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

Library Bookwatch

Volume 13, Number 12 December 2018 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Christmas Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Education Shelf Parenting Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Business Shelf Military Shelf Technology Shelf
Journalism Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Psychology Shelf Agriculture Shelf Photography Shelf
American History Shelf World History Shelf Civil War Shelf
Art Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Architecture Shelf Sports Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Gardening Shelf Railroading Shelf
Criminology Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Unlikely Ally
Marilyn Berlin Snell
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
www.heydaybooks.com
9781597144063, $28.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

In a curious incongruity, the planet's dominant fighting machine, the US military, has taken on a largely unrecognized yet crucial role in preserving California's cultural and ecological treasures. Recruits learn to spot murder holes and fire assault rifles amid one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world, and researchers look to the desert's flora and fauna for inspiration. Environmental stewardship is law on military installations throughout the United States, but a few bases in Southern California have taken a more comprehensive approach -- one in which energy security and protection of natural and cultural resources are embedded in the concept of national defense. In "Unlikely Ally: How the Military Fights Climate Change and Protects the Environment ", investigative journalist Marilyn Berlin Snell takes the reader through these military bases to examine Camp Pendleton's colony of endangered terns; the creation of wildlife corridors by the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms; the Department of Defense's research on the desert tortoise in the Mojave; innovative water conservation practices at Fort Irwin; clean-burning rocket fuels developing at China Lake; and other strategic imperatives given a geopolitical landscape easily destabilized by climate change. With "Unlikely Ally" as guide, the reader will explore a culture informed as much by the natural world as by human ideas of leadership. Impressively informative, exhaustively researched, exceptionally well written, "Unlikely Ally" is very highly recommended for community, college, and university library Environmental Issues collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading list of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Unlikely Ally" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Christmas Shelf

Santa Takes a Tumble
Len Boswell
Independently Published
9781521292570, $6.95, PB, 63pp, www.amazon.com

"Santas Takes a Tumble" by Len Boswell is for those who may no longer believe in Santa Clause (at least not at their current age), but still celebrating Christmas, know there was a time when they believed with all their heart, then followed a time when they weren't quite sure, and ultimately a time when the truth became all too clear. The twelve stories comprising Santa Takes a Tumble follow reflect a mix of those emotions and events, told by the man, then boy, who experienced them in the early 1950s. As anyone who has experienced Christmas morning can tell you, there will be joy and pain, disappointment and even heartbreak -- the whole panoply of emotions on proud and not-so-proud display. Most of the stories are funny, and some are poignant. A time trip that incorporates nostalgia with the inevitable disappointments that life is heir to, "Santa Takes a Tumble" is one of those short story anthologies that will linger in the mind and memory long after this little booklet has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While very highly recommended for anyone's personal reading list this Christmas season, it should be noted that "Santa Takes a Tumble" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99) and as an audiobook.

Christmas Stories
Charles Dickens
Prairie Publications, Inc.
http://ftppublications.wixsite.com/ftpp
9780997281736, $9.95, PB, 72pp, www.amazon.com

Nearly one hundred fifty years after his death, Charles Dickens remains one of the most popular English-language writers. As a chronicler of the human condition, he created characters (some are kind and virtuous, many are quirky and humorous, others epitomize evil) that leave an indelible mark on their reader. What most readers might not be aware of is that in addition to his famous "A Christmas Carol" he wrote two other Christmas-themed short stories that are now brought back into print for the pleasure and edification of a new generation of appreciative readers by Prairie Publications. "Christmas Stories" consists of two pieces: "The Holly-Tree" (1855) and "Nobody's Story" (1853). Both pieces were originally published in the Christmas section of the journal Household Words (1850 - 1859). Household Words, of which Dickens was both editor and a contributor, served as a platform apart from his novels in which he could express his ideas and sentiments in a somewhat less-formalized manner and with greater immediacy. The reader will find that both pieces in this collection, like his novels, are vintage Dickens. "Christmas Stories" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, college, and university library literary fiction collections in general, and Charles Dickens supplemental studies lists in particular.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Hollywood vs. The Author
Stephen Jay Schwartz, editor
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
www.rarebirdbooks.com
9781945572869, $17.95, PP, 280pp, www.amazon.com

Stephen Jay Schwartz spent a number of years as the Director of Development for Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot, In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, Troy, The Perfect Storm) where he worked to develop screenplays for production. He also worked as a freelance screenwriter before writing his two novels, Boulevard and Beat, which follow the journey of sex-addicted LAPD detective Hayden Glass. The Hayden Glass series was optioned by producer Ben Silverman (Ugly Betty, The Office, The Tudors) for development as a TV series. Stephen's short fiction was most recently included in the collection The Los Angeles Fiction Anthology alongside T.C. Boyle, published by Red Hen Press, as well as the short story collection Jewish Noir, published by PM Press. He is a regular moderator at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and has judged and been the panel chair for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the mystery/thriller category since 2015. His film work has been exhibited in the A.F.I. Los Angeles International Film Festival and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Schwartz, "Hollywood vs. The Author" is a collection of non-fiction anecdotes by authors who've had the pleasure of experiencing the development room firsthand -- some who have successfully managed to straddle the two worlds, seeing their works morph into the kinds of feature films and TV shows that make them proud, and others who stepped blindsided into that room after selling their first or second novels. All the stories in this collection illustrate the great divide between the world of literature and the big or small screen. They underscore the insanity of every crazy thing you've ever heard about Hollywood. "Hollywood vs. The Author" should be considered mandatory reading for any author seeking to have what they write made into a film or television series. While very highly recommended for community, college, and university library Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hollywood vs. The Author" is also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781978638563, $15.99, MP3 CD).


The Education Shelf

Teaching on a Shoestring
Russell Grigg & Helen Lewis
Crown House Publishing
81 Brook Hills Circle, White Plains, NY 10605
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785833076, $22.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

On of America's most shameful realities is that a majority of public school budgets are chronically underfunded -- often with classroom teachers having to dip into their own funds to provide teaching materials for their students. Underpinned by solid theory, "Teaching on a Shoestring: An A-Z of everyday objects to enthuse and engage children and extend learning in the early years" investigates the learning potential of twenty-six inexpensive, readily available resources from apples to ice cubes to zebra-patterned fabric and shows how they can be exploited to develop in young learners the four skills widely regarded as essential in the twenty-first century: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. "Teaching on a Shoestring" is organized into two parts. Part 1 examines the nature of an object-rich learning environment and discuss the benefits of enquiry-based learning, in which the emphasis is upon promoting collaboration, dialogue and higher-order thinking in real-world contexts. Part 2 focuses upon the learning opportunities around the twenty-six objects are laid out in detail to illustrate how they can be put into practice. While "Teaching on a Shoestring" has as its focal point as object-based pedagogy employed with the under-sevens age category, many of the principles can also be applied with older children. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Teaching on a Shoestring" is an exceptional and highly recommended addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for education students and classroom teachers that "Teaching on a Shoestring" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).

Exam Literacy
Jake Hunton
Crown House Publishing
81 Brook Hills Circle, White Plains, NY 10605
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785831980, $24.95, PB, 236pp, www.amazon.com

Jake Hunton is head of modern foreign languages at Heart of England School in Solihull and believes in combining passionate, engaging and fast-paced teaching with a focus on the highest achievement for all students. In "Exam Literacy" he draws upon his years of research, experience and expertise to create a guide for doing what works (and avoiding what doesn't) to better prepare students for exams, Hunton focuses on the latest cognitive research into revision techniques and delivers proven strategies which actually work. 'Real world practical' and 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Exam Literacy" is a thoroughly and very highly recommended addition to school district, college, and university library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Exam Literacy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.09).

Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century
Engineering, and Medicine National Academies of Sciences
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309472739, $55.00, PB, 202pp, www.amazon.com

"Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century" examines the current state of U.S. graduate STEM education. This report from the National Academies Press insightfully explores how the system might best respond to ongoing developments in the conduct of research on evidence-based teaching practices and in the needs and interests of its students and the broader society it seeks to serve. "Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century" is an essential resource for the primary stakeholders in the U.S. STEM enterprise, including federal and state policymakers, public and private funders, institutions of higher education, their administrators and faculty, leaders in business and industry, and the students the system is intended to educate. While especially and unreservedly recommended for school district, state departments of education, college, and university library collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, educational policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $44.99).

Prevent-Teach-Reinforce
Glen Dunlap, et al.
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com
9781681250847, $49.95, PB, 216pp, www.amazon.com

Now classroom teachers can solve serious behavior challenges in K - 8 classrooms with the revised and updated second edition of "Prevent-Teach-Reinforce: The School-Based Model of Individualized Positive Behavior Support" -- a practical, user-friendly guide to the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) model. Developed by highly respected experts on positive behavior support, this research-proven model gives school teams a step-by-step blueprint for reducing problems unresolved by typical behavior management strategies. "Prevent-Teach- Reinforce" provides explicit guidance and strategies for implementing all five steps of PTR: 1) teaming and goal-setting, 2) collecting data, 3) conducting a PTR Functional Behavioral Assessment, 4) developing a PTR behavior intervention plan, and 5) monitoring progress and making data-based decisions. Enhanced with new research on PTR and fresh content on timely topics like multi-tiered systems of support, "Prevent-Teach-Reinforce" is a practical and effective guidebook will help classroom teachers and school administrators to resolve even the toughest behavior challenges -- and improve social and academic outcomes for all students. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Prevent-Teach-Reinforce" is unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education and Education Administration collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Prevent-Teach-Reinforce" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $47.45).


The Parenting Shelf

Feed Your Baby and Toddler Right
Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP
Future Horizons, Inc.
721 West Abram Street, Arlington, TX 76013
www.fhautism.com
9781941765678, $14.95, PB, 155pp, www.amazon.com

The majority of our eating and drinking skills are developed in the first two years of life. Parents can help with this process by using appropriate feeding techniques from birth. Every three months from birth, a baby will have a growth spurt in the area of feeding. Parents often receive very little instruction on ways to feed their children, yet good eating and drinking skills encourage the best mouth development and set up patterns for life. "Feed Your Baby and Toddler Right: Early Eating And Drinking Skills Encourage The Best Development" reveals secrets for better breast and bottle feeding, and feeding development for babies from birth to the toddler years. Of special note is the inclusion of baby development checklists, what to do if breastfeeding or bottle-feeding goes wrong, what to do with problems with respect to spoon-feeding, cup- drinking, straw-drinking, and chewing, the best feeding tools and where to find them. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Feed Your Baby and Toddler Right" is unreservedly recommended for family and community library Parenting instructional reference collections.

The Emotionally Healthy Child
Maureen Healy
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608685622, $16.95, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com

While growing up has never been easy, today's world undeniably presents kids and their parents with unprecedented challenges. The upside, cites Maureen Healy (an award-winning author, educator and leader in the field of children's emotional health whose popular blog on Psychology Today has reached millions of parents, and educators wanting to learn the how of raising emotionally healthy children), is a widespread acknowledgment that emotional health, resilience, and equilibrium can be learned and strengthened. Healy, who herself was a "wild child", the kind, she writes who left babysitters "wondering if they wanted children" knows her subject. She has become an expert on teaching skills that address the high sensitivity, big emotions, and hyper energy she herself experienced. Three simple steps are key -- Stop, Calm, and Make a Smart Choice. While not always easy, these steps are powerful and in "The Emotionally Healthy Child", Healy shows her readers exactly how to implement them. Children move from acting out or shutting down, experiencing frequent physical symptoms such as head and stomach aches or hurting themselves or others, to recognizing they are being triggered, feeling their emotions, and using strategies to respond from a calmer place. As adults learn to model these skills, both adults and children become freer to do and be their best. An impressively accessible and 'real world practical' descriptively instructional volume, "The Emotionally Healthy Child: Helping Children Calm, Center, and Make Smarter Choices" is unreservedly recommended for community library Parenting Instructional Reference collections. It should be noted that "The Emotionally Healthy Child" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.98) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781721306916, $19.99, MP3 CD).


The Cookbook Shelf

Cooking from Scratch
PCC Community Markets
Sasquatch Books
1904 Third Avenue, Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98101
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632171887, $24.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Founded in Seattle in 1953 by 15 local families, PCC Community Markets (PCC) is the nation's largest community-owned food market with an unmatched enthusiasm for making food from scratch. Eating healthy, local food prepared from scratch is at the heart of their "Cooking from Scratch" compendium of recipes best prepared from ingredients provided by local producers, sustainable food practices, and healthful, organic seasonal foods. Showcasing 120 recipes organized for every meal of the day, including many of PCC's most popular dishes, such as their treasured Emerald City Salad, "Cooking from Scratch" also includes cooking, storing, and shopping tips -- covering everything a kitchen cook needs to know in order to make the most of the local bounty offered in their area, wherever they live. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, and very highly recommended for family, personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections, it should also be noted that "Cooking from Scratch" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Gennaro's Fast Cook Italian
Gennaro Contaldo
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781623719807, $30.00, HC, 192pp, www.amazn.com

A culinary expert and chef, Gennaro Contaldo draws upon his years of experience and expertise with Italian cuisine to create an impressive compendium of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly recipes for outstanding dishes that would make any meal memorable and any dining occasion truly elegant. Profusely illustrated throughout, the recipes range from Insalata Di Fave E Carciofi (Fava Bean and Artichoke Salad with Arugula and Parmesan); Zuppa Di Pesce Veloce (Quick Fish Soup); and Risotto Con Salsiccia (Sausage Risotto); to Costollette Di Agnello All'Accuiuga (Anchovy-Infused Lamb Chops); Bistecche In Salsa (Steaks in a Herb- Infused Tomato Sauce); and Budino Al Cioccolato E Lamponi (Chocolate and Raspberry Pots). Of special note is the listing of pantry, refrigerator, freezer, and fresh produce essentials for an Italian style kitchen. "Gennaro's Fast Cook Italian" is unreservedly recommended for family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

From the Land of Nightingales and Roses
Maryann Sinaiee
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781623719678, $35.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Maryam Sinaiee was born in Tehran, Iran where she learned to cook from her mother, grandmothers, and aunts. She studied ancient Iranian languages at Tehran University and has contributed several articles on pre-Islamic Persian culture and religion to Iranian publications. In 2011, Maryam moved to London, where she decided to follow her life-long passion for food and food writing. Leaving behind her career as a foreign correspondent and political analyst, she set up her food blog, The Persian Fusion, which is now one of the most popular Persian food blogs in English. In "From the Land of Nightingales and Roses: Recipes from the Persian Kitchen" she draws upon her impressive expertise to create an equally impressive volume of beautifully illustrated recipes for authentic Persian dishes organized seasonally. Of special note is the informative introduction on Persian cooking, followed by recipes ranging from Abdugh Khiyar (Chilled Yogurt and Cucumber Soup); Koresht-e Karafs (Lamb and Celery Stew); and Reshteh Polo (Rice with Toasted Noodles); to Kashk-e Bademjun (Eggplant and Kash with Crispy Garlic and Walnuts); Morgh-e Zaferani (Saffron Braised Chicken); and Sar Gonjeshki (Tiny Meatballs). "From the Land of Nightingales and Roses" is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to family, professional, and community library ethnic cookbook collections.

Coastline: The Food of Mediterranean Italy, France & Spain
Lucio Galletto & David Dale
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781623719678, $35.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Beautifully illustrated throughout, "Coastline: The Food of Mediterranean Italy, France & Spain" by the culinary team of Lucio Galletto (who runs the Sydney restaurant Lucio's) and cookbook author David Dale, "Coastline: The Food of Mediterranean Italy, France & Spain" is an expertly presented collection of superbly crafted recipes for authentic Mediterranean dishes that even the most novice of kitchen cooks can now prepare for any and all dining occasions. Enhanced with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, and a section on 'Origins & Essentials', the recipes themselves are organized by Sauces & Dips; Snacks & Appetizers; Salads; Pasta & Rice; Bread & Pizza; Soups & Stews; 'Simple Pleasures'; Desserts & Pastries. Of special note is 'How to Follow the Greeks, the Romans, and the Authors, and 'Lucio's Conclusion'. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Coastline: The Food of Mediterranean Italy, France & Spain" is fun to browse through ideal for planning menus with, making it unreservedly recommended for family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Table Tales
Ray Repp, author
Richard Alther, author
Regent Press
2747 Regent St., Berkeley, CA 94705
www.regentpress.net
9781587904530, $49.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

"Table Tales: Do-Ahead Dinner Party Menus That Whet Appetites, Loosen Tongues, and Make Memories" is a compendium of tips on cookware, insights into keeping recipes as "green" as possible, how to do it well beforehand, leaving the barest "finishing touches" just prior to serving featured dishes. Presented are menu items for 15 dinner parties, from appetizers on to the desserts. In addition to the do-ahead recipes "Table Tales" showcases suggestions about hosting the perfect dinner party: from graciously handling early or late arrivals, handling unwanted gifts for the hosts, when a wine glass is spilled on the table, as well as flower and candle decorations that don't block eye contact. The recipes range from Mini Crab Cakes; Seared Tuna with Catalan Sauce; Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with Tomato Coulis; and Broiled Shrimp with Tarragon and Garlic; to White Bean Salad with Lemon and Cumin; Sweet Potato Salad; Gooey Peach Pie; and Cranberry Chutney with Apricots and Pecans. Beautifully illustrated throughout, and ideal for planning party menus with, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.95), "Table Tales" will be an enduringly valued addition to family, personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.


The Fiction Shelf

Veterans Crisis Hotline
Jon Chopan
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
www.umass.edu/umpress
9781625343680, $24.95, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com

The twelve stories by Jon Chopan (Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida) comprising "Veterans Crisis Hotline" collectively offer a meditation on the relationship between war and righteousness and consider the impossible distance between who men are and who they want to be. A veteran working at the hotline listens to the stories men tell when they need someone to hear their voices, when they need to access a language for their pain. Two men search for the head of a decapitated Iraqi civilian so that they might absolve themselves of the atrocities of war, a Marine hunts for the man who raped his girlfriend, and a teenage son replaces his dead father on the battlefield. With a quick wit and offbeat humor, Professor Chopan takes his readers from the banks of the Euphrates to the bars and VFW halls of the Rust Belt, providing insight into the Iraq War and its enduring impact on those who volunteered to fight in it. An inherently fascinating, entertaining, thoughtful and thought- provoking read from beginning to end, "Veterans Crisis Hotline" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections.

River of Porcupines
G. K. Aalborg
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432838157, $25.95 HC, $7.99 Kindle, 190pp, www.amazon.com

In the Rocky Mountain fur trade of the early 1800s, the intense rivalry between the powerful Hudson's Bay Company and the North-West Company is complicated by the arrival of Ilona Baptiste, a lovely and much-desired Metis maiden who could become the catalyst for a bloody trade war between two companies. Young trader Garth Cameron and the brutal H.B.C. woods boss Louis Savard both want Ilona, and end up in thrilling, pursuit through the Rocky Mountain wilderness, with Ilona the prize. Terrified of one pursuer, and in danger of falling for the other, the brave young woman is dependent upon her native cunning and survival skills to save herself and the man she comes to love. An impressively and deftly crafted novel that will hold the reader's rapt attention from beginning to end, "River of Porcupines" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.

Tears Before Exaltation
Fidelis O. Mkparu
Harvard Square Editions
2152 Beachwood Terrace, Hollywood, CA 90068
www.harvardsquareeditions.org
9781941861608, $22.95, PB, 324pp, www.amazon.com

When Ben Ava, a struggling medical student facing insurmountable financial worries, receives a scholarship offer for a Medical Center in Memphis, he thinks that his tenuous future is finally secure. But Ben's past will not leave him alone. His fellow scholarship winner is his old friend Brenda--a young medical student with extraordinary talent whose troubled past has made her self-destructive and dangerous. In Memphis, their lives become increasingly tangled as Ben is pulled into Brenda's orbit. Soon, he finds himself risking his medical education, his new romance, and his entire future in the hopes of steering himself and Brenda through the tumult of their shared loneliness and trauma. Drawing upon his own medical background, "Tears Before Exaltation" by Fidelis O. Mkparu is a deftly scripted literary drama about coping with the past, surviving the present, and the blurred lines between courage and insanity, hate and love. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Tears Before Exaltation" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Cold Steel
Ben Bridges
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444837247, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Professional fighting man Carter O'Brien can stick around Scot's Post, California, and risk taking a bullet from the brother of a man he had to kill when the guy was trying to rob him in a dark alley, or he can ride up into the treacherous winter-locked mountains with an old mountain man named Charlie Button on an impossible mission of mercy trying to recover a stranded wagon train of men, women and children. Because he has never been one to pass up a challenge, he chooses the mountains. The dangers are plenty - ambushers, marauding Indians, the worst kind of weather imaginable. In order to survive all that, O'Brien learns pretty quick that the job he's signed on for will require all the cold steel he has in him. Author Ben Bridges is one of the best action/adventure western novelists writing today and this large print edition of "Cold Steel" is a riveting read that is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library western fiction collections.

Bullet Justice
Bradford Scott
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785415555, $29.99, PB, Large Print, 172pp, www.amazon.com

To some, Walt Slade is a fearless Texas Ranger. Others know him by his undercover identity, El Halcon (The Hawk) -- a lightning-fast gunhand who pursues justice for the oppressed. Now he must solve the puzzling and lethal mystery of who is leading a gang of killers that seem bent on destroying the railroad connection being built into a promising town on the edge of a possible oil field. Another deftly crafted and inherently riveting Walt Slade western by author Bradford Scott, this large print edition of "Bullet Justice" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to the personal reading lists of western novel fans and community library Western Fiction collections.

Jordan's Crossing
Ethan Harker
Linford Western Library
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444838237, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Jack Denton is just another travel-stained wanderer with a tragic past when he fetches up in the town of Jordan's Crossing. There he finds a young widow, Marion Fowler, being terrorized by three men in her store, and kicks them out. But then the stakes are raised when her six-year-old son is kidnapped, and she receives a note telling her to leave the key to the store on her step. Why is there so much interest in the business -- and what cost will Denton have to pay for solving the mystery and finding Marion's son? A simply riveting and action-packed western novel by author Ethan Harker, this large print edition of "Jordan's Crossing" is an especially recommended addition to the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Gods Help Those
Albert A. Bell, Jr.
Perseverance Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel, Publishers
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
www.danielpublishing.com
9781564746085, $15.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Pliny the Younger hoped to improve relations with his unpleasant wife and her mother by investing in a warehouse on the Tiber with them. Now the building has collapsed due to heavy rains. Pliny discovers several dead people inside, including a man with a narrow red "equestrian" stripe on his tunic, indicating aristocracy. He wasn't killed by the cave-in, however, but by a knife wound in his back. When Pliny gives the body a forensic examination, he finds two more puzzling things: a circumcision (unusual in Rome), and thirty pieces of silver in his sewn-closed mouth. To further complicate matters, Pliny's servant and lover, Aurora, finds a live baby in the wreckage. What connection does the funeral of a consul have with these events? Queen Berenice of Judaea, the mistress of the late emperor Titus, soon enters the story with her sons one of whom is an assassin, a member of the Sicarii. He's determined to avenge the defeat of his people and the destruction of their temple -- no matter who might get in the way. "The Gods Help Those: A Seventh Case from the Notebooks of Pliny the Younger" by college history professor and author Albert A. Bell, Jr. is a deftly scripted historical mystery that is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Gods Help Those" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.42).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Weregirl: Typhon
C.D. Bell
Chooseco
PO Box 46, Waitsfield, Vermont 05673
www.weregirl.com
9781937133603 $17.99 hc / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com

Weregirl: Typhon continues the "Weregirl" fantasy series, about Nessa, a young adult female werewolf, and her family. In Weregirl: Typhon, Nessa, her two sisters, and their brother Nate are living at their father's estate to recover from the pain of their mother's death. But their father was a modern-day mad scientist, who created all sorts of genetic experiments in his 30,000 acre "living laboratory" in the wilds of Oregon. The remote and beautiful land just might hide more terrifying dangers than any of the siblings could imagine! Weregirl: Typhon is a "must-read" for connoisseurs of lycanthrope fantasy, highly recommended.

Time and Time Again
Robert Silverberg
Three Rooms Press
www.threeroomspress.com
9781941110720 $16.00 pbk / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com

Time and Time Again: Sixteen Trips in Time is an anthology of sixteen sensational sci-fi short stories by masterful veteran of the genre Robert Silverberg. From the destructive impact a time- traveling rival has on a marriage, to a human voyaging to the future and arriving in the mind of a lobster, to an essay from Silverberg about how early time travel stories inspired him as a boy, Time and Time Again is a treasury for connoisseurs of quality science fiction in general and Silverberg's work in particular. Highly recommended for both personal and public library sci-fi collections!

Hag
Kathleen Kaufman
Turner Publishing Company
200 - 4th Avenue North, Suite 950, Nashville, TN 37219
www.turnerpublishing.com
9781684421688, $35.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

High above the sea, hidden in the rocky Scottish cliffs, something stirs. An ancient matriarchal power has set the wheels in motion for a long line of descendants. But to what end? Spanning centuries of human history, these daughters of the lowland hag, the Cailleach, must navigate a world filled with superstition, hatred, violence, pestilence, and death to find their purpose. With pasts half remembered and destinies denied, the daughters of Cailleach are women with uncanny, and often feared, abilities to heal, to see the future and to cause great destruction and pain when threatened. With each passing generation, the waves crash against the shore, and the Cailleach awaits a homecoming that will bring everything full circle. A unique and riveting novel by an author with a genuine flair for originality and narrative driven storytelling, Kathleen Kaufman's "Hag" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hag" is also available in a paperback edition (9781684421671, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.01).


The Business Shelf

Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination
Deborah C. England, Attorney-at-Law
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413325584, $39.99, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com

Discrimination and harassment can poison the work environment, undermine employee morale, and even lead to costly investigations and lawsuits. In the era of #MeToo, it's more important than ever to take steps to prevent harassment and discrimination, as well as appropriately respond when incidents do happen. Armed with the information and strategies presented in "Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination", company executives can protect their businesses and employees from illegal harassment and discrimination. "Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination" shows how to: Develop policies prohibiting harassment and discrimination; Train employees and supervisors; Handle employee complaints and investigate claims thoroughly; Document your company's response; Take action against wrongdoers; Prevent illegal retaliation; Respond to agency complaints, investigations, and lawsuits. "Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination" also provides the support company Human Resources executives need by posting significant developments on the online legal update page. While very highly recommended for corporate, community, and academic library Business Management collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted that "Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.06).

Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn
Stephen Fishman, J.D.
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413324150, $34.99, PB, 43200, www.amazon.com

Stephen Fishman has dedicated his career as an attorney and author to writing useful, authoritative and recognized guides on taxes and business law for entrepreneurs, independent contractors, freelancers and other self-employed people, as well as books on copyright law and the public domain. In "Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn" he draws upon his years of experience and expertise to provide an instructive and comprehensive resource for any home business seeking to claim all the lawful tax deductions they are entitled. Claiming those tax deductions is essential to the financial success of any home business. Entrepreneurs will find out how to deduct: start-up costs; home office expenses; vehicles and travel expenses; entertainment and meals; medical expenses under Obamacare; and retirement expenses. Home business operators will also learn how to keep accurate, thorough records in case the IRS ever comes calling. Easy to read and full of real-life examples, "Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn" can help even the most novice of home business operators to take advantage of all the valuable deductions they are entitled to. Expertly written, organized and presented, this fully updated 15th edition of "Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Business Management collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted that "Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).

Africa's Business Revolution
Acha Leke, Mutsa Chironga, and Georges Desvaux
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781633694408, $35.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Simply stated, "Africa's Business Revolution: How to Succeed in the World's Next Big Growth Market" provides the inside story on business in Africa and its future growth prospects and helps executives understand and seize the opportunities for building profitable, sustainable enterprises. From senior leaders in McKinsey's African offices and a leading executive on the continent, "Africa's Business Revolution" draws on in-depth proprietary research by the McKinsey Global Institute as well as McKinsey's extensive experience advising corporate and government leaders across Africa. Brimming with company case studies and exclusive interviews with some of Africa's most prominent executives, "Africa's Business Revolution" is replete with vibrant, inspiring stories of those who have successfully navigated the many twists and turns on the road to building successful businesses on the continent. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Africa's Business Revolution" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to corporate, community, and academic library International Business Management collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for students, entrepreneurs, and corporate executives that "Africa's Business Revolution" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.36).


The Military Shelf

The World of the Battleship
Bruce Taylor, editor
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9780870219061, $76.95, HC, 440pp, www.amazon.com

Compiled and edited by military historian Bruce Taylor, "The World of the Battleship: The Design and Careers of Capital Ships of the World's Navies, 1900-1950" is a volume comprised of twenty-one articulate, informative, and chronologically presented articles intended to present a global vision of the development of the world's battleships. The nationality, the design, the building, and the career of a significant battleship from each of the world's navies is deftly explored in a way that illuminates not just the ships but also the communities of officers and individuals that served in them and, more broadly, the societies and nations that built them. Each individual chapter explains the origins of a ship, her importance as a national symbol, and her place in the fleet. A very highly original, profusely illustrated, and significant volume showcasing the great capital battleships of the world, "The World of the Battleship" will prove to be an enduringly popular and valued addition to personal, community, college, and university library Naval Military History collections and supplemental studies lists.

Aircraft Carrier Victorious
David Hobbs
Seaforth Publishing
c/o Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9781526737342, $48.95, HC, 176pp, www.amazon.com

The technical details of British warships were recorded in a set of plans produced by the builders on completion of every ship. Known as the "as fitted" general arrangements, these drawings represented the exact appearance and fitting of the ship as it entered service. Intended to provide a permanent reference for the Admiralty and the dockyards, these highly detailed plans were drawn with exquisite skill in multi-colored inks and washes that represent the acme of the draughtsman's art. HMS Victorious was a ship with two almost separate incarnations - as built in 1941 she was one of a new type of armored aircraft carrier which saw arduous wartime service; post-war the ship underwent a massive reconstruction lasting nearly eight years that saw her recommission in 1958 as one of the best equipped carriers in the world. It is interesting to note that David Hobbs, the author of "Aircraft Carrier Victorious: Detailed in the Original Builders' Plans", is a retired Fleet Air Arm pilot, is the acknowledged expert on British naval aviation, the author of more than twenty published works, and having served in Victorious, is supremely qualified to write "Aircraft Carrier Victorious", making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library 20th Century British Naval History collections and supplemental studies lists.


The Technology Shelf

Low-Power and High-Sensitivity Magnetic Sensors and Systems
Eyal Weiss & Roger Alimi
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630812430, $159.00, HC, 302pp, www.amazon.com

"Low-Power and High-Sensitivity Magnetic Sensors and Systems" by the team of Eyal Weiss (manager and leading scientist of the R&D Systems Department of Soreq NRC) and Roger Alimi (senior scientist and project manager of Soreq NRC) is comprehensive new resource analyzes sources of noise and clutter that magnetic sensing system developers encounter. "Low-Power and High-Sensitivity Magnetic Sensors and Systems" guides practitioners in designing and building low noise and low power consumption magnetic measurement systems. Various examples of magnetic surveillance and survey systems are provided. "Low-Power and High-Sensitivity Magnetic Sensors and Systems" will also enable system designers to obtain an all-inclusive spectral understanding of typical sources of noise and clutter present in the system and environment for each application, in order to successfully design stable and sensitive low power magnetic sensing devices. Detection and localization methods are explored, as well as deterministic and heuristics algorithms which are an integral part of any magnetic sensing system. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Low-Power and High-Sensitivity Magnetic Sensors and Systems" is very highly recommended for corporate, college, and university library Contemporary Science & Technology collections in general, and magnetic sensor systems supplemental studies lists in particular.

Basic Radar Tracking
Mervin C. Budge, Jr. & Shawn R. German
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630813352, $149.00, HC, 360pp, www.amazon.com

Detailed closed-loop bandwidth and transient response approach is a subject rarely found in current literature. "Basic Radar Tracking" by the team of Mervin C. Budge (who is chief scientist of Dynetics where he is responsible for overall technical quality and who has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama Huntsville since 1973, teaching courses in radar, tracking and Kalman filters) and Mervin C. Budge (who is chief scientist of Dynetics where he is responsible for overall technical quality and who has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama Huntsville since 1973, teaching courses in radar, tracking and Kalman filters) is innovative resource offers practical explanations of closed-loop radar tracking techniques in range, Doppler and angle tracking. To address analog closed loop trackers, a review of basic control theory and modeling is included. In addition, control theory, radar receivers, signal processors, and circuitry and algorithms necessary to form the signals needed in a tracker are presented. Digital trackers and multiple target tracking are also covered, focusing on g-h and g-h-k filters. Expertly and collaboratively well written, organized and presented, "Basic Radar Tracking" is a complete and comprehensive volume that would aptly serve as a curriculum textbook on the subject and is unreservedly recommended for both college and university library Science & Technology collections in general, and Radar supplemental studies lists.


The Journalism Shelf

A NewsHound's Guide to Student Journalism
Katina Paron & Javier Guelfi
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9781476675916, $19.99, PB, 206pp, www.amazon.com

Covering the basics of media arts values and practice, "A NewsHound's Guide to Student Journalism" by the team of by Katina Paron (who is a Brooklyn-based journalism educator, has created byline opportunities for teens worldwide for more than 25 years, and directs the NYC High School Journalism Collaborative at Baruch College) and Javier Guelfi (who is an Argentine-born and -based cartoonist, illustrator, and graphic designer and has worked for such companies and NGOs as BuzzFeed, Univision, Unicef, The Women's Building, and many local and international media outlets) is graphic textbook that offers cub reporters a primer on the drama, adventure and ethical conundrums that make journalism rewarding and fun. Using ripped-from-the-headlines examples, Paron and Guelfi challenge students to engage with the big issues. The stories revolve around a diverse newspaper staff at an urban high school who find themselves in a series of teachable moments. Packed with reporting exercises and fundamentals of the craft, woven into engaging narratives, each comic also gives readers a look at the real-life event that inspired the tale. In our present culture of honest journalism being propagandized against as 'fake news" by Donald Trump and his supporters, "A NewsHound's Guide to Student Journalism" should be a part of every community, college, and university library Contemporary Journalism collections -- as well as the personal reading lists of journalism students and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World
John Witte Jr. & Amy Wheeler, editors
Westminster John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396
www.wjkbooks.com
9780664264154, $40.00, PB, 302pp, www.amazon.com

Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by John Witte Jr. and Amy Wheeler, "The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World" is a volume of erudite contributions drawn from a distinguished assembly of twelve internationally acclaimed scholars. This rich, interdisciplinary study deftly explores the Protestant Reformation and its revolutionary impact on the church and the world. The Reformation revolutionized the church and spiritual life as well as art, music, literature, architecture, and aesthetics. It transformed economics, trade, banking, and more -- transformations that shifted power away from the church to the state, unleashing radical new campaigns for freedom, equality, democracy, and constitutional order. An authoritative but accessible study, "The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World" deftly analyses the kaleidoscopic impact of the Reformation over the past 500 years for better or worse, for richer or poorer, for the West and increasingly for the world. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to church, seminary, community, and academic library Contemporary Christian Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of clergy, seminarians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Protestant Reformation of the Church and the World" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.45).


The Graphic Novel Shelf

The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Colin Lorimer
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785859151 $16.99 pbk / $11.99 Kindle amazon.com

The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine is a full-color graphic novel collecting issues #1-4 of the new comic book series based on the classic 1960s British television drama. The Uncertainty Machine builds on the core dynamics of the series to spin a tale both uniquely new and eerily familiar. In "The Uncertainty Machine", M15 agent Breen is under orders to break into the most secure prison complex and secret intelligence location in the world, known as "The Village"; his task is to either rescue or eliminate a fellow agent and lover named Carey, before she reveals vital information. Yet The Village itself is a mystery that defies comprehension, where reality folds like paper and the line between jailers and inmates is excessively blurred. Can Breen truly trust his own senses, when the institution holding him captive has the power to invade his mind and memories? The climax reveals a tantalizing glimpse into The Village's inner workings, and keeps the reader riveted to the final, shocking page. The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine is highly recommended for fans of the show and of surreal mystery-drama.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Molecule of More
Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD and Michael E. Long, authors
Performed by Tom Parks
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781978643734 $36.99 amazon.com

George Washington University professor and psychiatrist Daniel Z. Lieberman and Georgetown University lecturer Michael E. Long present The Molecule of More, now in an unabridged audiobook rendition. The Molecule of More examines how a single chemical in the human brain, dopamine, pushes people to crave more than what they have - to create more, to collect more, to push for social change, or to engage in gambling. It is a driving force of ambition, but also addiction; vital for survival yet potentially also destructive. Those who naturally have more dopamine are more likely to be politically liberal, and advocate progressive ideals for a better tomorrow; those who naturally have less dopamine are more likely to be politically conservative, and advocate for contentment with the status quo (or more concerned about dangerous threats, such as crime or war). Utterly fascinating, and thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, The Molecule of More is highly recommended for both public library audiobook collections and personal reading lists. 7 discs, 8 hour 15 min.

A History of France
John Julius Norwich
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com
9781977317889 $44.99 amazon.com

Read aloud by author John Julius Norwich, A History of France is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a chronicle of France's often turbulent and violent history, from Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul in the first century BC to the end of the Second World War. Thoroughly accessible to listeners of all backgrounds, A History of France tells the fascinating true stories behind legendary historical figures including Charlemagne, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, Marie Antoinette, and many more. A History of France is highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections, and also makes an excellent gift to anyone with an interest in learning more about France's storied past. 13 CDs, 15 hours.

The Day Wall Street Exploded
Beverly Gage, author
Pam Ward, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com
9781977350176, $29.99, CD, www.amazon.com

In "The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in Its First Age of Terror ", Beverly Gage (who teaches U.S. history at Yale University) tells the story of a once infamous but now largely forgotten terrorist attack. Based on thousands of pages of Bureau of Investigation reports, this historical detective saga traces the four-year hunt for the perpetrators, a worldwide effort that spread as far as Italy and the new Soviet nation. It also takes listeners back into the decades-long but little-known history of homegrown terrorism that shaped American society a century ago. "The Day Wall Street Exploded" delves into the lives of victims, suspects, and investigators: world banking power J. P. Morgan, Jr.; labor radical "Big Bill" Haywood; anarchist firebrands Emma Goldman and Luigi Galleani; America's foremost detective William J. Burns; and even a young J. Edgar Hoover. It grapples as well with some of the most controversial events of its day, including the rise of the Bureau of Investigation, the federal campaign against immigrant "terrorists", the grassroots effort to define and protect civil liberties, and the establishment of anti-communism as the sine qua non of American politics. Many Americans saw the destruction of the World Trade Center as the first major terrorist attack on American soil, an act of evil without precedent. "The Day Wall Street Exploded" reminds us that terror, too, has a previous and violent history in American politics. Deftly narrated by Pam Ward, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "The Day Wall Street Exploded" is unreservedly recommended for personal, highschool, community, college, and university library American History collections.

Heads You Win
Jeffrey Archer, author
Read by Richard Armitage
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781427299222 $39.99 amazon.com

Expertly performed by Richard Armitage, Heads You Win is a sweeping original novel by author and former British Parliament member Jeffrey Archer. The saga follows Alexander Karpenko, a child destined for greatness, forced to escape from Russia in 1968 with his mother. A chance flip of a coin determined whether young Alexander would flee to America or Great Britain; as an immigrant, he seeks his fortune and struggles to survive as the decades unfold. Yet he ultimately realizes that he must return to the Russian homeland he left behind so long ago. Captivating to the very end, Heads You Win is a welcome addition to public library audiobook collections, highly recommended. 13 CDs, 16 hours.


The Library CD Shelf

Little Red Boat
Mary Lydia Ryan
www.iammarylydiaryan.com
Privatley Published
$15.00

Little Red Boat is an award-nominated solo piano album by creator Mary Lydia Ryan, who draws upon her own life experience and the mysteries of the sea to create an enchanting, emotionally moving experience. The naturally flowing sparkles, lending delight to the ear and a sense of wonder to the mind. Little Red Boat is a treasure for connoisseurs of solo piano, highly recommended. The tracks are "Little Red Boat", "Woman in the Moon", "floating on a Gentle Breeze", "The Joy of Ten Knots", "In Wonder", "Sailing this Sea Alone", "How Did I End Up Here", "Gentle Sunshine", "Waltz Under the Sun", "A Song About Sea Turtles", "Sparkle on the Water", and "Ocean of My Soul". 43 min.

Leaning Toward Home
Holland Phillips
www.musicbyholland.com
Ageless Records
$9.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Leaning Toward Home is an album of new age and contemporary instrumental music by creator Holland Phillips. Holland's seventh album, Leaning Toward Home engages and supports the spirit, subtly encouraging the listener to broaden their mental scope and imagine new horizons. The result is breathtaking, joyous, and highly recommended. The tracks are "Prelude to a Dance", "Before the Epilogue", "Roadside Brew", "Time Travels", "A Sip of Potion", "Moving Forward", "Leaning Toward Home", "Full Circle", "Surprising Turns", "Along the Way", and "Bedtime Stories".


The Library DVD Shelf

Elizabeth I And Her Enemies
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
athenalearning.com
$34.99 www.acornonline.com

Elizabeth I And Her Enemies is a DVD docu-drama about Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603). Here is the story of Elizabeth's journey from princess to queen, and the many perils she faced. Her own mother was executed after losing the king's favor. Elizabeth survived assassination attempts, rebellions, accusations of treachery, and the threat of foreign invasion; her long reign provided England desperately needed stability. She never married, despite numerous courtships, and was known as the "Virgin Queen". As fascinating as it is educational, Elizabeth I And Her Enemies is highly recommended, especially for public library DVD collections. 6 episodes on 1 DVD, 141 min., SDH subtitles.

Mademoiselle Paradis
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
www.firstrunfeatures.com
$24.95 www.mademoiselle-paradis.com

Based on a true story, Mademoiselle Paradis is a historical drama on DVD about a gifted piano player and friend of Mozart, who lost her eyesight as a child. Under the treatment of Dr. Franz Mesmer (known for his theories about animal magnetism), she begins to recover her sight - at the price of losing her talent for music. Ultimately, she must choose between a normal life with vision or a virtuoso's life in darkness. A deep, thought-provoking tale, Mademoiselle Paradis is highly recommended especially for public library DVD collections. 97 min., German & French language with English subtitles.


The Psychology Shelf

Clinical Handbook of Emotion-Focused Therapy
Leslie S. Greenberg & Rhonda N. Goldman, editors
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433829772, $99.99, HC, 534pp, www.amazon.com

Through Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), clients learn to rule their emotions, instead of letting their emotions rule them. With guidance from a skilled EFT therapist to help them identify, experience, accept, and tolerate difficult emotions, people can learn to regulate, explore, make sense of, transform, and flexibly manage their emotions. As a result, they become more skilled in responding adaptively to situations as they arise. EFT therapists help individuals and couples engage in productive emotional processing. They also offer methods to help clients become aware of their emotional needs. In this book readers will learn to: Conceptualize clients' core emotions in order to form a focus of therapy; Guide clients through the process of emotional change; Structure therapy in an ongoing fashion; Recognize key emotional markers; Facilitate the tasks needed to move to the next phase. This handbook knowledgeably compiled and collaborative co-edited by the team of Rhonda N. Goldman (Illinois School of Professional Psychology-Argosy university, Schaumbur, and The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois) and Leslie S. Greenberg (York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) offers a comprehensive tour of EFT research and applications for all common mental health issues including depression, anxiety, interpersonal trauma, personality disorders, and eating disorders. Comprised of twenty-three erudite articles by experts in the field (as well as a twelve page listing of the contributors and their credentials), the "Clinical Handbook of Emotion-Focused Therapy" is seminal and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, college, and university library Contemporary Psychology collections and Therapy/Counseling supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that the "Clinical Handbook of Emotion-Focused Therapy" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $73.31).


The Agriculture Shelf

Blueberries, second edition
Jorge B. Retamales & James F. Hancock, authors
CABI
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781780647265, $75.00, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a new and updated edition second edition, "Blueberries" covers major topics of interest to blueberry breeders and researchers: botany, physiology, nutrition, growth regulation, photosynthesis, environment, weeds, pests, diseases and postharvest management. The focus is on the highbush blueberry, though information on other blueberries and related species is also provided. Blueberries are cultivated worldwide and "Blueberries by the team of Jorge B. Retamales and James F. Hancock explores plantings in a great diversity of environments, reflecting on the development of innovative cultural practices and conditions. It examines the increased scope and depth of research activities related to this crop and brings together the current status of knowledge on blueberry science and management. Explaining in an understandable manner the basic science behind the growth and development of blueberries, their botanical characteristics, as well as the implications and effects of various management practices and environmental conditions, "Blueberries" also: Highlights emerging genetic information on the blueberry; Includes new information on pruning, grafting and irrigation; Covers current and potential uses of plant growth regulators; Gathers new information on fruit quality and consumer acceptance. "Blueberries" is the definitive guide to blueberry cultivation for researchers, growers and breeders, updated to reflect the latest developments in the industry, provides comprehensive coverage of botanical, physiological and management of cultivated blueberries, making it an indispensable and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, community, corporate, and academic library Horticulture collections in general, and Blueberry agricultural supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Blueberries" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $60.10).

Plant-Pathogenic Acidovorax Species
Saul Burdman & Ronald R. Walcott, editors
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
www.shopapspress.org
9780890546055, $249.00, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Horticultural research goes back more than 100 years for some genera of plant-pathogenic bacteria, and a lot is known about the diseases they cause, including how to manage them. The opposite is true of the genus Acidovorax. Acidovorax pathogens and diseases which have only recently been considered as economically important threats to food crops worldwide among them, cereals such as corn, wheat, oats, barley, and rice. Thus, little is known about Acidovorax pathogens, and options for managing the diseases they cause are limited. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by plant-pathogenic bacteria experts Saul Burdman and Ronald R. Walcott, "Plant-Pathogenic Acidovorax Species" is the first comprehensive effort to collate information on these pathogens. "Plant-Pathogenic Acidovorax Species" provides an up-to-date overview of plant diseases caused by Acidovorax species, addressing taxonomy, epidemiology, diagnosis, and management. Comprised of twelve erudite and informative articles by experts in the field, "Plant-Pathogenic Acidovorax Species" also considers nonpathogenic plant-associated or free-living species of Acidovorax.

Diseases and Pests of Soybean DVD-ROM
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
www.shopapspress.org
9780890545942, $209.00, CD-ROM, www.amazon.com

Educators and extension professionals can use "Soybean Rust: The Life Cycle of Phakopsora pachyrhizi" as a CD-Rom video tool to teach the complex life cycle of the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, an aggressive disease capable of causing defoliation and significant yield loss. "Soybean Rust: The Life Cycle of Phakopsora pachyrhizi" is an authoritative presentation of the disease that is found in most soybean growing regions worldwide, making it an critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to corporate, governmental, college, and university library Horticultural collections in general, and soybean supplemental studies lists in particular.


The Photography Shelf

Into the Light: The Photography of Jerome Brunet
Jerome Brunet
Insight Editions
PO Box 3088, San Rafael, CA 94912
https://insighteditions.com
9781683836896, $50.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Simply stated, in the pages of "Into the Light: The Photography of Jerome Brunet" is an impressive compendium of photographic images, as music photographer Jerome Brunet informatively reflects on twenty years of photographing some of the world's biggest musicians. Getting his start in the music world early, playing cello at four years old and continuing on to the guitar in his teens, Brunet's early passion for music translated easily to another artistic pursuit -- photography. Brunet's breathtaking style of shooting "contre-jour" or "into the light," in which the photographer shoots toward a light source, has earned him numerous accolades and awards, including a Worldwide Photography Gala Award in 2001, first place at the 2012 International Photo Awards, and the Graphis Photo Annual Silver Award in 2017. "Into the Light: The Photography of Jerome Brunet", is an intimate retrospective on the last twenty years in which the photographer deftly showcases his curated collection of visually arresting photography of the most important names in music. An exceptional body of work, "Into the Light: The Photography of Jerome Brunet" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Contemporary History of Photography collections -- and would be an ideal Memorial Gift acquisition selection.


The American History Shelf

Rangers, Trappers, and Trailblazers
John Fraley
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560377320 $14.95 amazon.com

Written with scholarly attention to detail, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Rangers, Trappers, and Trailblazers: Early Adventures in Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness and Glacier National Park gathers true-life stories of people who lived among some of the wildest lands in Montana during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Here are tales of Glacier Park Ranger Clyde Fauley and his family, who used a cable bucket to reach their isolated cabin; trapper Slim Link, who encountered a grizzly bear in deep woods; ranger Henry Thol, who patrolled the South Fork wilderness on snowshoes in -40 degree cold; and many more. A wealth of historic black-and-white photographs, many never before published, illustrate this engaging window into wilderness life in days gone by. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library American History collections.


The World History Shelf

The Allies Strike Back, 1941-1943
James Holland
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
154 West 14th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802125606, $32.00, HC, 720pp, www.amazon.com

The second volume in historian, writer, and broadcaster James Holland's 'World War II in the West' series, "The Allies Strike Back 1941-1943" offers fascinating new perspective on the critical middle years in World War II's western theatre, as the advantage between Axis and Allied forces swung back and forth on the Atlantic and eastern front, and in north Africa and Europe. Acclaimed historian James Holland has spent years conducting original research and interviews, mining newly available archives, visiting battlefields and uncovering letters and diaries previously unread. Acknowledging that strategy and tactics have been the focus of previous histories, he gives equal space to the logistics and supply of men and materiel without which no war can be fought. Allied and Axis leaders criss-cross Holland's narrative, but he also memorably introduces readers to heretofore unknown participants: Sgt. Ralph Schaps, who experienced the Louisiana Maneuvers that propelled him into Europe; Colonel Hermann Balck, in command of a German panzer regiment in Africa; U-boat captain Teddy Suhren, operating against Allied shipping in the Atlantic; Billy Drake, squadron commander in Britain's Desert Air Force that helped turn the tide in North Africa; and many others. An impressively informative, exceptionally well researched, written, and organized history, "The Allies Strike Back, 1941-1943" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library World War II military history collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Allies Strike Back 1941-1943) is also available in a paperback edition (Grove Press, 9780802128577, $20.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.72).

Ancient Rome: A New History
David Potter
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500294123, $70.75, PB, 368pp, www.amazon.com

Praised for its beautiful visuals, use of primary sources, and coverage into the early medieval period, and now in a fully updated and revised third edition, "Ancient Rome: A New History" by David Potter (who is the Francis W. Kelsey Collegiate Professor of Greek and Roman History, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, and Professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Michigan) includes a more student-friendly approach. With new chapter-opening maps, new family trees, more subheadings, and even more color images, the text is certain to increase student engagement. Of special note is a new People of Ancient Rome online resource that offers the best guidance for understanding the context of primary sources. Expertly written, organized and presented, this new third edition of "Ancient Rome: A New History" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community, college, and university library Roman History collections, as well as the supplemental studies reading lists of students and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.

The Roman Empire in Late Antiquity
Hugh Elton
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9780521899314, $390.59, HC, 366pp, www.amazon.com

In "The Roman Empire in Late Antiquity: A Political and Military History", Hugh Elton (Professor and Program Coordinator in the Program of Greek and Roman Studies at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario) offers a detailed and up to date history of the last centuries of the Roman Empire. Beginning with the crisis of the third century, Professor Elton (a scholar of Late Roman political and military history who has directed two archaeological projects in Turkey. He is the author of Warfare in Roman Europe, AD 350-425 in1998, and Frontiers of the Roman Empire in 2012) covers the rise of Christianity, the key Church Councils, the fall of the West to the Barbarians, the Justinianic reconquest, and concludes with the twin wars against Persians and Arabs in the seventh century AD. Professor Elton isolates two major themes that emerge in this period noting that a new form of decision-making was created, whereby committees debated civil, military, and religious matters before the emperor, who was the final arbiter. Professor Elton also highlights the evolution of the relationship between aristocrats and the Empire, and provides new insights into the mechanics of administering the Empire, as well as frontier and military policies. Supported by primary documents and anecdotes, "The Roman Empire in Late Antiquity" is specifically designed and intended for use in undergraduate courses on late antiquity and early medieval history. While unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library History of Rome collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Roman Empire in Late Antiquity" is also available in a paperback edition (9781108456319, $29.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.00).


The Civil War Shelf

The Real Horse Soldiers
Timothy B. Smith
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611214284, $32.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Benjamin Grierson's Union cavalry thrust through Mississippi is one of the most well-known operations of the Civil War. The last serious study was published more than six decades ago. Since then other accounts have appeared, but none are deeply researched full-length studies of the raid and its more than substantial (and yet often overlooked) results. The publication of "The Real Horse Soldiers: Benjamin Grierson's Epic 1863 Civil War Raid through Mississippi" by Timothy B. Smith (who a veteran of the National Park Service and currently teaches history at the University of Tennessee at Martin) amply rectifies this historical oversight. Impressively informed and informative, exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented, "The Real Horse Soldiers" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of maps, illustrations, a sixteen page bibliography, a twelve page list of acknowledgments, and an eleven page index. A valued and significant addition to the growing library of American Civil War Histories, "The Real Horse Soldiers" is an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Movements and Positions in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain
James T. Holmes, author
Garth D. Bishop, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9781476673127, $29.95, PB, 163pp, www.amazon.com

Deftly edited by Garth D. Bishop (the great-grandson of Col. James Taylor Holmes) and featuring an informative Introduction and Annotations by Mark A. Smith (Professor at Fort Valley State University in Georgia), "Movements and Positions in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain" is the Civil War combat memoir of Lieutenant Colonel James Taylor Holmes of the 52nd Ohio Volunteers. This is a richly detailed firsthand account of the action on Cheatham's Hill during the June 1864 Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. Written in 1915, Holmes insightful narrative, with original hand-drawn diagrams, differs on key points from the accepted scholarship on troop movements and positions at Kennesaw, and contests the legitimacy of a battlefield monument. Professor Smith provide a brief yet comprehensive overview of the battle and places Holmes document in historical context. A welcome and appreciated contribution to the growing library of American Civil War literature, "Movements and Positions in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading list of Civil War buffs and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Movements and Positions in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain: The Memoir of Colonel James T. Holmes 52d Ohio Volunteer Infantry" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).


The Art Shelf

50 Contemporary Women Artists
John Gosslee & Heather Zises, editors
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764356537, $45.00, HC, 360pp, www.amazon.com

Compiled and edited by "50 Contemporary Women Artists: Groundbreaking Contemporary Art from 1960 to Now" by John Gosslee (who is the editor-in-chief of New York City based art magazine Quiet Lunch) is one-of-a-kind compendium serves as a reminder of women's strength in the contemporary art market place, and acts as testament to the innovation, power, and necessity of women's art and its influence. Featuring a select group of living women artists and architects who have made significant and groundbreaking contributions to contemporary art, the volume profiles an international cross-section of women artists (from the emerging to the established) who address critical, social, environmental, psychological, historical, and social issues through their art. Included are works by five MacArthur Foundation Fellows. Ultimately, "50 Contemporary Women Artists" promotes women artists in an ongoing dialogue through the exploration of their work and process, while offering fresh perspectives on feminism and notions of cultural power. Readers will receive a unique glimpse of seminal works such as Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party, as well as brand new pieces inspired by The Women's March on Washington in 2017. Complete with an informative foreword by Elizabeth Sackler, "50 Contemporary Women Artists" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Art History collections and should be considered a 'must' for educators, students, curators, collectors, non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of women and the arts.

Japanese Prints: The Collection of Vincent van Gogh
Louis van Tilborgh
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500239896, $45.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

One hundred and fifty years ago, the French artist Vincent van Gogh fell under the enticing spell of Japanese printmaking while working in Paris. He bought over six hundred Japanese prints and displayed them in his studio as inspiration. Van Gogh admired the prints' mastery of strong colors, everyday subjects, unusual spatial effects, and delicate details from nature. When Van Gogh purchased the prints, he was just beginning to develop his own style as a painter, trying to find a modern yet also more primitive kind of painting that engaged directly with the viewer. These Japanese prints helped him find his now legendary style, with nature as a mutual starting point. Presented in association with the Van Gogh Museum, "Japanese Prints: The Collection of Vincent van Gogh" by Louis van Tilborgh (who is the Senior Researcher at the Van Gogh Museum and Professor of Art History at the University of Amsterdam) is a beautiful exploration of Van Gogh's fascination with Japan and Japanese artwork. This beautifully illustrated volume of more than 170 images reveals a selection of prints, all from the museum's collection, that Van Gogh owned during his lifetime and presents them with the works they inspired. "Japanese Prints: The Collection of Vincent van Gogh" provides a very special opportunity to share Van Gogh's vision gives a compelling glimpse into one of the most powerful creative influences behind his art, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library Art History collections in general, and Vincent van Gogh supplemental studies lists in particular.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Dance Movement Therapists in Action, third edition
Edited by Robyn Flaum Cruz and Cynthia F. Berrol
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398092450 $44.95 pbk
9780398092467 $44.95 ebook

Now in an updated third edition, Dance Movement Therapists in Action is an anthology of essays written by a diversity of expert authors about research in dance/movement therapy. Although research protocols are followed meticulously, the writings are designed to be practical and accessible, not requiring technical background to clearly understand. Individual essays include "Embodying Difference: Addressing Diversity and Social Justice in Dance/Movement Therapy Research", "Issues of Validity and Reliability in the Use of Movement Observations and Scales", "How to Mix Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in a Dance/Movement Therapy Research Project", and much more. Dance Movement Therapists in Action is an welcome addition to public and college library physical therapy shelves, highly recommended.

The Aging Brain
Timothy R. Jennings, MD
Baker Books
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780801075223, $16.99, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

In "The Aging Brain: Proven Steps to Prevent Dementia and Sharpen Your Mind ", Christian psychiatrist and certified master psychopharmacologist Timothy R. Jennings reveals that while growing older is inevitable, many of the troubles we associate with aging (including dementia, disability, and an increased dependence on others) are not. The choices we make now can help us to maintain our vitality, a sharp mind, and our independence as we age. Filled from cover to cover with simple, everyday actions we can take to avoid disease, promote vitality, and prevent dementia and late onset Alzheimer's, "The Aging Brain" is an easy-to-use guide to maintaining brain and body health throughout our lives. Based on solid, up-to-date scientific research, the interventions explained in this book not only prevent progression toward dementia even in those who have already shown mild cognitive impairment, they also reduce disability and depression and keep people living independently longer than those who do not practice these methods. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Aging Brain" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Health & Medicine collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of non-specialist general readers seeking to slow the aging process, as well as anyone who acts as a caregiver to someone at risk of or already beginning to suffer from dementia and other age-related diseases, that "The Aging Brain" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.00) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Mission Audio, 9781545903759, $19.98, CD).


The Social Issues Shelf

Romancing the Sperm
Diane Tober
Rutgers University Press
106 Somerset St., 3rd Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
9780813590783 $29.95 pbk / $28.45 Kindle amazon.com

Romancing the Sperm: Shifting Biopolitics and the Making of Modern Families is a scholarly evaluation of how advances in science have revolutionized family formation. Starting in the 1990's, increased access to sperm donations enabled single women, lesbian couples, and other women not in heterosexual married relationships to have children entirely on their own terms. Although insurance companies and some sperm banks acted as gatekeepers, refusing to extend their services to women not in a heterosexual marriage, feminist-run sperm banks appeared to fill the demand and provide services to all, regardless of marital status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Author Diane Tober (assistant adjunct professor, University of California, San Francisco Institute for Health and Aging) examines how sperm donation and the social and political environment of "modern families" have drastically changed. Written with scholarly attention to detail, and including a wealth of firsthand testimonies from women who have chosen to use sperm banks, Romancing the Sperm is fascinating and insightful from cover to cover. Highly recommended.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Seduction
Karina Longworth
Custom House
customhousebooks.com
c/o William Morrow
www.harpercollins.com
9780062440518 $29.99 hc / $14.99 Kindle amazon.com

Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom in Howard Hughes's Hollywood is a close examination of Hollywood through the stories of dozens of actresses pursued by sex-obsessed millionaire Howard Hughes. Some were trapped or abused; some stalled out and faded from the limelight; others benefitted enormously or became silver screen stars. Hughes was instrumental in crafting a sexualized vision of womanhood in American culture, that has persisted long after his personal wealth diminished. Author Karina Longworth is sharply skeptical, bringing to light the negative side of Hollywood's so-called golden era. Riveting from cover to cover, seduction is highly recommended for both personal and public library Theatre/Cinema collections.


The Architecture Shelf

Constructability: A Tool for Project Management
Sharmin Khan
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138586758 $70.00 hc / $25.00 Kindle amazon.com

Constructability: A Tool for Project Management is a studious guide written especially for professionals in the field of architecture and construction. Chapters discuss the concept of "constructability" as a means to promote sustainable architecture practices. How can buildings be planned so that they won't unduly tax local utilities and resources, and so that recycling and waste management are performed as efficiently as possible? (Construction and demolition waste is estimated to form 10% to 20% of municipal waste). Methodical and scholarly, Constructability is a "must" for college and professional library Architecture shelves, highly recommended. "Sustainable development does not require a different method of construction [...] It is unique characteristic of the building, which can be realized by its working efficiency and the remarks of its end users. Such buildings will use optimum resources, be workable, consume less energy, use renewable sources of energy, and bring comfort to its users."


The Sports Shelf

'Sox' Gary Hocking - The Forgotten World Motorcycle Champion
Roger Hughes
Veloce Publishing Ltd.
www.veloce.co.uk
9781787114142 $30.00 amazon.com

'Sox' Gary Hocking - The Forgotten World Motorcycle Champion is a biography of Gary Hocking (1937-1962) of Southern Rhodesia, a Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing world champion who also competed in automobile racing. He was one of the best and most talented racers of his generation, with the potential to become the first world champion "on both two wheels and four." A sudden accident while practicing for an automobile race ended his brief yet brilliant life at the young age of 25. This is the first book devoted entirely to his career, complete with vintage black-and-white photographs, an appendix of Hocking's race results, and an index. Thoroughly engaging and accessible from cover to cover, 'Sox' Gary Hocking - The Forgotten World Motorcycle Champion is an excellent addition to sports biography shelves, highly recommended for both public library collections and personal reading lists.


The Philosophy Shelf

The Dao De Jing: A Qigong Interpretation
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
9781594396199 $29.95 pbk / $1.99 Kindle amazon.com

The Dao De Jing: A Qigong Interpretation is a guide to understanding the classic philosophic text "Dao De Jing", written by the legendary Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism Lao Tzu. The Dao De Jing: A Qigong Interpretation particularly examines the influence that the practice of qigong (a holistic system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for the purposes of health, spirituality, and martial arts training) had upon Lao Tzu, and therefore on his timeless text. Indeed, many chapters in the Dao De Jing speak of qigong and the practices of regulating the body, breathing, mind, qi, and spirit. A translation and glossary of Chinese terms as well as an index round out this thoughtful, in-depth study. The Dao De Jing: A Qigong Interpretation is a "must-read" for anyone interested in the study of Taoism, highly recommended.


The Gardening Shelf

Living with Air Plants
Yoshiharu Kashima (Protoleaf), author
Yukihiro Matsuda (Brocante), author
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804851046, $17.99, HC, 96pp, www.amazon.com

Yoshiharu Kashima is a botanist and media commentator on air plants, succulents and other forms of indoor gardening in his native Japan. He directs purchasing and sales at the Tamagawa branch of Protoleaf Garden Island and manages the Chofu branch of tukuribaGREEN, a specialist plant boutique. Stylist Yukihiro Matsuda (Brocante) is a gardening and lifestyle author, landscape architect, and owner of BROCANTE -- a Yokohama shop selling antique furniture and home furnishings. Together they have collaboratively in "Living with Air Plants: A Beginner's Guide to Growing and Displaying Tillandsia" to provide the novice 'air plant' gardeners the perfect instructional introduction to the world of Tillandsia and the many ways they can be used to design and upgrade a home or work space. These endearing plants are friendly to seasoned gardeners and beginners alike, and easy to grow and care for, once you know how. This reference and growing guide covers over 100 different Tillandsia varieties, and gives you all the information you need to select your plants and make them thrive. "Living with Air Plants" covers: The various types of Tillandsia plants and their characteristics; Growth cycles and preferred environments; Air plant care and selection; Propagating/dividing plants from cuttings; Enjoying and displaying Tillandsia in all sorts of spaces. Beautifully illustrated throughout, "Living with Air Plants" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Contemporary Gardening instructional reference collections.


The Railroading Shelf

Lost Railway Journeys from Around the World
Anthony Lambert
White Lion
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781781317471, $35.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

From the great cathedral-like railways stations of the steam age to obscure lines built through spectacular landscapes to open up countries before the advent of motorized road transport, "Lost Railway Journeys from Around the World" by railroading historian and enthusiast Anthony Lambert is an impressively informative and visually thrilling celebration of our lost railway heritage and the lines that can no longer be traveled. Through truly stunning photographic images, "Lost Railway Journeys from Around the World" evokes the romance and drama of these journeys, taking the reader as close as they can possibly get to this lost world of dining cars, sleeping cars, station porters and international rail travel. Organized by continent, all of these long lost routes have fascinating stories to tell and the lost journeys are wonderfully captured in the old postcards and posters that accompany photographs drawn from collections and archives across the world. An absolutely 'must' for all dedicated railroad buffs, "Lost Railway Journeys from Around the World" is an unabashedly, enthusiastically and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library History of Railroading collections and supplemental studies lists.


The Criminology Shelf

Applied Criminal Psychology
Richard N. Kocsis, editor
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398092368, $55.95, PB, 404pp, www.amazon.com

Compiled and edited by Richard N. Kocsis, and now in a newly revised and updated second edition, "Applied Criminal Psychology: A Guide to Forensic Behavioral Sciences" is a collection of fifteen erudite and insightful articles that collectively provide a comprehensive and practical guide to psychological research and techniques. "Applied Criminal Psychology" is introductory and wide-ranging and covers important forensic aspects of psychology, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences. Many key forensic issues are covered, including personality disorders, risk assessment, the forensic psychologist as an expert witness, detecting deception, eyewitness memory, cognitive interviewing, forensic hypnosis, false confessions, criminal profiling, and crisis negotiation. With this new edition and starting with the first two chapters, significant focus has been placed upon Psychopathy and the closely associated DSM category of Anti-Social Personality Disorder. Another new chapter has also been included dedicated to the principles of law associated with an accused person's mental status. "Applied Criminal Psychology" is international and interdisciplinary in its scope and focus. Many of the contributors are well known scholars and/or practitioners. "Applied Criminal Psychology" will be of particular interest to psychologists, psychiatrists, criminologists, legal professionals, law enforcement personnel and students who are planning careers in forensic psychology, criminology, and policing -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended curriculum textbook and core addition to both college and university library Criminology collections and supplemental studies lists.


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


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design