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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 14, Number 10 October 2015 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice American History Shelf Psychology Shelf
Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Political Science Shelf African-American Studies Shelf
Biography Shelf Self-Help Shelf Relationship Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Travel Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Gardening Shelf Nautical Shelf Gun Shelf
Architecture Shelf Mathematics Shelf Parenting Shelf
Civil War Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

How To Prepare for Old Age
Bernard S. Otis
Incorgnito Publishing Press
c/o Market Management Group LLC
33 S. Wilson Avenue, Suite 113, Pasadena, CA 91106
www.incorgnitobooks.com
9780986195365, $14.95 pbk / $5.99 Kindle, 194pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "How To Prepare for Old Age: Without Taking the Fun Out of Life" is a touching, often humorous and very personal account in which Bernie Otis shares with the reader an overview of his 86 years of life, love, loss and laughter. "How To Prepare for Old Age" is also an inspirational guide to what it means to age without growing old. His advice on love after 60, how to talk with family members about illness, what you should be prepared for when confronting tragedy and loss, what it means to be a care-giver to a loved one and many other of life's challenges are a must for family members young and old."How To Prepare for Old Age" is a treasure trove of personal and professional life experiences that will help you prepare for old age and take control of the nature of aging. Be prepared to laugh out loud and quietly shed a tear as Bernie takes you through the voyage of life.

Critique: While growing old is not for the faint of heart, Bernie Otis combination of memoir and self-help manual, "How To Prepare for Old Age: Without Taking the Fun Out of Life", will prove to be as helpful, useful, and practical, as it is informative, entertaining, and even inspiring. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "How To Prepare for Old Age: Without Taking the Fun Out of Life" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).

Hollywood Clown
Jason Lassen
Privately Published
http://www.thehollywoodclown.com
9780989734004, $11.99, 254pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Ever since the late 1920s and the beginning of the Golden Age of the movies, each year, thousands of people from all over the world move to Hollywood, with nothing more than their hopes and an irrational sense of romanticism and fairness, to pursue their dreams of fame and fortune. Rather than wait tables, struggling actor Jason Lassen opted to perform at children's birthday parties and quickly found out how competitive and political they are. One moment finding himself at Steven Spielberg's house, hoping against hope to be discovered while sweating through a Teletubbies costume, and the next dressed as a faux-Honey Bear with a gun to his head in Compton. During his wildly event-filled journey, he discovers it doesn't matter how much money or fame you have, true happiness comes from within.

Critique: An inherently fascinating read from beginning to end, "Hollywood Clown: An Inside Look into the Competitive and Political World of Children's Birthday Parties of Hollywood's Rich and Famous" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections, for personal reading lists it should be noted that "Hollywood Clown" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

Walking in Grace with Grief: Meditations for Healing After Loss
Della Temple
Button Rock Press
http://www.dellatemple.com
9780996387804, $14.95, 126pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Part memoir and part meditation guide, "Walking in Grace with Grief: Meditations for Healing After Loss" combines Della Temple's story of loss with teachings of energy awareness, mindfulness, and conscious living. Filled with stories of hope and profound confidence in life after life, providing comfort and nurturing for anyone dealing with loss. Della Temple believes it's time to broaden the discussion about death and dying. It may not be necessary to walk the normal stages of grief: from anger, denial, bargaining and depression to the final destination of acceptance. She believes that others too can start at acceptance and stay there throughout their journey of recovery. This might fly in the face of what's considered "normal grieving", but what the she herself experienced during her own period of mourning was an amazing feeling of ease, comfort and nurturing (what she refers to as Grace) that kept her from drowning in the mire of doubt, wishful thinking and regret. "Walking in Grace with Grief" includes meditations for healing that are easy to follow and useful for not only the most pressing moments of grief and loss, but throughout your lifetime.

Critique: As thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is inspired and inspiring, "Walking in Grace with Grief: Meditations for Healing After Loss" is an exceptionally absorbing and deftly crafted volume that is very highly recommended for church and community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Walking in Grace with Grief" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

The Ticket
Karen Schutte
Green Spring Publishing
3608 Green Spring Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80528
www.karenschutte.com
9781621472681, $16.99, 420pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: When Karl Kessel decided to immigrate to America, he had one thing on his mind - opportunity! After a grueling and life-changing journey aboard a cramped ship across the Atlantic, Karl prepared a way for his wife and two children to join him in the new country, and soon they were on their way to success. However, as with most immigrant families in the early part of the twentieth century in America, hardships and struggles became the daily toil. The struggle between retaining German traditional values and discovering new ways of living in rural America began to take its toll on the growing Kessel family. "The Ticket" portrays real family history through the gripping and emotional story of the Kessel family.

Critique: A true story impressively well-written in a literary style, "The Ticket" is an inherently absorbing and fascinating story that is an extraordinary read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Ticket" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99). Also very highly recommended from the pen of Karen Schutte are two more titles in this outstanding trilogy: "Seed of the Volga" (9780990409531, $16.99 PB, $7.99 Kindle, 432pp) and "Flesh on the Bone" (9780990409502, $16.99 PB, $7.99 Kindle, 350pp).


The American History Shelf

Washington's Rebuke to Bigotry
Adam Strom, et al.
Facing History and Ourselves
9781940457116, $15.95, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: George Washington's 1790 Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, a foundational document in the history of religious freedom in the United States, embodies a vision of religious harmony that remains deeply pertinent in our increasingly diverse society. In "Washington's Rebuke to Bigotry: Reflections on Our First President's Famous 1790 Letter to the Hebrew Congregation In Newport, Rhode Island", scholars from across the disciplines use the letter as a springboard to engage with important and timely questions regarding religious freedom, religious diversity, and civic identity. "Washington's Rebuke to Bigotry" introduces readers to the complexities of the historical moment in which Washington wrote the letter, when America's founding leaders were negotiating how the new democracy would approach religious difference. Many essays in this collection also bring the spirit of Washington's letter into the present, reflecting on contemporary issues such as gay rights in the United States, restrictions on religious practice in the public sphere in European countries, and the place of religion in education.

Critique: An extraordinary and impressive compendium of seminal scholarship, "Washington's Rebuke to Bigotry: Reflections on Our First President's Famous 1790 Letter to the Hebrew Congregation In Newport, Rhode Island" is an invaluable contribution to the study of American Colonial History in general, and the contributions of George Washington to the role of religion and public policy in a fledgling democracy in particular. A singularly unique volume, "Washington's Rebuke to Bigotry" should be considered an essential addition to community and academic library collections, as well as the supplemental studies reading lists for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in George Washington's contributions to our political democracy and issues of church/state separation that are still very much relevant today. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Washington's Rebuke to Bigotry" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.95).


The Psychology Shelf

Overcoming Anxiety: Self-Help Anxiety Relief
David Berndt
Authorfriendly Publishing
180 Wentworth Street, Charleston, SC 29401
http://psychologyknowledge.com
9781514327241, $8.45, 188pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Overcoming Anxiety: Self-Help Anxiety Relief" by clinical psychologist David Berndt outlines several self-help methods for relief of anxiety and worry. In clear simple language and a conversational style. Dr. Berndt shares with the reader powerful step by step proven techniques for anxiety management. "Overcoming Anxiety" includes a self-hypnosis grounding technique in the Ericksonian tradition; Box Breathing, Seven Eleven, and similar breathing techniques for anxiety relief; how to stop or interrupt toxic thoughts that keep you locked in anxiety; how to harness and utilize your worries, so they work for you; relief from anxiety through desensitization and exposure therapy. "Overcoming Anxiety" is specifically designed to be used alone as self-help or in conjunction with professional treatment. Dr. Berndt draws upon his experience as a clinician and academic researcher to give accessible help to the reader who wants to understand and manage their anxiety.

Critique: Impressively well, organized and presented, "Overcoming Anxiety: Self-Help Anxiety Relief" is as informed and informative as it is insightful and practical. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in content and commentary, "Overcoming Anxiety: Self-Help Anxiety Relief" is very highly recommended for professional, counseling center, community, and academic library Psychology Studies & Counseling reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. Especially accessible to the non-specialist general reader, it should be noted that "Overcoming Anxiety: Self-Help Anxiety Relief" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.49).


The Fiction Shelf

Moss: Stories from the Edge of Nature
Marc Peter Keane
MPK Books
119 Irving Place, Ithaca, NY 14850-4711
http://www.mpkeane.com
9780692411797, $14.95, 282pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Overturning our grasp of what is civil and what is wild, Marc Peter Keane's collection of nine short stories presented in the pages of "Moss: Stories from the Edge of Nature" revels in the illusory space between culture and nature. A garden designer by trade, Keane forays into fiction with the wisdom and sure-footedness of someone all too familiar with manipulating the boundaries of the natural world. In "A Peaceable Kingdom ", the tranquil lives of a picture-postcard American family are bewildered by discoveries of untamable nature. A girl made mute by the violence of her childhood finds solace in the orderly house and pruned gardens of her uncle's country manor in "Gardens of the Soul ". And in the title story, "Moss", an overworked employee in a large Tokyo corporation pines for the return of the wild to his city, while trying desperately to discern the natural from the artificial in his surroundings. From 18th century English countryside to contemporary Tokyo, from a covered wagon crossing the American desert to a high-tech private yacht crossing the Pacific, Keane's tales offer, in alluring prose, thoughts on how to understand our place as humans in the wild world.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, thoroughly absorbing, unfailingly entertaining, "Moss: Stories from the Edge of Nature" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library short story collections. It should be noted that "Moss" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Little Boy Needs Ride
Chris Bower, author
Susie Kirkwood, illustrator
Curbside Splendor Publishing
www.curbsidesplendor.com
9781940430300, $14.95, 150pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Little Boy Needs Ride" is Chicago playwright Chris Bower's debut collection of gloriously nasty, bleakly unhinged, and oddly compelling short stories marks the arrival of a truly original voice. Each page is lovingly illustrated by Chicago artist Susie Kirkwood and bursting with gorgeously unsettling tales of parents abandoning children out of spite, men sabotaging women out of love, and other oddments and ear worms.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, nicely illustrated, "Little Boy Needs Ride" is a fully absorbing anthology of original short stories that clear documents author Chris Bower as a master of this literary format. "Little Boy Needs Ride" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library Literary Fiction collections.

Waiting for the Cool Kind of Crazy
M. D. Moore
Black Rose Writing
PO Box 1540, Castroville, TX 78009
http://www.blackrosewriting.com
9781612964706, $17.95, 290pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In one fateful afternoon, Harmon Burke performs one cruel and unforgivable act as he unleashes seventeen years worth of frustrations against Cece, his paranoid schizophrenic mother. Thirty years later, after surviving a lifetime of his mother's "un-cool" craziness, Harmon leads a reclusive life littered with personal failures, strained relationships, and life-threatening health issues. Everything changes when Emmy, Harmon's high school sweetheart, arrives on his doorstep pleading for help after escaping from her abusive husband Frank, Harmon's lifelong adversary. Harmon's troubles quickly escalate when Frank makes the Burke family account for the hardships they have caused him and for Harmon's interference in his marriage. In order to help Emmy, achieve peace with his mentally deteriorating mother, and find redemption for his past and current failures, Harmon must return to the trials of his youth to find answers and discover truth's long forgotten.

Critique: A truly absorbing read from beginning to end, "Waiting for the Cool Kind of Crazy" clearly documents author M. D. Moore has a master storyteller of the first order. A terrific entertainment of unexpected twists and turns, "Waiting for the Cool Kind of Crazy" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Waiting for the Cool Kind of Crazy" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

The Outlaw River Wilde
Mike Walters
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
www.MikeWaltersNovels.com
9780986357404, $9.99, 324pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Who of us, at one time or another, hasn't wondered if we're alone in the universe? Mitch Wilde never had until a failed attempt at pulling an arrow out of his best friend Jack's shoulder began a string of strange and unexpected events in the small Pacific Northwest Town of Outlaw River. When Native Americans start vanishing throughout the country and re-appearing in strange places on horseback, Mitch is challenged in ways he never dreamed. In addition, who are the uninvited strangers ransacking some of their homes? Added to this, Jack has taken to odd nocturnal treks. The local sheriff releases hostility he has held against Mitch since high school and something (nobody wants to call them UFOs) has just crashed into several surrounding lakes. Can Mitch keep himself out of jail? Can Mitch figure out what the strange entities emerging from the lake are and why? Can Mitch protect the beautiful life he and his wife Mabey worked so hard to create? Finally, can Mitch help his eccentric neighbor save the residents of Outlaw River before it's too late?

Critique: An impressively well written and thoroughly entertaining read from beginning to end, "The Outlaw River Wilde: Sometimes a Man Needs to Journal" is enthusiastically recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Outlaw River Wilde" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

The Academy
J. T. Payne & Ryan Mix
Rossling Publishers
www.academythebook.com
9780996228602, $10.27, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In his senior year at a prestigious Christian Academy, Sylas Ernst has grown up safely surrounded by the Christian faith his entire life. But on a chance photography assignment, he notices something peculiar. What begins as pure curiosity, quickly unravels to expose a web of twisted, dark hypocrisy that turns his whimsical high school year into a perilous struggle, testing his cunning, faith, and even his life. This intelligently written, emotional story boldly dares to challenge stereotypes, the status quo, and ask the gutsy questions which ultimately shape our lives. Being hailed as one of the most revolutionary Christian novels of our generation, this beautiful and gripping tale will inspire readers to discover the truth in what lies behind The Academy and themselves.

Critique: An impressively written and thoroughly entertaining read from beginning to end, "The Academy" documents collaborative authors J. T. Payne and Ryan Mix as an extraordinary gifted writers. Very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Academy" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.95).

Again and Again
Ellen Bravo
She Writes Press
1563 Solano Avenue, #546, Berkeley, CA 94707
www.shewritespress.com
9781631529399, $16.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: If sexual shenanigans disqualified candidates for Congress, the U.S. would have no government. But what if the candidate was a pro-choice Republican supported by feminist groups -- and a college rapist whose secret could be exposed by a leading women's rights advocate? Again and Again by Ellen Bravo tells the story of Deborah Borenstein who was an established women's rights leader in 2010 Washington, DC, and as a college student, thirty years earlier, whose roommate is raped by a fellow student. The perpetrator is now a Senate candidate who has the backing of major feminist groups which puts Deborah in a difficult position. Torn between her past and present, as the race goes on, Deborah finds herself tested as a wife, a mother, a feminist, and a friend.

Critique: An exceptionally well written and absorbing novel from beginning to end, "Again and Again" showcases author Ellen Bravo's truly impressive skills as a storyteller and is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Again and Again" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.69).

Burning the Short White Coat
Eve Shvidler, M.D.
Lulu Publishing
3101 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-5436
www.lulu.com
9781483424620, $14.99, 244pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Elle Gallagher is a spunky first year med student embarking on her journey to become a doctor at a prestigious Midwestern medical school. But while the academically gifted Elle may have found what seems like the perfect career, it's clear she still has much to learn about finding a man. Confronting the realities of her rigorous medical school training while trying to maintain her need for male companionship, the ambitious Elle is soon immersed in a world of cadaver dissections, exhausting study marathons, resident hazing and encounters with patients ranging from the heartbreaking to the hilarious. But when her search for romantic interaction leads Elle and her friends to a masochistic night of speed dating, she accidentally stumbles into the arms of Missouri's biggest playboy, an incident that damages her self esteem, threatens her studies and launches her on a roller coaster ride of self discovery. "Burning the Short White Coat" is a coming-of-age novel that explores the personal struggle a single woman must face when balancing a demanding career in medicine with the desire to find a trusting and loving relationship.

Critique: Impressively well written and thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end, "Burning the Short White Coat: A Story of Becoming a Woman Doctor" is very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Burning the Short White Coat" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

The Wedge
Alan M. Weber
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781511631273, $10.99 pbk / $4.99 Kindle, 132pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the footsteps of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "The Manchurian Candidate" comes The Wedge, a novel of political allegory, insight and intrigue. It centers on Steven Wellstone, a political scientist who becomes so frustrated with his efforts to expose the deceit and corruption in the political system that he decides to do the unthinkable. Only things don't quite work out as he had planned....

Critique: What extremes are necessary to break out of gridlock, or purge corruption from politics? To what lengths can one fight the system without perpetrating something even worse? A saga of high-stakes tension, unlikely gambits, and one man's efforts to bring change at any cost, The Wedge will keep the reader guessing to the very end. Highly recommended.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Final Words
Patrick Ian O'Donnell
www.podmysteries.com
AuthorHouse
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.authorhouse.com
9781504917001, $14.95, 150pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Freelance editor/writer Colin Gunderson is summoned to the family home in Pasadena by his uncle and former guardian, William Benton. When Colin arrives, he finds Bill lying on a couch, weakened by a stroke. In response to a call from Colin, an ambulance carries Bill to the local hospital emergency room. Colin follows and is able to exchange a few words with his uncle before the man is taken to the intensive care ward, where he dies. Bill's last mumbled words include "promise me," "conscience," "gold," "murder," and finally with great clarity, "First learn the truth for yourself. Then decide what you must do. Don't hide from it as I did." These cryptic final words mean nothing to Colin, but he is determined to learn what his uncle was attempting to tell him. Recently Colin's lady friend, Susan Rhodes, a school teacher, agreed to share Colin's Hollywood condominium. Together they set out to uncover the secrets held by the Pasadena home to which Collin has fallen heir. Before long they conclude the key to the mystery is learning more about Colin's other uncle, Gregory Benton, Bill's older brother, deceased ten years earlier. They talk with numerous people and thoroughly explore the house, finally learning the meaning of Uncle Bill's last words, including "gold" and "murder" and how those words relate to Gregory Benton.

Critique: An impressively constructed and deftly written novella, "Final Words" clearly documents author Patrick O'Donnell as a master of the storytelling craft and a thoroughly entertaining and absorbing read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for personal and community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted that "Final Words" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).


The Christian Studies Shelf

Divorce: In the Bible
Michael S. Sayen
Privately Published
9780692647356, $5.99, 60pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In "Divorce: In the Bible", author Michael Sayen draws directly from the bible with respect to marriage vows and divorce. The commentary is not based on feelings or thoughts but upon what is written in the bible. "Divorce: In the Bible" describes what the word "covenant" means in Hebrew, how it is to be used, and how God looks at divorce since He Himself divorced Israel. Michael Sayen went to bible college but as he entered the world of dating and marriage he found he was not able nor equipped to understand this most important topic. It's a topic Christians will seldom find addressed in a theological class at Bible College although this subject, hands down, effects more Christians today than ever before. Michael Sayen has been studying this subject for approximately twenty years and it wasn't until these last few years that God really opened his eyes to the scriptures as he himself contemplated divorce and God's will for his life.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Divorce: In the Bible" is very highly recommended for all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliation -- but most especially is it commended to the attention of any Christian contemplating or otherwise faced with the prospect of a divorce. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Divorce: In the Bible" is also available in a Kindle edition ($0.99).

Ginny and Me: Reflections of What God Can Do
Christine Walters
AuthorHouse
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.authorchristinewalters.com
9781496964212, $13.95, 96pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Abuse is damaging. It comes from cycles of abusive behaviors learned and repeated through generations. Because of shame and embarrassment, many people do not speak about the cruelty they endured. In Christine Walters case, most of the abuse she suffered resulted from her mother's mental illness. For her entire life, people told Christine to excuse her mom's abuse because she was mentally ill. However, mental illness does not give anyone the right to abuse you (in particular, your child). Ginny had childhood paranoid schizophrenia with multiple personality disorder. She lived in the Buffalo State Hospital through her adolescent years. When released from the hospital, she had Christine. Ginny was twenty-six, and Christine's dad was thirty years older. Christine's mother was white, and her father was black. As a child, Christine struggled with her mixed heritage. Christine's mom would tell her that white people did not like Christine because she was black. Even from a religious standpoint, Christine was raised as a Catholic and Baptist. On Sundays, her mom and Christine attended mass without Christine's father and Baptist service with her father apart from her mother. Christine always felt like she had to choose. Was she black? Was she white? Was she Catholic? Was she Baptist? Christine's mom told her that her side of the family disliked her dad because he was black and her dad's side of the family disliked her mom because she was white. Here she was stuck in the middle. In "Ginny and Me: Reflections of What God Can Do" Christine shares her life story with the world through God's glory. Her story is about how faith enabled her to overcome extraordinary struggles, pain, and loss. Faith, hope, and forgiving the unforgivable through prayer and trusting in God are the keys to healing.

Critique: Exceptionally personal, candid, and ultimately inspiring, "Ginny and Me: Reflections of What God Can Do" is very highly recommended reading -- especially for anyone living with a diverse and divisive parentage or cultural/religious heritage. It should be noted that "Ginny and Me" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Target Citadel
Robert Adrian
Cambrian Park LLC
P.O. Box 24352, San Jose, CA 95154
www.cambrianparkllc.com
9780990610410, $13.99, 392pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Sam Austin's dream of colonizing a distant planet seems to have come true. It's the twenty-second century, and Citadel, an earthlike planet located light years from the original home of humanity, is thriving. The colony has survived an alien invasion, and Austin hopes to move forward with peaceful intergalactic trade. Back on Earth, US president Courtney Harrington is losing ground in the polls. In a ploy to improve public opinion, she makes false claims against Austin and Citadel. Harrington convinces the international community that Citadel has the technology (and the intent) to invade Earth. So begins a fight between the old and new guards that could ignite war between the two planets. Austin turns to his friends on Mars for help as his ships are captured by the National Security Authority. Harrington will stop at nothing to reach her ends, even if it means assassinating Austin and sacrificing the lives of millions of her own people. Through it all, the threat of alien invasion remains real. Austin and his compatriots will need both military strength and diplomatic prowess to avoid a catastrophic conflict between Citadel and its mother planet.

Critique: Impressively well written and thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end, "Target Citadel" is the anticipated sequel to "Destination Citadel" (9780990610403, PB $1399; Kindle $8.99, 368pp), the first installment of Robert Adrian's Sam Austin Chronicles. Very highly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Target Citadel" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).

Mantra: Karma is a Bitch
Mehtab Shams
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781514838501, $6.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Mantra: Karma is a Bitch" by Mehtab Shams is set in rural London and Dartmoor in Devon. Whilst dabbling in a spot of black magic Denise (a dizzy housewife) stumbles across the harrowing truth about her husband Pete's true nature and the deadly secret he has kept hidden for eighteen years. As magic clashes with reality Karma is turned on its head as Denise unwittingly seals a deal with her destiny. An insanely jealous and greedy housewife, Denise is furious when her husband Pete is turned down for a promotion she desperately wanted for him. Taking matters into her own hands to get rich quick she accepts a gold box and a mantra from a strange woman she meets in the park who swears her to secrecy and promises her that her wishes will come true if she agrees to become her 'exchange partner'. As her wishes suddenly start to materialize before her eyes Denise cannot understand why Pete suddenly starts to become increasingly unwell as a foul stench only he can smell pervades the house. As a shadowy figure starts to materialize to only him he realizes that his past has come back to haunt him - with a vengeance!

Critique: Exceptionally well written and a thoroughly absorbing paranormal suspense novel, "Mantra: Karma is a Bitch" is especially recommended for its unexpected plot twists and turns. A terrific entertainment that documents author Mehtab Shams as an original and gifted storyteller, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Mantra" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.00).

Shards of History
Rebecca Roland
World Weaver Press
215 West Lake Street, Alpena, MI 49707
www.worldweaverpress.com
9780615773438, $13.95, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Feared and reviled, the fierce, winged creatures known as Jeguduns live in the cliffs surrounding the Taakwa valley. When Malia discovers an injured Jegudun in the pine forest of the valley, she risks everything, including exile from the village, loss of her status as clan mother in training, even her life, to befriend and save the surprisingly intelligent creature. But all of that pales when she learns the truth: the threat to her people is bigger and more malicious than the Jeguduns. Lurking on the edge of the valley is an Outsider army seeking to plunder and destroy her people. It's only a matter of time before the Outsiders find a way through the magic that protects the valley -- a magic that can only be created by Taakwa and Jeguduns working together.

Critique: "Shards of History" and its sequel, "Fractured Days", are terrifically entertaining reads from beginning to end clearly establishing and demonstrating author Rebecca Roland's consummate skills as an original and entertaining storyteller that will leave her enthusiastic readers looking forward to more novels featuring Malia and her world. Very highly recommended as enduringly popular addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted personal reading lists that both novels are also available in Kindled editions: "Shards of History" ($2.99) and "Fractured Days" ($5.99).

Fractured Days
Rebecca Roland
World Weaver Press
215 West Lake Street, Alpena, MI 49707
www.worldweaverpress.com
9780692429280, $13.95, 328pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Malia returns home the hero of a war she can't remember. The valley burning under the Maddion's invasion, the fate of her late husband, the way she resolved the long-time distrust between the Taakwa people and the wolfish, winged Jegudun creatures, because all of it has been erased from her memory. Malia hopes to resume training as her village's next clan mother, but when the symbiotic magic that she and the Jeguduns used to repair the valley's protective barrier starts to consume more and more of her mind, she's faced with the threat of losing herself completely. A powerful being known as "the changer" might hold the solution to her vanishing memories. But the Maddion's new leader, Muvumo, also seeks the changer, hoping the being will cure them of the mysterious illness killing off his people. Meanwhile, Muvumo's bride hopes the changer can bring about a new era, one in which she and the other Maddion women no longer need to hold onto their greatest secret.

Critique:"Fractured Days", and its prequel, "Shards of History" are terrifically entertaining reads from beginning to end clearly establishing and demonstrating author Rebecca Roland's consummate skills as an original and entertaining storyteller that will leave her enthusiastic readers looking forward to more novels featuring Malia and her world. Very highly recommended as enduringly popular addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted personal reading lists that both novels are also available in Kindled editions: "Fractured Days" ($5.99) and "Shards of History" ($2.99).

The Banished Lands
Benjamin Mester
Buy Gems Wholesale
9780991598212, $9.99, 394pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Durian is a woodworker in the oft forgotten town of Suriya. His ambition is simple: preserve the failing business his father left him upon his death. But strange things brewing in Thob Forest to the west have strained his already meager living. A mysterious fog blankets the forest, and the scents of smoke and perfume. Durian struggles to hold on to what his father left him, but if things don't change soon, he know's he'll lose everything. But a strange wanderer arrives to the Sea Games festival, the last celebration in Autumn before the long Winter takes hold of their land. A dark plot unfolds as Durian and his friends discover ties of the wanderer to the warlike barbarian kingdom far to the north. Perhaps the strange things in Thob Forest are a prelude to invasion. What happens next is beyond anything Durian and his friends could have imagined.

Critique: "The Banished Lands" is an deftly crafted fantasy and documents author Benjamin Mester's rather impressive and original storytelling skills. A solidly entertaining and thoroughly absorbing novel from beginning to end, "The Banished Lands" is very highly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Banished Lands" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

Nequa, third edition
Jack Adams, author
Mark O. J. Esping, editor
Green Snake Press
PO Box 32152, Kansas City, MO 64171
9780991089505, $24.95, 349pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The protagonist is searching for her betrothed Captain Ganoa. She ends up working for him as Jack Adams on a trip to the arctic regions where the ship is first caught in the ice and then sails into the seas on the inside of the earth, where the Altrurian civilization exists. The Altrurians explain how they evolved as a co-operative society. Eventually "Jack Adams" flys one of the aeroplanes with a copy of the manuscript titled NEQUA back to the outside world.

Critique: Originally published in 1900, "Nequa" by Jack Adams (the collaborative pseudonym used by Dr. T. A. H. Lowe, Mary P. Lowe, and Alcanoan O. Grigsby, who, as the authors, hid there female genders by masquerading as a man) was one of the first feminist, science fiction, hollow earth, utopian novels. This newly published third edition is enhanced with the inclusion of a new introduction and forty additional pages which provide information and background on the authors and their friends -- along with a few hints on why the book was written. An authentic 'time lost classic' of science fiction, "Nequa" holds up surprisingly well for a modern readership. Very highly recommended for community library science fiction shelves, as well as academic library literary studies reference collections, "Nequa" should be considered a "must read' for all dedicated science fiction enthusiasts and serious students of the genre.


The Political Science Shelf

Yahweh to Hell: Why We Need Jesus Out of Politics!
Rich Woods
iUniverse, Inc.
c/o Author House
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
9781491759905, $33.95, 350pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Yahweh to Hell: Why We Need Jesus Out of Politics!" comes at a time in our nation's political discourse when the eight-hundred pound gorilla in the room is Christian Dominionism. Author and satirist Rich Woods focuses upon the twenty-first century version of the Republican Party and its efforts to erode the wall of Church/State separation in our American democracy. With an uncommon perspective and singular wit, Woods systematically dissects the runaway bigotry, social regression, misogyny, economic illiteracy and overall lack of rationale in the fundamentalist Christian dominated Tea Party/GOP. At times brutally funny, and/or gut wrenchingly astute, Woods is unique amongst his peers in his ability to combine acumen with unapologetic mockery. Yet while Y2H oscillates back and forth between sobriety and satire, it manages to shine a light in the darkest parts of American politics. Indeed, Rich Woods demonstrates that he is equally adept with both a scalpel, and a chainsaw.

Critique: As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, witty and insightful, and critically timely given the current and forthcoming presidential electoral campaigning, "Yahweh to Hell: Why We Need Jesus Out of Politics!" should be considered essential reading for everyone considered with the attempts at the religious conservative political movement striving to take over the political reigns of power and seize control of our government at the municipal, county, state, and federal levels. Articulate, erudite, funny, and effective, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Yahweh to Hell: Why We Need Jesus Out of Politics!" is also available in paperback edition (9781491759899, $23.95) and in a Kindle edition ($7.99).


The African-American Studies Shelf

America The Black Point of View
Tony Rose
Amber Communications Group, Inc
www.amberbooks.com
www.theblackpointofview.com
9781937269500, $21.95, 572pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "America The Black Point of View - An Investigation and Study of the White People of America and Western Europe and The Autobiography of an American Ghetto Boy, The 1950s and 1960s" by Tony Rose is an autobiographical history book and is, essentially, the story of millions of children locked away in the segregated, red lined ghettos and housing projects of America. Children living in a bad and horrific environment, in bad conditions, with bad parents, in bad schools, where death rides hard and is known by everybody. "America The Black Point of View" takes the reader on a four million year autobiographical and historic journey of great beauty and even greater horror, an epic journey from Africa to Western Europe to the Americas. This is a compelling, violent, and true story of two turbulent and distinct African American families of unbridled good and evil, both born and raised in the brutality and horror of American slavery, segregation and Jim Crow. The journey takes you all the way to the terrifying, vicious and savagely honest, invisible black ghetto world of a child, and then teenager, growing up in the housing projects of the 1950's and 1960's, where the schools of hard knocks and real fucked up shit are taught, lived, and died in, side by side.

Critique: Impressively well written, exceptionally and effectively organized and presented, "America The Black Point of View - An Investigation and Study of the White People of America and Western Europe and The Autobiography of an American Ghetto Boy, The 1950s and 1960s" should a part of every community and academic library Black History reference collection and supplemental studies list. As informed and informative, as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, for personal reading lists it should be noted that "America The Black Point of View" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.00).


The Biography Shelf

How to Juggle Without Balls
Karen Haddon
Le Maitre
6 Forval Close, Wandle Way, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 4NE, UK
9780993178207, $14.97, 130pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "How to Juggle without Balls" is an inspirational account of Karen Haddon, a woman who was raped at sixteen but overcame her fears by using that experience to gain strength in facing life's adversities and determination to succeed in the business arena. As managing director of one of the largest manufacturing pyrotechnic companies in the world, Haddon shares some remarkable stories about how she managed, in times of real hardship, to rise to the challenges of a male dominated industry and achieve genuine success in both her professional and private life. From raising her baby daughter alone and fighting a two year international court battle, to saving the family business from being repossessed, "How to Juggle Without Balls" gives a real insight into relationship issues and demonstrates how it's possible for women, through sheer willpower and fortitude, to manage their everyday lives whether they run a corporation or the family home.

Critique: A truly exceptional and deeply personal account of one woman's ultimately successful struggle against horrific circumstances, "How to Juggle Without Balls" is impressively well written, organized and presented. This is unique and ultimately inspiring memoir is very strongly recommended reading and would be appropriate for community library biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "How to Juggle Without Balls" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Knight Writings
Cahterine J. Pierce & Albert F. Knight
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478737742, $9.95, 118pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Knight Writings: Three Tragedies and a Romance" is a book about the grief suffered by a father on the death of his son. In "Knight Writings", Al and Cathy relate the experience of eight emotional filled years in their lives. Al tells his stories in prose; Cathy tells her stories in prose and poetry. In Book I Chapter 1, Al tells of the death of his twenty-two year old son, Paul, and the intense grief that followed. In Book 1 Chapter II, he chronicles the three year battle that his wife, Betsey, fought with lymphoma and her ultimate defeat. In Book II Chapter I, Cathy tells of the death of her husband, Charlie, and the following years haunted by demons that brought a debilitating persistent depression to her life. In Book II Chapter II, she writes of her affection for Al and how her fear that Al was still committed to Betsey was an obstacle to romance and how she eventually accommodates to that obstacle and marries Al. An epilogue describes the further tragedy that awaited this couple.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and absorbing read from beginning to end, "Knight Writings: Three Tragedies and a Romance" is a unique and yet universal story. Very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Knight Writings" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.95).

Tomorrow I'm Dead
Bun Yom
iUniverse, Inc.
c/o Author House
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
9780963916730, $16.95, 258pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Tomorrow I'm Dead" is Bun ("boon") Yom's first-hand story of his capture by the Khmer Rouge Regime at the ages of 14-years-old. This personal memoir details the deplorable conditions while he worked as a slave in the Killing Fields, his escape into the Cambodian jungle, and Bun's ultimate rise to becoming the greatest leader of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters. "Tomorrow I'm Dead" is an unmatched tale of suffering, courage and heroism.

Critique: Impressively candid, deeply personal, inherently fascinating, "Tomorrow I'm Dead" is one of those deftly crafted memoirs that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. Very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library biography collections, it should be noted that "Tomorrow I'm Dead" is also available as an audio book edition (Made for Success Inc., B008KGC9L4, $17.95, 4 Hours 49 Minutes) and in an MP3 CD format ($19.95).


The Self-Help Shelf

The Master Communicator's Handbook
Teresa Erickson & Tim Ward
Changemaker's Books
www.changemakers-books.com
9781785351532, $14.95, 184pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Master Communicator's Handbook" was collaboratively written by Teresa Erickson and Tim Ward specifically for people who want to change the world. Here's the challenge: it's impossible to change the world all by yourself. To have an impact, you need to communicate. In the pages of "Teresa Erickson & Tim Ward", the authors share with you what they have learned from over 30 years as professional communicators and advisors to leaders of global organizations. "The Master Communicator's Handbook" will prove instrumental in propelling each client from competence to excellence. "The Master Communicator's Handbook" provides the tools and instructions necessary to become the most effective and powerful communicator possible.

Critique: An impressively written and presented collaboration, "The Master Communicator's Handbook" is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. A compendium of inspiration and practical application, "The Master Communicator's Handbook" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections.


The Relationship Shelf

Dr. Stephanie's Relationship Repair for Couples
Stephanie Weiland Knarr
Heartland East Publishing
9780986444319, $19.95, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Dr. Stephanie's Relationship Repair for Couples: A Customer Service Approach for Minimizing Conflict and Creating Lasting Love in Your Relationships" was written specifically for anyone successful in their work relationships, but were struggling to have a happy, low-conflict romantic relationship?; for those who when their significant other makes a complaint, don't really know how to react and vice versa?; for those able to stay calm when resolving a consumer or business dispute, but become disagreeable and angry when trying to resolve a problem with their significant other?; and those who have the right service attitudes but are failing to have a successful, drama-free romantic relationship? Profitable businesses teach attitudes and skills to effectively handle consumer complaints. In "Dr. Stephanie's Relationship Repair for Couples", readers will learn how successful romantic partners have attitudes and skills that repair relationship complaints and problems. "Dr. Stephanie's Relationship Repair for Couples" will teach just how to effectively resolve conflict using a proven business customer service model. When couples apply these simple principles, they are addressing and fixing a primary predictor for relationship failure: unresolved complaints!

Critique: Impressively well written, practical, insightful, informed and informative, "Dr. Stephanie's Relationship Repair for Couples" is very highly recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' from beginning to end, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Dr. Stephanie's Relationship Repair for Couples" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.95).


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Amazing Healing Power Of Kitchari
Shasta Tierra
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478744450, $19.95, 142pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Whether you are trying to control your weight, recovering from an illness, or simply looking for a way to feel better overall, "The Amazing Healing Power Of Kitchari" is the book for you! Kitchari is a medicinal cleansing soup from India which is used both for healing the sick and optimizing health for yogis in their path toward enlightenment. Kitchari is at the core of Ayurvedic nutritional healing-an anti-inflammatory, slow-burning, complex carbohydrate and plant-based protein porridge that's easy to make and easy to digest. And with fragrant herbs and rich ghee, kitchari is an appealing and delicious dish. With "Natural Healing With Kitchari" for the purposes of weight loss, detoxification, and rejuvenation, you'll be able to identify your particular body type (dosha) and customize your kitchari for your own specific health needs. It doesn't matter if you begin the process as a pizza-eating, cigar-smoking, wine-drinking toxin collector-kitchari will set things right, and you'll be left with a new awareness of your health, a deeper connection with your body, and the knowledge that you can look and feel terrific -- all the time!

Critique: Exceptionally well written and organized, "The Amazing Healing Power Of Kitchari" is as informed and informative as it is detailed and thoroughly 'user friendly' in both composition and presentation. A unique and very highly recommended addition to personal, family, community, and academic library Alternative Medicine reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted that "The Amazing Healing Power Of Kitchari" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Travel Shelf

Vagabonding Through Retirement
Bill Mahoney & Ina Garrison Mahoney
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781500985851, $10.00, 244pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Bill Mahoney has been a vagabond since he began hitchhiking across the United States at thirteen, so finding a Dutch houseboat called Zwerver (which is Dutch for wanderer) is a perfect fit for him. And it's aboard the Zwerver that Ina discovers what she's in for after retiring from her job with Dodds & Shape in Belgium in 1987. Narrated by both Bill and Ina, "Vagabonding Through Retirement: Unusual Wanders Far From Our Paris Houseboat" takes you on many entertaining travel adventures of a couple who love interacting with people and having unusual experiences. They spend five days on a leaky salt barge up the Mekong in Laos and travel for three days on a bamboo raft in Thailand. In Bolivia, they go down the world's most dangerous roads and take the Trans-Siberian Railway from Beijing to Moscow. And they set out in their camping van for Prague and Bucharest before the fall of the Berlin Wall, and travel to the Ukraine just after the Soviet Union breaks apart. Bill regularly offers English lessons as a way of meeting new and interesting people. For her part, Ina sometimes rolls her eyes during these exchanges, but must admit that it attracts people who add spice to their travels.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and skillfully presented travelogue, "Vagabonding Through Retirement: Unusual Wanders Far From Our Paris Houseboat" is thoroughly entertaining and absorbing read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Vagabonding Through Retirement" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Collecting Old Maps, revised edition
F. J. Manasek
Old Maps Press
PO Box 518, Clarkdale, AZ 86324
No ISBN, $75.00, 352pp, www.CollectingOldMaps.com

Now in a newly revised and expanded edition by Marti and Curt Griggs, "Collecting Old Maps" Is specifically intended for a new generation of map collectors. "Collecting Old Maps" provides clear, practical answers to many of the questions collectors face including: What do condition descriptions really mean?; Is the color on a map old or modern?; Where and how can I research a map?; What are the factors affecting prices?; What are the differences between buying from dealers and buying at auctions?; How should I care for and store my collection?; How can I identify fakes?; What is the history and meaning of the mythical characters and symbolism on old maps?; and so many more issues. This revised and expanded edition builds on Frank Manasek's groundbreaking first edition, adding new content and filled to the brim with full-color illustrations. The completely revised Map Gallery provides a chronological survey of the changing styles of cartography-from medieval concepts and the familiar antiquarian charts to whimsical pictorial maps of the 20th century. Rather than focusing on the rare and obscure, these are maps that can be collected today.

Critique: A truly impressive, informative, and beautifully illustrated volume, "Collecting Old Maps" will have an immense value and appeal to anyone with an interest in maps and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library collections. Indeed, "Collecting Old Maps" would be an ideal choice for Memorial Fund acquisitions.


The Gardening Shelf

Understanding Roots
Robert Kourik
Metamorphic Press
634 Scotland Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95409
9780961584863, $24.95, 232pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Understanding Roots: Discover How to Make Your Garden Flourish" uncovers one of the greatest mysteries underground -- the secret lives and magical workings of the roots that move and grow invisibly beneath our feet. Roots, it seems, do more than just keep a plant from falling over: they gather water and nutrients, exude wondrous elixirs to create good soil, make friends with microbes and fungi, communicate with other roots, and adapt themselves to all manner of soils, winds, and climates, nourishing and sustaining our gardens, lawns, and woodlands.

"Understanding Roots" contains over 115 enchanting and revealing root drawings that most people have never seen, from prairies, grasslands, and deserts, as well as drawings based on excavations of vegetable, fruit, nut, and ornamental tree roots. Every root system presented in this book was drawn by people literally working in the trenches, sketching the roots where they grew.

The text provides a very detailed review of all aspects of transplanting; describes how roots work their magic to improve soil nutrients; investigates the hidden life of soil microbes and their mysterious relationship to roots; explores the question of whether deep roots really gather more unique nutrients than shallow roots; shares the latest research about the mysteries of mycorrhizal (good fungal) association; shows you exactly where to put your fertilizer, compost, water, and mulch to help plants flourish; tells you why gray water increases crop yields more than fresh water; and, most importantly, reveals the science behind all the above (with citations for each scientific paper).

Critique: Exceptionally well informed and informative, "Understanding Roots: Discover How to Make Your Garden Flourish" is a compendium of thoroughly accessible, nicely illustrated, practical and directly applicable information that will prove invaluable for amateur and professional gardeners alike, and should be a part of every community and academic library Gardening reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Nautical Shelf

Voyaging With Kids: A Guide to Family Life Afloat
Behan Gifford, Sara Dawn Johnson, Michael Robertson
L&L Pardey Publications
c/o Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
www.paracay.com
9781929214334, $35.95, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Choosing a boat that is right for your family; handling the naysayers; keeping your children safe, healthy and entertained afloat, "Voyaging With Kids: A Guide to Family Life Afloat" is an inspirational and comprehensive guide and is just what is needed to turn a family's dream into a reality. The collaborative work of Behan Gifford, Sara Dawn Johnson, Michael Robertson, three authors who have each voyaged thousands of miles with children on board, provide a factual and balanced look at the realities of family life on the sea. Drawing from their own experience and with information from interviews with dozens of other voyaging parents, they discuss caring for an infant on board, handling the changing needs of children as they grow, education options, ensuring parents find the private time to keep their relationships in tune, and helping children make the eventual transition back to shore life. Added to the authors' voices are sidebars from other cruising parents with specialized information on subjects as diverse as handling special diets and how your children can keep in touch with friends around the world. A unique bonus chapter, written by a dozen former cruising kids looks at the long-term effects of breaking away from shoreside normalcy. A substantial appendix of resources provides valuable further information on the subjects covered in "Voyaging With Kids".

Critique: Comprehensive, practical, definitive, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Voyaging With Kids: A Guide to Family Life Afloat" is enthusiastically recommended for family and community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Voyaging With Kids" is also available in a Kindle edition ($25.52).


The Gun Shelf

Navy SEAL Shooting
Chris Sajnog
Center Mass Group
9921 Carmel Mountain Road, Suite 556, San Diego, CA 92129
htt://centermassgroup.com
9781943787005, $29.97, 386pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Navy SEAL Shooting" is an instruction manual designed to teach the groundbreaking training method developed by one of the most respected firearms instructors in the world -- retired Navy SEAL Chris Sajnog. With easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions and 385 illustrations, "Navy SEAL Shooting" covers everything you need to know to make effective shots in any high-stress situation. You will learn to plan your training, improve your accuracy and speed, shoot while moving, and clear malfunctions. Plus discover every manipulation needed for any semi-automatic pistol or rifle.

Critique: Comprehensive, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Navy SEAL Shooting" is an ideal do-it-yourself instruction manual that will enable even the most novice of firearms enthusiasts to acquire professional SEAL level competence in the use and care of an impressive diversity of firearms. Thoroughly 'user friendly' from beginning to end, "Navy SEAL Shooting" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Firearms instructional reference collections.


The Architecture Shelf

Super House
Donald R. Wulfinghoff
Energy Institute Press
3936 Lantern Drive, Wheaton, MD 20902
www.EnergyBooks.com
9780965792639, $59.95, 700pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Super House: Design Your Dream Home for Super Energy Efficiency, Total Comfort, Dazzling Beauty, Awesome Strength, and Economy" is the ultimate instructional guide and manual on home design and specifically designed for readers of all backgrounds. Its step-by-step approach allows anyone to design a home that is super-efficient, totally comfortable, free of health hazards, strong, and beautiful. A host of innovations advance the state of the art, while using conventional materials and construction methods for economy and reliability. For all housing types and all architectural styles, as well as for renovations and repairs. A design sequence of Eight Steps provides the novice home designer with just the right information at the just the right times. You will become an expert about space layout and architectural style; optimizing the windows and other glazing; creating an exceptionally strong and efficient structure; heating, cooling, and ventilation for comfort, energy efficiency, and freedom from air quality problems; elegant plumbing fixtures and safe water treatment; efficient and visually effective lighting; selecting your appliances; and, working with your contractor to get the house built. Includes a primer on conventional construction so that you will know where to improve every aspect of your home. "Super House" includes worksheets, checklists, and galleries of illustrations to provide the assurance that a first-time home designer needs. Each step recommends the best choices to consider. A bonus section explains alternative energy sources and technologies, and advises which to use and which to avoid. "Super House" will pay for itself the first time you use it.

Critique: Impressively well written, exceptionally well organized, "Super House: Design Your Dream Home for Super Energy Efficiency, Total Comfort, Dazzling Beauty, Awesome Strength, and Economy" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in content and presentation. Enhanced with 620 full color illustrations, English and metric units, and a 3-color index, "Super House" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library architecture collections.


The Mathematics Shelf

Advanced Math for Young Students: A First Course in Algebra
Philip Keller
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781502817334, $28.95, 260pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Advanced Math for Young Students" is a clear, thought-provoking introduction to algebra, written for middle school and high school students. Emphasizing functions, graphs and equations, it demonstrates how the language of algebra is used, drawing examples from physics, chemistry and economics. This is not a traditional "Algebra 1" book. It is designed to be used before (or during) your first algebra class, though it also introduces some concepts from Algebra 2 and Pre-calculus. It is organized in three units: Unit 1 introduces functions and their charts, graphs and equations. You will also learn about composition of functions and inverse functions; Unit 2 shows how algebra is used to solve puzzles involving a "mystery number." Here, you learn to write and solve equations to find the answers to those dreaded "word problems." We will investigate equations with two variables, linear functions, and systems of equations, applying these to word problems as well; Unit 3 is about relationships. We start with direct proportions and continue onward, culminating with an examination of exponential functions and logarithms. Throughout this unit, the emphasis is on how these relationships are expressed algebraically and graphically and how they are actually applied. While some of the relationships will be demonstrated with examples from physics and chemistry, no prior knowledge of those topics is assumed. But you will certainly pick up a few ideas about those subjects as well.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, deftly organized, and effectively presented, "Advanced Math for Young Students: A First Course in Algebra" is an ideal instruction guide and textbook that is highly recommended, especially for home schooling parents, public school curriculums, and community library Mathematics collections.


The Parenting Shelf

Beating Autism: How Alternative Medicine Cured My Child
Anne M. Evans
West River Publishing
PO Box 48, West River, MD, 20778
www.westriverpublishing.com
www.autismteatedandcured.com
9780692374658, $24.95, 252pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In 2010 the Centers for Disease Control reported that 1 in 68 children are identified with autism spectrum disorder, a 30 percent increase from 2008 and a 60 percent increase from 2006. Yet, the phrase Autism Spectrum Disorder is simply a label, the underlying causes of the symptoms are rarely diagnosed. Conventional doctors are unable to help because they are restricted by the guidelines of the American Medical Association. So what is a parent to do? "Beating Autism: How Alternative Medicine Cured My Child" is the personal story of Anne Evans's struggle to find answers to the cause and cure of her daughter's condition. Evans left the world of conventional medicine and found not only the source of her daughter's autism, but clear steps to her complete healing, alternative medicine, allergy elimination and Field Control Therapy. She found a combination therapy which brought about a complete reversal of symptoms and healed her daughter without the use of expensive equipment, pharmaceuticals, or surgery. From that moment on, the Evans family used diet, and Integrated Chinese Medicine (ICM) and Field Control Therapy to diagnose the condition of Sarah's brain tissue, analyze her dietary needs, detoxify her organs, and boost and redirect her own immune system to fight off invading pathogens without the use of antibiotics or psychotic drugs. Their daughter showed improvement immediately and recovered completely. "Beating Autism" is the compelling and true story of the Evans's 3-year struggle battling and overcoming autism. It is a case study that includes full explanations of the weekly drug-free treatments, details of the side effects and their durations, and a complete list of materials, metabolic and psychological tests, laboratories, and clinicians used. For the past 15 years the Evans' daughter has been fully functional with no signs of the disorder. Find out how you can get your child on a path to recovery and beat autism too.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Beating Autism: How Alternative Medicine Cured My Child" is very highly recommended and essential reading for all parents raising an autistic child. "Beating Autism" is very strongly recommended for both community and academic library Autism, Parenting, and Alternative Medicine reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Civil War Shelf

The Prayer Warrior
Steve Mellynchuk
Warren Publishing, Inc.
3440 Toringdon Way, Suite 205, Charlotte, NC 28277
www.warrenpublishing.net
9781943258017, $22.95, 410pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 - May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and the best-known Confederate commander after General Robert E. Lee. His military career includes the Valley Campaign of 1862 and his service as a corps commander in the Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee. Confederate pickets accidentally shot him at the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863. The general survived with the loss of an arm to amputation, but died of complications from pneumonia eight days later. "The Prayer Warrior: A Tale of the Last Battle of General Stonewall Jackson" highlights the gripping tale of the last battle of General Stonewall Jackson.

Critique: "The Prayer Warrior" is true to life recreation and a terrifically absorbing read from beginning to end. Exceptionally well written and highly recommended for personal, community and academic library American Civil War reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


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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