Return to home
page Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
Home / California Bookwatch

California Bookwatch

Volume 8, Number 2 February 2013 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Cookbook Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Science Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Psychology Shelf Travel Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Political Science Shelf Education Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Parenting Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Language Studies Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Fashion Shelf Art Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Computer Shelf Dance Shelf
American History Shelf World History Shelf International Studies Shelf
Aviation Shelf Business Shelf Biography Shelf
Crafts Shelf Woodworking Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Military Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Sports Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Music Shelf Photography Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Gardening Shelf Homeowner's Shelf
Railroading Shelf California Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Deaf-Blind Reality: Living the Life
Scott M. Stoffel, Editor
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002-3695
9781563685354, $49.95, www.gupress/gallaudet.edu

Deaf-Blind Reality: Living the Life offers a more complete exploration of what life is like for people with a combination of vision and hearing loss, gathering the results of interviews with twelve deaf-blind individuals, including himself, who live around the world. Each offers a description of their daily lives, family reactions and support, experiences in school and throughout life, and discuss their education and relationships, offering candid assessments of challenges and keys to successful living alike. It's especially notable as a solid addition to the literature because competing titles often focus on singular achievements, not the overall bigger picture of living in a different world. Any holding concerned with deaf-blind social issues needs this!

The Real Story of Risk
Glenn Croston
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616146603, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Real Story of Risk: Adventures in a Hazardous World traces our perception of risk back to ancient ancestors who survived life-and-death threats on a daily basis from everything from wild animals and starvation to disease. From how statistics affect our perception of danger in comparison to a good story to how our brains are ill-equipped to handle modern perceptions of risk and danger, this pairs discussions of health, safety, and the environment with how daily life changes our ideas of threats and how to handle them. Any general collection will find this intriguing.

Grand Central: Gateway to a Million Lives
John Belle and Maxinne R. Leighton
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393084566, $50.00, www.wwnorton.com

Grand Central: Gateway to a Million Lives reissues the photographic tribute to help celebrate the building's one hundredth anniversary, and offers a fine blend of modern color photos and a history of the building, which charts the struggle to save it as economics and real estate forces worked to destroy it. A history of the two previous stations on the site accompanies firsthand accounts of the build's construction and fun facts about its evolution, considering its themes, rebirth, and promotion over the years. The result's an outstanding survey recommended for a range of holdings, from those strong in architectural history to those interested in a specific review of Grand Central Station's importance in American history and culture.


The Cookbook Shelf

Happy Herbivore Abroad
Lindsay S. Nixon
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781937856045, $19.95, www.benbellabooks.com

HAPPY HERBIVORE ABROAD: A TRAVELOGUE & OVER 135 FAT-FREE & LOW-FAT VEGAN RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORLD provides a fine gathering of recipes, kitchen tips and plant-based inspirations that stems from the author's popular blog turned into a cookbook series. Her third cookbook packs in over a hundred easy vegan recipes from around the world and reflects her international travels. Full-page color photos pack a survey that includes a travelogue and vegan recipes from around the world made with everyday ingredients, making this a top pick for any vegan cook's collection.

Paleo Desserts
Jane Barthelemy
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738216430, $18.99, www.dacapopress.com

Paleo Desserts: 125 Delicious Everyday Favorites Gluten- and Grain-Free offers a fine focus on the Paleo diet and packs in over a hundred recipes that focus on unprocessed sugars, many of which are either vegan or raw. Recipes by diet, an index of special ingredients and where to buy them, and desserts from international influences are provided in an appealing cookbook that includes a few color photos with a wide range of Paleo-based dessert options for those following the diet, making for a fine pick for any cookbook collection.

Gelato
Adriano di Petrillo
Ryland Peters & Small
519 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10012
9781849752497, $19.95, www.rylandpeters.com

GELATO: SIMPLE RECIPES FOR AUTHENTIC ITALIAN GELATO TO MAKE AT HOME offers all-natural recipes for gelato-style ice cream which is simple to make at home, and offers a range of flavors beginning with the usual vanilla and evolving to Extra Dark Chocolate and Cookies and Cream Gelato. Also included are sorbets, granitas, and other different consistency relatives of gelato, offering inspirations that rely only on fresh ingredients and a gelato or ice-cream maker machine. Color photos throughout make GELATO an attractive winner.

Crust
Richard Bertinet
Kyle Books
67 - 69 Whitfield Street, London W1T 4HF
9781906868819, $22.95, www.kylebooks.com

CRUST: FROM SOURDOUGH, SPELT, AND RYE BREAD TO CIABATTA, BAGELS AND BRIOCHE pairs lovely color photos with clear text describing the basics of making special loaves of bread using a sourdough method that can turn out all different kinds of bread. From bagels to pretzels and rye bread to brioche, this teaches the author's special techniques and pairs the book's recipes with color photo and a DVD teaching these basics. The result is a fine bread-baking cookbook suitable for any general baking collection!

Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking
Gianaclis Caldwell
Chelsea Green Publishing
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603583329, $40.00, www.chelseagreen.com

Home hobbyists and any serious about commercial artisans will find MASTERING ARTISAN CHEESEMAKING the ultimate key to moving from very basic ideas to creating masterpiece cheeses. Recipe-based cheese-making books alone often fail to cover the science and art of small-scale cheese making for all skill levels: this book packs in some thirty basic recipes with profiles of cheesemakers from around the world, information on home-scale equipment and cheese aging, and more. The result is a powerful recommendation that goes far beyond recipes alone to delve into the art and science of cheesemaking.

Hiroko's American Kitchen
Hiroko Shimbo
Andrews McMeel
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449409784, $24.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Hiroko's American Kitchen: Cooking with Japanese Flavors covers six easy sauces, over a hundred modern recipes, and keys to blending Japanese flavors into American kitchens, and goes beyond your usual Japanese cookbook approach. It eliminates hard to find, exotic Japanese ingredients in favor of a few easily available key Japanese staples that can be located in any grocery, it provides six simple homemade Japanese-style sauces and stocks which can be prepared in advance, and it tells how to use this foundation to put together over a hundred recipes in the book. It extends Japanese approaches to American tables in an excellent recommendation for any cookbook collection looking for an entirely different approach to Japanese cuisine.

Preserving Wild Foods
Matthew Weingarten and Raquel Pelzel
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603427272, $19.95, www.storey.com

Preserving Wild Foods offers recipes for curing, canning, smoking and pickling a wide range of wild and foraged foods, from mushrooms and modern maraschino cherries to a black walnut chutney and using wild persimmons to make a Wild Persimmon and Ginger Jam. At first glance one might expect this to be of sole interest to foragers alone; but many of the basic ingredients can also be located in farmer's markets, and the focus on unusual combinations of spices, fruits and meats in the preserving process sets this apart from any other preserving book. Any interested in preserving meats, fruits and vegetables with new flavor combinations will find this photo-filled coverage intriguing, lively and different.

Small Plates and Sweet Treats
Aran Goyoaga
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780316187459, $29.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

SMALL PLATES AND SWEET TREATS: MY FAMILY'S JOURNEY TO GLUTEN-FREE COOKING comes from a finalist for the James Beard Award in individual food blogs and provides the author's first book providing new recipes for gluten-free eating and cooking. Some are inspired by her childhood in Basque Spain, others stem from her training as a professional pastry chef. All provide a wide range of dishes, from main courses to desserts - and the latter are all gluten-free for added attraction. Photos pack discussions that will appeal to a wide audience of cooks seeking new inspirations.

The Food52 Cookbook: Volume 2
Amana Hesser and Merrill Stubbs
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780061887291, $30.00, www.harpercollins.com

The Food52 Cookbook V. 2: Seasonal Recipes from Our Kitchens to Yours comes from the founders of the online collaborative cooking community and packs in new season recipes compiled from the Food52.com website. Food52 is interested in only the best recipes from home cooks and has evolved into an online community: this book is arranged by season to reflect the site's seasonal, themed recipe contests and packs in over a hundred recipes from a single year gathered from cooks around the world. The result is an appealing and vivid collection of winners, perfect for any cookbook holding.

A Book for Cooks
Leslie Geddes-Brown
Merrell Publishers
38 High Avenue, 4th floor, Nyack, NY 10960
9781858945798, $50.00, www.merrellpublishers.com

Food writer and bibliophile Leslie Geddes-Brown here packs in a survey of some one hundred of the world's most influential and appealing cookbooks from the 1600s to modern times, considering writings by James Beard, Elizabeth David, Fannie Farmer, and more, and covering cuisines from around the world. This latter focus makes for a far more comprehensive guide than most, with entries including not only commentary about the book and its role in the culinary world, but providing color photos of its cover, interior, and including comments by noted chefs. As a history of cook books, it's a solid winner!

It's Not You, It's Brie
Kristin Jackson
Berkeley Publishing
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780399537660, $19.00, www.penguin.com

It's Not You, It's Brie: Unwrapping America's Unique Culture of Cheese pairs recipes, fun black and white illustrations by Summer Pierre, and provides details on over fifty artisanal American cheeses, where they're being made, and how. From different styles and generations of cheese makers to pop culture involved in cheese tastes and production, this is a fun and intriguing collection perfect for any interested in a history of artisan cheese production and its evolving culture and culinary interests.

Creamy & Crunchy
Jon Krampner
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231162326, $27.95, www.cup.columbia.edu

CREAMY & CRUNCHY: AN INFORMAL HISTORY OF PEANUT BUTTER, THE ALL-AMERICAN FOOD provides a lively and fun history that features the company histories of Jif, Skippy, and Peter Pan, the plight of black peanut farmers, and changing trends in the peanut butter industry which have affected American tastes for an perceptions of peanut butter. From how the modern product differs from its original to how peanut butter is fighting Third World starvation, this is a fun survey recommended for culinary and general-interest holdings alike!

Pure Vanilla
Shauna Sever
Quirk Books
215 Church Street Philadelphia PA 19106
9781594745966, $22.95, www.quirkbooks.com

PURE VANILLA: IRRESISTIBLE RECIPES AND ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES packs in nearly a hundred recipes with dozens of color photos for desserts and is a pick for any cook who would explore both the history and dessert uses of vanilla. How-to directions show how to make homemade vanilla extract, sugar, and vanilla-infused liqueurs, while recipes for jams, candies, cakes, and more assure a wide range of vanilla applications. Cooks will find this an appealing survey!

The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook
Michelle Costello
HCI Books
c/o Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757316333, $18.95, www.hcibooks.com

The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook: 125+ Plant-Based Vegan Recipes for a Fit, Happy, Healthy You comes from a creator and celebrity chef who shares her collection of over a hundred recipes for any following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. She's personal chef to celebrity fitness guru Tony Horton and in the course of keeping him and her other clients happy, her approaches to food have evolved to offer a wide range of dairy- and animal-free appetizers, breakfasts, dinners and more. From Koren-Style Tempeh Tacos with Red Dijon Sauce to Strawberry CrŠme Mousse with Pistachio Nut Topping, this is packed with gourmet formulas for vegan success.

Artisan Beer
Gary Monterosso
Burford Books
101 East State Street, #301, Ithaca, NY 14850
9781580801683, $16.95, www.burfordbooks.com

ARTISAN BEER: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO SAVORING THE WORLD'S FINEST BEERS offers a fine survey of beer, from different styles to pairing beer with food, trying new kinds of beers, and visiting brewpubs and microbreweries. It's a fine survey of beer differences and covers everything of how to assemble a case of beers demonstrating their differences to visiting a beer festival and storing beers for aging. Any interested in beers and their flavors - especially relative newcomers - will find this a fine introduction.


The Audiobook Shelf

Dear Life
Alice Munro
Random House Audio
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307939364, $40.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

DEAR LIFE: STORIES is narrated by Kimberly Farr and Arthur Morey and features an unabridged production of short stories that take place in Munroe's native Canada, where small towns and small town characters provide fine settings for stories of her own childhood and encounters. A fine collection of details emphasizes how life can change in an instance through chance and fate, each contributing to a powerful set of insights perfect for literary readers and those interested in moving vignettes of real world struggles. Audio holdings appealing to literary listeners will find this a fine addition.

Both Flesh and Not
David Foster Wallace
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9781619692633, $29.98, www.hachetteaudio.com

Both Flesh and Not receives a fine dual narration by Robert Petkoff and Katherine Kellgren, both of whom have extensive audio and acting credits to their name. This gathers some fifteen of Wallace's essays for the first time, adding selections from his personal vocabulary list that reflect his love of language and directing his critical attention to others working in fiction and essay writing. Any literary-minded audiobook collection will find this a winner.

Black Mask Stories 3: The Maltese Falcon
Highbridge Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
9781611744644, $29.95, www.highbridgeaudio.com

Black Mask Stories 3: The Maltese Falcon offers three short crime fiction stories narrated by different readers and written by different authors for Black Mask, a magazine specializing in hardboiled detective stories. From Dashiell Hammett's 'The Maltese Falcon' narrated by Jeff Gurner to Frederic Brown's 'Cry Silence' read by Oliver Wyman, this brings the classic pulps to life with powerful narrations in a gripping style reminiscent of old-style radio dramas. It joins others in the Black Mask Stories series in providing a gripping narrative perfect for any fan of audio crime fiction.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Porcupines: The Animal Answer Guide
Uldis Roze
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421407364, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

PORCUPINES: THE ANIMAL ANSWER GUIDE is a recommendation for any science collection strong in natural history and provides another addition to the Animal Answer Guide series teaching about them. There are 26 species of porcupines in the world: this provides solid science in porcupine biology to discuss their ecology, behavior, and relationships around the world and makes for a fine survey recommended for any serious natural history holding.

The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michigan
J. Alan Holman
Wayne State University Press
4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309
9780814332399, $50.00, www.wsupress.wayne.edu

The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michigan provides a specific specialty reference for any collection interested in the animals of Michigan, and is the only volume available - making it an exceptional reference for this audience. College-level readers will appreciate an exploration of the state's fifty-four species of amphibians and reptiles, offering natural history and a review of geologic history affecting the state's evolution as a prime amphibian and reptile habitat. Species accounts cover all species, their distribution, and their interactions with humans, making this a top pick for any serious natural history holding concerned with Michigan-specific regions.

Clinical Companion Small Animal Dentistry, second edition
Heidi B. Lobprise, Editor
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780470959961, $99.99, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

The second updated edition of Clinical Companion Small Animal Dentistry provides the latest information on small animal dentistry in an updated revised edition packing in more color images, updates reflecting the latest research and clinical best practices, and detailed revisions to diagnostics techniques and more. New topics include exotic pets and provide all the basics and key features for diagnosing and treating dental disease in animals, making for an outstanding survey highly recommended for any clinical veterinary practice and for students of veterinary science.

The, $60,000 Dog
Lauren Slater
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108-2892
9780807001875, $24.95, www.beacon.org

The, $60,000 Dog: My Life With Animals addresses the moral questions raised from her relationship with animals - dogs, in particular. What does it mean if her affection for her dogs is as deep as that for her family and children? Does that indicate mental illness or suggest a more flexible ideal of love that extends beyond human priority? These and other controversial essays were sparked by her life with animals and in particular by vet bills that forced her to choose between her dog's eyesight and her daughter's expensive camp. A powerful, engrossing account holds implicates for any animal lover, and is recommended for any general lending library.


The Christian Studies Shelf

A Mouth Full of Fire
Andrew G. Shead
IVP Academic
c/o InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400
Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
9780830826308, $27.00, www.ivpress.com

A Mouth Full of Fire: The Word of God in the Words of Jeremiah is a recommendation for scholarly theological collections and explores the doctrine of divine speech in the Biblical book of Jeremiah, from its theology and vocabulary to its narrative structure. From structuring Jeremiah as a narrative about the Word of God to linking the Book to the doctrine of the Word of God, this is packed with theological biblical insights and is a fine pick for any spirituality collection.

Finding God, expanded edition
John M. Mulder
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802865755, $22.00, www.eerdmans.com

FINDING GOD: A TREASURY OF CONVERSION STORIES offers writings from Martin Luther, John Calvin, Oral Roberts, Leo Tolstoy, Thomas Merton and other major thinkers and writers and packs in some sixty inspirational stories of life-changing events that involved religious conversion. These are moving testimonials to God's meeting people and directing them towards Christ, offering Christians insights on how this process works. This expanded edition includes more accounts from around the world and makes for a powerful, moving collection highly recommended for any Christian holding.

Jesus: A New Understanding of God's Son
Joseph F. Girzone
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759857, $20.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Jesus: A New Understanding of God's Son is a pick for any Christian collection interested in Jesus' mission and what it means to religion, and uses the Gospel to impart the basics of this mission. It comes from a retired priest who wrote the Joshua series of novels and pairs the author's calling to speak of religion and history with considerations of Jesus' presence in his daily life and in the lives of others around him. The result is an inspirational connection between daily life and Biblical teachings, suitable for any Christian holding.

The Rise to Respectability
Calvin White Jr.
University of Arkansas Press
McIlroy House, 201 Ozark Avenue
Fayetteville, AR 72701
9781557289773, $34.95, www.uapress.com

The Rise to Respectability: Race, Religion, and the Church of God in Christ documents the history of the church and considers its cultural and religious impact on Afro-Americans in general and Southern history in particular, exploring how the church's founder, Charles Mason, embraced a Pentecostal faith that many blacks had come to find embarrassing. It closely examines how the denomination handled the behaviors imposed on churchgoers as they moved from southern rural areas into urban centers, offers a history of slavery and the church's evolution during the Jim Crow era, and provides a powerful reflection of the church as a mirror for social struggles and class and race tensions, making this a pick for social issues as well as spirituality holdings.

The Mysteries of John the Baptist
Tobias Churton
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774744, $19.95, www.innertraditions.com

The Mysteries of John the Baptist is a recommended coverage for any collection interested in the mystery of John in Freemasonry and the historical Baptist as presented in the gospels and early histories. From John's links with the Gnostics to how Paul challenged John's following, this offers many eye-opening glimpses into his life, influences, and connections with Freemasons and the Knights Templar, as well as his lasting influence over the centuries following his death. The result is a powerful spiritual and religious survey recommended for Christian and new age holdings alike.

The Testament of Mary
Colm Toibin
Scribner
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451688382, $19.99, www.simonandschuster.com

The Testament of Mary provides a novella retelling the story of Mary and comes from an author who uses his own Catholic childhood and his extensive travels in Catholic counties to provide a haunting story. Mary lives alone, years after her son's crucifixion, and is a lonely widow with no interest in the outside world. She doesn't agree that her son is the Son of God and doesn't think much of the disciples he had amassed. Her life and perceptions come to life in an absorbing, moving story that served as the basis for a play performed in Dublin in 2011 to much acclaim: any spirituality collection will consider this a winning perspective of Mary's world after her son's demise.

To Save a Thousand Souls
Fr. Brett A. Brannen
Vianney Vocations
505 N. Toombs Street, Valdosta, GA 31601
9780615345512, $20.00, www.vinneyvocations.com

Any man thinking of becoming a Catholic priest will find To Save a Thousand Souls: A Guide for Discerning a Vocation to Diocesan Priesthood packed with discussions specifically tailored to diocesan priests. From the chapter on celibacy and chastity to how to tell parents one wishes to be a priest, and practical ideas for discerning the priesthood, this is packed with specifics from an author with some fifteen years as a vocation director and seminary formator. The result is unusual in its depth and applications, and is a top recommendation for any who would contemplate entering the Catholic priesthood.


The Science Shelf

The Science of Consequences
Susan M. Schneider
Prometheus Books
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145527, $21.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Science of Consequences: How They Affect Genes, Change the Brain, and Impact Our World provides a fine survey of scientific principles relating math to behavior patterns. The authors and other scientists have demonstrated that learning from consequences predictability activates genes and restructures the brain in humans and animals alike - and this creates new learning patterns and pathways of knowledge. Human, pet, and wild animal anecdotes accompany drawings by artist and naturalist Rene C. Reyes in an introduction to an amazing kind of science with many promises for the human race, from changing destructive habits to treating depression.

A New American Space Plan
Travis S. Taylor with Stephanie Osborn
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781451638653, $15.00, www.baen.com

A New American Space Plan represents a departure from the usual science fiction theme and is by the leader of the Rocket City Rednecks, a national hit TV series about rednecks from Alabama who are scientists and engineers, and who plan to get American back into space. Their drive to reach the moon, Mars and beyond makes for a thoughtful plan for getting America back into space, and is a fine pick for any collection strong in astronomy and modern efforts in the space arena.

Geology Underfoot Along Colorado's Front Range
Lon Abbott and Terri Cook
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425952, $24.00, www.mountain-press.com

Geology Underfoot Along Colorado's Front Range offers the latest addition to the Geology Underfoot series and documents the story of the Front Range from its beginnings as a sea floor through its modern incarnation as a mountain rage. Over twenty chapters offer a blend of geology and tourist focus on accessible stops along the Front Range's roads to observe geology in the field, telling stories of famous locales such as Pike's Peak and Red Rocks and adding color illustrations and photos to blend with the accessible geology insights. The result is a fine, intriguing discussion suitable for general-interest and science holdings alike, requiring no prior experience with either geology or Colorado to prove accessible.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Heartbeats in the Muck, revised edition
John Waldman
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L
Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823249855, $18.00, www.fordham.edu

The revised edition of Heartbeats in the Muck: The History, Sea Life, and Environment of New York Harbor is an excellent pick for any seeking an environmental history of New York Harbor, and provides a thought-provoking survey recommended for several different kinds of collections; from those specific to New York City history and nature to any concerned about urban environmental change. Chapters consider the forty years since the Clean Water Act began to resurrect New York Harbor, covering the author's explorations of these evolving, recovering habitats and their rebirth and providing a positive survey of the lasting effects of environmental recovery. An outstanding guide for any collection strong in environmental recovery process.

Rising Sea Levels
Hunt Janin and Scott A. Mandia
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786459568, $35.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

RISING SEA LEVELS: AN INTRODUCTION TO CAUSE AND IMPACT makes an important point: that the world's prior political, economic and military development took place during a time of relatively stable sea levels - and that the times they are a-changing. This book considers global warming, the rise of oceans, storm events, and world effects of the sea level rise with particular attention to affected countries and long-term impacts around the world. It's a scientific and social history that considers both the cause and impact of sea levels rising, and it provides a scientific and social discussion suitable for any college-level Environmental Studies collection.

The Nature of the Meadowlands
Jim Wright
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764341861, $34.99, www.schifferbooks.com

The Nature of the Meadowlands offers a celebration of the Meadowlands area in New Jersey, largely known as the home of the NFL Giants and Jets, or a wasteland. Until recently landfills and pollution permeated the area; this celebration pairs images with history to document the area's human influences, deterioration, and revival. Highly recommended for governmental, NGO, community, and academic library Environmental Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Psychology Shelf

Harness Your Dark Side
Al Galves, PhD
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882823836, $14.95, www.newhorizon.com

HARNESS YOUR DARK SIDE: MASTERING JEALOUSY, RAGE, FRUSTRATION AND OTHER NEGATIVE EMOTIONS offers tips and techniques for recognizing and controlling negative drives, deep misbeliefs and emotions that lend to 'dark side thinking', using a blend of psychological research, personal stories and self-help exercises to help readers become better aware of the sources of these emotions. It shows how to embrace the inner voice that is the source of stress, and offers a fine self-help perspective recommended for any general mental health reader.


The Travel Shelf

Maldives
Tom Masters
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741798036, $22.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

MALDIVES offers a lovely destination guide to the above-water and underwater attractions of the area, and packs in maps with detailed listings and descriptions of attractions and activities on and off the beaten path. It's the item of choice for any headed for the islands, covering atolls and opportunities, offering candid assessments of accommodations, and including both developed and less developed Maldives destinations. Independent travelers, in particular, will find this a winner.

101 American Geo-Sites You've Gotta See
Albert B. Dickas
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425877, $24.00, www.mountainpress.com

101 American Geo-Sites You've Gotta See belongs in travel and science holdings alike, examining in detail at least one site for all fifty states and exploring the geologic forces behind the origins of each. This isn't just a collection of well-known and often-discussed landforms, but includes smaller locales often overlooked but equally important, geologically speaking, from the Reelfoot scarp in Tennessee to Louisiana's Avery Island, which features an 8.5-mile high column of salt. Color photos and illustrations accompany a guide suitable for geologic study and destination-oriented travel alike.

Japan By Rail, third edition
Ramsey Zarifeh
Trailblazer
The Old Manse, Tower Road
Hindhead (Surrey), GU26 6SU, UK
9781905864393, $23.95, www.trailblazer-guides.com

Japan BY RAIL offers up a fine third updated edition packed with nearly fifty color photos, numerous maps, rail maps and town plans, and practical information designed for destination-oriented rail fans, and is a must for any travel or train buff's collection. From suggested rail itineraries to planning a trip around events and what a train journey can encompass, this covers everything from Japanese words and phrases to railway timetables. This new edition includes recent extensions to several train lines plus further coverage of popular tourist destinations and less-traveled areas nearby, making it a fine recommendation.

Guatemala
Al Argueta
Moon Publications
1700 - 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781612383231, $19.99, www.moon.com

Any independent, destination-oriented traveler heading to Guatemala will welcome Moon Guatemala as the book of choice for locating sights, activities, and the best of the country. Ecotourism, Mayan ruins, beaches, and local escapes are all outlined with over thirty detailed maps accompanying tips based on the author's personal experiences. The result is a top pick for any looking for an easy travel planner to the entire country.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Matt Baker: The Art of Glamour
Jim Amash and Eric Nolen-Weatherington, Editors
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490328, $39.95, www.twomorrows.com

Matt Baker: The Art of Glamour tells of one of the earliest African-American comic book artists who operated in the early 1940s drawing exciting women and handsome men for his comics. He died in 1959 at the age of 38 just as the Silver Age of comics was emerging. This packs in nearly a hundred pages of color art to accompany a biography of Matt Baker's life and career, pairing essays and interviews with his friends and family with a fine gathering of his artwork - including several complete stories. The result is a lovely celebration of his life and art, worthy of any comprehensive comics history holding.

Beetle Bailey: The Daily & Sunday Strips 1966
Mort Walker
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857681225, $19.95, www.titanbooks.com

Beetle Bailey: The Daily & Sunday Strips 1966 provides a fine collection of comics in a collection that includes a new foreword from Stan Lee and follows the adventures of one Private Bailey, a lazy military duty-shirker. It packs in fun and revealing comic strips with a big cast of characters and gathers the best, produced in collaboration with Mort Walker himself. The result is a fine gathering of strips restored to fine condition and recommended for any comics and cartoons holding.


The Political Science Shelf

Catastrophism
Sasha Lilley, et.al.
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
9781604865899, $16.00, www.pmpress.org

CATASTROPHISM: THE APOCALYPTIC POLITICS OF COLLAPSE AND REBIRTH is a recommendation for any political or current affairs collection and provides a controversial book that pinpoints the uses and applications of political structures in chaotic times. From economic crisis and ecological disasters, this considers the nature and politics of apocalypse on left and right and considers why catastrophic thinking is so widespread. Chapters analyze the limitations of current politics and consider a different structure of such politics built on changing the world. It contrasts unproductive politics with more productive responses and approaches, and is a key acquisition for any college-level political science holding.

Cyberspace and National Security
Derek S. Reveron, Editor
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589019188, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Cyberspace and National Security: Threats, Opportunities, and Power in a Virtual World is for both computer and political studies collections strong in information security and security studies, and brings together scholars, policy analysis and more to discuss cyber threats, strategies to defend national interests, and ideas for understanding how cyberspace has become a new arena for national security concerns. Chapters from a professor of national security affairs provide important analysis of cybered conflict and different modes of attacks, making for a fine analysis perfect for military, political and computer holdings alike.


The Education Shelf

Teaching Beginner ELLs Using Picture Books
Ana Lado
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781452235233, $30.00, www.corwin.com

For beginning ELLs a picture book can provide keys to cultural and social meanings at all grade levels; not just for the very young - and here ELL educator Ana Lado shows how they can build language skills and social foundations missed via other methods. From designing lesson plans around themed units to blending in activities such as singing and plays, this shows how to locate the right picture book for a lesson and how to apply it to a rich learning opportunity for all.

NAPLEX Review
Steven T. Boyd, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, et.al.
Kaplan Publishing
1 Liberty Plaza, 24th floor, NY, NY 10006
www.kaplanpublishing.com
9781609787363, $54.99, www.kaptest.com/NAPLEX

NAPLEX Review is a pick for any health test preparation collection and provides all the tools and information needed to pass the NAPLEX. It's a step-by-step guide to achieving higher scores on the Pharmacist Licensure Examination that's been fully updated for the latest strategies and information, and packs in two full-length practice tests in the book and one online to accompany practice questions, some thirty new calculating problems, in-depth answer explanations, and much more. A 'must' for any taking the test!

Cracking the MCAT 2013-2014 Edition
James L. Flowers, MD, MPH and Theodore Silver, MD
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307945341, $99.99, www.princetonreview.com

The MCAT tests just about everything having to do with basic physical and biology sciences, moving beyond science facts to test verbal reasoning, logic, and more. This reference guide is the most complete coverage of the test and is a 'must' for any test-taker and collections catering to them: a full-color tear-out reference guide containing all the important formulas, diagrams and concepts for each section of the test compliments complete coverage of all topics, paired with free online access to four full-length practice exams. The result is a powerful collection packed with explanations, step-by-step solutions, and more, and is simply the definitive 'bible' of study for the course.

Understanding the Managing Behaviors of Children with Psychological Disorders
Jered B. Kolbert and Laura M. Crothers, Editors
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315
New York, NY 10010
9781441148369, $39.95, www.bloomsbury.com

Understanding the Managing Behaviors of Children with Psychological Disorders offers a brief description of various mental health diagnoses from autism to depression and other common disorders, reviewing the features of each and pairing this with a specific set of classroom management techniques to help educators target and handle behavioral challenges. Each chapter is written by an expert in that field. The result is a powerful key to successful classroom management that will prove a 'must' with so many teachers seeing behavioral challenges or being called upon to handle integrated classrooms.

Cracking the AP Biology Exam 2013
Kim Magliore
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307946331, $18.99, www.princetonreview.com

Cracking the AP Biology Exam 2013 provides another fine study guide with proven techniques for a higher score, offering two full-length practice tests with detailed explanations, comprehensive review topics, reviews of key words and systems, and much more. With its in-depth and specific coverage of challenging aspects of the test and ability to provide the latest keys to acing the exam, this is a 'must have' for any looking to crack the AP Biology section.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Star Trek: The Complete Unauthorized History
Robert Greenberger
Voyageur Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760343593, $40.00, www.voyageurpress.com

Star Trek: The Complete Unauthorized History provides a candid review of the entire franchise; not just the movie or the television shows, and features sidebars of information by leading Star Trek authorities and contributions from avid fans to accompany the history of the show's road to becoming an international science fiction hit. All of Trek's evolutions are covered, from comic books and games to novels, movies, and even memorabilia. With color photos of all packing every page, this is a top recommendation for any Trek fan and for collections catering to science fiction movie fans or memorabilia collectors, as well!

Supervolcano: All Fall Down
Harry Turtledove
Roc
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451464811, $26.95, www.penguin.com

Supervolcano: All Fall Down continues the story begun in Supervolcano: Eruption documenting the aftermath of the Yellowstone Park volcano eruption that covers North America with ash and brings civilization to a half. Here police officer Colin's family is spread across the country, struggling to survive. The novel documents attempts to re-establish connections and the focus on these connections, their disruption, and how they are to be re-formed keeps the plot fast-paced and unpredictable: perfect for any science fiction holding seeing popularity either with Turtledove's writings or disaster novels in particular.

The Doctor and the Rough Rider
Mike Resnick
Pyr
59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616146900, $17.95, www.pyrsf.com

The Doctor and the Rough Rider blends steampunk and magic in a story of an alternate Wild West where Doc Holliday is preparing to meet his maker. There's only one last mission: one involving Geronimo, a spell that has kept the U.S. from expanding west of the Mississippi, and a terrible medicine man who intends on killing Roosevelt and Geronimo. A fine, fast-paced alternate history science fiction adventure emerges, perfect for readers seeking something specific and different in the worlds of alternate history, steampunk and magical fantasy reading.

Rising Sun
Robert Conroy
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781451638516, $25.00, www.baen.com

RISING SUN is set in 1942 where a victory for Allies in the Battle of Midway has instead become a disaster, leaving the U.S. with only one carrier remaining and the Pacific in the ands of the Japanese. A new plan is in the works involving an ambush - and many deadly possibilities stemming from it. RISING SUN is a novel of warfare and alternate history, and provides a powerful 'what if' saga perfect for any fan of the genre - and highly recommended for science fiction holdings strong in political science fiction scenarios.


The Parenting Shelf

The Complete Guide to Potty Training Children
Melanie Williamson
Atlantic Publishing Group
1405 S.W. 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471
9781601385659, $24.95, www.atlantic-pub.com

The Complete Guide to Potty Training Children: New Sure-Fire Strategies offers parents a variety of insights into the process, from how to recognize early signs that show a child is ready to begin toilet training - even whilst in diapers - to handling late bloomers. The book advocates creating a customized program to suit a child's personality as well as a parent's needs and shows how to create a potty training program for girls, boys, and multiple children at the same time in a recommendation for any library catering to parents.

Fire Child Water Child
Stephen Scott Cowan, MD
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
9781608820900, $17.95, www.newharbinger.com

Fire Child Water Child: How Understanding the Five Types of ADHD Can Help You Improve Your Child's Self-Esteem & Attention is for any parent of a child with ADHD and offers a guide to parenting that doesn't rely on drugs. Instead it helps parents identify a child's unique focusing style and shows how to calm stress that can contribute to ADHD symptoms. Once the child's style is identified, strategies for each style are suggested that can help a child reduce impulse behaviors and handle social and home settings. Parents will find this packed with ideas.


The Self-Help Shelf

Choose the Life You Want
Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD
The Experiment, LLC
260 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3 South, NY, NY 10001-6408
9781615190652, $18.95, www.theexperimentpublishing.com

Choose the Life You Want: 101 Ways to Create Your Own Road to Happiness asks what kinds of choices will create the life you want - and comes from a positive psychology expert who uses the latest psychological research to delve into making the right small choices that have long-lasting impact on our happiness. Real-life stories accompany keys to identifying opportunities large and small that lead to a bigger picture. The result is a powerful set of tools perfect for any inspirational collection.

Amazing Things Will Happen
C.C. Chapman
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118341384, $22.95, www.wiley.com

Business and inspirational collections alike will find AMAZING THINGS WILL HAPPEN: A REAL-WORLD GUIDE ON ACHIEVING SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS to be a compelling collection of inspirational thoughts to help define situations, develop positive strategies, and apply goals to realistic tasks. From being happier with choices in life to understanding the elements of amazing friendships, this is a top recommendation for any inspirational library.

As We Think So We Are
Ruth L. Miller, Editor
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
9781582703756, $15.00, www.simonandschuster.com

As We Think So We Are: James Allen's Guide to Transforming Our Lives is the fifth book in the Library of Hidden Knowledge and invites readers to explore self-help leader James Allen's writings, offering modern translates of his essays and linking them with practical applications designed to help readers understand how to better interact with the world. From seminal choices in metaphysics to the Law of Attractions, provides a key to transformation in modern times.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Psychic Intuition
Nancy Du Tertre
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601632272, $16.99, www.newpagebooks.com

Psychic Intuition: Everything You Ever Wanted to Ask But Were Afraid to Know provides a compelling account of cutting-edge research in brain science, physics, and how they apply to psychic intuition's feature and possibilities, bridging the gap between skeptics who can scientifically consider psychic phenomena and believers who lack the science to analyze it. Chapters come from an author who became psychic in mid-life after years of study and training, and offer keys to paranormal experiences in everything from women's intuition to the scientific identification of new human senses. Case histories abound making for a very accessible guide for any new age collection.

Core Awareness, revised edition
Liz Koch
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
9781583945018, $18.95, www.northatlanticbooks.com

The revised, updated edition of CORE AWARENESS: ENHANCING YOGA, PILATES, EXERCISE, AND DANCE provides significant insights into movement and psychic awareness, offering many exercises that can be done at home with minimal equipment and providing a body-oriented approach that incorporates an overlay of spiritual insights. Liz Koch describes the basics of moving from one's core and the muscles involved, blending these movements with explorations that focus on inner sensations and psychic awareness. The result is a positive exploration recommended for health, new age and exercise collections alike.

Slave Species of the Gods
Michael Tellinger
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591431510, $25.00, www.bearandcompanybooks.com

Slave Species of the Gods: The Secret History of the Anunnaki and Their Mission on Earth is for any new age collection strong in ancient mysteries and early civilizations and here tells of the arrival of the Anunnaki over 200,000 years ago. They were sent to Earth in search of gold, and created the first humans as a slave race to mine it - imbedding in the human race its obsession with gold, slavery and domination. New archaeological evidence and genetic evidence blends with this insight to provide an intriguing survey of humanity's origins and the possible source of its troubling and puzzling behavior patterns today. An intriguing, well-researched survey, this comes from a scientist, researcher and widely recognized talk show guest.

The Mayan Ouroboros
Drunvalo Melchizedek
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel Weiser
65 Parker Avenue, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
9781578637255, $18.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

The Mayan Ouroboros considers the positive side of the Mayan prophecies, offering an entirely different spin on the Mayan End Time. From new ways humans will communicate in the world to the Maya people's responsibility to the world in guiding it from one reality to a new reality, this offers a follow-up to the author's best-selling SERPENT OF LIGHT and comes from a spiritual researcher who reveals what Mayan elders have told him about this period. Any interested in the Mayan End Time, as well as any general new age lending library, will find this filled with insights.


The Language Studies Shelf

Spanish as a Heritage Language in the United States
Sara M. Beaudrie and Marta Fairclough, Editors
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589019386, $39.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Spanish as a Heritage Language in the United States: The State of the Field is an outstanding pick for any Spanish or linguistics collection, offering an interdisciplinary review of research on Spanish as a heritage language in this country. Contributors to this title assess the role of education in the field, providing teachers with insights into Spanish learners and linguistics and surveying learners' methods and motivations, grammatical challenges, Spanish heritage language programs, and more. Education and linguistics collections alike will find this a solid assessment of practices.

Bilingual Deaf and Hearing Families
Barbara Bodner-Johnson and Beth Sonnenstrahl Benedict
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002-3695
9781563685293, $75.00 http://gupress.gallaudet.edu

Bilingual Deaf and Hearing Families: Narrative Interviews emphasizes the importance of family involvement and support for deaf children and shows how American Sign Language and English interact to influence a child's development, school performance, and family relationships. Here ASL and English are emphasized in relation to a child's bilingual development within the family structure as a whole, describing the experiences of ten families who have at least one def family member. In five of the families the parents are hearing and have a deaf child; in three both parents and children are deaf, and in one the parents are deaf and their child is hearing. Interviews with families focus on a range of considerations from daily life to how they participate in the Deaf community and how they make decisions on the family's social interactions. Very highly recommended!


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Illustrated Coin Dating Guide for the Eastern World
Albert Galloway
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
700 East State Street, Iola WI 54945
9781440230882, $24.99, www.shopnumismaster.com

Illustrated Coin Dating Guide for the Eastern World offers a fine key to identifying inscriptions and determining dates on Eastern World coins, and is a slim yet basic reference for any avid coin collector. Country listings provide actual coin illustrations and dates, offering a specific companion volume to the larger Standard Catalog of World Coins and covering numeral systems from Japanese and Chinese to Arabic, Thai, Sanskrit and more. Any avid world coin collector needs this - the black and white coin photos are satisfyingly good-sized, as well!

Collector's Guide to Quartz and Other Silica Minerals
Robert J. Lauf
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764341618, $19.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Collector's Guide to Quartz and Other Silica Minerals packs in well over a hundred colorful photos of these minerals showing each in its geological context, covering minerals in geological settings from a wide range of locales and offering plenty of science, chemistry, and analysis of the taxonomy of the mineral group as a whole. The result is recommended for two types of collections: any science holding strong in minerals and geology, and any collector of such minerals who wants specifics on what a good specimen looks like and which minerals one might expect to find. Very highly recommended!


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The Essential Supernatural
Nicholas Knight
Insight Editions
PO Box 3088, San Rafael, CA 94912
9781608871452, $50.00, www.insighteditions.com

THE ESSENTIAL SUPERNATURAL: ON THE ROAD WITH SAM AND DEAN WINCHESTER is an oversized, solid celebration of the TV show that shows off season episodes, following the Winchester brothers as they travel across the U.S. hunting ghosts, demons and more. Color images, behind-the-scenes photos, production art, and more blend original illustrations and show photos with cast and crew interviews, discussions of plots and episodes, and reviews of protagonists. A centerfold of illustrations in a packet adds to the detail of a celebration that will prove a 'must' for any fan of Supernatural.

Make Film History
Robert Gerst
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781615931224, $29.95, www.mwp.com

MAKE FILM HISTORY: REWRITE, RESHOOT, AND RECUT THE WORLD'S GREATEST FILMS is for any film holding strong in performing arts and directing, and analyzes the components shared by notable filmmakers, showing how to put their discoveries into action. Hands-on exercises accompany an interactive website that allows any to write, shoot, cut and mix based on tested recommendations from successful professionals. Black and white images from films accompany specifics on everything from sound production to image tweaking and film history, making this a 'must' acquisition for any film collection.

Dark Shadows: The Visual Companion
Mark Salisbury
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9781781162552, $39.95, www.titanbooks.com

Dark Shadows: The Visual Companion provides an oversized celebration of the new film based on the cult television series and provides an official film companion produced in cooperation with Tim Burton and the production team. From photos and concept drawings to interviews with the cast and insights into the making, challenges, and special features of the movie version, this is packed with color and solid discussions of the actors and actresses involved in the entire production, and makes for an eye-catching, important survey filled with trivia and information key to any fan's enjoyment of the Tim Burton production. The foreword by Johnny Depp adds to the entire package and expands upon the TV series originally created by Dan Curtis.

Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho
Stephen Rebello
Soft Skull Press
1919 - 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1916
9781593765064, $16.95, www.softskull.com

Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho offers a complete inside story on the making of the first psychothriller movie, going behind the scenes to consider Hitchcock's creation and using interviews with its stars, writers and technicians to examine the process and efforts of Hitchcock. It blends research with a lively tone that reveals how Psycho was created and produced, providing a focus on everything from the crimes that partially inspired the original novel to how the film was shot and received. From what inspired Hitchcock to produce a film version of the book to an in-depth survey of the entire production, this is quite simply a 'must' for any film collection.

The Chronicles of Downtown Abbey: A New Era
Jessica Fellowes & Matthew Stugis
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
1250027624, $29.99, www.stmartins.com

The Chronicles of Downtown Abbey: A New Era highlights the history and characters of all three seasons of the PBS TV series, and is a pick for any fan of the Downtown Abbey show. Season three opens in 1920 when the occupants of the Great House are facing World War I, when their world will change. New secrets and new dramas emerge from this new era, and this book probes the characters, motivations, sentiments, and world of the Downtown estate through all its transitions. Color photos throughout pack a lovely coverage perfect for any fans of the show.

Training to Imagine, second edition
Kat Koppett
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive
Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781579225926, $27.50, www.styluspub.com

TRAINING TO IMAGINE: PRACTICAL IMPROVISATIONAL THEATRE TECHNIQUES TO ENHANCE CREATIVITY, TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING appears in its second updated edition to revise information and goes beyond the first edition's focus on trainers to show how everyone can be a performer using improvisation techniques to promote productivity within and outside the theatre. From evolving new improvisation approaches to business survival to extending the theories and exercises inherent in improve to organizational structures, chapters draw close connections between management goals and theatre training, making this a strong dual pick for stage and business collections alike.


The Fashion Shelf

The Style Mentors
Elyssa Dimant
HarperDesign
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061992186, $30.00, www.harperdesignbooks.com

THE STYLE MENTORS: WOMEN WHO DEFINE THE ART OF DRESSING TODAY highlights over eighty female designers and their styles, offering some 200 images in seven chapters which pair a signature look with proven fashion longevity. From creating a personal look to the basics of developing a wardrobe and accessories that work, this pairs first-person interviews with modern fashion designers with tips on fashion and beauty, making for a top pick for any style and fashion holding.


The Art Shelf

Newbrow
Shane Pomajambo
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764340567, $29.99, www.schifferbooks.com

NEWBROW: 50 CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS offers a vivid art book profiling some 50 artists of Newbrow art, a pop surrealism movement, and packs in nearly two hundred color images of their works from around the world. The images are striking social commentary blending humor with political and social observation and range from the works of street artists to studio artists. A wide range of techniques were used to produce the Newbrow art here: what connects it all is a cultural style and form of expression that represents the latest cultural commentary. Any arts holding strong in modern arts must have this unique coverage of the movements and some of its key contributors.

Retinal Shift
Mikhael Subotzky
Steidl
25 Denmark Street, Third Floor
London, WC2H 8NJ, United Kingdom
9783869305394, $48.00, www.steidlville.com

Retinal Shift provides an extensive catalog of the author's South African tour of the 2012 Standard Bank Young Artist Exhibition, and is a top recommendation for photography and arts holdings alike. It features archival portraits from the last century, found surveillance footage, as well as Subotzky's own photographs, and photographs both methods of seeing and contrasts between different perspectives of vision and art, all packaged in an intensely visual medium packed with contrasting images and often-startling revelations into the mechanics of perception. While this could have been featured in our Photography Shelf section, it's reviewed here for its additional impact for any interested in artistic renderings of the perception process itself.

20th-Century World Architecture: The Phaidon Atlas
Phaidon Editors
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor, NY, NY 10014
9780714857060, $200.00, www.phaidon.com

20th-Century World Architecture: The Phaidon Atlas is a massive undertaking recommended for arts collections strong in architectural history and culture, and appears in a huge, weighty, oversized edition suitable for display. Its oversized pages handily document the highlights of modern architectural style. While non-specialty collections could consider this expensive survey a 'white elephant', it's the holding strong in modern architecture that will easily consider it a treasure: packed with detail, history, culture, and architectural reflection, it packs in details that lend to browsing as well as study. Some of the photographic representations, surprisingly, are a bit blurry or not up to par - others are striking and strong, perfect for any who want an introduction that doesn't need a formal education in the subject. There are other monographs on the market with similar approaches, but this holds the potential of reaching from its specialty audience to the more general reader of architectural style, and is an impressive presentation.


The Interior Design Shelf

Seductive Interiors
Sera Hersham-Loftus
Cico Books
c/o Ryland Peters & Small
519 Broadway, 5th floor
New York, NY 10012
www.rylandpeters.com
9781908170774, $40.00, www.cicobooks.com

Seductive Interiors provides a review of the author's stunning interior designs, packaged in an oversized display of full-page color photos and featuring the boudoir trend she invented, starting with her own home. Black and white photos of her favorite rock stars and lovely women blend with a blend of retro pieces and modern paintings, with photos by Gisela Torres accompanied by her own first-person insights on the art, creation and inspirations for her designs. The result is a lovely tribute to her approach and a 'must have' acquisition for any library strong in interior design.

Net of Being
Alex Grey
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594773846, $40.00, www.innertraditions.com

NET OF BEING by Alex Grey belongs in both the arts and spirituality sections of any library, and will appeal across the board into new age and music audiences as it offers artistic photos based on his collaboration with the cult band Tool. The cover opens with a promise of what's within, representing a mystic grid of Godheads envisioned during an ayahuasca journey. Many of his complex and visionary paintings have surfaced as tattoos or other embellishments: packed with spiritual reflection and meaning, they emphasize community, a shared cosmos and world vision, and represent the expansion of the human psyche and spiritual consciousness as it evolves. Over 200 images in an oversized presentation include many not seen before, along with masterpieces, and documents performance art and live painting on stage. A 'must' for any alternative and new age arts holding!

Dr. Seuss: The Cat Behind the Hat
Caroline M. Smith
Andrews McMeel
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2109
9781449432607, $75.00, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Dr. Seuss: The Cat Behind the Hat blends Geisel's "Midnight Paintings" with his children's book and advertising illustrations and provides an oversized, lovely tribute that considers his art and the various works he created over his lifetime. If only one Dr. Seuss tribute book were chosen, it should be this: the detailed look comes packed with color pages in a lovely survey that moves far beyond the familiar Seuss creations to provide powerful reproductions of a range of images and approaches. While many already are familiar with his children's works, few know about his surrealistic creations and 'secret art' works that allowed him to focus on his passions regardless of their commercial value. This collection covers all his efforts: the result is a beautiful addition to any Dr. Seuss collection and a special recommendation for any arts library strong in cartooning and illustration.


The Computer Shelf

Quicken 2013: The Official Guide
Bobbi Sandberg
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10121-2298
9780071804431, $25.00, www.mhprofessional.com

Quicken 2013: The Official Guide covers Quicken Deluxe and Premier in a fine key to organizing personal finances, paying bills, and using the program to manage finances and assets. This handbook has been fully endorsed by Intuit, makers of Quicken, and reveals how to maximize the software's potentials and how to use its latest features. From using online resources to analyzing banking activity, reconciling various accounts, and tracking investments, this guide pairs screenshots with sidebars of information to make for a fine official guide any Quicken 2013 user needs.

Programming Google App Engine, second edition
Dan Sanderson
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449398262, $49.99, www.oreilly.com

The second updated edition of Programming Google App Engine teaches the basics of how to build and run web applications on Google's infrastructure, from understanding how App Engine handles web requests to getting the most from its computing power. This second edition is fully updated and expanded to cover Python 2.7 and Java 6 support, and teaches all the basics from using and understanding code to creating queries, performing operations in batches, and more. Any Google App Engine programmers will find this packed with successful tips and keys.

Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Business Connectivity Services
Penelope Coventry, et.al.
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735660182, $34.99, www.microsoft.com/mspress

Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Business Connectivity Services tells how to create a central hub for business data using SharePoint 2010, and comes from a team of SharePoint experts who teach how to integrate data from several systems and then modify the information using both code and no-code SharePoint solutions. From creating custom SharePoint applications to populating SharePoint user profiles with information, this teaches the basics of connectivity solutions and challenges, and is a pick for any Microsoft SharePoint 2010 business programmer.

iOS SDK Development, second edition
Chris Adamson and Bill Dudney
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356944, $35.00, www.pragprog.com

iOS SDK Development covers iOS6 and teaches the basics of developing for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. This updated second edition has been completely rewritten to cover iOS6's new features and teaches the basics of making apps that are testable, internationalizable, and that use less memory. Programmers new to iOS development as well as those looking to upgrade skills sets to the latest Apple tools will find this a top recommendation.

Sams Teach Yourself Node.js in 24 Hours
George Ornbo
Sams
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780672335952, $39.99, www.informit.com/samsteachyourself

Sams Teach Yourself Node.js in 24 Hours joins others in the 'Teach Yourself' line packing in step-by-step instructions, quizzes and exercises at chapters end, and sidebars of shortcuts and information to reinforce the bigger picture presented in the chapters. Such advice offers easier ways to perform tasks and contributes to building real-time solutions and using core features of the Node.js API.

HTML5 for .NET Developers
Jim Jackson III and Ian Gilman
Manning Publications
178 South Hill Drive, Westampton, NJ 08060
9781617290435, $44.99, www.manning.com

HTML5 for .NET Developers is a pick for any web development collection catering to programmers who want to learn the basics of blending HTML5 with .NET tools and best practices. From a review of the program's new features to models for using JavaScript APIs to build web page apps that mimic desktop apps, this offers a range of .NET approaches to incorporating HTML5's latest features. Chapters offer code, black and white screen shots and illustrations, and sidebars of quick consultation for any working with markups and projects. A 'must' for any development collection.

DB2 SQL Tuning Tips for z/OS Developers
Tony Andrews
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780133038460, $34.99, www.ibmpressbooks.com

DB2 SQL Tuning Tips for z/OS Developers provides a solutions-oriented guide to IBM DW2 for z/OS, and has been updated to cover both v.9 and v.10. The author has over twenty years of DB2 experience and offers keys to best practices, providing programming and SQL coding examples for programmers, identifying easy solutions that offer the best benefits, and showing how to tweak SQL code with COBOL and other applications. Any programmer working with DB2 needs this!

iPad Kickstart
Jay Kinghorn
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10121-2298
9780071805049, $25.00, www.mhprofessional.com

iPad Kickstart: The Best Tips 7 Tricks - in Full Color covers the third generation iPad and provides color screenshots throughout in a visual guide that focuses on fast ways to get the most from an iPad. From staying connected at home and in office to sidebars of information covering potential pitfalls and problems, this teaches the basics of setting up and customizing an iPad, covers all its basic functions, and shows how to connect to other devices. A top pick for any iPad owner!


The Dance Shelf

Tango Nuevo
Carolyn Merritt
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813042190, $24.95, www.upf.com

TANGO NUEVO provides a powerful history of Argentinean tango, covering not only the history of the dance form but its cultural and social influences and the changing scene in Buenos Aires since the early 2000s. Chapters consider the dancers who are pushing the concept of tango beyond its traditions, considering how they are socializing and experimenting with tango traditions, and covering the evolution of tango in the U.S. The author's personal observations of the dance's emotions and physical changes combines powerful descriptive prose and history to make for a definitive examination of how tango is evolving and changing today.


The American History Shelf

Beautiful Crescent
Joan B. Garvey and Mary Lou Widmer
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781455617425, $19.95, www.pelicanpub.com

BEAUTIFUL CRESCENT: A HISTORY OF NEW ORLEANS provides a powerful history highly recommended for any interested in touring and learning about New Orleans. From the city's founding to the histories of jazz and the Afro-American community's evolution in the city, this provides updates to a new edition packed with details on notable city figures, events, history, and politics. Black and white photos, diagrams, and local coverage make BEAUTIFUL CRESCENT a lively survey recommended for any history collection strong in New Orleans culture and evolution.

The Noir Forties
Richard Lingeman
Nation Books
116 East 16th Street, 8th Floor, NY, NY 10003
9781568584362, $29.99, www.nationbooks.org

THE NOIR FORTIES: THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FROM VICTORY TO COLD WAR provides a powerful reconstruction of the five years between VJ Day and the Korean War, and comes from a cultural historian who traces the uncertain years of peace following war, and the descent of America back to a war environment. Analysis of trends in popular culture from film and books to psychological forces that have worked to change American public opinion makes for a blend of original research, interviews and history to bring the 'noir forties' in America to life, charting how average Americans reacted to the culture and presentation of the times in film noir. Recommended as a pick for film and history holdings alike, this is a powerful and lively pick a range of readers will find involving.

38 Nooses
Scott W. Berg
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307377241, $27.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

38 NOOSES: LINCOLN, LITTLE CROW, AND THE BEGINNING OF THE FRONTIER'S END covers a little-known era in American history with a focus on the Dakota people, the aftermath of the Civil War era, and the U.S.-Indian conflicts which followed. The Dakota War has, surprisingly, received relatively little close inspection: here it is placed within the context of events of the times and identified for what it is: a pivotal moment in American history. Native American and American history holdings alike will find this a key acquisition.

A Wicked War
Amy S. Greenberg
Knopf
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780307592699, $30.00, www.aaknopf.com

A WICKED WAR: POLK, CLAY, LINCOLN, AND THE 1846 U.S. INVASION OF MEXICO provides powerful insights on a war often overlooked by history: the U.S.-Mexican War which featured many false starts and paved the way for a Civil War a generation later. When President Polk got a divided Congress to agree to support his war with Mexico, it represented the first time the American nation would engage another republic in battle. This expands the details on conflict and includes everything from Indian fights to the death of Lincoln's archrival John Hardin and the political behind-the-scenes operations of Polk's wife Sarah. The result is a powerful political and historical survey highly recommended for any American history library.


The World History Shelf

Mankind: The Story of All of Us
Pamela D. Toler, PhD
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371
9780762447039, $30.00, www.runningpress.com

Mankind: The Story of All of Us provides a companion book to the 12-part series on television's History Channel and provides a fine wide-reaching world history of mankind's struggles, inventions, changes, and moments that changed human history. From surviving the Ice Age to empire-building under Genghis Khan and the fall of the Aztec Empire, this packs in over 300 color photos and maps along with illustrated sidebars to provide a fine blend of scientific investigation and history, highly recommended for any general-interest collection looking for a good visual survey of human history appealing to general audiences.


The International Studies Shelf

The Endgame
Michael R. Gordon and General Bernard E. Trainor
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780307372227, $35.00, www.pantheonbooks.com

THE ENDGAME: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE STRUGGLE FOR IRAQ, FROM GEORGE W. BUSH TO BARACK OBAMA provides an ambitious survey blending investigative journalism and historical analysis from 2003 to 1212 to provide the first in-depth insider's account of the occupation of Iraq to the withdrawal of American troops. Based on classified, still-secret government documents and unique access to key figures in the White House, Defense department and the military and intelligence arenas, THE ENDGAME is packed with facts, includes detailed interviews with Sunni and Shiite leaders and Kurdish politicians, and gathers together insights from forces on all sides to create a bigger picture of events key to any political studies holding, military collection, or history shelf.

The Contemporary Middle East
Karl Yambert, Editor
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813348391, $45.00, www.westviewpress.com

The Contemporary Middle East: A Westview Reader provides a fine collection of essays covering modern political situations in the Middle East, offering scholarly writings for college-level political studies readers by scholars, journalists, and policy advisors. A new concluding chapter by Shibley Telhami and discussions of changing political relationships between nations in the region makes for a fine pairing of topics that covers the region's issues and interactions, including such concerns as global energy. A "must" for any political studies shelf strong in Middle East issues.

Tiger Head, Snake Tails
Jonathan Fenby
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
97814836303414, $32.50, www.overlookpress.com

Tiger Head, Snake Tails: China Today, How It Got There and Where It is Heading provides a fine story of modern China in a survey that first appeared in the UK and is now updated to a new edition for American readers. Chapters cover China's politics, economy, history and its leadership change in progress, and blends past, present and future experience to survey the varied layers that influence one of the largest countries in the world. Its multifaceted focus adds depth and dimension to the entire portrait of China and its interactions internally and with the rest of the world, making this a powerful portrait essential for any holding strong in Chinese history, politics and culture.

A History of the Modern Middle East, fifth edition
William L. Cleveland and Martin Bunton
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813348339, $52.00, www.westviewpress.com

A History of the Modern Middle East appears in its fifth updated edition to provide college-level Middle East studies libraries with a reader surveying current events and issues. A new Part Six examines events since the 1991 Gulf War, while chapters strong in social and political interactions explore the changing relationships in the entire region. New instructor resources accompany the information, which lends to this title's assignment as supplementing reading for any Middle East history class.


The Aviation Shelf

Quest for Flight
Craig S. Harwood and Gary B. Fogel
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142647, $29.95, www.oupress.com

QUEST FOR FLIGHT: JOHN J. MONTGOMERY AND THE DAWN OF AVIATION IN THE WEST re-considers the history of American aviation and provides the story of not the two brothers (which resulted from a public campaign the Wright waged to profit from their patent) but upon the scientist whose research into the laws of flight resulted in inventions of the basic methods of aircraft control and stability. His pursuit resulted in glider designs and resulted in controlled flights from Northern California that reached high altitudes and demonstrated the scientific accuracy of his designs - yet have received relatively little mention until now. QUEST FOR FLIGHT should be in any aviation history collection.


The Business Shelf

Going Social
Jeremy Goldman
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780814432556, $19.95, www.amacombooks.org

GOING SOCIAL: EXCITE CUSTOMERS, GENERATE BUZZ, AND ENERGIZE YOUR BRAND WITH THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA comes from an author who has managed e-commerce and social media for major brands for almost ten years, and who uses his experiences and those of others in his business and social circles to consider how other businesses can develop their own social media presence. From the advantages of different social platforms from Twitter to Pinterest and YouTube and Yelp to developing an overall philosophy for social business success, this focuses on 'true' social marketing, which is about developing ongoing positive relationships with customers. A fine approach for any business looking to go beyond guides that tell how to 'develop business online'.

The Roadmap to Freedom
Chris McIntyre
Entrepreneur Press
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10121-2298
9781599184937, $19.95, www.entrepreneurpress.com

The Roadmap to Freedom: A Small-Business Owner's Guide to Connecting People to a Core Message offers employers a quick-fix to finding talent and urges job seeker to research a company before applying. The twist is: seekers are asked to analyze a company's core values and demonstrate a knowledge of these values and company history and products. The result is a pre-interview filter which gives employers a change to consider an applicant's attention to detail and flexibility. Any business owner or job seeker will find this a productive approach to getting the most from a job interview.

The Secret Financial Life of Food
Kara Newman
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231156707, $26.95, www.cup.columbia.edu

The Secret Financial Life of Food: From Commodities Markets to Supermarkets considers the role of agricultural commodities from pork bellies to peppercorns and spices and comes from the author's investigation of commodities trading. It provides a history of how market behaviors can dictate global economic and culinary practices, the economics that connect food to consumers, and influences on culinary trends, grocery pricing, and more. This is an overall world history of the evolution of food businesses and provides a powerful assessment based on how food became a commodity and led to industrialization, world business evolution, and expanded world markets. Any culinary history or financial history holding will find this a lively, thought-provoking read.

Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go
Beverly Kaye & Julia Winkle Giulioni
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609946326, $17.95, www.bkconnection.com

Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want should be on every manager's bookshelf. No, it's not another weighty tome analyzing employee satisfaction: instead it's a slim book packed with step-by-step ideas on how to hold critical career conversations that many managers find uncomfortable. The authors teach how to talk development with employees, packing in examples, questions, and real-world tested approaches that fit into the workplace. Managers will find this key to helping employees embark on career-strengthening paths, and business holdings will find it a popular lend.

Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way
Boston, MA 02163
www.hbr.org/books

Robert D. Austin, et.al.'s HARDER THAN I THOUGHT: ADVENTURES OF A TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY LEADER (9781422162590, $30.00) tells of one Jim Barton, a new CEO and rising leader of a firm in transition. While it's a fictional narrative - and thus reads with the drama of a novel - HARDER THAN I THOUGHT imbeds solid business and management concepts into its pages and involves readers as they follow Jim's efforts to take on a new and successful role in the company. The result is a powerful account of solid business challenges and changes, recommended for fiction and business holdings alike. Rodolphe Durand and Jean-Philippe Vergne's THE PIRATE ORGANIZATION: LESSONS FROM THE FRINGES OF CAPITALISM (9781422183182, $22.00) provides a short survey of piracy and capitalism and argues that piracy drives capitalism's evolution. It considers the overall history and golden ages of piracy, revealing how pirates form complex organizational structures that change capitalism itself. These groups behavior in predictable ways, and this book considers everything from communication to maintaining trade relationships with other communities.

Pioneers of Digital
Paul Springer & Mel Carson
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749466046, $34.95, www.koganpage.com

PIONEERS OF DIGITAL offers a series of stories behind key people who influenced the way advertising and marketing have evolved during the internet era, and make for a fine account that reveals the strategies and successes of some twenty digital entrepreneurs around the world. These stories are basically learning experiences for the reader, documenting attitudes, different approaches to marketing, and how to excel in the industry, and is a pick for business and computer collection.

Why I Left Goldman Sachs: A Wall Street Story
Greg Smith
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10017
9781455527472, $27.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

Why I Left Goldman Sachs: A Wall Street Story follows the author's experiences at one of the largest firms in the country, from his internship in the summer of 2000 where he was one of over seventy in the sales and trading program to his rise in the ranks as sales trader/ Twelve years later, disillusioned, he wrote a damning 1,500-word 'resignation letter' and published it in the New York Times. This continues his perception of the company's fall, and provides many keys to understanding its operations and business failures. No business holding should be without!

The Spirit of Kaizen
Dr. Robert Maurer
McGraw-Hill Professional
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
NY, NY 10121-2298
9780071796170, $22.00, www.mcgraw-hill.com

THE SPIRIT OF KAIZEN: CREATING LASTING EXCELLENCE ONE SMALL STEP AT A TIME provides a fine blend of psychology, self-improvement and business savvy and comes from a psychologist and organizational consultant who shows how to apply the kaizen philosophy to common management problems ranging from cost controls to their impact on morale. Change management can seem a deadly and negative process: with this formula for success - already tested at Boeing, Pepsi-Cola, General Motors and other large-scale organizations - small business managers can apply the basic principles to their own management challenges and changes. A fine pick for any business holding appealing to smaller businesses and entrepreneurs.


The Biography Shelf

Circles Around the Sun
Molly McCloskey
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
9781468300253, $24.95, www.overlookpress.com

CIRCLES AROUND THE SUN: IN SEARCH OF A LOST BROTHER tells of the author's brother, fourteen years her senior, who descended into paranoid schizophrenia when she was a young girl. By the time she was old enough to know him, he was heavily medicated and in and out of hospitals, care homes or away. Years later through reading family records and interviewing his old friends she begins to build a very different portrait of Mike before the illness that changed him so radically: this is her story of that journey, her own challenges, and of the ways their family fell apart as a result. The gripping saga deserves a spot in any health or general library.

Alice Paul: Equality for Women
Christine Lunardini
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813347615, $20.00, www.westviewpress.com

Alice Paul: Equality for Women belongs in a variety of collections, from political studies and women's issues to biography and history, and charts Alice Paul's struggles for female equality and how she influenced the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. Part of the American Women series, this uses primary sources to provide a detailed pairing of biography and American history, and is a top pick for any student of women's rights history.

This is My Life
Mary Byrne with Eddie Rowley
Dufour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781847173102, $25.95, www.dufoureditions.com

THIS IS MY LIFE: THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY tells of a singer who took X Factor by storm and rapidly evolved from a Tesco check-out to a powerful musician, recording a number one hit album, singing for the Queen of England, and spending a year exploring a whole new world. Her past, her influences, and more make for a powerful account recommended for any familiar with Mary Byrne who wants to know more about her life and the evolution of her talents.

Titan: His Life
Sheila Hale
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780060598761, $39.99, www.harpercollins.com

TITAN: HIS LIFE is a weighty and detailed biography of one who lived in the early 1500s and whose world was changed by the discovery of previously unknown territories beyond Europe. Titan's artwork was one of the cornerstones of an era during which Michelangelo completed his Sistine Chapel, Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation, and Venice battled the plague. The blend of overall history of the times and Titan's evolution, influences and art against this vivid backdrop makes for a biography packed with historical facts and biographical details not to be found elsewhere. From his evolving business sense and his long friendship with Pietro Aretino, a writer and failed painter, to his penchant for capturing the female form, this is a fine pick for any arts or world history holding.

The Hare With Amber Eyes
Edmund de Waal
Farrar Straux Giroux
18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780374158285, $40.00, www.fsgbooks.com

It's hard to easily 'peg' The Hare With Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance at once a family memoir, account of collecting and art, and a story of Judaic history, it's packed with lovely account of the author's journey begun by his encounter with his great-uncle's collection of Japanese netsuke carvings. His survey traces the netsuke's journey through generations of his family and is accompanied here by gorgeous photos of the collection and images from his family's archives. It's all about collecting, family interactions, and the power of artistic acquisition on family heritage. This new illustrated edition is an invaluable reminder of these collections and their importance in lives and family heritage.

Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter
Melissa Francis
Weinstein Books
345 Hudson Street, 13th floor, NY, NY 10014
9781602861725, $26.00, www.weinsteinbooks.com

Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter comes from a former child actress and current Fox Business News anchor who provides a personal autobiography in a cautionary story for parents who envision their own child's abilities appearing on stage. When the author was eight years old she won a top role - and was already a veteran actress in Hollywood. All this was fueled by an ambitious, sometimes cruel stage mother whose desires for fame affected the entire family. The result is a powerful account of a family forever changed by the rigors of acting and ambition, in a powerful pick for any general lending library.

Emir Abd el-Kader
Ahmed Bouyerdene
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
9781936597178, $23.95, www.worldwisdom.com

Emir Abd el-Kader: Hero and Saint of Islam provides a fine biography of an Algerian Islamic Sufi leader who was a warrior and negotiator with the French who also defended the religious minorities in the Ottoman Empire. He personally rescued over 10,000 Christians who were under onslaught from an army in Damascus in 1860, and his many achievements as well as his Sufi mystic contemplations are revealed in a focus on el-Kader's inner life and mental practices. Any interested in a different focus on an Islamic figure will find this compelling.

Married at Fourteen
Lucy Day
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597141987, $16.95, www.heydaybooks.com

MARRIED AT FOURTEEN: A TRUE STORY tells of a twelve-year-old who began seriously looking for a husband at that age. Filled with visions of true love fueled by movies and an unhappy relationship with school and home alike, Lucille Lang Day married at age 14, had her first child at 15, divorced her husband at 16, remarried him at 17, and left him to go back to school at 18. Her memoir is a vivid account of change and a personal quest for fulfillment in romance, marriage and career alike, and will intrigue any general lending library.


The Crafts Shelf

First-Time Beading on Fabric
Liz Kettle
Landauer Publishing
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726272, $24.95, www.landauerpub.com

First-Time Beading on Fabric is a recommendation for needlework and crafter's holdings alike and offers nine easy lessons that offer step-by-step instruction and close-up photography for learning some nine basic beading stitches. These all lead to putting together a beaded garden quilt at the end, but dozens of beading ideas come together in a guide packed with details on everything from using fringe to bead varieties and their different stitching requirements. A top pick for any crafter's library.

Easy Crystal Stitching Sophisticated Jewelry
Nikia Angel
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164391, $17.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Easy Crystal Stitching Sophisticated Jewelry is a pick for any crafts collection strong in jewelry making projects and shows how to stitch seven small designs and blend them into finished jewelry. This packs in step-by-step directions covering the basics with illustrations that reinforce projects with visual examples, offering some seven building blocks that can be used in 17 finished projects. From bracelets to rings and necklaces, beaders will appreciate the close-up detail and techniques that translate easily to other jewelry-making projects. Any jewelry maker's library needs this basic reference.

Recycled Robots
Robert Malone
Workman Publishing Company
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4381
9780761154662, $24.95, www.workman.com

RECYCLED ROBOTS is a robot-making kit and book packaged together, and is a pick for any adult or child who would build their own robots from recycled materials easily available in any household. The kit comes with two windup walkers, googly eyes, a battery-powered brush motor, stickers and instructions for creating some ten robots, while a 144-page book covers the history of robotics and the robots of modern times - including a chapter on designing one's own robots, and providing sketch paper for details. While the package won't lend to library rigors, it's the perfect item of choice as a gift for any already more than interested in crafts in general and robots in particular.

The Big-Ass Book of Bling
Mark Montano
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451685282, $19.99, www.simonandschuster.com

The Big-Ass Book of Bling packs in over 150 new accessory projects, pairing color photos of necklaces, bracelets, rings and hatpins with step-by-step instructions and a collection filled with bling crafts ideas perfect for any interested in fashion accessories. The DIY projects require little in the way of special skills or materials: mostly they require an interest in bling and basic assembly, are made from everyday items available to those on normal budgets, and offers a fine set of ideas for crafters of all skill levels. Any crafts holding will welcome this handbook!


The Woodworking Shelf

Great Book of Woodworking Tips
American Woodworker Magazine Editors
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
9781565235960, $24.95, www.FoxChapelPublishing.com

Great Book of Woodworking Tips packs in over six hundred tips under one cover and comes from a compendium of professionals who offer hints, streamlining ideas, techniques, and suggestions to improve all kinds of woodworking approaches. From using equipment from bandsaws and jointers to table saws to getting the most from woodworking techniques, this pairs tips with step-by-step illustrated instructions and is a top recommendation for all skills levels.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia: 2013 Deluxe Lab-Coat Edition
Richard J. Hamilton, Editor-in-Chief
Jones & Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
9781449673611, $29.95, www.jblearning.com

Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia: 2013 Deluxe Lab-Coat Edition appears in its 14th updated edition to provide a portable drug reference loaded with information to help clinical practitioners. It's an expanded version of the Classic Shirt-Pocket Edition and offers more drugs, indicators for adults and kids, and more tables, including typical drug dosing, trade and generic formulations, safety, pricing, and more. Tables of information accompany color charts of drug indicators, FDA guideline updates, and more, making this pocket edition invaluable to any clinician.

The Minipig in Biomedical Research
Peter A. McAnulty, et.al., Editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, #300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781439811184, $183.84, www.crcpress.com

The Minipig in Biomedical Research is a comprehensive resource for any college-level life sciences holding and for research scientists interested in specific, technical discussions of the use of the minipig in basic and applied biomedical research. It's written by experts in the field, uses the authors' global contacts with regulatory authorities and other industries, and surveys the biological and scientific uses of the minipig in a laboratory setting, surveying its origins, anatomy, genetics, and its use as a disease model. From its use in safety pharmacology to realistic characteristics of minipigs in research, common background pathologies, models of the minipig in diabetes research, and regulatory aspects, each chapter is packed with references, analysis, conclusions, and in-depth discussions. There is simply no other reference on the topic that offers the depth, detail, bibliographic citations and research connections as does this, making it a unique and top reference for health and science collections alike.

The Virgin Diet
JJ Birgin, CNS, CHFS
Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road
Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9780373892716, $25.95, www.harlequin.com

THE VIRGIN DIET: WHY FOOD INTOLERANCE IS THE REAL CAUSE OF WEIGHT GAIN pinpoints diet foods as possible suspects in weight gain, and comes from a nutrition and fitness expert who identifies food intolerance as the culprit behind weight issues. A negative reaction to dairy or gluten can trigger inflammation and cause bloating, headaches, aches, and even weigh gain. THE VIRGIN DIET identifies common foods that serve as anti-inflammatories, showing how to avoid the seven foods most likely to cause food intolerance. The result is a fine guide to identifying and resolving the underlying sources of weight gain, highly recommended for any general lending library!

2013 Nurse's Drug Handbook
Jones & Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sudbury, MA 01776
9781449642846, $50.95, www.jblearning.com

The 12th updated edition of 2013 Nurse's Drug Handbook provides a new, fully updated version of the best-seller which receives annual updates, and provides at-a-glance information a concise manner by arranging drug entries alphabetically and providing details on their latest contraindications, research, reactions and interactions. Nurses will find this reference packed with new entries and modified references, and will want to consider this a basic desk reference for daily consultation.

The Perfect Health Diet
Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet
Scribner
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451699142, $28.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Perfect Health Diet: Regain Health and Lose Weight by Eating the Way You Were Meant to Eat uses five years of research to develop a plan to optimize nutrition and detoxify the body, and is a fine guide by Harvard scientists who themselves suffered from a range of chronic illnesses ranging from memory loss and constant fatigue to allergies and acid reflux. Finding that traditional medicine offered few real changes, they used themselves as test subjects, researched dietary options, and blended the latest research from different disciplines into a plan for healthier living: The Perfect Health Diet is the result - a modified Paleo diet - and promotes more meats, vegetables and safe starches and no grains, legumes or sugar and processed oils. Any interested in a specific approach to better health will find this intriguing.

Mental Health Disorders Sourcebook, fifth edition
Karen Bellenir, Editor
Omnigraphics
PO Box 31-1640, Detroit, MI 48231
9780780812758, $85.00, www.omnigraphics.com

The fifth updated edition of Mental Health Disorders Sourcebook offers the latest research and treatment options for mental health, from how the brain works and the processes that lead to illness to identifying the major types of mental illness and their treatments. From brain research and special populations from the elderly to children to how mental illness interacts with other disorders, this offers the latest information and also packs in a glossary of mental health terms, a list of crisis hotlines, and more. A fine reference pick for any general lending library!

Hands-On Healing Remedies
Stephanie Tourles
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781612120065, $18.95, www.storey.com

Hands-On Healing Remedies comes from a licensed holistic esthetician who explains how to make herbal topical treatments for common skin conditions and ailments. These recipes are made with pure ingredients and are minimally processed, offering soothing repair to skin and the tissues nd organs within. Some 150 recipes for balms, salves, oils, and others treat a range of skin and body conditions, are identified by ailment, and provides a strong focus on herbal formulations for topical application, making for a fine addition to any alternative health collection.

The Mayo Clinic Diet
The Mayo Clinic
Good Books
PO Box 419, Intercourse, PA 17534-0419
9781561487776, $17.95, www.goodbooks.com

The Mayo Clinic Diet provides a New York Times best-selling title in paperback, adding in new menu plans and recipes to help one lose weight, and representing the first diet developed by the Mayo Clinic in its nearly 150-year history. The focus is on eating more and weighing less: chapters offer a diet plan divided into phases - the first designed to lose maximum weight in just two weeks, the second phase building good habits to maintain the process. There's no calorie counting, food scales, or complex formulas for success: just a basic lifestyle change approach that will appeal to any reader interested in losing weight.

Stellar Medicine
Saralyn mark, MD
Brick Tower Press
1230 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10128
9781883283780, $19.95 www.bricktowerpress.com

STELLAR MEDICINE: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE UNIVERSE OF WOMEN'S HEALTH provides a scientific survey to encourage men and women to lead a balanced life and maintain wellness even under stress, and offers a blend of health guide, science, and how social and political changes affect health. It comes from a pioneer doctor in women's health and encourages patients to ask questions and process information rather than reacting out of fear, and it offers important guidelines to getting the most from a visit to a doctor. Any general health holding should have this.


The Fiction Shelf

Collision Course
David Crawford
New American Library
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451238078, $16.00, www.penguin.com

Collision Course tells of a future in which order breaks down quickly, resulting in economic collapse, chaos, loss of power, martial law, and lawlessness. Security specialist DJ frost has prepared himself for just this scenario, planning his escape from a city man are trapped in and outfitting himself with guns, high technology and the means to reach his retreat home in the country. For Gabe the "Smash" reflects his own bereft life after losing his wife and son. Each man has his own stake in survival, using different means and credos, in this engrossing saga set in the too-near future and perfect for any collection with an interest in
survivalist or end-of-world scenarios.

Chojun
Goran Powell
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781594392535, $12.95, www.ymaa.com

Chojun offers a gripping novel that opens with a bang that involves a karate master in Japan, the looming specter of war, and a pilgrimage to China to search out the deeper meaning of karate as it relates to life. Young Kenichi finds himself drawn ever deeper into war, even as he learns about secrets, gravity, karate training, and hidden gems from a master steeped in the philosophy and culture of the martial arts form. It's a history of the art and culture of karate as seen through a student's eyes, and packs in Japanese culture and military insights to make for a multi-faceted and striking survey recommended for novel and martial arts holdings alike.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Dying on the Vine
Aaron Elkins
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425247884, $25.95, www.penguin.com

DYING ON THE VINE offers another Gideon Oliver detective story: this time focusing on the remains of a Tuscan vineyard owner and his wife buried in their own vineyard. The Skeleton Detective faces one of his greatest challenges, steeped in the area's local viticultural history and holding dangerous implications for current residents. A visit to friends turns into a deadly game of murder in the mountains in this riveting thriller, packed with drama, action and satisfying intrigue.

The Lost Ones
Ace Atkins
Berkeley Trade
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425258644, $15.00, www.penguin.com

The Lost Ones provides a satisfying Quinn Colson novel adding to a successful series, here telling of Colson's first challenge as the new Sheriff of Tebbehah County, called upon to investigate a case of child abuse involving thirteen empty cribs and a shoebox of money. Links between Janet and Ramon Torres and a drug cartel that crosses borders evolves into an international mystery that keeps Colson hopping and introduces him to twists and turns of deceit that will keep even the most avid mystery and novel reader riveted to the end.

Killing the Emperors
Ruth Dudley Edwards
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590586389, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

Killing the Emperors provides a satisfying Robert Amiss and Jack Troutbeck mystery revolving around the missing Lady Troutbeck and a celebrity curator and his partner. When yet another art-related figure goes missing, it's time to investigate - and to consider the concept of art hostages in a deadly international game that revolves around works of art, intrigue, and murder. Highly recommended for any mystery reader looking for something different, complex, and packed with satisfying twists and turns of plot.


The Military Shelf

A Military History of the Cold War
Jonathan M. House
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142623, $45.00, www.oupress.com

A Military History of the Cold War 1944-1962 surveys the relationship between government policy and military strategy and tells of generals involved in policy confrontations with government politicians, and how these led to cold war reinforcing decisions on all sides. It considers the major confrontations between the superpowers of the world at the time, considers military operations of the times that have been largely overlooked by history, and analyzes the future conflicts that have evolved from complex interactions between diplomats and military forces. The result is an unusually multi-faceted history perfect for any general or military shelf.

Sopwith Camel
Jon Guttman
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781780961767, $18.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Sopwith Camel joins others in Osprey's 'Air Vanguard' series and charts the aviation course of a dogfighter which packed a punch and racked up numerous aerial victories in its fighting lifetime. The Camel was a different kind of aircraft that hosted a ground strafer, a night fighter and more, but it was dwarfed in the advancement of other aircraft. The still appeared over numerous battlefields not only during World War I, but in the Russian Civil War - and its history is deftly charted here, with accompanying vintage black and white photos throughout.


The Social Issues Shelf

Nuclear Roulette
Gar Smith
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603584340, $19.95, www.chelseagreen.com

NUCLEAR ROULETTE: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MOST DANGEROUS ENERGY SOURCE ON EARTH comes from an award-winning journalist who critiques the idea that a 'nuclear renaissance' is underway. It methodically dissects core arguments behind this 'renaissance', exposes many nearly daily system failures that plague US nuclear reactors, and outlines circumstances surrounding five of the country's worst reactors. The result is a powerful survey of energy solutions, conservation, and political and social issues. Any interested in energy issues in general and nuclear promises in particular will find this a hard-hitting guide.

Pray the Gay Away
Bernadette Barton
New York University Press
838 Broadway, 3rd floor
New York, NY 10003
9780814786376, $27.95, www.nyupress.org

Pray the Gay Away: The Extraordinary Lives of Bible Belt Gays charts the uncertain and volatile course of gay rights in the Bible Belt, and how lesbians and gay men from conservative Christian families must choose between staying in the closet or being rejected by their loved ones. Bernadette Barton argues that small town life, Southern manners and Christian power combine to fuel active homophobia in the Bible Belt, using interviews from those who survived condemnation to provide the thoughts and experiences of those struggling for the right to marry. It's a different perspective on the gay rights issue, focusing on an entrenched area of the nation and highlighting the front lines of battle - and is a top pick for any collection strong in civil rights activism in general and gay rights in particular.

After Evil
Robert Meister
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231150378, $28.00, www.cup.columbia.edu

AFTER EVIL: A POLITICS OF HUMAN RIGHTS provides documentation of human rights ideology and considers that modern human rights has provided a limited response to political evil on a wider scale, from slavery to genocide and ethnic cleansing. The response of human rights advocates to these situations has traditionally been to reconcile the facts rather than provide wider-ranging visions of justice: a situation which AFTER EVIL remedies through assessments of social equality and human rights issues. From the psychology and religious ideals of human rights practices to understanding opposition to such human rights visions, this provides college-level audiences with a discussion placing human rights issues and focus in historical perspective. Any social issues or political studies collection needs this survey.

Walkable City
Jeff Speck
Farrar Straus Giroux
18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
9780374285814, $27.00, www.fsgbooks.com

WALKABLE CITY: HOW DOWNTOWN CAN SAVE AMERICA, ONE STEP AT A TIME provides an engrossing saga of how urban areas can make walking sync with the rest of the city's objectives. Most cities find that actually making walkability happen is easy and cheap: it's the process of how to achieve this goal which is difficult. This analyzes a city's structure, how simple management decisions have long-ranging effects, and shows how urban planners can provide new perspectives that make American cities more walk-accessible. Chapters cover everything from parking costs and getting parking right to welcoming bikes.


The Sports Shelf

Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes, second edition
Rebecca K. Tanner and Christopher J. Gore, Editors
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9780736097116, $89.00, www.humankinetics.com

Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes provides the latest protocols used for assessing high-level athletes and is based on the work of sport scientists who work with elite athletes. Chapters pack in a practical guide to everything from general testing procedures to principles for lab- and field-based assessments of physique, pairing such assessments with testing protocols for eighteen recognized sports. The result is a list of detailed testing procedures provided for each sport-specific test, including a list of equipment and data from athletes competing at all levels. Any college-level collection strong in sports science needs this.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Hemingway on Fishing
Ernest Hemingway, author
Nick Lyons, editor
Scribner
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781476716411, $30.00, www.simonandschuster.com

HEMINGWAY ON FISHING is a literary reflection representing Hemingway's best writing on fishing - a sport he loved - and is a recommendation for both literary holdings and sports collections. From childhood on Hemingway was a passionate fisherman and his first writings were about his experiences: gathered for the first time under one cover are writings about the many kinds of fishing he did and his experiences around the world. Hemingway fans will find this a top recommendation.


The Music Shelf

101 Essential Rock Records
Jeff Gold
Gingko Press
1321 Fifth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781584234883, $39.95, www.gingkopress.com

101 Essential Rock Records: The Golden Age of Vinyl from The Beatles to the Sex Pistols is a lavish, oversized production packed with color album covers inside and out and notes on every page providing background, history and facts about the record's evolution. Also included is a photo of the record inside, as well as the front, back and interior covers of each vinyl record. Accompanying notes provide insights into the evolution of the group or individual, the record's critical reception, and its overall impact in the rock music world. What sets this apart from other coverages is its attention to detail: both front and back album jackets as well as many inside shots are included, along with photos of the record itself. Notes are well detailed, critical, and important keys to understanding the place of the album in the music world as a whole. Kudos!

Ultimate Guitar Tab Treasure Chest
Hal Leonard
PO Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213
9781458418067, $27.50, www.halleonard.com

Ultimate Guitar Tab Treasure Chest: 50 Great Rock Guitar Transcriptions is for any rock music holding looking for guitar and vocal guides for contemporary players, and packs in key works by Foo Fighters, Slayer, Sublime, Kansas, John Lennon, Green Day and much more. Music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s and beyond provide a wide-ranging contemporary theme packing in works of all rock styles, making this a more extensive and detailed guitar tab book than competitors. Any interested in rock guitar must have this in their collection.

The Song in You
LaDonna Gatlin
Health Communications Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757316227, $14.95, www.hcibooks.com

The Song in You: Finding Your Voice, Redefining Your Life comes from the sister of the acclaimed country music group The Gatlin Brothers and provides readers with an inspirational key to uncovering personal music potential. It blends Christian spirituality and insights with autobiography and musical passion, telling readers how to connect with their spiritual and musical sides. Part memoir, part music insights, part spiritual self-help, this is a recommendation for a wide audience and encourages finding your own voice and meaning in life.

Far From Over
Dalton Higgins
ECW Press
2120 Queen Street East, Suite 200
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4E 1E2
9781770410015, $16.95, www.ecwpress.com

FAR FROM OVER: THE MUSIC AND LIFE OF DRAKE offers a fine biographical survey of one of hip hop's fastest-rising stars who moved from being a Canadian actor to becoming a world-wide music sensation. Original interviews, research, and insights from author and hip hop expert Dalton Higgins probes Drake's success and provides a fine examination of his contributions to the field. Any music library strong in hip hop culture will welcome this survey.

Let Fury Have the Hour
Antonio D'Ambrosio
Nation Books
116 East 16th Street, 8th Floor, NY, NY 10003
9781568587202, $17.99, www.nationbooks.com

LET FURY HAVE THE HOUR: JOE STRUMMER, PUNK, AND THE MOVEMENT THAT SHOOK THE WORLD pairs essays, photos and more in a book covering an activist musician. Strummer died unexpectedly at age fifty in 2002: as front man for the Clash he wrote songs about the evils of capitalism and commented on racial justice, contributing to the rise of the punk rock movement that imbedded social commentary in a new musical form. Interviews, photos, lyrics and more contribute to an anthology documenting Joe Strummer's life and times in a top pick for any rock music holding.

Don't Eat the Yellow Snow
Marcus Kraft
BIS Publishers
Het Sieraad, Postjesweg 1
1057 DT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
9789063692889, $22.00, www.bispublishers.nl

Don't Eat the Yellow Snow lists over two hundred pop songs recommended for their inspiration when times get tough, and provides a pairing of key, hard-hitting and inspirational lines from selected songs with a full-page of one selected phrase for quick browsing and engrossing reading. This music collection provides notes on the song and its title should readers wish to pair the book's inspirations with a hearing of the entire song, but it serves a dual purpose here as a guide to the best inspiring music and a quick pick-me-up suitable for any looking for enlightenment and hope.

All You Need to Know About the Music Business, eighth edition
Donald S. Passman
Free Press
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
9781451682465, $32.00, www.simonandschuster.com

All You Need to Know About the Music Business appears in its eighth updated edition to provide the latest information on new business models from music streaming services to cloud lockers and new legal changes in digital rights, and comes from a veteran music lawyer who uses his rare experience and the latest industry trends to update his book about the entire industry. This latest update covers best practices and influences on the music industry and is a 'must have' pick for any musician who aspires to understand everything from selecting a music advisor to handling a record deal or copyright issues. Any music or business collection must have this latest update.

Turn it Up!
Ron Eckerman
Restless Artists
8666 Eagle Pointe Dr.
Knoxville, Tennessee 37931
9780984685905, $24.95, www.turnitupbook.com

Ron Eckerman was the tour manager for Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1976-77, and survived the plane crash which killed the band: his experiences and insights with the group explores life on the road, the band's rise to fame, and the characters of the band members as they embarked on what would prove the last tour of their lives. Chapters in TURN IT UP! LOVE, LIFE, AND DEATH, SOUTHERN STYLE come steeped with personal observations and experiences, offering a bow to music history in general, Southern culture, and the rock sound of Lynyrd Skynard in particular. The result is a fine memoir highly recommended for any rock music library.


The Photography Shelf

Photocraft
Susan Tuttle and Christy Hydeck
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
700 East State Street, Iola WI 54945
9781440318702, $24.99, www.createmixedmedia.com

Photography and crafts collections alike will find many approaches to tweaking photos with PHOTOCRAFT: CREATIVE MIXED-MEDIA AND DIGITAL APPROACHES TO TRANSFORMING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS. It blends mixed media and photography, pairing Adobe's Photoshop Elements with step-by-step instructions for making photographic adjustments. From creating artistic-looking matte painting photos to faux foil transfer processes and shooting through found materials, this gathers the experiences and artistic approaches of a variety of photographers to make for an outstanding collection suitable for photography and crafter's collections alike.

Instamatics
Anthony Lopez
Twin Palms Publishers
PO Box 10229, Santa Fe, NM 87504
9781931885942, $75.00, www.twinpalms.com

Instamatics provides a powerful and unique compilation of Anthony Lopez's pictures from the 1970s: most of which have never been published and which will be surprising to those already familiar with the drawings for which he's so noted. This isn't just a collection of individual photos but focuses on the sequence shots he took of individuals, presenting all in an oversized collection of full color pages and representing the photo album pictorial approach Lopez cultivated in his work. The result is a fine, highly recommended collection that will prove a key acquisition for any photography collection and many a general arts holding already strong in Lopez's more familiar illustration work.

Photoshop Elements 11 All-in-One For Dummies
Barbara Obermeier and Ted Padova
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118408223, $39.99, www.wiley.com

Photoshop Elements 11 All-in-One For Dummies teaches the basics of editing photos for fine results, and considers the basic Elements environment, tools, menus, and images. From working with masks and filters to adding words to pictures and touching up using Brush and Pencil tools, this comes packed with color images and screen shots throughout, covering everything from the basics to more advanced photo applications. Any user of Photoshop Elements 11 will find this a 'must have' survey.

The Sony Alpha NEX-7
Carol F. Roullard and Brian Matsumoto
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781937538118, $34.95, www.rockynook.com

The Sony Alpha NEX-7: The Unofficial Quintessential Guide packs insights with tips and techniques in a manual on the features and capabilities of the camera. It considers operations, buttons, dials, and menus and is packed with color screenshots and examples of photo results throughout, with color sidebars of at-a-glance quick reference information. The structure and layout lends to either thorough reading or quick consultation, making this a 'must' for any owner of the Sony Alpha NEX-7 who wants to get up to speed quickly with their new acquisition and its many capabilities.

Backdrops and Backgrounds
Ryan Klos
Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200
Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
9781608955367, $39.95, www.amherstmedia.com

Backdrops and Backgrounds: A Portrait Photographer's Guide provides a fine survey of how to use studio backdrops and designs to make the most of a portrait session. Portrait photographers receive a specific guide to handling backdrops and their issues, from wrinkles and storage to designing one's own backdrop, using digital backdrops, and working on location. Chapters show how to make creative design choices under all conditions, and make for a fine set of guidelines for photographers looking to move to the next level of success.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Postmodern Sacred
Emily McAvan
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786463886, $40.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

THE POSTMODERN SACRED: POPULAR CULTURE SPIRITUALITY IN THE SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY AND URBAN FANTASY GENRES is for any college-level collection strong in science fiction analysis, and considers how pop culture spirituality is used in fantasy to impart secondhand experiences of belief. From Buffy and Xena on television to the new age messages of The DaVinci Code and more, this blends media culture insights with discussions of spirituality and how the religious experience translates in both modern culture and fantasy writings and images. From the cultural logic of postmodern Christianity to the role of gods and monsters in the postmodern mythos, this is a powerful survey recommended for spirituality, science fiction and scholarly holdings alike.

One for the Books
Joe Queenan
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780670025824, $24.95, www.pengun.com

ONE FOR THE BOOKS provides a fine literary guide from a humorist who recounts reviews, books, and how he became a voracious reader as a means of escaping childhood sadness. His lifelong defense of the book and his observation of book world politics, ironies, and trends makes for an involving survey that discusses everything form literary projects assessing his own eclectic reading choices to rescuing library books doomed to be eliminated due to lack of readership. It's a lively, fun and highly recommended survey for any who love books and want a lively discussion of the process of reading them.

Between Page and Screen
Kiene Brillenburg Wurth, Editor
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823239061, $35.00, www.fordham.edu

Between Page and Screen: Remaking Literature Through Cinema and Cyberspace provides a fine documentation of the rapid changes affecting print culture stemming from the influences of and transition to digital culture, and specifically explores interactions between print media and screen-based translations over the years. Chapters consider how new media actually stimulates interest in the printed word, and draw important connections between screen adaptations and literary representation. Any film studies or literary collection needs this fine analysis.

My Ideal Bookshelf
Jane Mount
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780376200905, $24.99, www.littlebrown.com

MY IDEAL BOOKSHELF pairs art by Jane Mount with edited contributions by Hollywood personalities, writers, chefs and musicians and more, and reflects an invitation to select a small sample of books that formed contributor identities, influenced their lives, and became personal favorites. The artistically drawn spines of these selections accompany lovely literary reflections on the power of the written word, reflecting a love of writing, books, and book displays and promoting browsing and inspirational reading. The short first-person essays from interviews accompany Jane Mount's lovely paintings in this winning gathering recommended for literary and arts libraries alike.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Solids, Stripes, Circles and Squares
Pippa Eccles Armbrester
Martingale
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604682045, $24.99, www.shopmartingale.com

Solids, Stripes, Circles and Squares: 16 Modern Patchwork Quilt Patterns provides a fun guide to modern quilting and teaches the basics of pairing colors with simple shapes. Some sixteen projects feature bright geometric motifs and show how to use applique and other techniques to move from quilting to making home embellishments. This focus on bright geometrics makes for a lovely gathering packed with color photos and easy instructions throughout.

First-Time Quiltmaking
Landauer Editors
Landauer Publishing
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726234, $21.95, www.landauer.com

First-Time Quiltmaking: Learning to Quilt in Six Easy Lessons covers all the beginning basics from selecting and preparing fabric to sewing seams and making the quilt, and offers four very simple projects newcomers can readily learn from. The step-by-step instructions pair color photos throughout with diagrams for learning to quilt and teaches the accompanying tricks and tips that make for polished, professional-looking results. A 'must' for any would-be quilter faced with an onslaught of titles directed to those with prior experience, this will serve as an outstanding introduction.


The Gardening Shelf

The Intelligent Gardener
Steve Solomon with Erica Reinheimer
New Society Publishers
Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC, Canada, V0R 1X0
9780865717183, $19.95, www.newsociety.com

The Intelligent Gardener: Growing Nutrient-Dense Food reviews nutrient density and organic agricultural pursuits, offering a primer on basic soil chemistry and how a home gardener can work with it to satisfy their specific gardening needs. From an inexpensive, easy home soil test to debunking common misconceptions fostered by convention and organic gardening movements alike, this is packed with keys to understanding what makes for healthy soil and foods, and how to work with it for maximum benefit. Any agriculture or home gardening library will find this an accessible, popular lend.

Sow Simple
Christina Symons and John Gillespie
Harbour Publishing
Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
9781550175745, $29.95, www.harbourpublishing.com

SOW SIMPLE: 100+ Green and Easy Projects to Make Your Garden Awesome provides a gardening philosophy that focuses on simplicity alone, and comes from horticultural explorers who have built an ecological garden on their own property, and who share their unique approaches to simple gardening from plant selection to transplanting and handling garden pests. From using a garden's bounty in the home to repurposing materials and attempting projects such as building a cold frame or planting a bulb basket, this is packed with fresh and new ideas for step-by-step garden projects and invites all kinds of gardeners to become involved in simple projects. Any collection appealing to home gardeners will find this inspirational.


The Homeowner's Shelf

Prepper's Home Defense
Jim Cobb
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
9781612431154, $15.95, www.ulyssespress.com

Prepper's Home Defense: Security Strategies to Protect Your Family by Any Means Necessary offers homeowners a fine plan for implementing a home defense system, from establishing parameter defense lines to fortifying the house, building a safe room, and understanding firearms and combat techniques. It comes from a disaster-readiness expert who has been a preparer for most of his life, and shows how to establish a disaster preparedness plan that incorporates security, basic survival needs, and protection of family and home. Any concerned with civilization failing by whatever manner will find this invaluable!


The Railroading Shelf

Each A Glimpse
Colin Gifford
Ian Allen Publishing
12 Ethel Street, Birmingham, England, B2 4BG
9780711035294, L30.00, www.ianallanpublishing.com

Each a Glimpse provides a gorgeous collection of steam train photos from the last days of steam in England and also captures the presence of the trains in everyday life, from railway line crossings and train spotters to country branch lines. This book was first published in 1970 when steam trains were still current memories: forty years later the original images are even stronger, and provide fine testimony on the vanished world of the steam train and its accompanying culture.


The California Shelf

Claire Ange
M.A. Kirkwood
Spirit Star Press
c/o 1031 Greenwich St. #1
San Francisco, CA, 94133
9780985237905, $16.00, spiritspress@mail.com

Claire Ange is a novel for the older teen (i.e. 16 and up) to adult readers; but that doesn't imply its readership should be limited by any means: it's a humorous yet complex story of courage and parallel lives immersed in New Orleans culture and steeped with spiritual and social undertones, making it a novel that would appeal to anyone who loves good storytelling-- be they 16 or 85. The plot seems simple: Claire is a teen struggling to finish a prestigious, all-girls' high school while at odds with her mother, a wicked and selfish person who finds no good in her daughter - and who eventually banishes Claire from the house in the absence of their father. Now homeless, Claire must find within her the resolve to finish her schooling, identify a future, and survive with virtually no income and only a few resources. These resources include not only a jocular and droll nun who encourages Claire's love of music but a lively, amusing sidekick best friend, Darva Jean (who defies her own mistrustful mother to help Claire stay off the streets and locate a new place to call home) and a secret admirer in the form of a benevolent and admiring spirit who watches over Claire and at times provides small pushes of assistance to help her meet her goals. Claire is filled with both promise and concurrent struggles and the spirit force that lovingly watches over her offers many insights into her progress and path even as it reflects on its own puzzling existence: "I believe it's best that I inform you that while our girl is making the best of things, courageously showing her more frolicsome side to her companion... she is completely hiding her truest anguish and sorrow deep inside of her lovely being." As Claire embarks on a journey of survival and self-discovery that will ultimately point the way to her future life, so the ethereal observing spirit unravels the meaning of its own existence and why it is still on Earth as an observer inexplicably connected to Claire instead of embarking further on its own journey. The presence of two narrative voices side by side with different perspectives and insights - one told in the third person, the other in the second person - lends depth and complexity plus a solid spiritual overtone to Claire Ange that gently weaves the interconnected destinies of two entities to an ultimate link that is delightfully unexpected at novel's end. On the face of it Claire Ange is about an abused girl who rises above her circumstances. Underlying this basic premise is so much more: spiritual insight, the interconnectedness of history past, present and future, and the lives of strangers who intersect, become changed by their encounters, and through these connections move forward to new levels of being. A humorous tone permeates throughout, as Claire and her spirit-observer encounter an array of colorful characters as they make their respective journeys. This, and the rich tapestry for self-discovery for both, makes for an engrossing and memorable read. Having two related narratives (one observing, one experiencing) enhances a rich story steeped in mystery and discovery; all presented against the rich backdrop of Mardi Gras season in New Orleans and making Claire Ange a top recommendation for a vast readership: basically, anyone looking for a spiritually complex story of evolution and change.

Tahoe
Ann Marie Brown
Moon Handbooks
1700 - 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781612383415, $17.99, www.moon.com

Moon's TAHOE provides tools to make choices for the trip, from sights and activities to restaurants, accommodations, and ideas on how to structure various kinds of trips based on desires. From North or South Shore getaways and outdoors opportunities for avid hikers or ski buffs to top recommendations the whole family can enjoy, this covers everything from campgrounds to hotels and includes maps and all the information needed for destination-bound, independent travelers to organize a trip!

Hands Through Stone
James A. Ardaiz
Craven Street Books
c/o Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
9781610351294, $24.95, www.cravenstreetbooks.com

Hands Through Stone: How Clarence Ray Allen Masterminded Murder from Behind Folsom's Prison Walls is a recommendation for general-interest, biography and true crime collections alike but is reviewed here for its special interest to any California history holding. It focuses on the murderer of three young people in rural Fresno in 1980, killed execution-style by a man who was a convicted murderer already behind the walls of Folsom Prison. It focuses on the Fran's Market murders and their mastermind, probing the world of the last man executed in California and written by one of the first investigators on the scene, and the prosecutor who built the case against Clarence Ray Allen. A riveting true rime account any California library will find engrossing!


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

Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design