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California Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 5 May 2012 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Sports Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Political Science Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Audiobook Shelf Photography Shelf
Art Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Psychology Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Cookbook Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Islamic Studies Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Social Issues Shelf International Studies Shelf Computer Shelf
Business Shelf Travel Shelf World History Shelf
Education Shelf Humor Shelf Military Shelf
Criminology Shelf Science Shelf Biography Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Music Shelf
Nautical Shelf Gardening Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Crafts Shelf California Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

The Humane Vision of Wendell Berry
Mark T. Mitchell and Nathan Schlueter
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
1610170016, $29.95, www.isibooks.org

The Humane Vision of Wendell Berry comes form a poet, novelist, essayist and critic whose works have addressed all kinds of social and political issues from politics to farming and religion. This new book offers a diverse set of writing united around a humane, conservative vision and is assembled by two professors who offer a number of writers who critically engage Berry's ideas. Original contributions from Matt Bonzo, Mark Shiffman and others as well as a letter to Berry by novelist Wallace Stegner address Berry's writings and concerns and provide an excellent discourse on his concepts. Social issues, literary and political collections alike will find this a studied yet appealing read.

Let It Go
T.D. Jakes
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781416542797, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

LET IT GO: FORGIVE SO YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN explores "the art of forgiveness" and considers the basics of what it means to forgive and be forgiven. From spiritual insights on what constitutes the ritual of forgiveness to the author's own confrontations with forgiveness and how it helped change his life and career, this provides a fine survey packed with examples of different moments of forgiveness and their opportunity to transform. Any general lending library or psychology holding will find this an intriguing and inspirational self-help focus.

Snap: Seizing Your Aha! Moments
Katherine Ramsland
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616144647, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Snap: Seizing Your Aha! Moments provides a fine survey of flashes of inspiration and their sources, blending the latest neuroscience findings with applications of the 'snap' moment of discovery. Snaps are more than new ideas: they are insights plus momentum and compel action. Chapters review the scientific experiments studying the 'snap' and considers the habits that support action, making this a pick for business and science collections alike.

Rat Rods
Scotty Gosson
CarTech Books
39966 Grand Avenue
North Branch MN 55056
9781934709214, $29.95, www.cartechbooks.com

RAT RODS: RODDING'S IMPERFECT STEPCHILDREN is a fine recommendation for automotive and general holdings alike and provides a colorful set of photos and details following the rat rods of the 1990s: cars that were rough and ready hot rods designed for fun. These were built in the 1940s and 1950s on low budget and a desire for speed. Hot rod enthusiasts will find these intriguing rods receive attention in a series of modern color and vintage photos to accompany discussions of fabricators and fabrication shops that worked with them.

Rise of the Videogame Zinesters
Anna Anthropy
Seven Stories
148 Watts St., New York NY 10013
9781609803728, $14.95, www.sevenstories.com

Rise of the Videogame Zinesters is hard to easily categorize: part essay, part DIY guide, and part cultural inspection, it documents why the multi-billion dollar video game industry needs to change - and how new gamers can change it. This treatise is anti-corporate and anti-media production and negativity - and for the 'gamer' culture that hold the key to making digital games a cultural icon impacting our lives in new, vital ways. Activists, non-programmers and gamers outside the cultural mainstream can help foster a new game revolution - and Rise of the Videogame Zinesters documents the possible progression of this movement in a pick suitable for an alternative or public collection.

The Great American Cereal Book
Marty Gitlin & Topher Ellis
Abrams
115 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9780810997995, $19.95, www.abramsimage.com

The Great American Cereal Book: How Breakfast Got Its Crunch is a pick for culinary, arts and social studies collections alike and pairs vintage ads with essays discussing the origins of breakfast cereals in America. Breakfast cereal history and culture are discussed along with notable packaging and brads, offering behind-the-scenes discussions of how some of America's most popular cereals were created and marketed. Rare memorabilia combines with chatty fun facts that includes slogans, varieties, notable spokespeople, and fun facts.

Next Nature
Koert Van Mesnvoort and Hendrik-Jan Grievink
Actar D
575 Prospect St., Suite 301, Lakewood, NJ 08701
9788492861538, $49.95, www.actar-d.com

NEXT NATURE: NATURE CHANGES ALONG WITH US is packed with images that show nature and technology as compatible, considering the human urge to design and dictate the environment and considering the human race as the catalysts of evolution. With our urge to design and direct our environment comes the rising of new definitions of nature, from genetic changes to autonomous machinery and lovely new plants. From the emergence and makeup of wild systems to more humane technologies, this is packed with color, science, and art and is a top recommendation for science and nature and arts collections alike.

The Nature of Place
Avi Friedman
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781616890384, $19.95, www.papress.com

THE NATURE OF PLACE: A SEARCH FOR AUTHENTICITY is the result of the author's worldwide quest for successful environments where people congregate, and provides a survey of establishments ranging from public businesses to streets, neighborhoods and settlements. The focus on people-friendly places and what makes them so offers a diverse blend of travel writing and insights on architecture and community, making this a recommendation for arts and social issues as well as travel holdings.


The Sports Shelf

More Readings from One Man's Wilderness
John Branson, Editor
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
1606085541, $18.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

More Readings from One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke is a recommendation for any sports and outdoors collection, and comes from a modern Henry David Thoreau who built a cabin in Alaska during the spring of 1968. Thirty years of personal growth are documented by a woodcraftsman, nature observer, hiker and journalist who documents his life at Twin Lakes. MORE READINGS compiles writings from his journals and tells of encounters with animals, park visitors, and hiking experiences. It's edited by a longtime friend and park historian who has not changed or altered his friend's writings.


The Philosophy Shelf

The Myth of the Closed Mind
Ray Scott Percival
Open Court
70 East Lake St. #300, Chicago IL 60601
9780812696851, $49.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

The Myth of the Closed Mind: Understanding Why and How People Are Rational considers examples of irrationality and argues that they are compatible with rationality, here defined as the possibility of correcting error through reason and critical thinking. The history of reason and rationality is presented in a fine philosophical survey perfect for any collection serious about modern philosophical thinking.


The Political Science Shelf

Wars of Disruption and Resilience
Chris C. Demchak
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive
Athens GA 30602-4901
0820340677, $24.95, www.ugapres.org

Wars of Disruption and Resilience: Cybered Conflict, Power, and National Security is a pick for any collection strong in political and international affairs and debates an issue key to any discussion of security. It provides an assessment of the cyberfront of conflict and blends technological and security issues with stories to address the issues of the field. From the importance and vulnerability of technology in developed countries to what can be done to fortify information societies against cyber criminals, this is a powerful assessment of world cyberpower and its vulnerabilities.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Taken
Robert Crais
Putnam
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780399158278, $26.95, www.penguin.com

TAKEN provides a masterpiece of crime fiction and provides an intense novel telling of Nita Morales, who hires Elvis Cole to find her missing adult daughter when she receives a phone call asking for her ransom. The girl and her boyfriend have been taken by bandits who prey on other bandits, buying and selling victims like commodities and killing ones they can't get a price for. The back-and-forth cat-and-mouse plot makes for a powerful story recommended for both prior fans of Robert Crais and newcomers.

Sticks & Stones
K.J. Larsen
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave. #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590589212, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

STICKS & STONES provides a Cat Deluca mystery and tells of the originator of the Pants on Fire Detective Agency, designed to catch cheating husbands. When client Cleo shoots her cheating husband in the backside and he then vanishes taking her money, dog and sister, it's up to Cat to try to smooth the way. She finds the dog and cash - and then she finds the dead husband, which involves her in a powerful effort to clear her friend's name. Mystery collections will find this a fine and fast-paced read.

When Maidens Mourn
C.S. Harris
NAL
c/o Penguin Publishing USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780425235770, $24.95, www.penguin.com

WHEN MAIDENS MOURN provides a fine Sebastian St. Cyr mystery, the seventh book in the series, and is inspired by Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott". When Gabrielle is murdered, investigator Sebastian St. Cyr and his new bride find themselves immersed in intrigue that brings up King Arthur, Camelot, and more. History, romance, and murder blend in a satisfying plot packed with twists and turns and plenty of historical background. Highly recommended!

Agony of the Leaves
Laura Childs
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451245538, $25.95, www.penguin.com

AGONY OF THE LEAVES tells of tea shop owner Theodosia Browning, who has been asked to cater tea and scones for a private party at an aquarium. All is going well until she discovers the body of her ex-boyfriend entangled in a net and drowned in one of the aquarium's tanks. It appears to be accidental but Theo is certain someone wanted him dead - and it's up to her to investigate in this fine, fast-paced mystery for both newcomers and old fans of Theodosia Browning.

Barnstorming
Laura Crum
Perseverance Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel
Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
9781564745088, $14.95, www.danielpublishing.com

BARNSTORMING provides a fine Gail McCarthy mystery and tells of two horseback riders shot on the trains net the vet's home in California. It provides the final book in the Gail McCarthy, veterinarian mystery series and completes her evolution as both an equine vet and as a mother whose child is growing independent. Her inner musings and reflections on her changed life blend with her murder investigation to provide a fine multi-faceted mystery that goes far beyond the usual singular focus, making this a fine pick for any mystery collection seeking something better-rounded.

A Hobo Odyssey
Larry O. Nichols
Warren Publishing Inc.
13420 Reese Blvd. West, Huntersville, NC 28078
9781886057333, $19.95, www.warrenpublishing.net

A HOBO ODYSSEY captures the life of an American hobo during the 1930s depression and tells of two young men who hit the road for adventure. It's not just another vagabond story, however, for woven into their journey is an account of a serial killer of hobos and that adds mystery, intrigue and suspense into the journey. It's based on true events and builds compelling characters and real-life scenarios. The two very different purposes of Steve and friend Eddie, who become hobos, turns into a survival story that goes beyond a search for sustenance and probes at the heart of a quest for safety and survival whilst on the road. Add a traveling circus and the lure of a prize fight and you have a compelling odyssey.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Rescue of Belle & Sundance
Birgit Stutz and Lawrence Scanlan
DaCapo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
44 Farnsworth St., 3rd Floor, Boston MA 02210
9780306820977, $22.00, www.dacapopress.com

The Rescue of Belle & Sundance: One Town's Incredible Race to Save Two Abandoned Horses tells of two packhorses abandoned on a mountain, eventually trapped in winter weather without food or water in six feet of snow. The authors share how a four-person operation to save them became a week-long, village-wide rescue mission culminating in success two days before Christmas. Any interested in animals in general and horses in particular will find this a moving saga, appropriate for any general-interest library.

Search Dogs and Me
Neil Powell
Blackstaff Press
c/o Dufour Editions
P.O. Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
9780856408670, $24.95, www.dufoureditions.com

For the past forty years author Neil Powell has worked with dogs in search-and-rescue scenarios and saved many lives in Ireland, the U.K. and around the world. His dogs are more than just heroes however - they are quirky, personality-filled creatures who come alive in SEARCH DOGS AND ME: ONE MAN AND HIS LIFE-SAVING DOGS. Chapters describe, in vivid "you are there" detail, the experience of working in mountain rescue and provides a powerful testimony to the bonds between man and dog. A fine account for any animal-oriented general lending library.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Lacy Knits
Alison Crowther-Smith
Trafalgar Square Press
814 Franklin St., Chicago IL 60610
9781570764639, $24.95, www.ipgbook.com

LACY KNITS: 20 DELICATE PROJECTS IN SOFT, LUXURIOUS MOHAIR-SILK YARNS provides fun crafting projects recommended for any who would work with fluffy yarn to produce luxurious knits. From special tricks for casting on and matching gauge to binding off, this provides step-by-step instructions and tips for success for every kind of design, with lacy knit projects designed for a range of abilities and backgrounds. The author teaches successful workshops for Rowan, an international yarn company, and her expertise translates well to book form, here. Lovely color photos throughout enhance the presentation.

Baltimore Garden Quilt
Barbara M. Burnham
American Quilter's Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600223, $26.95, www.americanquilter.com

Baltimore Garden Quilt offers a tutorial on a 25 block, original 1848 quilt and teaches the author's method for creating its multilayer flowers. Directions range from selecting fabrics to using hand or machine techniques and cutting individual blocks, and are accompanied by a CD which includes some 20 additional unique flowers and full-size block patterns for printing. It's a fine collection packed with color examples and perfect patterns for producing fine quilts.

Knitting Never Felt Better
Nicky Epstein
Sixth&Spring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301
New York, NY 10013
9781936096367, $19.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

Knitting Never Felt Better: The Definitive Guide to Fabulous Felting offers a fine guide to the felting process and provides basic felting instructions reviewing the best yarns, techniques for creating three-dimensional objects, stitch patterns, and some 20 projects including step-by-step instructions. It comes from a popular knitwear designer who covers all the basics, from how different yarns react to the felting process to how felting can be incorporated with other projects. Highly recommended for any new to felting.

Knitting Nature
Norah Gaughan
Stewart Tabori & Chang
115 W. 18th St., New York NY 10011
9781584799689, $22.50, www.stcbooks.com

KNITTING NATURE: 39 DESIGNS INSPIRED BY PATTERNS IN NATURE provides such themes as a pentagon spotted on a starfish or sand dollar and presented in a pullover and shawl, a phyllotaxis leaf arrangement duplicated in a pullover or scarf, fractal patterns translated to jackets and camisoles, and much more. Knitwear inspired by patterns in nature are presented in nearly forty projects that accompany nature pictures with knitting translations, making this a fun and different project guide.

Bed Runners & More
Carolyn Vagts
DRG Publishing
306 East Parr Road, Berne, IN 46711-1138
9781592173730, $12.95, www.drgnetwork.com

BED RUNNERS & MORE includes nine bed runner patterns and six pillow shams and includes step-by-step instructions with color photos of each design. It's from an editor who has more than 10 years of quilting experience, and whose freelance designs have been included in many magazines, and it pairs step-by-step instructions with color photos and a narrowed focus that outlines the best of bed runner and pillow sham designs in standard sizes for all levels of needleworker.

Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Ave. N.E. #102, Bothell, WA 98011-9511
www.martingale-pub.com

Quiltmaker Magazine's FOUNDATION-PIECED QUILTS: 14 FAVORITES FROM QUILTMAKER MAGAZINE (9781604681352, $24.99) offers step-by-step directions and full-sized patterns for a variety of projects and come from original Quiltmaker Magazine quilting ideas. This provides a wide range of quilt styles from pictorial to floral and gives basics on cutting, materials and producing blocks. Full-page photos of completed quilts accompany easy step-by-step directions for construction, making this a fine guide for quilters who would learn the basics of foundation piecing. Barbara Douglas' SINGULAR SENSATIONS: 14 GREAT QUILTS FROM ONE SIMPLE BLOCK (9781604680713, $24.99) teaches the basics of making squares within squares that can be incorporated into a wide variety of quilts. 14 projects teach the basics of very easy block designs and tell how to create projects of design and color that appeal to beginners and advanced quilters alike. Table runners and lap quilts all the way to bed quilts are presented in keys to building value placement to produce the appearance of intricate designs. Very highly recommended for any quilting library! Stacey Trock's CROCHETED SOFTIES: 18 ADORABLE ANIMALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD (9781604680409, $22.99) is for any crochet or crafts collection and provides a collection of simple, fun animals from every continent and the sea. From a moose, panda or octopus to using different fibers such as bamboo, soy and undyed wool, this offers basic crochet techniques paired with some unusual toy approaches and is a top pick for any who would crochet small animal gifts for the young. Terrie Linn Kygar's CREATIVE QUILTS FROM YOUR CRAYON BOX (9781604680805, $24.99) teaches how to use the new Melt-n-Blend technique to create applique designs that look like three-dimensional stencils. From fruits and blossoms to flowers, this uses seven projects of increasing complexity for all skills and teaches the basics of making and fusing applique into a range of projects. Any needlework or quilter's collection will find this a winning collection! Antje Gillingham's KNITTING CIRCLES AROUND MITTENS AND MORE (9781604680607, $24.99) provides a selection of creative projects based on circular needles and offers 12 knitting designs both fingerless and regular. Accessory patterns for scarves and hats accompany fine mitten projects perfect for knitters seeking something different. Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene's BACK TO CHARM SCHOOL: MORE FUN QUILTS FROM COUNTRY THREADS (9781604680744, $24.99) offers some 20 patterns and decorating ideas and teaches how to pair quilt styles that use 5" precut squares as their foundation. From doll quilts to pillows and table runners, this offers new techniques and quick, satisfying home decor projects that quilters of all skills levels can readily duplicate. Vicki Bellino's ENGLISH PAPER PIECING: FRESH NEW QUILTS FROM BLOOM CREEK (9781604680652, $24.99) is a pick for quilting and crafts collections alike and provides a collection of English paper-piecing quilt patterns suitable for all quilters. The designs are accompanied by shapes to make whole quilts and block elements alike, and offer lovely pieced elements from appliques to blocks that lend to use of scraps and smaller materials to create impressive results. A 'must' for any quilting collection!


The Audiobook Shelf

Turing's Cathedral
George Dyson
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307969064, $45.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

TURING'S CATHEDRAL: THE ORIGINS OF THE DIGITAL UNIVERSE is narrated by Arthur Morey, who has acted in a number of off-Broadway productions, and provides a lively history of a group of women and women who built one of the first computers to realize Alan Turing's vision of a Universal Machine. This traces the process whereby theory becomes reality, providing a history of the digital universe in a fine survey of the evolution of digital computing, and is a fine pick for any nonfiction, science or computer-oriented audio library.

Private Games
James Patterson
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017-0010
9781611134919, $34.98, www.hachetteaudio.com

PRIVATE GAMES by James Patterson, narrated by Paul Panting, is unabridged on 8 CDs and provides a fine story set in an Olympic Games event before a psychopathic killer destroys it with a murder. P.I. Peter Knight is called on to investigate the murder of a high-ranking member of the Games organizing committee, and uncovers a criminal genius who won't stop until he's destroyed the Games. A fast-paced story packed with tension and twists and turns comes to life in audio format.

Highbridge
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220
Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.highbrigeaudio.com

Charles R. Swindoll's SAYING IT WELL: TOUCHING OTHERS WITH YOUR WORDS (978161135442, $26.98) receives a vivid narration by Tim Habeger, a voice, stage and film actor who adds a vivid voice to Charles Swindoll's story of forty years of practicing successful speaking habits. From making a strong first impression and establishing expertise to attracting an audience and motivating people to action, this provides a step-by-step guide to different kinds of communication, from one-on-one to addressing an audience, and will find its place in many a business or self-improvement audio collection. Adrian J. Slywotzky works with Karl Weber on DEMAND: CREATING WHAT PEOPLE LOVE BEFORE THEY KNOW THEY WANT IT (9781611746518, $34.95) and provides business collections with a vine audio exploring the psychology of consumerism, how indifference and skepticism often overcome innovation, and how to find creative ways to develop products that people can't resist and competitors have a hard time duplicating. A fine guide for any who would understand the nature of creativity and its real-world applications!


The Photography Shelf

Infra
Richard Mosse
Aperture Foundation
547 West 27th St., 4th Floor
New York NY 10001
9781597112024, $50.00, www.aperture.org

INFRA: PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD MOSSE offers a stunning collection on how to photographically depict a complex conflict like the ongoing war in the Congo. Mosse photographs the topography of the region, areas of conflict, and rebel movements. Mosse's first book is shot on Aerochrome - a discontinued false-color reversal large-format infrared film originally produced for the U.S, military, and provides a stunning saga that represents the best combination of artistic expression and political reporting. It's reviewed here for its artistic excellence, displaying Mosse's photos in an oversized, color format; but deserves a place in any arts or military history collection.

Architectural Photography, second edition
Adrian Schulz
Rocky Nook
802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
9781933952888, $44.95, www.rockynook.com

ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY: COMPOSITION, CAPTURE, AND DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING presents the details on a form of photography that captures the form and appeal of a building. It comes from an architect and photographer who uses real-world projects to capture images of building interiors and exteriors, teaching the basics of working with different lights and processing images in a workflow based on Photoshop standards. It's not just a collection of images - though images are packed in - it's also a step-by-step guide to architectural photography for amateurs and pros alike, appearing in a second updated edition that has been thoroughly revised with new images, illustrations, and keys to improved shooting.

500 Poses for Photographing High School Seniors
Michelle Perkins
Amherst Media
Box 586, Buffalo NY 14226
9781608953110, $34.95, www.amherstmedia.com

500 Poses for Photographing High School Seniors: A Visual Sourcebook for Digital Portrait Photographers is packed with images by senior-portrait and editorial shooters and provides a fine resource for photographers seeking inspiration. From incorporating props and handling a particular senior to ideas for studio and location portrait and different poses, this enables aspiring photographers to choose a sample portrait and tailor it for the situation's demands. Packed with color photo examples, this is a top pick for any aspiring senior portrait photographer.

Photographer's Guide to the Canon Power Shot S100
Alexander S. White
White Knight Press
9704 Old Club Trace, Henrico, VA 23238
9781937986025, $24.95, www.whiteknightpress.com

Photographer's Guide to the Canon Power Shot S100 follows up on Alexander S. White's previous coverage of compact digital cameras and explains all the operations, features and menus of the Canon PowerShot S100 model. From focus options both manual and automatic to the camera's filters, macro and zoom features, and video recording capabilities, this is a basic 'must' manual for any user of the Canon PowerShot S100 model, and is packed with sample photos illustrating all concepts.

Envisioning Family
Tamara Lackey
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780321803573, $44.99, www.newriders.com

ENVISIONING FAMILY: A PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDE TO MAKING MEANINGFUL PORTRAITS OF THE MODERN FAMILY provides a lively survey that reinvents the family photo concept, and comes from a top portrait photographer and speaker and shares her ideas for getting family members together for meaningful portraits. From using backgrounds that compliment subjects in and outside of the studio to lighting, posing, and creating portraits that make all family members happy, ENVISIONING FAMILY is a top recommendation for any neo-professional photographer who would spice up their family portrait business.


The Art Shelf

Charles Henry Miller, N.A.
Geoffrey K. Fleming & Ruth Ann Bramson
Southland Historical Society
c/o Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
www.hudsonhills.com
9781555953430, $40.00, www.southlandhistorialsociety.org

CHARLES HENRY MILLER, N.A.: PAINTER OF LONG ISLAND pairs a detailed biographical survey with dozens of color examples of his paintings and sketches and is a special pick not just for art collections strong in American painters, but for New York artist coverages. Vintage photos display Charles Henry Miller at home with family and friends while extensive examples of his works are accompanied by critical and biographical insights. Any interested in Charles Henry Miller will find this a definitive reference.

Lin Emery
Philip F. Palmedo
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953690, $60.00, www.hudsonhills.com

LIN EMERY provides a fine oversized survey of her fine kinetic sculptures, pairing a biography that follows her artistic progress with a survey of her entire career and productions. Black and white and color photos of the sculptures offer discussions not only of the art but of the kinetic community as a whole, considering its evolution, her influences, and how her kinetic sculptures have expanded the nature and popularity of the kinetic sculpture community as a whole. Any arts collection should consider this a winner!

Charles R. Knight
Richrd Milner
Abrams
115 W. 18th St., New York NY 10011
9780810984790, $40.00, www.abramsbooks.com

CHARLES R. KNIGHT: THE ARTIST WHO SAW THROUGH TIME offers a rich catalog of the artist's life and work and provides an oversized collection of both his never-before-seen works from his days sketching animals in the newly opened Bronx Zoo to work from decades of creating murals of prehistoric species for the American Museum of Natural History. The result is a blend of biography and art catalog which includes excerpts from the author's own writings about extinct and modern animals to document his works, influences, and lasting effects on art and film.

The Digital Art Technique Manual for Illustrators & Artists
Joel Lardner & Paul Roberts
Barron's
250 Wireless Rd, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764147906, $29.99, www.barronseduc.com

The Digital Art Technique Manual for Illustrators & Artists provides a key to creating digital illustration and artworks using Photoshop, Illustrator and other software and is a pick for arts, computer and crafts collections alike. It demonstrates how to use the most common digital art software programs designed for artists and teaches the basics of digital imagery and applications using step-by-step lessons that build upon each other. Examples of artworks by successful illustrations accompany a satisfying range of techniques in this winning color-packed guide, making it a powerful text and lesson plan for any artist looking to expand digital knowledge and applications.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD
Lidia Zylowska, MD
Trumpeter Books
c/o Shambhala
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston MA 02115
9781590308479, $18.95, www.trumpeterbooks.com

The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD includes an audio program of guided exercises and is a pick for health and new age holdings alike. ADHD sufferers receive an 8-step program designed by a physician and researcher which uses mindfulness practice to help overcome symptoms of ADHD. From body awareness and thoughtful speaking and listening to cultivating a balanced view of emotions, this teaches readers how to understand how their ADHD brain works - and then, how to use mindful awareness to address these challenges. It's a fine pick for any who would work with ADHD.

The Belly Melt Diet
Editors of Prevention
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street
Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
9781609618421, $25.99, www.rodale.com

Any who have struggled with yo-yo diet plans and efforts to lose weight already know the basics of exercise and diet - but may not be seeing results. This diet guide advocates a more cooperative approach between body and mind, offering a two-phase eating plan that teaches how to reset hunger hormones and how to use a better workout routine and better sleep patterns to help promote weight loss. It uses the latest in chronobiology research and advocates tuning into the body's natural rhythms to achieve permanent weight loss, and is a pick for any diet collection.

Sports Injuries Sourcebook, fourth edition
Laura Larsen, Editor
Omnigraphics
155 W. Congress Suite 200, Detroit MI 48226
9780780812260, $85.00, www.omnigraphics.com

The fourth updated edition of Sports Injuries Sourcebook is a recommendation for general, sports and health libraries alike and documents the basic types of sports injuries and their treatment. From assessments of the latest protective equipment and prevention strategies for specific activities to facts about nutrition and risks affecting young athletes, this packs in an arrangement by physiology and gathers material from a range of government agencies, periodicals and nonprofit groups.

Leaning into Sharp Points
Stan Goldberg, PhD
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781608680672, $14.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

Leaning into Sharp Points: Practical Guidance and Nurturing Support for Caregivers offers insights for all levels of caregivers from initial diagnosis of terminal or chronic illness to treatment, mourning and recovery. It provides a how-to illustrating etiquette and decision-making processes and tells how to navigate quick changes and how to instigate self-care during the process of intense caregiving requirements. Advice revolves around what to expect and what a caregiver can do to help and comes from a hospice bedside and vigil volunteer who discusses all kinds of topics relating to caring for the chronic or terminally ill.

Overcoming Adrenal Fatigue
Kathryn R. Simpson, MS
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
9781572249523, $21.95, www.newharbinger.com

OVERCOMING ADRENAL FATIGUE: HOW TO RESTORE HORMONAL BALANCE AND FEEL RENEWED, ENERGIZED, AND STRESS FREE offers self-help collections a fine guide to finding relief from chronic fatigue, allergies, poor digestion and more symptoms of adrenal fatigue, discussing the key role the adrenal glands play in controlling stress and maintaining energy. Any who suspect such an imbalance will appreciate this thorough review of symptoms, the self-evaluation tests, and options for self-help treatments from nutrition to self-care practices. It's a complete workbook packed with solutions perfect for any who suspect adrenal gland issues, and will be a choice for any general lending library as well.

Chronic Pain and Debilitating Conditions Resolution
Olivia Roberts
Findhorn Press
9781844095704, $19.95, www.findhornpress.com

Chronic Pain and Debilitating Conditions Resolution: Make Unwanted Symptoms Disappear! Comes with a 20-minute audio CD and is from a Master NLP Practitioner, Alternative Pain-Relief Specialist and Psychotherapist who helps the reader identify unwanted symptoms and get rid of them through exercises designed to thwart our own neurological system's reactions. Over 50 case histories accompanies a step-by-step set of guided exercises supported by an audio CD, making this a powerful pick for any chronic pain sufferer.

Drop the Fat Act and Live Lean
Ryan Andrews
Book Publishing Company
Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
9781570672590, $12.95, www.bookpubco.com

Drop the Fat Act and Live Lean discusses the issues faced by overweight individuals whose dietary choices and beliefs add more body fat and less muscle. "Fattitudes" are identified as the rules for how to get fat and stay fat - and chapters learn both these rules and what not to do in order to lose weight. The author is a nutrition coach with experience working with fat clients: chapters survey what changes make real differences in the battle against weight gain, and offer specific tips suitable for any dieter's strategy.

Chronic Pain and Debilitating Conditions Resolution
Olivia Roberts
Findhorn Press
9781844095704, $19.95, www.findhornpress.com

Olivia Roberts has developed a unique technique based on her training in NLP and hypnotherapy that helps people identify the root causes of pain symptoms and live pain free. Some 50 case histories accompany step-by-step exercises that teach techniques for retraining nerves and blocking pain signals, with an accompanying free CD reinforcing the chronic pain exercises. A fine pick for any self-help health collection!

Tropical Medicine, eighth edition
Kevin M. Cahill, MD
Fordham University Press
University Box L, 2546 Belmont Ave, Bronx NY 10458
9780823240616, $32.00, www.fordham.edu

Tropical Medicine: A Clinical Text appears in its eighth revised, updated and expanded edition and is a 'must' for any medical collection. It provides a world history of tropical medicine approaches and comes from a doctor who himself has worked throughout the world in both Third World and developed countries. Chapters provide medical students, physicians and those contemplating medical work overseas with both a history of tropical medicine's development and special challenges and a survey of political and medical issues around the world, couching all in the author's personal experiences and observations. Any medical library will find this a 'must' reference.

The Diabetes Miracle
Diane Kress, RD, CDE
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
44 Farnsworth St., 3rd Floor, Boston MA 02210
9780738215051, $25.00, www.dacapopress.com

THE DIABETES MIRACLE: 3 SIMPLE STEPS TO PREVENT AND CONTROL DIABETES AND REGAIN YOUR HEALTH... PERMANENTLY is for prediabetics and Type 2 diabetics alike, and applies her principles of metabolic syndrome to discuss how insulin resistance starts. It explains the basics of blood sugar and controls, details choices in diabetic oral and ingestible medications, and provides a basic diet program proven to help control sugars, blood pressure, and weight. This accompanies a specific exercise program designed with diabetics in mind and charts for record keeping, making for an entire lifestyle modification package perfect for the newly diagnosed.

W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com

Ronald J. Diamond, MD's THE MEDICATION QUESTION: WEIGHING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT OPTIONS (9780393706307, $19.95) provides patients and families with a solid reference helping weigh the pros and cons of various mental health options. From considering the need for medication to how long and what, this provides a key to both traditional and complementary medicine for various psychiatric and psychological conditions and teaches the basics of negotiation, collaboration, and creating individualized treatment plans in during process. Daniel J. Siegel's POCKET GUIDE TO INTERPERSONAL NEUROBIOLOGY (039370713X, $29.95) offers a fine approach to considering the mind, health, and cognition and discusses connections between the mind/ brain and relationships. Many have explored the nature of mental life, yet no interdisciplinary approach has existed to address its issues or even define what the mind is. This book offers a new way of assessing how the mind works and offers integrated knowledge to support the approach. Psychology and health holdings will find this a winner! Margaret Wehrenberg's THE 10 BEST-EVER ANXIETY MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES WORKBOOK (9780393707434, $19.95) includes a CD of author-led exercises and is packed with worksheets, exercises, and tips that expands on the top 10 anxiety-busting techniques presented in her earlier book. It packs in specific, targeted methods for breathing exercises, delays, mindfulness meditation and more, and is a key to creating a series of calming exercises based on targeted breath work and mindfulness. Highly recommended for new age and health collections alike!


The Psychology Shelf

What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite
David DiSalvo
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616144838, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite comes from a science writer who considers the difference between what a brain wants versus what it needs. Much of what makes the brain 'happy' is actually counter-productive and leads to errors and distortions. This study includes evolutionary and social psychology, neurology and even business and includes interviews with neuroscientists as it provides insights to identify the brain's problems and how to overcome them. The focus on actionable methods for leading better lives makes this a powerful presentation suitable for psychology, self-help and business collections alike.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Order of the Scales
Stephen Deas
ROC
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780451464378, $25.95, www.penguin.com

The Order of the Scales is Book III in THE MEMORY OF FLAMES and is a recommended pick for prior readers of the series who began with THE ADAMANTINE PALACE and followed THE KING OF CRAGS. Here different factions fight for control of the Palace and the dragons threaten all mankind with a fiery end as former queen Zafir struggles to take back her kingdom through hostages. The dragons are awakening from spells cast upon them and returning to their native fury as Jehal fights for both his family and humanity. Any collection strong in fantasy will find this a moving saga.

A Perfect Blood
Kim Harrison
Harper Voyageur
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
9780061957895, $26.99, www.harpervoyageurbooks.com

A PERFECT BLOOD blends a detective crime-solving novel with a fantasy twist: the victims of murder are all witches and one thing links them: a rare blood genome. Many believe only Rachel Morgan, crime-solver, would attempt to turn other witches into beings such as she; but Rachel is not the perp and her efforts to discover the truth keeps bringing her challenges. Bound by voluntary restraints on her demonic powers, Rachel finds herself hampered by the techniques of the mortal - and called upon to let loose her underlying abilities in this tense thriller highly recommended for fantasy and mystery holdings alike.

A Rising Thunder
David Weber
Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale NY 14071
9781451638066, $26.00, www.baen.com

A RISING THUNDER provides a fine new Honor Harrington novel and is a top recommendation for prior fans and collections that have seen interest in the military fiction of David Weber. Here Honor and her Star Empire have won peace and brought an endless war to a close - but she's ended one war only to face another conflict in a war where the enemy is mysterious. Battles, unseen manipulators, and a wealthy nation are her enemies in this vivid, moving saga which provides another solid Honor adventure.

Throne of the Crescent Moon
Saladin Ahmed
DAW Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780756407117, $34.95, www.dawbooks.com

Throne of the Crescent Moon is set in the Crescent Moon Kingdoms, a land populated by magic, holy warriors, and poverty. A power struggle between a nasty lord and a mysterious Robin Hood hero is the backdrop for a struggle where supernatural massacres are taking place. Magic, murder and politics become entwined and it's up to three heroes to reveal the plot that could rip apart their city and even the world beyond it. Vivid action and solid characterization mark a political fantasy recommended for any fantasy holding.

The Scar
Sergey and Marina Dyachenko
TOR
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780765329936, $24.99, www.tor.com

THE SCAR is an epic fantasy from two Russian authors who chart the lives of two people changed by disaster, showing how they overcome adversity with love and courage. Romance and action enhance the story of a man driven by his own obsessions and the woman who could save him. The death of an innocent student in a duel, a resulting scar that represents Egert's cowardice, and his journey to change his path makes for a powerful compelling translation of a classic recommended for any literary fantasy and science fiction holding.


The Cookbook Shelf

175 Best Babycakes Cake Pops Recipes
Kathy Moore & Roxanne Wyss
Robert Rose
120 Eglinton Avenue East #800
Toronto ON M4P 1E2, Canada
9780778802976, $24.95, www.robertrose.ca

175 Best Babycakes Cake Pops Recipes offers creative recipes developed for use in the Babycakes brand Cake Pop Maker, a popular appliance that allows cooks to make cake pops in just minutes. Owners of the Maker will find this offers chapters on cake pop classics, muffins, appetizers, and even savory cake pops. There's even a gluten-free and began section. Tips and techniques are accompanied by color photos to help teach the entire process.

The World's Best Street Food
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781742205939, $19.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

Lonely Planet is best known for their take-along travel totes, but this variation on their destination-oriented theme is something even more compelling: a survey of street food around the world that covers not just where to travel to find it, but how to cook it at home. Color photos pack a collection of world-wide street food dishes and offer a page of at-a-glance detail on what the food is, where it can be tasted, and its origins. A recipe on the facing page is presented in a 2-column format of 'things you'll need' and 'method', making this a very easy cookbook to follow. Travel and culinary collections alike will find this a unique and popular, colorful pick.

The Fresh Egg Cookbook
Jennifer Trainer Thompson
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
9781603429788, $14.95, www.storey.com

The Fresh Egg Cookbook: From Chicken to Kitchen offers recipes and handling tips for using eggs from local farms, farmer's markets or backyard collecting, and is a pick for any cook who loves to cook with eggs. From corned beef hash and eggs to deviled eggs and souffles, this covers everything from recipes to handling both chickens and their eggs. A peppering of color photos compliments sidebars of detail and facts on chickens and eggs and makes this a fine pick for any cookbook collection.

The Kitchen as Laboratory
Cesar Vega, et. al.
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231153447, $29.95, www.cup.columbia.edu

The Kitchen as Laboratory: Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking is a 'must' for any college-level culinary arts collection. It provides a science-based cooking collection of essays from chefs and scientists who combine culinary knowledge with hypotheses rooted in the properties of food, and uses all kinds of tools and techniques to both create and revamp classic dishes. From everyday sandwiches and eggs to more exotic dishes such as Turkish ice cream, essays here embrace history, culture, and science in a fine recommendation for any culinary library.

The Newlywed Cookbook
Sarah Copeland
Chronicle Books
680 - 2nd St., San Francisco CA 94107
9780811876834, $35.00, www.chroniclebooks.com

THE NEWLYWED COOKBOOK: FRESH IDEAS & MODERN RECIPES FOR COOKING WITH & FOR EACH OTHER pairs photos by Sara Remington with a lively survey of dishes that can help newlyweds cook and eat together. Over 130 recipes for home cooking offers dishes that are easy weekday achievements and teaches the basics of how to make all kinds of everyday dishes. Tips for growing produce and visiting local farmer's markets accompany many fine ideas for sharing meals in a winning title perfect for a newlywed gift or for any culinary collection.

Slow Cooking
Anthony Worrall Thompson
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
978845336417, $19.99, www.octopusbooks.co.uk

SLOW COOKING: 100 RECIPES FOR THE SLOW COOKER, OVEN AND THE STOVE TOP provides fine one-pot meals for the slow cooker, oven and stove top under one cover and pairs easy at-a-glance details on preparation and cooking with keys to producing stews, roasts, curries, and even breads and desserts from around the world. All recipes can be prepared in advance and left to cook during the day, so this is a perfect choice for busy working cooks. Many use inexpensive ingredients also - which makes this especially recommended for cooks on a budget.

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

Ellie Krieger's COMFORT FOOD FIX: FEEL-GOOD FAVORITES MADE HEALTHY (9780470603093, $29.99) is a recommendation for any general-interest library and provides healthy adaptations on classic American comfort foods. 150 recipes for classic meatloaf, lasagna, chicken pot pie, and more have been modified to improve nutrition and cut calories and fats, and retain their appeal using different tricks and tips of modification. Color photos of the dishes accompany explanations on how they have been simplified to make for a powerful recommendation for any general lending library. Mark Bittman's HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING: THE BASICS (9780470528068, $35.00) is a recommended pick for any who would absorb the foundations of good everyday cooking. 1,000 photos by Romulo Yanes illustrate virtually every recipe and technique while chapters cover everything from setting up a pantry complete with seasonings and equipment to groupings of subjects such as grain or vegetable preparation. Sidebars of notes accompany specific preparation images and explore basic cooking techniques, variations, and more using recipes as lesson examples. A 'must' for any who would learn how to cook or cook better. Any professional involved in the beverage world will appreciate Robert W. Small, Ph.D., Michael Godfrey and Michelle Couturier's BEVERAGE BASICS: UNDERSTANDING & APPRECIATING WINE BEER & SPIRITS (9780470138830, $65.00) provides a Bible of reference material on wine, beer and spirits and provides details on the world's alcoholic beverages, from their origins and modern production practices to evaluating and enjoying each type of beverage. Learn about important legal and health issues, how to purchase and use a range of alcoholic beverages, and appreciate the history and culinary details involved in pairing foods and beverages with a title packed with maps, sample labels, and color photos. Professionals and culinary students alike will find this a winner!

Raw Chocolate
Matthew Kenney and Meredith Baird
Gibbs Smith
P.O. Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423621058, $24.99, www.gibbs-smith.com

RAW CHOCOLATE discusses flavors and types of chocolate and teaches the basics of making raw chocolate, an item which is expensive to buy but which can be easily made at home. Adrian Mueller's color photos throughout illustrate this process of homemade raw chocolate, illustrating the candy, fruits and desserts that can be made with or coated in raw chocolate made from scratch. Any chocolate enthusiast looking for different methods will find this a top pick!

The Sexy Vegan Cookbook
Brian L. Patton
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato CA 94949
9781608680450, $16.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

The Sexy Vegan Cookbook: Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Dude follows the author's journey to conscious eating and his current position as Executive Chef at Vegin' Out, a vegan home delivery service, and provides recipes that come packed with flavors and delight. From a rum-spiced Sailor's Oatmeal with Walnuts to Seitan Steak and Fries and a cashew/almond milk New England Blam Chowder, this provides some amazing vegan adaptations of standard dishes and is packed with flavor and exciting new approaches to vegan dishes. No vegan collection should be without this innovative cookbook!

The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook
Cheryl Day & Griffith Day
Artisan
225 Varick Street, New York NY 10014-4381
9781579654580, $24.95, www.artisanbooks.com

The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook packs in over 100 recipes from the Southern bakery created by Cheryl and Griffith Day which enjoys fame and success today, and provides recipes illustrated with color photos and personal food tips from the authors. Nine chapters cover al kinds of desserts, include 'sweet notes' throughout, and advocates baking from scratch. From Lemon Pie Bars to 'Nana Cream Pie' deemed 'the best in Savannah', this is packed with flavorful dishes and is a 'must' for any dessert cookbook collection or library strong in Southern regional cookery.

Pasta Revolution
America's Test Kitchen
17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445
9781936493043, $26.95, www.AmericasTestKitchen.com

PASTA REVOLUTION: 200 FOOLPROOF RECIPES THAT GO BEYOND SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS comes from the test cooks at America's Test Kitchen and offers a new collection that takes classic pasta dishes and revamps them. The focus is on more flavor with fewer ingredients, with chapters covering One-pot pasta dishes, lighter adaptations of favorites, simpler classics, and more. Color photos accompany many of the delicious dishes which range from a Pizza Pasta Bake to Steamed Chinese Dumplings and Spinach Lasagne. A fine pick for any general cookbook collection looking for inviting dishes.

The Meat Free Monday Cookbook
Annie Rigg, Editor
Kyle Books
23 Howland Street, London, W1T 4AY
9781906868697, $29.95, www.kylecathie.co.uk

The Meat Free Monday Cookbook addresses the issue that a vegetarian repertoire is limited and the intention to eat meat-free all day can be stymied by having to consume the same dishes over and over. This offers a host of innovations and ideas, from winter stews and pastas to salads and wraps. Sandwich alternatives to meat and breakfast alternatives to the usual ham and eggs are provided in a creative cookbook packed with meat-free innovations and ideas, highly recommended for any vegetarian collection.

The Quintessential Quinoa Cookbook
Wendy Polisi
Skyhorse Publishing
307 West 36th St., 11th Floor, New York NY 10018
1616085355, $17.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

The Quintessential Quinoa Cookbook: Eat Great, Lose Weight, Feel Healthy comes fro ma busy mother who uses the high-protein grain quinoa as a key to versatile, nutritional dishes. Any who follow a vegan, gluten-free or sugar-free diet will find quinoa a fine protein that can be used in everything form salads and meats to desserts. It's a South American grain that holds many uses, and The Quintessential Quinoa Cookbook packs in color photos and easy directions for everything from Black Bean & Quinoa Tostadas to Peach & Walnut Salad. An outstanding, unique collection demonstrates the range of uses of quinoa.

Taste What You're Missing
Barb Stuckey
Free Press
1230 Avenue of Americas
New York NY 10020
9781439190739, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Taste What You're Missing: The Passionate Eater's Guide to Why Good Food Tastes Good comes from a professional food developer who explains how everyone can get more enjoyment from foods they are already eating. Examples pair with physiology and creative tasting exercises designed for a home kitchen that teach better appreciation of the five senses and shows how to experience them. Simple tests outline her explorations and offer dozens of real-world examples of complex taste descriptions in a fine guide that incorporates stories of people who have lost their sense of taste, smell or sight - and how to eat without one of the senses. Highly recommended!

Broussard's Restaurant & Courtyard Cookbook
Ann Benoit & The Preuss Family
Pelican Publishers
1000 Burmaster St., Gretna LA 70053
9781455614899, $35.00, www.pelicanpub.com

Broussard's Restaurant & Courtyard Cookbook: Creole Creativity in the French Quarter packs in contemporary and vintage color and black and white photos of both the French Quarter and its restaurants. Chapters cover historic businesses and provide lovely recipes and color photos of food and places alike. Any interested in New Orleans cooking will find this a fine discussion of Broussard's Restaurant & Courtyard, with dishes such as Trout Marcus Preuss and Veal Broussard offering many unique innovations by the chef himself. Broussard's has long been a leader in developing classic New Orleans cuisine, and this cookbook offers insights into culinary trends and innovations. Any regional American cookbook collection will find it an inviting survey!


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Movies of the 2000s
Jurgen Muller, Editor
TASCHEN America
107 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012
9783836501972, $39.99, www.taschen.com

Movies of the 2000s packs in color photos from movies to accompany a definitive movie guide from 2000-2010. Movies from around the world receive attention in a pairing of movie criticism, images, analysis and reviews, offering readers thorough assessments of movies that stand out from the crowd no matter what their genre. A listing of award-winning films in back cross-references the films while a complete listing of all films featured makes it easy to find a film by name. A genre listing would have also helped but the overall power of Movies of the 2000s makes it a key acquisition for any movie collection, joining others from prior decades.

Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd, #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com

Eric Edson's THE STORY SOLUTION: 23 ACTIONS ALL GREAT HEROES MUST TAKE (9781615930845, $26.95) comes from a professional screenwriter who pinpoints all the reasons why typical stories don't sell. Examples from hit movies outline the elements of successful plots and approaches, with chapters going beyond the usual writing approaches to plot development to consider the pros and cons of building a story for the screen. Stories are broken down into distinct parts for analysis, with plenty of insights into the entire process of creating memorable characters and plots. A 'must' for any screenwriter and collections catering to them. Keith Giglio's WRITING THE COMEDY BLOCKBUSTER: THE INAPPROPRIATE GOAL (9781615930852, $22.95) is a 'must' for any aspiring screenwriter and film collection, and provides a survey on the business of comedy writing. From exercises in creating inappropriate behavior and dialogue to how hilarity operates and how to draw upon different comedy modes to create not just normal comedy results but blockbusting writings, this is a top recommendation for both film and writing collections. Any who would write comedy or work in a comedic production will find this packed with specific examples, exercises and insights. Rona Edwards and Monika Skerbelis' COMPLETE FILMMAKER'S GUIDE TO FILM FESTIVALS (9781615930883, $26.95) is packed with examples and provides a guide to all kinds of film festivals. From targeting the right film festivals to marketing a particular style of film, filling out entry forms, branding a film and producer, or handling distribution channels, this is a 'must' for any seeking to launch a small production using a film festival opportunity and is a 'must' for any film or drama collection. Carole M. Kirschner's HOLLYWOOD GAME PLAN (9781615930869, $26.95) is a powerful reference for any film and video reference library, and teaches the basics of how to land a job in the film or television worlds. Chapters covers the basics of breaking into the industry, from majors and school backgrounds to the ethical and creative aspects that impress those hiring. Step-by-step discussions of that hiring process are accompanied by insider tips telling how to make the most from an interview and how to understand the entire production process. The book doesn't stop here: it provides a sample of a day's work in production, public relations, and other segments of the industry and is specific as to duties. Any film, video or business collection will find this a powerful reference!


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Islamic Culture in Crisis
Hichem Djait
Transaction Publishers
300 McGaw Drive, Edison NJ 08837
9781412811408, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

Islamic Culture in Crisis: A Reflection on Civilizations in History offers analysis written by the author over a twenty-year period of time and identifies different interpretations of modernity, the crisis of Islamic culture as it confronts such modernity, and differences between Arabs, Muslims and social and political encounters in the Arab world. Chapters identify elements of Arab history excluded from historical analysis over the years, identifying how Arabs and Muslims fail to connect with the modern world and how they can rectify this problem. College-level collections strong in Islamic studies will find this a strong, scholarly analysis perfect for any student of Islamic social issues.

Islam Through Western Eyes
Jonathan Lyons
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231158947, $32.50, www.cup.columbia.edu

ISLAM THROUGH WESTERN EYES: FROM THE CRUSADES TO THE WAR ON TERRORISM provides a fine survey of the West's growing involvement in Muslim societies and conflicts, documenting how the West has consistently failed to engage with the world of Islam in any meaningful way. Western habits of thinking and writing about Islam are analyzed in a survey that follows the West's grand narrative over a thousand years of history. Sociology, religion, politics, philosophy and human rights enters into this survey of Islam through Western thought, revealing the influence of Islamic perspectives on the West and on Western and Eastern relations. This is an outstanding addition to any college-level collection strong in analysis of Islamic and Western relationships.

Woman, Man and God in Modern Islam
Theodore Friend
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
2140 Oak Industrial Drive NE
Grand Rapids MI 49505
9780802866738, $35.00, www.eerdans.com

WOMAN, MAN AND GOD IN MODERN ISLAM comes from an award-winning historian who set out alone across Asia and the Middle East in an effort to understand the life situations of women in these countries. This recounts his journeys, encounters, and insights into the cultures of Islam and provides an outsider's perspective on women in five very different Islamic cultures. The blend of social and spiritual concerns makes for recommendation for women's issues, spirituality and travel holdings alike.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Ultimate Price
Annemarie S. Kidder
Orbis Books
Price Bldg., Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545
9781570759550, $22.00, www.orbisbooks.com

ULTIMATE PRICE: TESTIMONIES OF CHRISTIANS WHO RESISTED THE THIRD REICH is a pick for religion and World War II history holdings alike, and comes from a German-born theologian and Presbyterian pastor who gathers the words and stories of seven men and women who felt it their Christian duty to resist the Nazis. Their writings, lives and insights serve as inspiration to any Christian reader in this vivid collection.

My Brother, The Pope
Georg Ratzinger
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
9781586177041, $24.95, www.ignatius.com

My Brother, The Pope tells of the close friendship between two brothers, one an accomplished musician and the other a professor. One would become Pope - and their lives are recounted through reminiscences of brother Georg who provides an affectionate biography of the early life of his brother Pope Benedict XVI. It's also a strong story of how Catholicism shaped the family, considering the family's evolution, life and work and including photos in black and white and color to round out the coverage. A top pick for any spirituality collection strong in Catholic culture.

The Jesus Discovery
James D. Tabor & Simcha Jacobvici
Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas
New York NY 10020
9781451650402, $27.95, www.simonandschuster.com

THE JESUS DISCOVERY: THE NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIND THAT REVEALS THE BIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY outlines a major archaeological discovery that changes ideas about Jesus and early Christianity, and comes from a renowned biblical scholar and an award-winning documentary filmmaker who team up to present the archaeological evidence directly connected to Jesus' first followers. The two worked with archaeologists and in 2010, using a specialized robotic camera, explored a previously unexcavated tomb in Jerusalem from Jesus' time. Their discovery is outlined in a powerful survey recommended for any spirituality shelf.

The Gospel as Center
D.A. Carson & Timothy Keller, editors
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
143351561X, $21.99, www.crossway.org

THE GOSPEL AS CENTER; RENEWING OUR FAITH AND REFORMING OUR MINISTRY PRACTICES is a recommendation for Christian holdings and considers the core beliefs defining church and traditional gospel. Chapters come from influential leaders who work on and advocate a Scripture-based reformation of ministry practices and gospel focus. From definitions of what is the gospel to the basis for justification and the history of baptism and the lord's supper, THE GOSPEL AS CENTER draws invaluable links between gospel and church practice and is key for any Christian ministry!


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Master Leaders
George Barna with Bill Dallas
BarnaBooks
c/o Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414326252, $14.99, www.tyndalehouse.com

MASTER LEADERS: 30 LEADERSHIP GREATS. 16 KEYS TO SUCCESS. ONE AMAZING CONVERSATION provides a fine leadership book in softcover and collects personal interviews and conversations with spiritual and political 'greats', from Newt Gingrich to Ken Blanchard and others. Her are the latest insider details on leading wisely, with a spiritual orientation that teaches how to lead a church, business or family with equal ability. Any who would learn the basics of leadership abilities and their religious foundations will find this a powerful account.

Religion for Atheists
Alain de Botton
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780307379108, $26.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

RELIGION FOR ATHEISTS: A NON-BELIEVER'S GUIDE TO THE USES OF RELIGION argues that supernatural claims of religion are false but still hold lessons for the secular world. Rather than mocking religion, atheists and agnostics should steal ideas from religion on how to live in a better world, and this book tells how. Chapters come from a non-believer who surveys how religion can offer insights into building community, making relationships last, and more. General and spirituality collections will find this a powerful message and a fine survey that greatly differs from the usual perspectives on religion and atheism.

How to Prove There Is a God
Mortimer J. Adler
Open Court Books
70 East Lake St. #300, Chicago IL 60601
9780812696899, $29.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

How to Prove There Is a God: Mortimer J. Adler's Writings and Thoughts About God assembles his writings and interviews that provide an analytical approach to the question of God's existence. It includes a transcript of one of his appearances on TV's 'Firing Line' show as well as interviews and accounts of his philosophical approach analyzing God's existence, and makes for a literary, philosophical and spiritual achievement suitable for any collection strong in these areas of investigation!


The Social Issues Shelf

Manning Up
Kay S. Hymowitz
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465028368, $15.99, www.basicbooks.com

MANNING UP: HOW THE RISE OF WOMEN HAS TURNED MEN INTO BOYS comes from a social critic who shows how men in their twenties and thirties have had dual blows with delayed adulthood and an increasingly female-oriented economy. As women gain more social, political and economic power outside the home, men struggle to maintain their traditional place in society. Women dominate many high-wage careers leaving today's young men without a clear path. Old standards such as paying for dates and being the aggressor have changed, leaving much uncertainty - and MANNING UP discusses these changes in an outstanding guide for any general, women's or social issues collection.

Active Hope
Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato CA 94949
9781577319726, $14.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

ACTIVE HOPE: HOW TO FACE THE MESS WE'RE IN WITHOUT GOING CRAZY is about finding logical responses to ecological and manmade crises in our world, and reacting more positively to disturbing information. It's based on decades of experience running workshops in an empowerment approach known as 'The Work That Reconnects' and provides real-world applications for a process that embraces spirituality, psychology, and holistic science alike. ACTIVE HOPE is a gift that is both given and received: when our responses are guided by an interest in world healing, problems become less weighty and our lives become more meaningful as a whole. This is a strong pick for any social issues collection!

Tinderbox
Craig Timberg and Daniel Halperin, PhD
The Penguin Press
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9781594203275, $29.95, www.penguin.com

TINDERBOX: HOW THE WEST SPARKED THE AIDS EPIDEMIC AND HOW THE WORLD CAN FINALLY OVERCOME IT comes from an AIDS researcher who documents how Western colonial powers sparked the AIDS epidemic and combines the author's own original research with genetic discoveries to refute the usual history on the origins of the AIDS epidemic. Recent genetic discoveries have traced HIV to the forests of Cameroon, where chimps carried a nearly identical virus for millennia without causing a human outbreak. The story of this was changed as African porters were sent into new jungle regions by enterprising colonial companies makes for a powerful survey documenting how the epidemic really began. A 'must' for health, social issues and world history holdings alike.


The International Studies Shelf

In Kashmir
Seema Kazi
South End Press
1650 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225
9780896087927, $18.00, www.southendpress.org

IN KASHMIR: GENDER, MILITARIZATION & THE MODERN NATION-STATE provides a powerful assessment of the independent state of Kashmir, which has been under constant siege with Pakistan and India in dispute over its territory. Given its geographic and political position between the two, Kashmir's social issues and concerns have long been neglected in favor of examining its political position. IN KASHMIR focuses on the battle of Kashmiri women for justice, using interviews to chart the daily experiences of women living under military rule. Sexual violence, murder and poverty are all surveyed in a striking presentation recommended for any women's issues or Asian social issues collection.

Sex and the River Styx
Edward Hoagland
Chelsea Green
Box 428, White River Junction VT 05001
9781603583374, $17.95, www.chelseagreen.com

Sex and the River Styx follows Edward Hoagland's travels to Uganda to meet the family he'd been helping to support - there to find social and cultural oddities and reflections that revise his entire thinking about the continent. From favorite people we lose contact with over time for no apparent reason to understanding the underlying meaning of magic and the fragility of art, Hoagland's social observations blend with overall literary reflections of life, culture and change to make for a literary delight exploring different social structures and underlying meanings. Any who have appreciated the fine literary style in previous Hoagland observations or who want a reflective personal journey through Africa will find Sex and the River Styx a compelling read.


The Computer Shelf

Building a GIS, second edition
Dave Peters
ESRI Press
380 New York St.
Redlands, CA 92373-8100
9781589483071, $59.95, www.esri.com

BUILDING A GIS: SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR MANAGERS appears in its second updated edition to promote optimal GIS for managers and IT specialists alike. This second edition has been completely revised, updating illustrations, exercises and video presentations on the included DVD, and providing a study of GIS user needs and system infrastructure limitations. The author is a principal instructor on the ESRI's system architecture design strategies and provides clear insights into different strategies managers can consider and implement.

Objective-C Programming
Aaron Hillegass
Big Nerd Ranch
154 Krog Street, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30307
0321706285, $39.99, www.bignerdranch.com

Any programmer seeking to write applications for iOS or the Mac will find Aaron Hillegass' "Objective-C Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide" to be a deftly written and specific introduction to programming using the Objective-C language and is based on Big Nerd Ranch's intensive Objective-C Bootcamp. It's the only introductory-level guide written by one of the most experienced voices in the iOS and Cocoa communities and provides a series of short chapters covering everything from categories and blocks to using Xcode and pointers. Mac-oriented programmer's collections will find this a key acquisition.

Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies
Amy Porterfield, Phyllis Khare, Andrea Vahl
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470942307, $34.99, www.wiley.com

Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies could also have been featured in our Business Shelf section, but is reviewed here for its fine and detailed survey on how businesses can use the social media marketing world of computer-savvy consumers to make an impression. From using Pages and developing a Facebook marketing plan to keeping content fresh and expanding an existing e-commerce venture onto Facebook's platform, this is packed with keys linking business concerns to Facebook's social media.

Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X, fourth edition
Aaron Hillegass and Adam Preble
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321774086, $49.99, www.informit.com/aw

Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X appears in its fourth updated edition to provide a fine introduction to Cocoa, and has been updated to cover the latest Mac programming techniques. Mac OS X developers receive everything needed to develop applications for OS X in a guide which acts as a step-by-step tutorial in a book. The book has been class-tested to assure clarity and provides insights into Xcode and Instruments as well as other design options of Cocoa. Screen shots, charts and more make this a powerful winner appealing to all levels of programmer working with the latest Mac OS X system.

The Linux Command Line
William E. Shotts, Jr.
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593273897, $49.95, www.nostarch.com

THE LINUX COMMAND LINE: A COMPLETE INTRODUCTION offers a fine survey from a Linux user who has 15 years background and guides readers from their first use of Linux to writing full programs in Bash, the Linux shell. From setting up files to command chaining and pattern matching, this covers the command line's many features and provides Linux users with many specific keys to mastering Linux and streamlining processes. A 'must' for any programmer's basic reference collection!

Oracle Business Process Management Suite 11g Handbook
Manoj Das, et.al.
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
9780071754491, $60.00, www.mhprofessional.com

Oracle Business Process Management Suite 11g Handbook is written by Oracle business process management experts and provides an assessment of best practices and functions of Oracle BPM Suite 11g. From planning and mapping a processed-based business application to applying its engineering method to identify and define processes, this teaches the basics of business control and agility and addresses Oracle BPM processes and routines as they apply to business modeling concepts and approaches. Chapters pack in black and white screen shots and offer powerful insights in a fine recommendation for any business or computer holding.

Cubase 6: Tips and Tricks
Keith Gemmell
PC Publishing
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com
9781906005191, $19.95, www.pc-publishing.com

Cubase 6: Tips and Tricks covers the basics of recording, editing and mixing using the MIDI and audio program Cubase 6, and is recommended for computer and music holdings alike. It's packed with 'insider' tricks and keys to streamlining and customizing Cubase 6, covering all its new features and including the new drum editing and replacement tools, track comping, guitar amp modeling and much more. There have been extensive revisions to Cubase and this manual should be an at-hand reference for any using Cubase 6.

Foundation Game Design with ActionScript 3.0, second edition
Rex van der Spuy
Apress, Inc.
233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013
9781430239932, $44.99, www.apress.com

Foundation Game Design with ActionScript 3.0 appears in its second updated edition to teach skills allowing computer gamers to design any 2D game using a combination of Flash and ActionScript. Version 3.0 is included in a coverage that pairs detailed case studies of Flash games with modern best practices and new content based on ActionScript 3.0. Any who have tried to make a game will find this packed with specifics in a title that is fully revised and updated to reflect the latest best practices, making this a fine non-technical guide for any beginning game designer looking to build games from scratch.

Windows 7 for Seniors
Studio Visual Steps
Visual Steps Publishing
9789059051263, $19.95, www.visualsteps.com

Windows 7 for Seniors is a top recommendation for any senior who wants to begin using computers from scratch, and teaches the basics of email, web surfing, and customizing computer settings. Plenty of black and white screen shots accompany every step while larger-sized text makes it easy on senior eyesight. The pages of tips offer quick resolution to common problems - such as being unable to print - and include keys to saving documents and more, while exercises at each chapter's end reinforce knowledge.

Murach's HTML5 and CSS3
Zak Ruvalcaba & Anne Boehm
Mike Murach & Associates
4340 N. Knoll, Fresno, CA 93722-7825
9781890774660, $54.50, www.murach.com

Murach's HTML5 and CSS3 offers an update to their classic book and provides a crash course that shows how to create web pages the way professionals do using the HTML5 semantic tags for content and CSS for formatting and layout. After the basics are covered in an introductory chapter chapters can be read in any sequence and provide skills for all kinds of JavaScript and jQuery applications. From embedded fonts to formatting web content for printing, this offers many specifics in a perfect choice for any programmer's collection.

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

Drew Conway & John Myles White's MACHINE LEARNING FOR HACKERS (9781449303716, $39.99) provides case studies and algorithms and outlines a dozen different techniques in machine learning to provide experienced programmers with basic details on enabling computers to train themselves by automating tasks. Each chapter tackles a specific issue in machine learning from optimization to recommendation and uses the R programming language to teach sample datasets and algorithms. A fine pick for any programmer's collection! Tom Christiansen, Brian d Foy and Larry Wall work with Jon Orwant on the fourth updated edition of PROGRAMMING PERL (9780596004927, $54.99), an updated which covers the current 5.14 version of Perl including a preview of the features in the forthcoming 5.16 version. From new keywords and Unicode 6.0 to expanded coverage of CPAN and the latest best programming practices, this is a 'must' for any Perl programmer's collection, offering up a weighty reference and complete revision for any working in Perl. Allen B. Downey's THINK COMPLEXITY: EXPLORING COMPLEXITY SCIENCE WITH PYTHON (9781449314637, $29.99) is for Python programmers who want to expand their skills by working with data structures in complexity science scenarios. Students of computational modeling as well as Python programmers receive graphs, scale-free networks, and advanced feature discussions that show how to make Python programs more functional and useful to science systems. The result is a specific focus for Python that is a pick for any intermediate Python user library.


The Business Shelf

Clarity PPM Fundamentals
Rama Velpuri and Arpit Das
CA Press/Springer
One CA Plaza, Islandia, NY 11749
9781430235576, $59.99, www.ca.com/capress

Clarity PPM Fundamentals provides a basic review of CA Technologies' Clarity PPM product which is a pick for project managers and system administrators alike. From how Clarity can manage project life cycles and how to customize its features to its reporting capabilities, security best practices, and many setup options, Clarity PPM Fundamentals covers the project mode module, financial management components, demand and portfolio management capabilities, and more and is a pick for business and software engineering collections alike. Reviewed here so business managers don't miss this!

There Is More Than One Way to Spell Wiener
Ed Grisamore
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon GA 31207
9780881462692, $20.00, www.mupress.org

There Is More Than One Way to Spell Wiener: The Story of Nu-Way tells the fun story of how the second-oldest hot dog stand in America became a restaurant classic in the Midwest, and will be a hit with any collection where patrons fondly recall Nu-Way. In 1916 James Mallis immigrated to Macon, George from Greece and opened the city's first fast-food restaurant. Since that time generations of families have been involved with Nu-Way on both sides of the counter. Business and culinary history holdings alike will relish this fine survey of the evolution of a local culinary and cultural attraction.

Foreign Direct Investment in China
Chunlai Chen
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
9781849803885, $135.00, www.e-elgar.com

Foreign Direct Investment in China: Location Determinants, Investor Differences, and Economic Impacts provides one of the most in-depth analysis for direct investment in China and packs in details on the evolution of China's FDI policies over a thirty-year period. Technical explanations and theories of FDI accompany analysis of location determinants, differences in investment and production behavior between major investors, and more, and provides a focused work of theoretical analysis for college-level business collections and students of Chinese economics studying FDI in China.

Full Voice
Barbara McAfee
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605099231, $18.95, www.bkconnection.com

FULL VOICE: THE ART AND PRACTICE OF VOCAL PRESENCE offers tested methods of improving one's voice to become a more effective speaker and communicator, and is a special pick for both drama and business holdings alike. Readers discover how to use their voice to express different leadership elements, and how to choose the right voice for the right situation. Online practice videos and real-life stories reinforce the teachings and provide specific instruction to enable readers to change everyday speech as well as to hone specific approaches for business and other special purposes.

Impact Pricing
Mark Stiving, PhD
Entrepreneur Press
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
9781599184319, $20.00, www.entrepreneurpress.com

IMPACT PRICING: YOUR BLUEPRINT FOR DRIVING PROFITS should be a basic pick for any business collection, and uses over 15 years of author experience to provide a plan for considering pricing and its impact. Basic pricing concepts are incorporated into keys to integrating pricing strategies into a business growth plan, with chapters covering everything from cashing in on complementary products and product versions to charging just what customers are willing to pay. A top pick for any entrepreneur or business manager, this reference should be on the shelves of any serious business collection.


The Travel Shelf

Galapagos Wildlife, third edition
David Horwell and Pete Oxford
Bradt Editions
9781841623603, $22.99, www.bradtguides.com

The third updated edition of GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE has been fully updated and revised and offers a colorful guide to the island's flora and fauna. It's packed with facts about the species and their habitats, pairing tips on when to go and what to see with color photos and natural history insights throughout. With all travel details updated, this is a solid pick for any destination-oriented traveler.

Moon Costa Rica, updated edition
Christopher P. Baker
Moon Handbooks
1700 - 4th St., Berkeley CA 94710
9781598807837, $21.99, www.moon.com

MOON COSTA RICA offers a newly updated edition from an award-winning travel writer who tells how to make the best of the country's various travel offerings. Tips on how to dine, travel and experience Costa Rica on a budget offer a range of affordable options and include itineraries, family fun ideas, eco-adventures and much more. From purchasing local produce to local trip ideas, this is a fun and specific travel planner packaged in take-along tote format perfect for any planning a trip to Costa Rica.

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

Chris Rowthorn's KYOTO (9781741794014, $22.99) provides a fine city guide to one of Japan's major cities, and is a top pick for any planning a trip to Japan. It holds a pull-out map, listings of top sights, places to stay and eat, and sidebars of special trips, cultural insights and history, and it's packed with ideas for independent, budget-oriented travelers seeking to visit the city. Packaged as a take-along tote, KYOTO is a top recommendation for any independent traveler. FLORIDA (9781741795769, $21.99) comes from Jeff Campbell, et.al. and is a 'must' for any planning a visit to Florida. It packs in places to see, stay, eat, and explore throughout the state, with sidebars of information accompanying small maps. A 'must' take-along planner for any planning a Florida vacation! Charles Rawlings-Way, et.al.'s NEW ZEALAND (9781741794731, $26.99) packs in all kinds of activities and comes from a team of experts who offer a completely updated edition on how to make the most of a New Zealand expedition. From urban attractions to rural countryside, activities and parks, cultural and culinary wonders, NEW ZEALAND comes packed with maps, sidebars of detail, and all the information the destination-bound traveler needs. Very highly recommended as a travel planner and take-along tote. When planning a journey to India be certain that DISCOVER INDIA: EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF INDIA by Abigail Hole, et.al. (9781742202914, $27.99) is central to the planning process. It provides highlights of must-see attractions and displays itineraries that simplify a trip's planning process. A pull-out map and details accompany color photos on all pages, making for a discussion that will help any destination-bound traveler. Domestic travelers interested in planning a trip to one of the country's busiest national parks will welcome Beth Kohn and Sara Benson's YOSEMITE, SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS (9781741794069, $19.99). It provides all the basics of where to stay and what to do in the region and includes itineraries for everything from weekend get-aways to hiking and walking opportunities. Numerous large and small maps, sidebars of information, and outdoors opportunities are covered in an outstanding take-along tote perfect for any general travel collection. ITALY by Paula Hardy, et.al. (9781741798517, $25.99) packs in comprehensive listings in a weighty travel guide recommended for any planning a trip to the country. Over 900 pages include sidebars of detail, small and large maps, and all the basics to getting around the entire country. Damian Harper, et.al.'s LONDON (9781741798982, $19.99) packs in color illustrations, small maps, sidebars of information, and plenty of detailed keyed to the London maps to provide an all-areas coverage of the entire city. Any visitor who plans on spending much of the trip in London will find this a fine listing of all the basics, from tourist attractions and byways to places to stay and eat. All are top picks for any travel collection. China Williams, et.al.'s take-along tote and travel planner THAILAND (9781741797145, $27.99) is one of the best titles an independent traveler to Thailand can buy. It's packed with the latest information on where to stay, sleep and eat in Thailand, and it features sidebars of detail along with tips on when and how to travel throughout the country. Thailand's many cultural and natural wonders are thoroughly covered in a clear travel planner recommended for any Asian traveler. If you're heading to Banff, Jasper or Glacier National Parks - three parks next door to one another - there's no better all-in-one travel planner than Oliver Berry and Brendan Sainsbury's BANFF, JASPER & GLACIER NATIONAL PARKS (8671741794052, $19.99). It packs in the basics of travel within and between the parks, offering sidebars surveying natural wonders and specifics on where to go and what to see within each park. From accommodations and options to hikes and camping, this covers anything an outdoors-oriented traveler would like to do in any or all of the parks. Iain Stewart, et.al.'s VIETNAM (9781741797152, $24.99) is a take-along travel planner for any who want to plan an in-depth journey through Vietnam. It covers rural and urban areas alike, focusing on culture, natural wonders, outdoors opportunities, and how to easily navigate the country. With sidebars of detail and small maps, VIETNAM is easily the take-along item of choice. Adam Karlin's MIAMI & THE KEYS (9781741795776, $19.99) is a take-along tote for any who would travel to Florida and take in Miami and the Keys, and is packed with the basics of how to get around, where to eat and sleep, and local culture. From color blocks profiling desirable areas to multicultural and nature experiences to be found, this is a take-along 'must' for any independent tourist bound for the area.


The World History Shelf

The Dark Defile
Diana Preston
Walker & Company
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780802779823, $28.00, www.walkerbooks.com

THE DARK DEFILE: BRITAIN'S CATASTROPHIC INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN, 1838-1842 tells of an event that took place nearly 200 years ago, when Britain sent a powerful army into Afghanistan to protect its national interests - and destroyed the country. This was the first Afghan War and the roots of a British presence in the region that set up a rivalry between Britain and Russia for supremacy in central Asia. Geographic, political and military insights blend into a history that uses rarely documented letters and diaries to capture the key players in the war and its lasting effects on the regions and countries involved. A 'must' for any history holding strong in Central Asia history and culture.


The Education Shelf

Professional Review Guide for the RHIA and RHIT Exams, 2012 Edition
Patricia J. Schnering, RHIA, CCS, et.al.
Delmar
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place
Stamford, CT 06902
1111643865, $86.95, www.cengage.com

The 2012 edition of Professional Review Guide for the RHIA and RHIT Exams includes practice software and updates a classic exam guide with new material covering electronic health records, HIPPA standards, coding change updates and CPT rules, and new analysis problems. It's been fully updated for the latest code sets and offers over 1,600 review questions that help learners assign codes to diagnoses and procedures in a range of clinical settings. Any involved in medical billing, health law, human resources, and health systems will find this packed with plenty of exam details.

Proactive Classroom Management K-8
Louis G. Denti
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781452203898, $31.95, www.corwin.com

Proactive Classroom Management K-8: A Practical Guide to Empower Students and Teachers provides a fine survey of how teaches can use tested strategies to help students stay on track. From the latest in classroom management theory that offers applied tools to teacher-friendly activities that promote a better classroom environment, this is packed with charts, activities arranged by grade level, checklists for routines, and much more in a satisfying collection of best practices recommended for any teacher's library.

Teaching Children Dance, third edition
Theresa Purcell and Stephen Cone
Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
9781450402538, $35.00, www.humankinetics.com

The third updated edition of Teaching Children Dance provides a fine survey for student learners and teachers alike, and explains the basics of how to teach children of all ages the movements and music that translate to dance steps. Elementary methods students receive an educator's guide that pairs insights on the body and senses and communication skills with keys to understanding how the dance experience benefits the child on many levels. TEACHING CHILDREN TO DANCE is a top pick for any dance or educator's collection.

The Daily Practices of Successful Principals
Barbara L. Brock, et.al.
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781412959865, $34.95, www.corwin.com

The Daily Practices of Successful Principals offers a gathering of daily practices used by successful school principals and is a fine pick for any education collection appealing to them. Chapters are based on interview with school leaders in various settings and blend theory and practice, offering insights into applied strategies for community and school interactions alike. It's especially recommended for the school principal and for libraries who cater to them.

Opening Minds
Peter Johnston
Stenhouse Publishing
Box 11020, Portland, ME 04104-7020
9781571108166, $14.00, www.steinhouse.com

OPENING MINDS: USING LANGUAGE TO CHANGE LIVES follows up on the author's first title CHOICE WORDS and considers the power of classroom language and how teachers can help shape their students through this language. The simple things teachers do and don't say can change the lives of their students, and OPENING MINDS provides plenty of examples of how teachers can engage students in more productive discussion patterns.

Cautionary Tales
Alice W. Brown
Stylus Publishing
Box 605, Herndon VA 20172-0605
9781579227807, $37.50, www.styluspub.com

Cautionary Tales: Strategy Lessons from Struggling Colleges offers a unique case study approach to examining and analyzing struggling higher education systems and structures, and is a pick for any education collection. It offers case histories of the struggles by insiders themselves who recount the lessons they learned in the process of the educational system's struggles. Examples of strategies involving mergers, partnerships, and other survival options and their outcomes illustrate paths that can serve as guides for other struggling colleges, making this a strong pick for any education collection.

A Step-by-Step Curriculum for Early Learners With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Lindsay Hilsen
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Box 960, Herndon VA 20172-0960
9781849058742, $50.00, www.jkp.com

A Step-by-Step Curriculum for Early Learners With Autism Spectrum Disorders discusses Applied Behavior Analysis and how it impacts an autistic child's development, offering three sections and a DVD with all the materials in the book so you can print worksheets and sections. From keys to assessing a child's development to checking progress and skills development levels, A Step-by-Step Curriculum for Early Learners With Autism Spectrum Disorders is a 'must' for any parent or teacher working with an autistic child.

Visible Learning for Teachers
John Hattie
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8
New York, NY 10017-9209
9780415690157, $40.95, www.routledge.com/education

Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning gathers the results of over 15 years of research involving millions of students and is written for students and in-service teachers alike, discussing how to apply the ideas from Visible Learning to any classroom. It links the research results to practical applications that cross cultures and generations, offering step-by-step guidance and keys to interpreting learning and covering numerous areas of learning activity. Any student or teacher interested in maximizing the achievement process in a school setting will find this a top pick.

Documenting Learning with ePortfolios
Tracy Penny Light, et.al.
Jossey-Bass
989 Market Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
9780470636206, $40.00, www.josseybass.com

Any collection strong in education and technology will find Documenting Learning with ePortfolios an excellent reference that provides a framework of six critical tasks to undertake in the process of linking ePortfolios to student success. It comes packed with models of successful ePortfolio projects and includes instruction on how to implement ePortfolios and how to integrate them into other teaching routines. A fine survey recommended for any teaching collection!

The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition
Robert Franek, et.al.
Princeton Review
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780375427602, $21.99, www.princetonreview.com

The 2012 edition of The Best Value Colleges updates an annual list based on surveys of over six hundred colleges and analyses of over thirty assessment points for academics, cost and aid programs and surveys some 150 schools for any education collection interested in colleges. College applicants receive a guide to everything from financial aid to how local colleges rate, surveying myths, realities, and the most common mistakes students and parents make in the college selection process. A 'must' for any college analysis collection for teens.

Talk About Understanding
Ellin Oliver Keene
Heinemann
PO Box 6926, Portsmouth, NH 03802-6926
0325028397, $36.88, www.heinemann.com

Talk About Understanding: Rethinking Classroom Talk to Enhance Comprehension is accompanied by a cd that shows the process in action and describes what it can look like when readers comprehend deeply. Video footage of Ellin modeling the reading instruction described accompanies instruction geared to grades K-8 that surveys behaviors present during deeper understanding, basic principles involved in modifying teaching to gain this level of understanding, and techniques and rules of engagement. Any educator's collection needs this survey!

Learning in the Global Classroom
Carol Dalglis, et.al.
Edward Elgar Publishing
82 Winter Sport Lane, Williston VT 05495
9781848448698, $110.00, www.e-elgar.co.uk

Learning in the Global Classroom: A Guide for Students in the Multicultural University provides details on getting the most from an international education and is a strong pick for any contemplating study in another country. Chapters cover the basics of international study programs and routines, offering specific strategies to foster personal, social and academic success. From learning how to participate in classroom discussions to developing critical thinking skills, Learning in the Global Classroom is a fine pick for any who would study abroad.

The Special Educator's Toolkit
Cindy Golden
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781598570977, $39.95, www.brookespublishing.com

The Special Educator's Toolkit offers teachers tools for organizing, managing and monitoring a classroom and includes a cd-rom with forms and labels, making for a fine all-in-one package for teachers seeking a basic classroom reference. Any collection strong in classroom management will find this comes from an experienced special education teacher, administrator and psychologist who has nearly 30 years of experience backing a program that has proven results. Students with all kinds of disabilities are covered in chapters designed to create a classroom structure open to their special needs. Any education collection needs this!


The Humor Shelf

Someone Has to Set a Bad Example
Anne Taintor
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452103099, $16.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

Someone Has to Set a Bad Example is a fine recommendation for arts, humor, and social issues shelves alike and pairs full-page color fun images and vintage illustrations with biting, witty observations and commentary. These are color portraits of women paired with one-liners and sarcastic commentary and provide fun ironies also recommended for the humor sections of women's issues as well as general collections!

Let's Pretend This Never Happened
Jenny Lawson
Amy Einhorn Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
9780399159015, $25.95, www.penguin.com

If you read only one humor book in 2012, make it LET'S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED (A MOSTLY TRUE MEMOIR). It comes from an Internet phenomenon The Bloggess whose writings attract millions of page views monthly. As a prolific and popular online blogger, one might wonder about the need for a print book - but Lawson fans and newcomers alike will find this a hilarious autobiography of her redneck childhood and life with a remarkably versatile husband. Her ex in 2012, make it LET'S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED (A MOSTLY TRUE MEMOIR). It comes from an Internet phenomenon The Bloggess whose writings attract millions of page views monthly. As a prolific and popular online blogger, one might wonder about the need for a print book - but Lawson fans and newcomers alike will find this a hilarious autobiography of her redneck childhood and life with a remarkably versatile husband. Her experiences - such as her father's affection for taxidermy - contribute to a fun and powerful set of irreverent experiences filled with fun observation and wonder, making this a powerful acquisition very highly recommended for public library and private collections alike.

Confessions of a Scary Mommy
Jill Smokler
Gallery Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451673777, $15.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Confessions of a Scary Mommy: An Honest and Irreverent Look at Motherhood - the Good, the Bad, and the Scary is a hilarious account of motherhood which could also have been featured in our 'Biography and Autobiography' section but is presented here for its broader attraction as a fun account of parenthood. It too comes from a popular website, ScaryMommy.com, and offers personal stories and funny anecdotes about the realities of parenthood. This combines new essays from the author with the best of anonymous parenting confessions submitted to Jill through her blog, making for a fun pick for humor and parenting collections alike!


The Military Shelf

Imperial Japanese Navy Light Cruisers 1941-45
Mark Stille
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849085625, $17.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Imperial Japanese Navy Light Cruisers 1941-45 joins others in Osprey's "New Vanguard" series, exploring the design and operation of the machinery of warfare through the ages. The eight classes of light cruiser developed by the IJN were fast, well-armed and technologically superior to the fleets the Allied powers could bring to bear. This discusses their actions and studies all 25 ships of the 8 light cruisers classes, from design through their ultimate end. Rare period photos from the Fukui collection held in Japan illustrate this fine discussion.


The Criminology Shelf

Quest for Justice: Defending the Damned
Richard S. Jaffe
New Horizon Press
PO Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931
9780882853744, $24.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

Quest for Justice: Defending the Damned spotlights sensational murder cases of attorney Richard Jaffe, the most successful attorney at exonerating innocent people condemned to death. His memoir of true crime and dealing with accused murderers offers insights into the entire judicial process, examining how the death penalty is decided, administered, and legally contested. Jaffe's clients have included some of the most notorious cases in legal history, and this offers conversations, insights, and an insider's view of the American legal system.


The Science Shelf

Connectome
Sebastian Seung
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
9780547508184, $27.00, www.hmhbooks.com

CONNECTOME; HOW THE BRAIN'S WIRING MAKES US WHO WE ARE comes from a MIT professor who is searching out the biological basis of identity. His contention is that it lies in the pattern of connections between the brain's neurons which change as we learn: the 'connectome', which is where genetics mix with life experience. Chapters cover research being done in this area and consider different theories of brain wiring, personality, and the technological advances which will help us map these connectomes. Science and health collections receive intriguing research mixed with practical applications and influences on future human endeavors in a lively discourse suitable for general interest holdings as well.

Nanorobotic Manipulation and Assembly
Ning Xi and Guangyong Li
Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood MA 02062
9781608071333, $129.00, www.artechhouse.com

Nanorobotic Manipulation and Assembly provides a technical review of the basics of nano manipulation and assembly and covers the latest applications in the field, making for a solid pick for any college-level collection strong in nanotechnology applications. It shows how nano-manipulation takes place on the molecular and cellular level, how such manipulation operate in the fields of nano sensors, electronics and biomedical engineering, and packs in over 100 illustrations in the course of explaining the technical side of nano manipulation and its robotic and device applications. Any library strong in technology and engineering will find this a solid acquisition.


The Biography Shelf

You're Not Doing It Right
Michael Ian Black
Gallery Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439167854, $23.99, www.simonandschuster.com

YOU'RE NOT DOING IT RIGHT: TALES OF MARRIAGE, SEX, DEATH AND OTHER HUMILIATIONS provides a powerful memoir which begins with the author's questioning of his life and achievements. Answers as to how he wound up where he's at begins with childhood and his family and moves into being a parent and his career, blending humor with vivid recollections in a fun pick for any fan of Michael Ian Black. It's the humorous observations which bring this memoir to life and make it a strong recommendation for any general lending library seeing interest in memoirs.

Gypsy Boy
Mikey Walsh
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010-7848
0312622084, $24.99, www.stmartins.com

GYPSY BOY: MY LIFE IN THE SECRET WORLD OF THE ROMANY GYPSIES provides the author's memoir of growing up in England's Romany Gypsy community. It pairs a coming-of-age account with an insider's view of a community which relatives relatively little outside world attention and covers the gypsy culture and history in the course of following Mikey through childhood to adulthood, as he rejects family efforts to have him become a boxer and is taught how to shoplift by an aunt. It's a lively read recommended for any general lending library!

Shadow of the Titanic
Andrew Wilson
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas
New York NY 10020
9781451671568, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived marks the 100th anniversary of the "unsinkable" Titanic. Much has been written about the event but this is no recap: it's a focus on the survivors. From how their lives were changed to their lasting memories, this offers 16 pages of photos to accompany previously unpublished letters, memories, diaries, and interviews with family members of survivors to consider how the survivors coped with its aftermath. Psychology, resilience in the face of tragedy, and disaster recovery are all themes in this memoir, recommended for any general lending collection seeing interest in the Titanic.

House of Stone
Anthony Shadid
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
222 Berkeley St., Boston MA 02116
9780547134666, $26.00, www.hmhbooks.com

HOUSE OF STONE: A MEMOIR OF HOME, FAMILY, AND A LOST MIDDLE EAST provides the late author's saga of redemption and tells of his return to the small Lebanese town Marjayoun to renovate the family's ancestral home after it was damaged by an Israeli rocket in 2006. In the course of renovations Shadid faces crazed workmen, dangerous politics, town gossip and puzzling family history and learns truths about his family's flight from Lebanon and resettlement in America. HOUSE OF STONE tells of a lost Middle East before conflict, and provides a powerful memoir of home that will appeal to a range of collections, from those strong in autobiography to collections interested in Middle East history and culture.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

New American Haggadah
Jonathan Safran Foer, Editor
Nathan Englander, Translator
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780316069861, $29.99, www.hgbusa.com

NEW AMERICAN HAGGADAH provides a lovely, inspirational book of prayer, argument and philosophy and is a lovely gift for any Jewish holding. It tells the story of Exodus when Moses led the Israelites out of slavery and this Haggadah provides a new way of experiencing the original sacred writing. The new translation from Nathan Englander accompanies lovely illustrations by Israeli typographic artist Oded Ezer, paired with interpretive essays and commentary from leading Jewish writers and thinkers. A 'must' for any Jewish history and culture collection.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Red Rascal's War: A Doonesbury Book
G.B. Trudeau
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street
Kansas City MO 64106-2109
9781449408206, $19.99, www.andrewsandmcmeel.com

Red Rascal's War: A Doonesbury Book offers a fine new collection continuing where Tee Time in Berzerkistan left off and packing in color cartoons on every page as it tells of wounded warriors who cope with injuries while Roland Hedley travels the world tweeting the news. Political and social observations pack a satire filled with pointed commentary and insights in comic form, making RED RASCAL'S WAR an enlightening, pivotal collection for any Doonesbury fan and for libraries catering to them.

Modern Masters Volume 27: Ron Garney
Jorge Khoury & Eric Nolen-Weatherington
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleigh, NC 27614
1605490407, $15.95, www.twomorrows.com

Modern Masters Volume 27: Ron Garney deserves a place in any lending library strong in comics history and culture and provides a detailed focus on artist Ron Garney, whose art has fostered such popular comics as Captain America and Wolverine. It surveys his art and career and includes an in-depth and lengthy interview with Garney exploring his purposes and inspirations. A centerfold of rare and unseen art - including many pieces in color - accompany black and white images and insights, making this a powerful presentation and a 'must' for any comics history collection.

My Friend Dahmer
Derf Backderf
Abrams ComicArts
c/o Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, 6th floor
New York, NY 10011
9781419702167, $24.95, www.abramsbooks.com

MY FRIEND DAHMER provides a graphic novel about the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who to the author was a high school friend. A blend of his own memories and journals and conversations with peers mixes with Dahmer's interviews and transcripts to use the graphic novel format to explore his life and struggles. An original, unique presentation, this will intrigue any graphic novel collection with a touch of something different.


The Music Shelf

Bob Dylan Gig Book
Bob Dylan
Hal Leonard Corp
7777 W. Bluemound Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53213-3400
9781617803154, $19.99, www.halleonard.com

Bob Dylan Gig Book is perfect for musicians who would play Dylan's classic songs for gigs: it packs in a hundred Bob Dylan hits in melody line arrangements with complete lyrics, chord symbols, and guitar chord boxes, and it provides a format that lends to easy identification of Dylan classics. Over 100 hits means all the standard Dylan songs are featured, with plenty of information suitable for performance. Any music collection strong in presenting modern works for performance will find this a definitive presentation.

Dance All Night
Jean A. Boyd
Texas Tech University Press
Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896727373, $39.95, www.ttupress.org

DANCE ALL NIGHT: THOSE OTHER SOUTHWESTERN SWING BANDS, PAST AND PRESENT is a 'must' for any country or Western music holding and examine the under-recognized western swing musicians who have helped shaped Southwestern music history. From swing bands in different corners of Texas and their evolution and contributions to crossover bands and those musicians who brought Western swing music to the general public, this is packed with biographies, musical analysis, and vivid writing that will captivate any already interested in music history and regional music's evolution.

The Home Recording Handbook
Dave Hunter
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Corp.
7777 W. Bluemound Rd.
Milwaukee, WI 53213-3400
9780879309589, $29.99, www.halleonard.com

The Home Recording Handbook covers the basics of choosing equipment and software for producing music at home, and includes a 98-track CD demonstrating key techniques covered in the book. From mixing and tracking to using compression and building a soundproof recording room, this teaches how to record all instruments and vocals and how to get great results without investing in an expensive studio. Any musician who wants specifics on home recording will find this exceptional, with a format that features a hardcover with spine lettering and lay-flat binding for easy access.


The Nautical Shelf

One Island One Ocean
Herb McCormick, et.al.
Weldon Owen
c/o Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9781616281717, $35.00, www.paradisecay.com

One Island One Ocean: Around the Americas Aboard Ocean Watch provides a lovely oversized adventure account telling of a 2009 sailing expedition to circumnavigate the world, and provides a story of how they traveled 25,000 nautical miles and made 50 pot calls in 13 countries. They crossed the Northwest Passage, rounded Cape Horn, and observed seas and land affected by climate change. Photos and stories of the peoples and places they encountered are provided in a fine oversized title packed with color and insights, making this a fine pick for any nautical collection!


The Gardening Shelf

The Edible Balcony
Alex Mitchell
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street
Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
9781609614102, $21.99, www.rodalebooks.com

The Edible Balcony: Growing Fresh Produce in Small Spaces provides gardeners with a fine survey of plants that can be produced on a balcony and belies the idea that one needs a full garden plot in order to grow herbs and vegetables. From carrots to beans needing an arbor-type setup, THE EDIBLE BALCONY covers vegetables and herbs that can be grown year-round and provides fun insights into trellising and other display systems, making this a fine pick for any urban gardener who wishes to combine gardening basics with decorative small-space applications. Color photos throughout contribute to a lively coverage.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Lifespan of a Fact
John D'Agata and Jim Fingal
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393340730, $17.95, www.wwnorton.com

The Lifespan of a Fact reproduces an original article by John D'Agata, who in 2003 was commissioned by a magazine to write about the suicide of a teen in Las Vegas. It was rejected due to its use of inaccurate 'facts' to tell the larger story - and eventually became the basis of a critically acclaimed essay fact-checked by intern Jim Fingal. The result of that union was seven years of arguments and over a hundred pages of back and forth detail of factual problems in nearly every of D'Agata's sentences. This reproduces the essay and their extensive writings, chronicling controversy and compromise, and is a 'must' for any college-level literary holding. It's a vivid examination of the concepts of truth and accuracy in literary nonfiction and stands alone as a rare example of editorial fact-checking.

Ambrose Bierce's Write It Right
Jan Freeman
Walker & Company
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780802717689, $24.00, www.walkerbooks.com

AMBROSE BIERCE'S WRITE IT RIGHT: THE CELEBRATED CYNIC'S LANGUAGE PEEVES DECIPHERED, APPRAISED, AND ANNOTATED FOR 21ST CENTURY READERS comes from a popular online lexicographer with a talent for wit and satire: one Ambrose Bierce. His fun and sharp observations are here annotated by Jan Freeman and gather some three hundred of his words and expressions tracing the ironies, inconsistencies and evolution of language. The result is a lively discourse and a fine recommendation for general and literary lending collections alike!

Logodaedaly, or, Sleight-of-Words
Erzsebet Gilbert
Wolverine Farm Publishing
c/o Chelsea Green Publishing
Box 814, Fort Collins, CO 80522
9780982337295, $18.95, www.wolverinefarmpublishing.com

Any reader with an interest in language and English's evolution will delight in this odd little compendium of very old word s, little-used today, and fun definitions of their use. Logodaedaly is filled with odd reflections and odder usage for words unheard of by even the most educated in English. The author has long been enchanted by dictionary oddities and has browsed many a set of definitions for some truly fun words, such as 'kantikoy' ("To dance in worship, celebration, or in honor of the dead.") The usage examples are even more fun: "How peculiar, that thelfies should take part in the kantikoy after so many millennia of mutation and invasion...") It's a whimsical and fun coverage for any collection seeing interest in the English language.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Mad Women
Jane Maas
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue
New York NY 10010-7848
9780312640231, $24.99, www.stmartins.com

MAD WOMEN: THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE ON MADISON AVENUE IN THE '60S AND BEYOND offers a personal account of what it was like to be in the Madison Avenue advertising world during its heyday in the sixties and seventies. It comes from an author who was a businesswoman and a wife and mother of two. The TV series "Mad Men" has presented a vision of the advertising world that longtime participant Jane Maas here confirms is real. Her own experience blends with interviews with her peers to provide some juicy, engrossing sagas perfect for women's issues, business and general lending collections alike!


The Crafts Shelf

Betsy Beads
Betsy Hershberg
XRX Books
Box 965, Sioux Falls, SD 57101-0965
9781933064253, $24.95, www.knittinguniverse.com/beads

BETSY BEADS: CONFESSIONS OF A LEFT-BRAINED KNITTER is recommended for knitting and crafts collections alike, and is reviewed here so that crafts holdings don't neglect this unique style. The author casts on with beads and incorporates knitting techniques with bead styles: over 30 projects bring her unique design process to the reader and provide easy approaches and color photos throughout. The result is a fine survey blending the crafts of beading and knitting with jewelry-making ideas and is a top reference for any interested in both.


The California Shelf

The Big Four Railroad Barons
Alton Pryor
Stagecoach Publishing
5360 Campcreek Loop
Roseville, CA 95747
9781467516822, $14.95, www.stagecoachpublishing.com

As the railroads took hold of the country, four barons attempted and succeeded to claim California as their own. "The Big Four Railroad Barons: and Other Railroad Stories" is a history of four railroad barons who took control of the Southern Pacific Railroad and owned the government with bribes and rampant corruption. Telling the story of big money and the impact it had on California in America's Railroad era, "The Big Four Railroad Barons" is a strong addition to any American history collection focusing on California or the Railroads.

A Toast to Eclipse
Brian McGinty
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142487, $29,95, www.oupress.com

Any collection strong in wine history and culture will welcome A TOAST TO ECLIPSE: ARPAD HARASZTHY AND THE SPARKLING WINE OF OLD SAN FRANCISCO - also a powerful pick for any general California history holding. It provides a vivid history of Eclipse Champagne, the first commercially successful California sparkling wine, and provides a fine survey of California's early winemaking history and culture and those who succeeded in making California a renowned stat for wine. In particular it's the story of one Arpad Haraszthy, who pursued his dream of California grape-growing and fine wines in an era where California was best known for its gold rush and lawlessness. Arpad's biography IS the story of California's evolution as a world-famous wine grape region - and is a 'must' for any serious about California viticultural history.

Inyo National Forest
Andy Selters
Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd.
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
9780738583050, $21.99, www.arcadiapublishing.com

INYO NATIONAL FOREST joins others in the 'Images of America' series surveying the evolution of culture in a remote area of California. Andy Selters represents the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association and has hiked, skied, photographed and mapped the Inyo mounts for over 20 years. His work features vintage photos from archives from the national forest, local museums and associations, and private collections alike and makes for a celebration perfect for any regional California history holding.


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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