter's collection. Tips on patterns, piecing and more turn the entire process into a step-by-step series of easy guidelines perfect for the quilter who wants to take the next step in producing creative, fun quilts blending applique into the overall design. Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms' SMALL PIECES, SPECTACULAR QUILTS: PATTERNS INSPIRED BY ANTIQUE QUILTS (9781604680348, $26.99) provides a fine follow-up to their best-selling SMALL BLOCKS, STUNNING QUILTS and offers keys to blending antique quilt designs into modern productions. Rare photos of antique quilts and discussions of their history accompanies 10 quilt patterns that highlight reproduction fabrics and techniques, making this a top pick for quilters who would incorporate the old into the new. Cheryl Wall's AT HOME WITH COUNTRY QUILTS: 13 PATCHWORK PATTERNS (9781604681451, $26.99) teaches how to use scraps in primitive country style quilts, and is a pick for crafters who want to learn basic piecing methods and applications for crafts. Color photos blend with patterns and step-by-step instructions for cutting and creating quilts, making this a powerful pick for any who would incorporate scraps and applique into the country quilt design. The editors of SewNews offer an outstanding beginner's guide with THE SEW SIMPLE GUIDE TO EASY SEWING AND EMBELLISHING (9781604661659, $26.99), a fine sewing guidebook intended for bare-bones beginners and those needing a refresher course. Here are all the basics to marking, cutting, piping, sewing zippers and handling a variety of common and foundation stitching, teaching a variety of methods for embellishing fabric and using applique and felting. From specialty fabrics to handling tucks, edging and more, this is a key acquisition for any basic needlework collection, supplementing instructions with color illustrations throughout. 200 BLOCKS FROM QUILTMAKER MAGAZINE: ORIGINAL PATTERNS FROM TODAY'S TOP DESIGNERS (9781604681673, $26.99) provides an outstanding gathering of blocks to add to the publication's 100 Blocks collections, and is a pick for any general quilter's library, particularly those enthused about the prior blocks compilations. Blocks all finish at 12" and cover different styles and approaches, while a handy index makes it a snap to locate blocks. A 'must' for any quilter's collection of reference books! The staff at That Patchwork Place join in to provide winning new patterns in QUILTING WITH FAT QUARTERS (9781604681884, $24.99), a fine guide to making fat-quarter quilts with a minimum of fuss. Here are 17 new quilt patterns showcasing everything from batiks to modern prints and solids. Each come with expert instructions and easy step-by-step illustrations, and all pack in gorgeous projects beginners will find accessible and easy.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Rough Riders
Charlie Stella
Stark House Press
4720 Herron Road
Eureka, CA 95503
9781933586397, $15.95, www.starkhousepress.com

To catch a bigger fish, the law and authority will make deals with what they view as lesser evils. "Rough Riders" is the follow up to author Charlie Stella's first crime novel, 'Eddie's World'. As the federal government begins to crack deals with the underworld, in hopes that the truth will fail to emerge. With a love for character and dialogue, "Rough Riders" is an enticing crime thriller that should prove difficult to put down, highly recommended.

Vengeance
Benjamin Black
Henry Holt & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 400
New York, NY 10010-7725
97808050494398, $26.00, www.henryholt.com

Suicide is rarely done with a clear mind. "Vengeance" is a novel of high society in Ireland, as a successful businessman takes his own life in a baffling move, and those closest to him face more than the hardship of a recently departed friend. With corruption and trysts everywhere they turn, Dublin's socialites secrets will become known to all and the lives of them all will never be the same. "Vengeance" is a riveting novel of secrets and crime, as author Benjamin Black presents a read that simply won't go down easily.

No Wake Zone
Linda Lovely
L&L Dream Spell
376 West Quarry Road, London, TX 76854
9781603184854, $15.95, www.lldreamspell.com

The methods of killing may be more sadistic than the killing itself. "No Wake Zone" is a thrilling mystery, in which Marley Clark tries and fails to rescue a dead biotech billionaire; the circumstances of his death are unclear. As accusations fly, Marley uncovers vendetta aplenty, and a link to biological weapons that could truly be terrifying. "No Wake Zone" is a solid addition to modern intrigue collections, recommended.

Vulture Peak
John Burdett
Vintage Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780307474292, $14.95, www.randomhouse.com

In the black market organ trade, there are many unusual characters, each hiding a truth of their own. "Vulture Peak" follows Royal Thai Police Detective Sonchai Jipleecheep, who is charged with breaking down a black market organ trade in the country, with the trail that weaves in and out of his jurisdiction. Encountering many people who may be involved or simply running interference, there's plenty to keep the pages turning, making "Vulture Peak" a choice and recommended addition to any mystery collection.

Prudence Couldn't Swim
James Kilgore
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604864953, $14.95, www.pmpress.com

When there's one big flaw in the story, putting everything together around it can prove quite difficult. "Prudence Couldn't Swim" is a mystery following Calvin Winter, who finds his wife dead in the pool, with the titular problem showing forth, which tells him there has to be foul play on the table. Fearing for his own life, he delves into the unusual and corrupt world of the rich and finds many truths behind his wife he never knew. "Prudence Couldn't Swim" is an exciting read with plenty to ponder and always keep those pages turning.

The Nose Knows
Holly L. Lewitas
WheatMark
1760 E. River Road, Suite 145
Tucson, AZ 85718
9781604947373, $14.95, www.spunkymysterybooks.com

A dog takes a liking to a person, it becomes its family, worthy of protecting. "The Nose Knows" is a mystery following courageous mutt Spunky, who looks after the widowed Dr. Hannah Richards as she takes another psychological patient. But the nose picks up something funny, and Spunky jumps on the case. With a good dose of humor, "The Nose Knows" is a choice mystery for pet lovers and will prove a highly recommended read.

Serpent of Moses
Don Hoesel
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55438
9780764209253, $14.99, www.bethanyhouse.com

The relics of the Patriarch Moses are much coveted by many of those who believe in their powers. "Serpent of Moses" is a religious thriller as Archeologist Jack Hawthorne finds himself on the trail of the serpent staff Nehushtan, thought to be destroyed...or perhaps simply lost under the sands of northern Africa. Hawthorne finds himself at odds with Israel government officials with no scruples about eliminating the competition, among others who after the serpentine staff. "Serpent of Moses" is a riveting thriller that brings a tale of the Old Testament into modern light, much recommended.

The Shadow Man
Mark Murphy
Langdon Street Press
212 3rd Avenue North, Suite 290
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781938296031, $14.95, www.langdonstreetpress.com

We can only keep an eye on so much of our lives, and what we don't see can do immense amounts to us. "The Shadow Man" is a novel following surgeon Malcolm King as he tries to put his life together as he soon finds that something may be lurking him and may bring omen into his life, connecting him into a serial killing case, and his sanity will be challenged as he brings himself closer to the killer. "The Shadow Man" is a must for fans of psychological thrillers.

Obsidian Mystery
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Bailey Cates' BROWNIES & BROOMSTICKS: A MAGICAL BAKERY MYSTERY (9780451236630, $7.99) deserves ongoing recommendation as the first in a projected series that blends food and intrigue. It's a supernatural thriller revolving around Katie, who helps her relatives in a bakery in downtown Savannah, only to discover that their recipes involve witchcraft. And when her uncle falls under suspicion of murder, it will take all their talents to absolve him of the crime! Elizabeth Craig's QUILT OR INNOCENCE: A SOUTHERN QUILTING MYSTERY (9780451237330, $7.99) is also first in a new quilting mystery series: this revolving around a retired folk art curator, Beatrice, who is enjoying her new quilting friends until one of them becomes suspect in a crime, involving the entire group in a battle for justice. Ella Barrick's DEAD MAN WALTZING: A BALLROOM DANCE MYSTERY (9780451237347, $7.99) is second in the ballroom dance mystery series and tells of a champion dancer Stacy, who wants to focus on ballroom dance classes but is drawn again into mystery when a dancer is poisoned at a lunch. Victoria Laurie's LETHAL OUTLOOK (9780451236951, $23.95) provides a satisfying new Psychic Eye mystery adding to the series, and follows Abigail Cooper's search for a missing person. Add a psychic issue, misconstrued intentions, and a family blend to what is really going on and you have a gripping saga that enhances and expands the others in the fine series. All are top picks, highly recommended for any mystery library.

Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com

Reavis Z. Wortham's BURROWS: A RED RIVER MYSTERY (9781464200052, $24.95) provides a satisfying sequel to THE ROCK HOLE, and is especially recommended for fans of this prior mystery classic. Ned Parker retires as constable but his retirement is short-lived when a murderer on a spree hits his small Texas town. Ned's nephew and ten-year-old grandchildren are drawn into danger as bodies begin to proliferate in this powerful novel of intrigue, a top recommendation for any general mystery library. Jon Talton's POWERS OF ARREST: A CINCINNATI CASEBOOK (9781590589991, $24.95) tells of a disabled Cincinnati homicide detective who walks with a cane and now works in less dangerous areas of police work when a star cop is killed, and he's assigned to find her murderer. The crime hits close to home when he realizes the murder is frighteningly similar to prior homicides on a school campus, where his friend Cheryl is teaching nursing. The duo form an unlikely team - and find that solving a murder is just the beginning of their challenges in this riveting mystery. Jeanne Matthews' BONEREAPERS: A DINAH PELERIN MYSTERY (9781590586181, $24.95) tells of Dinah, who sets out on a journey to visit the Doomsday Seed Vault, designed to safeguard the earth's precious collection of seeds in case of disaster. Little does she suspect that her journey to Norway will result in not only her increased understanding of genetic engineering, but a personal acquaintance with the motivations for murder as a series of mishaps send bodies her way. The unusual focus sets this apart from genre writing and makes it a special recommendation for any murder mystery library. Jennifer Rowe's LOVE HONOUR AND O'BRIEN (9781590585436, $24.95) tells of Holly Love, a clerk who ends up alone and starving in a dead man's flat. Her involvement with a cheating boyfriend and her desire for revenge brings her into a dank house and a strange mystery along with a troupe of powerful and strange characters. LOVE HONOUR AND O'BRIEN offers many absorbing twists and turns of plot and is a powerful recommendation for any mystery library. John McEvoy's PHOTO FINISH: A JACK DOYLE MYSTERY (9781464200151, $14.95) tells of Jack's new job working as a jockey's agent in the thoroughbred racing circuit: a job complicated when a rider's mishap leads to an investigation of illegal substances. Add a jockey's sibling rivalry, a host of possible suspects, and some new associations and you have a riveting horse world mystery especially recommended for fans of the Dick Francis genre of horse set murder mysteries. Ann Littlewood's ENDANGERED (9781590586211, $24.95) provides a satisfying zoo mystery and revolves around exotic animals at a marijuana grow site and a call for assistance to Zoo keeper iris, who discovers an animal smuggling ring and murder alike. Her job moves quickly from animal rescue to detective as she finds her zoo full, murder suspects invading her home, and dangers that send Iris on the run with her child. A gripping, engaging mystery evolves, perfect for any who want a change of mystery scene.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Fountain of Age
Nancy Kress
Small Beer Press
150 Pleasant Steet, #306
Easthampton, MA 01027
9781931520454, $16.00, www.smallbeerpress.com

Age is a very important part of the human experience. "Fountain of Age" is a collection of short fiction from Nancy Kress, winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards. Exploring our future and our lives, she places forth stories that face what we face everyday our lives and even those things that we don't truly fully understand out of our lives. "Fountain of Age" is an enticing and literary collection of short fiction that shouldn't be overlooked.

Zombies at Tiffany's
Sam Stone
Telos
9781845830724, $15.78, www.telos.co.uk

There's more to diamonds that just them looking pretty. "Zombies at Tiffany's" is a steampunk novel from Sam Stone, taking a humorous twist on the genres of steampunk and zombies. Kat Lightfoot thought she was set when she scored a job at Tiffanys in 1862. But the streets begin crawling with people prophecizing the time of darkness, and she has to learn the other applications of diamonds in her work place. "Zombies at Tiffany's" is a fun read that shouldn't be overlooked, highly recommended.

To Catch a Vampire
Jennifer Harlow
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive
Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
9780738727110, $14.99, www.midnightinkbooks.com

What was at first an act turns into something more. "To Catch a Vampire" is a suspense and mystery novel of the F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad, as telekinesis specialist Beatrice Alexander works with Vampire Oliver Montrose to infiltrate a group of vampires in Dallas. Posing as husband and wife, their link grows stronger, and the secrets they keep may have nothing on the secrets among them. For those who love a bit of supernatural fantasy blended with their mystery, "To Catch a Vampire" is a riveting work, hard to put down mystery, highly recommended.

Zombies
John Skipp, editor
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011
9781579128289, $18.95, www.workman.com

The shambling, unstoppable dead have become a pop culture fascination. "Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead" is a collection of short stories from some of fiction's most accomplished authors such as Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury and others. They come together to present their own take on the zombie, shambling dead ever consuming wrought from what was once called human. "Zombies" is a strong pick for any fan of horror and short fiction, especially of the zombie variety, highly recommended.

Kiss the Dead
Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkeley
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425247549, $27.95, www.penguin.com

KISS THE DEAD provides a fine Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel and represents the 21st installment of the Blake adventures, offering up a new mission after her Hit List adventure. Here a teen is abducted by vampires, involving U.S. Marshal Anita Blake in a strange journey that leads her to a strange group of ordinary folk recently turned into vampires - and willing to die for their freedom. Mystery, romance and vampire lore blend in a satisfying detective adventure especially recommended for any prior Blake fan!

Baen Books
PO Box 1188
Wake Forest, NC 27588
www.baen.com

Larry Correia's THE MONSTER HUNTERS (9781451637847, $24.00) packs three novels under one cover and features Owen Pitt and Earl Harbinger, Monster Hunter International participants. MONSTER HUNTER INTERNATIONAL tells of Owen's new job as a new recruit of the company, facing down the undead and struggling with romance, MONSTER HUNTER VENDETTA follows his first mission and Owen's struggles with an evil death cult after him for revenge, and MONSTER HUNTER ALPHA tells of werewolf leader earl Harbinger, who also works for Monster Hunter International but faces a dangerous foe in an ex-KGB werewolf. An outstanding set of individual stories is even more powerful as a unit, as in this set, recommended for any science fiction holding. Mark L. Van Name's NO GOING BACK (9781451638103, $22.00) provides a fine new Jon and Lobo novel and will be an eagerly-awaited pick for prior fans of the gripping adventures of a nanotech-enhanced man and his best friend, an intelligent (and mouthy) assault vehicle, Lobo. Here they are working on increasingly dangerous missions and when Jon meets a woman from his past and undertakes an illegal job, he faces more than security forces and adversity - he's facing love. A fine and spirited novel of adventure evolves, perfect for any science fiction collection, particularly those seeing excitement over the prior Jon and Lobo adventure stories. David Weber's WAR MAID'S CHOICE (9781451638356, $26.00) provides a fine fantasy novel revolving around the Dark Gods' conquest of a continent that can lead to their control of an entire universe - and a host of problems that come with it. Phrobus, ruler of the Dark Golds, and his children have tried to eliminate the opposition - and a young war maid named Leeana and her one-eyed mare may be the only two who stand in the way. Solid action and mythological battles take place that immerse readers in sorcery and battle in this fine military fantasy piece! Wen Spencer's ELFHOME (9781451637830, $24.00) tells of a world of magic and elves, a city stranded in a virgin elfin forest, and a war between some sixty thousand humans and a handful of elves. Winter is coming to this conflicted world, bringing with it human orphan genius Tinker, who is an elf princess ruling over her realm. She's determined to make her city a place of peace for elves and humans alike - but when elf children begin to vanish, she faces one of her greatest challenges in this powerful story of struggle and a clash between fantasy and human worlds.

Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Charles Stross's THE APOCALYPSE CODEX (9781937007461, $25.95) provides a new Laundry Files novel, fourth in a series that blends espionage fiction with supernatural horror, continuing the story of one Bob Howard, who is looking at promotion within the Laundry, a secret British agency that defends the land from occult threats. When a miracle healer enters the picture and becomes too close to the Prime Minister, it's Bob's job to investigate - with some unusual results. Any science fiction or horror enthusiast who appreciate detective-style intrigue in the mix will appreciate The Apocalypse Codex's twists and turns. Douglas Adams and Gareth Roberts's DOCTOR WHO: SHADA (9780425259986, $25.95) presents a "lost" Adams script in novel form, and is a solid pick for any Doctor Who enthusiast. Gareth Roberts is a veteran script-writer for the Doctor Who series - and the perfect choice to place Douglas Adams' novel in the limelight. Here Doctor Who's old friend has retired with few relics from his famous days - along with them a dangerous and powerful book which he's loaned to a simple grad student who want to use it to impress the girls. But it's the most dangerous artifact in the universe - and it's up to Doctor Who to keep it from falling into the wrong hands in this riveting adventure.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path
Urgyen Sangharakshita, author
Kulananda, narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9789626344163 $34.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path: An Introduction is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of the most well-known codification of the Buddha's teachings. Drawing directly upon the Buddha's first lesson, The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path distills the core precepts of Buddhism that cover all aspects of human life. Read aloud by Kulananda, a longstanding member of the Western Buddhist Order, The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path is a direct and immersive audio experience, highly recommended for any curious about Buddhism's teachings as well as for Buddhist practitioners. 5 CDs, 5 hours 34 min.

The Dark Age
Traci Harding
Bolinda Publishing
186 S Long Swamp Rd, Jackson, ME 04921
www.bolinda.com
9781743107751, $29.99, www.amazon.com

The first volume of 'The Ancient Future' trilogy by Traci Harding, "The Dark Age" is the story of Tory, a young woman who upon standing within a sacred British 'Ring of Stones' on a Solstice evening finds herself plunged back in time to ancient Britain where she encounters Prince Maelgwn of Gwyneed, his allies and his foes, as well as an incarnation of the fabled wizard Merlyn. A riveting novel of adventure, magic, time-travel, and true love, "The Dark Age" will leave listeners eagerly awaiting the rest of the trilogy. Ably narrated by Edwine Wren, this complete and unabridged audiobook production is technically flawless and highly recommended for personal and community library audiobook collections.

The Crime of Julian Wells
Thomas H. Cook, author
Traber Burns, narrator
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
9781611747454 $32.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com

The Crime of Julian Wells is the unabridged audiobook rendition of award-winning writer Thomas H. Cook's latest dark mystery. When the body of true-crime writer Julian Wells is discovered in a drifting boat, it prompts a host of questions: who could have killed him, and why? Could such a wealthy and celebrated man have realistically chosen to take his own life? Philip Anders, one of Wells' closest friends, cannot simply let the matter go. His strongest lead is an Argentinean crime that Wells was tracing shortly before his life fell apart and finally ended. Anders' search for the missing pieces of Wells' personal tragedy gradually threatens to overtake his own life, in this dark and dangerous narrative that will hold the listener in suspense to the very end. 6 CDs, 7 1/2 hours.

Friends Forever
Danielle Steel, author
Nick Podehl, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781423388722 $38.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Friends Forever is the unabridged audiobook rendition of widely popular novelist Danielle Steel's chronicle of the lifelong friendships formed between five children. Three boys and two girls each have their own personality and talents; as they transition from grade school to young adulthood, the shocks and storms of life begin to claim their toll. By the time they are ready for college, their future is unclear, and different destinies separate them. But despite the challenges, losses, and difficulties of forging one's own path in adulthood, is it possible for their friendships to reconnect once more? An emotional sage of life, love, turbulence, and the quintessential value of a friend in need, Friends Forever is a choice pick for simple listening pleasure, and for public library audiobook collections. 7 CDs, 8 hours 13 min.

Emma: A Widow Among the Amish
Ervin R. Stutzman
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue
Scottsdale, PA 15683-1999
9780836196511 $28.99 www.heraldpress.com

Read aloud by the author, Emma: A Widow Among the Amish is the unabridged audiobook rendition of Ervin R. Stutzman's true-life story of the tragedy that befell his mother, and her perseverance. Emma Stutzman lost her husband far too soon, and had to face the challenge of raising her children as a single parent. Especially perplexing was the conundrum of how to guide their faith in the Amish Mennonite church, when modern mainstream culture had its own seductive appeal. A powerful accounting of one woman's daily efforts to provide for her children both physically and spiritually, Emma: A Widow Among the Amish is a profound and uplifting listening experience. 8 CDs, 10 hours 7 min. Also highly recommended is the the author's previous true-life book about his father, "Tobias of the Amish".

One Last Thing Before I Go
Jonathan Tropper, author
John Shea, narrator
Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
9781611761191 $39.95 http://us.penguingroup.com

When is a man's life not worth the financial cost to save it? One Last Thing Before I Go is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a poignant novel about mistakes and regret. Drew Silver was once the drummer of a one-hit-wonder rock band; now he ekes out a living playing in wedding bands. He's divorced; his ex-wife is getting remarried; and his estranged teenage daughter may have to end her aspirations to attend Princeton because she's just confided in Silver that she's pregnant. When Silver learns that his heart requires surgery to save his life, he decides to refuse the expensive operation, instead choosing to focus what time he has left on improving his relationship with his daughter. One Last Thing Before I Go is bittersweet, with a jaunty thread of humor to counterbalance its serious take on the issues of life, death, and the struggle to meaningfully mend relationships. Highly recommended. 7 CDs, 8.5 hours.

The Unseen
Heather Graham
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781455863099, $32.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

Luke Daniels provides a vivid and engrossing voice in this powerful presentation THE UNSEEN, recounting an 1800s San Antonio saloon where a woman is brutally murdered, her killer a mystery. In modern times another woman vanishes, leaving behind blood and a mystery. Texas Ranger Logan Raintree discovers too many young women dead in a San Antonio bloodbath, and resolves to lead a new group of elite paranormal investigators on a mission to uncover the prep. Armed with a powerful knowledge of the dead, this group will uncover powerful truths and consequences in this vivid drama, recommended for any general interest holding.

Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor
New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouseaudio.com

Janet Evanovich's WICKED BUSINESS (9780307932587, $32.00) provides a new Lizzy and Diesel novel narrated by Lorelei King, an actress with many awards to her name, and telling of Lizzy Tucker's life as a pastry chef in Salem which changes due to her attraction to her partner Diesel. A Harvard English professor is mysteriously murdered and the pair set aside cooking to embark on an investigation for an ancient relic hidden somewhere in Boston. Their journey leads to a path of chaos and interactions with many searching for the same relic in this powerfully-charged saga of intrigue. Lincoln Child's THE THIRD GATE (9780307877147, $35.00) receives a fine narration by Jonathan McClain, who has appeared on many television shows and who here provide an absorbing voice to heighten tension in a riveting account of a professor who is an expert in the inexplicable, and who is invited to participate in an adventure surrounding a revolutionary new discovery. His journey will bring a legendary treasure hunter into danger in this powerful saga, recommended for any audio lending library. Mary C. Neal's TO HEAVEN AND BACK: A DOCTOR'S EXTRAORDINARY ACCOUNT OF HER DEATH, HEAVEN, ANGELS, AND LIFE AGAIN (9780307731715, $14.99) provides a true story paired with a vivid narration by Rebecca Lowman, a stage and film performer who brings the story to vivid life. It details the author's spiritual journey as she moved from life to death, drowning in a kayak accident in Chile. Her account of heaven, her communications with angels, and her return to her body with additional knowledge makes for a powerful spiritual journey and first-hand account of heaven. Highly recommended for any spiritual collection. AS TEXAS GOES...: HOW THE LONE STAR STATE HIJACKED THE AMERICAN AGENDA by Gail Collins (9780307969859, $35.00) comes from an author who narrates her own novel, capturing the colorful characters and political history of Texas and, even more importantly, offering an analysis of how Texas values, sentiments and approaches have affected the rest of the nation. Chapters go beyond the cultural cliches of Texas as a state of cowboy hats and oil wealth to consider the social impact Texas has on the rest of the world, and make for a fine analysis perfect for any nonfiction American history holding.

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
www.hachetteaudio.com

Elin Hildebrand's SUMMERLAND (9781607885269, $34.98) is unabridged on eleven CDs, narrated by actress Erin Bennett who lends a smooth and passionate voice to the saga, and tells of a student graduation celebration that ends in tragedy after a terrible car crash. One mother is left with a dead daughter and a long road to recovery for a twin son who had been a star athlete. Zoe's journey to discovery the truth behind the crash and her daughter's involvement in it will lead her and fellow parents to many eye-opening revelations in this story of tragedy and changes. Robert Ludlum's THE BOURNE IMPERATIVE (9781611134520, $34.98) provides a new Jason Bourne thriller written by Eric Van Lustbader, based on Ludlum's classic saga. A fine unabridged presentation narrated by Holter Graham spices the gripping story of a man who is saved from a freezing sea by Jason, who discovers the man has amnesia, much like Jason experienced years before. When he discovers the keys to this mystery and that of an agent who has gone off-grid, determined to locate his charge, are blended, Jason embarks on another journey of high drama and intrigue in a powerful thriller especially recommended for Ludlum fans and collections catering to them. Liza Klaussmann's TIGERS IN RED WEATHER (9781611130577, $29.98) receives a fine reading by Katherine Kellgren, who has recorded some 150 audiobooks, and whose fine and engrossing voice adds intimacy and insights to this story of Nick and her cousin, who grew up on the family home on Martha's Vineyard. The two women are embarking on their adult lives with a new marriage and travels, but each finds romance is challenging their sense of adventure and life's pleasures in this powerful blend of romance and change. James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge's I, MICHAEL BENNETT (9781607884044, $34.98) is a highly recommended pick for any detective story reader and follows Detective Michael Bennett who arrests a Mexican crime lord in a deadly chase that results in the death of Bennett's lifelong friend. The crime lord vows revenge for his arrest, so Bennett leaves for a family vacation cabin and a more relaxed small town atmosphere - only to discover violence hot on his train. A powerful novel with many twists and turns makes for a vivid listen!


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Dictionary of Veterinary Terms
Jennifer Coates
Alpine Publications
38262 Linman Rd., Crawford, CO 81415
1577790907, $22.95, www.alpinepub.com

Understanding the veterinarian is important for those who want to best care for their pet. "Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-Speak for the Non-Veterinarian" is a guide for pet owners who want to better communicate with their veterinarian as Jennifer Coates provides a comprehensive glossary on how to best understand these animal medicine terms. "Dictionary of Veterinary Terms" is well worth considering for any pet owner, highly recommended.

When Cats Reigned Like Kings
Georgie Anne Geyer
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
1412847346, $29.95, www.transactionpub.com

Cats were once viewed as sacred beings. "When Cats Reigned Like Kings: On the Trail of the Sacred Cats" is a study of history, as author Georgie Anne Geyer shares her own journey through feline history, visiting the sites of sacred cats to seek an understanding of the animal's close relation to humans, and their impact in their culture. An enticing read for any cat lover or just simply those fascinated by human history, "When Cats Reigned Like Kings" is a choice and much recommended addition to pet and history collections.

Wild Horse Annie
Alan J. Kania
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166
Reno, NV, 89557-0166
9780874178739, $26.95, www.unpress.nevada.edu

Cheapness should not allow cruelty. "Wild Horse Annie: Velma Johnston and Her Fight to Save the Mustang" tells the story of Velma Johnson, a ranch wife who rescued three badly inured wild horses from a horse trailer, and took the wanton abuse of the creatures to the United States Congress to gain them federal lands protection from the people who would capture and mistreat them. "Wild Horse Annie" is a strongly recommended pick for collections focusing on American conservation history, not to be overlooked.

Reiki Fur Babies
Candy Boroditsky & Ming Chee-Brown
Balboa Press
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403
9781452546827, $8.99, www.balboapress.com

Pets are more than just animals we keep around. "Reiki Fur Babies" is a spiritual pet guide from Candy Boroditsky & Ming Chee-Brown explore the spiritual power that one can have connecting to their pets, forming a bond like no other. Sharing their stories of healing and love, "Reiki Fur Babies" is a strong pick for any spiritual pet owner, highly recommended.

Clinical Small Animal Care
Kimm Wuestenberg
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780813805146, $54.99, www.wiley.com

Clinical Small Animal Care: Promoting Patient Health Through Preventative Nursing provides veterinary students with a fine introduction to daily practice, and is a pick for any college-level veterinary science collection. It offers specific, step-by-step advice on how to perform basic animal care, from husbandry and nutrition to caring for animals with various types of ailments, and it covers all the basics of working with and nursing small animals in a clinical setting. Best practices for promoting small animal health accompany hands-on skills for assessing and monitoring the small animal, making for a powerful review perfect for newcomers to veterinary science and clinical work.

The Black Rhinos of Namibia
Rick Bass
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
9780547055213, $25.00, www.hmhbooks.com

The Black Rhinos of Namibia: Searching for Survivors in the African Desert provides a powerful account by an author who made a name for himself as a seeker of rare animals in the American West. In this adventure he's off to Namib of southwest Africa searching out the elusive black rhino, and here offers a blend of personal travelogue and natural history packed with details on the natural history and threats to the black rhino. Any with an interest in African wildlife will find it a fine first-person account of hunting the elusive black rhino in the wild.

The Last Rhinos
Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9781250004512, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

THE LAST RHINOS: MY BATTLE TO SAVE ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST CREATURES tells of the author's discovery that the rare northern white rhino, living in the war-ravaged Congo, was on the brink of extinction, with a demanding black market for rhino horns turning defending the rhinos into a life-threatening endeavor. The northern white rhino's last refuge was in an area controlled by one of the most dangerous rebel groups in the world: author Lawrence Anthony made a dangerous pilgrimage to the heart of this territory to find the group and engage their help in protecting the rhino. This is his story: well worthy of any natural history holding, and a fine companion to other discussions of endangered species.

In Pursuit of Giants
Matt Rigney
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Putnam Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
978067002336, $26.95, www.penguin.com

IN PURSUIT OF GIANTS: ONE MAN'S GLOBAL SEARCH FOR THE LAST OF THE GREAT FISH tells of a veteran fisherman who sets out to track the few remaining big-game fish. While this could also have been featured in our sports section, it's reviewed here for its vivid insights on commercial fishing and the natural history of fish as a whole, and documents effort to preserve the last of the world's great fish. The sportfishing industry around the world is examined in a survey that includes numerous interviews with commercial and sportfish captains and marine biologists alike, who provide their own insights into fish conversation and related issues such as fish farmers and conservation activists. Natural history and fishing collections alike will find this a fun, popular pick!


The Travel Shelf

A Field Guide to Mineral Point
Nancy Pfotenhauer
Little Creek Press
5341 Sunny Ridge Road
Mineral Point, WI 53565
9780984924523 $18.00 www.littlecreekpress.com

A Field Guide to Mineral Point: The Buildings, Past and Present, of a Historic Wisconsin Town is a spiral-bound travel guide especially for Wisconsin tourists interested in exploring the fascinating history of Mineral Point, once a frontier town that boomed after the discovery of lead in 1828. A wealth of black-and-white photographs, both ancient and modern, illustrate this detailed, street-by-street guide to numerous historic buildings. Excerpts from local newspapers and historical publications supplement this excellent guide that will appeal to not only tourists, but also armchair travelers and anyone fascinated by Wisconsin's rich pioneer lore.

Israel & the Palestinian Territories
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street
Oakland CA 94607
9781741799361 $24.99 www.lonelyplanet.com

Featuring full-color maps and illustrations, including a pull-out map of Jerusalem, Israel & the Palestinian Territories is Lonely Planet's solid reference and resource to navigating Israel, covering restaurants, lodgings, holy sites, recreation, concise historical summaries, and much more. Easy to browse and use, Israel & the Palestinian Territories applies Lonely Planet's helpful, user-friendly format that makes looking up need-to-know information as simple as possible. Subsections of the guide are devoted especially to planning one's trip, understanding the land and its peoples, and a practical-minded "survival guide". Israel & the Palestinian Territories is a highly recommended "must-have" for anyone considering a trip to the region, whether for reasons of business, spirituality, or pleasure.

Meat London
Tom Howells & Thomas Blythe
Black Dog Publishing
10a Acton Street
London, England, WC1X 9NG
www.blackdogonline.com
9781907317880, $14.95, www.amazon.com

A handy, pocket-sized travel guide, "Meat London: An Insider's Guide" will prove to be of unique value for businessmen and tourists visiting London and wanting to sample the finest meat-bast cuisine the upscale restaurants of that venerable city have to offer. Beautifully illustrated, this 176-page compendium provides a two-page display for every showcased eating establishment that includes contact information and a succinct description of the restaurant's history and culinary offerings. As much fun to simply browse through as it is practical in planning itineraries, "Meat London: An Insider's Guide" is thoroughly 'user friendly' and a very highly recommended and specialized travel guide for London visitors.

Flanders
Emma Thomson
Bradt Guides
9781841623771, $23.99, www.bradtguides.com

Belgium holds much culture that's not quickly apparent to those taking the routine trip through Europe. "Flanders: Northern Belgium" is a travel guide for those who want to get the most out of their trip to this northern region of Belgium and experience its brews, its culture, and its history. Filled with detailed information and maps, "Flanders" is a strong addition to any European traveler reference collection.

A Room with a Pew
Richard Starks & Miriram Murcutt
Lyons Press
The Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200
Guilford, CT 06437
9780762781454, $16.95, www.globepequot.com

Spain has a rich religious history, a clash of cultures from Africa and Europe. "A Room with a Pew: Sleeping Our Way Through Spain's Ancient Monasteries" is a travelogue as Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt share their journey throughout Spain and its rich religious history, and meeting with the monks and nuns of the region, including the paths much less traveled. "A Room with a Pew" is a must for anyone who enjoys taking their own touristy pilgrimage, highly recommended.

Two Guys On the Road
Steve Chandler & Terrence N. Hill
Robert D. Reed Publishers
PO Box 1992, Bandon, OR 97411
9781934759639, $14.95, www.rdrpublishers.com

We can all see our worlds so very differently. "Two Guys on the Road: Walking Backwards Across the World" is a unique sort of memoir as Steve Chandler and Terrence Hill come together compose another collection of writings, as they share their adventures through the world and their exclusive experiences and how they contrast with one another. Through postcards and letters, their adventures provide a revealing picture of the world. "Two Guys on the Road" is a fine addition to anyone seeking humor and memoirs of world travel.

Philippines
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street
Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

Greg Bloom, et.al.'s country guide LONELY PLANET PHILIPPINES (9781741796940, $29.99) is a take-along 'must' for any destination-oriented travel planner who wants to get the most from a trip to the Philippines. It provides the latest updated coverage to various destinations in the Philippines and candidly covers both pros and cons of travel throughout the country. Most guidebooks provide coverage of recommendations only, but this book provides clear surveys of what is good and bad about travel in the region, allowing independent travelers to make better decisions about where to go and how. LONELY PLANET PHILIPPINES is a fine guide any travel planner will want! Carolyn Bain, et.al.'s LONELY PLANET DENMARK (9781741792812, $24.99) covers the history, culture, food and attractions of Denmark and offers travelers detailed itineraries and advice on making the most of a visit to the country. From a pull-out map of Copenhagen to sidebars of information on what to see and where to go, this covers all the basics of getting around Denmark and offers independent travelers a fine take-along travel planner. The same attention to detail is provided in Becky Ohlsen, et.al.'s LONELY PLANET SWEDEN (9781741797268, $23.99), which appears in its fifth updated edition covering the entire country and its attractions. From maps of urban and town areas to advice on where to stay, what to eat and where to travel, LONELY PLANET SWEDEN is packed with information key to quick and accurate travel planning.


The Sports Shelf

Woody Durham: A Tar Heel Voice
Woody Durham with Adam Lucas
John F. Blair, Publisher
1406 Plaza Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
9780895875778 $26.95 www.blairpub.com

Woody Durham: A Tar Heel Voice is the true-life story of Woody Durham, who served for forty years as "the voice of the Tar Heels", that is, the play-by-play radio announcer for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, especially their football and basketball games. His exemplary skill and service earned him multiple broadcasting honors, and a place in the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame. Woody Durham: A Tar Heel Voice is part autobiography, part history of the Tar Heels, and part behind-the-scenes insight into what makes college sports tick. A handful of black-and-white photographs and an index round out this excellent read for fans of college sports.

Triumph of Nations
Terry Shaw & Mike Horah
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849089289, $34.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

TRIUMPH OF NATIONS: WARGAMING RULES FOR NAPOLEONIC TABLETOP GAMING provides a field guide for FIELD OF GLORY NAPOLEONIC and provides players with army lists and details needed to recreate the battles of the later Empire. It's a fine companion for any partaking of tabletop historical miniature war games, packing in color illustrations, unit and division coverages, military information, and details on creating a customized army. Wargamers will find this a winning survey!

Bushville Wins!
John Klima
St. Martins Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9781250006073, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

BUSHVILLE WINS: THE WILD SAGA OF THE 1957 MILWAUKEE BRAVES AND THE SCREWBALLS, SLUGGERS, AND BEER SWIGGERS WHO CANNED THE NEW YORK YANKEES AND CHANGED BASEBALL is a lively, charged survey of the New York Yankees and the Boston Braves, covering the reasons behind the major league team's move to a minor league town. At the tile Milwaukee was viewed as a small redneck town where the fans were ignorant drunkards who didn't take the game seriously. One slugger made a difference and an entire team proved to New York that other towns could topple their baseball dynasty in a moving, engrossing account highly recommended for any into baseball history.

Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.humankinetics.com

Dick Hannula and Nort Thornton's SWIM COACHING BIBLE, VOLUME II (9780736094085, $24.95) gathers the secrets and strategies of nearly thirty of the world's best swim coaches, organizing essays under one cover and covering everything from basic swim teaching and developing winning swimmers to creating a program to refine and enhance a training program. Any who coach the sport who want to foster competitive young swimmers will find this is indeed a 'bible' packed with specifics on common issues and how to address them. Another solid, more general guide to the topic is the fourth updated edition of Rainer Martens' SUCCESSFUL COACHING (9781450400510, $49.95) and tells how to identify and develop a coaching philosophy to clarify coaching objectives and style. From blending proven coaching techniques with skills and improving athletic performance to preparing management functions all coaches must tackle, planning for teaching, and training for fitness, this is a solid sport education program in a book, and covers all the basics of general coaching.


The Dance Shelf

Ballet Beautiful
Mary Helen Bowers
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780736215907, $20.00, www.dacapopress.com

BALLET BEAUTIFUL: TRANSFORM YOUR BODY AND GAIN THE STRENGTH, GRACE, AND FOCUS OF A BALLET DANCER tells how to gain the body of a dancer without looking like one, and teaches how to emulate ballet moves that provide exercise to specific body parts. More than just a series of ballet exercises, though, the book targets methods, lifestyle and mindset changes alike, offering advice for setting realistic goals, achieving them with workouts based on ballet moves, and understanding ballet through step-by-step photo examples. Tips for meals are included, but the meat of the title lies in its clear examples of basic ballet movements even non-ballet readers can absorb.


The Military Shelf

Carrying the War to the Enemy
Michael R. Matheny
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806143248 $24.95 www.oupress.com

Michael R. Matheny (Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations faculty member of the U.S. Army War College) presents Carrying the War to the Enemy: American Operational Art to 1945, a close study of the evolution of "operational art", a term to describe how tactics can be applied to create strategic victories, and how battles and operations can be designed, synchronized, and conducted with goals in mind. A common viewpoint is that modern operational art did not develop until between the First and Second World Wars, between Germany and the Soviet Union. Carrying the War to the Enemy offers a persuasive counterview, postulating that the evolution of American military thinking at the operational level up through World War II has not been sufficiently appreciated or studied. Chapters especially focus upon operational art as connected to landpower, airpower, and seapower, as well as how operational art contributed to American victories in the European Theater and Pacific Theater of World War II. In today's complex wars, where operational art is more important than ever, it is invaluable to explore the roots and applications of operational art. Carrying the War to the Enemy (volume 28 in the "Campaigns and Commanders" series) is an invaluable addition to college military history and reference shelves, especially those of military colleges.

Sua Sponte
Dick Couch
Berkeley Caliber
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780425247587, $26.95, www.penguin.com

Sua Sponte: The Forging of a Modern American Ranger provides a powerful examination of the Army Rangers, comes from a former Navy SEAL, and reflects unprecedented access to the training of the Rangers unit, making this a 'must' for any military collection. It comes from a retired Navy captain who tells the personal story of those who serve on Rangers missions, providing an insider's look that follows these fighters through training and action missions in Afghanistan against the Taliban. Any interested in the Special Forces will find this packed with eye-opening insights into the Rangers and how they function.

Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
www.ospreypublishing.com

Stephen Turnbull's TOKUGAWA IEYASU (9781849085748, $18.95) provides a fine biography of a Japanese commander of early modern Japan: a military leader who completed Japan's reunification after over a century of civil war, then placed his family in a political position they were to enjoy for two and a half centuries. Ieyasu's military career and achievements are documented along with a healthy dose of Japanese history, with color maps and photos throughout. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any Japanese history or military history holding. Robert Forczyk's DEMYANSK 1942-43: THE FROZEN FORTRESS (9781849085526, $21.95) joins others in Osprey's 'Campaign' series and provides powerful in-depth survey of the fighting around the town of Demyansk, one of the longest encirclement battles of World War II. From the roles played by the Luftwaffe to supply issues and illusions that led to German disaster, this is a recommendation for any World War II detail-oriented library strong in battle and strategy analysis. Andrew Thomas' DEFIANT, BLENHEIM AND HAVOC ACES (9781849086660, $22.95) provides a fine survey of some of the lesser-known fighter planes to serve with the RAF in World War II, and the pilots that flew them. The Defiant and the Blenheim were frontline day fighters during the first year of the war and enjoyed many successes before their encounter with the superior Bf109 turned them into night fighters. The little-covered planes and the aces who flew them receive in-depth coverage in this latest addition to Osprey's 'Aircraft of the Aces' series, recommended for any military or aviation history holding. David Greentree's KNIGHT'S MOVE: THE HUNT FOR MARSHAL TITO 1944 (9781849086011, $18.95) charts a 1944 event where 800 men of the 500th SS Parachute Battalion descended on a small town behind enemy lines in Bosnia with the aim to kill or capture Tito in his base. The daring assault proved unsuccessful when Tito escaped and the paratroopers were nearly destroyed: this history offers rare photos of the raid, new maps, and analyzes strategy in a fine account recommended for any military history holding. Also recommended for such a collection is Frederick C. Schneid's THE SECOND WAR OF ITALIAN UNIFICATION 1859-61 (9781849087872, $20.95), a fine survey that tells of a complex conflict in 1859 that defined and united the country we know today as 'Italy'. The conflict was a war between the Italian states and a struggle between two European powers, and this book follows the politics and military strategy of 19th century warfare in a powerful recommendation for military history and Italian history holdings alike. Bryn Hammond's EL ALAMEIN: THE BATTLE THAT TURNED THE TIDE OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR (9781849086400, $24.95) belongs in any World War II collection and tells of the battle of El Alamein in 1942, which was a turning point of the war. At Alamein the British were finally able to thwart a German advance, eventually driving the Axis forces out of North Africa. This victory represented a mass effort of soldiers from around the world, and succeeded in finally dispelling the myth of German soldier invulnerability. First-hand accounts lend a personal touch to these experiences of the battle's strategies and successes.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Scandal
Angela Senander
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500
Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
9780814634103, $14.95, www.litpress.org

The Catholic Church has faced much scandal in recent years. "Scandal: The Catholic Church in Public Life" analyzes the Catholic Church's perception in society and how it reflects with the ideas of the Good News of God's Saving Love. Scandal surrounding the church has influenced much of the hierarchies responses to various issues, and Angela Senander writes with knowledge on how this has changed and morphed many things. "Scandal" is a strong addition to any Catholic studies collection, highly recommended.

Being Well
Elana Rosenbaum
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02115-4544
9781611800005, $14.95, www.shambhala.com

Piece of mind is not just for the physically healthy. "Being Well: (Even When You're Sick): Mindfulness Practices for People with Cancer and Other Serious Illnesses" is a spirituality and mental well being guide from Elana Rosenbaum who advises readers on trying to find that healthy mindset and keeping it through life, despite the tolls of stress or illness. "Being Well" is a must for any spiritual health collection, highly recommended. Also from Shambhala for wellness is "The Healing Power of the Breath" (9781590309025, $17.95), touching on the value of breath and healing for improving one's general health.

A Still and Quiet Place
Hope Lyda
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North
Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736942348, $17.99, www.harvesthousepublishers.com

A silent point in our lives is times to think and enjoy what one has. "A Still and Quiet Place: Gentle Words to Calm Your Soul" is a collection of thoughts on silence and tranquility as Hope Lyda presents an insightful exploration of the soul and the devotion to God that we find in our everyday lives and in finding peace. "A Still and Quiet Place" is a strong pick for spirituality and as an excellent choice for a gift book.

Using the Power of Hope to Cope with Dying
Cathleen Fanslow-Brunjes
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary
Fresno, CA 93721
9781610350242, $16.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com

Death is a terrifying thing, and we don't know how terrifying it is until we're looking it in the eyes. "Using the Power of Hope to Cope with Dying: The Four Stages of Hope" is an inspirational read for those who are facing the ends of their lives and those who are caring for these people in their roughest hour of need. Outlining the "Hope System", Cathleen Fanslow-Brunjes gives readers something to live by, and potentially die by. "Using the Power of Hope to Cope with Dying" is strongly recommended to spirituality collections.

Implosion
Joel C. Rosenberg
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414319674, $26.99, www.tyndalehouse.com

IMPLOSION: CAN AMERICA RECOVER FROM ITS ECONOMIC AND SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES IN TIME provides a powerful, wide-reaching spiritual and social issues survey that considers religious concerns about the nation's choices, and draws connections between economy, society, and what the Bible says should be done next. Chapters offer insights into this particular point of our nation's history and choices, and provide an excellent survey that links social, political and spiritual options for spiritual collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

50 Days of Hope
Lynn Eib
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414364490 $13.99 www.tyndale.com

Colon cancer survivor Lynn Eib presents 50 Days of Hope: Daily Inspiration for Your Journey through Cancer, a compilation of God's wisdom from Biblical passages that is directly applicable to the trials that those diagnosed with cancer must face. "I believe I have a heavenly Father who loves me, watches over me, and has good plans for my life. So why did a nice girl like me get a not-nice thing like cancer? The reality is that God's Word never promises that He will stop all bad things from happening to us. On the contrary, it promises us that He is prepared for each battle and will equip us too. 'The Message' paraphrases 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 this way: 'We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken.'" A profound and powerful resource of spiritual wisdom, 50 Days of Hope is an excellent read for any and all Christians struggling with great troubles, not just those fighting the battle against cancer. Also highly recommended is the author's previous book, "When God & Cancer Meet" (9780842370158, $13.99).

Thriving in Leadership
Karen A. Longman
Abilene Christian University Press
1626 Campus Court, Abilene, TX 79601
9780891122296, $24.99, www.abilenechristianuniversitypress.com

Good leadership is needed in any field, especially when training the leaders of tomorrow. "Thriving in Leadership: Strategies for Making a Difference in Christian Higher Education" is a guide for those involved in Christian Higher Education to help their students in Christian colleges and universities, and inspiring values that will stay with students for years to come. From student government, the classroom, and sharing stories from others in their tales of leadership, "Thriving in Leadership" is to be considered for anyone leading in a Christian academic environment.

10 Life-Charged Words
Derek Maul
Upper Room Books
PO Box 340003
Nashville, TN 37203-0003
9780835811163, $16.00, www.upperroom.org

Men often lose sight of their faith more quickly than women. "10 Life-Charged Words" is a Christian inspirational guide from Derek Maul, who presents many tales of helping men retain and charge their lives more effectively. Drawing on personal anecdotes, ideas to consider, and things to talk about with other Christian men for their lives. "10 Life-Charged Words" is a strong addition to Christian and inspirational collections, much recommended.

Unfashionable
Tullian Tchividjian
Multnomah Books
12265 Oracle Blvd., Suite 200
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
9781601434105, $14.99, www.multnomahbooks.com

Sometimes the right thing isn't the most popular thing. "Unfashionable: Making a Difference in the World by Being Different" is a Christian empowerment guide that advises readers to go against trends if they feel that is what required of them to make a positive impact in the world, much like Jesus had done two thousand years ago. "Unfashionable" is an empowering read for Christians and those who want to make a difference in general, recommended.

Fearing the Stigmata
Matt Weber
Loyola Press
3441 North Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
9780829437362, $13.95, www.LoyolaBooks.org

The Stigmata, spontaneous bleeding holes upon one's hands and feet, are marks of virtuous Catholicism. "Fearing the Stigmata" is a collection of humorous short stories from Matt Weber, as he draws on his experiences of trying to be a good Catholic while evading the Stigmata, something he viewed avoiding as well worth the stigmata. Touching on faith and modern life, Weber comes with plenty of moving stories of life and advises young Catholics how to keep the spirit strong in these trying times. "Fearing the Stigmata" is a strong addition to any Catholicism collection focusing on modern life.

Unlocking the Treasure
Bev Roozeboom
Westbow Press
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200
Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
9781449715991, $16.95, www.westbowpress.com

When faced with a child who isn't like all the others, panic can wrongfully set in. "Unlocking the Treasure: A Bible Study for Moms Entrusted with Special-Needs Children" is a guide for mothers of special needs children who are often conflicted on what to do with their children who have a diagnosis such as bipolar disorder, autism, or other childhood disabilities. Drawing from faith, Bev Roozeboom advises readers to encourage greater dedication to their children and making them feel like they really belong. "Unlocking the Treasure" is to be considered for Christian parents, recommended.

Dreaming of More
Michelle Anthony
David C. Cook
4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
9781434700162, $14.99, www.davidccook.com

Faith and family go together often. "Dreaming of More For the Next Generation: Lifetime Faith Ignited by Family Ministry" is a Christian guide that encourages families to inspire life long faith and inspiration in their children's life, encouraging them to become spiritual leaders themselves and much more. "Dreaming of More for the Next Generation" is a strongly recommended addition to Christian family collections for those who want to inspire greater faith from themselves and those they love.

Taking Jesus at His Word
Addison Hodges Hart
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802866912, $18.00, www.eerdmans.com

The words of Christ hold power, and they can all too often be overlooked. "Taking Jesus at His Word: What Jesus Really Said In the Sermon on the Mount" explores the words of Christ in the context of the legendary sermon, seeking to resonate his message genuinely with the modern era, which has been distorted in the modern day, as retired pastor Addison Hodges hart seeks to advise modern Christians to follow Christ's lead. "Taking Jesus at His Word" is a much recommended addition to Christian Studies collections.

The One Year Devotions for Women
Ann Spangler
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414336022, $15.99, www.tyndale.com

Finding peace in a world that expects so much from you has proven so difficult for many women. "The One Year Devotions for Women: Becoming a Woman at Peace" is a collection of inspirational and faith driven passages for everyday of the year as Ann Spangler presents much for women to ponder and help women find peace throughout their lives and how to put it all together. "The One Year Devotion for Women" is a strong addition to any Christian studies or woman's inspirational collection.

The Art of Faith
Judith Couchman
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568
Orleans, MA 02653
9781557256300, $22.99, www.paracletepress.com

Art is founded heavily and symbolism, which risks flying over the viewer's head. "The Art of Faith: A Guide to Understanding Christian Images" is a Christian spirituality guide as Judith Coachman coaches readers on how to better understand the ins and outs of Christian art work and how to connect them all together and get the most out of many famed Christian works of art. "The Art of Faith" is a must for those who want to gain greater education in Christian artwork.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works Volume II
Fortress Press
P.O. Box 1209
Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
9780800698386, $60.00, http://fortresspress.com/

On the eve of the Third Reich, there was much changing. "Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works Volume II: Ecumenical, Academic, and Pastoral Work 1931-1932" is the second entry into the series covering the man's woks and his writings. At the time, Bonhoeffer was entering the second half of his twenties; he returned to Germany shortly before Hitler's rise to power, and the Third Reich would eventually claim his life. In his short forty years, he gained much influence on the role of Christianity in a secular world. "Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works Volume II" is a must for any world history collection and for Christian studies as well.

Telling the Gospel Through Story
Christine Dillon
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400
Downers Grove, IL 605151426
9780830837946, $15.00, www.ivpress.com

Narrative is a powerful tool. "Telling the Gospel Through Story: Evangelism That Keeps Hearers Wanting More" is a guide for those who want to share the gospel through the power of storytelling. Christine Dillon touches on how to tell a better story through scripture, and making sure your story connects with your audience. "Telling the Gospel Through Story" is a must for general Christian collections focusing on ministry.

Adam, God's Beloved
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Orbis Books
PO Box 308
Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759949, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Through God, new strength can be found. "Adam, God's Beloved" is a Christian inspirational and memoir from Henri J. M. Nouwen as he recounts his friendship with a handicapped young man, Adam. Through their friendship, Henri writes of how Adam's drive sought to inspire him to greater success and higher potential in his life. "Adam, God's Beloved" is a powerful read, the last work of priest Henri J. M. Nouwen, a faithfully inspiring one as well.

Liguori Publications
1 Liguori Drive
Liguori, MO 63057-9999
www.liguori.org

Two books by Pia Septien, a biblical instructor at the University of Dallas School of Ministry, tells Christians of all backgrounds about notable women of the Bible and the moral lessons they have for us today. "Women of the Old Testament: Their Lives, Our Hope" (9780764822049, $8.99) tells of women who acted on behalf of their community (Miriam and Abigail); who suffered abuse and neglect (Hagar, Leah, and Michal); and who demonstrated immense wisdom (Hannah, the woman of Proverbs 31); and who embodied pro-life values (Ruth, Shiphrah and Puah). "Women of the New Testament: Their Lives, Our Hope" (9780764822162, $8.99) discusses women who saw God in the child Jesus (Mary mother of Jesus, Elizabeth mother of John the Baptist, and Anna the prophetess); women who understood God's paramount greatness (friends of Jesus Martha and Mary, Lydia, and the first witness of Christ's resurrection Mary Magdalene); and women who personally experienced the salvation brought by Jesus. Each of these stories is couched with thought-provoking questions for personal reflection, group questions and activities, suggested resolutions, prayers, and more. Although Women of the Old Testament and Women of the New Testament are written primarily from a Catholic perspective, with special attention paid to the meaning of Catholic catechisms, Christians of all denominations can draw inspiration from these excellent supplemental Bible study guides. Highly recommended.

Jesus Through Pagan Eyes
Reverend mark Townsend
Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
2143 Wooddale Drive
Woodbury, MN 55125
9780738721910, $19.95, www.llewellyn.com

JESUS THROUGH PAGAN EYES: BRIDGING NEOPAGAN PERSPECTIVES WITH A PROGRESSIVE VISION OF CHRIST offers a new book by a British clergyman who left the Church of England, and provides a survey on reclaiming the teachings of Christ for those in non-Christian faiths. Stories, essays, and interviews about Jesus come from some of today's most respected neo-Christian spiritual leaders, and provides a fine historical survey of the Jesus icon in relation to modern goddess worship, shamanism and more.

The Pope and I
Jerzy Kluger and Gianfranco De Simone
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759703, $26.00, www.orbisbooks.com

The Pope and I: How the Lifelong Friendship between a Polish Jew and John Paul II Advanced Jewish-Christian Relations describes a powerful friendship between a Christian pope and a Polish Jew, documenting the powerful results of a childhood friendship that led the Pope on a mission against anti-Semitism and helped change the world. While their story has been documented before, this is the first time Jerzy Kluger has provided a memoir from his perspective, and provides a powerful saga of an ongoing friendship and its world-changing impact. Any spirituality holding will find this a fine addition!

The Acting Person and Christian Moral Life
Darlene Fozard Weaver
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589017726, $32.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

The Acting Person and Christian Moral Life provides a scholarly analysis of the effects of particular moral actions on one's Christian spiritual life, showing how people negotiate and form their relationships with God based on their interactions with others in life. Human action, choice, and neglect not only affects this relationship; it tailors and often defines it, and The Acting Person and Christian Moral Life outlines the parameters whereby the Christian believer can lead a more moral life and thus enjoy greater connections to God. Any college-level Christian collections needs this fine survey.

Divine Alignment
Squire Rushnell
Howard Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451648560, $19.99, www.simonandschuster.com

DIVINE ALIGNMENT: HOW GODWINK MOMENTS GUIDE YOUR JOURNEY provides insights into Divine Alignment; the arrangement of coincidences into a pattern of alignment that could only come from God. Moving stories from the author's own life blend with a focus on such coincidences to show how readers can use their own personal navigation systems to discover more direct connections to God in a recommended pick for any spirituality collection seeking concrete ways to link life experiences with religious insights and growth.


The Computer Shelf

Keyboarding and Beyond
Tehodor Richardson & Charles Thies
Mercury Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166
9781936420360, $79.95, www.internationalpubmarket.com

Speed and efficiency mean everything in data entry and word processing. "Keyboarding and Beyond: Introductory Typing and Word Processing" is a text reference for improving one's word processing speeds and using common word processing programs to help one excel at their word processing. Chapters allow typists to understand how to improve their techniques with hand positioning and much more. With a companion DVD that expands on web-based practice software and video instruction, as well as color images all throughout illustrating the lessons in the book. For anyone who wants to take their own typing to the next level or as an instructor's aid in teaching a typing class, "Keyboarding and Beyond" is a strong addition to computer reference college library collections.

Deploying Rails
Anthony Burns and Tom Copeland
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356951, $30.00, www.pragprog.com

An application needs to be able to run on its own, without constant input from its programmer. "Deploying Rails: Automate, Deploy, Scale, Maintain, and Sleep at Night" is a guide to the Ruby tool Rails, designed for automating servers effectively. Tom Copeland, an experienced Ruby coder, provides his insights and ideas on making the most out of the programs and make it all work together more harmoniously. For anyone coding in Ruby, "Deploying Rails" is an essential reference for taking one's programming skills to the next level.

HTML5 Canvas and CSS3 Graphics Primer
Oswald Campesato
Mercury Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166
9781936420346, $39.95, www.internationalpubmarket.com

A picture is worth a thousand words, and that makes graphics the biggest focus of the next incarnations of web languages. "HTML5 Canvas and CSS3 Graphics Primer" is a guide to the latest updates to the HTML5 and CSS3 languages, focusing on their graphical capabilities. Chapters cover HTML5 Canvas, SVG, Linear Gradients, and all the details for maximizing one's potential with these programs. "HTML5 Canvas and CSS3 Graphics Primer" is a vital and strongly recommended technical reference, reinforced by a companion CD-ROM which presents much example source code and ideas to take the next level.

Adobe Dreamweaver CS6 Classroom in a Book
Adobe Systems
Adobe Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321822451, $54.99, www.adobepress.com

Adobe Dreamweaver CS6 Classroom in a Book provides a powerful and comprehensive course on learning Dreamweaver CS6, and offers 17 lessons covering the basics of Adobe Dreamweaver. All you need is Dreamweaver CS6 software for either Windows or Mac to benefit from the written instructions and the accompanying DVD-ROM of lesson files and up to two hours of video training supporting the book's lessons. From previewing files and inserting images to understanding Dreamweaver's quirks and oddities, this provides an outstanding survey for any who would learn the basics on their own.

Using Mac OS X Lion Server: Managing Mac Services at Home and Office
Charles Edge Jr.
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449316051, $29.99, www.oreilly.com

Using Mac OS X Lion Server: Managing Mac Services at Home and Office is for any newcomer learning to use Mac OS X Lion Server for either business or a home network, and offers basic keys to configuring a network, setting up servers, handling multiple operating systems, and more. Here is a basic discussion of platforms and applications that covers the basics of Lion's web service and features, from Apple's Time Machine for network backup to using disk imaging for adding new Apple computers to the system. IT managers and systems administrators will find this a winner!

Microsoft Private Cloud Computing
Aidan Finn, et.al.
Sybex
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46256
www.wiley.com
9781118251478, $49.99, www.sybex.com

Microsoft Private Cloud Computing provides a fine survey guiding newcomers through the Cloud technology and its many possibilities, and is a top pick for programmers and IT managers who want to set up VMM environments for business, add library servers, and interact with a private cloud with VMM interfaces. The result is a powerful survey packed with details on the cloud and its operations, linking common business and computer practices to cloud operations. Black and white screen shot examples and sidebars of information make this a winning presentation!

John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Jennifer Smith, et.al. ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE 6 DESIGN & WEB PREMIUM ALL-IN-ONE FOR DUMMIES (9781118168608, $39.99) tells how to get the most out of Adobe's many tools, from 3D images and illustrations to web pages and interactive effects. Chapters show how to build better page layouts, how to use Illustrator CS6 features to present powerful illustrations, how to save documents as PDFs and get the most out of Flash on a website design, and much more. At over a thousand pages, this is a virtual bible of facts packed with black and white screen shots and step-by-step instructions throughout. Michael Alexander's 101 READY-TO-USE EXCEL MACROS (9781118281215, $39.99) is packed with details on using Excel spreadsheets and working with macros to make work easier. Where most titles offer in-depth courses on the complex topic, this book is designed to get the user up-and-running quickly without having to learn Visual Basic for Applications. Step-by-step instructions tell how to create VBA macros, how to customize them, and how to apply them. The code packs pages filled with formulas for everything from applying alternate color banding throughout a document to setting all data items to sum and closing all workbooks at once. Each macro comes with 'How it Works' and 'How to Use It' sections for quick understanding of the applications involved. An serious Excel user will consider this a powerful time-saver!

Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.microsoft.com/mspress

Itzik Ben-Gan's MICROSOFT SQL SERVER 2012 HIGH-PERFORMANCE T-SQL USING WINDOW FUNCTIONS (9780735658363, $36.99) teaches how to optimize and work with queries using window functions in Transact-SQL, and is a pick for any advanced programmer's library. It offers all kinds of keys to increasing query speed, improving sequencing, and more, and covers everything from rank, distribution and offset techniques to handling intervals and gaps. It's very specific - which will be especially pleasing to professionals tired of the all-in-one approaches to computer guidebooks, and it provides all the nuts and bolts needed to fine-tune and work with Microsoft SQL Server 2012. Mitch Tulloch works with the Windows Server Team to present INTRODUCING WINDOWS SERVER 2012 (9780735666795, $14.99), offering a first look at the next release of Windows Server. From evaluating Windows Server 2012 based on beta to discussions of its new features and scenario-based insights, this packs in basic keys to understanding Cloud applications and much more, and is a 'must' for any programmer working with Windows Server. John Pierce's MOS STUDY GUIDE FOR MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 (9780735669031, $11.99) provides a fine in-depth coverage for any preparing for MOS Office 365 certification, offering an official study guide that pairs objective-by-objective coverage with practice tasks and reviews designed to increase familiarity with the exam and its credential requirements. Chapters cover the basics of certification requirements in a fine guide for any interested in acing the exam. Rob Miles' START HERE! LEARN THE KINECT API (9780735603961, $34.99) is for any who would learn Kinect programming basics, showing how to build apps that use motion tracking, voice recognition, and more. From displaying Kinect video on a PC to drawing on a computer screen by moving a finger in the air and more, this offers code samples, easily-followed introductions and examples, and step-by-step insights for developers. Very highly recommended!

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

Brian P. Hogan, et.al.'s WEB DEVELOPMENT RECIPES (9781934356838, $35.00) offers a range of cutting-edge web development techniques, from keys to web hosting and UI to tweaks to buttons, content, display, and building user interfaces, and is a recommendation for any web developer's collection. It is intended for front-end developers who want to add the best enhancements to their content, and requires a newer browser, a text editor, and a working knowledge of HTML and JavaScript. Recipes range from framework tools to Javascript techniques, and provide developers with some background with specific tools for customizing and enhancing their web development techniques. The result is a fine reference for any web developer who wants to improve upon an existing, basic skillset. Chad Fowler's RAILS RECIPES RAILS 3 EDITION (9781934356777, $35.00) is written for Rails developers at all level of experience, and covers some seventy common problems developers are likely to face on the job. Recipes have been updated for this second edition to reflect the latest features of Rails 3.1, and offers new solutions to problems that range from testing and deploying a site to extending Rails processes. A 'must' for any development collection catering to Rails users.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Hartland Horses
Gail Fitch
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road
Atglen, PA 19310
9780764340284, $29.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Model horses carry much charm to their collectors, and many enticing creations have emerged since a decade ago. "Hartland Horses: New Model Horses Since 2000" is a guide to the newest model horses created in recent times, demonstrating the figures, their accessories, their values and the extent of their collections. With full color photographs of nearly every item discussed, "Hartland Horses" is a must for the enthusiastic collector, highly recommended.

Top 50 Most Popular Modern Coins
Eric Jordan and Tom Maban
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.krausebooks.com
9781440230677, $14.99, www.shopnumismaster.com

Top 50 Most Popular Modern Coins covers the 'best of the best' novelty collector coins that anyone can afford, and is a top recommendation for newcomers to coin collecting who want to understand the basics by starting a new collection. From choosing a collecting path by mintmark or composition to just collecting the 50 issues featured herein, Top 50 Most Popular Modern Coins provides an excellent, illustrated starting point for any avid collector.

The Encyclopedia of Glass
Mark Pickvet
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764339257, $29.99, www.schifferbooks.com

The Encyclopedia of Glass provides a new, expanded edition that updates all glass values, and is a top pick for any collector's reference library. Over four thousand listings of glassware make it a snap to look up artisans, values, styles, and designers from antiquity to modern times, while cross-referencing between topics makes it quick and easy to move between topics and approaches. All kinds of glass-related topics make discussions lively and educational in a pick recommended for any collector's reference library.


The Architecture Shelf

Instant Cities
Herbert Wright
Black Dog Publishing
c/o Actar Distribution
151 Grand Street, 5th floor
New York, NY 10013
9781906155346 $65.00 www.actar-d.com

Instant Cities is a broad-ranging survey of the rise of the modern metropolis, with a focus on several themes, such as effective planning vs. unregulated growth, globalization vs. localization, and attempts to foster environmental sustainability in the wake of an increasing human population. Sumptuously illustrated with full-color photography throughout, Instant Cities tackles the modern problems besetting cities head-on, and explores the lessons of a variety of case studies including Thames Town, Dharavi, Moscow City, and Cumbernauld. "'Sprawl' is a term often used, but rarely broken down... Developments are zoned for single use (that is, housing, retail and office developments are rigidly separated) and zoning regulations require a set distance between them to be observed. This distance isn't walkable, and so walking or even cycling are not viable options... All of these factors combine to create a dependence on the automobile for all journeys... As everyone tends to have a car because of this, there is no demand for a public transport system... Developers misleadingly call their new sub-divisions 'towns' and 'villages', but don't provide the infrastructure - shops, schools, parks - that such names imply." Accessible to lay readers and urban planning professionals alike, Instant Cities is insightful, well-researched, and an invaluable contribution to the ongoing discussion of human civilization's optimal structures going forward.

Manual Of Museum Planning, third edition
Barry Lord, et al.
AltaMira Press
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.rlpgbooks.com
9780759121461, $79.95, www.amazon.com

From small local community history museums manned by volunteers to large metropolitan museums with international reputations, honoring the past and informing the present is the primary mission of the museum. The collaborative editorial work of Barry Lord, Gail Dexter Lord, and Lindsay Martin, this completely updated and expanded third edition of the "Manual of Museum Planning: Sustainable Space, Facilities, and Operations" is a 720-page compendium specifically designed to be a comprehensive instruction manual for any group wanting to establish, upgrade, or expand their museum. Knowledgeable contributor articles and essays are thematically organized beginning with an Introduction with advice on how to utilize the information contained in this manual; the need for planning and the development of a planning team; planning for people, collections, and operations. Of special note are the chapters on museums as social institutions; the life of collections and their cost; preventative conservation and the museum planning process; and the section devoted to museum safety and security. Informed, informative, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly', the "Manual Of Museum Planning" will prove to be indispensable and is a highly recommended addition to museum, historical society, community, and academic library reference collections.

Code Check Complete, second edition
Redwood Kardon & Douglas Hansen
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street
Newtown, CT 06470
9781600854934, $45.00, www.taunton.com

Knowing the laws comprehensively is vital to successful construction and related industries. "Code Check Complete: An Illustrated Guide to the Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Electrical Codes" is the second edition of the building code guide from The Taunton Press, covering comprehensively with illustrations the codes surrounding building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical codes that are required to keep a project well within legal codes and compliant for years to come. "Code Check Complete" is a must for construction and legal collections, recommended.

Suffolk Windmills, 2012 edition
Brian Flint
Boydell & Brewer Inc
668 Mount Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731
9781843837237 $24.95 www.boydellandbrewer.com

Now in a newly updated 2012 edition, Suffolk Windmills is an in-depth examination of the history, construction, and usage of windmills in Suffolk, from the Middle Ages to the modern day. Black-and-white photographs, a wealth of technical details, and even a gazetteer of Suffolk windmills enhance this thoughtful account of not only these incredible structures, but also the people who used them. "...windmills often were given names, usually to distinguish one from another in the same village or locality. The most common distinction was to use the miller's name, a mill often staying in the same family for many years." Suffolk Windmills is highly recommended as a professional-quality resource for any reader curious to learn more about these ingenious and diligent structures, whether for reasons of personal interest or scholarly research.

The Natural Building Companion
Jacob Deva Racusin and Ace McArleton
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
97816103583398, $59.95, www.chelseagreen.com

The Natural Building Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to Integrative Design and Construction offers homeowner builders a complete guide to natural building design, technology, ideals and applications. Here are step-by-step instructions on choosing materials, understanding code compliance, selecting paints, evaluating options and alternatives throughout the process, and much more. The book offers all the basics of building science but with a focus on natural building options, covering everything from woodchip-clay to earthen and stone wall systems and finishing options. Professionals who want to move from traditional methods and homeowners who want to work on their own green construction will find this packed with key details.

Architecture Now! 8
Philip Jodidio
Taschen America
107 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012
9783836526814, $39.99, www.taschen.com

Architecture Now! 8 reviews new projects completed and under construction throughout the world, offering color photos and focus on all styles of architecture and all manner of projects. Any collection strong in modern architectural trends needs this comprehensive survey, which features well-known architects and projects alongside lesser-knowns. Numerous color photos of exteriors and interiors accompanies plans, details on clients and costs (where known), and everything needed to understand the latest trends and innovations.

Building Code Basics, Residential
International Code Council
Delmar
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
9781133283362, $42.95, www.cengage.com/delmar

Building Code Basics, Residential: Based on the 2012 International Residential Code uses easy non-code language to explain all the basics of residential building code, making for the perfect reference for any who want a review of the code without the usual complexity. Chapters are arranged by typical residential building progression so it's easy to consult a chapter during the process for a logical sequence of related code instruction. From site work and foundations to the fire and safety requirements of completed structures, this is a powerful guide highly recommended for any residential builder or for homeowner-builders.


The Fashion Shelf

A Front Row Seat
Kristin Sinclair
Antique Collectors Club
c/o ACC Distribution
6 West, 18th Street, Suite 4B, NY, NY 10011
9781851496617, $49.95, www.antique-acc.com

A Front Row Seat provides a fine set of photos from a fashion photographer who has, for the last seven years, documented many seasonal collections. It presents shots from shows, presentations and exhibitions in some of the major fashion capitals of the world, from Paris to New York City, and it provides a fine set of images showing the nuances and styles of the catwalk. Any interested in style and fashion will find this an outstanding collection suitable for fashion and photography holdings alike.

Marilyn in Fashion
Christopher Nickens and George Zeno
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371
9780762443321, $30.00, www.runningpress.com

MARILYN IN FASHION: THE ENDURING INFLUENCE OF MARILYN MONROE goes beyond most Marilyn biographies to provide a narrowed focus on her fashion and the designers with whom she collaborated over the years. The first section considers these designers, while the second part more closely examines Marilyn's hats, makeup and hairstyles. Hundreds of rare and newly published photos accompany insights from fellow designers and quotes from Marilyn herself, making this a powerful recommendation for any fashion holding.


The Photography Shelf

Mammals of Montana, second edition
Kerry R. Foresman
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399
Missoula, MT 59806
9780878475907, $32.00, www.mountain-press.com

The vast wilderness of Montana offers many sights and sounds that will entice just about anyone. "Mammals of Montana" is the second edition photography and nature guide from the team of author Kerry R. Foresman and photographer Alexander V. Badyaev. Providing a full color and informative guide throughout, each critter has many photographs and graphs offering details on ecology, behavior, taxonomy, and other information on the m any creatures who call the fields, hills, and mountains of Montana home. "Mammals of Montana" is a strong pick for those who a scholarly or amateur interest in nature and its many creatures, a top choice for community and college nature photography collections.

Valley of Shadows and Dreams
Ken Light & Melanie Light
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597141727, $40.00, www.heydaybooks.com

The breadbasket of America is vital for the nations continued success, but their lies many troubles in the region. "Valley of Shadows and Dreams" is a collection of black and white photography that focuses on Mendota, as migrant workers, struggling people of many stripes make their way through life, the decay of life around them and much more. "Valley of Shadows and Dreams" is an enticing addition to any photography collection with a strong social message of the problems plaguing farm workers all across the country.

Tabletop Photography
Cyrill Harnischmacher
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781937538040, $24.95, www.rockynook.com

The photograph, in its most base form, is a copy of reality, but clarity and catching all that is needed is harder than one would think. "Tabletop Photography" is a photography how to guide from Cyrill Harnischmacher, demonstrating how to get the most out of one's photography skills and create excellent still photos of objects to reach that professional quality that is often sought out of life. "Tabletop Photography" is a strongly recommended pick for any amateur photographer or advanced one who just seeks to further their skills.

Iconic
Brian Vanden Brink
Down East Books
PO Box 679
Camden, ME 04843
9781608931798, $65.00, www.downeastbooks.com

Man has gained the power to reshape the world in his own image. "Iconic: Perspectives on the Man-Made World" is a collection of full color photography from Brian Vanden Brink, as he explores the creations of mankind. These conceptually simple photos capture a feel of a world taken far away from its natural state and the triumph of man over nature. With much to ponder throughout, "Iconic" is a strongly recommended addition to any artistic photography collection of for anyone considering a coffee table book that provokes thoughts in ways one may not have considered before.

Beartooth Country
Mervin D. Coleman
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630
Helena, MT 59604
9781560375241, $12.95, www.farcountrypress.com

Nature unspoiled is truly a sight to see. "Beartooth Country: The Absaroka and Beartooth Ranges" is a collection of nature photography set in the wilderness surrounding the town of Cody, Wyoming, one of the largest intact ecosystems one can find in a temperate climate. For lovers of nature who want a vast collection of beautiful full color photography, "Beartooth Country" is a compilation well worth considering.

Beyond Point-and-Shoot
Darrell Young
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781933952956, $29.95, www.rockynook.com

Beyond Point-and-Shoot: Learning to Use a Digital SLR or Interchangeable-Lens Camera assumes little or know prior knowledge of photography or its terminology and is written for the novice photographer who wants to make the move from new picture-taker to 'real' photographer. It covers the basics of the camera's semi-automatic and manual settings, discussing technical applications of exposure, depth of field, metering, white balance and much more. From camera types and lens to using different preset exposures, tweaking aperture, and using the histogram to produce better pictures, this is a highly recommended guide for any who wish to move beyond the snapshot realm.

SnApp Shots
Adam Bronkhorst
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452107127, $18.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

SnApp Shots: How to Take Great Pictures with Smartphones and Apps is an outstanding resource for a generation that is increasingly using a cell phone as their major camera. It's compact, it's often on one's person, and it holds many of the capabilities of a full-sized camera - but what's previously been missing is a handbook designed to explore camera operations and apps alike. Enter SnApp Shots, a wide-ranging guide that includes all kinds of phones, from Blackberry to Android and the iPhone. It cuts the jargon, explores all kinds of photo-enhancing apps for different phones, and offers stunning pictorial support for these app-polished images. Any phone owner who uses the camera feature will want this powerful survey.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Digital Classroom
Jennifer Smith and the AGI Creative Team
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118123898, $49.99, www.wiley.com

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Digital Classroom packs in a complete training package in an instructional book that pairs well with a companion DVD, and is a strong pick for any Photoshop learner who wants a complete training package under one cover. From editing images using layering and masking to using color correction, creating compositions using new tools, keeping images organized with Adobe Bride, and more, expert instructors offer some 14 lessons to help learn Photoshop CS6 skills in a step-by-step collection of instructions supported by video tutorials on the companion DVD. Any Photoshop CS6 learner will find this a winning approach to a complex program!

Complete Digital Photography, seventh edition
Ben Long
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
www.cengage.com
9781285077260, $44.99, www.courseptr.com

The seventh updated edition of Complete Digital Photography provides an in-depth survey of the camera's controls, offering tutorials on exposure, detailed chapters on composition, instructions on how to craft a post-production workflow, tutorials on image editing, and much more. From coverage of printing and photo art to the basics of digital composition, shooting and post-production to printing, this is a virtual course in a book and teaches the basics of mastering digital works. Very highly recommended as a basic all-in-one primer for any working with digital images!


The Education Shelf

Navigating Special Education Law and Policy, new edition
Dixie Snow Huefner and Cynthia M. Herr
IEP Resources
Attainment Company, Inc.
PO Box 930160
Verona, WI 53593-0160
1578617820 $59.00 www.AttainmentCompany.com

Now in a new edition, Navigating Special Education Law and Policy is a user-friendly guide especially for professionals in the field of special education to staying on top of the latest legal requirements. Chapters break down the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 into accessible passages, highlighting key provisions of each, as well as their avenues of due process and conflict resolution. "School personnel should also be aware of the privacy rights of students with diseases. If a parent discloses a student's medical condition to the school and it becomes part of the student's education record, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (2006) requires that schools obtain written parental consent before disclosing the student's disease to persons without legitimate educational interest in the information." Navigating Special Education Law and Policy is an absolute "must-have" reference and resource for schools and special education professionals nationwide, highly recommended.

School Struggles
Richard Selznick
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce St.
Boulder, CO 80302
9781591811787, $15.95, www.sentientpublications.com

When a child struggles to learn, it can snowball into a much bigger problem. "School Struggles: A Guide to Your Shut-Down Learner's Success" is a guide for parents and teachers in reaching out to struggling school children and how to answer these problems felt by struggling students and helping them learn to their complete ability. "School Struggles" is a top pick for educators, school psychologists, and parents of these types of students who want to consider every option for helping the students.

High School Transition that Works!
Maryellen Daston, J. Erin Riehle, Susie Rutkowski
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624
Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598572490, $34.95, www.brookespublishing.com

Moving into the high school is rough for many students, but those with disabilities face a whole other level. "High School Transition that Works!" is a discussion of how to help young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities better transition into the high school environment, the last leg of their educational career. From better communicating with others on the educational team and parents as well, to equipping disabled students with the skills to move into the adult world and employment, and much more, "High School Transition That Works!" is a must for education collections focusing on special education.

Improving Adult Literacy Instruction
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
9780309219594, $65.00, www.nap.edu

Literacy is perhaps the single most vital skill in today's world. "Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research" is an exploration of improving literacy instruction when your student is not a typical student. Focusing on improving literacy in individuals who are adults, and how this fact can change things in an educational situation, the National Academies Press compiles a comprehensive and scholarly collection of writings on how to use research to improve the situations for these adult students. "Improving Adult Literacy Instruction" is a must for any educational and scholarly studies collection for community and college libraries.

Flip Your Classroom
Jonathan Bergmann & Aaron Sams
International Society for Technology in Education
180 West 8th Avenue, Suite 300
Eugene, OR 97401-2916
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
9781564843159, $19.95, www.ascd.org, www.iste.org

Reaching students and making a difference is the ultimate goal of any teacher. "Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day" is an educator's guide to reaching out to students using the method of the flipped classroom. The flipped classroom places the assignments and homework styled work into the main class, with lectures and videos for homework to learn the content. "Flip Your Classroom" is a strong pick for those looking for ways for technology to revolutionize the classroom and enable students to succeed at higher levels.

Strategies For Learning Art Styles
Crystal Productions
PO Box 2159, Glenview, IL 60025-6159
www.crystalproductions.com
9781562906603, $14.95, CP1855, 77pp.

"Strategies For Learning Art Styles" is a 72-page, spiral-bound workbook with lessons specifically developed to instruct and record students' understanding of thirty-two diverse art styles chronologically ranging from Prehistoric Art down the centuries and concluding with contemporary Installation Art. A page of questions regarding a specific art style (e.g. Greek Art) is faced with a page of Q&A answers for the teacher, a section of art activities thematically germane to that particular art style; and an appropriate internet exercise. Informed and informative, "Strategies For Learning Art Styles" will prove to be a welcome Art History curriculum supplement, and is especially recommended for home school teaching.

You're Going to Love This Kid
Paula Kluth
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598572049, $129.95, www.brookespublishing.com

You're Going to Love This Kid: A Professional Development Package for Teaching Students With Autism in the Inclusive Classroom offers a fine DVD-Rom package blending a booklet with software to discuss how to tailor a classroom for autism and inclusion. It's nearly an hour of professional development insights on video, offering clips of real teachers in inclusive classrooms that discuss the mechanics of putting together a successful learning environment for all. Viewers learn how to use positive behavior reinforcement, peer support techniques, and co-teaching methods while the accompanying booklet provides checklists, evaluation forms, and keys to teaching strategies. The package as a whole is a big plus for any education library.

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

Deborah P. Silver's FALL DOWN 7 TIMES, GET UP 8: TEACHING KIDS TO SUCCEED (9781412998772, $33.95) is an excellent discussion of motivational theory and how it applies to classroom teachings, and is a pick for any educator's library. It offers real-world, humorous examples of the guidance teachers give to students to help them achieve and overcome obstacles, joining together success factors and their theory and applications. Personal experience blends well with this theory, making this an excellent guide for any motivational teaching approach. PLANTING THE SEEDS OF ALGEBRA, PREK-2: EXPLORATIONS FOR THE EARLY GRADES by Monica Neagoy (9781412996600, $38.95) provides in-depth strategies and grade-specific approaches for building a foundation of math skills in the early grades, and is a 'must' pick for any early childhood math teacher. The author uses her teaching experience and insights and pairs this with case history examples documenting her successes in building such a foundation: fellow teachers working with early learners will want to learn these specifics. Catlin R. Tucker's BLENDED LEARNING IN GRADES 4-12 (9781452240862, $39.95) shows teachers how to use technology and blended learning practices to blend online discussion with face-to-face classroom instruction. This guides teachers on exactly how to set up an online environment to increase student engagement, shows how to analyze online work, instructs on personalizing lessons online, and offers strategies for busy modern teachers. From individual teachings to developing curriculum for specific focus, this is a specific how-to guide packed with details for any teacher. Ellen B. Mandinach and Sharnell S. Jackson's TRANSFORMING TEACHING AND LEARNING THROUGH DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING (9781412982047, $33.95) provides the nuts and bolts of how to connect data and instruction to improve practice, and translates the basics of educational psychology principles into classroom applications. It shows how to integrate assessment, statistics, psychology and classroom management and teaches the basics of data-driven decision making processes. Any teacher and many a classroom principal will find this a key title that pairs demonstrations of concepts in the classroom with keys to making the switch. Judy Storeygard's COUNT ME IN! K-5 (9781412999045, $28.95) provides teachers with a basic primer on how to use research-based and field-tested methodology to provide integrated instruction to the classroom. From strategies for teaching students with autism to helping learners organize and self-monitor in a math class, this provides resources specific to math instruction and presents field-tested, proven methods for linking children's behavior patterns to teaching math to all students. Marcia L. Tate's "SIT & GET" WON'T GROW DENDRITES (9781412999342, $27.00) provides a fine second edition packed with some twenty professional development strategies proven to engage adults in the learning process. The focus is on teaching busy adults and creating experiences that reinforce learning: new findings in brain research, learning styles, and differences between adult and younger learners make this a powerful, recommended pick for any adult education collection.


The Cookbook Shelf

Not Just for Diabetics
Dr. James Rouse with Dr. Debra Rouse, authors
Quail Ridge Press
P.O. Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
9781934193815, $19.95, www.quailridge.com

"Not Just for Diabetics: Naturally Delicious Recipes for Optimum Wellness" is a fabulous, fresh collection of healthy recipes and tips for a healthy lifestyle, with complete nutritional information quantified per serving listed after each recipe. Although much of the educational information is directed to those who work with controlling diabetes and prediabetes, "Not Just for Diabetics" is just what it says, not just for diabetics. In addition to optimum wellness tips for you metabolic best and further information about understanding diabetes, "Not Just for Diabetics" is a complete collection of fun, delicious foods that will make healthy eating effortless. There are beverage and appetizer recipes, breakfast, pasta, salads, vegetables and sides, sauces and dressings, soups, stews, and chili, sandwiches and wraps, poultry and meat, seafood, and desserts. Many recipes feature fresh foods and high soluble fiber ingredients. Suggestions for making vegetarian or vegan versions of recipes are included, highlighted on pretend post it stickers. Ingredients are highlighted and listed on the left of each recipe and clear, step by step instructions are written on the right. Color photographs of finished dishes adorn many pages, and different sections of the cookbook are color coded on the page edges. Some mouthwatering examples of recipes include: Chicken Ratatouille Pasta, Curried Shrimp Salad with Honeydew, Inspired Vegetarian Casserole ( a combo of beans, rice, cheese, and flavorful vegetables), Chipotle Hollandaise, Turkey Cherry Chili, Spicy Tuna Pita, Marinated Steak with Pomegranate Sauce, Coconut -Crusted Cod Fillets, and Carrot Zucchini Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting. "Not Just for Diabetics" will become the go-to cookbook for all gourmets who desire no sacrifice of flavor for nutrition.

The Fresh & Green Table
Susie Middleton, author
Annabelle Breakey, photographer
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452102658, $24.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

"The Fresh & Green Table: Delicious Ideas for Bringing Vegetables Into Every Meal" continues fresh gourmet adventures of palate-pleasing veggie delights in the form of simple recipes that are easy to follow and prepare. The concept of 'Moving Veggies to the Center of the Plate' is discussed thoroughly in the introduction, summing up a philosophy of healthful, vegetable-centered eating. A handy list of twenty types of main dishes contained in "The Fresh & Green Table" can jumpstart the reader's exploration of great vegetable cookery and preparation. Some of these include different kinds of salads (warm and grilled), soups (creamy and chunky), pastas (stovetop, baked, and cool), tarts, galettes, tians, gratins, sautes, ragouts, grain and veggie combos and rice and veggie combos, and baked and grilled pizzas. This gives the reader a grasp of the variety of recipes and depth of detail included in the instructions. Within all these categories are a stunning array of exciting recipes, accompanied by delicious color photos and clear step by step instructions. A few choices include Spring Celebration Bread Pudding, Seven Treasure Roasted Winter Veggie Tart, Fall Farmers' Market Minestrone, and White Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Cremini Mushrooms. Whether you are an experienced vegetable chef or a fresh experimental cook, "The Fresh & Green Table" has something exciting and new to offer.

The Green Southwest Cookbook
Janet E. Taylor, author
Rio Nuevo Publishers
P.O. Box 3250, Tucson, AZ 85703
9781933855523, $16.95, www.rionuevo.com

"The Green Southwest Cookbook: Fresh, Zesty, Sustainable" is a chef's selects collection of tasty Southwest cuisine recipes with a core commitment to sustainability and cancer-preventive eating. The introduction contains a handy code for healthy sustainable eating, including the following maxims: "Eat a plant-based diet. Eat meat from sustainably raised livestock. Consume dairy products from sustainable small farms. Choose foods grown without chemicals. Eat vegan or vegetarian one or more days a week. Choose local and eat within seasons. Look for place-of-origin labels. Eat from your garden. Cap your sweet tooth. Steer clear of GMO foods. Prevent cancer with anti-angiogenic foods. Prepare meals and treats from scratch. Involve children in preparing food. Eat until you are 80 percent satisfied." Following these valuable healthful eating tenets are tips on fire-roasting, toasting and grilling foods, plus a list of local sustainable chefs. Recipes follow in chapters on Beverages, Appetizers, Breakfast, Vegan & Vegetarian, Fish & Seafood, Beef, Pork Lamb & Poultry, Vegetables & Sides, and Desserts. Beautiful color photographs of embellished dishes accompany each page. A few of the tempting recipes folllow: Chipotle Almond Crusted Sea Scallops, Huevos Rancheros Con Nopalitos, Winter Spinach Sweet Potato Vegan Quiche, Chile-Lime Chicken Shish Kababs, Southwest Coleslaw, Dark Chocolate Lava Cake and many more. A handy list of anti-angiogenic foods is found at the end, with a web site reference to Eattodefeat.org, which encourages people to eat foods that starve cancer. "The Green Southwest Cookbook" is not only a fresh, imaginative collection of delicious Southwest cuisine recipes, it is inspiring reading for all who desire to eat healthful foods for life.

Made with Love
Enid Borden, editor
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, STE 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781936661985 $29.95 www.benbellabooks.com

Featuring a full-color, full-page photograph of almost every dish, Made with Love: The Meals on Wheels Family Cookbook is a compilation of recipes from a wide diversity of professional chefs, as well as the favorite family meals of celebreties, actors, writers, and more. Some of the most prominent and beloved contributors include former First Lady Barbara Bush, Martha Stewart, Joan Rivers, Maya Angelou, and Kurt Warner. Step-by-step instructions make dishes such as Mexican Pinwheels, Cap'n Crunch Meatloaf, Bombay Chicken Salad, Colorful Low-Calorie Curry Cauliflower, Betty's Five-Flavor Cake, and more easy for cooks of all skill and experience levels to prepare. Anecdotes, quotes, and insights pepper this wonderful, browse-friendly cookbook, and a portion of its proceeds will help the Meals on Wheels Association of America continue its mission to end hunger among seniors. Highly recommended.

India: A Culinary Journey
Prem Souri Kishore
Hippocrene Books, Inc.
171 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780781812644, $29.95, www.hippocrenebooks.com

There are countless flavors throughout Indian culture, just waiting for those who seek a culinary adventure. "India: A Culinary Journey" is a cookbook blended with cultural study from Prem Souri Kishore as she invites readers into the many flavors that are available throughout the Indian subcontinent, formed with thousands of years of culinary experimentation and success. Touching on the tools of the trade in making authentic Indian cuisine alongside plenty of easy to follow recipes, "India: A Culinary Journey" is a must for those who want to open a door to a whole new world of cooking. Also for cooking enthusiasts from Hippocrene Books is "The Iraqi Family Cookbook" (9780781812887, $19.95), providing a taste of the cultural dishes of the Iraqi people made available to cooks anywhere.

Grace's Sweet Life
Grace Massa Langlois
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440
Berkeley CA 94703-3440
9781612430249 $17.95 www.ulyssespress.com

Featuring full-color photography of many of its mouth-watering creations, Grace's Sweet Life: Homemade Italian Desserts from Cannoli, Tiramisu, and Panna Cotta to Torte, Pizzelle and Struffoli lives up to its title with a wealth of classic Italian delicacies sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions written to walk cooks of all skill and experience levels through the art of fine dessert creation make Grace's Sweet Life a "must-have" complement to Italian cookbook shelves. Highly recommended, especially for confectionary and pastry lovers everywhere.

Complete Cake Mix Magic
Jill Snider
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778804222 $24.95 www.robertrose.ca

Food stylist, recipe developer, and former Test Kitchen Manager of twenty-five years' experience Jill Snider presents Complete Cake Mix Magic: 300 Easy Desserts Good as Homemade, a guide to transforming cake mixes (especially the Duncan Hines brand) into sumptuous delicacies. A handful of full color photographs intersperse the step-by-step preparation instructions accessible to cooks of all skill and experience levels. From Queen Elizabeth Cake to Chocolate Orange Marble Cake, Bumbleberry Cheesecake, Toffee Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies, Apricot Upside-Down Cake, and more, Complete Cake Mix Magic is a dream for sweet tooths who are short on time! Practical-minded tips for knowing one's ingredients and kitchen tools round out this excellent, easy-to-follow cake-lover's cookbook.

America's Best Ribs
Ardie A. Davis & Paul Kirk
Andrews & McMeel
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449414139 $19.99 www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Barbecue champion chef Paul Kirk and "ambassador of barbecue" Ardie A. Davis present America's Best Ribs, a compilation of prizewinning rib recipes that enable one to savor the finest rib-lover's delights at home! In addition to recipes for many different types of meat and poultry, there are also recipes for sauces, side dishes, and something sweet for when it's all done. "America's Best Ribs" is a delicious exploration of barbecue flavor, complete with full color photography throughout.

Cooking for a Healthy Church
The Episcopal Medical Trust
Morehouse Publishing
4775 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112
9780819227607, $14.00, www.churchpublishing.org

Good nutrition should be the foundation of any family menu. "Cooking for a Healthy Church" is a spiritual and physical health cookbook as Morehouse Publishing compiles writings from the Episcopal Church Medical Trust as they bring out some 'soul' food of their own. Compiling traditional recipes with a touch of spirituality with every recipe, "Cooking for a Healthy Church" is a must for any church-going cook, much recommended.

The Big Book of Babycakes
Kathy Moore & Roxanne Wyss, authors
Robert Rose
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, ON, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778804178, $24.95, www.robertrose.ca

"The Big Book of Babycakes: Cupcake Maker Recipes" is a fantastic new collection of cupcake maker recipes designed for Babycakes Cupcake makers, a fabulous new electric cooking appliance that makes much more than cupcakes. Here is a creative collection of recipes that begins with special instructions for how to use the Babycakes Cupcake Maker and how to bake and store your baked goods. Following are recipes for cupcakes, brownie bites, cheesecakes, pies, tarts, frostings and glazes, all in the Sweet Treats chapter. This is only the beginning of the show, however, continuing is a chapter called Mealtime Favorites with recipes for muffins and breads, breakfast and brunch bites, and lunch and dinner main dish pies. Then there is a specialty chapter for gluten-free and vegan treats and small treats for tots. Finally there is a chapter full of ideas for appetizers, finger foods, and hors d'oeuvres and treats for parties and special occasions. An internet support index plus mail order sources provides the final coda to this magnificent collection of stunning Babycakes creations. Recipes are clear, written with step by step instructions following a list of measurements and ingredients. Some unusual recipes that are Cheesecake Brownies, Spicy Texas Cheese Biscuits, Ham, Mushroom and Spinach Quiches, Green Chile Sausage Hand Pies, Chocolate Ale Pies, and Bacon Pecan Tassies. Enjoy learning to make these tiny tasty treats without heating up your entire oven and kitchen with "The Big Book of Babycakes."

Gooseberry Patch
6450 Lasalle Drive, Lockbourne, OH 43137
www.gooseberrypatch.com www.amazon.com

Three outstanding, pocket-sized cookbook collections from Gooseberry Patch will be welcome additions to family cookbook collections everywhere! "Kid-Friendly Recipes" (9781612810577, $7.95) showcases recipes that will have special appeal to young and finicky eaters with dishes ranging from Incredible Mini Burger Bites; Chinese Fried Rice; and Maple Popcorn Balls; to Sunny Lemonade Salad; Pizza Roll Snacks; and Honey-Pumpkin Pie. "Cake Mix Recipes" (9781612810560, $7.95) is a compendium of baked deserts ranging from Slice of Sunshine Cake; Boston Cream Cake; and Cherry Crisp Cobbler; to Pecan Pie Bars; Slow-Poke Turtle Bars; and Rabbit Scones. "Game-Day Recipes" is a cornucopia of culinary offerings ranging from Creole Craziness Popcorn Sprinkle; Hot-Hot Buffalo Wing Dip; and Mamma Mia Italian Stew; to Toffee Almond Treats; Cranberry Cocktail Sausages; and Sweet & Spicy Pork Ribs. Each of these inexpensive, 127-page, spiral bound, pocket-sized culinary collections are thoroughly 'user friendly', palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, highly recommended additions for personal and family cookbook collections.

Everyday Exotic: The Cookbook
Roger Mooking & Allan Magee
Whitecap Books
195 Allstate Parkway
Markham, ON, Canada, L3R 4T8
9781770500648, $29.95, www.whitecap.ca

EVERYDAY EXOTIC: THE COOKBOOK features everyday recipes with refreshingly different exotic twists, and teaches the basics of how to add color and flavor to traditional comfort foods. Roger Mooking has a reputation as one of Canada's best chefs, hosting a Food Network show and more. His cookbook is packed with color photos and inspirations, such as a roasted Malaysian-Inspired Chicken Wings and Lamb Kebabs with Tamarind Sauce and Black-Eyed Peas. Highly recommended!

Flying Pans
Bernard Guillas and Ron Oliver
Sunbelt Publications
9780982428313, $35.00, www.sunbeltbooks.com

FLYING PANS: TWO CHEFS, ONE WORLD is a top recommendation for any cookbook holding and deserves ongoing mention as a culinary library staple. It comes from two prestigious California chefs who have visited over 40 countries, and blends their travel experiences with anecdotes and cultural insights to pair with over 100 recipes. Lovely visual embellishments by New York food photographer Gregory Bertolini bring the feast to life, whether it be Marrakech Spiced Lamb Tangine from Morocco or a Molten Chuao Chocolate Timbale from Venezuela. A mouth-watering, delicious presentation, this is an ongoing recommendation for any culinary collection!

Yes, Chef
Marcus Samuelsson
Random House
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780385342605, $27.00, www.randomhouse.com

YES, CHEF provides a fine memoir and offers a blend of autobiography about food and family and culinary insights into becoming a chef. It details his experiences throughout some of the most demanding restaurants in Switzerland and France, follows his evolving career in New York City, and reveals the ups and downs of being a chef, from successes to epic failures. The result is a lively, engrossing survey highly recommended for any culinary collection and many a general-interest holding.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Film After Film
J. Hoberman
Verso
20 Jay Street, 10th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201-8346
9781844677511, $24.95, www.versobooks.com

Twelve years into the new century, what does the next ninety years hold for the future? "Film After Film: Or What, Became of 21st Century Cinema" discusses the post 9/11 film, the advances of technology, the political world, and all of its impacts on film around the world. Analyzing the development of film through 'The Matrix' to the 'Social Network' and all of the impact on film and art. Enticing reading all throughout, "Film After Film" comes with a particularly strong critique of the George W. Bush years, from controversial Village Voice film critic, J. Hoberman.

Rule of Thumb of Ebert at the Movies
Todd Rendleman
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704
New York, NY 10038
978144192219, $19.95, www.continuumbooks.com

Roger Ebert has become the name that is thought of when one thinks of a film critic. "Rule of Thumb of Ebert at the Movies" explores the critical work of famed critic Roger Ebert, as Todd Rendleman reviews Ebert's impact on the film industry and pop culture, exploring how the critic's Chicago base offered a middle ground between the professional-critic hot spots of New York and Los Angeles. While not afraid to be critical of the critic, Rendleman presents an even handed and intellectual look at the impact of Ebert. "Rule of Thumb of Ebert at the Movies" is a strong pick for any film studies collection.

Cut by Cut, second edition
Gael Chandler
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781615930906, $36.95, www.mwp.com

Good editing is laying the finishing touches that brings it all together. "Cut by Cut: Editing Your Film or Video" is a director's guide to the ins and outs of more excellent film editing. An updated guide that brings the most well known digital techniques to light, Gael Chandler presents a comprehensive guide for beginners or advanced editors who want to make sure the film they are charged with comes out looking professional looking, and how to further oneself as an editor. "Cut by Cut" is a must for any film production collection.

Burnt Cork
Stephen Johnson, editor
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429
Amherst, MA 01004
9781558499348, $28.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

Almost two hundred years ago, the most hilarious thing was a person with black face makeup. "Burnt Cork: Traditions and Legacies of Blackface Minstrelsy" explores this now taboo act of blackface in its roots in early nineteenth century America, where these minstrel shows were born and served as a launching pad for acts that discussed not only race, but class, culture, gender, and other topics of the day. Eruditely discussing the advancement of race in America in the process, editor Stephen Johnson presents evidence that there is a long way to go. "Burnt Cork" is a strong addition to any cultural history or racial studies collection.

Lupe Velez
Michelle Vogel
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
9780786461394, $45.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

As the film camera took center stage, the stars began to come out. "Lupe Velez: The Life and Career of Hollywood's 'Mexican Spitfire'" tells the story of one of the earliest Latina Movie starlets, who embraced the new Hollywood lifestyle fullest, for all of its good and all of its bad. Seeking to explore the myths that have clouded Velez's legacy, including her impact on modern film. "Lupe Velez" is a must for anyone curious in the stories of early Hollywood.

The Art of Film Funding, updated edition
Carole Lee Dean
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781615930913, $26.95, www.mwp.com

The Art of Film Funding: Alternative Financing Concepts belongs in any performing arts and film reference collection and offers a second new, updated edition of a classic from a veteran fundraiser and filmmaker. It comes packed with tools for turning a dream into reality, offering keys to fundraising approaches for both individual and business donors. From Internet marketing to music licensing and public funding, this covers a wide range of effective approaches that should be in any performing arts collection's reference library.

Prometheus: The Art of the Film
Mark Salisbury
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London, SE1 OUP, UK
9781781161098, $39.95, www.titanbooks.com

Prometheus: The Art of the Film is a special recommendation for film and science fiction collections alike, and has been reprinted for a third run prior to its June 12th publication date. It's the only book to directly tie in to the film and provides a lavish guide that goes beyond the scenes to reveal production art and the making of the movie. Exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes material make Prometheus: The Art of the Film a powerful celebration for any who relished the movie and its director.

The Reality Shows
Karen Finley
Feminist Press
365 - 5th Avenue Suite 5406
New York, NY 10016
9781558616714, $17.95, www.feministpress.org

THE REALITY SHOWS considers ten years of political trauma, cultural change, and more and blends photos and drawings with a timeline of the past ten years to supplement the social and political commentary of a performer who has exhibited her visual work and performances internationally. It's satire and social commentary at its best, offering a fine written display of works that made her well known as a hard-hitting, funny visual performer. Any collection strong in feminist observation, social issues commentary and stage performing will find this an unpredictable treat.

Rule of Thumb
Todd Rendleman
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704, New York, NY 10038
9781441192219, $19.95, www.continuumbooks.com

RULE OF THUMB: EBERT AT THE MOVIES offers a classic survey of movie critic Roger Ebert's lasting impact on how movies are made and watched. It blends a biography of Ebert's life and writings with a survey of Ebert's social and political impact both within the film industry and in popular American culture, considering the role of the movie reviewer and the process of movie criticism as a whole. Any film collection will find this a fine analysis of the qualities and processes of film criticism.


The Biography Shelf

Bridging Two Peoples
Allan Sherwin
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554586332 $29.95 wlupress.wlu.ca

Bridging Two Peoples is the biography of Dr. Peter E. Jones, one of the first Native Americans to earn a medical doctor degree from a Canadian university. When he returned to his southern Ontario reserve, he was elected chief and band doctor. He served as secretary to the Grand Indian Council of Ontario and became a liaison between two peoples, communicating his chiefs' views and concerns to Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald, especially during consultations concerning the Indian Act. Jones also worked to introduce public health measures on his reserve, but there was not much he could do to stem a deadly onslaught of tuberculosis that killed over forty percent of his fellows. A handful of black-and-white photographs, notes, a bibliography, and an index enhance this in-depth, true-life story of an extraordinary man, highly recommended for both public and college library biography collections.

Boots, Bikes, and Bombers
Karen Brewster, editor
University of Alaska Press
PO Box 756240
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
9781602231733, $29.95, www.uaf.edu/uapress

Alaska's remote nature gives it an unspoiled beauty, that many seek to keep unspoiled. "Boots, Bikes, and Bombers: Adventures of Alaska Conservationist Ginny Hill Wood" chronicles the works of Ginny Hill Wood, a World War II veteran who dedicated much of her life to preserving Alaska to the fullest. Working as a guide and advocate, Karen Brewster compiles tales of her life in this devoted read that will entice lovers of the environment and nature. "Boots, Bikes, and Bombers" is a worthy tribute, and a solid addition to any history or biography collection focusing on Alaska.

Manuscripts Don't Burn
J.A.E. Curtis, editors
Ardis Publishing
c/o The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
9781468300703, $18.95, www.overlookpress.com

When your work is banned as it's published, you know you've struck a chord. "Manuscripts Don't Burn: Mikhail Bulgakov: A Life in Letters and Diaries" collections the works of Bulgakov, a writer of early Communist Russia who often found himself in opposition to Stalin and the KGB, and consistently sought emigration out of the country, dodging purges. The letters within cast a strong voice as a man of literature and a man of his period and time. "Manuscripts Don't Burn" is a strong addition to any biography and literary studies collection, highly recommended.

Pauline E. Hopkins
Hanna Wallinger
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive
Athens, GA, 30602-4901
9780820343457, $24.95, www.ugapress.org

With the scourge of slavery fading away, many voices began to be heard. "Pauline E. Hopkins: A Literary Biography" explores the literary writings of Pauline Hopkins, who advanced the thoughts of African American women throughout the turn of the century and met with many of the big names of the advancement of colored peoples during the era, such as Booker T. Washington. Hopkins used many mediums to share her opinions on the spirit of women and African Americans, from fiction to essays, including her connections to black nationalism, in its earliest years at the time. "Pauline E. Hopkins" is a strong addition to any literary studies collection focusing on early twentieth century African American writers.

The Ivory Trail
T. V. Bulpin
Protea
c/o International Publishers Marketing
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
9781869194642, $27.95, www.proteaboekhuis.com

Making one's fame and fortune against authority can lead one into unusual status as criminal and legend. "The Ivory Trail" is a collection of interviews and biography of Cecil Benard, a hunter and poacher throughout the first half of the twentieth century who gained fame for his outlaw status and standing against the many authorities of the era, and his development into a hunter of the big game into a defender of it. "The Ivory Trail" is an intriguing delve into a bygone era and period, highly recommended for history collections focusing on Africa.

Alan Ameche
Dan Manoyan
Terrace Books
c/o University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor
Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299290108 $26.95 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress

Alan Ameche: The Story of "The Horse" is the first biography of Alan "The Horse" Ameche, an NFL player who reached his height of fame during the 1950's; indeed, the 1958 championship NFL game between Ameche's Colts and the New York Giants has been popularly dubbed the NFL's "Greatest Game Ever Played". Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Alan's talent for football showed through early in high school teams, and shone even brighter during his University of Wisconsin college football days (during which he led them to the 1953 Rose Bowl and a victory of the 1954 Heisman Trophy). Ameche was called "The Horse" for his steadfast training regimen, physical power, and endurance. His professional football career playing for the Baltimore Colts ended abruptly after six seasons due to an injury, but during that time he was an 1955 NFL Rooke of the Year and went to the Pro Bowl five times. Striking a balance between Ameche's dedicated athletic career and the influences of his day-to-day life, Alan Ameche: The Story of "The Horse" is highly recommended especially for sports biography collections and American football history enthusiasts.

A Ship Without a Sail
Gary Marmorstein
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
978141654253, $30.00, www.simonandschuster.com

A SHIP WITHOUT A SAIL: THE LIFE OF LORENZ HART considers the life of a talented but troubled producer of lyrics for film and Broadway shows, following his early childhood as the son of Jewish immigrants to his evolution as a creator of talented songs. "Manhattan", "The Lady is a Tramp" - all these and more are Hart's creations, and represented radical reflections of what made a popular song. Despite his rise to fame and career success, Hart died a broken alcoholic before he was fifty. A SHIP WITHOUT A SAIL charts his journeys, evolution, and many contributions and is a pick for biography, film, and music collections alike.

Making Piece
Beth M. Howard
Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road
Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9780373892570, $24.95, www.eharlequin.com

MAKING PIECE: A MEMOIR OF LOVE, LOSS, AND PIE comes from a journalist and pie maker who provides a candid, emotional account of a journey out of grief after her 43-year-old husband died unexpectedly. Her husband had been just hours away from signing divorce papers and Beth, who had pushed to end a complicated marriage despite love, felt responsible for his demise. Her transcontinental journey in search of pie recipes led to many adventures, much self-discovery, and a newfound passion for life that eventually led to her opening of the Pitchfork Pie Stand in Iowa. Pie helped her recover from her husband's death and MAKING PIECE provides a fine personal and culinary journey.

When We Were the Kennedys
Monica Wood
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
9780547630144, $24.00, www.hmhbooks.com

WHEN WE WERE THE KENNEDYS: A MEMOIR FROM MEXICO, MAINE tells of the Wood family in 1963, a family dependent on its fathers' wages until Dad suddenly dies on his way to work - and the family is challenged emotionally and financially. This is the story of how the family pulls together after tragedy, offering a fine survey that considers one family's experiences shortly before the death of Kennedy rocked the world. A family road trip pulls them back together and provides the healing they need in this moving story, highly recommended for any general-interest holding.


The Political Science Shelf

We Can All Do Better
Bill Bradley
www.billbradley.com
Vanguard Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
9781593157296 $24.99 www.vanguardpressbooks.com

Eighteen-year New Jersey Senator and former contender for the Democratic presidential nomination Bill Bradley presents We Can All Do Better, a concise call to arms against the problems plaguing modern American society - unacceptably high unemployment, an out-of-control financial sector that brought on the Great Recession, increased money in politics to the level of near-bribery, etc. Two major reactions have arisen in response - the Tea Party and the Occupy movement; Bradley acknowledges the frustrations that drive both, but is critical of their lack of positive achievements or efficacy. Chapters stress the need for more "modernized vocational schools" to train people for a changing job market; sharply criticize the Supreme Court Citizens United decision to allow unlimited corporate funds to influence elections, debunk the right-wing mantra that government is always the problem, and more. "For those who argue that only the private sector is important, I'd say, 'Look around.' Without government, there's no economic prosperity. There are measures that benefit everyone: airports, airline safety, roads, bridges, schools sewers, dams, mass transit, power grids, ports, water systems, food safety, weather forecasts, law enforcement, disease monitoring, drug safety - and many more. These are public goods. Without them, the private sector would wither." Each chapter ends with Bradley challenging the reader, "Can we do better?" Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, "We Can All Do Better" is thought-provoking, recommends possible solutions, and above all, encourages Americans to champion the selfless and virtuous side of their human nature. Highly recommended.

The Politics of Policy Change
Daniel Beland & Alex Waddan
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
9781589018846, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Congress has not gained a reputation for swift governance. "The Politics of Policy Change: Welfare, Medicare, and Social Security Reform in the United States" discusses the uphill struggle that is changing policy in modern American politics, and the politics that both sides use to pressure the future of America, as long time students of politics and policy Daniel Beland & Alex Waddan come to allow readers to see the obstacles on both ends to change. "The Politics of Policy Change" is well worth considering for anyone who wants to understand the modern political battlefield.

The Contradictions of Real Socialism
Michael A. Lebowitz
Monthly Review Press
146 West 29th Street, Suite 6W
New York, NY 10001
9781583672563, $15.95, www.monthlyreview.org

Socialism and communism quickly turned to autocracy and oligarchy. "The Contradictions of Real Socialism: The Conductor and the Conducted" analyzes the many attempts to create truly socialist governments throughout the second half of the twentieth century and the problems these countries faced, and how they departed from the writings of Karl Marx, the man credited with many of the concepts behind socialism and communism. Written by a student of Marx's work and economics in Michael A. Lebowitz, "The Contradictions of Real Socialism" does well in presenting the ideas of socialism in a balanced context.

Voting and Holiness
Nicholas P. Cafardi, editor
Paulist Press
997 MacArthur Boulevard
Mahwah, NJ 07430
9780809147670, $24.95, www.paulistpress.com

When voting with one's conscience, there are many things to consider and rarely is it clear. "Voting and Holiness: Catholic Perspectives on Political Participation" explores Catholic perspectives in a divided political world as many political writers come together to discuss the electoral prospects and the weights of evils when deciding on a candidate, the immediacy of those evils, and which candidate has the potential to do the most good. "Voting and Holiness" is worth considering for devout Catholic voters who are unsure in the coming year.

Obama's America
Ian Reifowitz
Potomac Books, Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166-2012
9781612344720, $29.95, www.potomacbooksinc.com

The election of Barack Obama was a major victory for race relations in America, pushing forth one of America's best values: cultural unity. "Obama's America: A Transformative Vision of Our National Identity" is a discussion of culture, social issues, and politics as Ian Reifowitz presents an optimistic view of what Barack Obama can do for America culturally, the fierce response to his rise, and what it ultimately means for America's future. An intriguing alternative perspective on the influence that Barack Obama holds on American culture, "Obama's America" is a solid addition to any cultural studies collection, highly recommended.

Obama's Globe
Bruce Herschensohn
Beaufort Books
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102
New York, NY 10011
9780825306853, $24.95, www.beaufortbooks.com

Foreign policy in America has changed in the Obama years. "Obama's Globe: A President's Abandonment of U.S. Allies Around the World" is a discussion of the Obama Administration foreign policy by Bruce Herschensohn, who is very critical of the President's global policies and the shifting allegiances of America due to his decisions. "Obama's Globe" is a strident and thought-provoking addition to international issues collections, recommended.

It's Even Worse Than It Looks
Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
250 W. 57th St., 15th Floor, New York NY 10107
9780465031337, $26.00, www.perseusbooks.com

IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN IT LOOKS: HOW THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM COLLIDED WITH THE NEW POLITICS OF EXTREMISM examines today's political gridlock in Washington DC and uses research and insights to consider how partisan politics and law have led to a stranglehold on political process. From adversarial political parties and a governing system that makes it difficult for majorities to act to key historical points that have contributed to this moment in history, this is a solid examination of political process and its current flaws, and is a solid pick for any political collection.

The Little Blue Book
George Lakoff and Elisabeth Wehling
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781476700014, $11.00, www.simonandschuster.com

The Little Blue Book: The Essential Guide to Thinking and Talking Democratic offers Democrats language to communicate their moral values clearly, discussing the underlying issues of our time from the economy to food policy and offering in-depth analysis of the ways that extreme conservative positions have permeated political discourse. It teaches the basics of how to fight back on moral grounds and provides Democrats and progressives alike with new ways of thinking about political discourse, and is a key acquisition for any political studies shelf.

The Tea Party
Ronald P. Formisano
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
9781421405964, $19.95, www.press.jhu.edu

THE TEA PARTY: A BRIEF HISTORY provides a fine survey of the Tea Party's politics, history, and the movement's agenda and influence, and is a pick for any American history and politics collection. Couched in a small book is an entire review of the Tea Party's history and basic principles, offering surveys of it leaders and their contentions and ideals. The result is a fine and easy introduction to a brand new party and its concepts, recommended for any general collection strong in American history and politics.

China and Coexistence
Liselotte Odgaard
Woodrow Wilson Center Press
c/o Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
9781421405636, $45.00, www.press.jhu.edu

CHINA AND COEXISTENCE: BEIJING'S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY provides college-level collections with an in-depth coverage of China's program of peaceful coexistence and suggests that the nation's policy of working with the international community is a way seeking greater influence and power without military costs and involvement. Associate Professor Odgaard examines the history of the idea of peaceful coexistence in early Soviet doctrine, how it was adopted by China, and how it has influenced China's role in border disputes and involvement in international politics as a whole. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any serious collection on China's politics and place in the world.

A Capitalism for the People
Luigi Zingales
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
250 W. 57th St., 15th Floor, New York NY 10107
9780465029471, $26.99, www.perseusbooks.com

A Capitalism for the People: Recapturing the Lost Genius of American Prosperity outlines a blueprint for recovering the democratic process and considers connections between government, business interests, and populist anger over corruption and elitism. The author grew up in Italy where nepotism routinely rules: his is a call for action as he observes elements of his country's sad political process infecting the once-operational democracy of America. The solution, he maintains, is a rethinking of traditional political categories overall. Chapters focus on solutions to problems in this recommended pick for any political studies collection.

Fuel on the Fire
Greg Muttitt
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10013
9782595588050, $28.95, www.thenewpress.com

FUEL ON THE FIRE: OIL AND POLITICS IN OCCUPIED IRAQ comes from an investigative journalist who provides keys to understanding an underground conflict shaking the nation. It features hundreds of unreleased government documents, extensive interviews with senior American, British and Iraqi officials, and connections between Iraq's experience and that of surrounding nations. It's a story of oil politics at its worst, corruption, and special interests policies that dominate national interests, and it's a vivid account of the Iraqi people highly recommended for any Middle Eastern collection.

Asia's Unknown Uprisings V. 1
George Katsiaficas
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604864571, $28.95, www.pmpress.org

Asia's Unknown Uprisings V. 1: South Korean social Movements in the 20th Century provides a powerful compendium of Asian politics and history and uses social movements as a starting point to survey the lesser-known history of, in this case, 20th century Korea. It focuses on the Gwangji Uprising and considers Korean experiences and possible Asian and global social movements using its example, considering local conflicts and relationships to Korea as a whole. This volume was ten years in the making and offers a study that analyzes similar uprisings in nine other places in Asia from the Philippines to China and Nepal. Photos, graphs and charts make this a top pick!


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Taxes, The Tea Party, and Those Revolting Rebels
Stan Mack
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing
New York, NY 10038
9781561636976 $14.99 www.nbmpublishing.com

Taxes, The Tea Party, and Those Revolting Rebels: A History in Comics of the American Revolution lives up to its title as a reader-friendly chronicle of America's war for independence, illustrated with black-and-white cartoons and caricatures on every page. Make no mistake; Taxes, The Tea Party, and Those Revolting Rebels is thoroughly researched, meticulously accurate, and makes extra effort to include the roles that African-Americans (both free and slave), women, and Native Americans played during the tumultuous conflict. Readers of all ages and backgrounds will enjoy this utterly fascinating presentation of genuine American history. Taxes, The Tea Party, and Those Revolting Rebels is worthy of the highest recommendation, especially for school and public library graphic novel or American History collections. "In the 1700's, many people still believe in the hereditary right of kings to rule. 'Our problem is with greedy parliament and its agents... but separate from the King? Oh, God, no!' Then the radicals get a break... Tom Paine knows firsthand the tyranny of the English elite and the grinding poverty of the lower classes. And he knows how to write.... Early in 1776, Tom comes out with a pamphlet he calls 'Common Sense'. It's written simply and directly without the flourishes the powerful use to obscure the truth."

Broxo
Zack Giallongo
First Second
175 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10010
9781596435513 $16.99 www.firstsecondbooks.com

Broxo is the debut graphic novel of talented writer and artist Zack Giallongo, brought to life in full color. A rebellious princess has traveled to a distant land in search of the Peryton clan, but to her dismay she finds little more than wilderness... and the walking dead! The zombies might have been her end if not for the lifesaving aid of a valiant young man named Broxo, and the mysterious lightning witch Ulith. The princess, who is accustomed to a much higher-class lifestyle than hunting lizard meat and sleeping on dirt, has a difficult time adjusting to Broxo's wilderness world, but the two of them will have to cooperate with each other and with the recalcitrant Ulith to end the suffering of lost souls. A saga of tragedy, desperation, and the struggle to keep hope alive, Broxo is an engaging fantasy adventure that readers of all ages will enjoy. Highly recommended especially for fans of quality graphic novels, as well as for public and school library collections.

Eric Powell
Jorge Khoury & Eric Nolen-Weathington
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive
Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490410, $15.95, www.twomorrows.com

Good art only takes you so far, you also need to bring something unique to the table. "Eric Powell: Modern Masters Volume Twenty-Eight" focuses on the work of famed comic artist Eric Powell who created his own type of hero in 'The Goon'. With his unique taste of art that's not afraid of whisking in the cute with the gritty realism to tell a very different type of tale, "Eric Powell" is a must for any who want to gain a greater appreciation for the art in the modern comic world.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series, V. 1
Brian Lynch, et.al.
IDW Publishing
5080 Santa Fe Street, San Diego, CA 92109
9781613772324, $17.99, www.idwpublishing.com

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles V. 1 offers four new stand-alone stories centering on each Turtle and comes from a variety of writers and artists who offer a fine graphic comic collection perfect for fans of the Ninja turtles. From a holiday in New York City to a battle with the Foot Clan, this is a selection that will delight any fan of the Turtles with vivid, new stories.

Superman
Larry Tye
Random House
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9781400066661, $27.00, www.randomhouse.com

SUPERMAN: THE HIGH-FLYING HISTORY OF AMERICA'S MOST ENDURING HERO comes from a journalist and author who charts the history of the comic book character, starting with a biography of his creator Jerry Siegel, a shy teen in Cleveland raised during the Depression who dreamed of a hero. He and his childhood chum dreamed up the character of Superman - and this uses newly revealed records - including Siegel's unpublished memoir - to detail both Siegel's creation and its evolution through the decades. Any interested in comic book history will find this a key reference to the greatest character of them all.

Spandex Fast and Hard
Martin Eden
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857689733, $19.50, www.titanbooks.com

Spandex Fast and Hard is hilarious and vivid, appears in full color, and is a graphic novel charting the adventures of a group of gay super-heroes battling 50-foot lesbians, pink ninjas, and more. Romance pairs with super feats and action centers on the superhero team Spandex with characters such as Prowler, who absorbs the abilities of gay people, and twins Mr. Muscle and Butch rounding out an unlikely and powerful cast of characters. A rollicking set of fun adventures and strange encounters makes this a different action pick for any comics or graphic novel collection.

Radioactive Man
Matt Groening
Harper Design
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062089922, $25.99, www.harpercollins.com

RADIOACTIVE MAN: RADIOACTIVE REPOSITORY VOLUME ONE gathers comics from the figure who made his historic comic book debut in Bart Simpson's world of1952, battling to save Zenith City from such dangers as Lava man, Larva Girl, and many more. The comic figure often battles evil across the universe and between dimensions too, joining a fun cast of characters, and this deluxe collection of stories appears in its first volume to provide a special treat gathering comics from The Simpsons in a colorful collection packed with full-color illustrations and fun adventures.


The Business Shelf

Social Marketology
Ric Dragon
The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
9780071790499, $25.00, www.books.mcgraw-hill.com

Today's world is a world of connectivity. "Social Marketology: Improve Your Social Media Processes and Get Customers to Stay Forever" is a guide to crafting a more perfect social marketing strategy for your business, no matter what that business is. Encouraging readers to embrace their vision, finding your customer base and community and much more, Ric Dragon brings forth a comprehensive method for reaching out efficiently and effectively to potential customers. "Social Marketology" is a must for any business who understands that the internet holds the key to their businesses success.

How to Get Started in Export
John Westwood
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749463717, $14.95, www.koganpageusa.com

Exports are the basis of profit for an international business. "How to Get Started in Export" is a business guide for those who want to expand their business beyond national borders. Touching on the considerations that much be pondered for those who want to embark on this business endeavor, good strategy with pricing and costs, and dealing the many hurdles that may come, "How to Get Started in Export" is a fine read with plenty to consider, highly recommended for ambitious business managers.

The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave
Leigh Branham
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
9780814417584, $24.95, www.amacombooks.org

A good employee is hard to replace, and that's why a high turnover rate is a terrible thing. "The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It's Too Late" explores the nature of employees quitting, as Leigh Branham explores what sets employees off of the job. Exploring the nature of worker expectations not being met, wrong career for the wrong, lack of guidance, and much more. "The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave" is a must for managers and administrators who want to make sure the people they hire are in for the long haul.

The Pivot Point
Victoria M. Grady & James D. Grady
Morgan James Publishing
4410 E Claiborne Square, Suite 334
Hampton VA 23666-2071
9781614483007, $14.95, www.morganjamespublishing.com

A business needs change to place it all together. "The Pivot Point: Success in Organizational Change" is a business guide from Victoria M. Grady & James D. Grady as they provide an insightful guide to changing one's business management scheme for greater success in their business, including the increasingly common pitfalls that many management change situations often lead to. With plenty of advice for making a fully functioning management strategy that will flourish in years to come, "The Pivot Point" is a strong addition to business and management collections.

Raising Capital, third edition
Andrew J. Sherman
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
9780814417034, $34.95, www.amacombooks.org

RAISING CAPITAL: GET THE MONEY YOU NEED TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS, 3RD EDITION is packed with tools for building business plans, preparing loan proposals, and locating revenue sources, and offers keys to effective fundraising based on the latest trends in the domestic and global capital markets. The various resources featured can offer funding to start-ups, rapid growth companies and seasoned businesses alike, and offers all kinds of resources for borrowing money from commercial banks, government and private sources alike. A fine key to any looking to build a business!

Oracles
Donald N. Thompson
Harvard Business Review Press
c/o Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422183175, $26.00, www.hbr.org/books

ORACLES: HOW PREDICTION MARKETS TURN EMPLOYEES INTO VISIONARIES explains how the wisdom of crowds and crowd behavior patterns has led to the evolution of prediction markets, a unique approach used by Google, Microsoft and even the CIA to tap employee insights on business. There are a range of prediction markets that can help businesses make more profitable decisions and ORACLES shows how to tap employee interests to replace surveys and gain more accurate perspectives on future trends. Retired employees also represent a gold mine of possibilities - this documents the successes and failures of real organizations, identifying their roadblocks to success and providing a fine key to future profits without the meetings and market research currently involved.

No B.S. Grassroots Marketing
Dan S. Kennedy & Jeff Slutsky
Entrepreneur Press
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10121-2298
9781599184395, $17.95, www.entrepreneurpress.com

No B.S. Grassroots Marketing: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Take No Prisoners Guide to Growing Sales and Profit of Local Small Businesses provides a fine overview of a local grassroots marketing plan to help increase customer retention and build a thriving long-term business. From truths surrounding grassroots marketing to how to use media as an extension of personality and relationships and why most local marketing programs fail, this teaches the basics of how to use technology and personal approaches to fine-tune concrete business objectives, and is a pick for any small business holding.


The Music Shelf

Black Metal
Nathan T. Birk, et al.
Black Dog Publishing
10a Acton Street
London, England, WC1X 9NG
www.blackdogonline.com
9781907317729, $29.95, www.amazon.com

Having its origins in European heavy metal bands during the 1990s, 'Black Metal' has clearly established itself as a vehicle for musically and ideologically avant garde groups and performers. "Black Metal: Beyond The Darkness" is a 192-page compendium comprised of insightful essays on the development and evolution of this particular musical subgenre. Enhanced with illustrated testimonials that include John 'Metalion' Kristiansen, Ulver, Imperial, Trine + Kim Design Studio, Nicola Masciandaro, Jon "Thorns" Jamshid, and others, "Black Metal: Beyond The Darkness" is informed, informative, and highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library musicology reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

KISS FAQ
Dale Sherman
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302
Montclair, NJ 07042
9781617130915, $22.99, www.halleonardbooks.com

With face paint and an attitude, they have gained a reputation that is both famous and infamous. "KISS FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Hottest Band in the Land" explores the history surrounding the glam rockers whose flair was far more than some make up, with wild theatrics in pyrotechnics, light shows, and yes, hard rock backing it all up. Dale Sherman explains the fandom behind the band and why KISS has its own place in Rock 'n Roll history. "KISS FAQ" is a must for any music history collection, highly recommended.

Queen: The Complete Works
Georg Purvis
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857685513, $24.95, www.titanbooks.com

Queen: The Complete Works offers a fine reprint of a meticulous consideration of the rock band Queen, from its musicians and creations to its tours and videos, and is a top recommendation for any popular music collection. It provides detailed production history and analysis for all their albums, provides set lists and histories for all their live shows, and offers commentary and history on their major songs. The result is truly a 'complete' set of insights on Queen, highly recommended for any rock music library!


The Crafts Shelf

The Natural Soap Chef
Heidi Corley Barto
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440
Berkeley CA 94703-3440
9781612430621, $14.95, www.ulyssespress.com

Soap is more than the generic stuff bought in a store. "The Natural Soap Chef: Making Luxurious Delights from Cucumber Melon and Almond Cookie to Chai Tea and Espresso Forte" is a guide for those who want to try their own hand at creating their own soaps that have their own unique fragrances that one could never expect out of soaps. With plenty of full color photos, Heidi Corley Barto walks readers through how to craft these soaps step by step. For anyone who wants to try their hand at homemade artisan soap, "The Natural Soap Chef" is an ideal and much recommended addition to any crafts collection.

Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle
Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachbooks.com

Bead Style Magazine's EASY BEADING V. 8 (9780871164810, $29.95) provides a complete guide to materials and techniques, pairing hundreds of step-by-step photos and directions for over 80 projects and packing in directions for jewelry-makers of all skills. From using crystals and metal to handling chain and plastic, this packs in color photos, sidebars of supplies and 'dos and don'ts', and offers jewelers an easy introduction to different styles and approaches to beading. A 'must' for any looking for definitive collections to add to a jewelry-making library! Bead&Button Magazine editors have put together CREATIVE BEADING VOLUME 7 (9780871164827, $29.95), a solid collection of projects culled from over a year of the magazine's best projects. Embellished with color photos throughout and step-by-step descriptions that lend to beginner understanding, CREATIVE BEADING VOLUME 7 is filled with projects and examples of steps, and is a pick for any beader.


The Social Issues Shelf

This Land
Anthony Flint
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421407814, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

The entire east coast from Washington D.C. and north is almost one continuous city...when is a city too much? "This Land: The Battle Over Sprawl and the Future of America" explores the expansion of cities across America, and the resistance to urban sprawl. From encouraging more environmental building techniques, to the backlash against the free market, to the fall out of the housing bubble of 2008, "This Land" is an important discussion of the future of America, its cities, and what lies outside of it.

From Poverty to Power
Duncan Green
Practical Action Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9780855985936, $37.85, www.practicalactionpublishing.com

As the twenty first century begins, its problems are readily apparent. "From Poverty to Power: How Active Citizens and Effective States Can Change the World" discusses what can be done by those stricken with poverty to better help determine their own destiny and fight for a better future in their lives. A politically active population can force a state to be more effective and lead to greater harmony for all, and deal with the modern scourges - poverty, inequality, and environmental issues. "From Poverty to Power" is a strong addition to social issues and political science collections.

Resilience Practice
Brian Walker & David Salt
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-1148
9781597268011, $27.50, www.islandpress.org

Nature can only take so much abuse from mankind. "Resilience Practice: Building Capacity to Absorb Disturbance and Maintain Function" discusses what can be done to help nature deal with the shocks of the passing years, and how communities can create a balance of change that encourages the progress of mankind's communities with solid advancement of nature. "Resilience Practice" is a scholarly discussion of sociology and ecology together and how both topics don't have to be at odds with one another.

Caught in the Middle
Danny Quintana
The Beckham Publications Group
PO Box 4066, Silver Spring, MD 20914
9780984824380, $16.95, www.beckhamhouse.com

The immigration debate often comes with a decent dose of racism involved in it all. "Caught in the Middle: Stories of Hispanic Migration and Solutions to America's Immigration Dilemma" is a discussion of Hispanic culture and history in the context of America, as Danny Quintana explores the nature of immigration and how the vast majority of America's people are immigrants in history. "Caught in the Middle" provides some ideas for a solution and a down to earth discussion of the debate that many Hispanics often feel caught in.

Drug Effects
Lisa L. Gezon
Left Coast Press, Inc.
1630 North Main Street, #400
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
9781598744910, $32.95, www.lcoastpress.com

Many drugs of the past weren't the life destroying substances that they are displayed to be. "Drug Effects: Khat in Biocultural and Socioeconomic Perspective" explores the anthropology of many similar drugs in the form of Khat, Marijuana, and Peyote, with a focus on Khat. Discussing its impact on the history of the people who have used these drugs throughout their history, and exploring the scientific facts behind their effects, and hopes to bring the truth about psychotropic substances to light. "Drug Effects" is a must for social and international issues collections.

Strategic Contracting for Health Systems and Services
Jean Perrot and Eric de Roodenbeke, Editors
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412814997, $79.95, www.transactionpub.com

Strategic Contracting for Health Systems and Services considers vast changes in health care around the world in two areas, considering developments in the health sector that are leading to an increase in stakeholders in response to the development of the private sector, and a push for democratization and decentralization. This focus on the lasting impact of health stakeholders offers chapters of compelling argument for any college-level collection strong in health care services and analysis. Any social issues or health care collection will find this packed with analysis of health care services, financial and non-financial incentives, contracts and results measurements, and more. Any interested in the future of the health care system MUST have this in-depth analysis!

The American Spirit
Edwin J. Feulner and Brian Tracy
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9781595553379, $24.99, www.thomasnelson.com

THE AMERICAN SPIRIT: CELEBRATING THE VIRTUES AND VALUES THAT MAKE US GREAT considers the ideals of freedom, equality and individual rights and the ideals that make America unique in the world. Stories, profiles and statistics blend to provide a primer on the American spirit, its nature and substance, and to ultimately provide a supportive view of The Tea Party Movement and its contentions. The authors maintain that American exceptionalism is not a guarantee, but must be fostered by inquiry and ongoing assessment. Any interested in social and political issues of American freedom and spirit - especially those with special interest in The Tea Party Movement - will find this a fine pick.

The Truth Machine: A Social History of the Lie Detector
Geoffrey C. Bunn
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421405308, $34.95, www.press.jhu.edu

The Truth Machine: A Social History of the Lie Detector considers history and popular culture and the social and political influences on lies and truth; specifically the development of the lie detector and its role in American life. The science and fantasy surrounding the lie detector are examined in a social history that dispels myths, provides facts, and offers lively and fun insights into what the lie detector is, who uses it, and its pros and cons. Any with an interest in criminal justice or general social issues will find this a compelling account.

Victory
Linda Hirshman
Harper
c/o HarperCollins
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061965500, $27.99, www.harpercollins.com

VICTORY: THE TRIUMPHANT GAY REVOLUTION tells the story of how gay-friendly civil rights efforts have achieved success throughout society, charting how the formerly despised minority pushed a movement that ended up changing laws, minds, and the highest offices in the country. It charts the evolution of a social revolution and tells of accompanying changes in American ideas of inequality, and offers in-depth social and political examination on many levels. General-interest and political and social science holdings alike will find this a captivating winner.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Something to Chew On
Mike Gibney
University College Dublin Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781906359676, $38.95, www.ucdpress.ie

Food is a central topic in our lives, and there are yet many questions surrounding it. "Something to Chew On: Challenging Controversies in Food and Health" explores the countless food related controversies that surround food. In recent years, there has been rallying calls against organic foods, against genetically modified foods, the growing problem of obesity, and countless other problems. Mike Gibney brings an academic discussion of these problems, bringing them into a historical context. "Something to Chew On" is an enticing and much recommended pick for those confused by health standards, very much recommended for health and history collections.

The ACL Solution
Robert G. Marx & Grethe Myklebust
Demos Medical Publishing
11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10036
9781936303335, $16.95, www.demosmedpub.com

When the knee goes, the rest of the leg might as well be useless. "The ACL Solution: Prevention and Recovery for Sports Most Devastating Knee Injury" is a thorough read on this debilitating knee injury. Physicians with a focus in Sports Medicine Robert G. Marx and Grethe Myklebust come together on how to best prevent this injury, dealing with the injury when it occurs, and the ins and outs of rehabilitation for the injury. Thorough and helpful reading for athletes, "The ACL Solution" is a much recommended addition to health collections that have a focus on sports injuries.

The Insulin Resistance Factor
Anthony J. Haynes
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781573245494, $18.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

The Insulin Resistance Factor: A Nutritionist's Plan for Reversing the Effects of Syndrome X discusses the nature and many health risks of Syndrome X, which affects 1 in 5 people and which leads to heart disease, diabetes, and more. After exploring the syndrome and its health risks a nutritional plan is presented for reversing insulin resistance. The information is at times vague, but it will serve as an introduction to the topic and points readers in a direction that incorporates easy changes and meal plans. Alternative health holdings will find it a good supplement to books offering further details.

Herbal Antibiotics, second edition
Stephen Harrod Buhner
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603429870, $24.95, www.storey.com

The second updated edition of HERBAL ANTIBIOTICS: NATURAL ALTERNATIVES FOR TREATING DRUG-RESISTANT BACTERIA provides a completely revised expanded and updated edition and combines in-depth profiles of herbs with a review of scientific research surrounding their health attributes, and is a fine pick for any medical collection strong in practical herbal applications. From 200 tincture ratios to medicine-making instructions, this goes beyond the descriptive focus of competing herbal guides to impart the nuts and bolts of creating medicine with them, and is a fine expanded, updated survey.

New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

Leo J. Battenhausen, MA, MSW, LCSW, LCADC's DEFEATING DEPRESSION; THE CALM AND SENSE WAY TO FIND HAPPINESS AND SATISFACTION (9780882823249, $14.95) provides a key to understanding feelings of loneliness and anger, surveying the underlying causes behind a fairly widespread phenomenon and offering practical remedies which show readers how to get better. From offering realistic self-assessments and coping with stress to achieving true happiness, DEFEATING DEPRESSION is filled with the practical tools to turn one's life around. Dr. William E. Ward's THE GOOD ENOUGH SPOUSE (9780882823645, $14.95) is a pick for any collection strong in self-help relationship studies, and is backed by Dr. Ward's own insights on how to turn marital conflict into an opportunity for growth. Some thirty years of experience counseling couples lends to a review of common issues, how to improve a relationship, and how to avoid common problems. Both are picks for health and general-interest libraries alike!

Jones & Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive
Sudbury, MA 01776
www.jblearning.com

The third updated edition of Janie B. Butts and Karen L. Rich's NURSING ETHICS: ACROSS THE CURRICULUM AND INTO PRACTICE (9781449649005, $74.95) provides a fine key to blending nursing ethics into the overall nursing curriculum, preparing readers for moral issues encountered in daily practice and providing new expansions on each chapter, with further updated details on genetics, cloning, and current NCLEX testing protocols. 'Ethical Formations' boxes throughout the book cite sources, include stories and case histories, and supplement details to blend theory with clinical applications and evidence, making this a solid 'must' for any nurse's reference library. Carolyn Buppert's NURSE PRACTITIONER'S BUSINESS PRACTICE AND LEGAL GUIDE (9780763799748, $119.95) appears in its fourth updated edition and includes a CD-ROM of customizable evaluation forms and plans. It's been completely updated and revised to offer the latest insights on prescribing, hospital privileges, ethics, health policy and much more, and offers in-depth legal and business insights on everything from giving testimony before the state legislature to composing a letter to an insurance company about unpaid bills. Its wide-ranging coverage makes it a 'must' for any nursing reference library. Also a 'must' is the 2012 NURSE'S DRUG HANDBOOK (9781449638641, $44.95), which appears in its eleventh updated edition to provide the latest information on drugs, dosages, and nursing considerations. From nurse-patient teaching points to special warnings, drug interactions, a controlled substance schedule, and more, this includes new drug entries and the latest information on drug interactions and nursing points, making for an invaluable 'must have' nurse's desk reference. Gail M. Wilkes and Margaret Barton-Burke's 2012 ONCOLOGY NURSING DRUG HANDBOOK (9781449644628, $93.95) provides a fine guide written for nurses working with patients with cancer, and connects drug therapy routines to nursing process from diagnosis and toxicities to key points for assessment and intervention. Updated annual, this has been completely revised to include new drug entries, revisions, descriptions of specific drugs and their interactions and effects, and the latest side effects. No oncology nurse should be without this quick desk reference at hand.


The American History Shelf

187 Things You Should Know About the War of 1812
Donald R. Hickey
Maryland Historical Society
201 W. Monument Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
c/o The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9780984213528 $15.00 www.press.jhu.edu www.mdhs.org

Donald R. Hickey (professor of history, Wayne State College) presents 187 Things You Should Know About the War of 1812, which covers the historical facts of the War of 1812 in an accessible question-and-answer format. An excellent choice for reviewing the history of the war prior to a test, or simply learning things about the struggle that might have been glossed over in school, 187 Things You Should Know About the War of 1812 is a choice pick for public, high school, and even college library collections due to its concise, reader-friendly format. "181: Was this a second war of independence for the United States? Not in any real sense. The British maritime practices that caused the war infringed upon American rights but were a direct outgrowth of the war in Europe and would end when that war ended. The British had no real designs on American sovereignty, no desire to roll back the Declaration of Independence or to recolonize the United States. Even when the British took the offensive in 1814, their campaigns were not designed to undermine American independence but to win territory that might be used to bargain for greater security for their North American provinces and their Indian allies." Highly recommended.

Visions and Voices
Charlotte Caldwell
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630
Helena, MT 59604
9780985497101 $45.00 www.farcountrypress.com

Visions and Voices: Montana's One-Room Schoolhouses is an oversized hardcover showcase of Montana's historic education buildings. Every two-page spread features a pristine color photograph of a one-room schoolhouse on the right, and insights and memories from Montanans (some of whom are in their eighties or nineties) who were students, teachers, or workers at these schools. "In early years, it was one student's job to pump water into a bucket and haul it inside each morning. There was a dipper, and everyone had a tin cup with his or her name on it. But when I was a student, cone-shaped paper cups had replaced the tin cups. Later it was determined that cross light could injure a student's eyes, so the windows on one side of the schoolhouse were removed." Visions and Voices is a beautiful book to page through, highly recommended. One hundred percent of the net proceeds from Visions and Voices will be donated to the Preserve Montana Fund, in order to create a challenge grant earmarked to help preserve Montana's one-room schoolhouses.

Swedes in Michigan
Rebecca J. Mead
University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
9781611860412, $12.95, www.press.umich.edu

Michigan, much like America, was made by many people coming together and making a truly unique blend of culture. "Swedes in Michigan" is another entry in the Discovering the Peoples of Michigan series, this time focusing on the Swedish Americans who came to the state and made their own impact on the state. Analyzing the Swedish culture and how it was infused into Michigan through public policy, business, education, and much more, "Swedes in Michigan" is an intriguing exploration of American anthropology, highly recommended.

Wicked Western Slope
D.A. Brockett
The History Press
635 Rutledge Ave., Suite 107
Charleston, SC 29403
9781609495701 $19.99 www.historypress.net

Wicked Western Slope: Mayhem, Mischief & Murder in Colorado lives up to its title with a collection of vignettes about the criminal history of Colorado's Western Slope, which during the time of the Wild West used to be a land of drink, gambling, thieving, and worse. From forced prostitution and white slavery, to crimes of passion, to cold-blooded murder, Wicked Western Slope is brimming with true tales of iniquity on the rough-and-tumble frontier. A luridly fascinating slice of the darker side of American History, Wicked Western Slope is thoroughly accessible to readers everywhere who are curious about Colorado's dirty deeds.


The World History Shelf

After Empire
Peter Zarrow
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
www.sup.org
9780804778688, $85.00, www.amazon.com

With the collapse of imperial government China underwent turbulent changes in both its culture and its politics. "After Empire: The Conceptual Transformation of the Chinese State, 1885-1924" by Peter Zarrow (Research Fellow, Institute of Modern History, Academia Sinica, Taiwan) is a 416-page compendium that provides an analytically descriptive survey of the four critical decades that followed the fall of two thousand years of monarchial rule. A masterpiece of scholarship, Professor Zarrow enhances his informed and informative presentation into chapters beginning with 'Kang Youwei's Philosophy of Power and the 1898 Reform Movement', to 'Identity, History, and Revolution', to 'Founding the Republic of China'. Of special note are his chapters on 'Voices of Receding Reaction' and 'The Last Emperors'. Enhanced with a 'List of Characters', extensive notes, a bibliography, and an index, "After Empire: The Conceptual Transformation of the Chinese State, 1885-1924" is a welcome and highly recommended core addition to personal, community, and academic library Chinese History collections. "After Empire" is also available in a paperback edition (9780804778695, $27.95) and in a Kindle edition (0804778698, $15.37).

Elizabeth I and the 'Sovereign Arts'
Donald Stump, Linda Shenk, and Carole Levin, editors
ACMRS
Arizona State University
PO Box 874402
Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
9780866984553 $70.00 http://acmrs.org/publications

Elizabeth I and the 'Sovereign Arts': Essays in Literature, History, and Culture is an anthology of scholarly writings by learned authors about Queen Elizabeth as a ruler, with particular focus on how she presented herself to her people and the world at large. From her interactions with her family, to her skillful application of poetry and oratory when crafting persuasive arguments, to her interactions through others via travels, tournaments, portraits, and literary works that helped craft her image as a ruler by divine right, Elizabeth I and the 'Sovereign Arts' offers insights into the critical role of the media of the era. The essays also reveal the facets of Elizabeth I's personality that she by necessity had to keep hidden behind a queenly mask. "For years she [Elizabeth I] played at courtship and in 1566 told her Parliament 'I will marry as soon as I can conveniently.' But it does seem clear that marriage was not something she wanted, and she even questioned just what kind of children she might have. While most people expect to have children whom they will love and who will make them proud, she stated that 'such offspring as may come of me... may... become, perhaps, ungracious.'" Elizabeth I and the 'Sovereign Arts' is an excellent addition to college library world history and literary studies shelves, highly recommended.

Civilizing the Wilderness
A. A. Den Otter
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9780888645463, $49.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca

The wild woods of northern Canada didn't readily accept human habitation. "Civilizing the Wilderness" is a collection of essays and history from A. A. Den Otter as he presents historical writings and essays about the push in the nineteenth century by Canada to delve into its vast forests to claim it as there own, including the aboriginal peoples of Canada and the First Nations. A pioneering study of this period of Canadian history, it presents plenty of detail and plenty to learn, making "Civilizing the Wilderness" a core and much needed addition to any Canadian History collection focusing on its expansion and dealings with the First Nation.

The Ogdoas of Alberto Alfieri
Carla P. Weinberg & E. Ann Matter, editors
ACMRS
Arizona State University
PO Box 874402
Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
9780866984133, $55.00, www.asu.edu

Education has changed and adapted over the years. "The Ogdoas of Alberto Alfieri" studies the works of this gentleman from fifteenth century Italy, otherwise unknown outside of his manuscript on the rites of education and politics of the early Renaissance era. Originally composed in Latin, it is translated into a modern language for the first time in English, as Adjunct Professor Carla Weinberg and Professor of Religious Studies E. Ann Matter come together for this intriguing study of early Modern Europe. "The Ogdoas of Alberto Alfieri" is a strong and scholarly addition to any community or college world history collection focusing on anthropology and Renaissance Europe, Italy in particular.

A History of Libya
John Wright
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231701679, $20.00, http://cup.columbia.edu

Libya has earned its place in the news recently, but the nation holds history for as long as there has been mankind. "A History of Libya" is a study of the nation and its region that goes from prehistoric times to the twilight of the Gadafi era. A crossroads in northern Africa, many empires and cultures have passed through and tried to claim it, and the people who call it home have grown battle hardened and stoic. An intriguing history that grants a comprehensive view of the Libyan people and their culture, "A History of Libya" is a core addition to any world history collection.

Aboriginal Dreaming Paths and Trading Routes
Dale Kerwin
Sussex Academic Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97213
9781845195298, $37.95, www.isbs.com

The aboriginal cultures of Australia has many secrets that were lost in ruthless colonization. "Aboriginal Dreaming Paths and Trading Routes: The Colonisation of the Australian Economic Landscape" explores the culture of the original cultures of Australia, often wrongfully written off as a savage hunter-gatherer society. Dale Kerwin presents evidence of an advanced culture that knew the land they called their own and used it to provide for their people. "Aboriginal Dreaming Paths and Trading Routes" is a scholarly study of aboriginal Australian history and culture, very much recommended reading.

The African Presence in Santo Domingo
Carlos Andujar
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611860429, $19.95, www.msupress.msu.edu

The barbarism of the slave trade has left many African peoples spread through the world. "The African Presence in Santo Domingo " is an entry into the African Diaspora Series, focusing on the Dominican Republic capital Santo Domingo, author Carlos Andujar discusses the impact that the slave trade and the African descended people have had on the city and the nation it governs. "The African Presence in Santo Domingo" is a strong addition to any cultural or black studies collection.

Blood on the Snow
Graydon A. Tunstall
University Press of Kansas
2501 West 15th Street
Lawrence, KS 66049
9780700618583, $22.50, www.kansaspress.ku.edu

Winter at war brings another, uncaring side of nature to the battle, claiming casualties on both sides. "Blood on the Snow" is an in-depth study of the battle in 1915 between Austria-Hungary and Russia, costing millions of lives as the two sides battled in the snow coated mountains. Providing an insightful study of the battle, the strategies, and the pain endured on both ends, "Blood on the Snow" is a strongly recommended pick for World War I focused history collections.

Johnson's Life of London
Boris Johnson
Riverhead Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9781594487477, $27.95, www.riverheadbooks.com

Johnson's Life of London: The People Who Made the City that Made the World provides a fine survey by London mayor Boris Johnson, one of the most recognized people in British politics, who offers a tour of London's history, culture, and influences. Anecdotes and fun reading supplement a history that traces the city's evolution through the ages, blending observations from the author's own experiences with discussions of the city's vivid growth. Wit and personal insight lend to a coverage that is anything but dry.

Places of Encounter
Aran MacKinnon and Elaine M. MacKinnon, Editors
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813347370, $38.00, www.westviewpress.com

PLACES OF ENCOUNTER: TIME, PLACE, AND CONNECTIVITY IN WORLD HISTORY is a fine pick for any high school to college-level world history holding, offering a place-based approach to specific locations at critical historical moments of change. It appears in two volumes to provide primary sources of first-hand materials telling of historical players of different eras, and includes questions for discussion at chapter's end. The result is a fine survey of specific locations and how they were affected by transformations in history, recommended for any world history holding.


The Nautical Shelf

Float Planes & Flying Boats
Capt. Robert B. Workman
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
9781612511078, $41.95, www.navalinstitute.org

Air and sea have always had a unique union. "Float Planes & Flying Boats: The U.S. Coast Guard and Early Naval Aviation" discusses the early efforts of seaplanes as the US Coast Guard and Navy as before and throughout World War I, the Coast Guard, Marines produced my machines for use in war. With countless black and white photographs, Capt. Robert B. Workman, a Coast Guard veteran, presents an intriguing study of military history and these dual-purpose craft. "Float Planes & Flying Boats" is a must for anyone with a fascination of naval history.

World Voyage Planner
Jimmy Cornell, author
Charts by Ivan Cornell
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29
Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780957262607 $49.95 www.paracay.com

World Voyage Planner is a solid, at times technical guide written especially for experienced sailors planning an ocean voyage "from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world". Full-color photographs and a medley of navigation charts intersperse the in-depth chapters focusing on each corner of the globe. World Voyage Planner is written especially for recreational sailors, and is especially valuable for planning an optimal route that takes weather, ocean currents, and even the risk of piracy into account long before the trip begins. "According to Mike Dorsett an important feature [that a boat must have] on a world voyage is 'a larger than standard self-draining gas locker with space for additional tanks when cruising in areas where refilling them can be a problem.'The three most commonly mentioned pieces of essential equipment... were a watermaker, a strong autopilot preferably backed up by a wind-operated self-steering gear, and an automatic identification system (AIS)." An absolute "must-have" for serious ocean sailing and yachting enthusiasts.

Royal C. Moore: The Man Who Built the Streetcar Boats
Lori Cherland-McCune
Beaver's Pond Press
7108 Ohms Lane
Edina, MN 55439
9781592985340 $22.00 www.BeaversPondPress.com

Royal C. Moore: The Man Who Built the Streetcar Boats is more than the biography of a driven Minnesota businessman who designed and constructed incredible, wooden streetcar boats during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; it's a celebration of the boats themselves, and the people who depended on them. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs illustrate this reader-friendly chronicle of the streetcar boats' contribution to Great Lakes area trade. Nautical enthusiasts will love the tour de force of streetcar boat history!

The Uchuck Years
David Esson Young
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219
Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
9781550175820, $24.95, www.harbourpublishing.com

Vancouver and its islands still hold much adventure in its seas. "The Uchuk Years" is a memoir from David Esson Young, who recalls his days with the Nootka Sound Service Limited Company for over sixty five years. Young tells of his journeys through the four incarnations of the Uchuck vessel, in this down to earth tale of modern oceanfaring and how it can shape lives. "The Uchuk Years" is a must for any nautical collection dealing in memoirs.

Gulf Islands Cruising Guide
Peter Vassilopoulos
Pacific Marine Publishing
c/o Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780919317383, $31.25, www.paracay.com

Gulf Islands Cruising Guide provides cruisers with a color cruising guide covering the waterways of the gulf islands of British Columbia, packing in charts, maps, discussions of anchorages, and hundreds of aerial color photos. Cruisers heading north will find this a 'must' packed with key information for making the most of the gulf islands, covering the villages and amenities available to mariners. This deserves ongoing recommendation as a 'must' travel planner for any cruiser.

Outfitting the Offshore Cruising Sailboat
Peter Berman
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780939837991, $19.95, www.paracay.com

Outfitting the Offshore Cruising Sailboat reviews the criteria for selecting a used fiberglass hull sailboat and shares over forty years' experience overhauling and refitting different sailboats for an offshore journey. It's packed with keys to buying and refitting a cruising sailboat and focuses on affordable used boats and how to assess and perform the work that will get it blue-water ready. Very highly recommended for any nautical collection!

Child of the Sea
Doina Cornell
Cornell Sailing/A&C Black
c/o Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9781408178591, $15.54, www.paracay.com

Child of the Sea offers the true story of a young girl who grows up aboard the family's 36-foot yacht while sailing over 68,000 miles around the world. Unlike competing nautical memoirs which are written by adults, this expresses a child's point of view and is written for children - including those with no sailing background. The vivid account of her coming of age on the water and growing up away from regular contact with school and peers, but in close contact with other cultures and worlds, makes for a vivid and personal account perfect for any nautical or adventure travel collection.


The Gardening Shelf

Birdscaping in the Midwest
Mariette Nowak
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor
Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299291549 $34.95 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress

Illustrated with striking full color photography throughout, Birdscaping in the Midwest: A Guide to Gardening with Native Plants to Attract Birds is a user-friendly, in-depth gardening guide written especially for bird lovers in the eight midwestern states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. Chapters discuss how to clear out invasive species of plants and cultivate native midwestern plants, in order to better attract birds whose survival depends on those plants. "...exotic plants degrade habitat for birds and wildlife in other ways. Exotics, especially invasive ones, can reduce the availability of water, decrease the diversity of soil organisms, deplete soil nutrients, cause soil erosion, compete with native vegetation - including endangered species - and affect the frequency of wildfires. Monocultures of exotics also destroy the diversity of vegetation and structure in plant communities that many birds require." Chapters include tips for creating gardens that attract specific bird types (hummingbirds, bluebirds, migratory birds, etc.), and solid advice for maintaining one's bird-friendly garden habitat. Bird lovers and gardeners all over the Midwest will find Birdscaping in the Midwest an absolute "must-have"!

Working with Worms
Wendy Vincent
Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue
Ocala, FL 34471
9781601385994, $24.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

Once written off as a disgusting pest, the worm has proven a useful helper for gardening. "Working with Worms: Using the Gardener's Best Friend for Organic Gardening and Composting" is a guide for those who want to use this creepy crawler for use in their gardens and in the pursuit of composting. With plenty of advice on acquiring worms, caring for them and helping them set out to help your goals, "Working with Worms" is a strongly recommended addition to agriculture and gardening collections.

New Society Publishers
Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
www.newsociety.com

Binda Colebrook's WINTER GARDENING IN THE MARITIME NORTHWEST (9780865717084, $17.95) covers cool-season crops the gardener can cultivate year-round, and appears in its fifth updated edition to teach the basics of preparing the ideal winter gardening site. From choosing the hardiest varieties for a year-round growing season to incorporating a monthly planting almanac, Winter Gardening in the Maritime Northwest is packed with specific guides for Pacific Northwest gardeners, focusing on winter gardening basics. The specifics on building frames and habitats to cultivate healthy and productive crops makes this a fine guide. Peter Bane's THE PERMACULTURE HANDBOOK (9780865716667, $44.95) provides an outstanding guide to sustainable agriculture and offers a practical way to apply ecological design concepts to food, housing and energy systems alike. It presents garden farming as an economic opportunity and method of living well off the land, showing how to garden with an eye to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and living off the land. Permaculture is about working with the earth in a more positive manner, and THE PERMACULTURE HANDBOOK is loaded with more than theory, tackling the nuts and bolts of gardening in either city or country environments. Case studies of four successful farmsteads and market gardens use examples from across the U.S.


The Martial Arts Shelf

Krav Maga
David Kahn
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480
Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594392405, $24.95, www.ymaa.com

Brutal efficiency is all that matters when a life is on the line. "Krav Maga Weapon Defenses" explores the ins and outs of the Krav Maga defensive martial art, using black and white photography throughout describing many situations that one might face in close combat situations that focus on disabling and disarming an opponent. Providing an additional set of study and training for those intrigued by the art, "Krav Maga" is worth considering for those who want to better understand Krav Maga and its techniques.

Book of Knives
Hank Reinhardt
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
97801451637557, $13.00, www.baen.com

Hank Reinhardt's BOOK OF KNIVES: A PRACTICAL AND ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO KNIFE FIGHTING comes from an expert on the topic and explains what happens during a knife fight. From acquiring basic skills to histories of weapons and different kinds of fighting knives, this illustrated volume teaches all the basics of how to fight with a knife - and how to avoid it. The author participated in knife fight in his youth and developed a rare expertise, shared in this recommendation for any martial arts or reference library.


The Aviation Shelf

Attention All Passengers
William J. McGee
Harper
c/o Harper Collins
10 E. 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
9780062088376, $26.99, www.harpercollins.com

ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS: THE AIRLINES' DANGEROUS DESCENT - AND HOW TO RECLAIM OUR SKIES offers a fine survey of the world and state of affairs at commercial airlines, and comes from a journalist and consumer advocate who reveals the truth behind the airline industry snafus. For three decades he's followed numerous changes in the airline industry and close research on its issues and challenges results in a book that details how airlines are cutting costs in a dangerous process. Read about outsourced aircraft maintenance unrecorded by the FAA, the influence of airline lobbyists on politics and regulation processes, and much more in an eye-opening assessment recommended for any general lending library.


The Gaming Shelf

Kenn Warren Teaches Texas Hold'em: Volumes 1 & 2
Ken Warren
Cardoza Publishing
5473 South Eastern Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89119
www.cardozapub.com www.amazon.com
Volume 1: 9781580422383, $19.95 (pb)
Volume 2: 9781580422543, $19.95 (pb)

Texas Hold'em, in both its limit and non-limit forms, is the single most popular version of poker being played out in tournaments and online today. Ken Warren is the author of five 'how to' books on poker and a seasoned veteran of the game. The first volume of "Kenn Warren Teaches Texas Hold'em" was published in 2009 and is a 416-page compendium deftly organized into fifteen 'user friendly' chapters specifically designed for novice, non-professional players wanting to seriously improve their game, holding their own when playing with friends or in casinos, and ending up at final tables at local, regional, and even national tournaments. Beginning with the basics, aspiring players will be introduced to low-limit concepts and strategies, learn how to profit from mistakes before the game, before the flop, on the turn, on the river, and even after the game. Of special note are the two chapters devoted to answering common questions. The second volume, "Kenn Warren Teaches Texas Hold'em 2" is a 352-page compendium devoted to answering even more questions posed by poker players seeking to improve the quality of their decision making at the gaming table both in live tournaments and on-line gaming events. Taken together, these two volumes comprise a complete course of instruction on a game famously notorious as being learned in a few minutes while taking a lifetime to master. Even the pros you see playing Final Tables at the WSPO or the WPT could browse the pages of Ken Warren's two volume masterpiece to their own personal advantage in a game of Texas Hold'em!

DisgaeaArt!!! Disgaea Official Illustration Collection
Nippon Ichi Software and Takehito Harada
UDON Entertainment Corp.
118 Tower Hill Road, C1, PO Box 20008
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4K 0K0
9781926778501 $39.99 www.UDONentertainment.com

DisgaeaArt!!! Disgaea Official Illustration Collection is an oversized, full-color artbook showcase of illustrations from the popular Disgaea series of tactical role-playing games, set in a chaotic netherworld filled with demons, evil overlords, penguin sinners (called "Prinnies"), and the occasional angel or hapless mortal unfortunate enough to lose their way. The uproarious, tongue-in-cheek humor of Disgaea shines through the wacky and wild art! Fans of the series can enjoy numerous anime-style pieces ranging from concept art to character illustrations to works that originally appeared on Japanese telephone cards. There is very little text; instead, the brief captions explaining the origins of each piece are relegated to the back of the book, the better to devote as much of the page as possible to the art itself. Hijinks aplenty abound is this "must-have" treasury for Disgaea fans everywhere!

Getting Started With Dwarf Fortress
Peter Tyson
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449314941, $19.99, www.oreilly.com

Getting Started With Dwarf Fortress is for any collection strong in video games and covers one of the most complex video games ever made. It comes from a Fortress player who offers insights on all the basics, covering the game's simulation mode which involves building a dwarf city. A step-by-step guide to creating and moving around the Fortress world offers keys to building the scenarios and understanding the consequences of success. Fortress is a complicated video game and having a user's manual that helps newcomers build skills will make for an even more enjoyable experience. Video game collections won't want to miss this.


The Automotive Shelf

Competition Engine Building
John Baechtel
CarTech Inc.
39966 Grand Avenue
North Branch, MN 55056
9781934709627, $29.95, www.cartechbooks.com

There's building a functional engine, and then there's pushing oneself to be the best. "Competition Engine Building: Advanced Engine Design and Assembly Techniques" is a guide to competitive engine construction from John Baechtel, who advises readers on the highest end cutting edge techniques needed to make engines that will perform far and above the call of duty. With full color photography all throughout, for any auto junkie who wants to rise to the competitive level, "Competition Engine Building" is a strong pick for any hobbyist auto enthusiast collection.


The Memoir Shelf

Psychic Blues
Mark Edward
Feral House
PO Box 39910
Los Angeles, CA 90039
9781936239276, $18.95, www.feralhouse.com

Psychics are never as such. "Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium" is a memoir from Mark Edward, who touches on his career as a mentalist, performing cold readings to act as if he is connecting people to their dead relatives, read minds, among other things that may be thought of as supernatural. Describing the techniques of the mentalist and how he performs the supernatural by simply being mundane, "Psychic Blues" is an enticing and creative spin into the world of mentalists and so called 'psychics'.

Fauna & Family
Gerald Durrell
David R. Godine Publisher
PO Box 450, Jaffrey, NH 03452
9781567924411, $15.95, www.godine.com

The people around us define our lives and very being. "Fauna & Family: More Durell Family Adventures on Corfu" is a collection of memoir from Gerald Durrell as he recollects his childhood, with a focus on family and the local people who made up his youth. Telling a poignant story of nature and coming of age when everyone around you seems slightly insane, "Fauna & Family" is a strong addition to history and memoir collections, and a choice pick for those who want a pre-war look at the Isle of Corfu.

The Shining Levels
John Wyatt
Little Toller Books
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781908213037, $22.95, www.dufoureditions.com

Little bits of nature all through the world offer us samples of very different things all over the world. "The Shining Levels" is a memoir from the late John Wyatt, who writes on the unique freedom that he found in the Lakewood region in the United Kingdom, exploring the draw that nature brought him there and musing on the rustic life that many in the world have already left behind. "The Shining Levels" is an enticing piece of writing ont he topics of the forests and naturism, very much recommended reading for anyone with an interest the lost outdoors.

Take a Shot!
Jake Steinfeld
Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100
Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
9781401940270, $24.95, www.hayhouse.com

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. "Take a Shot!: A Remarkable Story of Perseverance, Friendship, and Really a Crazy Adventure" is a memoir of taking risks and what comes forth when one dares to do so. Jake Steinfeld tells of he and Dave Morrow, and their gambit to create a national sports league for lacrosse, and the obstacle course that sat in front of them and their expertise in making it work. An uplifting memoir of business success, and beating adversity, "Take a Shot!" is a powerful and recommended addition to self-help and memoir collections, with possible interest for those who love lacrosse.

Dead Man Breathing
Billy Jack & A'Leta McDaniel
Winepress Publishing Group
1730 Railroad Street
Enumclaw, WA 98022
9781606152171, $15.99, www.winepressgroup.com

As we are pushed towards death, there are events we shouldn't have survived. "Dead Man Breathing" is a memoir of Billy Jack McDaniel as he recounts his own certain death, being caught in a towering inferno in an oil field that by all odds should have claimed his life. Instead, he survived with severe burns and little outlook for survival. With the help of a devoted wife, Billy Jack regains the will to live and attains a life very much worth living. "Dead Man Breathing" is a fine addition to any memoir collection focusing on tragedy and the triumph over it.

Caveat Emptor
Ken Perenyi
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10004
9781605983608, $27.95, www.pegasusbooks.com

Art can be worth millions...which can make a sublime mimic worth millions. "Caveat Emptor: The Secret Life of an American Art Forger" tells the story of Ken Perenyi, a famed art forger and gained the attention of the FBI with his explicit skill in producing forgeries of major art works. Gaining a reputation as America's most talented art forger, he shares his unique career and life of working under deception. "Caveat Emptor" is a riveting delve into the art world and the underworld that lives on beneath it.

Midstream
Reynolds Price
Scribner
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781439183496, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

As we approach the end of our lives, we want to leave something for the world to remember us by. "Midstream: An Unfinished Memoir" is a memoir from Reynolds Price, held as a major voice in Southern fiction throughout the twentieth and early twenty first centuries. He shares his life story, which is cut off due to his sudden death, sharing his experiences and what morphed him into the writer he became, and the man he became. "Midstream" is a strong pick for memoir collections, especially those with a focus on figures of modern literature.

And Live Rejoicing
Huston Smith
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way
Novato, CA 94949
9781608680719, $15.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

A search for greater enlightenment is a search that never ends. "And Live Rejoicing: Chapters from a Charmed Life" is a spiritual memoir from Huston Smith, a renown world traveler who has dedicated much of his life to seeing the faiths of the world and gaining greater insight to the bonds that we all share. Touching on his encounters with remarkable people and what he has ultimately learned, "And Live Rejoicing" is a fine pick for those who seek greater understanding and education out of their lives.

Snakes in My Dreams
Dr. Mike Deninger
Unrivaled Books
c/o Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9781613601099, $21.95, www.hcibooks.com

When the world seems so hateful it can be a tough weight to shake off. "Snakes in My Dreams: A Mental Health Therapist's Odyssey from Hardship to Healer" is author Dr. Mike Derringer's own struggles with mental health problems, telling of his own dark time and struggles with sexuality issues as well substance abuse. Drawn to help others like himself, "Snakes in My Dreams" is a fine memoir for anyone seeking one that touches on psychology, PTSD, and LGBT issues, recommended.

The Farm at Holstein Dip
Carroll Engelhardt
University of Iowa Press
100 Kuhl House
119 West Park Road
Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
9781609381172, $22.00, www.uiowapress.org

The farm upbringing grows rarer in today's society. "The Farm at Holstein Dip: An Iowa Boyhood" is a memoir from Carroll Engelhardt who delves into his own history and upbringing in the farms of Iowa, and recounts his German and Norwegian roots and his delve into his deep history. Reflecting on the rapid changes that the past fifty years have brought, "The Farm at Holstein Dip" is a strong addition to any history and memoir collection, much recommended.

You're Married to Her?
Ira Wood
Leapfrog Press
PO Box 2110
Teaticket, MA 02536
9781935248255, $15.95, www.leapfrogpress.com

The most unusual bonds can often be the strongest. "You're Married to Her?" tells of the unique romance between Ira Wood and a woman much older than himself. The bond of their true love was forged in spite of their age difference, affecting his journey through manhood and his career. "You're Married to Her?" is a work of true life romance, very much recommended reading.

Surviving Cancer After Surviving Cancer
Kevin L. Murphy
Headline Books, Inc.
PO Box 52, Terra Alta, WV 26764
9780938467403, $19.95, www.headlimebooks.com

Even as the disease is purged from one's body, its scars still burn. "Surviving Cancer After Surviving Cancer: Coping with the Emotional Side of Cancer" is a memoir from Kevin L. Murphy as he shares his own pain of survival with his cancer-afflicted wife. Their relationship was rocky, but their problems were put aside when her disease struck, and although they survived the cancer, their relationship did not. "Surviving Cancer After Surviving Cancer" is a powerful memoir on the impact of cancer and how it alters our lives.

We Shall Not Be Moved
Tom Wooten
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108-2892
9780807044636, $25.95, www.beacon.org

Nature's fury permanently changes lives. "We Shall Not Be Moved: Rebuilding Home in the Wake of Katrina" is a memoir of coping with the force of Hurricane Katrina and the untold damage it did to New Orleans, placing them behind meters of water. Telling of their struggles to rebuild and reclaim their home, this read proves both tragic and inspiring, as Tom Wooten shares his personal experience, and the tells the stories of others in the struggle. "We Shall Not Be Moved" is a must for memoir collections focusing on the many tales of this historical disaster.

Bogus Allegations
Michelle Lombardi Gesse
Johnson Books
c/o Big Earth Publishing
3660 Mitchell Lane, Suite E., Boulder, CO 80301
9781555664503, $17.95, www.bigearthpublishing.com

It's supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, right? "Bogus Allegations: The Injustice of Guilty Until Proven Innocent" is the memoir of criminology and law of Michelle Lombardi Gesse as she tells of her husband's accusation of a crime, as she shares the struggle against the system that she feels assumes guilt and leaves it to the burden of proving one's own innocence. "Bogus Allegations" is an intriguing look at the struggles of the accused in the modern American legal system.

Fat No More
Alberto Hidalgo-Robert
Pinata Books
c/o Arte Publico Press
University of Houston
4902 Gulf Fwy, Bldg 19, Rm 100
Houston, TX 77204-2004
9781558857452, $16.95, www.artepublicopress.com

Obesity is a problem that carries countless other problems along with it. "Fat No More: A Teenager's Victory Over Obesity" is a memoir from Alberto Hidalgo-Robert as he shares his story how he faced down the problems of obesity as a young boy, sharing his struggles to get his weight down and the failures it had. Outcast by his peers, he finally found his method that worked, and he shares his journey in hopes that it will inspire others to follow his path. "Fat No More" is a strong addition to any health and memoir collection.


The Poetry Shelf

Conquest
Zoe Brigley
Bloodaxe Books
c/o DuFour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9781852249304, $21.95, www.dufoureditions.com

Who says love and war can't coexist? "Conquest" is a collection of poetry from American poet Zoe Brigley who presents her own thought driven journeys into Europe and touches on everything violent and lovely and what's in between. Enticing and recommended, "Conquest" is a strongly recommended addition to modern poetry assortments. "I Behind Orchard Walls": A fully grown woman, I find high walls/and cloister myself as a nunning gardener./Early I wake to attack the wreckage/of brambling berries, holly under my window./My tymbled Paris orchard is richly planted/with oak, pine and orange trees that flower/to pendulous fruit; I brew them yearly to orange water tea or rich marmalade./The ancient orchard sees out today/and tomorrow, while the city outside/unwinds long cement arms, and at night-time,/it swallows the moon with its luminous mouth.

This Beautiful Place
Tankred Dorst
Hanging Loose Press
231 Wyckoff Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217
9781934909294, $18.00, www.hangingloosepress.com

From an outsider, America can be a very different place. "This Beautiful Place" is a translation of the unique poetic styled prose of Tankred Dorst, winner of the first Loose Translations prize. Anne Posten translates his work from the original German, and the American influence can be felt strongly from a man who fought for the German Army in the second World War, and had a cultural love affair with his captors. "This Beautiful Place" is a strong pick for those seeking an original and historical poetic memoir.

When Eyes Meet Over the Minestrone
Jonathan Russell
Birch Brook Press
PO Box 81
Delhi, NY 13753
9780984200344 $15.00 www.birchbrookpress.info

When Eyes Meet Over the Minestrone is a compilation of free-verse poetry about attraction, love, and heartbreak, both within and without the realm of marriage. As capricious as the whims of the human heart, When Eyes Meet Over the Minestrone balances the high-flying joys and the crushing disillusionments of emotions out of control. A swift yet thoughtful read, When Eyes Meet Over the Minestrone is highly recommended. "Hearts to Ransom": Lost love is a stood up tryst / where only memories meet, / and walk on air with the wind at our feet. / With her flock of the sky, she walks in her sleep, / and faithfully we follow as a bleat from its sheep. / She glides on air with the wind in her hair, / we are swept like a fly beside her there. / Like the grave of her soul, we await the remains / of the love for which we shall weep in vain.

pH Neutral History
Lidija Dimkovska
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271
Port Townsend, WA 98368
9781556593758, $16.00, www.coppercanyonpress.org

Europe as we know it has long since changed. "pH Neutral History" is a collection of poetry from Macedonian poet Lidija Dimkovska, bringing his take on the world, and brought to English by Ljubica Arsovka & Peggy Reid, bringing his work to life in another language. "pH Neutral History" is a read well worth considering, highly recommended. "Care": I wash the soup ladle as though I'm washing a baby's head,/with profound understanding I give it the complete treatment --/and I have been longing for a lice-destroying hair dyer/or a similar device against foreign bodies in the head,/but the world was slow when humanity was in question,/and fast when I stood at crossroads moving neither forward nor backward/and watched people and events of neither this nor that world.

Whatever Sends the Music Into Time
Leah Fritz
Salmon Poetry
Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
97819088636007, $22.95, www.dufoureditions.com

Rhythm and music can cross time without translation. "Whatever Sends the Music Into Time" is a collection of poetry from Leah Fritz, who discusses anything and everything about our world as we try to piece it all together. With critical acclaim, Fritz's work proves to be something to look out for with "Whatever Sends the Music Into Time", highly recommended. "Epitaph for My Father": It was nice of you to say goodbye/and wait until we were all grown up/ to die.

The Winter Sleep of Captain Lemass
Harry Clifton
Wake Forest University Press
PO Box 7333
Winston-Salem, NC 27109
9781930630604, $14.95, www.wfu.edu/wfupress

The Irish cultural identity is always looking for its place in today's society. "The Winter Sleep of Captain Lemass" is a collection of poetry from established poet and author Harry Clifton as he expands his experience and continues to muse on the lost place of Ireland. Thoughtful and world weary, "The Winter Sleep of Captain Lemass" is a strong addition to any international poetry collections. "At Toome": There was a pheasant somewhere around,/Croaking; drowned out/By the small birds/Nearer. Would it enter the yard/And dazzle us, or be lost/In the morning, in the wet fields/Leveling out amazement?//A door was opened, a comment made./Somebody flung a bucket of slops/Across the air. In the silence/New and frightened,/Finches, tits, the little birds,/An army helicopter heard,/Moved in, to their feeding-grounds.


The Philosophy Shelf

Belief And Agency
David Hunter, editor
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
www.uofcpress.com
9780919491359, $39.95, www.amazon.com

The 35th volume in the University of Calgary Press' outstanding 'Canadian Journal of Philosophy' series, "Belief And Agency" is a 374-page compendium of eleven scholarly essays by knowledgeable experts on diverse issues in contemporary philosophy. The essays range from Eric Schwitzgebel's 'Knowing Your Own Beliefs'; to David Hunter's 'Guidance and Belief'; to Pamela Hieronymi's 'Believing at Will'; to David Checkland's 'Beasts, Beliefs, Intentions, Norms'. Enhanced with a comprehensive Index and 'Notes on Contributors' presenting their academic credentials, "Belief And Agency" is a seminal contribution and highly recommended addition to academic library Contemporary Philosophy reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy
Jon Cogburn and Mark Silcox, editors
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60601
9780812697964 $19.95 www.opencourtbooks.com

Part of an excellent series of books exploring the intersection of various popular culture phenomena and philosophy, Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy: Raiding the Temple of Wisdom is an anthology of essays by a diversity of learned authors. Each essay explores a different, thought-provoking angle of the popular pen-and-paper role playing game: how can it be morally acceptable to play characters of evil alignment? Can the role-playing game experience be considered art? What can inventing and exploring the stories of game characters tell us about ourselves? Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy will prove especially enjoyable to philosophers and cerebral gamers alike.

Breaking Bad and Philosophy
David R. Koepsell & Robert Arp
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60601
9780812697643, $19.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

The delve into darkness is what makes the hit television series Breaking Bad so enticing. "Breaking Bad and Philosophy: Badder Living Through Chemistry" explores the series and its brushes with philosophy, including how it skews the morality of the modern day and the touches on the nature of humanity, drugs, and everything in between. Compiled by many thinkers, "Breaking Bad and Philosophy" is a much recommended pick for fans of the show or Open Court's Pop Culture and Philosophy series.


The Fiction Shelf

Durango
Gary Hart
Fulcrum Publishing
4690 Table Mountain Drive, Suite 100
Golden, Colorado 80403
9781555916701, $15.95, www.fulcrumbooks.com

Water is very important, and is something very much worth fighting for. "Durango" blends the common themes of the American west into a modern western town in Colorado as the town of Durango faces a crisis over who controls its water supply. A close knit-community explodes and may be going at one another's throats. Daniel Sheridan, accused for a shady role in the conflict, returns to his home town and sees much to settle. "Durango" is a fine literary and contemporary read that combines themes well, highly recommended.

The Serpent's Bite
Warren Adler
Stonehouse Press
c/o Greenleaf Book Group
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
9781590060445, $21.95, www.warrenadler.com

Jounryes allow for great bonding between many. "The Serpent's Bite" is a novel following George Temple, a man who wants to reconnect with his estranged adult children, using a path in the Yellowstone Wilderness that they all had enjoyed twenty years earlier. But nostalgia blinds them, as his family may be more lost to him than he really knows. A story of drama, selfishness, evil, and a tragic story of the lost nature of some families, "The Serpent's Bite" is a fine and much recommended addition to contemporary literary fiction collections.

Sweet Land of Bigamy
Miah Arnold
F&W Publications, Inc.
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781440541896, $24.95, www.fwmedia.com

Polygamy has been outlawed in Utah for many years...and it doesn't matter if you want multiple wives or multiple husbands. "Sweet Land of Bigamy" is a novel following conflicted Helen Motes, who due to her husband serving out the conflict in Iraq, she finds herself tempted by roping another man into marriage. Helen soon regrets her questionable actions and delve into Utah's old shame, and is stuck between two men and no easy way to choose, or any other easy way out of her situation. "Sweet Land of Bigamy" is a twist on contemporary fiction and romance, highly recommended.

The Politics of Barbecue
Blake Fontenay
John F. Blair Publisher
1406 Plaza Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
9780895875853, $24.95, www.blairpub.com

Good food should be free from the foul taste of politics, but when competition enters into it, it can become a war worse than any presidential race. "The Politics of Barbecue" is a fun delve into the world of barbecue in Memphis, Tennesee. Pete Pigg has a booming business, and keeps it that way by getting himself elected mayor and creating a Barbecue Hall of Fame in his honor. When some sour deals start to bubble over, it all starts to fall apart. With some allegory to modern politics, "The Politics of Barbecue" is a fun and much recommended pick, highly recommended.

If I Could Tell You
Hannah Brown
Vantage Point
419 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781936467266, $14.95, www.vantagepointbooks.com

To make something better for the next generation is every parent's goal. "If I Could Tell You" is a novel of family, as four women come together bound by their shared bond of having an Autistic child, as each of them pursues what they can do with all the success and failure that comes with this difficult endeavor. A story of parenthood and Autism, "If I Could Tell You" is a much recommended read for those seeking inspirational fiction, or for autistic parents looking for support as well.

Gone to the Forest
Katie Kitamura
The Free Press
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451656640, $15.00, www.simonsays.com

The bond between father and son is at times strenuous at best. "Gone to the Forest" is a novel of family as Tom and his father deal with the loss of their mother and wife on their farm. The loss has set the two of them against each other, and in a town as divided as they are. As Carine arrives in their life, things are going to get a lot worst before they get better. "Gone to the Forest" is an enticing addition to any contemporary fiction collection.

Tiger Hills
Sarita Mandanna
Pintail Book
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780670066933, $16.00, www.penguin.com

A bond of a lifetime is a powerful thing, but it only can go so far. "Tiger Hills" is a novel of two individuals, a girl called Devi and Devanna, a young boy. The two come of age as the turn of the twentieth century approaches, meeting with a famed tiger hunter, whose relationship with them and his acts will change much in both of their lives, as well as their descendants. "Tiger Hills" is an enticing read of generational fiction, much recommended.

Heading Out to Wonderful
Robert Goolrick
Algonquin Books
PO Box 2225
Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2225
9781565129238, $24.95, www.algonquin.com

A new face into a small town changes things, although not always for the worst. "Heading Out to Wonderful" is a novel of 1949 Valley of Virginia, as Charlie Beale enters the lives of the people of the region, with nothing more than his few possessions and more than a little cash. Establishing strong ties to the town, his lust and love of a teenaged bride of the richest man in town may rock the foundation of the town. "Heading Out to Wonderful" is an enticing and much recommended addition to literary fiction collections.

The Company
Chuck Graham
Winepress Publishing Group
1730 Railroad Street
Enumclaw, WA 98022
9781414120904, $18.99, www.winepressgroup.com

With mankind on the brink of extinction, how many look to God for guidance? "The Company" is a novel set as one of the last villages of humanity struggles as a meteor strikes and wipes many off the face of the planet. Sam Mitchell, an engineer charged with powering the last village of Brigos Glen, hears a call in the distance, and finds that his charge may be Biblical in nature. "The Company" is an enticing bit of Christian fiction, using allegory to explore a post-apocalyptic world.

No Animals We Could Name
Ted Sanders
Graywolf Press
250 Third Avenue North, Suite 600
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781555976163, $15.00, www.graywolfpress.org

There are creatures out there we can't understand, but encounters make for much intriguing story telling. "No Animals We Could Name" is a collection of short fiction from Ted Sanders as he explores animals beyond the normal and usual and presents a twist of fate of what we expect of the world, and the conflicts between man and nature. With much humor and creativity, "No Animals We Could Name" is a fine assortment of stories, enthusiastically recommended.


The Parenting Shelf

Hot Buttons
Nicole O'Dell
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607
Grand Rapids, MI 49501
9780825442391, $9.99, www.kregelpublications.com

The internet is an invaluable tool...but is also frightening for parents. "Hot Buttons: Internet Edition" is an advisory and Christian parenting guide from Nicole O'Dell as she brings readers into the endeavors of parenting in the internet era, as she advises how parents to lay down guidelines and drawing on Biblical scripture for extra guidance. "Hot Buttons" is a parenting guide to be considered for those intimidated by the internet and with kids who aren't so intimidated.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

The Derrick Jensen Reader
Lierre Keith
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street
New York, NY 10013
9781609804046, $26.95, www.sevenstories.com

The world globalizes and the environment suffers in the process. "The Derrick Jensen Reader: Writings on Environmental Revolution" discusses the current crisis of environmental issues as many writers come together under activist philosopher Derrick Jensen to compile a series of essays and writings that touch on the importance of the environment in the world's future and how ignorance of the environment could lead to very serious issues in coming years. "The Derrick Jensen Reader" is a must for environmental studies and social issues collections, highly recommended.

Loving This Planet
Helen Caldicott
The New Press
38 Green Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10013
9781595588067, $17.95, www.thenewpress.com

A clean and nuclear free world is a distant dream, but there are those who continue to work towards it. "Loving This Planet: Leading Thinkers Talk About How to Make" is a call from Helen Caldicott for a better future, sharing her journeys through the world and conversations with many individuals in her journeys, discussing politics and issues of the day. A memoir well worth considering for environmentalists, "Loving This Planet" is worthy reading, highly recommended.

America Needs America's Energy
Mark A. Stansberry
Brown Books Publishing Group
16200 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 170
Dallas, TX 75248
9781612540719, $27.95, www.brownbooks.com

Energy will be the key item of the future. "America Needs America's Energy: Creating Together the People's Energy Plan" is a delve into the energy crisis that America will face in the coming years. Author Mark A. Stansberry writes of his own optimism of America's ingenuity and ways of founding new energy and producing new technologies. Outlining the many options and their pros and cons, "America Needs America's Energy" is a strongly recommended pick for political and environmental collections, not to overlooked.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Investing in Funds
Jerome De Lavenere Lussan
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780273732853, $49.99, www.mcp.com

The key to greater financial success is investments. "Investing in Funds: How to Select Investments, Assess Managers, and Protect Your Wealth" is a guide from Jerome De Lavenere Lussan and Financial Times Publishing as they present an advisory guide for more successful investing and better understanding the risks within. From finding the business destined for greatness to the money holes, as well as making sure to always keep all options on the table, Lussan provides a well researched and vital addition to history. "Investing in Funds" is strongly recommended pick for anyone studying economics and investment for better prosperity.


The Human Sexuality Shelf

Naked at Our Age
Joan Price
Seal Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
9781580053389, $16.95, www.perseusbooksgroup.com

No one likes to think about their parents having sex, but when you get to that age, you realize they had it right all along. "Naked at Our Age: Talking Out Loud About Senior Sex" is a guide of sex as a setting star and into twilight as Joan Price presents an advisory for newly minted seniors who aren't resigning their libido to wither and die, and embracing the fulfilling sensual life that they deserve. "Naked at Our Age" is an enticing read for anyone who doesn't want to just let that part of their lives fade away.

Sex Made Easy
Debby Herbenick
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371
9780762444069, $16.00, www.runningpress.com

Good sex takes a little know-how. "Sex Made Easy: Your Awkward Questions Answered -- for Better, Smarter, Amazing Sex" is a Q & A to answering the questions we all often have awkwardly surrounding our sex lives, as Debby Herbenick, sex educator at the Kinsey Institute advises readers on how to better understand their sex lives and allow them to flourish in ways they never know. "Sex Made Easy" is a strongly recommended pick for anyone with lots of questions and are afraid to find the answers.

Sex So Great
Barbara Keesling
M. Evans
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781590772065, $14.95, www.rlpgbooks.com

Awesome sex is the glue that keeps a relationship together. "Sex So Great: She Can't Get Enough" is a guide to embracing the finer points of taking one's sexuality to the next level, as a companion guide to her previous book 'The Good Girl's Guide to Bad Girl Sex', this time hoping to help men become lovers that are unmatched in their quality. Blending philosophy with plenty of little things that can make a good tryst into something truly special, "Sex So Great" is a strong pick for those who want to be that legendary lover they know they can be.


The Self-Help Shelf

The Guide to Compassionate Assertiveness
Sherrie M. Vavrichek
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
9781608821716, $17.95, www.newharbinger.com

Being forward and clear doesn't clash with being caring. "The Guide to Compassionate Assertiveness: How to Express Your Needs & Deal with Conflict While Keeping a Kind Heart" is a guide to being an advanced and assertive person while avoiding the pitfalls that come with it- being a jerk. Sherrie M. Vavrichek writes that these concepts don't have to be against one another, and uses eastern philosophy and Buddhism to help people rise to conflict and find peaceful resolution. "The Guide to Compassionate Assertiveness" is a strong pick for anyone who wants to make a difference in the relationships of everyday life.

Adapt
Tim Harford
Picador
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9781250007551, $17.00, www.timharford.com

It is said failure is not a truly a failure if something is learned. A failure with something learned can be the birth of something greater. "Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure" is an inspirational read that blends the lessons of everyday life and business to turn their constant failures into the foundations of a potential success. "Adapt" is filled with plenty to consider and much to motivate readers in their life's quest for success.

Understand Your Self
Dale Carlson
Bick Publishing House
16 Marion Road, Branford, CT 06405
9781884158360, $14.95, www.bickpubhouse.com

Knowing oneself more completely is key to a happier life. "Understand Your Self" is an inspirational read from Dale Carlson as he encourages how to better find one's own self, through one's own eyes. Encouraging readers to establish their own rules and go with what they truly want, Carlson encourages readers to cast off society's judgments to find their own happiness. With a strong message, "Understand Your Self" is a fine addition to psychology and motivational collections.

When Your Child Dies
Avril Nagel & Randie Clark
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669
Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823911, $14.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

Losing a child can be a truly devastating experience. "When Your Child Dies: Tools for Mending Parents' Broken Hearts" is a grieving guide from Avril Nagel and Randie Clark, as they share their own pain of losing their own children prematurely, and the agony it faced with them. Drawing on Clark's experience as a therapist, they encourage readers how best to cope and remember their child healthily for the rest of their lives. "When Your Child Dies" is a strong addition to any self-help collection focused on grief and coping.

The Power of More
Marnie McBean
Greystone Books
c/o Douglas & McIntyre Publishing Group
2323 Quebeck Street, Suite 201
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
9781926812649, $22.95, www.douglas-mcintyre.com

A little and a little can build up to a lot. "The Power of More: How Small Steps Can Help You Achieve Big Goals" is a motivational read from Marnie McBean, Olympic gold medalist as she shares her own experiences with setting goals in life and moving towards them, step by step and finding greater success in many ways. "The Power of More" is a strong read with plenty of uplifting advice, much recommended for inspirational collections, highly recommended.

Three Simple Steps
Trevor Blake
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, STE 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781936661718, $12.95, www.benbellabooks.com

Success is something that can be tapped into by all of us. "Three Simple Steps: A Map to Success in Business and Life" is a business self-help memoir from Trevor Blake, as he challenges the useless wisdom spouted by other self-help books, creating a system of mentality, insight, and knowing. "Three Simple Steps" is strongly recommended for those who are trying to piece together what's missing in their careers.


The Jobs/Career Shelf

The You Plan
Dr. Michael Woodward
Advantage Publishers Group
PO Box 1090
Poway, CA 92074-1090
9781599321752, $14.99, www.pgw.com

Today's economy isn't one you stick with one job the whole time in. "The You Plan: A 5-Step Guide to Taking Charge of Your Career in the New Economy" is a guide to succeeding in today's businesses - a prospect that requires more than simply working hard and hoping for a promotion. Dr. Michael Woodward advises readers how to understand what they want out of their career and making their own brand matter to employers. "The You Plan" is a must for careers and motivational collections.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Essential Dowsing Guide
Dennis Wheatley
Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 754
Huntsville, AR 72740
9781886940383, $12.00, www.ozarkmt.com

Dowsing is an ancient act of finding what you seek. "The Essential Dowsing Guide" is a metaphysical exploration of the act and how to embrace it. Dennis Wheatley states anyone can use dowsing, and explains it through its long history, the techniques, and finding the sites that most fully embrace the act. For followers of mysticism and metaphysical spirituality, "The Essential Dowsing Guide" may be well worth considering, highly recommended.

Nature Spirits, Spirit Guides, and Ghosts
Atala Dorothy Toy
Quest Books
c/o The Theosophical Publishing House
PO Box 270
Wheaton, IL 60189-0270
9780835609029, $18.95, www.questbooks.net

There are things around us that we don't fully understand. "Nature Spirits, Spirit Guides, and Ghosts: How to Talk with and Photograph Beings of Other Realms" is a metaphysical guide to the other side as Atala Dorothy Toy discusses the bonds we can make with the creatures of the realms that appear next to our own. With tips on making that connection to communicate, capturing glimpses of the other side with photography and much more, "Nature Spirits, Spirit Guides, and Ghosts" is a strong pick for the metaphysical paranormal follower, recommended.

The Secret History of Poltergeists and Haunted Houses
Claude Lecouteux
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street
Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774652, $18.95, www.innertraditions.com

How does a house gain a legend and history of its own? "The Secret History of Poltergeists and Haunted Houses: From Pagan Folklore to Modern Manifestations" explores the history of ghosts and these paranormal things of the night, rarely understood by those who encounter them. From ancient Greece and Rome, Claude Lecouteux uses his academic credentials in medieval literature to prove an intriguing history even for those who don't believe. "The Secret History of Poltergeists and Haunted Houses" is an enticing and much recommended pick for metaphysical studies collections.

City Magick
Christopher Penczak
Weiser Publishers
c/o Red Wheel, Conari, Weiser
65 Parker Avenue, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
9781578635214, $19.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

Voodoo has left the bayou. "City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch" is an exploration of the metaphysical and the spells and runes of the modern urban world. Author Christopher Penczak explores the nature of the metaphysical, looking to the many marks of the modern world and what it holds sacred. "City Magick" is well worth considering for those with an interest in what lies beyond the material in the urban world.


The Art Shelf

Leah Chase: Paintings by Gustave Blache III
Miranda Lash, et al.
Gustave Blache III, artist
Hudson Hills Press
3556 Main St., Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953782, $40.00, www.hudsonhills.com

Enhanced with the contributions of authors Miranda Lash, Michael Quick, E. John Bullard, A.P. Tureaud, Jr., and Richard Anthony Lewis, "Leah Chase: Paintings by Gustave Blache III" is a stunning collection of New Orleans, figurative artist Gustave Blache III's paintings of the famous chef of Dooky Chase's Restaurant, done during the post Katrina rebuilding time. This fascinating collection contains many beautiful daily studies of Chef Chase busy in the creation of her famed Creole/mixed African, Spanish, Native American and French cuisine. In addition to such signature paintings as "Stirring Squash," Pouring Oysters," and "Holding Mixing Bowl, Washing Cherry Tomato," additional paintings from private collections and other sources are included. The style is that of a skilled figurative artist, influenced by artists Robert Henri (1865-1929) and John Sloan (1871-1951), resulting in a style described as contemporary American realism (from early 20th century). The use of color to define form and substance is masterful, also critically analyzed in accompanying essays, which are very informative and helpful. The sense of subject that emerges is somber, humble, yet majestic and enduring, perhaps similar to the creative contribution to cuisine and art made by Leah Chase as a daily event. No culinary secrets are revealed in these respectful paintings, but much of the vast goodness of character of the subject is undeniable. In addition to the catalogued paintings and three critical essays, the collection contains a chronology of the artist, with selected exhibitions and bibliography. "Leah Chase, Paintings by Gustave Blache III" is a fine artist's study to showcase the specific talents of Gustave Blache III, as employed to tell a story about a vast legacy of cuisine artistry and art collection embodied by Leah Chase.

Durer
Jeffrey Chipps Smith
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780714845609, $29.95, www.phaidon.com

Few artists flourish in one topic alone. "Durer" analyzes the art and work of Albrecht Durer, a late fifteenth and early sixteenth century painter who gained renown for his work with paints and woodcuts throughout Europe, producing works that focused on nature, professional portraits, and one of the pioneer of landscape paintings. Jeffrey Chipps Smith brings a scholarly breakdown of Durer's work, with full color reproductions all throughout. For any art history collection or for those looking for a spark of ideas, "Durer" is a core addition to any art history and reference collection.

It Draws Me
Mary M. McDonald
Liguori
1 Liguori Drive, Liguori, MO 63057-9999
9780764821790, $14.99, www.liguori.org

A time of thinking can often be quite empowering. "It Draws Me: The Art of Contemplation" discusses contemplation and art, as author Mary M. McDonald invites readers to take their faithful thought and bring it to understanding art, using the works of Thomas Merton as well as many Song Dynasty works, reproduced in full color, to help readers better understand the expression of thought and devotion to spirituality. "It Draws Me" provides much to think about for spirituality and art assortments, recommended.


The Library CD Shelf

Road Poem
Wahid
c/o Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2
Bloomington, IN 47404
$TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz

California-based instrumental duo Wahid presents Road Poem, an expressive album showcasing their ability to balance for Eastern Mediterranean musical traditions, including Turkish classical music, with modern improvisational flair. The oud (Middle Eastern lute) and rhythmic, gliding percussion combine in the nimble complexity of these rapturous pieces. Road Poem is music to be savored while driving, working, or engaged purely in listening pleasure. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Alexander's Regrets" (6:22), "Looking for Paradhisi" (6:52), "Protoleia" (5:08), "Inside Silence" (6:34), "Indra Reclines" (9:23), "Steal the Bride" (6:13), and "The Outcast" (6:10).

Linger Longer
Laura McMillan
Privatley Published
c/o The Creative Service Company
4360 Emerald Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.thecreativeservicecompany.com
$14.99 perhapspiano.com

Linger Longer is the second album of original solo piano music by concert pianist and classical music teacher Laura McMillan. Though she enjoys inspiration from superlative historic masters such as Mozart, Beethoven, and especially Frederic Chopin, McMillan pours her own style of heart and soul into her compositions, which shift in tone from quiet remembrance to the depths of love to taking joyful flight. Linger Longer will inspire the listener to do just that, savoring the nuances of each piece, and is worthy of the highest recommendation for piano music connoisseurs. The tracks are "The Window", "December 12th", "Twirling", "With All My Heart", "Empty", "Dear Heaven", "Linger Longer", "Letting Go", "Without You", "Wings", "July Lullaby", and "Raspberry Rain".

Canyon Records Productions
3131 West Clarendon Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85017
www.canyonrecords.com

In their long tradition of offering authentic Native American music, Canyon Records presents two excellent new CDs that are live recordings of pow-wow songs. "Right Now: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live in Mt. Pleasant" ($15.60, 55 min.) by the Grammy-nominated group Bear Creek involves a medley of song styles including Intertribals, Side-Steps, Crow Hops and more. The result is a high-energy album brimming with the strong spirit of lifelong cameraderie. "Elders' Vision: Pow-Wow Songs Recorded Live at Kyi-Yo" ($15.60, 70 min.) is a compelling album by the Blackfoot Confederacy, a pow-wow group dedicated to the Blackfoot vocal style and drawing upon their musical traditions to honor their elders and share their culture with the next generation. Both albums are highly recommended for listeners with an interest in the vibrant and evolving world of Native American music.


The Library DVD Shelf

Cost Control While You Cruise
Created by Lin and Larry Pardey
Produced by TheSailingChannel
c/o Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29
Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9781929214242 $19.95 www.paracay.com

Part four of the "Offshore Sailing" DVD series based on successful instructional seminars, Cost Control While You Cruise is a user-friendly, DVD guide to enjoying the pleasures of boating on a reasonable budget. Hosts Lin and Larry Pardey have spent 45 years engaging in sailing voyages, in addition to interviewing sailors from dozens of different countries. They distill their accumulated wisdom in plain terms, with particular emphasis on controlling maintenance costs (one's ground tackle and dinghy are potentially critically important, and there are tips, tricks, and techniques to extending the life of one's sails), provisioning appropriately, and planning one's overall trip. Even if the viewer isn't interested in personally embarking on an ocean voyage, Cost Control While You Cruise has a wealth of striking footage to appeal to armchair travelers, including the shores of Africa, Brazil, and Ireland, even the coral atolls of the Indian Ocean. Cost Control While You Cruise is a treat for worldwide boating aficionados everywhere! 65 min. plus extras.

Letters to an Unknown Daughter
Anita Keagy
JoyShop Ministries
c/o Vision Video (distribution)
PO Box 540
Worcester, PA 19490-0540
www.JoyShop.org
$14.99 www.visionvideo.com

Based on Anita Keagy's book "The File", Letters to an Unknown Daughter: A Mother's Story of Hope, Redemption, and Healing is a compelling true-life tale on DVD. In 1974, Anita Keagy became accidentally pregnant. Resisting the temptation to terminate the pregnancy, she held true to her family's strict Christian beliefs, and gave her infant daughter up for adoption. Years later, as a married mother to four children, she felt compelled to reach out to the daughter she had never known. Through the adoption agency, she began a file of letters to her daughter; years would pass before the two them would ever have the chance to meet. Letters to an Unknown Daughter is a compelling Christian story about reaching beyond the painful immediate, seeking God's purpose, and struggling to connect with loved ones. Profound and powerful, Letters to an Unknown Daughter is especially recommended for church DVD libraries; bonus content includes information on crisis pregnancy and adoption services. 40 min.

Swish 3: The Swish Free Throw
Tom Nordland
Youth Sports Club
9 Florence Court
Valley Cottage, NY 10989
$34.95 www.swish22.com

Veteran coach Tom Nordland presents Swish 3: The Swish Free Throw, an instructional DVD packed with tips, tricks, techniques, and drills for making successful free throws in the sport of basketball. Nordland debunks common "myths of shooting", including the wrongheaded ideas about "squaring up" or "flipping the wrist". Step-by-step instructions for teaching oneself and others the basics, user-friendly exercises to cultivate awareness, simplifying one's "pre-shot routine", and more fill this excellent and practical DVD guide. Highly recommended, especially for coaches and high school library DVD collections. 1 hour 28 min.

Kung Fu Body Conditioning 2
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480
Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594392290 $39.95 www.ymaa.com

Author, scholar, and master of the Taijiquan and Qigong martial arts Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming presents Kung Fu Body Conditioning 2: Traditional Training for Endurance and Power, a step-by-step DVD guide to strengthen and condition one's body through the use of traditional Chinese martial arts techniques. Kung Fu Body Conditioning 2 demonstrates arm conditioning methods such as candle punching, pull-ups, and cinderblock flipping; leg conditioning methods such as stance training, log running, jumping and kicking; a total body workout; one-on-one martial arts instruction; partner bills to improve personal reaction speed and sense of distance; and much more. An excellent supplement to both fitness and martial arts DVD libraries, Kung Fu Body Conditioning 2 is a "must-have" especially for practitioners of all martial arts, and highly recommended. 240 min.

Ageless Pilates with Ethel LaBranche
Ethel LaBranche
c/o 411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$14.95 www.411videoinfo.com

Ageless Pilates with Ethel LaBranche is a multimedia package of one thirty-minute DVD and three sixty-minute CDs designed to introduce viewers to basic Pilates to promote longevity, balance, flexibility, and improved health. Ideal for all ages but especially valuable for senior citizens seeking to stay young at heart, Ageless Pilates features an easy-to-follow Pilates warmup and practice routine on the DVD, and live recordings of classes taught by LaBranche on the CDs. LaBranche herself is a veteran Pilates instructor of over twenty years' experience, eighty years young and going strong, and her guidance makes learning practicing basic Pilates a simple task. Also highly recommended is Ethel LaBranche's book, "Ageless Pilates" ($14.95).

The Crimson Petal and the White
Based on the novel by Michel Faber
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287721 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

Based on the shocking novel by Michel Faber, The Crimson Petal and the White is a dark, four-part British miniseries. A psychological thriller marked by sex, violence, madness, intrigue, and suspense, The Crimson Petal and the White is set in the most ruthless corners of Victorian England. The canny prostitute Sugar (played by Romola Garai) is determined to seize a better life for herself before her youth and beauty runs out; to that end, she seduces William Rackham (Chris O'Dowd), the gadabout heir to a perfume business. Meanwhile, Rackham's wife gradually descends further into madness, and the interaction between the three is steeped in greed, lust, and deadly threat. Captivating to the brink of horror, The Crimson Petal and the White is luridly compelling to the very end. Bonus features include deleted scenes (11 min.); interviews with Garai, O'Dowd, director Marc Munden, and key crew members (20 min.); and character biographies. 4 episodes on 2 DVDs, 244 min. plus bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles, not rated (contains nudity, sexual situations, violence, coarse language, and disturbing images).


The Holocaust Studies Shelf

Survivor of Buchenwald
Louis Gros with Flint Whitlock
Cable Publishing
14090 E Keinenen Rd
Brule, WI 54820
www.cablepublishing.com
9781934980743 $24.95 hc
9781934980750 $17.95 pbk

The second volume of The Buchenwald Trilogy, Survivor of Buchenwald: My Personal Odyssey Through Hell is the firsthand testimony of Nazi concentration camp survivor Louis Gros, who was sentenced to the lethal prisons for "minor offenses" against the Third Reich. He experienced stomach-churning nightmares of human hatred and torture, barely survived, and suffered from tuberculosis for years afterward. A harrowing account, Survivor of Buchenwald speaks out strongly against human evil, and is a highly recommended addition to Holocaust Studies shelves, as are "The Beasts of Buchenwald" and "Hell on a Hilltop".


The Economic Studies Shelf

The Price of Inequality
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110
9780393088694 $27.95 www.wwnorton.com

Joseph E. Stiglitz, whose distinguished credentials include winning the 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize for Economics, reveals how the American Dream is in crisis in his latest book, The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future. Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, The Price of Inequality examines how income inequality has worsened dramatically in America over the past several decades - the rich have become much richer, the poor have become poorer, and the middle class have been "hollowed out", with many of them pushed ever-closer to the brink or fully into poverty. Perhaps most eye-opening, Stiglitz debunks the defenders of inequality, particularly those on the right of the political spectrum. Advocates of low taxes on the wealthiest Americans claim that the wealthy will invest their money in businesses that stimulate the economy, but Stiglitz shows that wealthy individuals are more likely to engage in "rent-seeking" activities that gain money without producing any societal benefit. "Rent-seeking" includes perfectly legal ripoffs such as buying natural resources (mining or oil drilling rights on public lands, etc.) from the government at artificially cheap prices and selling the resources for full market value; buying a company and forcing it to bankrupt itself paying out dividends; or creating monopolies that push up prices as high as they can go (opportunities for this abound especially when local governments privatize essential, monopolistic services such as water utilities). The result is greater public poverty and misery, increased distrust in government, fewer high-skilled workers (since so few can afford soaring college costs), and more unemployment (as those who cannot afford the expense of training themselves for a high-skill career compete fiercely for a limited supply of low-skill jobs). "There are two visions for America a half century from now. One is of a society more divided between the haves and the have-nots, a country in which the rich live in gated communities... Meanwhile, the rest live in a world marked by insecurity, at best mediocre education, and in effect rationed health care... At the bottom are millions of young people alienated without hope. I have seen that picture in many developing countries; economists have even given it a name, a dual economy." Offering creative solutions and recommendations as well as an expert's analysis of the problem, The Price of Inequality is an absolute "must-read" for any concerned about the precarious state of America, and is worthy of the highest recommendation.

The Betrayal of the American Dream
Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele
Public Affairs Books
250 West 57th Street, #1321
New York, NY 10107
9781586489694 $26.99 www.publicaffairsbooks.com

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter team Donald Barlett and James Steele present The Betrayal of the American Dream, a harsh expose on the current plight of America's increasingly squeezed middle class. Why is the American Dream that one's children would enjoy a better standing in dire jeopardy? Bartlett and Steele lay the blame multiple causes: excessively lax free trade policies that do not push hard enough for other nations to open their markets, leaving American manufacturers vulnerable to the state-subsidized goods of foreign nations; a "tax heist" that burdens the poor and middle class while handing out tax breaks to the wealthy (especially when the impact of regressive sales taxes and payroll taxes are taken into account); and financial chaos directly attributable to the deregulation of Wall Street. "Middle-class Americans, still the largest group of voters, must put their own economic survival above partisan loyalties and ask four simple questions of any candidate who wishes to represent them: Will you support tax reform that restores fairness to personal and corporate tax rates? Will you support U.S. manufacturing and other sectors of the economy by working for a more balanced trade policy? Will you support government investment in essential infrastructure that helps business and creates jobs? Will you help keep the benefits of U.S. innovation within the United States and work to prevent those benefits from being outsourced?" The Betrayal of the American Dream is an forceful call to reverse dire economic trends before it is too late, and highly recommended.

Monsters of the Market
David McNally
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
9781608462339, $28.00, www.haymarketbooks.com

The most vicious of monsters are those with human faces. "Monsters of the Market: Zombies, Vampires, and Global Capitalism" explores Marx's consistent use of folklore and monster as metaphor in his criticisms of capitalism. From Frankenstein and the dissection of the market, vampires that feed off the misery of others, among other ideas, drawing on the ideas behind many recent events such as the market crashes and Enron. "Monsters in the Market" is an intriguing way of exploring economics, very much recommended reading.

Defending the Free Market
Reverend Robert Sirico
Regnery Publishing, Inc.
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
9781596983250 $27.95 www.regnery.com

Defending the Free Market: The Moral Case for a Free Economy offers a Christian-centric defense of right-wing economic ideology, calling for greater reliance upon free markets, private enterprise, and Christian charities rather than government-sponsored antipoverty programs, health care, or environmental protection. Chapters decry government collective ownership of resources as leading to misuse and irresponsibility, champion starting a business as the best way to help the poor, denounce greed but claim that socialism fuels greed more than capitalism, and attack welfare for creating a culture of dependency. "When people realize that they can rely on the state to meet human needs, a society's moral core is eroded as even Christians' incentive to personally help others diminishes and they cease to see themselves as personal, moral actors on behalf of those in need." Although Sirico doesn't have answers for social or health care problems that are too large for charities to handle alone (for example, churches or private charities just don't have the financial resources to pay for the treatment of people who suffer from devastating illnesses like cancer), he does make some strong points (such as his harsh criticism of "foreign aid" money that recklessly flows into the coffers of corrupt third world governments) that need to be considered at length.


The Large Print Shelf

The Return of the Texan
L. L. Foreman
Sagebrush
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230
West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9780753189924, $29.99, www.ulverscroftusa.com

Friends can make us do things that ain't the best idea, but for them, you just do it. "The Return of the Texan" is another large print western from Sagebrush, this time following Dain Moore, who seeking to leave Texas after the Civil War to evade the flood of Yankees coming their way, is drawn back to the state as his partner and a charming girl may be hopeless without him to guide them. "The Return of the Texan" is a must for those who love Old Western adventure, recommended.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Self Publishing
A. William Benitez
Positive Imaging, LLC
9016 Palace Parkway, Austin, TX 78748
http://positive-imaging.com
9780984248094, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Concise, succinct, comprehensive, methodical, 'user friendly', "Self Publishing: Writing A Book And Publishing Books And eBooks For Yourself And Others" by A. William Benitez is a 200 page instructional compendium specifically designed for showing novice authors how to turn their manuscripts into either traditional print publications or digital volumes. Offering sage advice ranging from the value of backing up the writing and editing to choosing a marketable title; to tips on self-editing, layout and formatting; to practical advice on using CreateSpace, Kindle, Smashwords, and Clickbank; to creating quality covers and even setting up a publishing service company of your own, "Self Publishing: Writing A Book And Publishing Books And eBooks For Yourself And Others" will prove an enduringly valued and highly recommended instructional reference for all aspiring writers seeking to publish their own material in a highly competitive market.

The Art of Styling Sentences
Ann Longknife, Ph.D, & K. D. Sullivan
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764147838, $9.99, www.barronseduc.com

What separates good writing from the bad is flow, and flow is created by good structure. "The Art of Styling Sentences" is a grammar and style guide from Professor Ann Longknife and K. D. Sullivan as they present a comprehensive study on forming good structure, and creating a more comprehensive and engaging writing style. "The Art of Styling Sentences" is a must for any literary arts collection or for anyone trying to improve their artistic techniques in general.

Writing Screenplays
Jessie Coleman & Paul Peditto
Self-Counsel Press
4152 Meridian Street, Suite 105-471
Bellingham, WA 98226
9781770401044, $19.95, www.self-counsel.com

Movies are becoming the medium of choice for sharing stories. "Writing Screenplays" is a guide to those who want to learn screenwriting as a new avenue for their stories, such as prevalently, turning one's memoir into play and promoting it to make it more than words on paper, but into a living breathing film. "Writing Screenplays" is a must for those who want to adapt their life's work into more mediums and take it further, recommended.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Khul'Divorce in Egypt
Nadia Sonneveld
American University in Cairo Press
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018-2729
9789774164842, $39.50, www.aucpress.com

The power of the Arabic woman is increasing. "Khul'Divorce in Egypt: Public Debates, Judicial Practices, and Everyday Life" explores the impact and political discussions that have come forth with the passage of the 'Khul'Divorce', which grants the woman in the relationship the power to break the legal bond that had previously tied her to her husband until he wished it broken. The emergence of this practice has challenged Egyptian social conservatives and has led to much debate on the aspects of social life in Egyptian culture. "Khul'Divorce" is a riveting read of the political rights of women and the evolution of cultural practices in context of the Islamic world.


The International Studies Shelf

Territories in Resistance
Raul Zibechi
AK Press
3500 Parkdale Avenue, Building 1, #A28
Baltimore, MD 21211
9781849351072, $19.95, www.akpress.org

Freedom is taken for granted in the western world, but in Latin America, the struggle still continues. "Territories in Resistance: A Cartography of Latin American Social Movements" discusses the fight that many Latin American nations face in trying to make a better life for their people, and how the scars of the past century still hurt these people. With a study of modern struggles alongside history, "Territories in Resistance" is a must for any international issues and history collections with a nod to political science, highly recommended.


The Literary Studies Shelf

A Haunted Mind
Bob Curran
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601632197, $19.99, www.newpagebooks.com

Unspeakable horrors that destroy the mind, the creations of H. P. Lovecraft. "A Haunted Mind: Inside the Dark, Twisted World of H. P. Lovecraft" discusses the work of the psychological horror icon and how did he create the Cthulu mythology, and exploring the potential connections that Lovecraft may have had to the paranormal world and how to piece it all together. "A Haunted Mind" is a riveting exploration of the work of Lovecraft, a sure pick for fans of his work and the paranormal.


The Psychology Shelf

APA Dictionary of Clinical Psychology
Gary R. VandenBos, Ph.D., editor
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
9781433812071, $39.95, www.apa.org/books

The human mind is a complex thing, and leaves even the most experienced psychologists unable to understand everything by heart. "APA Dictionary of Clinical Psychology" is a comprehensive reference for psychology students and professionals. 11,000 entries elaborate on every relevant psychological term and each part of the psychological process, including easy to use references to finding relevant topics to the entry. For those who need a comprehensive understanding of the far reaching nature of psychology, "APA Dictionary of Clinical Psychology" is a very much recommended addition to professional and college library reference collections.

Hearing Voices
Katherine M. Boydell & H. Bruce Ferguson
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554582631, $34.95, wlupress.wlu.ca

Hearing voices can do a number on many people as they try to get by in their lives. "Hearing Voices: Qualitative Inquiry in Early Psychosis" is a guide to advancements in treating those with psychosis and other related disorders, as health professionals Katherine M. Boydell and H. Bruce Ferguson provide a scholarly take on what those with psychosis face, and how care through the frightening episodes is very much vital and can help the person in question gain the ability to live a happier and more complete life. "Hearing Voices" is a strong addition to any psychological health collection.

The Art of Hypnotic Regression Therapy
C. Roy Hunter & Bruce N. Eimer
Crown House Publishing
6 Trowbridge Drive Suite 5
Bethel, CT 06801
9781845908515, $34.95, www.CHPUS.com

Look into the past to explain the future. "The Art of Hypnotic Regression Therapy" is a psychological clinical guide from C. Roy Hunter & Bruce N. Eimer, as they apply their psychological expertise in hypnosis to discuss the use of the therapy, its purpose, and what can be gained from the practice to help patients understand their symptoms, and avoid the pit falls that can come with it. "The Art of Hypnotic Regression Therapy" is well worth considering for psychology reference collections for psychologists who want all options to be considered for their patients.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Faces of Compassion
Taigen Dan Leighton
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street
Somerville, MA 02144
9781614290148, $18.95, www.wisdompubs.org

Many aspects of Buddhism live on in the modern day, even where you do not fully understand it. "Faces of Compassion: Classic Bodhisattva Archetypes and Their Modern Expression: An Introduction to Mahayana Buddhism" explores the Bodhisattva Archetypes and their presence in the modern day. These pieces of spiritual beings are emphasized in many people in popular culture and history, and Taigen Dan Leighton explores this ideal, and presents a fine introductory to Mahayana Buddhism. "Faces of Compassion" is a strong addition to any religious studies collection, especially those with a focus on Buddhism.


The Library Science Shelf

Building and Managing E-Book Collections
Richard Kaplan, editor
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038-4512
9781555707767 $75.00 www.neal-schuman.com

Part of the excellent "How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians" series, Building and Managing E-Book Collections lives up to its title as a no-nonsense, practical-minded guide to incorporating ebooks into public, high school, or college library collections. Chapters discuss how to select the best format or lending method of ebooks, how to select ebooks and understand their purchasing models, the licensing of ebooks, cataloging/locating/accessing ebooks, evaluating ebook collections, and much more. "Are there currently downloadable e-book services that will work with all these different types of e-book readers and mobile devices that your patrons may have? OverDrive (2011) is one such company that works with libraries. OverDrive e-books are accessible through its apps for computers and mobile devices. The borrowed e-book can be checked out to an e-reading device and will be automatically removed through Overdrive's DRM features at the end of the borrowing period. Adobe also provides software systems for downloadable e-books." Building and Managing E-Book Collections is an absolute must-have for libraries seeking to expand their collections to suit the needs of the digital age, highly recommended.

M-libraries 3
Mohamed Ally & Gill Needham, editors
7 Ridgmount Street, London, England, WC1E 7AE
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781856047760, $54.95, www.amazon.com

Library science has entered full bore into the information technological progress that has seen desktop computers augmented by new advances in communication and data retrieval as represented by iPhones, iPads, Kindles, Nooks, and other electronic devices. Community, corporate, and academic libraries are having to constantly upgrade their services and procedures to accommodate this seemingly constant state of technological advancement in behalf of the communities they serve. Compiled and co-edited by Mohamed Ally (Director of the Centre for Distance Education, Athabasca University, Canada) and Gill Needham (Associate Director, Information Management and Innovation at the Open University Library and Learning Resources Centre, UK), "M-Libraries 3: Transforming Libraries with Mobile Technology" is a 256-page compendium comprised of twenty-one essays by informed and informative experts discussing best practices on delivering resources to users through mobile technologies, the development of mobile services, mobile users and requirements, emerging technical developments including new platforms, devices, and applications, and reflections and feedback on new service models. "M-libraries 3" is a seminal contribution that is especially recommended to the attention of academic and community library directors and staff, library and governmental policy makers, library science researchers, developers, library services vendors, and LIS students. "M-libraries 3" is an essential, core contribution to Library Science reference collections and supplemental reading list.

Fundamentals of Library Instruction
Monty L. McAdoo
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
9780838911419, $49.50, www.alastore.ala.org

Libraries are a vital part of the modern educational process. "Fundamentals of Library Instruction" analyzes this intersection of librarian and teacher, as Monty L. McAdoo reviews what is required to rise to the call of being a great teacher as a librarian. Discussing the usual ventures of how it has been done over the years and how to use the best aspects of this study to reach out to learners and increase information literacy, an increasingly valuable skill in the modern world. With tips that also spin onto online classrooms, and getting the knowledge of the class's existence out there, "Fundamentals of Library Instruction" is a must for librarian's personal reference collections, especially those who moonlight as teachers.

The Embedded Librarian
David Shumaker
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874526, $49.50, www.infotoday.com

A librarian deals in knowledge, and getting knowledge where it needs to go should always be a concept fully embraced. "The Embedded Librarian: Innovative Strategies for Taking Knowledge Where It's Needed" explores the importance of the modern librarian and how embedded librarians can be leaders in information management ideals can enhance a workplace with their mastery over finding information. With tips for the many different fields where this will apply and how to better expand the settings, "The Embedded Librarian" is a complete and comprehensive reference for anyone who calls themselves a librarian by trade and wants to expand their career options or enhance a current one.

The Library Marketing Toolkit
Ned Potter
Facet Publishing
9781856048064, $99.95, www.amazon.com

A library has to get its message out to flourish. "The Library Marketing Toolkit" is a guide for librarians who want to spread the word of their library has to offer to the world. Marketing is not just for profit-driven organizations anymore, and Ned Potter explains how a library can make marketing work for them on limited budgets and making it all work. From social media to old fashioned methods, and how to build a good brand, this scholarly and comprehensive guide will prove invaluable to any librarian who seeks to get the word out. "The Library Marketing Toolkit" is enthusiastically recommended, not to be missed. Also from Facet Publishing is "The No-Nonsense Guide to Legal Issues in Web 2.0 and Cloud Computing" (9781856048040, $49.95), as they present what one must know about legal rights and their confusing collision with intellectual property laws.


The Law/Justice Shelf

Legitimating the Law
John Phillip Reid
Northern Illinois University Press
2280 Bethany Road
DeKalb, IL 60115
9780875804514, $48.00, www.niupress.niu.edu

A nation of laws faces many challenges in establishing said law. "Legitimating the Law: The Struggle for Judicial Competency in Early National New Hampshire" is a historical look at early American law, as John Philip Reid focuses on New Hampshire and how the state founded its modern code of law and gave power to its judicial branch, raising standards of competence and professionalism throughout its court systems, creating a foundation for the rest of the nation to follow. A scholarly study of American legal history and the history of America in general, "Legitimating the Law" deserves a place in community and college library collections with a strong focus on American legal history.

I Talk, You Walk
Thomas P. Casselman
Avery Color Studios
c/o KSB Promotions (publicity)
9781892384638, $18.95, www.ksbpromotions.com

Criminal defense often proves a difficult challenge. "I Talk, You Walk: 40 Years of Wining Defense Strategies" is an advisory guide for young lawyers who may dare to take up the difficult task of helping potentially innocent men get the comprehensive defense they are guaranteed by law. "I Talk, You Walk" is a strong pick for any rookie lawyer, highly recommended.


The Civil War Shelf

The 36th Infantry United States Colored Troops in the Civil War
James K. Bryant, II
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
9780786468782 $45.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com

The 36th Infantry United States Colored Troops in the Civil War: A History and Roster is a scholarly, historical examination of the 36th United States Colored Troops, composed primarily from former slaves in the Union-occupied areas of eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. This unit engaged in wartime actions including efforts to liberate slaves, guarding Confederate prisoners of war, and trench battles before Petersburg and Richmond. In addition to investigating the backgrounds of these former slaves and their families, as well as the story of their recruitment, their efforts during the war, and their difficult journey to freedom. A complete regimental roster as well as extensive notes, a bibliography, and an index rounds out this solid reference and resource, highly recommended especially for public and college library Civil War shelves.

The Chattanooga Campaign
Steven E. Woodworth & Charles D. Grear, editors
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806
Carbondale, IL 62901
9780809331192, $29.95, www.siupress.com

There are many turning points in a war, and Chattanooga was one of them. "The Chattanooga Campaign" focuses on this particular theater of the conflict, as the Southern Confederates were gaining momentum and ground following their victory at Chickamauga. Against the ropes, the Union were losing ground, but the emergence of Ulysses S. Grant allowed the Union to hold their ground and allowed the Union to fight back and eventually claim Atlanta, dealing a grave blow to the confederacy. "The Chattanooga Campaign" is a strong addition to any American history collection focusing on the Civil War.


The Agriculture Shelf

Kingdom's Bounty
Bethany M. Dunbar
Umbrage Editions
111 Front Street, Suite 208
Brooklyn, NY 11201
9781884167423, $25.00, www.umbragebooks.com

Those with the means have many ways to help sustain the world as we know it. "Kingdom's Bounty: A Sustainable, Eclectic, Edible Guide to Vermont's Northeast Kingdom" is a discussion of what Vermont is doing to revolutionize modern agriculture and changing the world in its own way. Bethany M. Dunbar blends full color glossy photography with ponderous text, and presents much to ponder on the topic of environmentally sustainable farming and America's future. "Kingdom's Bounty" is a strong addition to environmental studies and social issues collections, highly recommended.


The Autism Shelf

Grandparent's Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders
Nancy Mucklow
AAPC Publishing
PO Box 23173
Shawnee Mission, KS 66283
9781937473068, $21.95, www.aapcpublishing.net

Grandparents can play huge roles in their grandchildrens lives, and autism doesn't change that. "Grandparent's Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders: Making the Most of the Time at Nana's House" is a discussion of children in the Autism spectrum and the problems that are faced across generations. Nancy Mucklow directs advice at grandparents, explaining the true meaning of Autism, the issues that can emerge with it, being a good mentor and chaperone, teaching children, and bringing them into the family. "Grandparent's Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders" is a strong addition to Autism parenting and education collections.


The Mathematics Shelf

Divided Spheres
Edward S. Popko
CRC Press
Suite 300
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781466504295 $69.95 www.crcpress.com

Heavily illustrated in color, Divided Spheres: Geodesics & the Orderly Subdivision of the Sphere is a solid, pedagogical text designed to teach college and graduate level readers about the mathematics of Buckminster Fuller's invention of the geodesic dome, including practical applications of geodesics from weather forecasting to agricultural fish farms. Ideal for use in conjunction with coursework or advanced self-study, Divided Spheres supplements its instructions and examples with recommended additional resources (including websites) and an index. Chapters cover distributing points of geodesic spheres, polyhedral frameworks, subdivision schemas, computer-aided design techniques, and much more - in-depth appendices go the extra mile to explain spherical trigonometry and stereographic projection. Divided Spheres is a "must-have" mathematics reference and resource for college libraries, and worthy of the highest recommendation for professionals in any field that benefits from geodesics.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Elephant!
Craig Boddington
Safari Press, Inc.
15621 Chemical Lane, Bldg. B
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
9781571573919 $39.95 www.safaripress.com

Featuring striking, full-color photography on almost every page, Elephant! The Renaissance of Hunting the African Elephant is an extraordinary, in-depth guide to modern-day elephant hunting. It should be emphasized that Elephant! is expressly about legal elephant hunting, undertaken in accordance with environmental conservation laws that preserve overall elephant and wildlife populations. Chapters discuss how to evaluate ivory, tracking elephants, appropriate elephant rifles and cartridges, shooting and shot placement, and information specific to elephant hunting grounds in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Due to its reader-friendly style and peppering of true-life hunting anecdotes, Elephant! is highly recommended not only to prospective safari enthusiasts, but also armchair travelers. Browsing Elephant! is truly as close as one can come to experiencing the thrill of an African elephant hunt without traveling to Africa!


The Journalism Shelf

The Best Business Writing 2012
Dean Starkman, Martha M. Hamilton, Ryan Chittum, and Felix Salmon, editors
Columbia Journalism Review Books
c/o Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231160735 $18.95 http://cup.columbia.edu

The Best Business Writing 2012 is the latest annual anthology of the most hard-hitting, rigorous, and game-changing journalism pieces - particularly in the wake of a devastating global economic crisis, as well as scandals involving politics, money, and cell phone hacking. Individual articles include "Phone-Hacking Crisis Shows News Corp Is No Ordinary News Company", "Curse the Geniuses Who Gave Us Bank of America", "In Norway, Start-Ups Say Ja to Socialism", "Nine Things the Rich Don't Want You to Know About Taxes", "Can the World Still Feed Itself?", "How Ford Became Last Man Standing", and much more. A vivid snapshot uncovering both nationwide and worldwide problems and conspiracies, The Best Business Writing 2012 is an absolute must-read for anyone seeking to keep their finger on the pulse of the world economy.


The Language Studies Shelf

Latin for the New Millennium Student Text Level 3
Helena Dettmer and LeaAnn A. Osburn, editors
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road
Mundelein, IL 60060
9780865167605 $75.00 www.bolchazy.com

Latin for the New Millennium Student Text Level 3 is a college-level textbook for advanced students of the Latin language. Chapters deliberately offer Latin writings by a wide variety of ancient and renowned authors: Caesar, Cicero, Vergil, Horace, Ovid, and letters of Erasmus. Exercises, short answer questions, essay questions, vocabulary-building lists, study tips, advanced grammatical instructions and more enrich this solid reference and resource, further enhanced by a Latin-to-English glossary and an index. Color illustrations of classical artworks every few pages add an appealing visual touch to this sound-minded text that lends itself well to coursework or self-study. Highly recommended.


The Anthropology Shelf

Critical Anthropology
Stephen Nugent, editor
Left Coast Press, Inc.
1630 North Main Street, #400
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
www.LCoastPress.com
9781611321784, $36.95, www.amazon.com

Anthropology is the social science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind, the study of human beings' similarity to and divergence from other animals, as well as the science of humans and their works. Compiled and deftly edited by Stephen Nugent (Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Centre for Visual Anthropology at Goldsmith, University of London), "Critical Anthropology: Foundational Works", is a 249-page compendium comprised of essays by thirteen knowledgeable experts organized into seven parts ranging from 'Marxism in the American Anthropological Tradition' to 'Fighting Over Commodities and History'. Each individual essay is a masterpiece of investigative scholarship. The cumulative result is an outstanding contribution to the growing library of contemporary anthropological studies and a very highly recommended addition to professional and academic library Anthropology reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Sociology Shelf

Sociological Theory, second edition
John Scott
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court
Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781781003350, $39.95, www.amazon.com

Sociology is the science or study of the origin, development, organization, and functioning of human society; the science of the fundamental laws of social relations, institutions, etc. Now in a newly revised and updated second edition, "Sociological Theory: Contemporary Debates" by John Scott (Professor of Sociology and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Plymouth University, United Kingdom) is a 304-page compendium offering readers a systematic and comprehensive text presenting clear arguments on the relative merits of the different positions taken within sociological theory. John Scott has re-ordered the chapters and chapter sections to draw out a strong narrative on contention and convergence in sociological theory. This updated edition features a greater prominence for neofunctionalism in relation to earlier structural-functional theories; a discussion of the theoretical ideas of Pierre Bourdieu; expanded coverage of post-structuralist theoretical ideas in relation to structural theories, and much more. Documented, insightful, informed and informative, "Sociological Theory: Contemporary Debates" continues to be a highly recommended and core addition to academic library Contemporary Sociology reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Reference Shelf

Demographics Of The U.S.
Cheryl Russell
New Strategist
PO Box 242, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781937737009, $120.00, www.amazon.com

Demographics are the statistical data of a population, especially those showing average age, income, education, etc. Both corporate and governmental policies are strategically based upon demographics. Now in a fully updated and expanded fourth edition, "Demographics of the U.S.: Trends and Projections" by demographer Cheryl Russell (who is also the Editorial Director of New Strategist) is a 550 page compendium of contemporary demographic and socioeconomic trends organized into ten thematic chapters: Attitudes and Behavior; Education; Health; Housing; Income; Labor Force; Living Arrangements, Population; Spending; and Wealth. It will come as no surprise that the American populace is fatter with obesity among males and females increasing. Also verified is our population's increasing diversity and our higher education levels. It will come as a complete surprise to find that despite the economic collapse of the Great Recession, we are a populace more affluent than previous generations, although spending patterns have changed as our economy has evolved. For example we spending less on food and more for housing. Informed, informative, comprehensive, and user friendly, "Demographics of the U.S.: Trends and Projections" is a highly recommended as a core addition to professional, corporate, governmental, community, and academic library reference collections. Also strongly recommended from New Strategist is their four volume series of demographic information "American Generation" (9781937737146, hc, $365.00 / 9781937737153, pb, $265.00) which consists of "Older Americans: A Changing Market, 7th Edition"; "The Baby Boom: Americans Born 1946 to 1964, 7th Edition"; "Generation X: Americans Born 1965 to 1976, 7th Edition"; "The Millennials: Americans Born 1977 to 1994: 5th Edition".


The Wisconsin Shelf

Lawyers Who Shaped Dane County
Tom Ragatz, Paul Humphrey, Sally Garbo Wedde
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor
Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780985364601, $39.95, www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress

Important legal cases shape the legal code, and the men who debate the law are the hammers that form it. "Lawyers Who Shaped Dane County: A History of the Practice of Law in the Madison Area" analyzes the history of the county's laws and the men who were behind these changes, as they were also men who altered the route of the history and success of the era. Masters of their crafts, the collaborators of this book present a tribute history to 261 attorneys and the firms they worked with. "Lawyers Who Shaped Dane County" is a must for those who want to better understand the impact of the law in Wisconsin's capital county.

A Real Emotional Girl
Tanya Chernov
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
9781616088699, $24.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

Tragedy can devastate our lives. "A Real Emotional Girl: A Memoir of Love and Loss" focuses on the strong familial bond between Tanya Chernov and her father, Richard, who was known as a major figure throughout his hometown. As he is hit with cancer, Tanya's picturesque childhood gets a rude awakening as he recounts the last years of her fathers life and the growing up she was forced to do. "A Real Emotional Girl" is a strong addition to memoir collections focusing on personal stories and Northern Wisconsin.


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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
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