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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 4, Number 1 January 2005 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Fiction Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Business Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Biography Shelf Environmental Shelf Travel Shelf
World History Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Political Science Shelf
Jobs/Careers Shelf Parenting Shelf Literary Shelf
Poetry Shelf Native American Shelf Metaphysical Shelf
American History Shelf Money/Finance Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Mzungu Mjinga
Rick Boyer
High Sierra Books
2340 Hwy 180 E. PMB 252, Silver City, NM 88061
0974357324 $22.95

Mzungu Mjinga by Edgar award winner Rick Boyer is a modern-day safari memoir. Set the Tanzania wilds, the engaging narrative chronicles one man's first-time adventure into the subculture of the African hunt, from rules, regulations and politics to issues of survival in a sometimes hostile land. Tips for safari success are naturally scattered throughout, such as the importance of sighting one's gun after any plane flight ("Who knows what bugger dropped your case on the runway? Or tried to pry it open? All sorts of things can happen to scopes in transit.") The picturesque description and excitement of the hunt itself comes alive on the page, in this enthralling excursion that is the next best thing to being there.

Discovering South Beach Deco
Richard Beaubien and Valerie Beaubien
Domani Press
PO Box 551, Bolton, Massachusetts 01740
0976023806 $18.95 www.domanipress.com

Discovering South Beach Deco: Walking Tours In The Miami Beach Art Deco Distract by Richard and Valerie Beaubien is a travel guide for South Florida tourists offering walking tours of over 300 historic buildings. Maps, black-and-white photographs, detailed directions, and inspired commentary make Discovering South Beach Deco ideal for any traveler (or resident!) interested in seeing the city's splendor for themselves. An index allows for quick and easy lookup of famous places and other subjects, and an introduction to architectural styles prevalent in South Florida helps orient the beginner to the expressions, styles, and history of landmark buildings. As easy-to-use for practical sightseeing as it is fun to page through at leisure.

The House Of Many Faces
Konstantina Dimitra Mahlia
Mahlia Collection
19 E. Toole, Tucson, Arizona 85701
0975992503 $19.95 www.thehouseofmanyfaces.com

The House Of Many Faces is a personal testimony of a woman's survival and escape from sexism, materialism, and societal traps by seeking vision, empowerment, and personal validation within her own home. Room by room, metaphors offer guidance into the nature of the world itself, from inexorable advance of Daughter Truth and Father Time (who also represents death) to bare feet as a connection to the real world and not an illusory one. The text is presented in two columns per page, offering a distinctive reading experience as one follows the woman's journey from room to room, contemplating each item in the house. A poignant and profound masterpiece of literary allegory.

Vocabula Bound
Robert Hartwell Fiske, editor
Marion Street Press
PO Box 2249, Oak Park, IL 60304
0972993762 $19.95 1-866-443-7987 www.marionstreetpress.com

Compiled and edited by Robert Hartwell Fiske, Vocabula Bound: Outbursts, Insights, Explanations, And Oddities is a compendium of essays on the English language taken from the pages of "The Vocabula Review", as well as twenty-five poems. "The Vocabula Review" is an online monthly journal concerning the state of the English language that crusades against nonstandard or careless English, and champions clear and expressive English. Topics discussed include the political twisting of the English language, British English versus American English, language errors in the movie "Titanic", the tyranny of synonyms, and much more. A lively contemporary exploration of linguistic nuances, as accessible to the lay reader as it is insightful to the professional linguist.

Reaching True Peace
Rod Davis, Ph.D.
Fern Haven Press
PO Box 2752, Olympia, WA 98507
0975407805 $16.95 www.fernhavencenter.com/books

Written by an expert in East-West psychology, Reaching True Peace: 7 Universal Realms Of Spiritual Development is a remarkable work that integrates spirituality and psychology into an instructional whole. Chapters teach the reader about Kundalini Yoga and the 7 "chakras" along the spinal column; Interior Castle and the 7 "dwelling places" of the aspiring soul, as told in the famous work by Christian mystic Teresa of Avila; depth psychology that integrates the conscious and unconscious, as discussed by Carl Jung; and much more. Written to be accessible to the lay reader, Reaching True Peace offers resonant guidelines to one's inner journey of individual evolution of consciousness, drawing upon ancient wisdom and teachings as well as modern schools of thought.

Passport To Life
Emanuel Tanay, M.D.
Forensic Press
2977 Philadelphia Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
0976026317 $24.95

Passport To Life: Autobiographical Reflections on the Holocaust is the firsthand story of Dr. Emanuel Tanay, a successful forensic psychiatrist and a Jew who survived the depredations of Nazi genocide during World War II, when he was only a child. After the war, his experienced hatred and the threat of murder in his native Poland, but relative peace and asylum in Germany, and later moved to America. Sixty years later, his testimony is not only a narration of and reflection upon the genocidal atrocities he personally witnessed and experienced. It reveals the struggles of survivors to cling to life to be heroic and resourceful, in a situation where lack of power and arms among Jews in general meant that direct resistance against the Nazis would only guarantee personal extermination. Passport To Life is also an erudite and scholarly treatise on the nature of hatred, and the core human impulses that are all too easily channeled into sadistic and masochistic fervor ("you have to be carefully taught not to hate", the author warns), whether by organized religion, ideology, totalitarian government, or other sources. Passport To Life is particularly vital in that it deconstructs mythologies that have arisen about the Holocaust. For example, the author was personally present in Warsaw at the time the Uprising began, and warns against characterizing it as a true rebellion, since it claimed the lives of very few German soldiers and had zero military impact upon the course of the war. Rather, he characterizes it as a mass suicide of Jews who preferred to die from German guns rather than be sent to Treblinka. Since World War II there has been a tendency to overdramatize or exaggerate Christian rescues of Jewish people; Tanay respects the nobility of those who did so but also carefully delineates examples in which the truth is lost to the need to mythologize history and a few make good men into saints rather than confront the overall horror of what really happened. Tanay further dissects with clinical expertise the nature of hared itself, demonstrating that the most virulent hatreds are perpetrated against individuals or groups the hater knows nothing about, or believes fantasies about; hatred is not borne of logic or reason, and therefore rationality is no defense against it. Emphasizing the critical importance of broadcasting a counter-message to the many widespread propaganda of hate today, including but not limited to hatred against unbelievers spread within specific Islamic states, Passport To Life offers the key to understanding and hopefully preventing worse geneocidal deprevations in the future. Though it deals with complex psychological issues, Passport To Life is written in plain terms that invite no confusion regardless of the readers' level of familiarity with history or psychology. Passport To Life is far, far more than an autobiographical memoir. It is more than a record of Holocaust atrocities. It is quite literally the embodiment of its title, an indispensible contribution to Holocaust literature shelves and psychology shelves, and bears the absolute highest recommendation to school libraries, public libraries, Holocaust literature collections, scholars and lay readers alike. Do not pass up this book.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Silverlance
Peter Thomas Crowell
Peter T Crowell Publications
2443 Fillmore Street #329 San Francisco, CA 94115
0974029092 $19.95 http://www.petertcrowell.com

Silverlance is the rather impressive debut title for Peter Crowell's "The Tales of True Adventure" action/fantasy series. Crowell has created a detailed world where centaurs, satyrs, giants, griffins, and other such mythological beings live alongside humans. Byron Thorn is a young man who doesn't really consider himself a hero, but because there is a new star in the heavens invoking the legend of "Silverlance", he finds himself embarking upon quest resulting in a series of unexpected adventures, complete with somehwhat unusual allies and committed enemies. Silverlance is a fantasy adventure novel that is a cut above the norm due to author's deft usage of myth aptly blended with the kind of storytelling that immediately engages the readers attention from the very first page, and then holds it tightly through unexpected twists and turns right down to the final page. Enthusiastically recommended for readers with a penchant for high fantasy, Silverlance will leave them looking eagerly toward the next "tale of true adventure" from the mind and imagination of Peter Thomas Crowell.

Julia And The Dream Maker
P. J. Fischer
Traitor Dachshund Books
PO Box 847, Wall Street Station, New York, NY 10268
0974428701 $13.95 www.juliaandthedreammaker.com

Set in the near future and opening with a courtroom drama, Julia And The Dream Maker is the story of graduate students who find themselves caught up in lives of ambition combined with rapid advances in technology compelling them into "a seminal moment with evolution". Steven his friends are preparing for academic careers in the field of biology. These gifted students feel that there is nothing they cannot do or accomplish. But a science project they become involved with sets of an unexpected chain reaction dramatically altering the very pattern of human evolution, and do so, create a doorway to Julia's world and an uncertain future for them all. P. J. Fischer has a true storyteller's talent for creating very real characters and catching them up in a series of plausible events and fascinating dilemmas. Highly recommended and entertaining reading for science fiction fans, Julia And The Dream Maker will leave the reader looking eagerly forward to the next book in Fischer's deftly crafted series, Julia And The Song Of The Soul.

Bohemian Cats
Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov
Magic Realist Press
118 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic
0954500741 $25.00 info@magic-realism.com www.magic-realism.com

The collaborative work of Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov, Bohemian Cats is a wondrous storybook, with text simple enough to be accessible to children yet so fantastic that it is sure to appeal to all ages. Every page of this stunningly delightful fairy tale features charming, full-color, photographic illustrations of rambunctuous felines who ruled a distant land called Bohemia. No live cats were harmed or even inconvenienced in the making of Bohemian Cats, which applies digital technology to photographs of cats and environments to create the lustrous, puss-n-boots style images of felines in royal garb. An absolute "must-have" for true ailurophiles, and a dazzling treasure to simply page through.


The Fiction Shelf

Bay Of One Hundred Fires
J. Lanier Yeates
Brazos Valley Press
PO Box 215, Calvert, TX 77837-0215
097268221X $24.95 www.brazosvalleypress.com

Bay Of One Hundred Fires is a "what if" novel should Saddam Hussein have had and employed the weapons of mass destruction that the U.S. and its allies thought he had prior to the American invasion that toppled the despot from his absolute control of Iraq. At the heart of this riveting story are Juan Navarro, his sister Mariisa, and his father Salvador, a family of poor Cubans who find themselves swept up into the struggle between the American navy and a global terror network. Another key protagonists are a young Navy lieutenant commander, maverick CIA analysts, a self-made oil explorer, a nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser skipper by the name of Hoss Mueller, an aging Communist dictator, rogue scientists with special training, and genocidal, suicidal fanatics funded by Middle Eastern oil money. Bay Of One Hundred Fires could be a story ripped from the pages of any contemporary newspaper. This is the kind of "can't put it down" action/adventure/suspense novel of which block buster movies are made!

Karma On Tap
R. B. Wilcox
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 194041-1413
0741420651 $13.95 www.amazon.com

Karma On Tap: The Online Buddhist Revolution is a novel that uses narrative structure to showcase how the digital revolution is changing the world, allowing the spread of the peaceful philosophy of Buddhism as a message of hope in an era when multinational corporations dominate human governments and daily life. Originating from the simple question "What if you could go online and see your karma real-time?", Karma On Tap follows the struggle of individuals in search of an ethical, compassionate, and non-violent existence. A moving narrative of the best and brightest that humanity is capable of in spite of the greed and negative influences that cause people to lose their way.

Grave Convictions
William Pillow
Gate Way Publishers
2801 Redwood Parkway, #219, Vallejo, CA 94591
0975264516 $14.95 1-888-436-7396

Strongly recommended reading, Grave Convictions is an original novel that combines a fictional murder mystery with concepts of reincarnation drawn from real-life experiences of survivors near-death experiences and other paranormal phenomena. Clues from beyond the grave convict a killer and cause the townspeople of Denton, Kentucky to question the finality of death. When three teenagers disappear without a trace, one of the missing teen's newborn brother has fearful nightmares and recalls things only his dead brother would know. The parents attach no significance to this until the boy becomes terrified of a local handyman and his mother reads a book on reincarnated children. She contacts the books' author and learns that her son may in fact be his reincarnated brother. With that, she sets out to lean the truth about her first son's disappearance. Grave Convictions is a work of deftly written fiction, but it also provides within the context of a riveting story, timely advice for improving the reader's own life as well as the lives of others.

A Stand Yet Taken
Randy Farnsworth
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
1413720714 $19.95 www.publishamerica.com

After escaping the hassles of western society, Logan Pierce grew comfortable with his unencumbered life in a forgotten village deep in the Borneo rainforest. But trouble still found him in the form of a clash between peaceful villagers, a deadly ancient disease, and an fanatical mob of well-armed terrorists. Logan must choose between fighting a battle he wants nothing to do with, or once again fading into anonymity. As the looming conflict appears increasingly hopeless, will Logan finally take a stand? In his deftly written novel, author Randy Farnsworth also reflects his considerable expertise as a scholar of Asian history and culture in this riveting novel. Highly recommended for community library collections, A Stand Yet Taken is one of those works of realistic fiction that holds the reader's rapt attention from first page to last.

Revising Romance
Melanie Dugan
Sumach Press
1415 Bathurst Street, Suite 202, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5R 3H8
1894549341 $16.95 www.sumachpress.com

Freelance journalist Melanie Dugan presents Revising Romance, an original novel about an editor confronted with a terrible dreck of a book from a widely-reknowned, best-selling author. Saddled with the job of making the manuscript publishable before the deadline, she works frantically while striving to distance herself from the author's unwelcome advances. While fact-checking the novel, she meets a local antiquarian bookseller and learns that romance truly isn't dead. A heartwarming, amusing, and sometimes downright sexy story of the suprising elements that permeate the bond between two people.

Sand Mansions
Norman Gilliland
NEMO Productions
PO Box 260079, Madison, WI 53726-0079
097150931X $24.95 www.sandmansions.com

Set in 1876, Sand Mansions is a novel of a fugitive gold prospector whose poor navigational skills lead him to a wild Florida town. He earns a bitter enemy in the ruthless, cunning and manipulative John Howard, and their clash brings misfortune to more than one innocent. Corruption at the ballot box, a horrific yellow fever epidemic, the crime spree of a black outlaw and his Irish priest accessory all make simple survival a difficult prospect at best, in this rugged narrative of kindling fierce spirit and earning a place for oneself

The Bend In The River
Susan Gibbs
Hawkshadow Publishing Company
34481 Heartsworth Lane, Sterling Heights, MI 48312
097146670X $19.95 www.hawkshadowpublishing.com

Set in 1877 Kansas, The Bend in the River is an emotional novel about a young woman's tragic loss of her parents, and her whilwind romance with a mixed-blood Cheyenne warrior who saves her from certain death amidst a freak autumn blizzard. Together, the unlikely couple try to build a life for themselves, yet their marriage prompts prejudice and even attempted murder from the intolerant frontier community, forcing her and her husband to flee together. Emotionally distraught yet armed with the will to survive, the heroine of the novel is a complex character who carries this tale of transition from girlhood to womanhood with pride and determination. A sweeping yet wistful romantic novel.

Tall Trees Tall People
Rex Southwell
Pleasant Word
PO Box 428, Enumclaw, WA 98022
1414101996 $20.99

Set in Michigan during early summer of 1906, Tall Trees Tall People: A Family's Struggle To Stand While Virgin Timber Falls is a novel based heavily on a true story - the lives, struggles, and aspirations of the author's own parents, as remembered from conversations and supplemented with extensive research on what life was like during the heyday of railroads and virgin timber harvests. This saga of strong-willed people risking health, life, and limb to earn a living without assistance and carve out a place for themselves is now available in paperback. Tall Trees Tall People does not endorse nor condemn the consumption of virgin timber to fuel the Industrial Age, but rather it focuses on giving as accurate a portrait as possible of individuals such as a boy made ward of the state in the wake of a broken marriage, and his tumultuous relationship with his estranged father after he turns eighteen. A compelling saga especially recommended for its vivid portrayal of a bygone era.

Inspired By The Devil
Joseph M. Luguya
Original Books
14404 Innsbruck Court, Silver Spring, MD 20906
0971330913 $56.00 www.luguya.com

Now in its second revised edition, Inspired by the Devil: Part 1 - The Gospel According to "Judas Iscariot" is a novel about the Devil's desire to claim his due, and one man's journey to Hell and back. Christian Mjomba, a married man expecting a child rising business star in Tanzania, seeks refuge by revisiting his days as a member of a seminary brotherhood, and the disputed thesis he once wrote on "Original Virtue" that is in fact a sharp criticism of human spirituality in general and Christianity in particular, from an African point of view. As one event races to another, Mjomba is horrified to see what the Devil would do with Mjomba's own works, not to mention his soul. Hellishly delicious, Inspired by the Devil is a worthy contemplation of good and evil, and highly recommended reading for its insights on humanity, its wordplay, and sheer devilish delight.

Essence
Glenn Woods
High Country Publishers, Ltd.
197 New Market Center, #135, Boone, NC 28607
1932158588 $16.95 www.highcountrypublishers.com

Essence: This Child Ghost Wants To Tell You Her Story is an engaging original novel featuring a most unusual protagonist - a child ghost Luzette, only eleven years old during the Civil War era when a stray bullet claimed her life. After her death she witnesses changes in the house, people coming and going, the world about her evolving and the regrets of other spirits. A poignant, emotional tale of the complex landscape beyond the veil, Essence is a novel that demands the reader's attention to the very last page.

Godiva
David Rose
Whitaker House
30 Hunt Valley Circle, New Kensington, PA 15068
0883680289 $22.99

Godiva is an elaborate debut novel by David Rose, veteran film producer, Emmy award winner and developer of more than 40 screenplays. Set in England during the 11th century, Godiva tells of a young girl witness to horror as Viking legions raid and conquer her homeland. Though she manages to settle down and find love, the threat of the terrible enemy's destructive return looms ever closer. Her desire to protect her home and her people could cost Godiva her faith, or even her very soul. A lush, romantic, sweeping saga centered upon a brilliant and strong-willed heroine.


The Self-Help Shelf

Escape The Pace
Lisa Rickwood
Escape the Pace
c/o Rickwood Fine Arts
PO Box 50086, 4B, Estevan Rd., Nanaimo, BC V9S 5X1
097304523X $14.95 www.escapethepace.com

Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life is a self-help antidote to the hectic pressures that threaten to encroach on one's sleep and drive up one's blood pressure. Tips for savoring relaxation include how to create mini-holidays and restful activities like collages and free association exercises, mental relaxation techniques, indulging in the comforts of a spa at home, inexpensive creative pursuits such as taking pictures, drawing, or even play-doh, ways to take it easy on the job, innovations that offer relief from humdrum routines, and more. Each idea is only a couple pages long but presented in a simple, helpful manner to get one thinking about how to use spare minutes to truly get the most out of life. Especially recommended for anyone feeling stressed out from the daily grind.

Road Signs
Betty Healey
Creative Bound International
151 Tansley Drive, Box 424, Carp, Ontario, Canada, K0A 1L0
1894439112 $15.95 1-800-287-8610 www.creativebound.com

Professional consultant and personal discovery coach Betty Healey presents Road Signs: Travel Tips For Authentic Living, a self-help guide to improving oneself and the quality of one's life. From learning to honor oneself and respect the commitments one makes, whether to friends, family or spouse, to finding a quiet place with which to seriously contemplate the difficulties of life, charting a road map for spiritual growth as well as dealing with worldly problems, remembering the importance of gratitude and frugality even when inundated with abundance, and much more, Road Signs is a brilliant, calming, and mind-expanding advice guide. Vignettes from the author's experiences helping those in need illustrate points about steps to eliminate distractions and let go of little things to focus on improving one's overall quality of life.

Courageous Healing
Fred Craver
Riko Books
PO Box 173, Newton, MA 02456
0974961205 $16.95 www.FredCraver.com

Courageous Healing: How To Fully And Quickly Recover From Traumatic Experiences Or Feelings Of Anger And Resentment is the personal story of Fred Craver and his relentless struggle to heal himself from his own emotional trauma and physical challenges. Having to deal with a debilitating psychological problem, Craver discovered remarkable healing approaches showing the reader how easy it is to recover from the aftereffects of traumatic experiences by using the right techniques. Courageous Healing also provides instruction on how completely the reader can move beyond angry or resentful feelings and in the process, replace them with peace and contentment. If you are dealing with emotional, mental, or physical trauma in your own life, or are wanting to help a friend or family member with theirs, then give Fred Craver's Courageous Healing a careful and considered reading.

Unfolding Self
Molly Young Brown
Helios Press
10 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
158115383X $19.95 www.heliospress.com

Unfolding Self: The Practice Of Psychosynthesis is an inclusive guidebook about the principles and techniques of psychosynthesis, a holistic approach to individual and spiritual growth that combines the tenets from both Eastern and Western psychology. Detailed introductions to integrating one's personality, spiritual awakening, methods for conducting psychosynthesis sessions with clients, and much more are spelled out in explicit detail, along with exercises that readers can use for themselves or with clients. A welcome addition to new age alternative healing and self-help reference shelves, Unfolding Self pushes past the boundaries of strict scientific regimen to explore the profundity of the human will.


The Business Shelf

Being Direct
Lester Wunderman
DMA
1120 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10036
1931361436 $29.95 www.the-dma.org

Now in an updated second edition, Being Direct: Making Advertising Pay presents the wisdom and practical experience of advertising legend and direct marketing pioneer Lester Wunderman, perhaps best known for his guidance behind the ubiquity of the American Express card, the creation of the Columbia Record Clob, and the well-known L.L. Bean. Although Being Direct focuses especially upon successful direct marketing, the experiences recounted within the pages are critically important to any business striving to get the most out of its advertising budget. From inventing new direct marketing media to how to successfully start an advertising agency to speculations of changes in the future and more, Being Direct is an eye-opening look at the changing business-consumer relationship from the point of view of a man who not only adapted to modern revolutions of information technology, but put them to use for success beyond anyone's dreams.

How To Write Proposals, Sales Letters & Reports
Neil Sawers
The NS Group
21 - 10405 Jasper Avenue, Suite 586, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T5J 3S2
0969790147 $21.95

How To Write Proposals, Sales Letters & Reports is a straightfoward business guidebook that breaks down the nuts and bolts of writing proposals, sales letters, and reports into bullet-point principles. Author Neil Sawers has over 25 years experience as a corporate writer, which he delivers to the reader as clearly and simply as humanly possible. Examples, recommendations of common tools used to organize one's thoughts, and a sprinkling of solid business advice fill out this superb, easy-to-use guidebook recommended for business writers of all skill and experience levels.

Being Direct
Lester Wunderman
DMA
1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036
1931361436 $29.95 www.the-dma.org

Now in an updated second edition, Being Direct: Making Advertising Pay presents the wisdom and practical experience of advertising legend and direct marketing pioneer Lester Wunderman, perhaps best known for his guidance behind the ubiquity of the American Express card, the creation of the Columbia Record Clob, and the well-known L.L. Bean. Although Being Direct focuses especially upon successful direct marketing, the experiences recounted within the pages are critically important to any business striving to get the most out of its advertising budget. From inventing new direct marketing media to how to successfully start an advertising agency to speculations of changes in the future and more, Being Direct is an eye-opening look at the changing business-consumer relationship from the point of view of a man who not only adapted to modern revolutions of information technology, but put them to use for success beyond anyone's dreams.

How To Succeed in Commercial Real Estate
John L. Bowman
Mesa House Publishing
c/o Two Coyotes, Inc.
3228 College Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76110
0940352168 $21.95 www.mesahouse.com

How To Succeed in Commercial Real Estate is a plain-terms guide to buying commercial property, drawn from the author's experience in 30 years of the business. Chapters cover points specific to commercial real estate, including suggestions for countering other brokers; the importance of exclusive listings; how rent is calculated and quoted; technical knowledge with regard to law, appraisal, taxation, zoning, surveys, and environmental investigations, among other topics; the pros and cons of going independent; and much more. A no-nonsense guide accessible to readers of all familiarity levels with the world of real estate, and highly recommended reading for anyone about to take the plunge and invest thousands or even millions of dollars into commercial property.

Be On Your Best Business Behavior
Colleen A. Rickenbacher, CMP CSEP
Brown Books Publishing Group
16200 North Dallas Parkway, Suite 170, Dallas, TX 75248
0971326568 $13.95 www.BrownBooks.com

Be On Your Best Business Behavior: How To Avoid Social and Professional Faux Pas is a no-nonsense guide to buisness etiquette when tipping, traveling, conversation, and entertaining. From how to make small talk without gaffes, to when a hand-written note is preferrable to email, to the critical importance of appearances in a fast-paced world where there simply isn't enough time to see deep beneath the surface, Be On Your Best Business Behavior is an absolute "must-have" for anyone determined to give the right first impression to co-workers, bosses and clients. Written in a simple, straightfoward manner, Be On Your Best Business Behavior is readily accessible to lay readers and highly recommended; though intended for the business world, the etiquette tips (such as the recommended modern tip rates) are also inordinately useful for daily life and travels.

The Real-Time Enterprise
Peter Fingar & Joseph Bellini
Meghan-Kiffer Press
310 East Fern Street, Suite G, Tampa, FL 33604
0929652304 $34.95 www.mkpress.com

The collaborative work of Peter Fingar (Executive Partner in the digital strategy firm the Greystone Group, and a noted expert on business process management who has taught computing studies courses in the U.S. and abroad) and Joseph Bellini (Senior Vice president of the Software Products and Services Division at Brooks Automation, a global leader in the semiconductor manufacturing industry), The Real-Time Enterprise: Competing On Time With The Revolutionary Business SEx Machine goes beyond buzzwords and hype to examine and explain the many facets of a real-time enterprise. Divided into eleven chapters that range from "The Real-Time Enterprise in Twenty Minutes" to "Thoughts and Strategies for the Real-Time Enterprise", the thoroughly "reader friendly" the informed and informative text is additionally enhanced with the inclusion of a Foreword by Max Moore; an appendices ("The Myths and Realities of the Real-Time Enterprise" and "Cycle-Time management: A Survey of Six Industries"); and a detailed index. Very practical reading, The Real-Time Enterprise is especially commended to the attention of business managers and entrepreneurs engaged in time-based competition in order to either protect or expand their corporate operations.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Fast Food Craze
Tina Volpe
Canyon Publishing, LLC
12617 Trail Two, Kagel Canyon, CA 91342
0976134306 $13.95 www.fastfoodcraze.com

The fast food restaurant chains have as their bottom line the making of money. As a result, many of their corporate decisions are made to the detriment of human health and the inhumane treatment of animals. Very strongly recommended reading, Fast Food Craze: Wreaking Havoc On Our Bodies And Our Animals by vegetarian and animal rights supporter Tina Volpe is an eye-opening education to the fast food industry's deceptive advertisements, "agribusiness farms", and environmental impacts, as well as how a diet of fast food can and will harm human health. Readers will learn about food-borne illnesses, fat and cholesterol issues, receiving recommendations for additional reading, information on thematically related web sites, noted vegetarians, health-conscious grocers, and related "not for profit" organizations.

Preventing and Managing Back Pain During Pregnancy
Alicia M. Silva, MSPT
Expect Fitness
63 Hickory Road, Norwood, MA 02062
0975582623 $14.95 www.expectfitness.com

Eighty percent of pregant women experience back pain, yet the majority of such cases can be prevented and managed successfully. Author Alicia Silva, who earned a Master of Science in Physical Therapy and applies her experience treating patients part-time while developing educational resources for women, presents Preventing and Managing Back Pain During Pregnancy as a helpful guideline drawing upon both clinical success and personal life experience. Chapters address exercise guidelines, cardiovascular conditioning, strength training, stretching, recommended postures, management of post-partum back pain, recommended daily programs, and much more. Simple black-and-white illustrations clarify the exercise guidelines in this superb and highly recommended work for expectant mothers everywhere.

Vitamins: Hype Or Hope?
Pamela Wartian Smith M.D., MPH
Healthy Living Books, Inc.
575 S. Long Lake Rd., Traverse City, MI 49684
0972976744 $23.95

Public health expert and emergency room physician of 22 years experience Pamela Smith presents Vitamins: Hype Or Hope? A Concise Guide For Determining Which Nutrients You Really Need, a straightforward guide to tailoring one's diet and lifestyle for optimum nutrition and wellness. Chapters discuss the role and importance of various vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients individually, then move on to summarize the nutrient recommendations for individuals encountering a wide variety of health conditions. Vitamins: Hype or Hope? offers only a brief description and summary of why certain nutrients are recommended for those with specific conditions, but the information allows the reader to tailor a personal program of balanced foods and nutritional supplements to serve his or her needs. An excellent quick-lookup reference and dietary resource.

Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates
Jill Fleming, MS, RD
Inspiration Presentations Press
PO Box 3372, LaCrosse, WI 54602-3372
0975488848 $22.95 1-866-482-1159

Registered dietitian and motivational specialist Jill Fleming presents Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates: Simple Lifestyle Choices For Permanent Weight Loss is not a get-thin-quick fix, or a fad diet, but rather a straightforward guideline to making permanent changes in one's lifestyle and one's body. Restrictive diets don't work as a long-term weight-loss solution, because they cause the body to enter a fasting mode that burns fewer calories. What does work long term is balanced nutrition instead of just cutting out foods, a lifelong commitment to exercise - even simple exercises that can be done while driving a car - and a sincere commitment to treating one's physical body better overall. Highly recommended for anyone striving to make positive improvements in their weight management and overall physical health.

Pharmacy Checker.com's Guide To Low-Cost Canadian & U.S. Pharmacies
Tod Cooperman, M.D. and Gabriel Levitt, M.A.
PharmacyChecker.com
333 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605
0972969713 $17.95 www.pharmacychecker.com

Up-to-date for 2004-2005, Pharmacy Checker.com's Guide To Low-Cost Canadian & U.S. Pharmacies is a no-nonsense guidebook that rates and profiles 42 popular mail-order and online pharmacies. Quick and easy comparisons of prices for brand name and generic drugs, easy-to-use information on how to order from online pharmacies taking privacy, security, and cost concerns into account, and much more fill this handy reference. Simple charts and tables listing Pharmacy Checker.com's ratings make Pharmacy Checker.com's Guide To Low-Cost Canadian & U.S. Pharmacies enhance the clarity of this indispensible guide for anyone who needs health medication on a tight budget.


The Biography Shelf

Putting The World Together
Elisabeth Reuther Dickmeyer
LivingForce Publishing
PO Box 564, Lake Orion, MI 48361
0975379216 $20.00 www.puttingtheworldtogether.com

Putting The World Together My Father Walter Reuther: The Liberal Warrior is the true story of a legendary American labor leader, as told by his daughter. Walter Reuther's determination to promote unionization helped bring about the American middle class, and the benefits packages that workers today take for granted, including health care and pensions. For his tireless work, he survived an assassination attempt that was never solved, and died with his wife in a plane crash that may or may not have been the result of sabotage. Putting the World Together is a remarkable story, touching upon the contributions of all three Reuther Brothers in their efforts to revolutionize the workplace but especially colored with the emotion of filial love.

A Year Of Adventure
Everett Chapman
Galde Press, Inc.
PO Box 460, Lakeville, MN 55044-0460
1931942188 $14.95 www.galdepress.com

A Year of Adventure is the day-by-day account of one family's year-long journey, from 1968-1969, spanning 36,500 miles through England, Scandanavian countries, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and much more. In this era, Eastern Europe was still behind the Iron Curtain causing immense and even terrifying ordeals with bureaucracy. Driving from nation to nation in a Volkswagon Microbus, the family's encounters with colorful local people, learning about legends and history, amazing sights and more are illustrated with simple black-and-white photographs. A thoroughly enjoyable travelogue offering a vibrant, personal portrait of Europe during the late 60's.

Most Of My Life Has Been About Waiting
T. N. McGill
Vantage Press Inc.
419 Park Avenue South, 18th floor, New York, NY 10016
0533148669 $13.95 1-212-736-1767

Most Of My Life Has Been About Waiting is the personal story of Peter Ballou, a seminary student, priest, married man, and dedicated teacher. It follows his life during long years of training to become a churchman, the loneliness of seminary life, homesickness, and his aghast reaction to church scandals and cover-ups. Eventually he breaks away from a life course that threatens to drive him mad, and marries a nursing student Abigail; yet as accustomed as he is to being an introvert, he must brave the difficulties of learning to love and express his feelings for God and his wife. An emotional, first-person narrated account, tracing the steps behind difficult struggles and choices.

A Year Of Adventure
Everett Chapman
Galde Press, Inc.
PO Box 460, Lakeville, MN 55044-0460
1931942188 $14.95 www.galdepress.com

A Year of Adventure is the day-by-day account of one family's year-long journey, from 1968-1969, spanning 36,500 miles through England, Scandanavian countries, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and much more. In this era, Eastern Europe was still behind the Iron Curtain causing immense and even terrifying ordeals with bureaucracy. Driving from nation to nation in a Volkswagon Microbus, the family's encounters with colorful local people, learning about legends and history, amazing sights and more are illustrated with simple black-and-white photographs. A thoroughly enjoyable travelogue offering a vibrant, personal portrait of Europe during the late 60's.

That's All Bobby Darin
Jeff Bleiel
Tiny Ripple Books
PO Box 1533, Cranberry Township, PA 16066
096759734X $24.95 www.tinyripple.com

Now in a revised and updated second edition, That's All Bobby Darin: On Record, Stage And Screen chronicles the life and career accomplishments of pop star and show business idol of the second half of the 20th century. Chapters discuss Darin's appearances in thirteen movies, unforgettable live performances, and his widely recognized and successful work writing songs in a wide variety of musical genres including rock 'n' roll, folk, jazz, and country. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this definitive guide to a truly charismatic performer's professional achievements.

The Japan Journals 1947-2004
Donald Richie, author; Leza Lowitz, editor
Stone Bridge Press
PO Box 8208, Berkeley, CA 94707
1880656914 $29.95 www.stonebridge.com

The Japan Journals 1947-2004 is the memoir of Donald Richie, a leading Western authority on Japanese film, who resided for more than fifty years in Japan. His eyewitness testimony of Japan's transformation from the ruin of the second world war to a cultural and economic powerhouse leaps off the pages day by day in his journal entries. Some entries are only a couple paragraphs long; others are pages long. A skillfully edited firsthand account painting an unforgettable picture of one man's life in an evolving country, his experiences unfolding bit by bit.

ADD and Me
Ken Patterson
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
c/o Pigtail Public Relations
32 Hazleton Street, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660
1843107775 $18.95 www.jkp.com

ADD and Me: Forty Years In A Fog is the personal memoir of a man with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), which he likens to living in a fog. Impulsiveness, distractions, and obsessions complicate his life from childhood to school, military career, and personal relationships - without the natural stability of cognition that other people take for granted, author Ken Patterson has had to find alternative means to cope. An inspirational story filled cover to cover with anecdotes that are sometimes humorous, sometimes dark, but always laced with challenges above and beyond the norm.

Gifts From The Broken Jar
P. J. Long
EquiLibrium Press
10736 Jefferson Blvd. #680, Culver City, CA 90230
0966739396 $19.95 www.equipress.com

Gifts From The Broken Jar: Rediscovering Hope, Beauty, And Joy by P.J. Long is a memoir that encompasses how one's life can change on every level in a single instant. Psychotherapist and author P. J. Long experienced such a cataclysm when an accident caused permanent brain damage. For the first few months afterward, she was unable to reason clearly, hold a conversation, or take care of herself; she was a stranger to herself. The passage of time brought incomplete healing, as she was unable to perform the simplest tasks without complete silence, and still experienced severe difficulty attempting to function or communicate. But in picking up a pen and putting feelings on paper, she was gradually able to learn how to reach out. Her testimony and reflections upon life, as she works to repair the breakage in her own mind, come through with unparalleled power and honesty. "I realized that what is initially most troubling for brain injury patients is their diminished ability to function", she writes candidly. "'Not doing the things I used to do' translates pretty quickly into 'not being the person I used to be.'" Gifts from the Broken Jar is a testimony of strength, of finding joy in life and adapting to change. Highly recommended.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Vernal Pools
Elizabeth A. Colburn
The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company
431-B East College Street, Granville, OH 43023
0939923912 $29.95 1-800-233-8787 www.mwpubco.com

A "vernal pool" is a small, transient, biologically dynamic pond that appears in low-lying areas (especially in spring) and then typically dries up as the seasons of the year progress. The focus of Vernal Pools: Natural History And Conservation by aquatic ecologist Elizabeth A. Colburn (formerly with the Massachusetts Audubon for 18 years and currently a staff member of Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts) is upon the formerly glaciated region of eastern North American, but the detailed information is applicable to vernal pools and ponds anywhere else they appear in North America. A compendium of superbly organized information about vernal pools and their habitats, and their role as freshwater resources and in the promotional support for biological diversity, Vernal Pools is a core addition to academic library Environmental Studies reference collections, and especially commended to the attention of land owners, conservationists, land-use policy makers, and environmental protection activists.


The Travel Shelf

Golden Gate Trailblazer
Jerry Sprout & Janine Sprout
Diamond Valley Company Publishers
89 Lower Manzanita Drive, Markleeville, CA 96120
0967007275 $17.95 www.trailblazertravelbooks.com

The collaborative work of Jerry and Jenine Sprout, Golden Gate Trailblazer: Where To Hike, Walk, Bike In San Francisco And Marin is the ideal guidebook and excursion planning manual for families and outdoor adventurers offering more than 300 hiking trails to peaks, meadows, creeks, wetlands, beaches, redwood forests, rolling woodlands, lakes, and lagoons. Also provided are some 200 city, coastal, and mountain trail bike ride routes; strolls through dozens of area cultural and historical attractions including gardens, downtown streets and ethnic neighborhoods; there are even places to to walk with a baby stroller, as well as a special "Trailblazer Kids" section. Enhanced with seventeen maps and a wealth of photographs; special sections for dog-friendly trails; contact numbers for all public agencies, visitors services, lodging, and restaurants favored by the locals, and a "Best Of" section for making sight-seeing outings and travel routes truly "visitor friendly", Golden Gate Trailblazers is the definitive guide to hiking, walking, biking, and enjoying San Francisco and Marin County.

The Road That Has No End
Tim Travis
DownTheRoad.org Publishing
2346 S. Lynhurst Dr., Suite C-101, Indianapolis, Indiana 46241
0975442708 $21.95 1-812-934-5958

The Road That Has No End is an amazing travelogue of two people who dared to live their dream, setting aside their ordinary lives to embark on a worldwide cycling adventure. Learning to live frugally on the road while maintaining an internet journal, they observed a religious pilgrimmage in Mexico, ancient Aztec and Mayan ruins, the cloud forests of Costa Rica, survived the attack of a pesticide-spraying airplane in Guatemala and much more. Over 150 black-and-white photographs illustrate this enchanting journey past cultural differences, environmental hardship. Both travelers had to learn how to bribe border guards and avoid thieves, yet the majority of their experience with various cultures exposed misconceptions concerning daily life and motivations south of America's borders. A journey that was neither as dangerous as some fearmongers would claim nor as safe as the overly idealistic would lead one to believe, The Road That Has No End is a unique personal testimony especially recommended for armchair travelers or anyone considering an extended international bicycle tour of their own.


The World History Shelf

The Diplomacy Of War: The Case Of Korea
Graeme S. Mount with Andre Laferriere
Black Rose Books
2250 Military Road, Tonawanda, NY 14150
1551642387 $24.99 www.web.net/blackrosebooks

The Diplomacy Of War: The Case Of Korea by historian and academician Graeme S. Mount (with the assistance of Andre laferriere who teaches history at the William G. Davis Sr. Public School in Brampton, Ontario, Canada) is a case study critique of multinational national leadership concerning the Korean War. For two of the three years during which the war raged, both sides were trying to negotiate a peace. The Diplomacy Of War looks at how the multinational Commonwealth, five whose eight members (the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zeland, and South Africa) had combat forces in Korea, strived to use their combined influence to affect American policy during the war. But how successful was this effort, what repercussions did it have, and what lessons can be drawn from this history and applied to the future? The Diplomacy Of War argues strongly that even though the Commonwealth might have had some influence on American-controlled politics and wartime decisions, there was so much division within the Commonwealth as to undermine its own power. An astutely critical, meticulous, carefully researched and insightful examination of power structures and negotiated results or lack thereof.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Blood Of The Lamb
Michael Lister
Bleak House Books, Inc.
953 East Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53703
1932557059 $19.95 www.bleakhousebooks.com

Written by a real-life prison chaplain of seven years' experience, Blood Of The Lamb is a gripping locked-room murder mystery concerning a Florida prison chaplain who must investigate the murder of the seven-year-old daughter of an ex-con turned televangelist. Unflinchingly brutal in its portrayal of violence, sexual abuse, and murder within the prison setting, Blood of the Lamb comes alive with chilling reality and fully humanized, believeable character portraits all the way up to the end. Highly recommended for mystery fans for its attention to detail and lack of questionable contrivance.

The Hannibal e-Puzzle
Don Eckhardt
Tahoe-Hudson Book Company
c/o PJN & Associates
800 N. Hwy 77, Suite 160, Waxahachie, TX 75165
0975420771 $16.95 www.breakthroughpromotions.com

The Hannibal e-Puzzle is a mystery thriller centering around a strong-willed senator's daughter who serves her country as a sharp-witted amateur sleuth. When mysterious emails anonymously sent by HANNIBAL warn of a conspiracy to take control of American goverment, she joins forces with an astronaut in her quest to derail a terrorist plot that could slaughter tens of thousands and spread devastation. Brutal violence, whirlwind romance, and cryptic puzzle pieces all tie into two people's mission to protect America, in this novel packed with action, excitement, and intrigue.

They Fall Hard
Alistair Boyle
Allen A. Knoll, Publisher
200 West Victoria, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
1888310588 $23.00 www.amazon.com

They Fall Hard: A Gil Yates Private Investigator Novel is hard-boiled detective story set in Las Vegas. A mystery surrounding why a champion heavyweight king of first-round knockouts threw his fight with a rookie, and his untimely death at age thirty-eight become a reopened case in Yates' lap. His client, the champion's son, arranges a creative alternative to cash for payment, and Yates is on the case - from visiting country clubs to the incurring the ill will of the Nation of Islam, to face-to-face confrontations with short-tempered sluggers. The excitement runs hot and brawling in this thrilling mystery where keeping one's guard up is just as important as watching one's back.

Collateral Man
Alex Ferrara Jose Levy
Grafica Andina
New Press Grupo Impressor S.A.
Paraguay 264, Avellaneda, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
9874365633 $16.95 www.CollateralMan.com

Inspired by the acclaimed Argentinean and Latin American television miniseries "El Garante", and co-authored by Alex Ferrara and Jose Levy, Collateral Man is a gripping, suspenseful novel of one man pursued by an agent of the Devil. An unpaid soul-debt from Martin Mondragon's grandfather named his first male heir as the "collateral man", and now the Devil must have his due - for a bargain Martin never entered in or agreed to. When Martin refuses to sign over his soul, the Devil's agent resorts to horrific punishments to impress upon Martin that life can be so much worse than death. A nightmare whirlwind that will test him to his limits ensues, in this gripping page-tuner that leaves the reader in suspense to the very end.


The Political Science Shelf

On The Ballot In Louisiana
Bill McGaughey
Thistlerose Publications
1702 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55405
0960563067 $16.95 www.thistlerose.com

On The Ballot In Louisiana: Running For President To Fight National Decay is the true story of an ordinary man from Minnesota who, without money or name recognition, dared to run for President. When The Domocratic National Committee removed him from the South Carolina ballot, he journeyed to Louisiana to campaign for five weeks, and garnered 3,161 votes for the state's 2004 Democratic primary, finishing fifth and beating two better-known candidates. Black-and-white photographs illustrate his story, which combines raw-guts determination with a humorous flair and perfectly captures the excitement of campaigning for president amid the Mardi Gras and bayou state. The message beneath the author's campaign, one of waking up and getting involved, resonates in the pages of this enjoyable tour de force of maverick politics.

Webs Of Power
Erik Fortman
Van Cleave Publishing
1712 Riverside Dr. #93, Austin, TX 78741
0975967002 $14.95

Featuring an exclusive interview with Congressman Ron Paul, Webs Of Power: Government Agencies, Secret Societies & Elite Legacies is a straightforward indictment on the cravings for power and to forment chaos as expressed by songwriter and journalist Erik Fortman. Chapters discuss power and shady manipulations in the CIA, the IRS, and other government organizations; revealt the mandates and histories of power-hungry societies such as Freemasons and Skull & Bones, expose legacies of power perpetuated by such societies in the mindsets of people today such as the Du Ponts, the Rockefellers, and Clan Bush (Fortman builds a case to openly declare "The Bushes are not Americans, they are Illuminati"), and much more. A decidedly cynical yet sharply revealing look at the events of history and the unfortunately conclusions that can be drawn from tracing the lines of power and money.

Attack On Government
David P. Levine
Pitchstone Publishing
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
0972887547 $24.95 www.pitchstonepublishing.com

Attack On Government: Fear, Distrust And Hatred In Public Life by David P. Levine (Professor of Economics, University of Denver) is a critical psychological examination of public perception of American governmental corruption and failings. Blending political analysis and psychodynamic theory, Attack on Government redefines the question of "Why does government fail" as "Why do we want and need our government to fail?" and "Why do we need our government to be the target of our hatred and fear?" From an elaborate deconstruction of the popular film "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", aptly characterized as a "fantasy movie", to a sophisticated examination of hate, fear, and the desire prey upon the weak, to the role of identification in victimization - with those who victimize others placing themselves in the role of the powerful oppressor and the victim in the role of their powerless selves - Attack on Government deconstructs popular opinions in a quest for the underlying and often unconscious emotional motives behind their forceful display. A worthy and recommended contribution to psychology and political science reference shelves.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Just Around The Corner
Barbara Grahn
AuthorHouse
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, Indiana 47403
1418470902 $12.95 www.authorhouse.com

Just Around The Corner: A Baby Boomer's Guide To A Career Or Job Change by teacher, writer, artist, human resources consultant, and baby boomer Barbara Grahn is a self-help guide to revitalizing one's career, whether by embarking upon a brand new life choice or finding passion in one's current job. Written especially for the baby boom generation, Just Around the Corner offers step-by-step instructions for identifying one's life goals and values, and incorporating these into one's career with due consideration for one's skills, styles, and advice for coping with dilemmas. Tips, tricks, and techniques for the job search, including how to write one's resume, develop accomplish statements, and hold a successful interview, fill out this all-purpose guide to turning one's life around.


The Parenting Shelf

Scary News
Lorna Ann Knox
Crystal Clarity Publishers
14618 Tyler Foote Road, Nevada City, CA 95959
1565892011 $12.95 1-800-424-1055 www.crystalclarity.com

Scary News: 12 Ways To Raise Joyful Children When The Headlines Are Full Of Fear by Lorna Ann Knox (a former nurse and health educator, and currently a teacher in Portland, Oregon) is a resource for raising children in a modern age full of terrors. Offering guidelines for teaching children of various ages and stages of development, from early childhood to teens, how to lead balanced lives without being overwhelmed by news of horrible events such as war, natural disasters, terrorist attacks and economic busts. Scary News is not an escapist guide; it stresses the importance of learning information, but balances that with the key of learning to make life choices out of love, not fear. A reassuring and knowledgeable supplement for answering some of the most difficult questions a child can ask.

Growing Your Musician
Tony Bancroft
The National Association for Music Education
1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, VA 20191
1565451600 $29.95

Growing Your Musician: A Practical Guide for Band and Orchestra Parents is a straightforward resource for parents who may not necessarily know the first thing about music or instruments, but who want to help their musically inclined child achieve his or her fullest potential. From basic information concerning different instruments and how to keep them in good working order, to which "green" instruments are more sought after by college orchestras - and therefore are more likely to earn a tuition discount, to the importance of private lessons in grooming advanced talent, helping young people balance learning to play with other academic and extracurricular activities, and much more, Growing Your Musician is packed cover to cover with valuable advice. Highly recommended especially for parents who want to avoid hype and charlatans in favor of proven techniques to nurture their children's talents.


The Literary Shelf

Secret Shakespeare's Adventures Of Freeman Jones
Michael Brame and Galina Popova, editors
Adonis Editions
5305 8th Ave. N.E., Seattle, WA 98105
0972038515 $29.95 www.adonis-editions.com

Did the acclaimed and immortal playwright William Shakespeare write novels? Two professional linguists of the University of Washington offer a wealth of compelling evidence to suggest that he did, including the "Freeman Jones" novel. Secret Shakespeare's Adventures of Freeman Jones contains the text of the novel itself, an essay concerning forensic evidence pointing to Shakespeare as the text's author, footnotes expounding upon wordplay, and other insights into a remarkable and rambunctuous classic narrative. Regardless of the reader's final conclusions concerning the novel's authorship, Secret Shakespeare's Adventures Of Freeman Jones is a rousing read; the passage of centuries have not dimmed the spirit of high excitement, and the notes allow for the full appreciation of linguistic nuances. Recommended reading for Shakespeare fans and students, as well as library literature collections.

Alamut
Vladimir Bartol
Scala House Publishers
PO Box 17964, Seattle, Washington 98127
0972028730 $22.95 www.scalahousepress.com

First published sixty years ago, Alamut is a literary classic by Slovenian writer Vladimir Bartol, a deftly researched and presented historical novel about one of the world's first political terrorists, 11th century Ismaili leader Hasan ibn Sabbah, whose machinations with drugs and carnal pleasures deceived his followers into believing that he would deliver them to a paradise in the afterlife, so that they would destroy themselves in suicide missions for him. Flawless translated into English (and also published in eighteen other languages), Alamut portrays even the most Machiavellian individuals as human - ruthless or murderous, but also subject to human virtues, vices, and tragedies. An afterword by Michael Biggins offering context on the author's life, the juxtaposition of his writing to the rise of dictatorial conquest that would erupt into World War II, and the medly of reactions to its publication, both in the author's native Slovenia and worldwide, round out this superb masterpiece. An absolute must-have for East European literature shelves, and quite simply a thoroughly compelling novel cover to cover.


The Poetry Shelf

Escape Velocity
David Breskin
Soft Skull Press
71 Bond Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217
1932360441 $13.95 softskull.com

Escape Velocity is an original work of free-verse poetry, that uniquely reveals the darker side of life in America - poverty, social inequity, and worse with a combination of cultural critique and raw linguistic depiction of ugly realities. Bluntly written, prizing honesty over flowery language, the poems are crafted from the grit of human experience and offer a clear reflection of harsh reality. "Welfare Reform": The Lakota used every piece // of the buffalo and I expect no less / from you. If you rub me hard enough // against the rough concrete of the voters, / my skin comes off like grated cheese. // Recover the chaise. Patch the frayed cord / of the tennis net. Resole the old soft shoe.

Living, Loving, And Other Heresies
Zsolt
Conundrum Press
PO Box 993, Crested Butte, CO 81224
0971367817 $23.95 1-970-349-2047

Living, Loving, And Other Heresies is a work of prose and poetry by Zsolt, a gifted author, musician, dancer and teacher. Yet progressive neuropathy has been affecting his life since 1998. He gradually lost the ability to walk, speak, or even take care of himself alone; yet with the aid of modern technology including a word-recognition keyboard program, he retains the ability to chronicle and contemplate the disease's effect. Living, Loving, And Other Heresies lingers upon the absolute specter of mortality - "Who among us is prepared to accept his or her final moment, to accept even the fleeting and final moment now flowing across our flesh?" - both as the author confronts it and as the reader will one day experience it. A timeless expression of philosophy, moral dilemmas, and the pain of confronting the inevitable, written with great artistic and literary flare. Highly recommended, profound in its impact as it delivers its message, questions, and revelations directly from the human heart and soul.


The Native American Shelf

The Navajo Long Walk
Lawrence W. Cheek
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, Arizona 85703-0250
1887896651 $12.95 www.rionuevo.com

The latest in the Look West series, The Navajo Long Walk is a brief book that uses plain terms and full-color photographs throughout to tell the story of when, during the course of the Civil War, the U.S. military decided to force the Navajo people to move from their traditional homelands to a tiny reservation in New Mexico. For four harsh years the Navajo struggled to survive in their new home; starvation, dysentery, and dehydration was widespread. According to modern estimates, nearly a fifth of the Navajo population at the time perished either en route or at the camp. At last the survivors were permitted to return home, and in a twist of irony, the Long Walk ultimately cemented connections and helped preserve tribal identity rather than destroy it. A gripping and sober account of a cruel episode of American history.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The World Of The Paranormal
Lawrence LeShan
Helios Press
10 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
1581153600 $16.95 www.heliospress.com

The World Of The Paranormal: The Next Frontier challenges current parapsychological thinking and offers new insights in the study of telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, psychic healing, and other psychic phenomena. Arguing that the crucial key lies in the discoveries twentieth-century science has made concerning the nature of reality, and the realm of consciousness, The World Of The Paranormal does not shy from advanced philosophical considerations in its quest to better understand the psychic realm. Psychologist, educator, and author Lawrence LeShan skillfully presents complex theoretical concepts in the clearest possible language, in this welcome contribution to new age studies shelves.


The American History Shelf

Loyalty On Trial
Erik V. Wolter with Robert J. Masters
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595327036 $26.95 www.iuniverse.com

Loyalty On Trial is an in-depth case study and true story of the FBI's and American government's persecution of a German-American citizen during World War II. Arthur Wolter's membership in an organization targeted as "un-American" by J. Edgar Hoover and Wolter's own writings were used against him in an attempt to take away his citizenship; thousands of German-Americans like him were confronted with internment, forced expatriation, or worse due to fears of internal sabotage. Arthur Wolter's son is the author of Loyalty trial; he pieces together the story from a 700 page trial transcript, Arthur Wolter's FBI file, newspaper clippings referring to the trial, and other sources. Loyalty On Trial relies so heavily on primary sources and the transcript of the trial itself that it does not pretend to read like a novel; instead, it offers the straight facts to the reader, leaving him or her to judge Wolter's loyalty and the dubious American policy that almost certainly forced unjust imprisonment and deportation upon thousands of innocent German-Americans. A highly recommended, keenly relevant account especially in relation to modern-day desires to bend the limits of American rights.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Building And Preserving Your Wealth
Steven Podnos, MD, MBA, CFP
Oakhill Press
1647 Cedar Grove Road, Winchester, VA 22603
1886939675 $18.95 www.oakhillpress.com

Building And Preserving Your Wealth: A Practical Guide To Financial Planning For Affluent Investors by certified financial planner Steven Podnos addresses personal finance issues specific to the middle class or well-to-do investor. Chapters address planning for taxes, retirement, education, life insurance, health and disability, and more, as well as how to work well with advisors and asset protections, achieve goals efficiently and much more. Written in plain terms, Building and Preserving Your Wealth spells out the advantages and disadvantages of financial choices available today, and is especially recommended as a primer to familiarize oneself with money matter basics before visiting a professional who charges costly hourly fees for his or her time.

The ABCs Of Mutual Funds
Robert Anthony Chechile
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595330630 $21.95 www.iuniverse.com

The ABCs Of Mutual Funds: Everything Your Consultant Really Doesn't Have Time To Explain is a thorough sourcebook for company securities written in plain terms for the lay reader. The ABCs of Mutual Funds explains precisely how mutual funds, contractual plans, hedge funds, exchange traded funds, folios, unit investment trusts, and variable annuities work, as well as the differences between full service and discount dealers, the legal obligations of stockbrokers, and much more. An absolute "must-read" for anyone new to the investment industry, in an era when so called "free" seminars are really just padded commercials with the objective of soliciting securities sales. Recommended investment guidelines and selection criteria ensure that The ABCs of Mutual Funds pays for itself, as its tips, tricks, and techniques for avoiding costly mistakes are worth their weight in green.

The Astute Investor
Eric L. Prentis, Ph.D.
Prentis Business
361 North Post Oak Lane, Suite 332, Houston, TX 77024-5950
0975966006 $29.95 www.theastuteinvestor.net

The Astute Investor is an in-depth investment guide book that analyzes the answers to such questions as "Is the stock market undervalued or overvalued?" "Is the market in a long-term upward trend or long-term downward trend?" and "What is the most promising stock to buy?" Organized by topic for quick and easy reference, chapters and subheadings include both fundamental information for the novice and advanced issues of analysis from the psychology of trading (including rational and irrational motives), how to interpret the news, a ten-step method for investing success, skillful retirement planning, and much more. An absolute must-read for serious investors that literally pays for itself with its wealth of tips, tricks, techniques, insights, warnings, and solid basic information. Highly recommended.


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


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