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Library Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 3 March 2012 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Cookbook Shelf Photography Shelf
Art Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Psychology Shelf Mythology Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Social Issues Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Political Science Shelf Gaming Shelf Gardening Shelf
Military Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Memoir Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Fiction Shelf
Biography Shelf Philosophy Shelf Civil War Shelf
Geriatric Studies Shelf Anthropology Shelf Education Shelf
Homeowner Shelf Language Studies Shelf Science Shelf
Library Science Shelf Mathematics Shelf Business Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf International Studies Shelf
Parenting Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Economic Studies Shelf Automotive Shelf
Agriculture Shelf Native American Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Transforming Diaspora
Robin E. Field & Parmita, editors
Farleigh Dickinson University Press
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781611474410, $60.00, www.rlpgbooks.com

More than ever, a hometown is not always home. "Transforming Diaspora: Communities Beyond National Boundaries" discusses the development of diaspora, or the migration of peoples in the modern day. Many thinkers of many cultures come together to give a unique world wide discussion of the topic, offering ideas surrounding the fundamental nature of diaspora, as well as ideas relating to the future diaspora as the world grows smaller and smaller. "Transforming Diaspora" is a much needed discussion of an important aspect of world culture and social issues.

Flying Fear Free
Sandra M. Pollino
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823737, $14.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

It's natural to be a little anxious thousands of feet in the air. "Flying Fear Free: 7 Steps to Relieving Air Travel Anxiety" is a guide for those who have come to dread flying the skies in a world where many careers consist of constant air travel all over the world. From picking a diet to help with it, preparing mentally, and many other habits that can help one conquer the fear and get through the flight, "Flying Fear Free" is a fine choice for anyone who is petrified of flying but needs to do it anyway.

Kamakwie
Kathleen Martin
Red Deer Press
c/o Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited
311 Washington Street
Brighton, MA 02135
9780889954724, $19.95, www.fitzhenry.ca

All people seek a way to make a living, and the people of Sierra Leone are no different. "Kamakwie: Finding Peace, Love, and Injustice in Sierra Leone" is an international issues memoir from Kathleen Martin as she recalls her journey to one of the poorest countries in the world, Sierra Leone. She recalls meeting with the people who struggling against a world that is not letting them succeed, the exploitation of blood diamonds, and much more. "Kamakwie" is packed with full color photos and is a fascinating study on the injustice of the world.

Dreamers
Jerry Ford
Southeast Missouri State University Press
1 University Plaza, MS 2650
Cape Girardeua, MO 63701
9780983050421, $22.00, www6.semo.edu

To reach the big time, you have to start somewhere with a big dream. "Dreamers: Entertainers from Small Town to Big Time" is by music performer Jerry Ford, who shares stories of many nationwide acts getting off the ground in the small towns of Southeast Missouri. Telling each of their stories from small time to the big time with black and white photography all throughout, "Dreamers" is a fine pick for anyone with big dreams of their own and wants to see how others have truly made it.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread
Laurie Sadowski
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99
Summertown, TN 38483
9781570672620, $14.95, www.thefarm.org/businesses/bpc.html

Adapting to a vegan diet can be difficult when there seems to be animal products everywhere you turn. "The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free" is a guide to bread in all its many forms for the enthusiastic vegan cook, as Laurie Sadowski encourages healthier eating with many allergy free and vegan-friendly dishes that spin bread into a delicious treat. With plenty of recipes to cover any type of bread from typical to dessert style breads, "The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread" is a strong addition to any cookbook collection trying to increase the health of themselves and those they cook for.

The Nepal Cookbook
Association of Nepalis in the Americas
Illustrations by Palden Choedak Oshoe
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483
Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559393812 $14.95 www.SnowLionPub.com

The Nepal Cookbook collects recipes from the remote nation of Nepal, ranging from delightful festival dishes to favorite daily staples. Traditional Nepali food is known for its ease of preparation and subtle flavors; The Nepal Cookbook offers easy-to-follow recipes for cuisine ranging from appetizers, soups, and lentils to vegetables, meats, pickles, chutneys, rice, breads, and desserts. Individual recipes include "Barbecued Shredded Chicken", "Mushroom and Potato Curry", "Grilled Tomato and Dried Shrimp Chutney", "Mashed Eggplant Pickle", "Nepali Corn Bread", "Crispy Rice Doughnuts" and much more. Nepali cooking methods and ingredients that may be unfamiliar to a Western audience are described and explained at length, making The Nepal Cookbook a user-friendly choice for prospective cross-cultural gourmets. Highly recommended.

Bean by Bean
Crescent Dragonwagon
Workman Publishing
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014
978076113241132417, $15.95, www.workman.com

Beans come in many forms, granting many varieties for the creative chef. "Bean by Bean" is a collection of nearly two hundred bean based recipes from Crescent Dragonwagon, who presents a comprehensive coverage of the legume, from Mexican-inspired cuisine, soups and salads, chili, and even desserts. For anyone with a love of beans in their money forms, "Bean by Bean" is an excellent pick for those seeking to diversify their diet, very much recommended reading.

Professional Cake Decorating, second edition
Toba Garrett
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148
9780470380093, $65.00, www.wiley.com

The artistry of cake has gone far beyond taste alone. "Professional Cake Decorating" is a guide to the latest techniques and recipes behind more creative designs for colorful and majestic cakes. From embroidering to making edible accessories, to allow nearly anything the imagination can create to be made into a cake. "Professional Cake Decorating is a strongly recommended pick for those who want to try their hand at the practice, or perhaps for culinary students who want further reading, it remains an excellent addition to any culinary studies collection. Also from Wiley's Cookbook collections, "Hot & Cheesy" (9780470615355, $22.99) a comprehensive full color cookbook focusing on the ever-versatile cheese.

Alternative Vegan
Dino Sarama Weierman
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604865080, $17.95, www.pmpress.org

You don't need meat to experience the flavors of the world. "Alternative Vegan: International Vegan Fare Straight from the Produce Aisle" is an alternative guide for vegan cooks looking of original recipes that don't rely on meat substitutes for flavor. A fine assortment of international tastes for those with worldwide palettes, "Alternative Vegan" is an excellent pick that shouldn't be overlooked for vegans looking to broaden their horizons.


The Photography Shelf

Architectural Photography
Adrian Schulz
Rocky Nook
26 West Mission Street, Suite 3
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
9781933952888, $44.95, www.rockynook.com

Architecture is in itself art, and a photographer must capture the spirit to capture the building. "Architectural Photography: Composition, Capture, and Digital Image Processing" is a guide for those charged with capturing structures in their photographs. Often, architecture calls for much larger shots than most photographers are used to, and lacks a simple subject to pick and build the shot around. From the principles of capturing architecture, the equipment needed, and how after-production can help greatly, "Architectural Photography" is a full color exploration of how to get the most out of a building's photograph, enthusiastically recommended.

Weekend in Havana
Robert A. McCabe
Abbeville Press
137 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013
9780789209276, $18.95, www.abbeville.com

Many Americans think of Havana, the capital of Cuba, as merely a third world cesspit. "Weekend in Havana: An American Photographer in the Forbidden City" follows Robert A. McCabe as he seeks to disprove such notions as he sought to cut through the red tape that is American/Cuban relations to embark on a trip through the city and capture the spirit of the people who live their lives as people above all else. Presented in full color with notations in English, Spanish, and in Greek, "Weekend in Havana" is an important and thought provoking book for coffee table book selections or international photography collections in general.


The Art Shelf

Voyages to the New World and Beyond
Gordon Miller
Douglas & McIntyre
2323 Quebeck Street, Suite 201
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5T 4S7
9781553655732, $55.00, www.douglas-mcintyre.com

To Be at sea for months was a risk many took to find their own fortune. "Voyages to the New World and Beyond" is an illustrated history of the age of exploration, focusing on art works throughout the period that told the story of the journeys of Columbus, Cook, Vasco da Gama, and many other individuals who dared to see what lied beyond the known world. The artwork of Gordon Miller is crafted with dedicated historical authenticity. Full color and majestic pictures that capture the struggles of the men who embarked on these long journeys, Miller crafts an educational and awe-inspiring experience, which serves well as both a history lesson and coffee table selection. "Voyages to the New World and Beyond" is a strongly recommended pick for any art and history collection.

The Pot Book
Edmund De Waal
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780714847993, $49.95, www.phaidon.com

The crafting of pots was once utility with some art thrown in, but pottery has evolved into an art form all of its own. "The Pot Book" is a collection of art all through history, covering a wide array of pottery from the first creations of man, the inspiration of the ancient worlds of China and Rome, to the many creative spins of the modern day where it has began to take on a whole new meaning. Presented in full color with detailed information on each entry, "The Pot Book" is an ideal coffee table book for those with a love for the art style and for general artistic reference collections.

Cover and Uncover
Eric Cameron
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
9781552385340, $49.95, www.uofcpress.com

Art without philosophy isn't really art. "Cover and Uncover: Eric Cameron" discusses the work of the Canadian artist as many artistic scholars come together under the leadership of Editor Ann Davis to provide dedicated study to the mans work and the thoughts behind them. Discussing both his unique works of arts and his writing, these art thinkers provide an insightful analysis. With color where applicable in photos, "Cover and Uncover" is a strongly recommended addition to any artistic studies collections in community and college libraries.


The American History Shelf

Lost Kingdom
Julia Flynn Siler
Atlantic Monthly
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
841 Broadway
New York, NY 10003-4793
9780802120014 $30.00 www.groveatlantic.com

Lost Kingdom: Hawaii's Last Queen, the Sugar Kings, and America's First Imperial Adventure is an in-depth historical chronicle of the final decades of the Hawaiian kingdom, culminating in its annexation to America, much to the misery of its final sovereign, Queen Lili'uokalani. Queen Lili'u's predecessors had already traded away many of the monarchy's rights, and left her with a staggering family debt when she gained power. She struggled against the sugar barons who controlled more and more Hawaiian land, seeking to create a constitution that would strengthen her power. Other factions sought annexation, though President Cleveland opposed such a brazen move; yet it was ultimately not the will of the sugar barons, but rather the Spanish-American War that transformed Hawaii into an indispensable strategic asset and forced the issue. Extensively researched, and presented in a style accessible to scholars and lay readers alike, Lost Kingdom is a fascinating chronicle of the Hawaiian Kingdom's end and legacy, and is especially recommended for public and college library American History collections.

The American Experience
Erik Bruun & Jay Crosby
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011
9781579129071, $22.95, www.workman.com

In what's approaching two hundred and fifty years, America has amassed a lot of culture. "The American Experience: The History and Culture of the United States" chronicles the bits and pieces of media that make up what is America, culturally, politically, and much more. From documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, to major poems and songs, landmark court cases, Baseball, and so much more, "The American Experience" is a fascinating reference and summary of the American people, very much recommended reading.


The World History Shelf

Learning from the Secret Past
Robert Dover & Michael S. Goodman, editors
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
9781589017702, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

After war ends, those with power want to make damn sure it doesn't simply just begin again. "Learning from the Secret Past: Cases in British Intelligence History" delves through the past fifty years of recently unclassified British intelligence history, highlighting important operations and actions throughout the period. Many writers on intelligence, including intelligence officers, government officials and many scholars, "Learning from the Secret Past" is a strongly recommended pick for those who want to better understand the importance and impact of modern espionage.

Classic Beauty
Gabriela Hernandez
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road
Atglen, PA 19310
9780764336904, $49.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Beauty has driven mankind throughout all of its existence. "Classical Beauty: The History of Makeup" is a stroll through history both ancient and modern, as author Gabriela Hernandez discusses make up and its strong role in human beauty. From the earliest mans and its attempts to add color to their lives to the modern era where the make up of the famous can empower social movements, make up provides an interesting focus of history and mankind's fascination with appearance. "Classical Beauty" is packed cover to cover with full color photos, an excellent pick for social history collections or coffee table book selections.

Leisure, fourth edition
John R. Kelly
Sagamore Publishing
1807 N. Federal Drive
Urbana, IL 61801-1051
9781571676405, $69.96, www.sagamorepub.com

Leisure is a break from the grind, and is more necessary than most would admit. "Leisure" is the fourth edition covering the history of this important aspect of human life, updated for current data covering how people spend their leisure time and embrace their time with to themselves. John R. Kelly continues his study and offers a psychology to it all, offering an explanation why it is so important to our studies of life and its challenges. "Leisure" is a choice pick for anthropology, social issues, and general history collections, offering a strong and highly recommended scholarly work.


The Psychology Shelf

On Loss and Losing
Melvyn L. Fein
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842501 $39.95 www.transactionpub.com

On Loss and Losing: Beyond the Medical Model of Personal Distress is an extensive analysis of human psychological motivations, both on an individual and on a societal level, particularly with regard to suffering from loss or distress. Author Melvyn L. Fein (professor of sociology, Kennesaw State University, Georgia) goes far beyond simply dissecting the experience of grief. Chapters explore topics such as flaws in rationality that are more common to those of higher or lower economic station (for example, successful individuals are more susceptible to flattery, while impoverished individuals tend to be worse at impulse control and long-term planning), the personality factors that affect success or failure in long-term relationships, how the imposition of morality can be a double-edged sword in promoting societal survival, and much more. Ultimately, On Loss and Losing attacks the widespread assumption that personal suffering comes primarily from biological sources, purporting that modern assessments all too often neglect the social causes of human loss, suffering, and distress. "Unhappiness is not a disease. If someone's misery is caused by sickness, doctors can help, but if it is caused by loss and losing, they can do little... In suggesting to a patient that his or her discomforts result from disease, the implication is that they should be cured by medical interventions.... The victim is expected to do as the physician recommends, while eagerly awaiting the promised conclusion. Yet if resocialization is the sovereign remedy for loss and losing, this can delay improvements. Patients who accept the disease model will not understand that they must be active in navigating the process of overcoming their distress." On Loss and Losing is an invaluable, "must-have" resource for both college library and professional psychology shelves, yet its plain-terms approach to its scholarly subject render it accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Readers will gain a much greater appreciation for what lays the groundwork for successfully recovering from loss or forming a stable relationship, whether between individuals, factions, or societies, in this fascinating, compelling, and down-to-earth treatise, worthy of the highest recommendation.

Money and Psychotherapy
Richard Trachtman
NASW Press
750 First Street, NE, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20002-4241
9780781014214, $27.99, www.naswpress.org

Money can control our lives. "Money and Psychotherapy: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals" is a discussion of money and the impact it has on the psyche, a subject Richard Trachtman writes is usually considered taboo, but argues it must be talked about to provide the best discussion possible. From what a financial history, how it can change people, alter relationships, and much more, "Money and Psychotherapy" is very much recommended reading for any psychotherapist who wants to better understand the vast way money or lack of it can change a worldview and how to act accordingly.

Understanding Early Childhood Mental Health
Susan Janko Summers & Rachel Chazen-Cohen
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624
Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598570755, $39.95, www.brookespublishing.com

When the mind is forming and learning, it is the most vulnerable. "Understanding Early Childhood Mental Health: A Practical Guide for Professionals" is a guide for pediatricians and other health workers on understanding the mind of an infant and toddler and understanding the indicators of early mental health issues in children, as well as issues in that parents face, fatigue, and much more. An important topic that isn't spoken of often, "Understanding Early Childhood Mental Health" is a choice and recommended pick for health and psychology collections.


The Mythology Shelf

Encyclopedia of Demons
Theresa Bane
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611
Jefferson NC 28640
9780786463602, $75.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

Evil creatures beyond nature and humanity have been known throughout history. "Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures" is a unique reference delving into the massive mythologies of the world, discussing the traits and elements that the demons share throughout the world. Going world wide in its scope, for anyone curious about the slew of demons in the world, covering the mythology of Christianity, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, and much more. With detailed descriptions of each spirits origin, and its cousins of other cultures, "Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures" is a fine pick for literary reference collections, enthusiastically recommended.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Desert Fathers
Peter H. Gorg
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339
Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586174453, $16.95, www.ignatius.com

When Christianity was young, those seeking the embrace the new faith turned to escape the lands of Rome as much as they could. "The Desert Fathers: Saint Anthony and the Beginnings of Monasticism" tells the story of these early Christians who chose the desert to approach spiritual life and create the concepts of the Christian monk, and form a basis for many Christian thinkers to follow with. "The Desert Fathers" is an excellent pick for any who wants to understand the complexity of early Christianity.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Angels & Their Mission
Jean Danielou
Sophia Institute Press
PO Box 5284, Manchester, NH 03108
9781933184463, $13.95, www.sophiainstitute.com

Angels have been cast as messengers, guardians, and warriors, but why are they, truly? "The Angels & Their Mission" is a theological discussion of angels and their purpose throughout the history of the faith, and their roles in the place of mortal man. A fascinating history on the evolution of the angel in the eyes of man and the church, "The Angels & Their Mission" is a fascinating and strongly recommended pick for any who want to truly understand the Biblical angel.

The Complete Gospel Parallels
Arthur J. Dewey & Robert J. Miller
Polebridge Press
900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301
9781598150353, $45.00, www.polebridgepress.com

Faith can be used to gain a greater understanding of faith. "The Complete Gospel Parallels" is a studious read from Arthur Dewey and Robert Miller, offering a one-volume synopsis of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Thomas, Peter, and some fragments of other Gospels (such as the Jewish-Christian Gospels of the Hebrews and Nazoreans, the Egerton Gospel, and more). A Scholars Version translation arranged to allow close comparison of parallel passages while gaining a more complete and thorough understanding of Biblical events, "The Complete Gospel Parallels" is highly recommended for any student of the scripture, be they scholar or non specialist general reader.

The Temple of Solomon
James Wasserman
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street
Rochester, VT 05767
9781594772207, $29.95, www.innertraditions.com

One of the most holy of sites for the followers of the religions of Abraham, the Temple of Solomon has a rich and ancient history. "The Temple of Solomon" traces the history of this monument, as James Wasserman provides an intriguing and complex study of the site as a pathway to God, a base for the Crusades, and its modern role as a religious monument. With colorful paintings, illustrations, and photographs all throughout, "The Temple of Solomon" is a strongly recommended pick for community and library religion and history collections.


The Social Issues Shelf

Human Transit
Jarrett Walker
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-1148
9781597269728, $70.00, www.islandpress.org

With more and more people in cities, public transportation becomes more important than ever. "Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking About Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives" discusses the importance of public transportation in meeting the growing need of urban centers in today's world. Jarrett Walker explains this important ideal and how to better implement it in today's cities and how they can help communities grow socially and economically. "Human Transit" is a choice addition for any social issues or urban development collection.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Girl Who Was on Fire
Leah Wilson, editor
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, STE 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781936661589, $12.95, www.benbellabooks.com

Good stories do far more than entertain you. "The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins Hunger Games Trilogy" discusses the novels that have inspired the soon to be released major feature film 'The Hunger Games'. Discussing the philosophy that lies beneath the film, the characters within, and allegories of society, Leah Wilson and sixteen other writers of young adult fiction come together and provide much to think about with the work. "The Girl Who Was on Fire" is well worth considering for fans of the work.


The Political Science Shelf

Lineages of Political Society
Partha Chatterjee
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231158138, $27.50, http://cup.columbia.edu

Democracy has much to do to live up to what it's trumped up as. "Lineages of Political Society" discusses the future of democracy as Partha Chatterjee, an honorary professor of political science and anthropology, discusses the reality of democracy and its introduction outside the western world, discussing its reality and critiquing its use all throughout. Offering a level headed analysis of world politics that plays no favor, "Lineages of Political Society" is a fascinating look at international politics and the reality of democracy through the world.


The Gaming Shelf

Tap, Move, Shake
Todd Moore
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastapol, CA 95472
9781449303457, $29.99, www.oreilly.com

Limitations of size have revolutionized gaming in their own way. "Tap, Move, Shake: Turning Your Game Ideas into iPhone & iPad Apps" is a guide to creating one's own games for mobile devices, in particular the iPhone and iPad, using the tools that the OSes provide for game creators. From building a game from scratch, adding sound and graphics, and building an AI, "Tap, Move, Shake" is a comprehensive read for aspiring hobbyist game developers of many forms, sure to help one make their ideas a reality.


The Gardening Shelf

Gardening
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way
Saddle River, NJ 07450-2311
9781580115438, $21.95, www.creativehomeowner.com

Gardening can prove to be a fruitful and compelling hobby. "Gardening: The Complete Guide" is a complete and comprehensive manual for those who want to embark on gardening as a long term endeavor. From the many options of gardening from simply flowers for their beauty and scent to food crops of many sorts, this full color guide explains the many practices needed to make a truly wonderful and productive garden that adds great color to one's land. "Gardening: The Complete Guide" is an excellent starting point for any aspiring gardener.


The Military Shelf

The Operators
Michael Hastings
Blue Rider Press
alieen.boyle@us.penguingroup.com
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780399159886 $27.95 www.penguin.com www.theblueriderpress.com

Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Story of America's War in Afghanistan lives up to its title with firsthand, behind-the-scenes reporting of the deadly and chaotic conflict. Author and "Rolling Stone" journalist Michael Hastings gained notoriety when his piece including open attacks on the Obama administration by General Stanley McChrystal led to Gen. McChrystal's abrupt and unceremonious firing; The Operators goes much further in unveiling bickering, high-risk operations, heroism, and corruption. Ultimately, The Operators warns against the perils and endlessly leeching costs of a War on Terror with muddied goals; despite all the civilian and American blood shed in Afghanistan, Osama Bin Laden was ultimately nowhere within the territory; he'd been hiding all along inside a wealthy suburb of Pakistan, allegedly a nation allied with America. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections.

Monty and Rommel
Peter Caddick-Adams
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
9781590207253, $35.00, www.overlookpress.com

A worthy opponent is one that doesn't go down after one battle. "Monty and Rommel: Parallel Lives" traces the history behind these two great generals of the Second World War. Bernard Montgomery led British forces to clash with Erwin Rommel of Germany throughout the second World War. Peter Caddick-Adams shows that both men followed a similar path through their lives and training, serving in the first World War, inspired by their leaders and more. "Monty and Rommel" is a fascinating perspective on two great leaders in war, complete with maps and photographs throughout.

Steel Calvary
Lee Windsor
Goose Lane Editions
500 Beverbrook Court, Suite 330
Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5X4
9780864926579, $18.95, www.gooselane.com

Speed has always been important war, even when it's tons of steel. "Steel Calvary: The 8th (New Brunswick) Hussars and the Italian Campaign" discusses the tank duels of Europe in World War II, as the 8th (New Brunswick) Hussars proved to be an exceedingly competent regiment of tanks throughout the war. Telling their history of how the regiment modernized from horses to cars to motorcycles to finally armored behemoths, "Steel Calvary" is a fine bit of history, very much recommended.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Understanding the Sociology of Health, second edition
Anne-Marie Barry & Chris Yuill
SAGE Publications
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781412936231, $52.00, www.sagepub.co.uk

Our social environment may have very real implications on health. "Understanding the Sociology of Health" discusses the social aspects of illness, the impact that society can have on the health of the individual. Discussing the theories behind the relation, the advancement of medicine, ethnicity and race and its impacts, and the development of chronic illness within a community, authors Anne-Marie Barry & Chris Yuill offer an insightful and educational analysis that sometimes proves surprising. With indexes, glossaries, and graphs all throughout, "Understanding the Sociology of Health" is a vital addition to any community and college health and social studies collections.

Advancing Oral Health in America
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
9780309186308, $63.00, www.nap.edu

Good dental health is more than cosmetic. "Advancing Oral Health in America" is a scholarly discussion on how to better promote oral health in America, exploring the facts that oral health has strong links to general health that are not commonly known. Discussing the struggles of the modern dental care system, the workforce, and the hand that the department of health and human services has on the advancement of better dental care, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies provides another comprehensive and scholarly overview of a vital debate over the future of health care. A sidebar to the health care debate that very much must not be overlooked, "Advancing Oral Health in America" is a strong addition to any health issues collections or social issues collections in general, highly recommended.

Living Well with Pain & Illness
Vidyamala Burch
Sounds True
413 South Arthur Avenue
Louisville, CO 80027
9781591797470, $15.95, www.soundstrue.com

Pain is in the mind, and one can train themselves to overcome it. "Living Well with Pain & Illness: The Mindful Way to Free Yourself from Suffering" is a spiritual and health manual from Vidyamala Burch as she discusses her own spinal injuries and the Chronic pain that followed. Through her writing, she advises how she conquered her pain and got her life back, and advises readers on how to better cope with their own chronic pain, be it migraines, arthritis, or other ailments. "Living Well with Pain & Illness" is a fine pick for any looking for ways to beat their own pain.

Quick Check Foods Facts
Barron's Editorial Staff
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9781438000107, $6.99, www.barronseduc.com

There's a lot of health info to keep under control for those trying to eat a healthier life. "Quick Check Foods Facts" is a guide to those are seeking to eat healthier, providing a comprehensive reference on many foods, with tips and knowledge to keep in mind when dining out, and what foods to avoid and when. "Quick Check Foods Facts" is an excellent and much recommended read for health and nutrition general information collections.


The Memoir Shelf

Joining Africa
Charles Cantalupo
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611860368, $27.95, www.msupress.msu.edu

Africa is an often misunderstood place in the western world. "Joining Africa: From Anthills to Asmara" is a traveling memoir from Charles Cantalupo as he shares a personal journey of a New Jersey man who chose to embark on a twenty year journey into Africa to gain a better understanding of the many cultures and people who call the place home. Offering a western and knowledgeable study of this mysterious subject, "Joining Africa" is a strongly recommended pick for community library collections focusing on African cultural studies.

Cider with Rosie
Laurie Lee
David R. Godine, Publisher
PO Box 450
Jaffrey, NH 03452
9781567923551, $15.95, www.godine.com

As we march into adulthood, we look back on what shaped us. "Cider with Rosie" is a republication of the 1959 classical memoir from Laurie Lee, a young man of Gloucestershire, a small town in Britain. From a single mother and a big lot of siblings, the memoir is a charming look at the loss of innocence into a world of understanding. "Cider with Rosie" is a choice for literary memoir collections, and collections focusing on classical works of the twentieth century.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Complete Guide to Puppy Care
Stacy Kennedy
T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, Third & Union Avenue
Neptune City, NJ 07753
9780793837274, $24.95, www.tfh.com

Just like humans in infancy, puppies need gentle and caring care. "Complete Guide to Puppy Care: Everything you Need to Know to have a Happy, Healthy, Well-trained Puppy" is a guide for new puppy owners on how to make sure the cute ball of fuzz grows into a lovable dog that is properly cared for and remains healthy throughout its life. From choosing proper breeds to proper training, as well as many practical problems, "Complete Guide to Puppy Care" is a fine pick for anyone who is considering puppy ownership and wants to know what they are getting into.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Key Financial Market Concepts, second edition
Bob Steiner
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780273750123, $29.99, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Key Financial Market Concepts: The 100 Terms Every Finance Professional Needs To Know" by financial expert Bob Steiner (Managing Director of Markets International Ltd.) is a 328-page compendium of deftly organized and presented financial concepts, formulas and definitions that are fundamentally important to master with respect to today's volatile financial markets both in the United States and abroad. An essential instructional reference for anyone dealing with stocks, bonds, interest yield calculations, and more, "Key Financial Market Concepts" will prove to be an indispensable and invaluable addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library 'Money & Finance' reference book collections.

How the Stock Market Works, fourth edition
Michael Becket
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749464028, $17.95, www.koganpageusa.com

The market plays a big part in today's market, but it can quite difficult to understand for the layman. "How the Stock Market Works: A Beginner's Guide to Investment" explores the Stock Market and how one breaks into investing and wisely playing it for their own fortunes. This fourth edition is updated with the latest stock watches and what to look out for the in future. Explaining the basics and how to break into the game, as well as playing it safe and not turning it into a gambling bet, "How the Stock Market Works" is a fine pick for business and personal finance collections.


The Fiction Shelf

Mathematics: A Novel
Jacques Roubaud
Dalkey Archive Press
University of Illinois
1805 S. Wright Street, MC-011
Champaign, IL 61820
9781564786838 $14.95 www.dalkeyarchive.com

Third in Oulipo member Jacques Roubaud's "Great Fire of London" series, Mathematics: A Novel blends elements of fiction and memoir into a moving whole. Superbly translated from the original French, Mathematics: A Novel tells of the role of mathematics in attempting to understanding the complexities of life, from fear to the artist's struggle to craft to the loss of loved ones. Peppered with vivid anecdotes, Mathematics: A Novel is a superb literary experience, and an excellent jump-on point to enjoy Roubaud's literary saga.

After Tears
Niq Mhongo
Ohio University Press
The Ridges, Building 19
Athens, OH 45701
9780821419847, $18.95, www.ohioswallow.com

A lie can make everything seem so joyous and wonderful. "After Tears" is a novel of world fiction from African author Niq Mhongo, as he creates a story of Bafana Kuzwayo, a young man who fails at law school, returns home to a family that expected success and he finds himself unable to correct them. As the lie grows bigger, he is faced to solidify the lie, or let the truth be known, and the consequences of each may be bigger than him. "After Tears" is a fine pick for literary and world fiction collections, highly recommended.

The World of a Few Minutes Ago
Jack Driscoll
Wayne State University Press
The Leonard N. Simons Building
4809 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814336120, $18.95, http://wsupress.wayne.edu

It can be hard to keep up with a world that is radically different by the day. "The World of a Few Minutes Ago" is a collection of short stories from Jack Driscoll, seeking to go through our world and try to understand our many questions and confusions we have about our world. With a good dose of thought and common sense approached all throughout, "The World of a Few Minutes Ago" is a fine assortment from an experienced and multiple award-winning writer.


The Biography Shelf

From Slave to State Legislator
David A. Joens
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive
SIUC Mail Code 6806
Carbondale, IL 62901
9780809330584 $34.95 www.siu.edu/~siupress

From Slave to State Legislator: John W.E. Thomas, Illinois' First African American Lawmaker is a full-length biography of a man who took the American Dream to virtually unprecedented heights. Beginning as a slave owned by a doctor's family in Alabama, John W.E. Thomas (1847?-1899) became a wealthy and well-known attorney committed to improving the lives of those in his community. He played a key role in the passage of Illinois' first civil rights act, yet his legacy has been sadly neglected by history. From Slave to State Legislator remedies this with a carefully researched, in-depth account accessible to scholars and lay readers alike. An excellent choice for public, high school, and college library biography collections, From Slave to State Legislator is ultimately the inspirational true story of the life of an incredibly extraordinary American.

Molotov: Stalin's Cold Warrior
Geoffrey Roberts
Potomac Books, Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166-2012
9781574889451, $29.95, www.potomacbooksinc.com

The right hand men of the world are what can make the bigger picture flow forward. "Molotov: Stalin's Cold Warrior" discusses the role of Vyacheslav Molotov, Stalin's right hand man, who is credited with many of the happenings surrounding Stalin and who made sure Stalin's wishes came to be. But like many of Stalin's allies, he came to conflict with him, facing conflicts of family, and even with the Soviet state attempting to organize a coup against Nikita Khrushchev in 1957. "Molotov" is a fascinating read about a major player in the Soviet Union's formative years.

Tyndale
David Teems
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000
Nashville, TN 37214
9781595552211, $15.99, www.thomasnelson.com

To understand the word of God was once a sin. "Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God An English Voice" is a biography of William Tyndale, a man who got himself labeled a heretic for daring to translate the Holy Bible into the English of the time. At the time, the Catholic Church's control on the faith was absolute, and the scripture was to only be in Latin. Tyndale's actions came in the time of Henry the VIII, a time that both helped and fought against his goal. "Tyndale" is a riveting read of Christian history, and a history of the written English language as well, enthusiastically recommended.


The Philosophy Shelf

Tolle Lege
Richard C. Taylor, et al.
Marquette University Press
Memorial Library 166
1415 West Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53201-3141
www.marquette.edu/mupress
9780874628074, $36.00, www.amazon.com

Jesuit Roland Teske has been a significant scholar in the field of medieval philosophy and especially noted for his impressive scholarship and seminal work in that specialized field of academia. The latest addition to the outstanding Marquette University Press 'Marquette Studies in Philosophy' series, "Tolle Lege: Essays on Augustine and on Medieval Philosophy in Honor of Roland J. Teske, SJ" is a 394-page compendium of fourteen scholarly essays on the theological and metaphysical themes in the works of St. Augustine and the medieval philosophers that built upon the body of his recorded thought. The contributors are all experts in their fields. Under the knowledgeably editorship of Richard C. Taylor, David Twetten, and Michael Wreen, "Tolle Lege" is an important and valued contribution which should be considered an essential addition to academic library "Medieval Studies", "Augustinian Studies", and "History of Philosophy" reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Parmenides, Venerable and Awesome
Nestor-Luis Cordero
Parmenides Publishing
3753 Howard Hughes Parkway, #200
Las Vegas, NV 89169
9781930972339, $65.00, www.parmenides.com

Many ancient thinkers can be tracked back through history, as patriarchs of higher thought. "Parmenides, Venerable and Awesome: Proceedings of the International Symposium" discusses the most vital work of Parmenides, 'On Nature', an epic poem that sprawls deeply, and spoke of many topics that were not extensively discussed prior to his time. Many writers come together and offer an extensive study of the philosophers work, aimed at college level students and non-specialist general readers alike. "Parmenides" is a vital addition to history and philosophy collections.

Readings in Political Philosophy
Diane Jeske & Richard Fumerton, editor
Broadview Press
2215 Kenmore Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14207
9781551117652, $64.95, www.broadviewpress.com

Philosophy was once what one man could learn about the world, but it has grown so complex that it is far beyond that in the modern world. "Readings in Political Philosophy: Theory and Applications" is a collection of essays written throughout the past two hundred years from a slew of writers, with names such as Thomas Hobbes and Milton Friedman, as well classical philosophers such as Plato. This wide stretch of history lends to the many debates that still rings true today, discussing the rights to free speech and a free life, as well as a right to human rights. A scholarly collection from the greatest minds in history from every thought and spectrum, "Readings in Political Philosophy" is a vital addition to community and college library collections that look to add a cornerstone to their philosophy, politics, and history collections.


The Civil War Shelf

Lee's Cavalrymen
Edward G. Longacre
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806142302 $26.95 www.oupress.com

Lee's Cavalrymen: A History of the Mounted Forces of the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861- 1865 is a meticulous, scholarly scrutiny of the horse-mounted troops of the Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. From notable traits of the regiments, brigades, and divisions of the cavalry, to how cavalry leadership changed as the war went on (including studies of influential cavalry commanders such as J.E.B. Stuart, Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee, and more), to thoughtful analysis of the mounted army's organization and tactics, Lee's Cavalrymen thoroughly examines the military history and legacy of these distinctive warriors. An excellent choice for public library Civil War history collections, Lee's Cavalrymen is highly recommended.

Great Civil War Heroes and Their Battles
Walton Rawls, editor
Abbeville Press
137 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013
9780789210647, $29.95, www.abbeville.com

On both sides of the Mason Dixon Line, there were men who went beyond the call of duty. "Great Civil War Heroes and Their Battles" discusses the major heroes of the American civil war in command of both the Union and Confederate armies. Packed with drawings, paintings, reproductions of newspapers of the era, color where applicable, Walton Rawls compiles a series of histories from dedicated writers surrounding the major heroes of the era, granting each a thorough biography. "Great Civil War Heroes and Their Battles" is a strongly recommended read for military and history collections, highly recommended.


The Geriatric Studies Shelf

Leisure & Aging
Heather J. Gibson & Jerome F. Singleton
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9780736094324, $59.00, www.HumanKinetics.com

Relaxation is a need that never fades as we age. "Leisure and Aging: Theory and Practice" discusses the need for leisure and relaxation as the human body and mind ages. Many thinkers come together and discuss why we require leisure and the effects of aging and their impact through cultures around the world. Discussing its impact on health both physical and mental, across ethnicity, sex, and sexual orientation, concerns of long term care, and tourism, "Leisure and Aging" proves to be a scholarly break down with plenty to consider for those in charge of caring for seniors or for non-specialist general readers.


The Anthropology Shelf

Fatness And The Maternal Body
Maya Unnithan-Kumar & Soraya Tremayne
Berghahn Books
150 Broadway, Suite 812, NY, NY 10038
www.berghahnbooks.com
9780857451224, $75.00, www.amazon.com

The newest edition (Volume 22) to Berghahn Books outstanding 'Fertility, Reproduction and Sexuality' series, "Fatness and the Maternal Body: Women's Experiences of Corporeality and the Shaping of Social Policy" is a 248-page compendium that has been knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the team of academician Maya Unnithan-Kumar (Reader in Social Anthropology, University of Sussex, England) and social anthropologist Soraya Tremayne (Research Associate, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford, England). The focus for the contributing authors of the eleven essays comprising "Fatness And The Maternal Body" is upon the phenomena of obesity as a rising global health problem and the cultural perceptions associated with body shape, size, and heft in the context of human reproduction and motherhood, social values and morality, health policy implications, and biomedical findings with respect to being overweight. Informed and informative, "Fatness And The Maternal Body" is a seminal collection of impressively presented scholarship and a highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Cultural Mobilities
Pascal Gin and Walter Moser, editors
University of Ottawa Press
542 King Edward
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5
9782760307711 $29.95 www.press.uottawa.ca

A bilingual study with each essay presented in both English and French, Cultural Mobilities: A Cross-Perspective Between Brazil and Canada explores how modern-day mobility, from ease of transportation to international shipping to electronic communication, has affected human cultural dynamics. A diversity of scholars from both Canada and Brazil contribute their insights on the phenomena with respect to the fields of urban geography, visual arts, film, literature, dance, and journalism. "It is art's capacity to communicate across and through difference that is central to the new 'expediency of culture'... The notion that culture is a 'resource' is an expression of globalization that arises out of the erosion of the nation-state, the complex interface of global economic interests and the concomitant neo-liberal doctrines that support these interests." A thoughtful, in-depth examination of cross-cultural evolution, Cultural Mobilities is highly recommended for college library social science collections.

The Incas
Craig Morris & Adriana von Hagen
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500289440, $26.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Although defeated by disease and greater technology, it would be foolish to call the society of the Incas strictly primitive. "The Incas" discusses this complex culture that came to dominate central and south America under its empires before the Europeans came. Over a difficult landscape, their empire dwarfed any other in ancient America, and was creating a revolution of thought all its own, with many ideas and thoughts that should be considered by European-originated thinkers. "The Incas" is a strong pick for any intrigued with ancient cultures and their civilizations.


The Education Shelf

Lifelines Intervention book & DVD
Maureen Underwood, L.C.S.W., Judith Springer, Psy.D.,
and Michelle Ann-Rish Scott, M.S.W, Ph.D.
in Partnership with the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide
Hazelden Foundation
PO Box 11
Center City, MN 55012-0011
9781616491574 $149.00 www.hazelden.org

Lifelines Intervention: Helping Students At Risk for Suicide is a combination instructional guidebook and DVD resource (37 min., with a teaching guide on CD-ROM to help explain and clarify the videos), designed especially to help educational instructors identify threats or signs of at-risk students, and prevent suicides. A team of experts give practical, grounded advice on how to determine the students who are most at risk (with extra detail given to specific high-risk student populations: bullied students, members of sexual minorities, and students in gifted education programs), how to prepare and conduct an assessment interview, how to engage parents, making effective referrals, and more. An accessible, plain-terms discussion of a deadly serious issue, Lifelines Intervention is an absolute "must-have" for all modern school systems, public and private, and should be part of the educational and orientation program for every school faculty member. "...a relevant concern in our understanding of suicidal youth is whether or not they understand the consequences of death. Most suicidal kids simply equate being dead with not feeling so bad anymore, not with being gone from this life forever. In fact, what most youth do lack is an appreciation for the finality of death. Because most teens have limited exposure to the death of people with whom they are close, their imaginings of death may be that it is simply a different, changed version of life."

Media Literacy
Frank W. Baker
International Society for Technology in Education
180 West 8th Avenue, Suite 300
Eugene, OR 97401-2916
9781564843074, $35.95, www.iste.org

We're surrounded by media, but far too many of us tune it out as white noise. "Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom" is an education and technology guide from Frank W. Baker encouraging teachers to help students take in the media around them thoughtfully instead of turning their minds off. Covering many mediums from television to music to the internet among others, it covers suggestions on how to increase media literacy no matter the student's place in the educational curriculum. "Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom" is a solid addition to any educational collection and teacher who wants their students to understand the media barrage in their lives.

College Success for Students with Physical Disabilities
Chris Wise Tiedemann
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813
Waco, TX 76714-8813
9781593638610, $18.95, www.prufrock.com

When the body is failing, the mind must flourish. "College Success for Students with Physical Disabilities" is a collection of advice and wisdom for students with physical disabilities who want to continue their academic careers into college. Not every university in America is currently equipped to help physically disabled students, and Chris Wise Tiedemann walks these students through the colleges that can help them and what they should know to make the most out of their educational experience. "College Success for Students with Physical Disabilities" is a strong pick for any future college freshman who needs a little assistance to maximize their potential.

Financing American Higher Education in the Era of Globalization
William Zumeta & Collaborators
Harvard Education Press
8 Story Street, 1st floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
9781612501253, $29.95, www.harvardeducationpress.org

Education is what will keep America competitive in today's vicious market place. "Financing American Higher Education in the Era of Globalization" discusses the growing pressures American higher education faces and what stands in front of its success. Tying educational viability and success to individual opportunity and economics, William Zumeta and his league of collaborators come together to prove a scholarly and strongly recommended breakdown on the future and importance of American education. "Financing American Higher Education in the Era of Globalization" is a sage and much recommended pick for community and library educational studies collections.

Into the Classroom
Rosalyn McKeown
The University of Tennessee Press
293 Communications Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-0325
9781572338166, $14.95, www.utpress.org

Teaching is no easy task, and learning the ropes can prove quite difficult. "Into the Classroom" explores the challenges faced by many teachers in training as they enter the classrooms for the first time and try to gain an understanding fo their craft. Rosalyn McKeown hopes to guide these rookie teachers through how to better understand the tasks of teaching so that they may excel well when they become full time teachers. "Into the Classrooms" is a strong pick for educational collections focusing on teacher education.

101 "Answers" for New Teachers and Mentors, second edition
Annette L. Breaux
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West
Larchmont, NY 10538
9781596671829, $29.95, www.eyeoneducation.com

Teaching can be an often overwhelming experience for rookies. "101 'Answers' for New Teachers and Their Mentors'" is a practical advice guide for the young teacher with some wisdom that may even resonate quite clearly for veteran teachers. From keeping the spirits up in the most trying times of your career, working with students, and driving oneself to be a positive influence in the lives of children, "101 'Answers' for New Teachers and Their Mentors" is a choice pick for any teacher who is looking at their classroom and buckling under pressure.


The Homeowner's Shelf

Preventing Home Accidents
Dan Hannan
Hunter House Publishers
PO Box 2914
Alameda, CA 94501-2914
9780897936071, $12.95, www.hunterhouse.com

The home can be a dangerous place, but the wise homemaker can make moves to keep the home a more harmonious place. "Preventing Home Accidents: A Quick & Easy Guide" explores what home owners can do to better guard their home from accidents, particularly those that can affect the young and the elderly. By outlining the hidden hazards of homes and keeping up with modern safety standards, Dan Hannan offers plenty of practical advice for avoiding the dangers of life. "Preventing Home Accidents" is a fine pick for community library reference and do it yourself collections.


The Language Studies Shelf

A Glossary of Terms
Richard Upsher Smith, Jr.
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
www.bolchazy.com
9780865167599, $19.00, www.amazon.com

The principle reason for the study of Greek and Latin languages is that so much of the English language is derived from them. A strong secondary reason is to be able to read the great authors and poets of antiquity in their original tongues because translations (even the best of them) can't always do full justice to their literary beauty and passion. "A Glossary of Terms in Grammar, Rhetoric, and Prosody for Readers of Greek and Latin: A Vade Mecum" by Richard Upsher Smith Jr. (Professor of Classics, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio) is a concise 140- page instructional text that offers students tables of verbal aspect, types of nouns, English personal pronouns, English relative pronouns; the English verb 'to be'; quotations from Greek, Latin, and English masterpieces; and all AP Vergil rhetorical and prosodical terms. Solid scholarship, deftly presented, make "A Glossary of Terms" an invaluable addition to personal, professional, and academic library Greek and Latin instructional reference collections.

Burmese-English English-Burmese Dictionary
Nance Cunningham and Aung Soe Min
Paiboon Publishing
PMB 256
1442A Walnut Street
Berkeley, CA 94709
9781887521581 $18.00 www.paiboonpublishing.com

Paiboon Publishing continues its tradition of high-quality with its Burmese-English English- Burmese Dictionary With Tones for English Speakers, a compact, user-friendly reference divided into three segments: English-to-Burmese alphabetized by letter; Burmese-to-English written and alphabetized by Burmese script; and Burmese-to-English written and alphabetized by phonetic sound (meant especially to help English speakers look up a Burmese word by its phonics). A brief introduction in English explains the simplest basics of Burmese grammar, romanization, alphabetical order for Burmese script, pronunciation and writing tips, and more. The Burmese- English English-Burmese Dictionary is an excellent, user-friendly, and invaluable tool for anyone seeking to better understand the language, and a "must-have" for college library linguistic reference shelves.

Expression and Interpretation in Language
Susan Petrilli
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
1412842638, $44.95, www.transactionpub.com

Language is more than just words. "Expression and Interpretation in Language" discusses the deeper parts of language and linguistics in respects to culture and philosophy, as well as psychology. Susan Petrilli presents a scholarly exploration of the many aspects of language, from our globalizing world, the clashing of languages, the universal language, and the future of language in our ever changing world. "Expression and Interpretation in language" is an excellent pick for community library philosophy and psychology collections, highly recommended.


The Science Shelf

Introduction to Science
Matthew Wise
Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
4050 Westmark Drive
Dubuque, IA 52002
9780757598906 $170.00 www.kendallhunt.com

Spiral-bound for ease of use and reference, Introduction to Science is a basic instructional textbook for readers of all backgrounds - from high school students to college students who have focused on other studies and wish to broaden the base of their knowledge, to everyday adults seeking to acquire the methodical, practical, objective perspective that science offers and apply it to everyday problems and issues. Chapters cover the fundamental principles of the scientific method; measurement units and how to apply them properly, especially when converting units or solving problems; atomic structure; elements and compounds; the shapes of molecules; chemical equations; thermochemistry; and more. Extensive lists of self-test questions following each chapter, as well as sample "hands-on" laboratory experiments, round out this solid, instructional resource and reference, enthusiastically recommended especially for high school and home school instructors alike. "The law of conservation of mass... is the fundamental basis for chemical equations. This law implies that the number and kind of atoms at the beginning of the reaction will be the same as the number and kind of atoms at the end of the reaction... It is important to realize that even though the atoms making up the various molecules are conserved, the molecules themselves are not conserved; rather, they undergo reorganization during the reaction to from new and different substances."

Cost-Driven Design of Smart Microsystems
Michael Niedermayer
Artech House
685 Canton Street
Norwood, MA 02062
9781608070848, $129.00, www.artechhouse.com

Lowering costs is important, but there's a fine line between efficient and uselessly cheap junk. "Cost-Driven Design of Smart Microsystems" discusses the rapidly developing field of miniaturization in technology, and miniaturization has become a major component in lowering costs in the developmental processes. Finding the balance between miniaturization at a reasonable cost and pushing the envelope to the point where going any smaller would cost more, this endeavor has proved difficult for many managers. Michael Niedermayer outlines what needs to be done by managers to approach holistic designs, a solid methodology, and overall optimization. Enhanced with plenty of photographs and graphs throughout and additional indexes, "Cost-Driven Design of Smart Microsystems" is a strong addition to any community and college library technology collection.

Optical, Acoustic, Magnetic, And Mechanical Sensor Technologies
Krzysztof Iniewski, editor
CRC Press
Suite 300
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW
Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781439869758, $149.95, www.amazon.com

The newest addition to the outstanding CRC Press 'Devices, Circuits, and Systems' series, "Optical, Acoustic, Magnetic, And Mechanical Sensor Technologies" is a 357-page compendium of twelve contemporary articles by experts that have been knowledgeably compiled and deftly anthologized by Krzysztof Iniewski (manager of R&D at Redien Technologies Inc., Vancouver, Canada) who also has an extensive academic background and authored numerous texts in his field). "Optical, Acoustic, Magnetic, And Mechanical Sensor Technologies" is organized into two major sections. Part 1: 'Optical and Acoustic Sensors' which is comprised of seven articles ranging from optical fiber sensors, to designing a low-cost underwater acoustic modem. Part 2: Magnetic and Mechanical Sensors comprising five articles ranging from the accurate scanning of magnetic fields to self-powered wireless sensing in ground transport applications. Enhanced with the inclusion of an comprehensive index, "Optical, Acoustic, Magnetic, And Mechanical Sensor Technologies" presents an impressive and seminal body of work making it a core addition to professional, corporate, and academic library Science & Technology reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Library Science Shelf

The Cybrarian's Web
Cheryl Ann Peltier-Davis
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573874274, $49.50, www.infotoday.com

Although books are still the main focus of many librarians, the internet's presence is more valuable than ever. "The Cybrarian's Web: An A-Z Guide to 101 Free Web 2.0 Tools and Other Resources" discusses the many ins and outs of pursuing a more complete understanding of the advances in internet technology and how it can help librarians make their libraries important community centers. From working with the community, creating events, producing media, and much more, "Cheryl Ann Peltier-Davis grants a comprehensive discussion of how a librarian can use internet and technology to the fullest. "The Cybrarian's Web" is a strongly recommended pick for library science collections.

Curriculum Materials Collections and Centers
Rita Kohrman
ACRL
c/o ALA Editions
50 East Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
9780838986028, $48.00, www.alastore.ala.org

There is much to teach, and being able to easily access it is a godsend for teachers. "Curriculum Material Collections and Centers: Legacies from the Past, Visions of the Future" is a guide for educational administrators and librarians on the more efficient ways to manage this often overwhelming collection of information. Taking a historical perspective on how such assortments were managed in the past, the lessons learned from them, and how the future of technology is only bringing greater efficiency if it is more wisely managed. "Curriculum Material Collections and Centers" is a strong addition to any academic library collection that is catering to teachers at any level of education.

Mostly Manga
Elizabeth F. S. Kalen
Libraries Unlimited
c/o ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911
Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
9781598849387, $55.00, www.abc-clio.com

Manga has taken much of the American imagination by storm. "Mostly Manga: A Genre Guide to Popular Manga, Manhwa, Manhua, and Anime" is a librarian's guide to this medium that has taken a recent surge in popularity, in the form of graphic novels and comics. An introductory to the genre and how it can fit in with standard library collections, Elizabeth F. S. Kalen brings an expert opinion on how best to manage manga in the modern library, including outlining important titles. "Mostly Manga" is an excellent reference for any librarian who has the manga requests piling up.

Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings
Vanda Broughton
Neal-Schuman Publishers
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038-4512
9781555706401, $64.95, www.neal-schuman.com

A standard of information allows for greater ease of use on many levels. "Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings" is a comprehensive guide for librarians on understanding the system used by the libraries of Congress, its methods and how to implement them to one's own systems. The Library of Congress Subject Headings, or LCSH, focuses on broad subjects and terms, and allows for a thesaurus like-index that allows users to find related topics and articles. A complete and comprehensive breakdown of the Library of Congress's methods this major classification tool offers an excellent standard for all other libraries to follow. Enhanced by indexes and glossaries and other appendixes, "Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings" is an excellent reference addition to any library science collection.


The Mathematics Shelf

The Xs and Whys of Algebra
Anne Collins & Linda Dacey
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B
Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571108579, $16.00, www.stenhouse.com

It takes a long path to master algebra. "The Xs and Whys of Algebra: Key Ideas and Common Misconceptions" is a guide for both students and teachers on how to better understand this common and dreaded subject in mathematics, for students trying to understand and for teachers trying to teach. Anne Collins & Linda Dacey use their expertise with the topic at hand to elaborate for better understanding on all fronts for grades 7 to 9. With plenty of sample exercises, "The Xs and Whys of Algebra" is a vital addition to any community library collection dedicated to teacher's resources.


The Business Shelf

The Big Book of HR
Barbara Mitchell & Cornelia Gamlem
Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631893, $19.99, www.careerpress.com

A business can't succeed without good and happy employees. "The Big Book of HR" is a guide to the ins and outs of the modern Human Resources and how to create a human resources department that will create opportunities for success for one's business. Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem encourage readers to take note of their star employees, and states that these employees are what businesses need to keep and seek to inspire others as role models. "The Big Book of HR" is a comprehensive and much needed read for any business needing to find superstar employees and keep them happy.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Great Seal Limitless Space & Joy
Lama Ole Nydahl
Firewheel Publishing
c/o Blue Dolphin Publishing (distribution)
PO Box 8
Nevada City, CA 95959-0008
9780975295403 $17.95 www.bluedolphinpublishing.com

Author Lama Ole Nydahl has worked to spread the teachings of Diamond Way Buddhism (also known as the Mahamudra view) worldwide for thirty years, offering guidance to over six hundred meditation centers under the authority of the 17th Karmapa, Thaye Dorje. In The Great Seal Limitless Space & Joy: The Mahamudra View of Diamond Way Buddhism, Nydahl offers a modern commentary to a timeless Buddhist text about the true nature of the mind, rendering these ancient teachings accessible to readers of all faiths and backgrounds. The text that Nydahl analyzes is itself very brief - short sets of verses (presented in both the script of their original language and in English translation), with each set followed by Nydahl's thoughtful and extensive discourse. "'Train in the Buddhas' pure lands' does not mean planting some nice flowers for all to enjoy. Above all else, it means giving people a chance to change their values and their consciousness. Old age, sickness, death, and loss will not go away while bodies and worlds exist; but anyone can shift their awareness from what is transitory and changing to that which has intrinsic and timeless value." "The Great Seal" is an excellent and accessible addition to any private or public library Buddhist Studies collection, and is highly recommended.

Solid Ground
Sylvia Boorstein
Parallax Press
PO Box 7355
Berkeley, CA 94707
9781935209812, $12.95, www.parallax.org

Buddhist wisdom is not for only Buddhists. "Solid Ground: Buddhist Wisdom for Difficult Times" is a collection of simple wisdom aimed at those who may be having their own struggles in today's world and the pressures that come with it. Drawing on the writings on suffering and offering spiritual and perhaps religious answers, "Solid Ground" is a powerful read for Buddhist study collections with wisdom that goes across faiths.


The Poetry Shelf

The Uncertainty Principle
Mark Kraushaar
The Waywiser Press
PO Box 6205, Baltimore, MD 21206
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc. (distribution)
PO Box 7
Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781904130505 $16.95 http://waywiser-press.com www.dufoureditions.com

Mark Kraushaar, winner of the 2010 Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize, presents The Uncertainty Principle, an anthology of free-verse poems about searching for meaning in a complicated and difficult world. An informal, down-to-earth tone permeates the verses, which have a raw, inner conviction that will resonate with readers of all backgrounds. Highly recommended. "Icarus": At first I felt bad because / I didn't feel worse. / But then I felt bad. / I should never have married, / she should never have left. / But it's everything. / I think it's mostly the quiet though / which is strange since that's what I needed / so much of.

4:56
Carlos Fuentes Lemus
Dalkey Archive Press
University of Illinois
1805 S. Wright Street, MC-011
Champaign, IL 61820
9781564786791, $12.95, www.dalkeyarchive.com

The shoes of a parent are difficult to fill, and few authors rise to meet it well. "4:56" is a collection of poetry from Carlos Fuentes Lemus, son of famed Panamanian writer Carlos Fuentes. Although dying young, his life's work in that short time shows a thoughtful collection of life under a famed writer of a father. "4:56" is a strong pick for international poetry collections, highly recommended. "Son of Speranza": At his feet of silver black/Or the pillar of pink, elevating joy/He charms the blossoming lilies at night/Collects suspicious wolves at dawn/aesthetic Orpheus, he charms, charms;/Delicate, hating and shocked alike.//A musical voice in a soft Hercules/He dreams of a flower, a flower of sun/Caressed by silken, lavender hands.


The International Studies Shelf

China Experiments
Ann Florini, Hairong Lai, and Yeling Tan
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-2188
9780815722007, $29.95, www.brookings.edu

China has been surging to prominence in recent years, and the reasons behind it have captivated students of economics and society. "China Experiments: From Local Innovations to National Reform" discusses the recent evolutions of China as an economy and nation in the past few decades. Looking at its recent history, the place of its society, and its future, "China Experiments" is a scholarly break down of China's methods and what it means to the world as a whole as well as its own future.


The Parenting Shelf

Connecting with Kids Through Stories, second edition
Denise B. Lacher, Todd Nichols, Melissa Nichols, and Joanne C. May
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849058698, $24.95, www.jkp.com

Stories are the currency of life. "Connecting with Kids Through Stories: Using Narratives to Facilitate Attachment in Adopted Children" discusses the importance of stories in forming bonds with adopted children, to children who may not have had the easiest life coming into a caring parents care. Stories can help them understand where they have come from and where they are going, and the authors provide an intriguing and much needed advisory for adoptive parents who want to give their new children the bonds they need to live their lives well. "Connecting with Kids Through Stories" is a strong pick for parenting collections, especially those with a focus on adoption.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Projections
Jared Gardner
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804771474, $24.95, www.sup.org

Comic strips and graphic novels arrived at a new level of literary sophistication and academia awareness with the 1992 Pulitzer Prize being awarded to Art Spiegelman for "Maus". Now this form of graphic storytelling is an integral and universal segment of the literary world. "Projections: Comics and the History of Twenty-First-Century Storytelling" by Jared Gardner (Associate Professor of English and Film, Ohio State University) is an informed and informative exploration and analysis of the history of comics and graphic novels within the context of an expanding interactive media that has melded 19th century comic strips into a 21st century literary and storytelling art form that it is today. A seminal work of superlative scholarship, "Projections: Comics and the History of Twenty-First-Century Storytelling" is also a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in the graphic novel, its origins, and its continuing evolution as a literary art form. Organized into six major chapters presented in chronological order (Fragments of Modernity1889-1920; Serial Pleasures 1907-1938; Fan-Addicts and the Comic Book 1938-1955; Archives and collectors 1990-2010; Coda: Comics, Film, and the Future of Twenty-First Century Storytelling), "Projections" is a unique and seminal contribution to personal, professional, and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Imagination and Meaning in Calvin and Hobbes
Jamey Heit
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9780786463541, $40.00, www.amazon.com

I have the honor of owning a complete collection of 'Calvin & Hobbes' books that were the published collections of the popular comic strip showcasing the imaginative adventures of a small boy and his 'toy' tiger. The creation of cartoonist Bill Watterson running from 1985 to 1995, 'Calvin & Hobbes' became one of the most popular comic strips of its time. Of particular and unique note was Watterson's refusal to exploit his comic characters in usual merchandising tie-ins so common with other successful cartoon characters. The 'Calvin & Hobbes' strip was more than just a funny cartoon series, that little boy and his tiger companion made observational comments on all manner of philosophical issues and seemingly life-experience paradoxes giving it a consistent intellectual heft that Watterson's contemporaries rarely achieved. That's why "Imagination and Meaning in Calvin and Hobbes", a 220-page compendium of commentary and insights on the work of Bill Watterson in his 'Calvin & Hobbes' series is such pleasure for we dedicated fans of the now long out-of-print series. Thought and thought-provoking, "Imagination and Meaning in Calvin and Hobbes" will prove to be a popular addition to any community or academic library collection, and is especially recommended for the personal reading lists of any and all 'Calvin & Hobbes' fans.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Adventures Of Brigadier Gerard
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
NA0025, $41.98, www.amazon.com

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best know for his Sherlock Holmes stories. But he is also the creator of Etienne Gerard, a calvary officer in the armies of Napoleon. "The Adventures Of Brigadier Gerard" is a collection of colorful (and often humorous) stories of Gerard's missions during the Napoleonic Wars ranging from Spain and Italy to England and Russia. "The Adventures Of Brigadier Gerard" are deftly and dramatically narrated by Rupert Degas who does the storytelling talents of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle full and complete justice. "The Adventures Of Brigadier Gerard" is a complete, unabridged, 6 CD, technically flawless audio production with a total running time of 6 hours and 53 minutes. The result is pure entertainment and the highest possible recommendation for personal and community library audio book collections.

Swann's Way
Marcel Proust, author
Neville Jason, narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28
Franklin, TN 37064
9781843796060 $98.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Swann's Way is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of the first installment of an epic literary classic, "Remembrance of Things Past"; the entire seven-volume series is projected to run for 140 hours. Swann's Way begins with an awakening of the narrator's memories, brought on by the taste of a little madeleine cake with lime-flavored tea, and progresses to an exquisite rendition of life in France at the close of the 1800's. A beautiful, atmospheric, and nostalgic work, Swann's Way is highly recommended for literary connoisseurs and public library audiobook collections. 17 CDs, 21 hours 34 min.


The Library DVD Shelf

The Brief: Complete Collection
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287431 $59.99 www.acornonline.com

The Brief: Complete Collection gathers all eight episodes of a British criminal law drama trimmed with a razor-edged sardonic wit. Actor Alan Davies (known for his performance in "Jonathan Creek") brings to life the character of barrister Henry Farmer, an adulterous gambling addict who is nevertheless the last, best hope of innocent people struggling to avoid jail. Farmer's father is liberally harsh with words; his son is distant and distrustful; and his current lover happens to be the wife of a powerful politician! Beset at every turn by the threats of exposure, financial ruin, and disintegrating family life, does Farmer have a prayer of earning a reprieve for himself, let alone his clients? The Brief: Complete Collection is sure to prove a choice pick for public library collections as well as the movie shelves of legal drama aficionados. 8 episodes on 4 DVDs, 559 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Out
Starring Tom Bell
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
9781598287486 $39.99 www.acornonline.com

Set in the 1970's, Out is a stark British crime drama - from the criminal's point of view! Having served eight years in prison after the fallout of a catastrophic bank heist, newly released gangster Frank Ross searches with a vengeance for the snitch who ratted him out. Intelligent, savvy, streetwise, and brutally ruthless, Ross must evade the machinations of both a murderous crime boss and a dogged detective to achieve the revenge he craves. BAFTA nominee Tom Bell brings to life the mentally scarred lead character of gritty, miserable, crime-ridden world, in this gripping complete collection, highly recommended especially for British drama enthusiasts. Bonus material includes episode commentaries on the first and final episodes by the writer, director, and producer. 6 episodes on 2 DVDs, 302 min., full screen, SDH subtitles.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Green National Accounting And Sustainability
Krl-Gustaf Lofgren & Chuan-Zhong Li
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court. Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781848446915, $415.00, www.e-elgar.com

The newest addition to the outstanding Edward Elgar Publishing's 'The International Library of Critical Writings in Economics Series', and the collaborative editorial work of academicians and economists Krl-Gustaf Lofgren and Chuan-Zhong Li, "Green National Accounting And Sustainability" is a 768-page compendium featuring informed and informative articles by leading researchers and experts in the field of economics. Organized into three major sections (General Growth and Accounting; Growth and the Environment including Natural Resources; Natural Resources and Environmental Accounting), featuring twelve papers in each section, " "Green National Accounting And Sustainability" is enhanced with occasional grafs, footnotes, formulas, and reference lists. Altogether " "Green National Accounting And Sustainability" is an impressive body of work and the result of painstaking, peer reviewed research making it a mandatory and core addition to professional and academic library Economics reference collections and supplemental economics curriculum reading lists.

Sustaining China's Economic Growth
Nicholas R. Lardy
Peterson Institute for Institutional Economics
1750 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
9780881326260, $21.95, www.piie.com

With the control of communism and the drive of capitalism, China has flourished when the rest of the world has been struggling. "Sustaining China's Economic Growth: After the Global Financial Crisis" is an analysis of China's economic processes in recent years, to gain a more complete understanding of their continued financial success. Studying their policies in response to international financial issues, political concerns, and how this all relates to the American financial troubles and much more, "Sustaining China's Economic Growth" is a strongly recommended addition to any economic studies and international issues collection.

Financing Failure
Vern McKinley
The Independent Institute
100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1428
9781598130492, $19.95, www.independent.org

Many Americans don't even understand what many financial institutions do, let alone why they needed bailing out. "Financing Failure: A Century of Bailouts" discusses the financial institutional debates surrounding the bailouts at the end of the 2000s decade. Vern McKinley seeks to elaborate on the issues and grant readers a better understanding of the purposes of these companies and why a bailout was rushed to save them. "Financing Failure" is a strongly recommended pick for those who want a more comprehensive understanding of these tricky economic issues.


The Automotive Shelf

The U. S. Motor Vehicle Reference Book
Michael L. Sankey
BRB Publications
PO Box 27869, Tempe, AZ 85285
9781879792999, $14.95, www.brbpub.com

Every state handles its motor vehicle laws differently, and it can be quite confusing at times. "The U.S. Motor Vehicle Reference Book" is a guide compiled by Michael L. Sankey and Facts on Demand press as they grant a complete and comprehensive reference guide to the laws and regulations for every state of the union, up to date to 2012. For anyone or any business which must deal with many different states' laws, "The U.S. Motor Vehicle Reference Book" is very much worth considering.


The Agriculture Shelf

Environmental Safety of Genetically Engineered Crops
Rebecca Grumet, James F. Hancock, Karim M. Maredia, and Cholani Weebadde, editors
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611860085 $49.95 www.msupress.msu.edu

Environmental Safety of Genetically Engineered Crops is an anthology of scholarly essays by expert authors discussing modern agricultural issues with regard to genetically engineered crops. Individual writings include "Pests Resistant to Pesticides and Genetically Modified Crop Plants: Theory and Management", "Capacity Building in Biosafety", "Environmental Issues Associated with Agricultural Production Systems", "Control and Monitoring Gene Flow from Genetically Engineered Crops", and much more. A heavily researched, cutting-edge compendium of the latest findings, theories, and prospective solutions for difficult problems, Environmental Safety of Genetically Engineered Crops is an absolute "must-have" for college library agricultural and environmental studies shelves.

The Chicken Encyclopedia
Gail Damerow
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603425612, $19.95, www.storey.com

Chickens are a very useful livestock animal, but one needs more than a chicken brain to fully understand them."The Chicken Encyclopedia: An Illustrated Reference" is a complete and comprehensive informational guide from Gail Damerow as she tells readers how to fully understand the chicken and maximize the health of the chicken so one can have excellent poultry and egg results. "The Chicken Encyclopedia" is presented with full color illustrations and should not be overlooked by anyone who deals with chickens on a regular basis.


The Native American Shelf

Iroquois Art, Power, and History
Neal B. Keating
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806138909, $55.00, www.oupress.com

"Iroquois Art, Power, and History" is a stunning new unveiling of adjusted interpretations of 5,000 years of Iroquois or Haudenosaunee peoples' legacy of visual art forms, including writing, incising, painting, tree-painting, drawing, tattoo, body painting, photography, videography and digital media, as well as other art media. Previously dismissed or devalued by ignorant Western European art critics, Iroquois art works and forms are examined through the perspectives of both ethnohistory and anthropology and contemporary activism. More than 100 color and black-and-white pages of reproductions of Iroquois art fill this volume, illustrating Keating's central thesis that with regard to the art history of the Haudenosaunee peoples, "the relationship between art and power concerns social memory and its control (p. 301)." He further describes his goal to "visually decolonize the history of Haudenosaunee peoples through a focus on the social relations that are manifest in visual expressions (p.302)." That this is a valuable undertaking in the present moment when North American indigenous peoples art history is only beginning to be studied seriously is paramount. One might wonder why it has taken so long for the slumbering Western mind, pre-convinced of its innate superiority and inevitable domination, to begin to awaken. Brilliant analyses and perspectives of study of Iroquois uses of visual expression to preserve and convey cultural information, history, and ethnic identity through fluctuating tides and times reveal a "powerful resource that in the twenty-first century continues to remain viable and available to those who care to see it (p. 302)." A true visual index, "Iroquois Art, Power, and History" contains both a wealth of visual art reproductions plus interpretations and also extensive appendices of documentation of Haudenosaunee artists' work in the late twentieth century from the Iroquois Art Projects 1 and 2, also including a list of artists with both English and Haudenosaunee names, nation, year of birth, and community. Basically, "Iroquois Art, Power, and History" is a step towards reaffirming the miraculous contributions and cultural identity of a vast collection of indigenous peoples long skilled in the creation of artistic images of power.

Telling Stories in the Face of Danger
Paul V. Kroskrity, editor
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142272, $24.95, www.oupress.com

"Telling Stories in the Face of Danger: Language Renewal in Native American Communities" is a collection of essays on North American tribal stories as case studies showing how storytelling in the original indigenous language preserves and bestows a precious cultural legacy to modern descendants of First Americans and others as well. Included are ten chapter essays covering storytelling traditions and stories from Kiowa, Southern Paiute, Hupa and other Northwestern California tribal groups, Kumiai of Baja, California, White Mountain Apache, Arizona Tewa, the Maliseet of New Brunswick, Canada, and the Navajo of Southwestern United States. Featuring the significance of language renewal programs and efforts in Native American languages, the essays of "Telling Stories in the Face of Danger" point out that teaching, preserving, and renewing indigenous narrative traditions is crucial to cultural, social and individual identity construction and moral development and healing, especially in children. Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo novelist) writes about stories: "They aren't just entertainment. They are all we have...to fight off illness and death. You don't have anything if you don't have the stories ("Ceremony"). Although there are many pressures antithetical to preservation efforts from within and without the indigenous communities whose languages and traditional stories are endangered, "Telling Stories in the Face of Danger" offers a spectrum of ethnographic research to support the need for language endangerment restoration and education. Additional modern cultural education efforts such as the Navajo poetry are also studied in this multi-dimensional study of indigenous language renewal and storytelling traditions.

For King and Kanata
Timothy C. Winegard
University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John's College
Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M5
9780887557286, $28.95, www.uofmpress.ca

No matter who claimed to own it, the land was still theirs and was to be defended. "For King and Kanata: Canadian Indians and the First World War" discusses the First Nations individuals who rose to Canada's call to arms in the first world war. Although Canada initially rejected the volunteers of the First Nations for racist reasons, the need for manpower soon won out, creating a unique chapter in the First Nations of Canada's history. A unique story of racism, valor, and the advancement of minorities, "For King and Kanata" is a strongly recommended read for any assortment focusing on the First Nations or Canadian military history.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Supernatural series
The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
29 East 21st Street
New York, NY 10010
$39.95 each www.rosenpublishing.com

Featuring black-and-white vintage and full-color modern photography throughout, "The Supernatural" series explores metaphysical and even fantastic topics in great depth; each volume is roughly 250 pages including a glossary, index, and "for further reading" list. Accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds, The Supernatural covers the history behind unexplained phenomena as well as theories and speculation. An excellent, comprehensive set, The Supernatural is highly recommended for any reader curious about matters that lie beyond the natural realm. The volumes are "Bizarre Phenomena and Unexplained Mysteries" by Nancy Carr and Peter Henshaw (9781448859849); "Vampire Legends and Myths" by Roxanne Hellman and Derek Hall (9781448859863); "Supernatural Signs, Symbols, and Codes" by Arlene Billings and Beryl Dhanjal (9781448859870); and "Famous Ghosts and Haunted Places" by Gordon Lynch, Diane Canwell, and Jonathon Sutherland (9781448859856).


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Librarian's Guide To Micropublishing
Walt Crawford
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
www.infotoday.com
9781573874304, $49.50, www.amazon.com

A 'micro publisher' is any publisher or self-published author that produces books in a 'print on demand' format thus avoiding the necessity and expense of book storage while awaiting sales. The numbers of authors utilizing publish-on-demand (POD) companies to turn their manuscript into a saleable book is steadily growing and has seen dozens of POD companies arise to service this demand. But there are a great many pitfalls for an author taking this route to see their literary efforts become published and available to the reading public. That's why, although directed primarily to community librarians seeking to assist their patrons on in this area, "The Librarian's Guide to Micropublishing: Helping Patrons and Communities Use Free and Low-cost Publishing Tools to Tell Their Stories" will prove to be an invaluable, comprehensive, superbly presented, and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide for anyone seeking to utilize MS Word to design and edit a manuscript to take advantage of such POD resources as Lulu, CreateSpace, AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford, Tate, Xlibris, or any of the other dozens of publishing resources.

Video Game Writing
Maurice Suckling and Mark Walton
Mercury Learning
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166
9781936420155 $41.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com

Video Game Writing From Macro to Micro is a user-friendly, in-depth discussion of video game writing from historical, practical, legal, creative, and game integration perspectives. Chapters cover what is expected of the writing in games of various genres, the basics of Non-Disclosure Agreements and contracts that often go hand in hand with a video game writing job, how a video game writer must collaborate with other members of the team, principles of narrative design, outlines, character documents, environmental storytelling, types of scripts, and much more. Exercises at the end of every chapter (such as "Using a format of your choosing, diagrammatically represent the plot of any two stories you like. One of them should originate from a game.") help the reader get a hands-on understanding of the craft of writing for games. Video Game Writing is a "must-have" instructional resource for any writer seeking to break into the game industry, and is highly recommended for self-study as well as for technical college reference libraries.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Canadian Television
Marian Bredin, Scott Henderson, and Sarah A. Matheson, editors
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554583614, $39.95, wlupress.wlu.ca

Art reflects life, and modern television has proven to be an intriguing method of study. "Canadian Television: Text and Context" is a study of Canadian television and its impact on culture, and how it reflects the cultural, social, and economic problems that modern Canada is facing. Many writers and scholars come together and expand on the current state of television, CBC and its place in public broadcasting. "Canadian Television: Text and Context" is a strongly recommended pick for an intriguing analysis of modern Canadian culture, very much recommended for cultural and television studies collections.


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


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