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California Bookwatch

Volume 9, Number 7 July 2014 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Social Issues Shelf Music Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Computer Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Science Shelf Military Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Education Shelf Biography Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf
California Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

The Big Tiny
Dee Williams
Blue Rider Press
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.us.penguingroup.com
9780399166174, $26.95, www.theblueriderpress.com

THE BIG TINY: A BUILT-IT-MYSELF MEMOIR is all about building a home from scratch - all 84 square feet of it - and includes insights on small-sale living and simplicity as well as building. Lest one think this comes from a handyman; think again: THE BIG TINY comes from a woman diagnosed ten years ago with congestive heart failure, who once had an expensive three-bedroom house and a stressful job needed to support it. her decision to move to a 'tiny house' involved much research, planning, and construction and will serve as an outstanding inspirational read to any; especially women who aspire to small-scale living and 'DIY' efforts.

Long Mile Home
Scott Helman and Jenna Russell
Dutton
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10014-3657
9780525954484, $27.95, www.penguin.com

LONG MILE HOME: BOSTON UNDER ATTACK, THE CITY'S COURAGEOUS RECOVERY, AND THE EPIC HUNT FOR JUSTICE appears a year after tragedy and tells of the April 2013 shocking events that killed and maimed athletes participating in the Boston Marathon. It follows events of the week through the eyes of Boston reporters who were at the forefront, and it uses the experiences of five principal characters - a police officer, a lost daughter, a survivor, a trauma surgeon and the marathon director to offer different experiences and perspectives of the event. The result is a powerful survey of the emotionally-wrenching moments following disaster - and the long recovery that ensued. No social issues or general lending library should be without this reminder of adversity, terrorism, courage and sadness.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Bordeaux: The Bitter Finish
Janet Hubbard
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781464201523, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

Bordeaux: The Bitter Finish tells of a thirty-year-old NYPD detective, Max Maguire, who returns to France as a bodyguard to a famous American wine critic - until she turns up dead in her hotel room. Now it's up to Max to team up with a French investigator to find the cause of her death and locate a precious bottle of wine that has gone missing at the same time. It's an investigation which leads straight into the heart of Bordeaux society and winery concerns in this fast-paced, riveting mystery that immerses readers from beginning to end.

Field of Prey
John Sandford
Putnam
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780399162381, $28.95, www.penguin.com

The night after the fourth of July, Layton Carlson Junior is about to get lucky, picking the perfect spot to lose his virginity to his girlfriend. An abandoned farmyard seems like a good idea - only something smells really bad; and when the police investigate, it's to find an amazing number of bodies - fifteen or more. And the victims have been killed over the years, one every summer. There's only one way this could have happened: the killer lives nearby. Field of Prey revolves around a detective's determination to track down a perp against all odds, and makes for an engrossing horror story with a satisfying, slowly-building story line recommended for fans of novels and horror reading alike!

Murder in Murray Hill
Victoria Thompson
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425260425, $25.95, www.penguin.com

MURDER IN MURRAY HILL provides an excellent 'gaslight mystery' set in 19th century New York City and continues a popular mystery series revolving around midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy. Here the couple are involved in tracking down a predator who uses ads to attract lonely women, who then vanish. No single woman is safe in the city, and it's up to Sarah and Frank to get at the heart of a mystery that involves New York City's most dangerous secrets. A fine murder mystery evolves, steeped in Victorian culture and tradition.


The Fiction Shelf

Bridge to Haven
Francine Rivers
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414368184, $25.99, www.tyndalefiction.com

Francine Rivers uses the parable of the Prodigal Son as the basis for her story set in 1950s Hollywood, telling of star Lena's rise to fame and a pastor and his son who have raised her and watched over her. Hollywood's draw would seem to threaten their efforts, as Abra becomes preoccupied with fame and loses track of her roots and what gives her life purpose and meaning. It will take a miracle to turn her head around and lead her back to a good life, and this progress is described here in a novel filled with gripping insights and religious inspection. Christian readers will find it an engrossing story of evolution and change.

The Serpent of Venice
Christopher Moore
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780061779763, $26.99, www.harpercollins.com

The Serpent of Venice provides a Venetian gothic satire returning to readers one Pocket of Dog Snogging, the hero of Fool, and a fun spoof on Shakespeare and Poe. Here are plots, scoundrels who often fail at being scoundrels, romances and murder, revenge, and much more. Especially recommended for literary readers who will readily recognize the allusions, this is a spoof of high order and worthy of attention for any prior fan of Christopher Moore. The scenarios are outrageous and absolutely hilarious!

Sanctuary
G. Michael Hopf
Plume
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780142181515, $15.99, www.penguin.com

SANCTUARY: A POSTAPOCALYPTIC NOVEL is actually Book 3 of the 'New World' series, and covers the months facing survivors of a super-EMP attack which changes the face of America. Major cities are run by gangs, survivors are dying, and there is no government control. Most of all, those who did plan to be survivors find their plans put to the test - and there are a handful, such as Gordon and his family, who seek not only to re-establish a sense of home, but restore the nation. Their search for sanctuary for both purposes makes this novel an engrossing recommendation even for newcomers unfamiliar with the prior books.

The Lost
Sara Beth Durst
Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road
Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9780778317111, $14.95, www.harlequin.com

THE LOST tells of Lauren, who receives some bad news about her mother's health and, struggling to cope, takes an impulsive drive into the middle of nowhere - and off the edge of the world. Her encounter with a small town called Lost introduces her to very odd inhabitants - and reveals that any who enter the town cannot leave until they find what they have lost. All this provides impetus to more closely examine her relationship with her mother - before it's too late. Be forewarned: this is first in a trilogy, introducing setting and world but leaving the story open for further changes and encounters.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Target
David Baldacci
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781478952480, $40.00, www.hachetteaudio.com

THE TARGET appears unabridged in audio, receives a fine reading by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy, and centers around a president who is faced with a dangerous choice: order a high-risk assignment that can take down a global menace, or which will bring him impeachment and more danger if it fails. One team has the power to succeed: Wil Robie and partner Jessica Reel, who are the best assassins in the industry. But can even their matched powers succeed against the impossible when their own loyalties lie in question? A powerful thriller evolves.


The Social Issues Shelf

The Transport System and Transport Policy: An Introduction
Bert Van Wee, Jan Anne Annema and David Banister, Editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9780857936890, $160.00, www.e-elgar.com

College-level readers seeking a multidisciplinary introduction into transport systems will find this a solid introduction on how transport impacts people and businesses alike. It's a textbook written for an international readership of undergrads and postgrad students in transport sciences as well as policy-makers, and here discusses the impact of transport on all kinds of social issues. From policies related to transport choices and evaluation to links between different infrastructures in transport, this offers technical chapters that cover traffic flow theory, accessibility issues, transport futures, land use issues and much more. Highly recommended as an excellent and detailed college-level study!


The Music Shelf

Strange Beautiful Music
Joe Satriani & Jake Brown
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400
Dallas, TX 75204
9781939529640, $24.95, www.benbellabooks.com

Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir takes readers behind the scenes of pop/rock music star guitar legend Joe Satriani, charting his rise to become a star and the making of many of his classics, and is a pick for any popular music collection. Packed with previously unpublished photos and hours of interviews, this offers all kinds of insider details about his music associations, offering an unprecedented, intimate look at his life and times and musical influences. The result is a powerful saga especially recommended for fans of rock music guitar.

A Voice Undefeated
Collin Raye
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586178178, www.ignatius.com

A Voice Undefeated details what it's like to be a Christian country music singer, and is a recommendation for Christian and country music fans alike. In his story Raye charts his rise in the industry, his childhood and coming of age, and how he became an advocate for the sick and disabled after his nine-year-old daughter's death from an undiagnosed neurological disorder. How does one keep faith - and one's musical career - against all odds? This is a passionate musical autobiography and is a pick for any music collection!

Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation
Heather Augustyn
Scarecrow Press Inc.
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9780810884496, $45.00, www.rowman.com

Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation belongs in any popular music history collection and considers the genre of ska and its evolution from Afro-Caribbean roots to England and the U.S. Ska holds the roots of reggae, punk, and pop music to its credit, and here is a history of these roots, from ska's first emergence in Jamaica as a fusion form to its evolution as a genre connecting countries. Ska reflected and exposed social issues and it promoted unity: Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation discusses important connections in the process of showing how ska is linked to social issues. As such, it's a recommendation for music and social issues shelves alike!

Mandolin Exercises for Dummies
Don Julin
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118769539, $22.99, www.fordummies.com

Any who would learn to play mandolin will find this an important key to success: a guide packed with hundreds of exercises in various keys and positions, drills for practicing scales, and guidelines to understanding chords, scales, and more. An audio download includes over two hours of exercises and songs from this book, while reviews of basic mandolin playing techniques and plenty of practice sessions provide everything beginners need to become proficient quickly. The chatty, easy and specific format makes for an outstanding and encouraging guide!

Nirvana FAQ
John D. Luerssen
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
9781617134500, $24.99, www.halleonardbooks.com

NIRVANA FAQ: ALL THAT'S LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT BAND OF THE 1990s is a fine pick for any collection strong in popular music in general and Nirvana in particular. From the band's rocky beginnings to how it evolved to achieve international rock star status, this covers the musicians, their evolution, Cobain's suicide in 1994, and Nirvana's ongoing influence on today's rock sound. Any interested in rock music stories will find NIRVANA FAQ loaded with intriguing facts.

Shining Star
Philip Bailey
Keith and Kent Zimmerman
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780670785889, $27.95, www.viking.com

SHINING STAR: BRAVING THE ELEMENTS OF EARTH, WIND & FIRE provides a fine memoir from the lead singer of the band and follows the band's rise and musical challenges. Author Philip Bailey joined EWF's second lineup in 1972, and experienced Maurice White's guidance which introduced spirituality and mysticism to the band. The rise of Bailey's own vocal powers and his experience with the heyday of Earth, Wind and Fire's musical success makes for a powerful story highly recommended for any follower of the band and its evolution, and for any rock music history collection.


The Cookbook Shelf

Ms. American Pie
Beth Howard
Race Point Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781937994686, $28.00, www.racepointpublishing.com

Ms. American Pie: Buttery Good Pie Recipes and Bold Tales from the American Gothic House comes from an author and baker who has been baking at California's Malibu Kitchen for many celebrities. Her collection features some 80 of her special recipes along with stories of how she took her pies from coast to coast in an RV - some 240 of them - and drive from Iowa to Connecticut. Don't expect your typical discussions here: chapters range from 'Pies to Heal' to 'Pies to Compete in the Iowa State Fair and include a healthy dose of the author's philosophy of pie baking as well as her unique recipes. Highly recommended for any baker and any dessert collection!

Dirty Food
Carol Hilker
Ryland Peters & Small
519 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10012
9781849754910, $24.95, www.rylandpeters.com

DIRTY FOOD offers some sixty-five recipes for "the best worst food you'll ever eat", pairs those with lovely color photos by Peter Cassidy, and presents a range of appealing dishes, from a Pork Chops and Baked Apple to Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Many of these dishes are deemed 'dirty' because they're wild, delicious variations of traditional themes - yet remain tops in the comfort food category. This collection is a fine survey highly recommended for any who want new variations on familiar, beloved themes from coleslaw to chicken!

America's Test Kitchen: The TV Companion Cookbook 2014
America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen Publishers
9781936493593, $34.95, www.ameriastestkitchentv.com

America's Test Kitchen: The TV Companion Cookbook 2014 offers home cooks a look at the fine art of recipe development and testing, presenting a collection that includes all recipes featured on the TV show and more. 'The Science Desk' explains how each recipe succeeds or fails, 'variations' provides different options for cooks, kitchen notes offer tips for added success or embellishments, and black and white and color photos throughout complete the process. No aspiring cook will want to be without this fine collection of recipes and insights on the art and science of cooking.

Butchering Beef
Adam Danforth
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781612121833, $24.95, www.storey.com

BUTCHERING BEEF joins its companion reference BUTCHERING POULTRY, RABBIT, LAMB, GOAT, AND PORK to provide a solid reference from a professional butcher who here describes each stage of the butchering process for beef, from killing the animal humanely to dressing and cooling its carcass and breaking down the meat. Discussions of food safety, tools, butchering options and more accompany clear, step-by-step photos and insights highly recommended for any who would better understand the process for home production and small farm management.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Would You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree?
Anne Maxwell, LCSW, et.al.
Access Consciousness Publishing
www.accessconsciousnesspublishing.com
9781939261502, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Would You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree? A Different take on Kids with ADD, ADHD, OCD, and Autism takes quite a different perspective than the view that there's something wrong with kids who learn differently. The idea here is that educators and parents need to work with this difference, not try to teach via mainstream methods - and chapters support and present these methods, combining the insights of child and play and family therapist Anne Maxwell, LCSW, RPT-S with those of co-writers author Gary Douglas and International speaker and workshop coordinator Dr. Dain Heer. From how to work with kids who have spherical awareness patterns to developing a stance of allowing people to be who they are, this book promotes positions of strength, understanding, and flexibility in working with kids who think and perceive outside the box. The 'different take' here is more than idealism: concrete techniques are supported by case history examples to promote understanding and new paths of communication and education. Very highly recommended for any working with kids on the autism spectrum and children who learn differently.

Public Health Administration, second edition
Lloyd F. Novick, Cynthia B. Morrow, and Glen P. Mays
Jones & Bartlett Learning
5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA 01803
www.jblearning.com
9780763738426, $165.00, www.jbpub.com

The second updated edition of Public Health Administration: Principles for Population-Based Management provides a fine survey gathering writings from top industry leaders and reviewing the latest issues for new and experienced public health administrators alike, and is a special pick for any college-level collection. From epidemics ranging around natural disasters and emerging new diseases to population health changes and changing public health systems, this incorporates the latest research and includes new chapters, completely revised chapters with new guidelines for strategic planning, and new reports and findings reflecting major changes in health agency management at different levels of government and private sector involvement. The result is a comprehensive and detailed survey any public health administrator will need.

Honey in Traditional and Modern Medicine
Laid Boukraa, Editor
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781439840160, $139.95, www.crcpress.com

College-level health collections strong in pharmaceutical science and alternative medicine will find Honey in Traditional and Modern Medicine a specific, clear discussion of the medical uses of honey, and will want to include this in any health holding. From honey's chemical composition and healing properties to its botanical origins, description, and other qualities, chapters survey medicine uses and review its many beneficial effects, and provide an excellent overview filled with technical studies and references. A 'must' for any health holding.

Joyous Childbirth Changes the World
Dr. Tadashi Yoshimura
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
9781609805241, $16.95, www.sevenstories.com

Joyous Childbirth Changes the World presents a doctor's view of childbirth and comes from an internationally acclaimed obstetrician who considers the power and truth of birth. Yoshmura describes babies born in joy and how they transformed mother and child alike, describing the natural process of childbirth and discussing a compassionate birth culture that holds potential for transforming lives. It's a fine testimony to meeting the needs of women through their pregnancy and birth and makes for a wonderful, joyful celebration of the process.

Athlete, Not Food Addict
Daniel Kirschenbaum
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882824642, $15.95, www.newhorizonpress.com

Athlete, Not Food Addict teaches the basics of losing weight permanently and comes from the president of Wellspring, a provider of treatment services for overweight young people and families. Here he argues that weight watchers can overcome obesity by adopting athlete strategies: chapters discuss the addictive nature of foods, how to become a "weight controller athlete", and how to achieve permanent weight loss. A 'must' for any interested in better food management!

Traumatic Childbirth
Cheryl Tatano Beck, et.al.
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, NY, NY 10017-9209
9780415678100, $44.95, www.routledge.com

Traumatic Childbirth goes beyond the usual discussion of postpartum depression to address the lasting impact of traumatic childbirth on new mothers, and gathers academic, clinical and personal stories under one cover to address the implications of such births. From mother and father perspectives to impacts on breastfeeding, subsequent births, and more, this offers health professionals a fine guide to the latest information and research covering traumatic childbirth, and is a 'must' for both health and women's issues collections alike.

Spirit Recovery Medicine Bag
Lee McCormick and Mary Faulkner
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
9780757317941, $14.95, www.hcibooks.com

SPIRIT RECOVERY MEDICINE BAG: A TRANSFORMATIONAL GUIDE FOR LIVING HAPPY, JOYOUS, AND FREE is all about self-help and growth, and is for any who feel limited by behavior and beliefs in life. Those who have questioned life's progress and opportunities will find this comes from veterans in the recovery process who believe that traditional therapies and self-help books too often focus on what is broken. In contrast, SPIRIT RECOVERY MEDICINE BAG is arranged around health and wholeness, and offers 12 step programs and insights on how real transformation is achieved. Health, mental health and spirituality collections alike will find this a powerful read.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Hope Rising
Scott C. Todd
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9780529101129, $15.99, www.thomasnelson.com

HOPE RISING: HOW CHRISTIANS CAN END EXTREME POVERTY IN THIS GENERATION is a call for action, and it provides a powerful account of Compassion International, a growing movement dedicated to ending extreme global poverty. Sound impossible? Actually, that goal is close to being reached: the numbers show that life is actually improving for many around the world. Chapters show what churches can do to fight poverty and how grassroots movements to help the poor are succeeding. It's a hope well needed and deserving of mention and recommendation, making Hope Rising a pick for Christian and social issues collections alike.

Resurrecting Jesus
Adyashanti
Sounds True
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
9781622030941, $25.95, www.soundstrue.com

RESURRECTING JESUS: EMBODYING THE SPIRIT OF A REVOLUTIONARY MYSTIC comes from a spiritual teacher who invites readers to understand how the story of Jesus can change lives, and provides an invitation to rediscover the life and teachings of Jesus in a new way: as a path to spiritual awakening. Jesus was focused on uniting his world and people: RESURRECTING JESUS considers this focus and how he represented enlightenment and change in his world, following his life from birth to the Resurrection to detail how key events in Jesus' life parallel spiritual awakening processes.

Jesus or Nothing
Dan DeWitt
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
9781433540462, $10.99, www.crossway.org

Jesus or Nothing is all about the choices of young adults and believers and documents the young people leaving the Christian faith and why their perceptions are misconceived. Author Dan DeWitt invites readers to consider the choice between Jesus and the nothingness of a godless universe, maintaining that there are only two worldviews in conflict and exploring why God is conspicuously present, not absent. It's a powerful contention any Christian reader will find thought-provoking.

Something Other Than God
Jennifer Fulwiler
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586178826, $22.95, www.ignatius.com

Something Other Than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness and Accidentally Found It is a memoir of a spiritual journey and tells of a young woman who has everything: a good job, a happy marriage, and a lush life. Raised in a happy, atheist home, Jennifer would seem to have it all - but a growing darkness leads to a near-suicide and questions about everything she's believed in. Ultimately the path leads back to Christianity, the religion she gave up as a child: but this isn't the end of her journey. Faced again with a life-threatening change, Jennifer must make decisions that keep her aligned with her newfound faith. Christian readers will find her journey engrossing, making this a pick for any Christian spirituality holding.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

A Guide Book of United States Coins, 2015 edition
R.S. Yeoman
Whitman Publishing
4001 Helton Drive, Florence, Alabama, 35630
9780794842130, $16.95, www.whitman.com

The 68th, 2015 edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins updates a classic reference long used by collectors to identify and value their coins, and prices some 7,600 coins in up to nine grades each - some 32,500 valuations in total. The result is a fine survey that keeps current an essential coin collector's reference. This edition packs in nearly a hundred new coin issues and 13 new sets, offering the latest research on die varieties. The result is a top pick for any coin collector and for collections catering to them.

Blue Book of Gun Values
S.P. Fjestad
Blue Book Publications
8009 34th Avenue South, Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55425 U.S.A.
9781936120437, $54.95, www.bluebookofgunvalues.com

The 35th Anniversary Edition of Blue Book of Gun Values is out, and it's a 'must' for any who collect guns whether they be discontinued models or newer items. There have been many pricing updates on older models and this latest guide reflects these changes, packing over 2,500 pages with details on trademarks, manufacturers, gun model descriptions, and all the latest prices. Any who want a guide that covers both older models and new companies and products will find this a thorough, invaluable reference.

2015 U.S. Coin Digest, 13th Edition
David C. Harper, Editor
Krause Publications
c/o F+W Media
700 East State Street, Iola WI 54945
www.krausebooks.com
9781440240386, $17.99, www.shopnumismaster.com

The 13th updated edition of the 2015 U.S. Coin Digest offers an unusual color guide to all U.S. coin issues on the market, is compiled by those who make their living in the coin industry, and packs in over 2,000 photos to accompany the latest coin prices and details on coins from colonial to modern times. While it's made for the avid professional, beginners will find it accessible also, with its discussions of coin grades, mint sets, coins to Hawaii and other territories, and errors.


The Computer Shelf

Scaling Networks Lab Manual
Cisco
Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9781587133251, $40.00, www.ciscopress.com

Scaling Networks Lab Manual is highly recommended as the only authorized lab manual for the Cisco Networking Academy Scaling Networks course in the CCNA Routing and Switching curriculum, and contains all the labs and class activities needed for the course. Students will find this an excellent survey filled with workbook pages, explorations of subjects from wireless implementations and configuration processes to troubleshooting connectivity issues, and more, and will appreciate the book's clear and step-by-step processes.

Functional Programming in Java
Venkat Subramaniam
Pragmatic Programmers
2831 Eldorado Parkway, #103-381
Frisco, TX 75033-7438
9781937785468, $33.00, www.pragprog.com

Functional Programming in Java: Harnessing the Power of Java 8 Lambda Expressions is edited by Jacquelyn Carter and provides programmers with a quick survey of the new Java 8 language features and style and how to use them to create better code. Chapters cover Lambda expressions from their syntax to expressions, offering reviews of techniques to implement designs unique to Java 8 and showing how to streamline its features. The result is an excellent recommendation for any Java programmer who wants an introduction to the next level.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Communing with the Divine
Barbara Y. Martin and Dimitri Moraitis
Jeremy P. Tarcher
c/o Penguin Group, USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014-3657
9780399167744, $17.95, www.tarcherbooks.com

Communing with the Divine: A Clairvoyant's Guide to Angels, Archangels, and the Spiritual Hierarchy is a recommendation for spirituality and new age readers and comes from authors who explore the art of communing with celestial beings, based on Martin's clairvoyant experiences. Chapters offer a blend of self-help guidebook and training manual, pairing illustrations of such beings with discussions of techniques to call on archangels, ways of using information gained from them, how to understand spiritual protection and the influence of evil, and meditations to access celestial realms. The result is an inspirational read highly recommended for any new age collection.

The High Magic of Talismans & Amulets
Claude Lecouteux
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781620552797, $24.95, www.innertraditions.com

The High Magic of Talismans & Amulets: Tradition and Craft provides a fine study of the use of talismans and amulets in Western mystical traditions and uses the author's own collection of medieval manuscripts and his access to the rare book archives of major European universities to provide a complete history of talismans and amulets and all their various uses in both Eastern religion and Western scenarios. Chapters explore the magic behind amulets, consider astrology and rituals designed to evoke their powers, and explores the works of adepts from Agrippa to modern times. Illustrations of magical symbols and amulets complete the in-depth history, recommended for new age and history readers.

Transcendental Meditation in America
Joseph Weber
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
9781609382353, $18.00, www.uiowapress.org

Transcendental Meditation in America: How a New Age Movement Remade a Small Town in Iowa covers the past, present and future of transcendental meditation in this country, although it provides a narrowed focus on an Iowa small town and tells how two thousand followers of the 1960s icon Maharishi Mahesh Yogi moved to tiny Fairfield and set up a university and a school for other ages, allowing followers to immerse themselves in TM from toddlerhood through adulthood. While today the guru Yogi is dead and his followers are aging, the movement still remains - and it's up to TM to change with the times. By examining the changes TM brought to a tiny Midwestern town, professor Weber provides an important historical document key to any student of Midwest history and culture in a title recommended for new age and American history collections alike!


The Science Shelf

Science, Ideology and the Media
Ronald Fletcher
Transaction Publishers
10 Corporate Place South, Piscataway, NJ 08854
www.transactionpub.com
9781412852746, $29.95, www.transactionpub.com

Science, Ideology and the Media: The Cyril Burt Scandal crosses genres to appeal to a range of collections, from science history and media studies to psychology, and appears five years after the death of British scientist Sir Cyril Burt. This is written as a defense of Burt and also documents the effects of mass media on science, and the successful strategies of an invasion of scientific process that threatens intellectual authority and autonomy. The result is a specific examination of how an injustice has been done to Sir Cyril Burt - and also an expose of interpretation, scientific process, and errors. College-level students will find this an intriguing study.

To the Denmark Strait
Dallas Murphy
Burford Books
101 East State Street, #301, Ithaca, NY 14850
9781580801737, $35.00, www.burfordbooks.com

To the Denmark Strait: Oceanographers Search for a Mysterious Current deserves ongoing recommendation as an outstanding collection of photos by Rachel Fletcher and Sindre Skrede, paired with a DVD of videos by Ben Harden and cemented by a collaboration with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Its purpose is to explore the research and work of the research ship "Knorr", a vessel involved in oceanographic research in Iceland and Greenland, and its method of presenting the Knorr's journeys makes for a "you are there" feel throughout. Any with an interest in the science and process of oceanic research will love this pictorial representation of the look, feel, and process of the ocean-going craft. The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any science, nature, or nature photography library.

A Course in Mathematical Methods for Physicists
Russell L. Herman
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781466584679, $89.95, www.crcpress.com

A Course in Mathematical Methods for Physicists is a weighty, college-level study recommended for any advanced student of physics, and is based on the author's junior-level undergrad course. Intended as an introductory textbook for a course, this covers the physics of oscillations and waves and is packed with mathematical techniques and their applications for physics audiences. Expect formulas, classroom-tested explanations of functions and analysis processes, and coverage of everything from vector analysis to non-sinusoidal harmonics and transform techniques in a highly recommended, technical survey!


The Military Shelf

Shadow Warfare
Larry Hancock with Stuart Wexler
Counterpoint Books
1919 Fifth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1916
9781619022447, $30.00, www.counterpointpress.com

SHADOW WARFARE: THE HISTORY OF AMERICA'S UNDECLARED WARS covers the history of America's covert war activities, considering how covert actions have been authorized and practice and discussing techniques of deniability and cloaking devices. Deniable covert operations have a long history and have been ordered by every administration since World War II: they often rely on surrogate actions that reinforce the deniability. Chapters consider the patterns of operation, collateral damage, and a range of operations that Presidents historically kept secret from the world. From political insights to military operations, this is a solid reference that military, political science and history readers alike will find absorbing!

Operation Neptune 1944
Ken Ford
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
9781472802712, $21.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Operation Neptune 1944: D-Day's Seaborne Armada offers a new addition to Osprey's 'Campaign' series and covers the naval side of the D-Day Landings, providing a new account that documents the entire story fro a naval perspective. From engineering feats and the creation of special pipes and harbors to Allied forces from battleships to landers, this is packed with black and white photos, maps, and detailed descriptions of the assembly and deployment of naval forces, and is a top pick for any military or naval history holding.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity
Patricia Carlin
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
9781594746706, $12.95, www.quirkbooks.com

How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity: A Guide to Financial Freedom is all about using a feline for fun and profit, and features photos by Dustin Fenstermacher to accompany tips on how one's pet can become one's profit margin. Chapters are fun yet feature practical approaches to kitty stardom, from identifying a cat's unique talents or 'look' to filming and editing a 'viral video'. The result is a fine, fun survey highly recommended for any cat owner who has viewed Grumpy Cat with envy.

Touching the Wild
Joe Hutto
Skyhorse Publishing
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
9781626362130, $24.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

TOUCHING THE WILD: LIVING WITH THE MULE DEER OF DEADMAN GULCH comes from a naturalist who is known for his prior book Illumination in the Flatwoods which served as the foundation for the PBS Nature documentary series, and here turns to the mule deer, exploring its uncertain existence and natural history. Mule deer are normally fairly inaccessible to man, but thanks to one deer's curiosity the author was able to form a bond with the animal and gain unique insights into its habits. The result in TOUCHING THE WILD is an excellent, moving survey highly recommended for any natural history collection.


The Education Shelf

Let's Find Out!
Susan Kempton
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571109514, $28.00, www.stenhouse.com

Let's Find Out! Building Content Knowledge with Young Children includes online video links and comes from a kindergarten teacher who considers how to help children build strong content knowledge using a combination of their natural curiosity and tools from visuals to life experience. It surveys basic teaching principles and tells stories from her own diverse classroom that demonstrate how to impart concepts and use tools to help her children grow, and provides important keys educators can use to build their own quality classroom experiences. The result is a fine, specific guide perfect for teachers looking for alternative approaches.

Our School
Sam Chaltain
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
9780807755310, $26.95, www.tcpress.com

OUR SCHOOL: SEARCHING FOR COMMUNITY IN THE ERA OF CHOICE is a fine guide for educators who want specifics on what makes a good school, and describes the year the author spent at a traditional public school and a charter school in Washington, D.C. Chapters present the common success stories in both environments and show schools what's involved in making positive choices: the result is a powerful survey perfect for any school leader.

Moving & Learning: Toddlers
Rae Pica
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605542676, $24.95, www.redleafpress.org

Moving & Learning: Toddlers provides early educators with a physical education curriculum designed to teach movement to toddlers, and provides explanations and exercises revolving around creative movement. Fourteen lesson plans with four 30-minute activities per plan identify movement activities and their lessons, while an accompanying CD of original music adds life and interest to the ideas. A fine 'must' for any collection focused on toddler education and early learning!

Should I Go to Grad School?
Jessica Loudis, et.al., Editors
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781620405987, $18.00, www.bloomsbury.com

Should I Go to Grad School?: 41 Answers to an Impossible Question compiles essays about grad school and shares the writers' personal experiences about attending (or not attending) grad school. From dropouts and graduates to experiences of activists, philosophers, and more, this relates what graduate programs are really like, and shares personal insights and experiences you won't readily find in any grad school brochure. A 'must' for any who contemplate the pros and cons of grad school.

Making Preschool Inclusion Work
Anne Marie Richardson-Gibbs, MA and M. Klein, PhD
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598572117, $39.95, www.brookespublishing.com

Making Preschool Inclusion Work: Strategies for Supporting Children, Teachers, and Programs is all about taking preschool inclusion ideas and creating an effective network of teaches, students and approaches to making the concept of inclusion workable in the general classroom environment, and is a recommended pick for any educator interested in applied evidence-based research. From creating cost-effective and successful inclusion services to using the latest models to implement support systems, this is packed with concrete ideas and problem-solving techniques teachers will find key to creating successful programs.


The Biography Shelf

The Waiting
Cathy LaGrow with Cindy Coloma
Tyndale Momentum
c/o Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414391908, $19.99, www.tyndalemomentum.com

THE WAITING offers up the poignant and true story of a lost child and a mother who never gave up searching for her, and gathers decades of secret letters from a mother reflecting her perpetual agony wondering how her daughter is doing in life. As her reflection turns to an all-out search, readers follow her process, begun when she was raped by a stranger in the woods and following her search for God's insights along the way. The result is a title that blends autobiography with spiritual reflection and a vivid, true search that readers will find engrossing.

The Map of Enough
Molly Caro May
Counterpoint Press
1919 Fifth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1916
9781619021822, $24.00, www.counterpointpress.com

THE MAP OF ENOUGH follows the author and her fiance's move to 107 acres in Montana - which her family owns but rarely visits - and provides a rare glimpse into what it takes to build a traditional Mongolian yurt from scratch in an area that receives sub-zero temperatures (not your typical environmental setting for a bare-bones yurt). More than a story of building an adobe, it's about yurt life and its connections to nature and the elements, and offers keys to understanding the lure of a nomadic home that can be disassembled and moved at the blink of an eye. Any interested in mobile living and yurts will find this an inspirational, revealing autobiography packed with insights and encouragement.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Nuke 101, second edition
Ron Ganbar
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321984128, $64.99, www.peachpit.com

NUKE 101: PROFESSIONAL COMPOSITING AND VISUAL EFFECTS appears in its second updated edition to provide a complete guide to Nuke, and is a collection of advice and techniques from an expert compositor who offers a basic tutorial pairing real-world examples of applications with projects and discussions of tools for Nuke users. Beginning to advanced digital film and video manipulators will find this an excellent survey that covers everything from color correction to tracking, making for a powerful discussion of camera tracking techniques and various types of compositing. The result is fine survey for computer and film users alike.

The Art of the Documentary
Megan Cunningham
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321981929, $54.99, www.newriders.com

Whether you're a director or a cinematographer or producer, you'll find this a powerful guide that considers how nonfiction filmmaking works from initial idea to shooting, producing, editing and releasing the documentary. The Art of the Documentary is a recommendation for novices and professionals alike, pairing conversations with professional directors, cinematographers and more with keys to understanding the basics of producing a good documentary. This second updated edition includes black and white and color photos throughout as it explores important keys to filmmaking success.

Testimony
USC Shoah Foundation
Newmarket Press for IT Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022-5299
9780042285188, $35.00, www.harpercollins.com

TESTIMONY: THE LEGACY OF SCHINDLER'S LIST AND THE USC SHOAH FOUNDATION comes from the archives of the USC Shoah foundation, which holds over 50,000 video-recorded testimonies from Holocaust survivors and those of other genocides, and which has become a major reference for academics, libraries, schools and much more. In actually it holds two parts: it gathers production stills and interviews to bring to life the art and science of crafting Schindler's List, and it examines the challenges of director Steven Spielberg as he interacted with Holocaust survivors and was inspired to preserve their testimonies by creating the Foundation. It was a five-year plan to record some 50,000 testimonies in 58 countries and numerous languages: this lovely illustrated book is itself a testimony to the efforts of all involved, and should be in any film and social issues collection.

Dramatic Circumstances
William Wesbrooks
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781476623010, $24.99, www.applausebooks.com

Dramatic Circumstances: On Acting, Singing, and Living Inside the Stories We Tell comes from a director and educator who presents a new approach for singers and actors who want better techniques and insights on their work. Psychology blends with the author's background to provide a new process that allows performers to bring characters and songs to life. It's a structured process: expect specific chapters and guidelines in a resource that teaches the basics of empowering stories so audiences gain maximum emotional 'charge' from their drama experience. Dramatic Circumstances should be in any aspiring actor's collection!

The Metropolitan Opera Presents: Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte
Introduction by Peter Gelb
Amadeus Press
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781574674453, $18.99, www.amadeuspress.com

Having the complete libretto to cosi fan tutte will delight opera fans who will appreciate this latest addition to the Metropolitan Opera Presents Libretto Library Series, and includes not only the complete libretto but color images from Met productions and official program notes. An introduction by Peter Gelb, Met Opera General Manager, lends authority and insights to a fine survey packed with insights into Mozart's classic, covering the opera's greatest singers and their achievements. The result is essential for any classical music or opera fan who wants a notable book about this opera in their collection!


The California Shelf

Uninvited Neighbors
Herbert G. Ruffin II
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806144368, $34.95, www.oupress.com

UNINVITED NEIGHBORS: AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SILICON VALLEY, 1769-1990 provides an outstanding survey of African American protests and black power movements in California's Santa Clara Valley, and documents the state's evolving racial history in a study recommended for any California history collection and any collection strong in ethnic issues. From the Spanish era to modern times, this wide-ranging history of the Afro-American experience in the area offers a rare, new focus on their evolution and communities. There's really nothing like it on the market, making this a highly recommended, unique pick.

Shipwrecks of the California Coast
Michael D. White
The History Press
645 Meeting Street, Suite 200, Charleston, SC 29403
9781609499242, $19.99, www.historypress.net

Shipwrecks of the California Coast: Wood to Iron, sail to Steam is one of the most notable books on California's coastal history, and tells how over two thousand ships have been lost along its shoreline, from Spanish galleons to freighters, schooners and more. From a 1901 ship that sink in twenty minutes after hitting a rock off the shores of San Francisco to no less than seven U.S. Navy destroyers who all crashed in Southern California in 1923, chapters are filled with vintage black and white photos and accounts of ships that met their fates off California's coastline. The result is a powerful and fine survey, highly recommended for any California or nautical history collection.

Northern California's Redwood Coast
Mike White
Wilderness Press
2204 - 1st Avenue South, Suite 102
Birmingham, AL, 35233-2321
9780899077515, $18.95, www.wildernesspress.com

Northern California's Redwood Coast: Must-Do Hikes for Everyone packs in places to hike, bike or for family enjoyment, and is a pick for any outdoors enthusiast with special interest in the Northern California coastal counties of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte, which cover some of the most dramatic scenery and demanding habitats in the state. Author Mike White presents, in pocket-tote form, a guidebook packed with line maps, black and white photos, and specific descriptions of trailheads and terrain, outlining many possibilities that hikers might otherwise pass by. With its specifics on trail descriptions and accessibility by bicycle and foot, this is a 'must' planner for any who would hike in the region.


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


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