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California Bookwatch

Volume 1, Number 10 December 2006 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Donovan's Picks Human Sexuality Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf
American History Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Political Science Shelf
Christmas Shelf Computer Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Business Shelf International Studies Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Cookbook Shelf Literary Shelf
Sports Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Gaming Shelf
Travel Shelf Consumer Shelf Biography Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Library DVD Shelf Metaphysical Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Real Estate Design Shelf Gardening Shelf
Native American Shelf Military Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Library Science Shelf Nautical Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Language Studies Shelf Reference Shelf
Mathmatics Shelf Photography Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Education Shelf Music Shelf California Shelf
World History Shelf Science Shelf Enviromental Studies Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Art Shelf Parenting Shelf
Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Transportation Shelf


Donovan's Picks

The Darwin Awards 4: Intelligent Design
Wendy Northcutt
Dutton Publishing
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014-3658
0525949607 $19.95 www.penguin.com

If you're looking for a laugh and a survey of outrageous events – especially if you know about the website www.DarwinAwards.com – you must look at this latest, new volume celebrating the wacky ways individuals remove themselves from the gene pool. Over 100 fatal mistakes committed by humans includes the drunken ‘man with an iron stomach' who chewed his beer glass and died, or the Coast Guard man who ventured onto the icy bay in his pickup. Morbid – but hilariously told.

Struik
c/o International Publishers Marketing Inc.
P.O. Box 605, Herndon, Va 20172-0605
http://www.internationalpubmarket.com/Books/Features.aspx

Zuretha Roos' THE SAFFRON PEAR TREE AND OTHER KITCHEN MEMORIES (1770070389, $14.95) provides a warm South African memoir which could've been featured in our ‘Biography and Autobiography' or ‘Cookbook' sections, but is included here for its fine blend of family memoirs, recipes, and South African culture. While few outside of her country may know her name, she's written several best-selling works of Afrikaans fiction and has forged a name in literary circles in South Africa, so THE SAFFRON PEAR TREE is certain to reach both old fans and new audiences with a satisfying, unusual blend of recipes, cultural insights, and more. Chris & Tilde Stuart's FIELD GUIDE TO THE LARGER MAMMALS OF AFRICA (1868725340, $29.95) is recommended as a take-along tote for destination-bound African explorers. Though it's slightly larger than pocket size, it will easily pack into a suitcase and its over 400 color photos accompany maps, animal track examples, descriptions and natural history – perfect for locating and identifying the big ones. Adrian Bailey and Robyn Keene-Young's OKAVANGO: A JOURNEY (1770072713, $24.95) is a gorgeous picture celebration packing in full-page color photos of the Okavango's wildlife on every page. Don't expect lots of description, here: this is the perfect compact coffee table book for any with an affection for African wildlife. Robyn Stewart's NOMADS OF THE SERENGETI (1868727629, $32.95) documents, using full-page color photos, the annual migration of wildlife which takes place yearly in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. The different regions of the park are epxlored with a focus on large-herd migration patterns: any armchair reader who would learn about the park's wildlife and habits must have this. All are top picks for libraries seeking to round out their holdings on African culture and wildlife.

How to Stay Bitter Through The Happiest Times of Your Life
Anita Liberty
Villard Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0812976193 $13.95 www.atrandom.com

An angry poet and performer meets the perfect man, falls in love, and struggles to escape a strange state of bliss in How to Stay Bitter Through The Happiest Times of Your Life, which uses blog entries, poems, to-do lists and more to explore her changed life. While it's difficult to neatly peg this title – it's part memoir, part humor, part psychology – it's something any public library collection should put on its display shelves, and is especially recommended for New Yorkers who will readily recognize the caustic humor.

Like Wind, Like Wave
Stefano Bolognini
Other Press
2 Park Avenue, 24th Floor, New York NY 10016
1590511794 $13.95 www.otherpress.com

It's hard to peg this title: not completely psychoanalytic treatise but more than a memoir, it stands out from the crowd in using the author's years of analytical experience to comment on anecdotes gleaned from personal experience. The result draws many important connections between experience and psychology. Like Wind, Like Wave is especially recommended for students and non-specialized general readers with an interest in psychology and counseling.

Miami Ink: Marked for Greatness
James Wagenvoord
Meredith Books
1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023
0696232235 $19.95 www.meredithbooks.com

Books about tattoo artists appear surprisingly rarely considering the popularity of the tattoo today, so MIAMI INK: MARKED FOR GREATNESS represents not only a publishing event in itself, but an outstanding survey of what makes a tattoo artist exceptional. Dozens of tattoo stories and photos and details from the TV show – some 400 color photos – accompany biographies of the artists, cast facts, details on the tattoo process around the world, and an episode guide. Whether you've seen the show or just like tattoos, any general-interest reader will find this a fine tribute to the TV show and to tattoo art alike.

The Ethical Brain
Michael S. Gazzaniga
HarperPerennial
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
0060884738 $14.95 www.harperperennial.com

Scientific advancements have led to many ethical quandaries covered elsewhere: THE ETHICAL BRAIN: THE SCIENCE OF OUR MORAL DILEMMAS is something different, surveying the link between increasing knowledge and the formation of new moral principles. It comes from a neuro-scientist who examines emerging social and ethical issues coming from the latest brain research, offering an exploration of interrelated scientific and social issues. From neuroscience in the courtroom affecting legal issues to new perspectives on differences between lab and real-world applications, THE ETHICAL BRAIN is an important acquisition for any collection concerned with medical or scientific ethical issues.

Tappan on Survival
Mel Tappan
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
9781581605099 $22.00 www.paladin-press.com

Mel Tappan's had a big influence on the survival movement with his newsletter Personal Survival Letter and a later column in various magazines, and his first book SURVIVAL GUNS offered up many practical firearm tips, so prior fans and newcomers alike are sure to eagerly anticipate the publication of Tappan on Survival. This comes back into print for a new generation with a new foreword by survivalist Bruce Clayton, and returns the ideas and practical applications of a man who before 1999 served up a series of recipes for survival in the event of any disaster, whether it be nuclear or caused by storms. An easy question/answer format supplements hard facts.

Come Fly with Us!
Johanna Omelia & Michael Waldock
Collectors Press
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
1933112069 $19.95 www.collectorspress.com

In the 1930s the first stewardesses were registered nurses who not only escorted passengers but repaired loose chairs, loaded baggage, and carried a railroad timetable to help passenger planning! By the 1950s they were bartenders and waitresses, and today they are limited enforcers of regulations. COME FLY WITH US! A GLOBAL HISTORY OF THE AIRLINE HOSTESS pairs vintage color photos with ads and colorful insights on the changing role, culture and appearance of airline a stewardesses around the world. A lively, colorful survey will interest any who fly.

A Girl's Guide to Man Management
Jane Matthews
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
368 Congress Street, 4th floor, Boston, MA 02210
157324290X $16.95 www.redwheelweiser.com 1-800-423-7087

A GIRL'S GUIDE TO MAN MANAGEMENT: EVERY WOMAN'S GUIDE TO GETTING HER MAN WHERE SHE WANTS HIM…AND KEEPING HIM THERE offers strategies and skills to a woman on handling a man with savvy and smoothness. Color cartoons accompany the basics of being together, from self-assessments of strengths to considering sharing secrets and independence issues. A fun format imparts some serious lessons for all women.

The Bride's Year Ahead
Marguerite Smolen
Ronnie Sellers Productions
P.O. Box 818, Portland, ME 04104
1569065470 $22.95 www.MakeFun.com

THE BRIDE'S YEAR AHEAD: THE ULTIMATE MONTH-BY-MONTH WEDDING PLANNER offers all the inspiration and organization needed to pull off any kind of wedding; whether it be small or huge. Tabbed fill-in diary pages begin with '20 months before' and count down to the event with boxed ‘to do' lists, etiquette insights, sample invitations – everything you need to pull of a flawless production is here, under one cover. If you're giving a gift to a couple, this might be on the top of the pre-wedding gift list!

Roadshow
Neil Peart
Rounder Books
One Camp Street, Cambridge, MA 02140
1579401422 $27.95 www.rounder.com

A ‘must read' for all Rush fans, ROADSHOW: LANDSCAPE WITH DRUMS: A CONCERT TOUR BY MOTORCYCLE is a unique title: published by a music cd publisher who has ventured into the world of books, it covers a 21,000 motorcycle trip across North America and Europe by a touring musician who investigates shows, culture, and the lure of the road. If you recognize the name of author Neil Peart, it's because he's the drummer and lyricist of Rush – and plenty of musical behind-the-scenes insights accompany his journey and reflection.

Ronnie Sellers Productions
81 West Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
$14.95 Each www.ronniesellers.com

Two ‘Things to Do' titles from Ronnie Sellers Productions offer the advice of experts as they probe essential things to do upon turning the key ages of 50 and 60. For 50 THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU TURN FIFTY (156905590X), Garrison Keillor, Bobbi Brown, Marianne Williamson and others offer up keys to happiness, from trading strength for wisdom and reducing whining to indulging in fantasy and celebration. SIXTY THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU TURN SIXTY (1569069670) offers up essays by Keillor, Nicholas Perricone MD, Faith Ringgold and others which advice how to relax and enjoy life, become a ‘star', question more, and encourage kindness. Both are wonderful gifts and offer up important wisdom.


The Human Sexuality Shelf

Hooking Up
Amber Madison
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591024706 $16.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

HOOKING UP: A GIRL'S ALL-OUT GUIDE TO SEX & SEXUALITY comes from a Tufts University graduate who studied human sexuality – but expect not a science-laden treatise, here. It's a most readable, hard-hitting advice column to young women on sexuality, dating, and sex and covers all the basics, from understanding monogamy and sexual risks to contraception – including how to correctly use a condom and assessing problems with their use. Expect a candid, yet analytical, survey which trends where other sex guides fear to go, making it much more useful for modern women than competitors which dance around the subject.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Hezbollah: Born with a Vengeance
Hala Jaber
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
0231108346 $43.00 http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ 1-800-944-8648

HEZBOLLAH has been synonymous with terror for decade, but few books examine its reputation, evolution, and development. This book is an essential recommendation for any college-level or specialty collection strong in Muslim history and culture: it surveys the party's ties to Iran, its members, and its involvement in Islam and not only provides a history, but interviews hostage takers and victims alike to shed light on philosophy, action, and culture. Essential for any who would study the region's past, present and possible futures.


The American History Shelf

Fire In the Grove
John C. Esposito
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
030681501X $15.95 www.dacapopress.com

Fire In the Grove: The Coconut Grove Tragedy and Its Aftermath analyzes one of the deadliest firs in American history: the destruction of a Boston institution which killed nearly five hundred people in an overcrowded club. Boston politics, social issues, and the pursuit of justice which followed the fire are all chronicled in a survey essential for any Boston history collection and many a law library.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Good Night
Michael Breus, Ph.D.
Dutton
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0525949798 $24.95 www.penguin.com

If you're not getting a good night's sleep, and conventional ideas haven't worked, then GOOD NIGHT: THE SLEEP DOCTOR'S 4-WEEK PROGRAM TO BETTER SLEEP AND BETTER HEALTH takes the next step. It comes from a Senior VP of Clinical Operations at a sleep clinic on the cutting edge of sleep research, and offers up a survey which outlines 6 common reasons for sleep disturbance, how to fix short-term and long-term problems, and how to refine the art of napping. Any sleep-deprived sufferer needs this.

When Roles Reverse
Jim Comer
Hampton Roads Publishing
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
1571745009 $17.95 www.hrpub.com

WHEN ROLES REVERSE: A GUIDE TO PARENTING YOUR PARENTS joins others on the subject, but provides many important insights and differences not covered in competing titles. Public libraries in particular will find this a specific, top pick: it surveys everything from legal considerations and optins for acting on parens' behalf to handling dementia, hospital interactions, care team meetings and more. The author's first-person experiences blend with humor – such as what to do when finding 3 gallons of Scotch in a parent's retirement home closet – to provide insights on real-life scenarios.

Sciatica Solutions
Loren Fishman, MD & Carol Ardman
W.W. Norton
500 – 5th Avneue, New York NY 10110
0393058344 $25.95 www.wwnorton.com

Sciatica Solutions: Diagnosis, Treatment and Cure of Spinal and Piriformis Problems may sound technical but it's medical knowledge is most accessible to lay readers, making it a top pick for public libraries because of its ease of reference and because back problems are one of the most common medical conditions affecting the general population. Chapters cover symptoms, the neurology involved in the range of complaints sciatica shows, and identify seven primary causes, differentiating it from its related piriformis problems and surveying the treatment for both. Dr. Fishman holds some thirty years of clinical experience including alternative medicine, so his SCIATICA SOLUTIONS embraces the best of both worlds, making it a top pick for libraries seeking a comprehensive yet easy reference.

Diabetic Meals in 30 Minutes or Less, 2nd Edn
Robyn Webb
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580402658 $11.95 www.diabetes.org

The problem with most diabetic meals is that new diabetics and their families tend to think cooking healthier means taking more time in the kitchen. Not so, as evidenced by the approach and dishes in Diabetic Meals in 30 Minutes or Less, which features more kitchen-tested recipes selected for taste, health, and ease of preparation. From managing portion sizes and making savvy purchases to enjoying a range of dishes from appetizers to desserts in a quick, easy format, in Diabetic Meals in 30 Minutes or Less is a top pick for those who equate diabetic meal preparation with ‘extra work'.

Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget
Marianne J. Legato, MD, FACP
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
1594865272 $15.95 www.rodalestore.com

Here's another excellent ‘Men are From Mars' type expose of the underlying meaning of differences between the male and female psyche, this one explaining exactly how males and females are different – and how these differences, right down to brain processing and perception, affect common traits in both sexes. Science, psychology and medicine blend in a lively consideration of everything from cheating in marriage to differences in how men and women talk and problem-solve. Public libraries who found ‘Men Are From Mars' popular will find the same audience will readily gravitate to WHY MEN NEVER REMEMBER AND WOMEN NEVER FORGET.

Psycho-Pharmacology Handbook
Sophia F. Dziegielewski
W.W. Norton
500 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
0393704599 $27.50 www.wwnorton.com

All mental health providers must have knowledge about medications, as assignment of medications is no longer limited to psychiatry – and Psycho-Pharmacology Handbook is the reference of choice for any non-medically trained mental health provider who needs a clear and non-technical explanation for the latest medications. This is the first book which pairs an easily-understood discussion of the role of drugs in mental health to surveys of mental health treatment options, explaining how medications work within the mental health world, tolerance, addiction, and how to select and assign a regimen. Any college-level collection strong in mental health references must have this.

Breast Cancer Basics and Beyond
Delthia Ricks, M.S.
Hunter House
P.O. Box 2914, Alameda CA 94501
0897934547 $15.95 www.hunterhouse.com

From the basics of diagnosis, treatment options and follow-up care to the latest research on treatment progression, recurrence, genetic and ethnic factors in breast cancer, and more, here's a guide easy on the eye, not mired in confusing medical terminology and a fine primer on risks for any newly diagnosed with breast cancer. There are plenty of books on the market about the subject: what differentiates this from competitors is its focus on traditional treatments, activist responses, and choices which take into account quality of life and future health concerns.

Big Fleas Have Little Fleas
Elizabeth W. Davidson
University of Arizona Press
355 S. Euclid Avenue, Suite 103, Tucson, AZ 85719
0816525447 $17.95 www.uapress.arizona.edu

Big Fleas Have Little Fleas: How Discoveries of Invertebrate Diseases are Advancing Modern Science makes a case for the history of insect-microbial interactions, offering up stories from around the world to trace these interactions and their impact on public health. Bug-against-bug battles have wide-ranging impacts on human conditions: they offer up lessons for fighting infection and surviving environmental degradation which can be keys to human health too. So while BIG FLEAS HAVE LITTLE FLEAS might initially seem a specialty science title on microorganism natural history, it holds valuable lessons for college-level health sciences students as well.

Men In Nursing
Chad E. O'Lynn & Russell E. Tranbarger, Editors
Springer Publishing Company
11 West 42nd Street, New York NY 10036
0826102212 $40.00 www.springerpub.com

MEN IN NURSING: HISTORY, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES comes from two practicing nurses and educators who offer their combined insider's experiences on how men work and survive in nursing. An introductory history of the professional as a whole and the introduction of men into nursing leads to a survey of common issues unique to males in nursing, examples of men working in nursing in other countries, and analysis of their future careers in the field. Chapters blend personal insights with industry analysis to provide excellent insights crucial to any student of nursing.

The Golden Bridge
Patty Dobbs Gross
Purdue University Press
509 Harrison Street, SCCE, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2025
155753408X $24.95 www.thepress.perdue.edu

Any working in the field of child development or disability will find THE GOLDEN BRIDGE: A GUIDE TO ASSISTANCE DOGS FOR CHILDREN CHALLENGED BY AUTISM OR OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES to be a rare treat. It blends personal and professional advice on how these dogs can help such kids and provides parents with all the keys to handling the issues related to raising such children. Dog breeders alike will find this an important key to understanding how to raise a dog who can work with a developmentally disabled child. Here are the tips, tricks, websites, and references needed to understand the entire field!

Staying Focused in the Age of Distraction
Elizabeth Hanson Hoffman, Ph.D. & Christopher D. Hoffman, MSW, LCSW
New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland CA 94609
157224433X $16.95 www.newharbinger.com

Use Staying Focused in the Age of Distraction : How Mindfulness, Prayer & Meditation Can Help you Pay Attention to What Really Matters to hone attention and block out the ads, expectations and values of others whether they come from Internet, television or more. These modern distractions can create a desire for a more meaningful existence which is an illusion: learn how to avoid meaningless activities and interests and develop both a spiritual and a refined lifestyle through a book which cuts out the media expectations inherent in everyday living.

Homeopathy: An A to Z Book
Alan V. Schmukler
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
0738708739 $16.95 www.llewellyn.com 1-800-843-6666

If you're looking for an easy home handbook of natural remedies simpler than most yet filled with the essentials, here's a handbook of nearly two hundred illnesses, injuries, and physical conditions ranging from flu and headache to food poisoning remedies and tick bites. Symptoms outlines are followed by prevention tips, then natural remedies in a book very simple to follow and perfect for newcomers to the subject.

Beyond Rice and Beans
Lorena Drago, MS, RD, CDN, CDE
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580402216 $16.95 www.ada.com

BEYOND RICE AND BEANS; THE CARIBBEAN LATINO GUIDE TO EATING HEALTHY WITH DIABETES comes in a unique English/Spanish format and assures its value will reach into the Spanish community as well. Here are food lists, exchange lists and sample meal plans geared to Latino culture and foods, offering shopping lists, health insights, and the basics. From how to read a nutrition label to balancing a meal, this isn't your usual recipe book – plenty of those elsewhere – but a fine diabetes management guide especially valuable to non-English speakers with different ethnic foods on board.

Broken Glass
Robert V. Hine
University of New Mexico Press
Albuquerque, NM 800-249-7737
0826339972 $18.95 www.unmpress.com

BROKEN GLASS: A FAMILY'S JOURNEY THROUGH MENTAL ILLNESS tells of an unhappy child who grows up to have a serious personality disorder. Elene reached her teens in the middle of the counterculture years: her professor father here shares his story of the family's struggles with Elene's ongoing mental health issues, charting hospital and doctor snafus and interactions, family adjustments, and ups and downs which eventually led to helping her raise her own children. An eye-opening story evolves with plenty of lessons for other families struggling with mental illness.

The Demon Under the Microscope
Thomas Hager
Harmony Books/Crown
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
1400082137 $24.95 www.randomhouse.com

THE DEMON UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: FROM BATTLEFIELD HOSPITALS TO NAZI LABS, ONE DOCTOR'S HEROIC SEARCH FOR THE WORLD'S FIRST MIRACLE DRUG tells of a world-wide race to find a drug which would change and save lives. Research Domagk saw hundreds of his fellow German soldiers die of infected wounds during the first world war, and worked for a solution for years before achieving a breakthrough which would lead his government to punish him. His discovery of the benefits of sulfa would eventually be overrun by penicillin – but in the meantime he'd languish in jail for his efforts. From how sulfa changed perceptions of drug treatments to why wartime needs spurred the discoveries in antibiotics, this is a rare history that should be a part of any comprehensive college-level medical library – and many a public library collection.

Medicare Meets Mephistopheles
David A. Hyman
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
1930865929 $9.95 www.cato.org

No ordinary survey, MEDICARE MEETS MEPHISTOPHELES takes the form of allegory, and is written as a memorandum from an underling demon to the devil himself. Devilish details demonstrate Medicare's pitfalls and the foundations that only undermine honesty and encourage greed and profiteering. In using satire as a vehicle for analysis, Hyman provides a biting analysis easy to digest.


The Political Science Shelf

Wake-Up Call
Kristen Breitweiser
Warner Books
1271 Avenue of Americas, New York NY
0446579327 $24.99 www.hachetteBookGroupUSA.com

In 2001 the author was a mother and housewife living a privileged life with her husband and daughter until 9/11 killed her husband and changed her life. Her memoir WAKE-UP CALL: THE POLITICAL EDUCATION OF A 9/11 WIDOW moves beyond the event and grief, though, providing an in-depth analysis of the politics she learned and used to shun. Her political awakening, as a result, creates a satisfying focus here that succeeds in standing apart from the other memoirs recounting events and changes.

American Vulgar
Robert Grudin
Shoemaker & Hoard Publishers
1400 – 65th Street, Suite 250, Emeryville CA 94608
1593761023 $15.00 www.shoemakerhoard.com

American Vulgar: the Politics of Manipulation Versus the Culture of Awareness is a call to action against forces of corruption which has permeated American society from the top down. It argues that marketers, political candidates, the media and others have succeeded in diminishing American self-awareness to maximize power – and it identifies these forces and how to act against them. Vulgarity can be overcome, philosopher and academic scholar Robert Grudin maintains: but only if its nature is understood. Use AMERICAN VULGAR to understand this nature, and how it manipulates: high school to college-level students in particular will find AMERICAN VULGAR key to debates surrounding social and political issues and accountability.

After Fidel
Brian Latell
Palgrave Macmillan
175 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010-7848
1403969434 $24.95 www.palgrave-usa.com

AFTER FIDEL: THE INSIDE STORY OF CASTRO'S REGIME AND CUBA'S NEXT LEADER is an important assessment given Fidel's recent health issues: it provides both a political history of Fidel's regime, an analysis of his approach and impact, and new information on his brother, their family life, and how Raul is growing more powerful. In analyzing Fidel and Raul Castro's relationship and evolving influence on Cuban history and culture, AFTER FIDEL provides all the historical and psychological analysis needed for an informed consideration of modern Cuba's future.

Globalized Islam
Olivier Roy
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
0231134991 $19.95 www.columbiaedu/cu/cup 1-800-944-8648

Globalized Islam: The Search for a new Ummah pinpoints growing Islam militancy not abroad but in the West, arguing that the revival of Islam among Muslims over the last few decades is more a force of the pressures of globalization than a reaction to the West. In moving beyond the traditional, more common ‘ East versus West' argument, GLOBALIZED ISLAM provides a new foundation for understanding modern Islam's sentiments and radicalism, offering an essential key to understanding not evident in similar-sounding discussions.

The Infiltrator
Harmon Leon
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591024668 $17.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

Gonzo journalist Harmon Leon infiltrated the right-wing movement and published REPUBLICAN LIKE ME, a hard-hitting yet humor-laden take on Republican sentiments and insider experiences: now THE INFILTRATOR: MY UNDERCOVER EXPLOITS IN RIGHT-WING AMERICA arrives to expose more Republican views draws on Leon's underground experiences with O.J. Simpson, a civilian vigilante group on patrol for illegal aliens, and another group which eventually promotes him president. As an amazing story of ‘infiltration journalist' techniques, it's also a top pick for any college-level journalism library.

America Alone
Mark Steyn
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
0895260786 $27.95 www.regnery.com

While diversity is the strength of America's melting pot culture, AMERICA ALONE: THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT offers up otherwise, considering problems with globalization, cultural changes and challenges to freedom in the U.S., and dangerous paths. Tongue-in-cheek humor blends well with observation in conservative columnist Mark Steyn's AMERICA ALONE: it considers the future of the West, the decline of European strengths, and the rise of challenges to belief systems in a hard-hitting survey offering keys to understanding for modern times.

The Towers of Deception
Barrie Zwicker
New Society Publishers
P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island BC V0R 1XO Canada
0865715734 $24.95 www.newsociety.com

Several books have already been written questioning aspects of 9/11, but none so all-embracing or pointed as TOWERS OF DECEPTION: THE MEDIA COVER-UP OF 9/11 which comes with a DVD of 9/11 news coverage not aired before. 9/11, journalist Barrie Zwicker here maintains, was an ‘inside job' and a ‘false-flag operation'. Eighteen such psychological warfare operations from 1605 to modern times are described, along with close inspections of the ‘blackout' of key questions the traditional and alternative media alike have failed to address. Photos, diary entries, and profiles of those investigating the truth offer some eye-opening insights on liberty, 9/11 and media freedoms as a whole.

China Shakes the World
James Kynge
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116
0618705643 $25.00 www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com

CHINA SHAKES THE WORLD: A TITAN'S BREAKNECK RISE AND TROUBLED FUTURE – AND THE CHALLENGE FOR AMERICA joins several other books on the topic, comes from a former bureau chief of the Financial Times in Beijing, and shows how China's vast and quick growth is reshaping world politics and world trade. Offsetting this vision of Chinese dominance are real problems, such as the country's problems with pollution and corruption at all levels of society. How China – and the world – can cope with its advancements and failures is the topic of a hard-hitting analysis essential for any who would understand the nation's future.

Hard Power: The New Politics of National Security
Kurt M. Campbell and Michael E. O'Hanlon
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
0465051669 $26.00 www.basicbooks.com 1-800-242-7737

Democrats have been losing elections for the past five years and if you want to understand just why, HARD POWER is the place to go. It shows how the Democrats have no viable strategy on the major issue of national security, and shows not only how foreign policy will decide elections of the future, but how Democrats have lost such credibility and how to get it back. With its chapters covering Middle East peace issues and processes, military management, and future problems with China's ascent, HARD POWER outlines all the major issues facing us in the future.

Capitalism 3.0
Peter Barnes
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104
1576753611 $22.95 www.bkconnection.com

CAPITALISM 3.0: A GUIDE TO RECLAIMING THE COMMONS provides a strong critical eye on modern capitalism, which is rapidly destroying the heritage ‘the commons' imparts to future generations. Our modern approach will lead to economic and social collapse, Barnes warns; but capitalism can be ‘upgraded' by recapturing the focus on ‘the commons' of future generations, and here he proposes an update that includes innovative changes to preserve the system for the future. A fine roadmap for preserving capitalism's best features emerges.

The Oil Depletion Protocol
Richard Heinberg
New Society Publishers
Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
0856715637 $16.95 www.newsociety.com

Oil is the primary fuel of the world – and thus, vulnerable to terrorist efforts. THE OIL DEPLETION PROTOCOL: A PLAN TO AVERT OIL WARS, TERRORISM AND ECONOMIC COLLAPSE does more than the usual charting of a known problem: it offers up solutions, reviewing data on peak oil production and describing an accord where nations would voluntarily reduce their production and imparts by an agreed-upon formula to enable energy transition planning and ultimately more stable prices. A unique concept that deserves thought and which is well planned, here!

The Angry Right
S.T. Joshi
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591024633 $25.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

It's a fact that Republications have enjoyed unprecedented power for the last eight years: so why is the right so angry? THE ANGRY RIGHT: WHY CONSERVATIVES KEEP GETTING IT WRONG uses twelve leading conservatives to document the roots of rate by the right, which believes conservatives have strayed from the righteous path. The writings of conservative icons here document this shift, using works from William F. Buckley, Russell Kirk and nine others. If you've ever wanted insights into the ideals of the conservative mind, THE ANGRY RIGHT tells all.


The Christmas Shelf

Christmas in New England
Amy Whorf McGugiggan
Commonwealth Editions
266 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
1889833983 $19.95 www.commonwealtheditions.com

Some fifty New England holiday regional traditions are gathered in a survey fit for either residents or ex-natives of the region, making for a lovely holiday celebration. From different interpretations of Santa – the flying version versus Secret Santa – to Christmas traditions in city and countryside and even historic holiday celebrations, Christmas in New England is a wonderful multi-faceted celebration any holiday enthusiast will love.

A Covington Christmas
Joan Medlicott
Pocket Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0743499212 $15.95 www.simonsays.com

When the new pastor at the Cove Road Church in Covington discovers the former pastor was never ordained as a minister – making five longstanding marriages invalid – trouble begins when the couples mark Christmas as an occasion for getting married for real. With a church falling down, the ladies of the town decide to embark on a renovation fund – and trouble really begins. The ‘Ladies of Covington' is delightful even without the warmth of the holidays: public libraries will find their exploits fun and the seasonal acquisition certain to receive repeated attention from patrons.


The Computer Shelf

Hacking the Cable Modem
DerEngel
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro Street #250, San Francisco CA 94107
1593271018 $29.95 www.nostarch.com

Cable modem owners who want to do more than see it placidly sit alongside a computer will want HACKING THE CABLE MODEM: WHAT CABLE COMPANIES DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW. What is there to know about the cable modem? Plenty, according to underground hacker DerEngel, who began hacking cable modems five years ago. Secrets of many popular cable modem products include step-by-step tutorials with source code examples, diagrams, and even schematics – something usually absent from hacker's guides – to survey files, applications, and how to unblock network ports, unlock hidden features, and modify a cable modem system. While it's touted for all users at all skills levels, obviously it's the curious and serious hacker who will best benefit from this extensive, well-detailed coverage.

Programming Atlas
Christian Wentz
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596526725 $34.99 www.oreilly.com

If you're not already using Microsoft's new framework for building Ajax-savvy web sites, you should be – and PROGRAMMING ATLAS is the perfect vehicle to take you there. It may look like a ‘cookbook' of recipes, but it's not – it's a survey of the underlying technology concepts that make Ajax work, from those most often associated with Ajax to understanding its design and tool intentions. With these basics in hand programmers will find Atlas a snap to master – thanks to PROGRAMMING ATLAS.

ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook
Joey Lott, Darron Schnall & Keith Peters
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596526954 $39.99 www.oreilly.com

If you're using Adobe Flash or Flex software, you shouldn't be without the program-specific ‘recipes' in the ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook. Here are the cross-referenced, quick look-up recipes for operating systems, formatting, accessibility, and options and alternates for strings. Solutions come from a leading consultant in the Flash arena, a Rich Internet Applications consultant, and a freelance Flash developer and pack in specific code suggestions and pros and cons of routines.

Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual
Barbara Brundage
Pogue Press/O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596527284 $39.99 www.oreilly.com

Photoshop Elements 5 is a powerful program that, surprisingly, comes without a user's guide, so let the colorful Barbara Brundage ‘bible' PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 5: THE MISSING MANUAL substitute for the publisher's lack. Here's a manual which goes beyond the usual tools overview to survey timesaving elements, differences between Photoshop and Elements tools, applications such as scrapbooking, and all the basics on removing unwanted color, tweaking images for professional results, and using filters and photo layouts. Photoshop 5 owners can't be without this manual; especially newcomers – but also those with some basics down who want to move easily to the next level.

Java Generics and Collections
Maurice Naftalin & Philip Wadler
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596527756 $34.99 www.oreilly.com

Java's had many changes since its initial release and programmers would find it easy to fall behind on all these new collection libraries, so Java Generics and Collections is an essential tool for any programmer working in Java lready, who would keep up with the design and nature of generics. From parameter basics and new features to using wildcards, generic libraries and understanding performance implications of their different options, Java Generics and Collections is a ‘must' for any working Java programmer.

PrenticeHall
One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
www.prenhallprofessional.com

These three excellent computer guides are recommended picks for programmers and designers who want at-a-glance reference capabilities combined with the ease of a primer. Christopher Hallinan's EMBEDDED LINUX PRIMER: A PRACTICAL REAL-WORLD APPROACH (0131679848, $44.99) covers all the basics for building efficient Linux-based embedded products. Many Linux guides permeate the market, but few offer the focus on embedded processing which includes everything from file systems and bootloaders to cross-development and real time solutions. It's this focus on advanced embedded applications which makes for a unique reference. Wesley Chun's CORE PYTHON PROGRAMMING, 2ND EDITION (0132269937, $49.99) provides developers with an in-depth survey of the updated Python 2.5, comes from a leading Python developer and trainer, and utilizes real-world code examples throughout to cover all the basics of Python programming. Other books on Python don't cover nearly as much – it's difficult to move smoothly from a basic introduction to advanced applications – but developers will appreciate the easy transitions here which focus on how to build more effective applications and how to use Python toolkits alongside the program itself. Alan Ezust and Paul Ezust's AN INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN PATTERNS IN C++ WITH QT4 (0131879057, $49.99) goes beyond C++ guides to add information on cross-platform development capabilities, offering up a blend of tutorial and reference which, surprisingly, assumes no prior knowledge of C, C++, objects or patterns. This enables newcomers to get up to speed quickly, mastering the basics of design patterns and objects and using QT and C++ together to understand many programming basics, even to creating applications that access databases and manipulate XML files. All are exceptional guides.

Lessons in Grid Computing
Stuart Robbins
John Wiley & Sons
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
0471790109 $34.95 www.wiley.com

Lessons in Grid Computing: The System Is a Mirror blends storytelling with IT analysis and business insights to attract any with affection for computer systems and management alike. The author believes IT systems are mirrors reflecting the dysfunctions and concepts of those who design and manage technology: chapters use fictional surveys to chart real struggles to overcome technical and management issues as a result of such a focus. The idea that computer and social systems are entwined isn't new: what is new is the identification of ‘grid computing' to allow readers to understand how this affects organizational structure and achievement.

Overselling the Web?
Charles Kenny
Lynne Rienner Publishers
1800 – 30th Street Suite 315, Boulder CO 80301-1026
1588264580 $45.00 www.reinner.com

OVERSELLING THE WEB? DEVELOPMENT AND THE INTERNET considers how the internet has and will continue to impact the world – and why it may be oversold as a result. Chapters survey the presence and evolution of the technology in both developing and under-developed nations with an eye to explaining business control of applications, cultural influences, differences within nations on how the Internet is promoted, marketed, and controlled, and more. An excellent college-level survey IT classes will appreciate.

ESRI Publishers
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100
www.esri.com

Two new GIS titles deserve a spot in any serious college-level collection: they cover analysis and evolutionary processes and provide both historical background and keys to future changes. Ayse Pamuk's MAPPING GLOBAL CITIES: GIS METHODS IN URBAN ANALYSIS (1589481437, $49.95) surveys modern urban policymaking processes and the impact of GIS results on the planning process. Important connections between data obtained from GIS and its strengths in spatial analysis makes for chapters which review how spatial data contributes to GIS analysis and the decision-making process as a whole. Nick Chrisman's CHARTING THE UNKNOWN: HOW COMPUTER MAPPING AT HARVARD BECAME GIS (1589481186, $34.95) narrows the focus to the Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis, the origin of the birth of the modern GIS system. The history surveys early programming efforts, the evolution of Odyssey, the prototype for modern GIS software, and the influence of individuals and businesses on GIS development. An excellent background pick for any studying the history of GIS.

A to Z GIS
Tasha Wade and Shelly Sommer
ESRI
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100
1589481402 $24.95 www.esri.com

Books about GIS are usually quite technical, surveying the applications and computer potentials of geographic information systems, so it's refreshing to note that A TO Z GIS: AN ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF GEOGEPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS is something different: a simple set of geography and cartography definitions designed to defines values, coordinates, reference systems, representations, and GIS data processing methods and routines. Students of GIS will find this essential to understanding the terminology of both computer and geography worlds.

Online Marketing Success Stories
Rene V. Richards
Atlantic Publishing Group
1210 S.W. 23rd Place, Ocala, FL 34474-7014
0910627657 $21.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

E-commerce is expected to increase by 500 percent through 2010, so any business anticipating success must have more than a retail brick n mortar presence: that's the message of a title which gathers over sixty true stories from those who have evolved successful businesses on the internet today. Learn from the culmination of hundreds of tips, which here represent the best, most successful advice. There are many books covering Internet strategies – but few packed with real-world success stories, as this provides.

Programming Python, 3rd Edition
Mark Lutz
O'Reilly Publishing
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596009259 $59.99 www.oreilly.com

The wonderful thing about a thick reference such as Programming Python, now in its updated third edition, is that it offers a virtual manual in book form which can quickly be consulted by novices and pros alike while in the middle of a programming quandry. This means no exiting or turning to a different computer for lengthy online support, but a quick glance at an appropriate chapter covering real problems from parallel processing and networking snafus to considering Java integration within the Python language. Here are chapters offering everything from troubleshooting to design specs, with an eye to realistically scaled problems and avoiding common hurdles. The author is an independent Python trainer and software developer who has worked with Python since 1992 and teaches classes in it: this dual expertise lends well to a popular ‘bible' packed with solutions.

Visual Basic 2005 Cookbook
Tim Patrick & John Clark Craig
O'Reilly Publishing
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596101775 $49.99 www.oreilly.com

Over 300 common and uncommon tasks Visual Basic 2005 programmers face often are arranged in a solution-oriented set of examples which is based on ‘recipes' and formulas but includes code, examples, complete solutions and even advanced projects. Particularly valuable for .NET developers as well as novice Visual Basic students, the Visual Basic 2005 Cookbook offers up a set of recipes for solving a wide swatch of common problems – and imparts the basics of pros and cons to the solving process.

Programming Embedded Systems
Michael Barr & Anthony Massa
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
0596009836 $49.99 www.oreilly.com

Programming Embedded Systems with C and GNU Development Tools appears in its second updated edition to include even more real-world and Linux examples, and is a recommended pick for programmers with a familiarity with C. It's been used as a college textbook and covers everything from basic debugging skills to determining the applications and needs of real-time projects. In updating details and clarifying routines, the 2nd edition of Programming Embedded Systems should be considered both a classroom and lending collection standard.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The Power of Film
Howard Suber
Michael Wiese Productions
3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd, #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
1932907173 $27.95 www.mwp.com

THE POWER OF FILM offers up a UCLA film school teacher's definitive A-Z course on the motion picture, covering all the basic elements of the best films: chaos, power struggles, cute, opposites and more themes. Each entry by subject receives an analysis which cuts to the quick of successful production approaches, offering a synthesis of the psychological and technical sources which elevate a film from mediocre to successful, and using examples from the film industry. College-level film students, in particular, will find this absorbing and revealing – and a ‘must have' substitute for journeying to UCLA to attend one of Suber's popular, sold-out courses.

Will Power
John Basil
Applause Books/Hal Leonard
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York NY 10010
1557836663 $17.95 www.applausepub.com

WILL POWER: HOW TO ACT SHAKESPEARE IN 21 DAYS guides actors through the three-week rehearsal process which leads to an understanding of performance options of Shakespeare's plays, and comes from a teacher of the First Folio approach to Shakespearean directing and acting. His techniques have been developed for all kinds of performances: any high school to adult Shakespearean drama group must have this: it teaches the many opportunities and avenues available for exploring Shakespeare's plays, relating these opportunities to acting development as a hwole.

Forever Mame
Bernard F. Dick
University Press of Mississippi
3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS 39211-6492
1578068908 $30.00 www.upress.state.ms.us

While much has been made of the classic film character Auntie Mame, relatively little has been written about Rosalind Russell, who portrayed her: that makes Forever Mame: The Life of Rosalind Russell a ‘must' for any serious film library collection specializing in film history. It is, surprisingly, the first full-length biography and uses personal interviews and private archives – including those of her film producer husband – to detail her life. While it includes black and white photos, the meat of the title lies in its biographical sketch of Russell's life and social circle: key to understanding her character and film career. Any serious film library needs this.

What Ever Happened to Orson Welles?
Joseph McBride
University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
0813124107 $29.95 www.kentuckypress.com

Mention the name Orson Welles and his most famous involvement – with the radio scare ‘War of the Worlds' – immediately comes to mind; but for a deeper understanding of Welles' life and career you need What Ever Happened to Orson Welles?: A Portrait of an Independent Career. His later projects were largely self-financed and erratically distributed, but film critic and biographer Joseph McBride has a personal familiarity with Welles from previous projects worked on with him and here shows how the Hollywood studio system forced Welles out of the industry. Its value thus is twofold: as a biography for Welles fans, and as a history of film industry operations and politics.

Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence
Steven K. Kirsh
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
0761929762 $39.95 www.sagepublications.com

College-level collections strong in media history as well as education studies will find plenty to like with Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence: A Critical Look at the Research. Here are the analyses, studies and developmental perspective on media violence issues which focus on evaluating research with development in mind to identify the next research process step. Different forms of media violence, from animation to sports, are surveyed along with the major theories that explain the effects of such violence. Video games are included in chapters which will appeal to undergraduates and graduate students in a range of courses; from media history and communications to psychology and child development.

The Lost Films of John Wayne
Carolyn McGivern
Cumberland House
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
1581825676 $18.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com

Hollywood icon John Wayne's career spanned from 1926-76 and produced numerous movies, so you'd think most of them would have received much attention by now – but The Lost Films of John Wayne demonstrates there's a number which remain unavailable with only two kept from the public. These were released in the mid-1950s and based on novels by Ernest K. Gann, and are finally celebrated here, in a coverage which provides close inspection of the two movies and the reason why they were suppressed until the summer of 2005. A ‘must' for any definitive film holding strong in John Wayne's history, biography and productions.

The Alchemy of Theatre: The Divine Science
Robert Viagas, Editor
Applause Theatre & Cinema Books
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York NY 10010
1557836981 $29.95 www.applausepub.com

The Alchemy of Theatre: The Divine Science: Essays on Theatre & the Art of Collaboration includes essays by many notable composers and playwrights, including directors, conductors, actors and more, on the topic of theatre collaboration pros and cons. As such, it considers a wide range of artists working together in theatre who explore the entire collaborative effort and process, from how music is coordinated and translated to finished product to the process of understanding how collaboration reflects the self. First-person essays by those working in the field reflect a range of ideas with one important connection: producing a polished finished effort. Any working in theatre, especially those neo-pros at the college or high school level, must consider the wisdom packed into The Alchemy of Theatre: it comes not from theory alone but from the working artists themselves.

Red Star Over Hollywood
Ronald and Allis Radosh
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite, 400, New York NY 10003-1239
1594031460 $17.95 www.enocunterbooks.com

The Hollywood Blacklist is a story which has long been perpetuated by the film industry into popular culture, but RED STAR OVER HOLLYWOOD: THE FILM COLONY'S LONG ROMANCE WITH THE LEFT takes a different approach then most, documenting the large number of movie stars who did join the Communist Party and as a result had an impact on filmmaking trends. Material from the papers of Dalton Trumbo and other Hollywood insiders examine the concurrent growth of Communism through the 1930s and war years and the growing numbers of film greats who joined, experienced inner party disagreements, and influenced the industry as a whole. It's the first book to examine the discussion groups and members who helped define and promote Hollywood radicalism and makes for an important analysis filling many gaps.

Lone Eagle Publishing
5055 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
www.hcdonline.com

Two fine actor's guides are excellent picks for libraries specializing in film production. Rob Kendt's HOW THEY CAST IT: AN INSIDER'S LOOK AT FILM AND TELEVISION CASTING (1580650619, $18.95) surveys the casting process and comes from Breakdown Services, the starting point of most television and feature film roles in Hollywood. Here's an insider's view of how actors are matched with plots – and how major films achieved success through appropriate pairings. Aspiring actors must understand the casting and recasting process – and will, with HOW THEY CAST IT in hand. Rona Edwards and Monika Skerbelis' "I LIKED IT, DIDN'T LOVE IT": SCREENPLAY DEVELOPMENT FROM THE INSIDE OUT follows the process of how a screenplay is accepted or rejected – and why. What makes it a hit or miss, what happens after it's optioned or sold, and what it means to work with producers, directors, and executives offers up tips aspiring screenwriters can't afford to miss.

Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot
Peter Dunne
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Avenue, Sanger, CA 93657
188495653X $14.95 www.quilldriverbooks.com

The revised edition of EMOTIONAL STRUCTURE comes from an award-winning producer and writer who here tackles the elements of adding emotional depth to a plot. The basics of creating an emotionally-charged scene are probed in chapters which show how to balance incidents and responses, follow logical paths and introduce unexpected emotional moments, and how to create emotional honesty within the context of a plot. An excellent survey provides writers with many keys to script success.

Lessons: The Craft of Acting
Tom Isbell
Meriwether Publishing Limited
Box 77110, Colorado Springs, CO 70933-7710
1566081114 $19.95 www.meriwether.com

Plenty of books advise actors on how to act – but too few hone in on how to achieve truthful representation within the acting experience. Author Tom Isbell spent his professional career as a theatre, film and TV actor and this and his director's background lends to a survey which covers objectives, actions, and committing to choices. Lessons help novices, especially, pinpoint what actors do wrong, and how to fix problems.


The Genealogy Shelf

Family Skeletons
Ruth Paley and Simon Fowler
The National Archives
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
19033365546 UKL19.99 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756

Most families have ‘skeletons' carefully buried in the closet, and it's the family genealogist's want to dig up and review these skeletons. Here are histories of rogues, wanton women, victims and villains alike that permeate history and offer up plenty of insights not just into their backgrounds, but to the governmental sources which house such accounts. History buffs and genealogy fans alike will find this an involving and lively read.

Family Photographs 1860-1945
Robert Pols
Public Record Office/National Archives
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
1903365201 $19.95 www.internationalpubmarket.com 1-800-758-3756

If you want to take a closer look at old photos handed down through generations, you also have to take a closer look at the history and nature of portrait photography itself – and there's no better resource to turn to than Family Photographs 1860-1945. Other books focus on the history of portraits with an eye to photographic insights or artistic analysis: this instead blends in important facts unique to genealogical research, such as changing family roles, changing fashions, and how to date and interpret images given little extra information. These aspects make FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS 1860-1945 an invaluable genealogist's tool.

In Search of Your Asian Roots
Sheau-yueh J. Chao
Clearfield Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
0806349468 $41.00 www.genealogicalpublishing.com 1-800-296-6687

In Search of Your Asian Roots: Genealogical Research on Chinese Surnames appeared some time ago but deserves ongoing recommendation as a unique coverage – one of the few – to focus on the special challenges of researching Asian archives. Names and titles are listed in both Chinese and English, discussing the origins of some six hundred surnames and adding in Chinese history which traces the changes to these surname styles over the centuries. It's simply an essential ‘must have' reference for any conducting more than a casual investigation into Asian family history.


The Business Shelf


CEO Road Rules
Mary Key & Dennis Stearns
Davies-Black Publishing
1055 Joaquin Road, 2nd Floor, Mountain View, CA 94043
0891062173 $24.95 www.daviesblack.com

Two authors survey the ‘road rules' of the CEO using an unusual approach: by providing a contemporary parable story which winds through past, present and future relationships with family, colleagues, and the business community to illustrate how the protagonist ‘Joe' rediscovers values and meaning within his business pursuits. Profiles of some fifty top private company CEOS concurrently illustrate numerous techniques, tools and tips for effecting such transformation. Use CEO Road Rules as a road manual for implementing values-based business planning.

How to Open a Financially Successful Pizza & Sub Restaurant
Shri L. Henkel & Douglas R. Brown
Atlantic Publishing Group
1210 SW 23rd Place, Ocala, FL 34474
0910627800 $39.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

There are plenty of books on the market which cover how to open a general restaurant and a few which even address high-class establishments; but pizza and sub venues are different and need the close inspection of a subject-specific treatment. That's why How to Open a Financially Successful Pizza & Sub Restaurant stands out from the crowd: with its companion cd-rom of all forms in the book plus an editable business plan in Word, it offers the specifics neeeded to tailor a plan to such a venue, from incorporating a wood fire stove into a structure to sales analysis and successful employee relations. A ‘must' for any would-be pizza or sub shop owner or franchisee.

Big-Box Swindle
Stacy Mitchell
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street, Boston MA 02108
0807035009 $24.95 www.beacon.org

Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America's Independent Businesses goes beyond most similar condemnations of big retailers to outline just how their domination is dangerous to society – and then moves on to show how citizens are fighting the phenomenon. Since 2000 nearly two hundred big-box development projects have been halted by citizens groups and communities across the U.S. are banding together to keep them out, recognizing the value in locally owned, independent businesses. It's not just consumer desire which drives big box store expansions; it's public policy and politics: BIG BOX SWINDLE documents these factors and is an important acquisition for any public or college-level library concerned with consumer and business issues, trends, and influences.

20 Questions to Ask if You Have a Great Idea or Invention
Michael H. Jester
Career Press
Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564148653 $10.99 www.careerpress.com

If you have a great idea you have to protect it: that's the message of 20 Questions to Ask if You Have a Great Idea or Invention: a survey of how inventions are stolen and how they are legally protected. Jester's an experienced patent lawyer who uses an easy question/answer format to quickly and concisely answer questions frequently posed by inventors, from understanding trade secrets and confidential agreements to understanding the steps in the patent process. An invaluable ‘must' any creative inventor must have.

Fermenting Revolution
Christopher Mark O'Brien
New Society Publishers
P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0 Canada
0865715564 $18.95 www.newsociety.com

Humor, history, and business savvy blends with a beer activist history so it's hard to peg this title for any one section – it's featured here because its strength is a coverage of the sustainability movement's values and business interactions, which documents beer marketing, the evolution and growing strength of microbreweries, and their interactions with local communities. A fine survey of corporate and non-corporate powers and divisions makes for involving reading.

Covert Processes at Work
Robert J. Marshak
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
1576754154 $27.95 www.bkconnection.com

Hidden agendas, office politics and underlying assumptions can all work against attempts to restructure an organization to be more effective, so you need Covert Processes at Work: Managing the Five Hidden Dimensions of Organizational Change to understand these processes. Each chapters offers specific tools addressing specific processes and typical problems, blending case history examples with surveys of covert blocking factors, problems in addressing them, and maintaining focal points of change. Any business manager needs COVERT PROCESSES AT WORK.

Handbook of Global Supply Chain Management
John T. Mentzer, Matthew B. Myers and Theodore P. Stank, Editors
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
1412918057 $125.00 www.sagepub.com

The Handbook of Global Supply Chain Management is no light reference, but a solid pick for college-level libraries strong in holdings pertaining to global supply chains. It identifies emerging developments and compares and contrasts them with past GSCM methods, analyzes chains, functions, resources and techniques for making it happen, and uses contributors from professions around the world, both in academic and private business circles. It's this attention to well-rounded detail and depth from different approaches which makes The Handbook of Global Supply Chain Management a critical acquisition for any serious college-level collection offering grad students and researchers detailed perspectives on the subject.

Climbing the Ladder in Stilettos
Lynette Lewis
W Publishing Group
c/o Thomas Nelson
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
0849901863 $21.99 www.thomasnelson.com

If you're a woman in the working world looking to rise to the top and to encourage self-determination, Climbing the Ladder in Stilettos: 10 Strategies for Stepping Up to Success and Satisfaction at Work is the key to doing so gracefully. Chapters use stories from women who made that climb to provide case histories of success, from how to create a personal purpose statement to guide you through the business world to establishing business and personal contacts to encourage this rise. Get to the top without losing sight of the bottom line of values using CLIMBING THE LADDER IN STILETTOS.

101 Complaint Letters That Get Results
Janet Rubel, Attorney at Law
Sphinx Publishing
c/o Sourcebooks
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567-4410
1572485639 $19.95 www.sphinxlegal.com

A well-written complaint letter can motivate a response like no phone call can: and here to tell you how to produce such a hard-hitting letter is 101 Complaint Letters That Get Results, which covers sample letters for every business and consumer situation, from an employee who doesn't act correctly to identify theft, a child's bullying at school, and contesting an insurance company non-payment, and more. An organization by topic – health, airlines, etc. – makes it easy to locate a letter sample.

Golden Arches East, 2nd Edition
James L. Watson, Editor
Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
9780804749893 $21.95 www.sup.org

McDonald's Restaurants are to be found world-wide and books have been written on their business success and approach – but GOLDEN ARCHES EAST: MCDONALD'S IN EAST ASIA is something different, providing college-level readers with a blend of cultural insights and business savvy as it traces McDonald's role in five Asian countries. Chapters provide the author's first-person insights as he journeys to five Asian countries and asks questions on McDonalds management, promotion strategies, and impact on local culture. Also included are reflections on food and marketing within these nations, making GOLDEN ARCHES EAST essential for any overseas business or Asian holding.

Global Broadband Battles
Martin Fransman, Editor
Stanford Business Books
c/o Stanford University Press
1450 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1124
0804753067 $29.95 www.sup.org

GLOBAL BROADBAND BATTLES: WHY THE U.S. AND EUROPE LAG WHILE ASIA LEADS holds important lessons beyond the broadband industry it examines, contrasting the different broadband performance of different countries and covering international contributions to both internet and broadband developments. There are many puzzles inherent in this process, such as why Europe is behind both Asia and the U.S. in regulating electronic communications: technology, business pursuits and social and political influence and structures alike are examined in the course of clear explanations.

Marketing That Matters
Chip Conley & Eric Friedenwald-Fishman
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street Suite 650, San Francisco CA 94104-2916
1576753832 $12.00 www.bkconnection.com

MARKETING THAT MATTERS: 10 PRACTICES TO PROFIT YOUR BUSINESS AND CHANGE THE WORLD demonstrates just how marketing can advance business values while retaining ethical roots. Any company which would promote both values and trust must have MARKETING THAT MATTERS: its simple contentions tells how to build a socially responsible business and comes not from ideals, but from applied tactics.

Juicing the Orange
Pat Fallon & Fred Senn
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
1591399270 $26.95 www.hbspress.org

JUICING THE ORANGE: HOW TO TURN CREATIVITY INTO A POWERFUL BUSINESS ADVANTAGE tells how the consumer is changing, and how businesses need to refine and redefine applied creativity to keep consumer interests. Organization managers and owners often inadvertently stifle creativity or move it in the wrong direction: JUICING THE ORANGE tells how to use innovations to achieve realistic marketing goals and approaches, and uses decades of successful marketing tactics to reinforce ideas. Avoid obsolescence and make sure products are keyed to market demands with JUICING THE ORANGE.

The Opt-Out Revolt
Lisa A. Mainiero & Sherry Sullivan
Davies-Black Publishing
1055 Joaquin Road, 2nd Floor, Mountain View, CA 94043
089106186X $28.95 www.daviesblack.com

Thousands of men and women across the country are foregoing the high-stress business world executive life and opting out of the rat race, developing ‘Kaleidscope Careers' and lifestyles defined by personal more than business needs and pursuits, and here to document their experiences and approaches is THE OPT-OUT REVOLT: WHY PEOPLE ARE LEAVING COMPANIES TO CREATE KALEIDOSCOPE CAREERS. Profiles of individuals and their pursuits offer insights not only into what kinds of work don't sacrifice home and life values, but how it's achieved – and its effect on rat race companies' needs and demands. From handling the drive for challenges to meeting company standards and needs, this book is a ‘must' for any working up the ladder of success – and redefining it in the process.

The Elements of Influence
Alan Kelly
Dutton
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014-3657
0525949844 $26.95 www.penguin.com

The Elements of Influence: A New Essential System for Managing Competition, Reputation, Brand, and Buzz provides a clear system and strategy for ‘playmaking' – how companies thwart others and provide value and competitive strengths. ‘Playmaking' is the fine art of controlling marketplace discussions, direction and strategies, and chapters here survey an array of disciplines – not just the business world – to cover everything from positioning to idea advancement.


The International Studies Shelf

An Introduction to the Economic History of China
E. Stuart Kirby
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
041538155X $145.00 www.routledge.com

College-level collections strong in Asian history and culture, especially those with powerful business holdings, must have An Introduction to the Economic History of China, which provides a combined history of Chinese culture, Marxism, and economic trends from ancient to modern times. Here's a primer that would do well as assigned college reading for an introductory course on the topic, packed with interpretations of economic history trends, changing perspectives, and changing influences.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

A History of the End of the World
Jonathan Kirsch
HarperSanFrancisco
353 Sacramento Street, San Francisco CA 94111-3653
0060816988 $25.95 www.harpersf.com

The Book of Revelation in the Bible predicts – down to description of events – the end of the world and the destruction of the earth: it outlived its creator and has had a major influence on Western civilization: an influence revealed and analyzed in A History of the End of the World: How the Most Controversial Book in the Bible Changed the Course of Western Civilization. Chapters offer an analysis of the questions raised by Revelation, juxtaposing analysis with historical references to events and people who made decisions and led paths based on the contents of Revelation. An eye-opening blend of history and spiritual analysis results, recommended not just for Christian readers, but for any who would understand influences on the course of the world.

African Saints
Frederick Quinn
Crossroad Publishing Company
481 – 8th Avenue, 16 Penn Plaza, New York NY 10001
082451971X $22.95 www.crossroadpublishing.com

AFRICAN SAINTS: SAINTS, MARTYRS AND HOLY PEOPLE FROM THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA surveys holy people from the African church – something often omitted from considerations of saints – and comes from an Episcopal priest and former foreign service officer who spent many years in Africa. His descriptions of the African church goes beyond most comparative accounts which come from missionary sources, reflecting a diverse background and approach producing chapters strong in not only biographical content, but inclusion of religious notes such as Islamic relationships.

The Pope's Army
Robert Royal
Crossroad Publishing Company
481 – 8th Avenue, 16 Penn Plaza, New York NY 10001
0824523954 $19.95 www.crossroadpublishing.com

The Swiss Guard is ‘The Pope's Army', and has been for centuries; yet it's received relatively few coverages outside of more general surveys of Vatican history, so it's satisfying to see an ‘exclusive' in The Pope's Army: 500 Years of the Papal Swiss Guard. The guard has defended popes and witnessed every major Vatican event for half a millennium: chapters here trace this institution's impact, changes, and representation of military/religious values over the centuries, with a centerfold of color photos enhancing the effort. Any comprehensive Catholic or spirituality collection must have this lively read.

The Truth about Muhammad
Robert Spencer
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Washington DC 20001
1596980281 $27.95 www.regnery.com

THE TRUTH ABOUT MUHAMMAD is subtitled ‘Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion' – and that gives a solid indication of the bent of a hard-hitting assessment of Muhammad's violent life and teachings. Robert Spencer is an Islam expert and director of Jihad Watch: his survey uses detailed documentation from the sources Muslims themselves consider the most reliable about Muhammad to reveal his life, development, and revelations. An eye-opening survey any Muslim and non-Muslim interested in Islam needs to consider.

The God That Did Not Fail
Robert Royal
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite 400, New York NY 10003-12390
1594031452 $25.95 www.encounterbooks.com

Secular humanists and others have been predicting the demise of religion for over two hundred years, but it's still going – and stronger than ever – and THE GOD THAT DID NOT FAIL: HOW RELIGION BUILT AND SUSTAINS THE WEST analyzes why. Here's a survey which offers up an original reading of religion in ancient Greece, Rome, and through the centuries, following how religion has changed and evolved but maintained its status as a part of society and human culture. In the end, a dialogue between faith and modern democratic principles is encouraged in a fine survey charting religion's social connections right up through modern times.

Afterlife
Emanuel Swedenborg
Swedenborg Foundation/Chrysalis Publishing
320 N. Church Street, West Chester, PA 19380
0877853193 $12.95 www.swedenborg.com

If you know anything of Swedeborg, it's probably his best-known work, HEAVEN AND HELL, so AFTERLIFE: A GUIDED TOUR OF HEAVEN AND ITS WONDERS might not present anything new to avid followers. It synthesizes Swedenborg's classic, rearranging and abridging it and offering up only passages that describe the awakening of the soul in the afterlife. Donald L. Rose has done a terrific job of editing, providing a smooth-flowing read.

The Samurai and the Sacred
Stephen Turnbull
Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
1846030218 $29.95 www.ospreypublishing.com

Books on the samurai warriors usually focus fairly exclusively on either culture or war, or both; so it's unusual to find a treatise which includes religious beliefs and how they inspired the samurai warrior's efforts. This could've been featured in our Military Shelf section – but is reviewed here because any studying the spiritual history of the Japanese must have it: it draws from all belief systems in its analysis.

Christianity for the Rest of Us
Diana Butler Bass
HarperSanFrancisco
353 Sacramento Street, San Francisco CA 94111-3653
0060836946 $23.95 www.harpersf.com

For decades the idea has been that America's mainline Protestant churches are increasingly irrelevant, replaced by suburban evangelical mega-churches: now CHRISTIANITY FOR THE REST OF US: HOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH IS TRANSFORMING THE FAITH comes from a church expert and former NY Times columnist to maintain there's a revolution taking place within the mainline churches across the country. Modern mainline churchgoers who don't use the evangelical approach are growing – and their views represent a wider community interested in religion and politics alike. Her three-year study, funded by the Lilly Endowment, surveys some fifty such churches across six denominations to chart not a decline, but a revolutionary change in the making. CHRISTIANITY FOR THE REST OF US is a guide no church leader can ignore.


The Cookbook Shelf

The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook
Southern Living Publishers
Oxmoor House
PO Box 2262, Birmingham, AL 35201-2262
084873114X $34.95 www.oxmoorhouse.com

What makes this cookbook shine above others? For one thing, it's been revised extensively and packs in over a thousand recipes paired with over 500 color photos. Its dishes come from the favorites of Southern Living Magazine readers, and provide not on recipes proven both popular and successful, but includes cooking techniques, food dictionaries, and numerous tips guaranteeing success. Special notes above selected recipes note those that are favorites, low-calorie, or lend to make ahead. A special recommendation, THE ALL-NEW ULTIMATE SOUTHER LIVING COOKBOOK may just be the only basic you'll need, if you're a novice and seek easy, clear dishes.

Mom's Best Crowd-Pleasers
Andrea Chesman
Storey Publishing
210 MassMoca Way, North Adams, MA 01247
1580176291 $10.95 www.storey.com

Whether you're cooking for a few extra at dinner or for 100 at a potluck, MOM'S BEST CROWD-PLEASERS is for any occasion where the hostess wishes satisfying food without long hours of labor. General-interest public library holdings will find a pleasing array of dishes, an affordable price tag, and many homemade specialties. No color photos, but the easy dishes don't need ‘em.

Dutch Oven Cooking, 4th Edition
John G. Ragsdale
Taylor Trade Publishing
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
1589793528 $8.95 www.rowman.com

Many dutch oven cookbooks on the market are weighty and daunting: not so the 4th updated edition of a near-pocket guide Dutch Oven Cooking, which is perfect for taking along and meal planning for a camping trip. It's the outdoors orientation which differentiates this from similar-sounding, home-oriented coverages, offering up dishes perfect for campfires and overnights and moving the dutch oven from indoors to outside. From an intriguing Peppermint Pound Cake to Potato Soup, here's a fine pocket presentation also recommended for in-home use.

Esalen Cookbook
Charlie Cascio
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
P.O. Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1586858521 $34.95 www.gibbs-smith.com

If the name ‘Esalen' sounds familiar, it's because it's world famous: an institute located in California renowned for its beauty and place where people can meditate. What's less known outside its walls is that it also harbors a kitchen where fresh food is produced from the Esalen garden – and Esalen Cookbook: Healthy and Organic Recipes from Big Sur gathers the recipes for this food, pairing cooking tips and instructions with dishes ranging from Sourdough Raisin Bread and Greek Spinach Salad to Southern Baked Chicken and Cashew Rice & Veggie Loaf. Add color photos to the mix and you have a fine recommendation for any health-oriented cookbook collection.

Gastronaut: Adventures in Food for the Romantic, the Foolhardy, and the Brave
Stefan Gates
Harcourt Trade Publishers
15 East 26th Street, New York NY 10010
0156030977 $14.00 www.harcourtbooks.com

Take a healthy dose of humor, add a healthier dose of food savvy, and you have Gastronaut: Adventures in Food for the Romantic, the Foolhardy, and the Brave, which advocates readers go to the ‘wild side' of the culinary world to analyze cuisines, meals, and food-related oddities. From ‘Why Not Eat Insects?' to an essay on cheese-making and a popular South African ‘Monkey Gland' dish with roots in Victorian times, chapters pair hilarious observations, history and analysis with unusual recipes. A fun survey even avid cooks will appreciate for its light-hearted twists and unusual perspective.

Cooking with the Bible
Anthony Chiffolo & Rayner Hesse Hr.
Greenwood Publishing
P.O. Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007
0313334102 $75.00 www.greenwood.com

Judeo-Christian cooking has long centered on meals as a form of not only sustenance, but hospitality. Most cookbooks covering such cuisine focuses on the recipes; but COOKIGN WITH THE BIBLE: BIBLICAL FOOD, FEASTS AND LORE is different: recipes here are plentiful but secondary to the historical review of meal contents, rituals, and underlying cultural meaning. Bible stories of meals form the foundation of recipes which begin with a menu for a biblical feast, an essay surveying its historical and cultural significance, and explanations of traditional versus modern cooking methods. Any cook who also harbors affection for the Bible will find COOKING WITH THE BIBLE an intriguing, different guide.

Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals
Sandra Lee
Meredith Books
1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50336-0001
0696232634 $19.95 www.meredithbooks.com 1-800-678-8091

If you're a cook dedicated to the idea of homemade fare who wants to produce dishes nearly from scratch in half the time, Sandra Lee's ‘Semi-Homemade' is for you. Here are 20-minute meals which blend 70% ready-made foods with 30% fresh ingredients for the best of both worlds, with dishes a Creamy Succotash using frozen veggies and a white sauce mix to a unique Kahlua Jerk Chicken blending peanut butter with a jerk marinade and Poached Sole with Champaign Sauce. All are outstanding, easily-made dishes which feature the look of homemade and the convenience of pre-made ingredients.

Return to Tuscany
Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi
Trafalgar Square Publishing
P.O. Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053
0563493542 $29.95 www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com

Return to Tuscany: Recipes from a Tuscan Cookery School comes from the husband/wife team behind two Italian restaurants and a cookery school in London. As such it offers up a different format than most cookbooks, beginning each chapter with a lesson based on their cookery course and pairing an overview of basic cooking techniques with regional recipes. Color photos throughout focus on both step-by-step techniques and pictures of food and finished dishes, including location shots, and provide a format that beginners, in particular, will welcome.

Culinary Biographies
Alice Arndt, Editor
Yes Press Inc.
P.O. Box 270744, Houston, TX 77277-0344
0971832218 $48.00 www.culinarybiographies.com

Plenty of books cover culinary history and within these usually are scattered references to cooks who have influenced the genre over the decades – but nowhere else will you find a collection devoted entirely to culinary biographies, and nowhere else will the combined scholarship of over eighty culinary scholars achieve this result. Here are all the pro names you'd expect to read about, from Betty Crocker to Fannie Farmer, plus those from other countries lesser known (but no less important) such as Erna Horn or Kenneth Lo. From cookbook authors to farmers, restauranteurs, scientists and food writers, CULINARY BIOGRAPHIES is packed with insights, with each biography including not just a survey of the culinary figure's life, but an overview of contributions and influences, providing a good bit of period history in the process.

The Professional Chef, 8th Edition
Culinary Institute of America
John Wiley
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
0764557343 $70.00 www.wiley.com

THE PROFESSIONAL CHEF has been named one of the five favorite professional culinary books of the last ten years by Food Arts, the professional magazine – and it's easy to see why. This revised, expanded edition for modern kitchens offers a blend of step-by-step cooking instructions and tips on techniques intrinsic to the aspiring chef's working routine. From nutrition to kitchen safety and specialty tools, techniques cover all dishes and restaurant situations and add charts and color photos throughout. Yes, there are plenty of recipes for everything from a basic broth to decorative food cutting – but it's the professional preparation details, also including easy sidebars of information as well as color photos of fish, herbs, and more which make THE PROFESSIONAL CHEF an outstanding college-level acquisition. Though many a home chef might take a look and learn, it's the neo-pro who will benefit here, making it a ‘must bible' for any serious culinary collection.

Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer
Maureen Ogle
Harcourt Books
15 East 26th Street, New York NY 10010
0151010129 $23.00 www.HarcourtBooks.com

There are numerous ‘brewer's guides' on the market and a few books which cover microbrew history; but AMBITIOUS BREW is one of the most comprehensive titles yet on how big brewers evolved in America. From early pioneers and founding fathers to immigrants who brought their brews to America, AMBITIOUS BREW follows the rise of corporate manufacturing in the country and provides a heady survey for any with more than a casual interest in beer or brewing.

Chronicle Books
85 – 2nd Street, San Francisco CA 94105
www.chroniclebooks.com

Marlena Spieler's MACARONI & CHEESE (0811849627, $16.95) is a surprise: how can you write a whole book on one dish? But Spieler proves you can: by providing the base of a traditional recipe and a host of international variations on the theme. From Roasted Tomatillo Mac and Cheese to macaroni based soups and salads, MACARONI & CHEESE provides an appealing, winning collection of comfort food variations spiced with color photos by Noel Barnhurst throughout. Mimi Luebbermann's THE HEIRLOOM TOMATO COOKBOOK (0811853551, $16.95) is a pick for any with affection for the full-flavored, unique heirloom tomatoes appearing in supermarkets today. No longer do you have to go to a health food store for these: just add THE HEIRLOOM TOMATO COOKBOOK to your recipe and you'll have a wealth of dishes which rely on heirloom flavors, from Cherokee Purple Tomato BLT to Tomato-Watermelon Agua Fresca. Rafael Palomino's FIESTA LATINA: FABULOUS FOOD FOR SIZZLING PARTIES (0811844102, $19.95) is a superb choice for any who hold parties and look for different kinds of foods to offer guests. Arlene Gargagliano works with Palomino to outline recipes for dishes as varied as Yellowfin Tuna and Coconut Ceviche to Quinoa and Sweet Plantain Egg Rolls. You won't find most of these recipes anywhere else, and Anastassios Mentis adds lovely embellishment with his color photos of finished dishes.

Stonewall Kitchen Favorites
Jonathan King, Jim Stott, Kathy Gunst
Clarkson Potter Publishers
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, #B1, New York, NY 10019-4305
0307336816 $32.50 www.clarksonpotter.com 1-800-726-0600

The owners of Stonewall Kitchen specialize in updated versions of comfort food, adding condiments, preserves and spices to jazz up these American favorites, so Stonewall Kitchen Favorites is packed with seemingly familiar dishes spiced with new flavors and approaches. Here's a Chopped Greek Salad with Lemon Caper Dressing or a Spaghetti Carbonara with Basil Swirl. Even the lowly Waldorf Salad receives jazzy embellishment. Any who like the familiar favorites but desire more variety will find this a fine pick, packed with color photos throughout.

The Good Home Cookbook
Richard J. Perry, Editor
Collectors Press
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
1933112255 $29.95 www.collectorspress.com

Here's another ‘bible' of cooking novices can use to learn from: a book that focuses on cooking from scratch, packing in 1,000 basic recipes that serve as mealtime foundations. These offer everyday dishes from Shrimp Scampi to Beef Stew, Breaded Pork Chops, Curried Rice with Peas, and more. Notes on special cooking requirements – such as giving risotto constant attention requiring 30-40 minutes of devoted time – are key to successful cooking. Recipes here have been handed down through the generations: beginning American cooks will find them appealing and many times, familiar.


The Literary Shelf

Hesperus Press/Trafalgar Square Publishing
P.O. Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053
www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com

Three classic titles will serve as strong supplements to any collection seeking a definitive representation of these authors, to include lesser-known works. Colette's CLAUDINE'S HOUSE (1843914158, $14.95) was the first of her best-selling Claudine novels and incorporates her memories of countryside and a loving family with the story of a French girl's interactions with family and culture. Pietro Aretino's THE SECRET LIFE OF WIVES (1843911299, $12.95) provides a fun sequel to THE SECRET LIFE OF NUNS and reveals ‘secrets' of married life, largely composed of myths and funny misperceptions. Fyodor Dostoevsky's THE GAMBLER (184391123X, $14.95) tells of one Ivanovich, who sinks into debt and emotional ruin. A set of fellow gamblers – each also plotting inheritance and political change – observes in this powerful psychological thriller. All are excellent literary additions college-level collections will relish.

Tales of Don Quixote Book II
Miguel De Cervantes
Tundra Books
P.O. Box 1030, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
0887767443 $18.95 www.tundrabooks.com

Four hundred years ago de Cervantes wrote ON QUIXODE: it was celebrated then, and its theme even stolen and embellished by a competing contemporary author. Barbara Nichol retells Book 2, which broke new ground when it appeared and here provides new contemporary audiences with an accessible, memorable account. Leaving intact the themes, structure and tone but adding contemporary language and drama, TALES OF DON QUIXOTE is appealing.

The Girl from Leam Lane: The Life and Writings of Catherine Cookson
Piers Dudgeon
Trafalgar Square Publishing
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053-0257
0755314972 $29.95 www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com 1-800-423-4525

Prior fans of Catherine Cookson will appreciate a biography covering her troubled life, blending Cookson's own memoir with previously unpublished material which includes conversations between Cookson and the author to allow for a wide-ranging survey of her life and psyche. These conversations round out details on Cookson's contributions and the entire effort makes for an important addition to any who want an in-depth survey of Cookson's life.

The Book of Martyrdom and Artifice
Allen Ginsberg
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Publishing Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.dacapopress.com
0306814625 $27.50 $27.50

The Book of Martyrdom and Artifice: First Journals and Poems 1937-1952 is edited by Bill Morgan and Juanita Lieberman-Plimpton and offers a rare view of the poet during his formative years rather than the more commonly covered later life works. As such, this will serve as a fitting and important introduction for both college-level and casual Ginsberg enthusiasts, surveying the contents of candid journals allowed to see publication only after his death, and including conversations with Jack Kerouac and other notable contemporaries. In packing in elements of his personal life and family relationships, succeeds in displaying many hitherto-unrevealed aspects of Ginsberg's life and personality – essential keys for a through, in-depth understanding of his writings.

Marketing the Bard
Don-John Dugas
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
0826216889 $42.50 www.umsystem.edu/upress

MARKETING THE BARD: SHAKESPEARE IN PERFORMANCE AND PRINT, 1660-1740 is more than just another biographical sketch of the bard: it offers a business perspective in considering exactly how he rose above the rest of his colleagues to make his reputation over the centuries. Performance and publication alike affected his growth, with London theatre and key performances changing him from just another author to the most popular playwright of his times. Chapters focus on both theatre and publishing history, providing close inspections perfect for college-level audiences studying in either theatre or literature. In fact, the latter would do well to absorb the business/marketing aspects of this unusual approach to a often-covered bard.

Reading Like A Writer
Francine Prose
HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
0060777044 $23.95 www.harpercollins.com

READING LIKE A WRITER: A GUIDE FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE BOOKS AND FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO WRITE THEM delves at the heart of how writers learn to write and read. Writers learn by reading novels, stories, and literary works of fellow writers, developing style from what gives them pleasure. Thus READING LIKE A WRITER encourages amassing works of genius old and new to receive inspiration, and comes from the author of fourteen books of fiction who has used her technique to foster her own career. Included are more than just recommendations, but close technical analysis of the elements of good writing.

Slang: The Topical Dictionary of Americanisms
Paul Dickson
Walker & Company
104 – 4th Avenue, New York NY 10011
0802715311 $24.95 www.walkerbooks.com

Regional U.S. slang and uniquely ‘American' terms are covered here in Slang: The Topical Dictionary of Americanisms: a revised, updated version of a classic slang dictionary arranged by topic. The unique arrangement by subject rather than word allows for easier cross-comparison of slang: having an updated version with new chapters and 10,000 words further enhances its usefulness as a definitive slang reference.

Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches, 2nd Edition
Christine Ammer
Facts on File
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor, New York NY 10001
081606279X $50.00 www.factsonfile.com

The meanings and origins of literally thousands of words and definitions come to life in a newly expanded, updated edition of a popular title, which adds hundreds of new cliches from all walks of life -including the business world as well as popular culture – and provides an indexed, cross-referenced survey of all. It's a recommended reference acquisition for both high school and college-level holdings – and many a public library will also find it important.

Talk the Talk: The Slang of 65 American Subcultures
Luc Reid
F&W Publications
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1582974233 $14.99 www.fwpublications.com

Cross-cultural interpretations of meaning for language used by Goths, hackers, Trekkers and more are revealed in an unusual survey of modern slang and subcultures using it. Listings include each subculture and its key characteristics along with the meaning of words unique to that culture, allowing for an easy contrast and comparison between subcultures. More than just a simple terminology dictionary, TALK THE TALK offers a history of language's modern evolution.


The Sports Shelf

The History of Surfing
Nat Young
Gibbs Smith Publishing
PO Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1423601211 $24.95 www.gibbs-smith.com

There have been numerous books over the years to celebrate methods of surfing or best surfing spots: now THE HISTORY OF SURFING provides an illustrated, definitive overview of the sport and its roots. From interviews with surfing champions of previous decades to reproductions of early Hawaiian and Australian surfing photos – some never before published – this covers the great boatmen, surfers, and their equipment and techniques in full color. A lovely gift any surfer will appreciate.

Out of the Shadows
David K. Wiggins, Editor
University of Arkansas Press
201 Ozark Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72701
1557288267 $34.95 www.uapress.com

Thirteen original essays provide an in-depth biographical focus on both famous and lesser-known Afro-American athletes from the 19th century to modern times, and is a key pick for college-level collections specializing in Afro-American studies or sports history. Here are surveys that link athletic endeavors to social issues and politics, examining the effects of segregation on ambition and achievement. Contributors are top sports history writers and their essays examine the close connections between race, prejudice, and sport.

Green Cathedrals
Philip J. Lowry
Walker & Company
104 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10011
0802715621 $26.95 www.walkerbooks.com

Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebration of Major League and Negro League Ballparks offers up a history of each of the ballparks that have hosted Major League and Negro League baseball, and appears in a revised, updated edition which has seen many changes since its initial appearance a decade ago. Over a hundred new ballparks and hundreds of new photos make for essentially a different presentation, covering each park's location, dimensions, capacity, and history. Baseball fans will love it.

When The Girls Came Out to Play
Patricia Campbell Warner
University of Massachusetts Press
P.O. Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
1558495495 $24.95 www.umpress.umass.edu

College-level collections strong in both sports history, the arts and women's studies will equally find When The Girls Came Out to Play: The Birth of American Sportswear an important study, linking the evolution of women's clothing trends with the rise of women's involvement in recreational sports. The changes in sportswear brought with it and reflected a breakdown in traditional gender roles: Patricia Warner surveys the history of women's sports clothing from the early 19th to the mid-20th century and provides excellent analysis of women's participation in a male-dominated world. An excellent survey prompts readers to understand the connected basics of social and leisure movements and ideology.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

The Pocket Deer Hunting Guide
Stephen D. Carpenteri
Stoeger Publishing
17603 Indian Head Highway, Suite 200, Accokeek, MD 20607-2501
088317331X $7.95 www.stoegerpublishing.com

Plenty of large-size hunting guides specific to deer are on the market, but size (or lack thereof) is exactly what makes the difference in The Pocket Deer Hunting Guide. Here's something you can take along in the field, directing advice to both novice and experienced deer hunters and packing in facts for at-a-glance reference. From good stand sites and water crossings to refined versions of still hunting and short versions of tracking, THE POCKET DEER HUNTING GUIDE: SUCCESSFUL HUNTING WITH A RIFLE OR SHOTGUN offers something different: a quick, handy pocket reference which literally can fit in a jacket pocket while on the hunt.

Modern Shotgunning
Dave Henderson
Stoeger Publishing
17603 Indian Head Highway Suite 200, Accokeek, MD 20607
0883173123 $24.95 www.stoegerindustries.com

From learning about shotgun choices, options, and barrels and chokes to handling recoil, noise and typical problems, MODERN SHOTGUNNING is the item of choice for any sportsman who would learn more about the care, handling and technology of today's shotgun. Dave Henderson has studied shotguns and their use in sporting: his information offers up a wealth of detail based on both his studies and his personal experiences, and shooters, especially newcomers, will welcome its expertise.


The Gaming Shelf

The Bridge Player's Bible
Julian Pottage
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764159003 $21.99 www.barronseduc.com

If you're a bridge player you know just how many bridge books are on the market today – but THE BRIDGE PLAYER'S BIBLE offers something different: over 300 examples of how to bid, play, and defend on a range of hands. You can learn strategies, rules, and approaches from key players' techniques and advice, from signals and valuation to planning and deceptive card playing. And each technique receives full illustration for easy learning for novices, too.

Digital Gameplay
Nate Garrelts, Editor
McFarland Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786422920 $35.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com

Computer technology has taken over the world of gaming, and digital games have come not the exception but the norm, so DIGITAL GAMEPLAY: ESSAYS ON THE NEXUS OF GAME AND GAMER offers an important key to the role of the gamer and game-playing strategies. Half of the book discusses the physical and mental challenges of digital versus conventional game playing routines; the other focuses on play move influences. Both mainstream and controversial, alternative games are included in scholarly analysis which are especially recommended for college-level students.


The Travel Shelf

Fifty Great Escapes
Jonathan Lee
Prestel Publishers
900 Broadway, Suite 603, New York NY 10003
3791336452 $29.95 www.prestel-usa.com

FIFTY GREAT ESCAPES: A GLOBAL GUIDE TO CREATIVITY is the next best thing to hitting the road yourself: it focuses on the places that inspired the world's finest artists, and offers viewpoints through camera, art piece, composition, painting and writer. From urban settings to natural, Tahiti to India, color photos of these selected inspirational locales blend with practical travel advice and details on local cultural attractions. Add the full-page color photos and you have a winning set of recommendations.

Eating As I Go
Doris Friedensohn
University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
0813191645 $25.00 www.kentuckypress.com

EATING AS I GO: SCENES FROM AMERICA AND ABROAD maintains that a common meeting ground for different cultures is over the dinner table – and offers a blend of travelogue, memoir and culinary exploration to reinforce this idea. It's an autobiographical account of the author's travels and investigations into food culture around the world, and offers both destination and armchair readers a heady mix of cultural interactions and insights all linked with a fascination of and appreciation for food. General-interest collections as well as college holdings strong in world culture or culinary history will find it a popular acquisition.

Not So Funny When It Happened
Tim Cahill, Editor
Traveler's Tales
853 Alma Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
1932361448 $14.95 www.travelerstales.com

Many of the best travel stories have their origins in mishaps, and here to offer up a satisfying dish of events is Not So Funny When It Happened, a survey of the best tales from travelers around the world. These come from Dave Barry, Bill Bryson, Anne Lamott and others: familiar authors whose funny encounters are not to be missed. Either travel fans or those who enjoy humor will love this ‘best of' travel writing collection which takes an unusual approach to the normally-serious topic of travel experiences. Highly recommended.

Road Atlas 2007
American Map/Langenscheidt Publishing Group
P.O. Box 979, Spring House, PA 19477-0979
0841628114 $12.95 www.americanmap.com

This new edition of a top-notch road atlas is the one map book American road traveler's can't afford to be without: it pairs color, easily-read maps with a lay-flat spiral binding and updated new edition to cover the latest information on roads. A 3-D elevation shading makes it easy to assess the geography of a route, while indexes for mileage, guides to metro areas and parks, and the latest details on travel options makes it an outstanding, practical take-along pick.

Authentic Bistros of Paris
Francois Thomazeau & Sylvain Ageorges
The Little Bookroom
1755 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York NY 10019
1892145340 $16.95 www.littlebookroom.com

If you're Paris-bound and looking for an easy pocket tote to take along – and have heard about the famous bistros of Paris – don't miss Authentic Bistros of Paris: there may be one on every block but this book separates wheat from chafe. It first appeared in France and now is accessible to U.S. audiences, selecting over fifty bistros which stand apart due to regional foods, wines, and atmospheres. Sure, you can visit French bistros without it – but why spend your trip on less than the best? AUTHENTIC BISTROS helps you define and find them.

Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com

Two outstanding French guides are fine picks for destination-bound visitors, serving as both advance research planners and solid choices for consultation when traveling the country. Christine and Dennis Graf's CAFE LIFE PARIS: A GUIDEBOOK TO THE CAFES AND BARS OF THE CITY OF LIGHT (1566566215, $20.00) selects cafes which serve up more than just French roast: they also serve up an atmosphere which may include music, literary pursuits, philosophical discussions, or more. These are the neighborhood venues that draw the locals – without CAFE LIFE PARIS, you'd be unlikely to find them. Then, go for a walk with Gillian and John Souter's WALKING IN FRANCE: EXPLORING FRANCE'S GREAT TOWNS AND FINEST LANDSCAPES ON FOOT. Two travel writers here provide a range of walking itineraries for both urban areas and French countryside alike, with such walks incorporating both man-made and natural marvels, from historic ruins and settlements to a stock and otter sanctuary in Alsace. France actually has walking clubs, nearly as old as their better-known cycling club counterparts: they have lent political power to create and maintain some 37,000 miles of long-distance paths, and WALKING IN FRANCE offers visitors a key to exploring some of the best.

Tarzan Was an Eco-Tourist
Luis A. Vivanco & Robert J. Gordon, Editors
Berghahn Books
P.O. Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172-0605
1845451112 $29.95 www.berghahnbooks.com

College-level collections strong in cultural anthropology or environmental studies and sociology will find Tarzan Was an Eco-Tourist suitable for display with its catchy cover art and perfect for college-level analysis, coming from two anthropology professors who examine the changing nature and effects of the concept of adventure in both tourism and culture. Chapters consider modern forms of adventure, contrast it with ideas from the past, and provide excellent analysis of shifts in perspective and how and why they occurred. Even public library holdings will find it intriguing.

Lapping America
Claude Clayton Smith
Burford Books
32 Morris Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081
1580801390 $16.95 www.burfordbooks.com

Lapping America: A Man, A Corvette and the Interstates appeared some months back and deserves ongoing recommendation to any strong travel library. It covers the author's journey across the interstates, commemorating their 50th anniversary, and his encounters with people across the country as he draws attention with his red Corvette. His story of human encounters blends with a history of Interstate oddities to lend to a fine survey indeed.

Through the French Canals, 11th Edition
David Jefferson
Sheridan House Inc.
145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry NY 10522
1574092332 $29.95 www.sheridanhouse.com

Any boat owner who contemplates a cruising trip to France must have THROUGH THE FRENCH CANALS: now in its updated eleventh edition, it's long been a bestselling planning guide and here updates details on the latest boats, equipment rental costs, local facilities, and even tunnel lengths and heights and local wines. Over fifty routes are illustrated in full color with photos complimenting the boat-specific details.


The Consumer Shelf

Shopportunity!
Kate Newlin
Collins
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
0060888407 $23.95 www.harpercollins.com

SHOPPORTUNITY: HOW TO BE A RETAIL REVOLUTIONARY comes from a consumer advocate who confronts the idea of ‘available and cheap' with a vengeance, advocating a return to service and selection as a substitute for the modern ‘quick and dirty' approach to meeting consumer needs. The consumer, too, has given tacit approval to these new retail marketing techniques: SHOPPORTUNITY! Tells how to take back the power, using case studies, personal anecdotes, and reporting to go behind the scenes in the retail selection and pricing process.

Consumerism in World History, 2nd Edition
Peter N. Stearns
Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
0415395879 $28.95 www.routledge.com

Recent research on consumer experiences in Asia and the West fuel this updated second edition of Consumerism in World History, a survey that updates and adds new chapters and features throughout. With its new chapter on Latin America, Russian and Chinese developments since the 1990s, and updated bibliography and references, Consumerism in World History becomes an important, scholarly pick for college-level collections strong in not only world history, but consumer science.

The Toothpaste of Immortality
Elemer Hankiss
Woodrow Wilson Center
c/o Johns Hopkins University Press
P.O. Box 50370, Baltimore, MD 21211
0801884217 $24.95 www.wilsoncenter.org

Plenty of books document consumer history: but how many examine how consumer habits and choices shape consumer psyche and the nature of everyday living? The Toothpaste of Immortality just such, drawing important connections between everyday living and the mundane and how the very nature of being and perception are changed by consumerism. Chapters blend philosophy with consumer analysis to provide a surprisingly entertaining as well as revealing examination of consumer habits essential to any college-level collection strong in sociology.

Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce
Attorney Emily Doskow
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
1413304524 $24.99 www.nolo.com

Anyone faced with divorce needs to run, not walk, to Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce, an updated legal resource which covers everything from the process and working with mediators and lawyers to how alimony, child support, and division of money and property are calculated. Also learn how to avoid court battles and draft a marital settlement agreement on your own – and learn common post-divorce issues which threaten such arrangements – in a guide written by an attorney-mediator in private practice who surveys everything from religion to property division laws. Public libraries in particular must have this.

Forty Acres and a Fool
Roger Welsch
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, Saint Paul MN 55101
0760322562 $21.95 www.voyageurpress.com

Roger Welsch has lived in Nebraska with his wife and dogs for over thirty years, and here blends humor with rural insights in a blend of memoir and information guide to his years of experience living in the country. From a young farmer's survival process and mistakes to the author's changing ideas over motorized vehicles, FORTY ACRES AND A FOOL: HOW TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY AND STILL KEEP YOUR SANTIY offers up a light-hearted memoir of country trails pairing humor with solid insights.

The Art of Living Well
Joan Collins
Sourcebooks
Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567-4410
1402209428 $24.95 www.sourcebooks.com

The Art of Living Well: Looking Good, Feeling Great offers up consumer beauty tips from one of the most famous, glamerous women in the world, covering everything from makeup secrets and exercise to eating, relationships, skincare, entertaining and more. As an all-around guide to enhancing life its chapters gather not only Collins' own success stories but those of other glamorous women, blending color photos with clear details on how to effect positive changes. An inspirational guide to the beauty and self-health world, this comes from a pro used to living her words.

Remember Me
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen
Collins
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
0060766832 $24.95 www.harpercollins.com

Remember Me: A Lively Tour of the New American Way of Death tells of the author's travels around the country to portray how modern Americans are re-creating the rites of dying. Many books have been written on the death industry in the past; but none so revealing of future trends as this, which uncovers and defines new attitudes toward death and its ceremonies. Inherent in these changing ceremonial choices, of course, are changing perceptions of the nature of death itself. The author's tours and gravesite ‘crashing' provides intriguing food for thought.


The Biography Shelf

The Fellowship
Roger Friedland & Harold Zellman
ReganMedia
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
0060393882 $34.95 www.harpercollins.com

The Fellowship: The Untold Story of Frank Lloyd Wright & The Taliesin Fellowshop is, surprisingly, the first comprehensive study of Wright's Fellowship, and uses new source materials to uncover some of the surprising sources of the Fellowship's influence of Wright's designs. A cultural sociologist and an architect and architectural historian uses ten years of original interview and primary research to reconstruct not just Wright's relationship with the Fellowship members, but the last thirty years of his life, which proved the wellspring of some of his finest works. A ‘must' for any comprehensive Wright collection.

Eiffel: The Genius Who Reinvented Himself
David I. Harvie
Sutton Publishing
Phoenix Mill, Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2BU, UK
0750933097 $16.95 www.suttonpublishing.co.uk www.amazon.com

Eiffel: The Genius Who Reinvented Himself isn't just for history buffs: it's an excellent survey of an architect's unique challenges producing a tower which combined the needs of art and industry alike, and as such will appeal beyond history audiences into the arts. Those who know little about Eiffel other than his associations with his famous tower will be fascinated to learn of his collaboration on the Statue of Liberty and the locks for the French Panama Canal, as well as other endeavors. It's the perfect pick for a general-interest lending library collection.

Truck: A Love Story
Michael Perry
HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
0060571179 $24.95 www.harpercollins.com

While TRUCK: A LOVE STORY is a follow-up to the author's best-seller POPULATION: 485, no prior familiarity with that memoir or Perry is required to fall in love with TRUCK. Here are three main themes: restoring a 1950s International Harvest truck, cultivating a garden, and discovering romance late in life – all of which blend beautifully in a story of colorful small-town characters and enchantment. Love on many different levels is the theme unifying all, creating a delicate, involving story which will appeal to general-interest audiences – even those with no prior connections to trucks or small towns!

A Taco Testimony
Denise Chavez
Rio Nuevo Publishers
451 North Bonita Avenue, Tucson, AZ 95745
1887896945 $16.95 www.rionuevo.com

This is no cookbook about tacos, but it is a food memoir reviewed here for its even wider-ranging survey of culture, family, and belief. Denise Chavez reflects on her coming of age in New Mexico, surveying her family's traditions, memories, and food-influenced lives. It's a fine leisure choice for any who would understand both family interrelationships and cultural infleunces.

Second Acts
Mark K. Updegrove
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
1592289428 $24.95 www.LyonsPress.com 1-800-836-0510

Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House chronicles the activities of former presidents who, far from retiring from office, are making important contributions. Now ex-presidents perform valuable services such as international emissaries, taking their own agendas overseas. Interviews with former presidents, first ladies, family member and staff members not only present these activities, but analyze how ex-presidents are continuing to shape the politics and events of the Oval Office. Essential for any collection strong in American history or politics.

Blessed Motherhood Bitter Fruit
Elinor Accampo
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
0801884047 $50.00 www.press.jhu.edu

One of French feminism's most courageous public figures has received relatively little in-depth mention until now: Nelly Roussel's crusade gave women control over their own bodies and sexuality and Blessed Motherhood Bitter Fruit reveals her sacrifices and accomplishments during the process. Roussel was an actress and beauty who defined parameters of the women's movement which would not be realized for over seventy years: she was the first feminist spokeswoman for birth control in Europe and her lectures, essays, and speeches promoted then-radical ways of thinking. Her biographer does an outstanding job of linking Roussel's life and thoughts to her times and the evolving history of the women's movement as a whole, making it a top pick for any definitive women's history collection.

All the Fishes Come Home to Roost
Rachel Manija Brown
Rodale Press, Inc.
400 South Tenth Street, Emmaus, PA 18098-0099
1594865264 $14.95 www.rodalestore.com

The author's childhood in All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An American Misfit in India was distinctive indeed: not only did she come of age in India, but she was the youngest resident of an Indian ashram populated by hippies and fanatics. Her memories of her childhood there are permeated not only by cultural observation of India and hippies alike, but by humorous notes on a child's-eye view of a culture we rarely get to see: hippies overseas. A fascinating memoir emerges which is hard to put down.

Best Person Rural
Noel Perrin
David R. Godine, Publisher
PO Box 450, Jaffrey, New Hampshire 03452
9781567923070 $24.95 www.godine.com

Noel Perrin died several years ago so it's a surprise – and a treat- to see his essays gathered in a collection introduced by his close friend and fellow teacher – his final gathering of ‘country' essays reflecting on farming, the seasons, tools, and the joy of experiencing the countryside. Terry Osborne has selected the best of Perrin's works and provides a winning introduction to their lasting value.

The Joke's Over
Ralph Steadman
Harcourt Trade Publishers
15 East 26th Street, New York NY 10010
0151012822 $26.00 www.harcourtbooks.com

Author Ralph Steadman was a young Welsh artist on assignment when he went to the Kentucky Derby in 1970 on assignment and met co-journalist Hunter S. Thompson. THE JOKE'S OVER: BRUISED MEMORIES: GONZO, HUNTER S. THOMPSON, AND ME offers a survey of one of media's most classic duos, examining the evolution of their relationship over the decades and the journeys and encounters which began with that fateful meeting in 1970. Steadman's illustrations for each story pair with his tales, reprints of letter exchanges between the two offer insights on journalistic and personal experiences and issues, and any interested in Thompson or the two must have this.

How I Lost 10 Pounds in 53 Years
Kaye Ballard with Jim Hesselman
Watson-Guptill Pulbications
770 Broadway, New York NY 10003
0823084787 $24.95 www.watsonguptill.com

Kaye Ballard's name is well known in show business: she's performed in burlesque, nightclubs, big bands, and stage and here provides a memoir packed with anecdotes from her career. Her upbeat memoir comes packed with anecdotes from her 50-year career and will prove a real treat for any familiar with either Kaye Ballard's career or the world of stage and TV.

Queen of Fashion
Caroline Weber
Henry Holt and Company
175 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
0805079491 $27.50 www.henryholt.com

We could have featured QUEEN OF FASHION: WHAT MARIE ANTOINETTE WORE TO THE REVOLUTION in our Arts section but as it's as fine a history and biography as it is an arts coverage, we've featured it here in Biography for maximum coverage. Marie's attempts to reshape royal fashion had an impact not just on the world, but on her fate and the future of France: chapters survey Marie Antoinette's fashion, how she changed traditions, and how her life revolved around her own royal style as a method of seduction and political strength. An outstanding guide.

Iwoz
Steve Wozniak with Gina Smith
W.W. Norton
500 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
0393061436 $25.95 www.wwnorton.com

Anyone who knows the computer world well knows the name of engineer Steve Wozniak, who in 1975 came up with the idea of blending computer circuitry with a typewriter keyboard and video screen to create the first PC. It's all well-known fact, so why an autobiography? Surprisingly, here Wozniak tells his story for the first time, examining and analyzing the influence on his inventions and blending a surprising humor into his self-assessment and life story. Any with an affection for computers will want to learn from his story.

Eavesdropping
Stephen Kuusisto
W.W. Norton
500 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
0393058921 $23.95 www.wwnorton.com

EAVESDROPPING: A MEMOIR OF BLINDNESS AND LISTENING tells of a blind poet who had to cope with a life without sight – but it's much more than just another memoir of coping. EAVESDROPPING asks – and answers – the essential questions of why and how go on with life without sight, providing an emphasis on the author's travels and what he could experience on these journeys sans sight. Chapters tell not how to cope with being blind, but how to get the most out of life under conditions of affliction and change. Invaluable.

Everything About Me is Fake…And I'm Perfect
Janice Dickinson
ReganBooks
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 54th Street, New York NY 10010
0060554703 $14.95 www.reganbooks.com

Although Everything About Me is Fake… And I'm Perfect is a sequel to NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY, no prior familiarity with the supermodel's first book is required to appreciate this ongoing memoir of her search for perfection and its ideals. Her struggle to keep up her image of self-confidence is charted in a fine survey covering not only her life and experiences, but beauty myths and tips on how to look your best to make yourself feel better. A fine, funny, and revealing memoir.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Majolica
Mike Schneider
Schiffer Books
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
0764324985 $14.95 www.schifferbooks.com

The 4th edition of MAJOLICA comes with a revised price guide and the same attention to color photos and detail as the originals – and it's a pocket-sized tote to boot, making it a perfect item of choice for any who journey in search of the glassware. The clear pictures make identification a snap, while the latest values lend to quick collection assessment.

What Celebrities Collect!
Michele Karl
Pelican Publishing
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
9781589801424 $19.95 www.pelicanpub.com

Here's a new twist on the collector's book: a handbook based on the author's interviews with dozens of celebrities that reveals the keepsakes they treasure and gather. You have to be as much a celebrity fan as a collector to appreciate the dual focus of What Celebrities Collect!, but such an audience will appreciate the color celebrity photos, ‘did you know' sidebars of collecting tips, and insights on not only what celebrities collect, but how large their holdings are. A fun, light read will fascinate any celebrity fan who is also a collector.

Warman's Carnival Glass
Ellen T. Schroy
KP Books
700 East State Street, Iola WI 54990-0001
087349816X $24.99 www.fwpublications.com

Hundreds of classic and popular glass patterns, more than 5,000 prices, and headline production pieces pack Warman's Carnival Glass: an identification and price guide key to understanding Warman colors, forms, identifying characteristics, and values. Each piece receives a color photo paired with information on common reproductions, making for an excellent and solid reference work collectors will find easy to consult.

Fishing Lure Collectibles
Dudley Murphy & Rick Edmisten
Collector Books
Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002-3009
1574325167 $29.95 www.collectorbooks.com

Any collector interested in antique fishing lures and the history of fishing lure production will find all the answers in Fishing Lure Collectibles, a clear guide to a notoriously difficult collecting hobby focus. Two experts provide clear details in Fishing Lure Collectibles: An Encyclopedia of the Early Years, 1840 to 1940. Each manufacturer's items are surveyed along with history, individuals who purchased patent rights from companies, changes in bait quality and production standards, and more. Not to be missed.

Antique Trader Pottery & Porcelain Ceramics Price Guide
Kyle Husfloen, Editor
Krause Publications
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
0896894185 $24.99 www.fwpublications.com

What do you get in this overall pottery guide which is clearer than specialized ceramics price guides? For one the ability to contrast values for different specialized ceramics, from American and English to European and Oriental. For another, you get a general ‘bible' of over 10,000 price listings, over 3,000 color photos, and collecting guidelines key to successful pottery and porcelain investing. A ‘must' any serious collector should have.

Guide to Dolls
Jan Foulke
Bangzoom Publications
14 Storrs Avenue, Braintree, MA 02184
0977292789 $29.95 www.bangzoom.com

Any collector who works with dolls knows there's a wealth of guides for specific types and brands on the market and not a few general guides, but JAN FOULKE'S GUIDE TO DOLLS is better than most: it packs in one of the most comprehensive coverages we've seen, including an antique and modern section of details, covering composition and factors influencing collectible prices, and including histories and even doll clothing prices. It's billed as a ‘definitive collection and price guide' and doesn't miss its mark, packing in the details essential to proper pricing and identification.


The Library DVD Shelf

Dance Yourself Thin
Prevention Fitness Systems
GT Media
100 Park Place, 11th Floor, New York NY 10017
0766227553 $14.95 www.gtmediausa.com

If you want to learn to dance with the latest, hottest moves and lose weight at the same time, there's no better way to begin than with Dance Yourself Thin, which features Marie Forleo's fun, high-energy dance routines paired with audio tracks in both English and Spanish. The bonus segments include exercise Dos and Don'ts and even offer variations suitable for workplace and desk exercises.

Anchor Bay Entertainment
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
www.anchorbayentertainment/com

Two outstanding fitness DVDs are top picks for any home exerciser who wants trimming workouts for inspirational results. Marie Forleo's TUMMY TONE PARTY ZONE! (01313146419) may look complicated, but it actually uses just ten easy steps to create a dance routine from dance leader Marie Forleo, who create two different dance sequences from these short steps designed to cinch in the tummy. Here are workouts that are fun and encouraging routines to follow – and an easy way of getting results. Lizbeth Garcia's FAT BURNING BLAST (01313146429) features ‘crunch fitness': a workout blending dance, kickboxing, and high cardio workout divided into one-minute ‘power burst' segments. You needn't be fit to embark on the ‘Crunch' fitness program here: the workout is easy and comes from a fitness teacher of 15 years certified in Pilates and aerobics alike. Both are excellent guides, recommended for home and public library exercise collections alike.

Travel With Kids: Hawaii – Islands of Maui & Moloka'i
Equator Creative Media
05805300103 $14.95 www.islandtots.com

Expanded videos of family-friendly places to stay and things to do are the focus of a DVD perfect for planning your next family vacation to the Hawaiian Islands. Accompany the Roberts family to paradise in a survey which includes a trip planner for activities of interest to all ages: it's a fun survey of opportunities which offer both lovely scenery and specific advice.

Dance Off the Inches: Fat Burning Jam
Michelle Dozois
Anchor Bay Entertainment
235 East 22nd Street, Suite 15, New York NY 10010
03131464092 $14.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com

There are numerous dance-oriented fitness DVDs on the market: what makes fitness expert Michele Dozois' workout terrific is that it's mostly about having fun and partying, while losing weight in the process: this idea makes it more appealing than your usual fitness workout. Each routine is choreographed around a set of ten basic moves that lead from warm-ups to step-by-step movement guides into full dances. Exercisers – even those usually reluctant to move – will love it.

Fat-Burning Kickboxing Workout For Dummies
Keli Roberts
Anchor Bay Entertainment
235 East 22nd Street, Suite 15, New York NY 10010
0313146299 $14.98 www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Get more calories out of a workout and work off and firm your body fat with Fat-Burning Kickboxing Workout For Dummies, offering up a fitness educator and trainer's kickboxing-oriented techniques which have been honed into a workout routine. Ten basic moves used in the workout are reviewed at a slower pace in 15 minutes; then the main program kicks in. A different way of losing weight.

Back in Action
John Mello
MyFitnessQuest.com/Omni Media
216-A Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley, CA 95066
No ISBN $14.95 www.myfitnessquest.com

BACK IN ACTION is a formulated workout strategy developed by the collaboration of a fitness expert and a chiropractor that targets pain elimination via exercise. As one might expect, there are different routines to follow with such a focus in mind: Mello combines over forty minutes of over 24 vigorous movements and stretches with tips on how to improve posture and flexibility. An excellent, easily-followed program offers a specific program for those recovering from injury.

Tight on Time: Hot Spots
Tamilee Webb
Razor Digital Entertainment
12031 Ventura Blvd. Suite 3, Studio City, CA 91406
$14.99 www.razordigitaltalent.com

Tamilee Webb is a fitness expert: if you recognize her name readily, it's probably from her Buns of Steel routines – now a new DVD series, TIGHT ON TIME, opens with two new titles – and HOT SPOTS packs in a total body tubing workout in which weights are optional strategies. New choreography adds spark and new life to her routines, which require little space to perform. A ten-minute count-down clock on screen makes it easy to time and tailor workouts. With its compound moves and clear views on achieving results, HOT SPOTS is a winner.

Kari Anderson workout DVDs
Razor Digital Entertainment
12031 Ventura Blvd. Suite 3, Studio City, CA 91406
$14.95 Each www.razordigitaltalent.com

Three body-specific workout routines come from internationally renowned fitness instructor Kari Anderson and provides a fine blend of seamless routines and workouts which blend yoga, Pilates, dnace and step aerobics. ANGLES, LINES & CURVES 2 (1595522913) is a continous series of rollicking workouts designed to develop the lean lines dancers and athletes enjoy. Both standing and floor exercises are provided for maximum diversity. CURL (1595522905) is for abs, providing a club-style workout in a 20-minute vigorous program for males and females alike that targets all parts of the abs. HOT STEPS (1595522891) uses the aerobic step system to move easily from basic to more complex aerobic moves. Intermediate to advanced exercisers will appreciate the fast pace and unique cardio moves. Kari Anderson owns 6 gyms and has over 20 years teaching experience: exercisers will find her DVDs packed with power, pleasure, and solid results.

Anyone Can Juggle
Steve Girman
Title Set Distribution
1313 – 5th Street SE Suite 214A, Minneapolis, MN 55414
0972694528 www.titleset.com

Think you can't juggle? Think again: anyone who can catch a ball – and that's most of us – can learn with this DVD: a simple ‘throw throw catch catch' is the key and juggler Steve Girman uses step-by-step instructions to engrain a solid routine for would-be jugglers. Move quickly from ball throwing and catching methods to club juggling with bean bags an intermediary step to learning balancing and the basics – then learn more advanced moves, such as working in teams. A fun guide for ‘ages 8 to 88' – and that's just about everyone.

Alicethenics
Alice Saland
Bayview Entertainment
107 Pink Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601
07448200672 www.bayviewentertainment.com

Alicethenics are exercises specifically designed to increase freedom of movement after breast surgery, offering up a 30-minute exercise video focussing on flexiblity and increasing range of motion. With so many general-interest exercise routines on the market, it's satisfying and notable to find one which encourages workouts specific to a typical surgery recovery pattern: ALICETHENICS are an essential piece of the recovery picture.

Yoga for Stress
Dr. Baxter Bell
Bayview Entertainment
107 Pink Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601
094922587701 $19.99 www.bayviewentertainment.com

Practice routines offered in Yoga for Stress cover stress prevention, stress relief, and focus on areas of the body where stress accumulates. It sounds complicated but it offers up an easily-followed program of movements which offers three quick relaxation techniques along with stress relief practices and alternate practice modes. Another plus: it can be used by beginners new to yoga as well as advanced practitioners of yoga.

Yoga Booty Ballet Live
Gillian Marloth and Teigh McDonough
Anchor Bay
1699 Stutz Drive, Troy, MI 48084
0313149199 $19.99

These new DVD exercise routines are key to using yoga and ballet together to produce lively new routines. YOGA BOOTY BALLET LIVE holds two DVDs: ‘Light & Easy' and ‘Latin Flavor'. The exercise routines reflect a hot, popular workout developed in a Hollywood class and pack in spicy low-impact cardio workouts with appealing music and impact.

Guyver V. 1: Days of Future Past
ADV Films
1413913962 $29.98 www.advfilms.com

Fans of animae may know the original Guyver was the first to introduce the genre to the U.S. and became a hit cult series: here with something new is GUYVER V. 1: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. A boy's discovery of an alien suit of armor, a world controlled by a sinister underground organization and a host of bio-monsters keeps action swift and animae original and compelling.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com

Gerry Kennedy and Rob Churchill's THE VOYNICH MANUSCRIPT: THE MYSTERIOUS CODE THAT HAS DEFIED INTERPRETATION FOR CENTURIES (1594771294, $18.95) is a pick for any interested in ancient history and old mysteries. The authors here explore the many theories surrounding the origins of the manuscript discovered in 1912 and filled with unidentifiable script and strange drawings. If you think all languages have been deciphered, this manuscript offers up a challenge – and provides unique symbols leading to the possibility that it's a lost alchemical work. Jacques Henry's MOZART THE FREEMASON: THE MASONIC INFLUENCE ON HIS MUSICAL GENIUS (1594771286, $14.95) gathers documents which showed Mozart was not only a Freemason, but that his music showed this influence and presented rituals and lexicons which were inspired by Masonic symbolism. This could've been reviewed in our Music Shelf area but is featured here for its importance to New Age readers as well, outlining the keys to Mozart's musical genius which are entwined and linked with Masonic principles. Jill Line's SHAKESPEARE AND THE IDEAL OF LOVE (1594771456, $16.95) could also have been featured elsewhere – under our Literary Shelf heading – but is reviewed here for its fine blend of literary criticism and spiritual interpretation. Shakespeare's lover characters all take the spiritual path when viewing romance and love, and Jill Line, who earned a master's degree form the Shakespeare Institute, thus provides an important spiritual interpretation of his choices.

Supernatural: Meetings With the Ancient Teachers of Mankind
Graham Hancock
The Disinformation Company Ltd.
220 East 23rd Street, Suite 500, New York NY 10010
1932857400 $29.95 www.disinfo.com

Many New Age and spiritual readers would think the birth of religion and myths goes back to Adam and Eve; but for Hancock it goes all the way back to when intelligent life began – and Supernatural: Meetings With the Ancient Teachers of Mankind traces these roots. From an analysis of the nature of consciousness, reality and religious roots to the influence of medicines from the earth and the long history of communications with the dead and divine inspiration guiding human fate, SUPERNATURAL is packed with not only the author's quest for meaning, but with a quest for the spiritual in everyday life. A world-wide trek blends with many pointed observations and analyses key for any New Age reader.

Penetrating Wisdom
The Dozogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
Snow Lion Publications
P.O. Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14850
1559392665 $22.95 www.snowlionpub.com

The Dozogchen Ponlop Rinpoche's Penetrating Wisdom: The Aspiration of Samantabhadra should be required reading for any student of Buddhist belief and Eastern religions: it blends observation, metaphor and a sharp analysis of faith to present ‘The Aspiration of Samantabhadra' for new and experienced Buddhists alike, offering up a prayer which explores spiritual awareness in daily living and pairing this understanding with a set of instructions for refining beliefs. It's an eye-opening survey for any already practicing Buddhism.

A Year to Enlightenment
E. Raymond Rock
New Page Books
3 Tice Road, Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
1564148912 $15.99 www.newpagebooks.com

If you're looking for a daily set of life-enriching ideas, look no further than A Year to Enlightenment: 365 Steps to Enriching and Living Your Life. Here are Buddhist meditation principles which are nondenominational in principle and presentation to appeal to a wide audience. Each page holds insight, reflections, meditation and a few ‘personal journal' lines. While libraries may not find this completely appropriate – write-ins may occur – any who want to purchase a clear inspirational guide will find it a wonderful collection.

The Gods Drink Whiskey
Stephen T. Asma
HarperSanFrancisco
353 Sacramento Street Suite 500, San Francisco CA 94111-3653
0060834501 $13.95 www.harpersf.com

It's hard to know where to place this: THE GODS DRINK WHISKEY: STUMBLING TOWARD ENLIGHTENMENT IN THE LAND OF THE TATTERED BUDDHA could have been featured in travel, spirituality, or biography. Ultimately, however, it's an account of Buddhist beliefs and particularly the Theravada tradition, considered Buddhism's earliest, purest form, and comes from a Buddhist teacher and academic who relates his stories about his teachings in Southeast Asia during the 1970s. A dynamic story of dangerous times and beliefs emerges.

Spirit Faces
Mark Macy
Weiser Books
500 – 3rd Street, #230, San Francisco CA 94107
1578633818 $24.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

SPIRIT FACES: TRUTH ABOUT THE AFTERLIFE pairs over 50 color photos of spirits with the author's fifteen years of research into the life after this. He's worked with instrumental transcommunication, including receiving messages through TV, radio, telephone and computer – and here through photography. His evidence, paired with that of other researchers in the field, offers a compelling vision of ‘the other side' and experiences there.

Llewellyn Worldwide
Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
www.llewellyn.com

Christoper Penczar's THE MYSTIC FOUNDATION: UNDERSTANDING & EXPLORING THE MAGICAL UNIVERSE (0738709794, $15.95) surveys the modern mystic's spiritual paradigms and offers up a unified magical theory for seekers who would synthesize such knowledge into a blend of historical understanding and modern-day applications. Chapters survey exercises, rituals, healing practices and more with an eye to understanding psychic development, defenses, and more. Silver Ravenwolf's MINDLIGHT: SECRETS OF ENERGY, MAGICK & MANIFESTATION (07387098959, $14.95) offers up a key to using active meditation and visualizations to convert energy and alter reality; as such it's one of the few to offer up a concrete game plan linking mysticism to active change. Step-by-step directions tell how to create and project a ‘mindlight' to use for achieving a range of goals both magickal and real-life. An excellent key to achievement. Wilma Davidson's SPIRIT RESCUE: A SIMPLE GUIDE TO TALKING WITH GHOSTS AND FREEING EARTHBOUND SPIRITS (0738709077, $12.95) provides light, friendly insights on spirit communications, using stories to reveal details about ghosts, animal spirits, spiritual healing and more. Readers who want insights on how to develop their own healing abilities will find these stories serve as strong foundations for ability development in an easy atmosphere encouraging Wiccan development. Donald Tyson's PORTABLE MAGIC: TAROT IS THE ONLY TOOL YOU NEED (0738709808, $14.95) considers tarot a miniature model of the universe where all possibilities find expression within the cards – and provides a system of ritual magic which work equally well with different decks, systems, and small spaces. This is a refreshing change from deck-specific tarot guides or those which assume lots of room to lay out cards or lots of time to interpret results, and will attract any Wiccan with a small space and little time.

Angel Horses
Allen & Linda Anderson
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1577315189 $13.95 www.newworldlibrary.com

Connections between horses and humans have long been a part of literature and religious inspection, but ANGEL HORSES: DIVINE MESSENGERS OF HOPE takes thins a step further in offering stories of people whose happiness has roots in relationships with horses. Horses are increasingly used in therapy, so ANGEL HORSES supports this idea and offers up the notion of horses as bearers and teachers of unconditional love. An outstanding survey recommended for horse enthusiasts as well as spiritual readers.

Swedenborg Foundation/Chrysalis Books
320 North Church Street, West Chester, PA 19380
www.swedenborg.com

Short poems, stories, and essays accompanied by artwork provides a vehicle for spiritual expression in Carol S. Lawson & Robert F. Lawson's Passages: Timeless Voyages of Spirit (0878852375 $15.95), a blended survey of scientific and spiritual connections. One needn't be versed in Swedenborg concepts to enjoy this rich collection, which offers a diversity of spiritual traditions and ideas in a fine pick for any religious reader. Emanuel Swedenborg's LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS (0877853207, $10.95) comes not from your usual scientific analysis but from one who claims to have spoken with spirits of other planets in the afterlife. LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS was originally published in 1758: this new edition returns a nearly-forgotten classic to print with a new translation by Cambridge scholar John Chadwick and is a ‘must' for Swedenborg students.

Be The Change You Want To See in the World
Julie Fisher-McGarry
Red Wheel Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
1573242977 $14.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

Change begins at home and even if you're one lone person, you can make changes in your world that could ripple out to affect the universe: that's the message in a primer of 365 things you can do to effect this change. Plenty of books speak of making a difference, but very few offer up specifics for daily living: here's the starting point for any with ideals who would translate them into action, but don't know how.

Half Full: Meditations on Hope, Optimism and the Things That Matter
Mina Parker
Conari/Red Wheel Weiser
65 Parker Street Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
1573242934 $16.95 www.redwheelweiser.com

HALF FULL is more than just another book of admonitions: it offers up a series of 42 photos of everyday objects which incorporate elements of the extraordinary, inviting readers to take the time to look and make these discoveries. Images accompany essays, meditations and sidebar quotes from such luminaries as Helen Keller, George Bernard Shaw, and Emily Dickinson, and offer a lovely gift book for any who would impart a sense of wonder to others.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Zen Pioneer
Isabel Stirling
Shoemaker & Hoard, Publishers
1400 – 65th Street, Suite 250, Emeryville, CA 94608
1593761104 $25.00 www.shoemakerhoard.com

ZEN PIONEER: THE LIFE & WORKS OF RUTH FULLER SASAKI offers a survey of the life of a spirited Chicago turn of the century woman who might as easily have become a society matron, but chose the path of Buddhism at the time – a path most odd for a woman of her stature and upbringing. She was the only Westerner – and only woman – to be made a priest of the Daitoku-ji temple, and here provides three of her translations, an overview of her life, photos, a chronology and more. As a blend of biography and religious literature, it can't be beat.


The Interior Design Shelf

Mediterranean Design
Mary Whitesides
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
P.O. Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1586857967 $39.95 www.gibbs-smith.com

More countries line the Mediterranean than any other body of water, and MEDITERRANEAN DESIGN thus reaches into the cultures of Spain, Italy, Greece, France and others to incorporate a wide range of architectural styles. When it transplants to the U.S. and blends with local needs here, it can be truly astonishing, as MEDITERRANEAN DESIGN teaches in a survey of Mediterranean living spaces both at home and abroad. Full page color photos of home interiors accompany detailed historical notes and descriptions which include period changes and trends. A gorgeous, inspirational survey.

Creating the Artful Home
Karen Zukowski
Gibbs-Smith Publisher
Box 667
Layton, UT 84041
1586857665 $39.95 www.gibbs-smith.com

Creating the Artful Home: The Aesthetic Movement is, surprisingly, the first close examination of late 19th-century American home design and its culture, offering up details on how the Aesthetic movement left a legacy of houses, developments, and ideas which linger into modern times. Historians, collectors and home and garden readers will learn about the movement and its impact on home furnishing trends, offering many rare color photo views of past interiors and exteriors along with dozens of drawings not seen elsewhere. A scholarly tone is added with an analysis of gender roles and architectural history, but while this scholarly tone allows CREATING THE ARTFUL HOME to be a pick for some college-level arts collections, its more likely audience will be the public or general-interest lending library, which will find it a unique coverage.

Decorating the American Home
Better Homes & Gardens
Meredith Corporation
1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023
0696228858 $34.95 www.meredith.com

It's been fifty years since the DECORATING BOOK by Better Homes and Gardens hit the market and made such an impact, and the occasion is marked here with a new edition which uses examples from the 1956 edition to offer up basic decorating lessons behind putting rooms together. From choosing colors and selecting materials to understanding furnishings, trends, options, and handling space limitations. DECORATING THE AMERICAN HOME packs contemporary color photos with modern assessments in a lovely guide important for any interior renovation project.

Driveways, Paths and Patios
Tony McCormack
Crowood Press/Trafalgar Square
North Pomfret, VT 05053
1861267789 $35.00 www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com

Driveways, Paths and Patios: A Complete Guide to Design, Management and Construction provides an excellent survey of how driveways and paths are constructed, packing over two hundred color photos and drawings with a step-by-step guide for any who would build their own. From basic driveway and path design to choosing proper materials, estimating costs and considering drainage, this is the book to turn to for any driveway or path project start to finish.

Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
www.creativehomeowner.com

Heidi Tyline King's DESIGN IDEAS FOR HOME DECORATING (1580113133, $24.95) covers ideas, materials, and functionality of home design ideas, offering details on style, different changes over the decades, blendings of different styles, flooring and more. From fabric types to options, DESIGN IDEAS FOR HOME DECORATING is packed with color photos and ideas. Also packed with ideas and photos is Ellen Frankel and Mervyn Kaufman's DECORATIVE CONCRETE & STONE (1580113125, $19.95), a guide to using concrete and stone in both interior and exterior designs. From rethinking designs to keeping stone and concrete surfaces looking good – and considering the new concrete and stone materials on the market - DECORATIVE CONCRETE & STONE is a home handyman's gem. Even more important than knowing how to build is knowing when not to – and Sandra Edelamn, Judy Gaman and Robby Reid, R.A.'s WHAT NOT TO BUILD: DO'S AND DON'TS OF EXTERIOR HOME DESIGN (1580112935, $24.95) provides fifty before and after examples and over 300 photos that show how any house can be improved by a good design – and how to differentiate a good design from a bad one. Learn how to understand what changes a good design from a bad one – and take a step-by-step walk from selecting materials to window placement.


The Real Estate Shelf

Buying for Profit
Property Ladder
Meredith Corporation
1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023
0696232014 $19.95 www.meredithbooks.com

No matter when you plan to sell your home, there are remodeling and home improvement projects which can enhance its value, and TLC's ‘Property Ladder' show offers up case histories of such improvements, detailing why they boosted sales. From frown molding and granite kitchen counters to spacious-seeming rooms, chapters cover the most cost-effective, high-profit remodel jobs, pros and cons, and when to choose a pro over doing it yourself. It's a clear blueprint to financial success and you can't fail with step-by-step directions and color-coded sidebars of tips.

The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook
Atlantic Publishing Company
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34474
0910627703 $21.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

The First-Time Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide and Workbook for the First-Time Home Buyer comes with 30 forms on a convenient cd-rom and covers the entire experience of buying a home, from understanding terminology and confusing points to avoiding common, expensive mistakes. Chapters cover the basics from how to look and assess to financing and closing. Even building your own house is examined in this excellent, wide-ranging guide recommended for its easy explanations.


The Gardening Shelf

A History of the Fragrant Rose
Allen Paterson
Trafalgar Square Publishing
P.O. Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053
1904435521 $19.95 www.trafalgarsqurebooks.com

There have been so many rose books on the market that one might wonder at the need for yet another – with no color photos, no less – but A History of the Fragrant Rose isn't about glossy photos. It's a survey of the rose's history and blends color artistic illustrations with a survey of the medicinal, culinary, and celebratory properties of roses from ancient to modern times. Engravings, paintings, and more embellish the story of how the rose flourished over the centuries to become the favored flower it is today.

On Chestnuts: The Trees and Their Seeds
Ria Loohuizen
Prospect Books/David Brown Book Company
P.O. Box 511, 28 Main Street, Oakville, CT 06779
1903018323 $17.95 www.davidbrownbookco.com

Very few books on the market cover the horse chestut and sweet chestnut alike, very few offer a blend of healing insights, recipes and history, and fewer still appear in an affordable paperback – all of which makes On Chestnuts: The Trees and Their Seeds a unique recommendation for public and college libraries alike. Chapters pair history with recipes and gardening and health insights: any collection which doesn't have a chestnut book and which excels in either cookbooks or gardening guides must have this.

The Backyard Lumberjack
Frank Philbrick & Stephen Philbrick
Storey Publishing
210 MassMoca Way, North Adams, MA 01247
1580176348 $18.95 www.storey.com

Two skilled professional lumberjacks tell what it takes to bring down a tree: perfect information for any homeowner who faces a tree project and wants some hand in handling it. From learning how to fell a tree safely to cutting it up, splitting, stacking wood, and burning correctly, all the basics are covered in a unique guide. Plenty of books on the market tell how to identify and care for trees; but few give the homeowner the tools to assess conditions and take one down, making THE BACKYARD LUMBERJACK an outstanding reference.

Hardscaping
Keith Davitt
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016-8810
1402718764 $24.95 www.sterlingpub.com

HARDSCAPING: HOW TO USE STRUCTURES, PATHWAYS, PATIOS & ORNAMENTS IN YOUR GARDEN is for the gardener who would embellish a garden with more than plants. Use structures from arbors to walls and pools to display a garden's variety, create pockets of unique atmosphere, and provide access with a title which offers the basics on how to best consider and incorporate ‘hardscaping' into a garden's principles. Color photos throughout provide examples of successful integration while an easy format covers different styles and pro/con ideas for change.

Complete Guide to Roses
Meredith Books
1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023
0897215052 $19.95 www.meredithbooks.com

Whether you have roses and are having problems with them or wish to plan out a rose garden, Complete Guide to Roses is the item of choice, pairing color photos of roses and gardens with tips on transplanting, using fertilizers, and choosing the best roses for the climate. From how to prune to insights on and from the American Rose Society, COMPLETE GUIDE TO ROSES is more than a garden how-to book: it covers virtually everything having to do with roses.

The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer
Stephanie Cohen & Nancy J. Ondra
Storey Publishing
210 MassMoca Way, North Adams, MA 01247
1580175430 $24.95 www.storey.com

If the authors' combined gardening expertise doesn't impress you, the before and after photos, taken just 6 months apart, will prove a real inspiration, showing it's possible to use perennials to create beauty out of even the most rugged border. The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer is all about using natural landscape in design efforts, analyzing sunshine, planting efforts, and maintenance requirements to produce basic tips, 20 original plans for fine gardens, and a host of checklists and background details for growing nearly five hundred perennials. Even containers are covered in a gardener's guide packed with different ideas.

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden
Tracy DiSabato-Aust
Timber Press
133 SW Second Avenue Suite 450, Portland, OR 07204-3527
0881928038 $34.95 www.timberpress.com

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting & Pruning Techniques is a pick for any who want more depth than the usual light perennial gardener's title includes, and appears here in an expanded version reflecting years of study on how to care for perennials to make them a showplace. The author reveals tricks to achieve this goal which have been honed over decades of gardening experience: a monthly planting and maintenance schedule accompanies lists of plants for specific conditions which require different levels of care, while over 200 color photos added here display the perennials to their best advantage and includes a new journal section for notes.

Gardens to Go: Creating and Designing a Container Garden
Sydney Eddison
Bulfinch Press
1271 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0821257153 $35.00 www.bulfinchpress.com

You can grow a lush garden in any setting – even a concrete urban one – using containers. Sound like fantasy? Not after you consult Gardens to Go: Creating and Designing a Container Garden: here are all the specifics on handling container gardens, using them to divide spaces, enclose garden ‘rooms', and enhance small patios. The author's own container garden experience blends with that of seven others as chapters offer up practice details on what plants lend to containers (and which don't), how to mix and arrange them, and how to blend plants with accessories and yard objectives.


The Native American Shelf

Crazy Horse
Kingsley M. Bray
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK
0806137851 $34.95 www.oupress.com

CRAZY HORSE: A LAKOTA LIFE provides a fine survey of the famous leader who has become an icon of Native resistance. What is less known is that he was feared by tribal foes as he was honored by his friends: this survey corrects idealizations of his nature and life and uses a rang of sources outside of the usual biographical world to reveal his personality. These other sources were interviews of his contemporaries and modern Lakotans alike, and provide satisfying insights not to be found elsewhere.

Diabetes Among the Pima
Carolyn Smith-Morris
University of Arizona Presas
355 South Euclid Avenue, Suite 103, Tucson AZ 85719
0816525536 $45.00 www.uapress.arizona.edu

DIABETES AMONG THE PIMA: STORIES OF SURVIVAL could've been featured in our Health Section, but is reviewed here for its narrowed focus on Native health and health care in this country. While the Pima community receives the primary focus, DIABETES AMONG THE PIMA offering the first in-depth ethnographic analysis of all causes of diabetes in this community, the book holds wider recommendation for examining Pima core values, health attitudes, and attitudes toward treatment, making it a ‘must' for any college-level Native American collection.


The Military Shelf

Heydrich: The Face of Evil
Mario R. Dederichs
Greenhill Books
c/o MBI Publishing Company
380 Jackson Street Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
1853676861 $29.95 www.mbipublishing.com

Think ‘evil' and one usually thinks of Hitler; but in fact there was another Nazi madman perhaps even worse. He was an underling of Hitler and Himmler: a cold-blooded, ambitious leader within the Nazi Party responsible for the planning of the Holocaust. His story here considers his rise to power, his personality, and the changes his life and death brought to the world. An outstanding survey of an under-covered legend.

Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating
Thomas P.M. Barnett
Berkeley Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0425211746 $16.00 www.penguin.com

If the author's name sounds familiar, or part of the title of Blueprint for Action, it's because THE PENTAGON'S NEW MAP was a NewYork Times bestseller with its cutting analysis of war, peace, and international relations. Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating continues where the prior book left off, comes from a senior advisor and military analyst, and discusses possible short- and long-term scenarios for relations with countries from Iran and Iraq to China and North Korea. It charts a possible course through a confusing world of political interrelationships and will prove a top pick not only for college-level political science holdings, but for the general-interest readers concerned with modern world political affairs.

Chasing Ghosts
John J. Tierney, Jr.
Potomac Books Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166-2012
1597970158 $26.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com

CHASING GHOSTS: UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE IN AMERICAN HISTORY doesn't just focus on Iraq, but on the sweeping history of U.S. involvements overseas and forces faces with unconventional methods requiring unconventional responses. Both military and general interest readers will find it essential to have such a background, reminding that the modern experience has its roots in the past. John Tierney examines these past experiences from the Revolutionary War to modern times, analyzing U.S. responses to counterinsurgency campaigns in a guide key to understand our modern dilemmas.

One Woman's Army
Janis Karpinski and Steven Strasser
Miramax Books
c/o Hyperion
77 West 66th Street, New York NY 10023-6298
9781401360122 $13.95 www.hyperion.com

ONE WOMAN'S ARMY: THE COMMANDING GENERAL OF ABU GHRAIB TELLS HER STORY considers the events of 2004, offering General Karpinski's first-hand account of not only her command of troops in a combat zone, but her experience of being a commanding female leader in the modern army. From how the scandal destroyed her career to her rise in the ranks, ONE WOMAN'S ARMY is a recommended pick for any female who would understand – or enter – the military.

Pluto Press
c/o University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
www.press.umich.edu

Bill Dunn and Hugo Radice edit 100 YEARS OF PERMANENT REVOLUTION: RESULTS AND PROSPECTS (0745325211, $28.95), which provides college-level readers with a critical re-evolution of two key Marxist theories of development and permanent revolution. History and politics blend in this treatment, with contributors from various genres and universities providing a close inspection of Trotsky's theories and how they pertain to a modern globalized economy and world. College-level history holdings strong in Communist politics and philosophy should have this. Milan Rai's 7/7: THE LONDON BOMBINGS, ISLAM & THE IRAQ WAR (0745325637, $18.95) uses secret documents declassified since 7/7 – so you won't be getting old news here. These documents blend with leaks from British intelligence to expose official deceit about the events of 7/7 and accompanies a survey of the 7/7 bomber lives which are key to any college-level collection strong in analyzing terrorist roots, methods, and government responses.

Safe for Democracy
John Prados
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60622-2694
1566635748 $35.00 www.ivanrdee.com

If you're studying the CIA's operations and routines you can't be without Safe for Democracy: The Secret Wars of the CIA. It covers all the CIA's covert and political operations and also considers these actions in relation to America's quest for global democracy, using three decades of research to detail techniques, events, major personalities and more. While general-interest public library holdings may consider this, it's a special pick for college-level or military collections also strong in democratic politics.

Mind Wars
Jonathan D. Moreno
Dana Press
900 – 15th Street, NW, Washington DC 20005
1932594167 $23.95 www.dana/org/books/press

MIND WARS: BRAIN RESEARCH AND NATIONAL DEFENSE draws some important connections between psychological study and military objective, making it a recommended pick for both military and psychology collections at the college level. Here is a unique presentation of connections between natural security objectives and brain research, documenting ways in which U.S. security forces seek to manipulate the human nervous system to favor warriors and disrupt enemies. From virus-transported molecules called ‘neuroweapons' to drugs which repress violent tendencies, neuroscience projects offer deadly potentials influencing not just battlefield applications, but civilians and freedom as well. Any concerned with democracy, warfare or connections between science and politics must read this.

Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures
Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait & Andrew Thomson
Miramax Books
99 Hudson Street, 5th Floor, New York NY 10013
1401359663 $13.95 www.miramax.com

Here's a winner: a book which reads with all the high drama and action of fiction, but which is a nonfiction first-person story of three U.N. Peacekeepers who exposed atrocities during a decade of peacekeeping missions. This book received much acclaim in hardcover: its paperback rendition includes a new afterword by the authors and provides readers with a gripping, candid story of wartime events which refutes popular myth.

Through the Crosshairs: A History of Snipers
Andy Dougan
Carroll & Graf
245 West 17th Street, 11th Floor, New York NY 10011
0786717734 $15.95 www.carrollandgraf.com

A history of snipers might seem a strange subject to include in military history – but the sniper's efforts changed the history and nature of war, and as journalist Andy Dugan shows in Through the Crosshairs: A History of Snipers, it's key to understanding war results from English Civil War days to modern times. Once considered a pariah, the sniper today is considered the ‘ideal soldier', applauded for marksmanship: changing attitudes, gun technology, and snipers who operate both individually and as a force receive rare in-depth focus in a title recommended for any military collection – and many a public library reading room.

First Command: Paths to Leadership
Dwight Jon Zimmerman
Vandamere Press
P.O. Box 149, Saint Petersburg, FL 33713
0918339626 $22.95 www.vandamere.com

If you're seeking a collection of short biographical sketches of military leaders, FIRST COMMAND: PATHS TO LEADERSHIP is the place to start. It offers up a collective biography of leaders both common and uncommon, following their careers from novices to seasoned commanders. In focusing on early American generals before they arose to fame, FIRST COMMAND offers the rare opportunity to glimpse the early elements which lead to later leadership strengths.

Osprey Publishing
443 Park Avenue South Suite 806, New York NY 10016
www.ospreypublishing.com

Osprey's excellent military titles offer a sound mix of different focuses: its ‘fortress' series surveys military structures, ‘Essential Histories' considers major wars and their lasting influences, ‘Warror' narrows the focus to analysis of different types of fighters, ‘Elite' consider special forces of modern battles, ‘New Vanguard' surveys crafts and machines of war, and ‘Osprey Combat Aircraft' offers clear assessment of military planes. In this latter category new arrivals include Ragnar Ragnarsson's US NAVY PBY CATALINA UNITS OF THE ATLANTIC WAR (184176910X, $20.95), surveying the PBYs which patrolled both sides of the Atlantic and escorted merchant ships through submarine-laden waters; and George Mellinger's SOVIET LEND-LEASE FIGHTER ACES OF WORLD WAR 2 (1846030412, $20.95) examines pilots who were left with no aircraft to fly at war's end. Innes McCartney's BRITISH SUBMARINES 1939-45 (1846030072, $15.95) considers the three major classes of British war subs and their military history, while Gordon Rottman's VIETNAM RIVERINE CRAFT 1962-75 (1841769312, $15.95) outlines a joint US Army and Navy commitment to a unique fighting force. Elite's new arrivals include Dr. N. Thomas and K. Mikulan's THE YUGOSLAV WARS (2): BOSNIA, KOSOVO AND MACEDONIA 1992-2001 (1841769649, $17.95, following the stormy progress of a separated fighting nation, Erwin A. Schmidl and Laszlo Ritter's THE HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION 1956 (184603079X, $17.95) tells of the 1956 student revolt which led to the nation's early uprising, and Bret Werner's FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE 1942-44 (1841769681, $17.95) tells of an integrated brigade of US and Canadian volunteers formed in 1942 which used a combat legacy today used by Special Forces members. New to the ‘Warrior' titles are Gordon Rottman's US MARINE RIFLEMAN 1939-45 (184176972X, $17.95), telling of the rise of the Marine Corps during the second world war, and Nic Fields' THE HUN: SCOURAGE OF GOD AD 375-565 (1846030250, $17.95), telling of some of the most feared barbarians of early times. Gregory Fremont-Barnes' WARS OF THE BARBARY PIRATES: TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI: THE RISE OF THE US NAVY AND MRINES (1846030307, $14.95) tells of Barbary pirate wars which enabled America to regain its dignity and moral values – and to develop a navy. Ron Field's FORTS OF THE AMERICAN FRONTIER 1820-91: THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND SOUTHWEST (1846030404, $16.95) reveals the westward push of European traders through the south in the mid-1800s, and how forts were developed to protect their interests, while Marcus Cowper's CATHAR CASTLES: FORTRESSES OF THE ALBIGENSIAN CRUSADE 1209-1300 (1846030668, $16.95) tells of 13th century military action and the importance of castles against growing military might. All are excellent, detailed and in-depth military histories suitable for any serious collection.

The Strange Case of Hellish Nell
Nina Shandler
DaCapo Press
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306814382 $25.00 www.dacapopress.com

In 1944 as Allied Forces prepared for D-Day, one Helen Duncan was in Britiain's highest criminal court – facing charges of witchcraft. She was the country's most controversial psychic – and a grandmother – and channeled spirits who seemed to know too many military secrets. Strangely her seances were revealing to-secret British intelligence – and authorities wanted her silenced. Her diaries, personal papers, interviews, and declassified documents contribute to psychologist Nina Shandler, Ed.D.'s survey of ‘Hellish Nell' and her strange talents.

Imperial Life in the Emerald City
Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
1400044871 $25.95 www.aaknopf.com

Baghdad's ‘Green Zone' is an enclave of posh villas and swimming pools – and headquarters for the American occupation of Iraq. Here The Washington Post's former Baghdad bureau chief offers a tour into a protected zone visually isolated from the war: a world where it's politics and terror doesn't enter; from a buffet packed with pork to a shopping mall and a parking lot packed with new SUVs. Hundreds of interviews and internal documents blend with Chandrasekaran's blend of history and observational study to document the lives of those who inhabited the Green Zone during the occupation, and the sheltered ironies and inconsistencies which exist there. A hard-hitting view of a very different kind of Iraq experience.

Londonistan
Melanie Phillips
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite 400, New York NY 10003-1239
1594031444 $25.95 www.encounterbooks.com

When London was hit by suicide bombers in 2004, the news was out: the U.K. itself had been the hub of Islamist extremism for over a decade, largely ignored by the British intelligence – a huge operation by the time the bombings took place. Here British journalist Melanie Phillips links the rise of terrorist actions to the fall of Western values and European identity, led by Britian itself, offering up a vivid documentation of terrorism growing in our own backyard. An important survey for any who would battle terrorist activities.

The Military Atlas of World War II
Chris Bishop
Amber Books
c/o Casemate, Distributors
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
1904687873 $49.95 www.casemate.com

The oversized presentation and maps packing The Military Atlas of World War II sets this publication apart from any other: for one thing, the maps are larger-sized and clearly marked, making it easy to locate details on invasions, operations, advances, landings and more. For another, it's accompanied by sidebars and headings of historical notes placing each map in perspective. In offering a visual guide in a larger folio edition, packing The Military Atlas of World War II offers the concurrent opportunity to clearly see the exact nature of the land, sea and air battles on all sides. A top pick for any serious military collection.

Knives of War
Gordon Hughes, Barry Jenkins and Robert Buerlein
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
9781581605167 $22.00 www.paladin-press.com

Deserving of ongoing mention for either collectors or military war buffs is a survey which holds the widest collection of international fighting knives seen in print. Three top names in historical military knives join forces to provide line drawings, historical photos where available, and fighting facts which pair history with techniques notes. It simply can't be beat!

Journalists Under Fire
Anthony Feinstein
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
0801884411 $25.00 www.press.jhu.edu

Any college-level collection strong in journalism must have JOURNALISTS UNDER FIRE: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL HAZARDS OF COVERING WAR. Where many books outline the achievements of such journalists, too few focus on the impact of such coverage. Chapters survey what drives and destroys war reporters, come from a professor of psychiatry, and survey the culture and realities of war reporting, a process that eats up and spits out many a career journalist. Freelancers as well as affiliated journalists are covered.

War By Other Means
John Yoo
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
1150 Seventeenth Street NW, Washington DC 20036
0871139456 $24.00 www.aei.org

WAR BY OTHER MEANS: AN INSIDER'S ACCOUNT OF THE WAR ON TERROR is not your ordinary survey of 9/11: comes from one of the members of a skeletal staff at the Office of Legal Council who stayed behind while Washington, D.C. evacuated in the aftermath of events, and thus offers the observations of one who had a ringside seat to the politics behind the response to al Qaeda. It was John Yoo's analysis which led to some of Bush's most controversial approaches and politics, from Guantanamo Bay to military trials and the Patriot Act: WAR BY OTHER MEANS surveys not only events and personalities, but the even more important legal foundations of these decisions, offering an unprecedented view of events key to any thorough understanding.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

You Call This Art?!
Patrick Rosenkranz, Compiler
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
156097754X $29.95 www.fantagraphics.com

Cartoonist Greg Irons was killed in 1984 at age 37 by a bus in Thailand so he never received the recognition he could've achieved over the decades, but YOU CALL THIS ART?! Provides a fine collection of his entire works; from the rock posters he designed for Bill Graham to his graphic comics and examples from his children's illustration and tattoo art work. The blend of black and white and color reproductions accompanies a survey of Irons' life, talents and achievements in a retrospective not to be missed!

Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111-7701
www.amuniversal.com

The new ‘Get Fuzzy' collection by Darby Conley, SCRUM BUMS (0740750011, $10.95) offers candid, hilarous characters to spice an unusual cartoon strip featuring Satchel, a paranoid dog, and Bucky, a devious hungry cat. A host of human and animal creatures in between rely on interactions between these funny characters to create a set of unique interplays of character even the most seasoned cartoon reader will love. G.B. Trudeau pulls no punches with Heckuva Job, Bushie! (0740762001, $19.95), gathering ironies, inconsistencies, and fallacies straight from Bush administration scenarios in his latest hard-hitting Doonsbury book. Fans of Doonsbury and those who hate Bush will find much to relish here, with black and white commentary making mincemeat of Presidential policies and ironies. Bill Amend's JAM-PACKED FOXTROT (0740760408, $16.95) is a pick for any hwo have quirky family members and appreciates humor surrounding them. The Fox family's dilemmas and zany experiences are based on ordinary family encounters and take a familiar world and turn it around to new levels. Even those unfamiliar with Foxtrot strips will find much to like, here. All these titles are recommended acquisitions for any public library or personal holding

Unholy Kinship
Naomi Nowak
NBM
40 Exchange Place #1308, New York NY 10005
1561634824 $9.95 www.nbmpublishing.com

Luca thinks she knows her sister and her history – but she soon finds her family is mentally unstable just at a time when she needs them most. Here's a debut by an artist inspired by manga – whose color graphic panels go beyond traditional manga in an outstanding focus on family relationships and change.

The Krypton Companion
Michael Eury, Editor
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleigh, NC 27614
1893905616 $24.95 www.twomorrows.com

If you're a Superman comics fan you probably have a wealth of comics and books about him; so what else could THE KRYPTON COMPANION offer that isn't already elsewhere? Plenty: it explores Superman's editors, offers up new interviews with key illustrators who've achieved fame drawing Superman over the decades, reveals media appearances outside the comic world, and offers up some rare, previously unpublished art work in the process. All this makes THE KRYPTON COMPANION a top pick, offering black and white reproductions complimenting the articles throughout.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Urban Tails
Sara Neeley
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
157731560X $19.95 www.newworldlibrary.com

Cat enthusiasts will want to consider the plight of the common alley cat in URBAN TAILS; INSIDE THE HIDDEN WORLD OF ALLEY CATS, which pairs fine photos by Knox with text by Sara Neeley. This is no casual survey: hundreds of hours of observation have gone into this photologue and chronicle of the cats' plights – and even better, the authors have researched an alternative called TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) as a viable management plan for feral cats and cats living outdoors.

The Encyclopedia of Mammals, 2nd Edition
Facts on File Publishing
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor, New York NY 10001
0816064946 $325.00 www.factsonfile.com

Both high school and public library reference holdings strong in animal science will find the second updated edition of the three-volume set The Encyclopedia of Mammals to be an excellent survey of the latest developments in mammal science. A team of editors have produced volumes which lend to both serious study and leisure browsing with a blend of color photos and drawings and articles newly revised to reflect the latest research and trends. From maps demonstrating species distribution patterns to articles that survey conservation issues and mammal natural history, the set seeks to clarify scientific terms and perspectives and will prove a delightful resource for any student of natural history.

T.F.H. Publications
Third and Union Avenue, Neptune City, NJ 07753
www.tfhpublications.com

Two outstanding titles are strong picks for pet owners. All dog owners handy with the knitting needles will want Anna Tillman's DOGGY KNITS (0793806003, $17.95), a fine gathering of stylish sweaters, jackets, and projects for dogs of all sizes and knitters both novice and advanced. Color photos of the dogs in lovely jackets and even chic coats are accompanied by step-by-step knitting directions for easily producing the winning clothes. Since keeping the coat on the dog may be a challenge, special attention to practical knits which that make DOGGY KNITS an excellent survey. Lexiann Grant and Wayne Hunthausen, D.V.M.'s THE POMERANIAN (0793836468, $16.95) comes with a free training DVD as it uses a colorful, easy format to impart the basic about the pomeranian breed. From training and health basics to understanding the breed's psyche, the blend of color photos, boxes, sidebars of detial and easy index assures pomeranian owners have a quick, easy reference to turn to answering all their questions. Both are exceptional guides for both dog owners and public library holdings.

How to Build Animal Housing
Carol Ekarius
Storey Publishing
210 MassMoca Way, North Adams, MA 02147
1580175279 $24.95 www.storey.com

If you're a small-scale farmer interested in building the best pen, coop, hatch, or shelter for your animal, whether it be a pig, chicken or horse, then How to Build Animal Housing is for you: it offers tips on how to evaluate the housing needs of numerous animals and shows how to adapt existing barns and structures as well as how to build from scratch. Chapters blend discussions of animal behavior with surveys of safety issues and needs to provide a practical manual backed by the author's 20+ years of farming experience. A ‘must' for any who want an all-in-one volume centered on animal housing needs.

Sire Lines
Abrams S. Hewitt
Eclipse Press
Box 919003, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
1581501447 $49.95 www.eclipsepress.com

The original publication of SIRE LINES made the career of Abram S. Hewitt, establishing his career and authority for horse pedigree followers around the world: this updated edition contains his observations on each of the sires and adds historical insight and notes for modern horse breeders, addressing modern concerns relating to horse breeding and lines. SIRE LINES is not a guide for the novice: it's for the advanced and enthusiastic horseman seeking specific statistics and details on horse breeds, offered up in both charts and text. A solid, detailed reference the horse world can't live without.

Freshwater Aquariums
David E. Boruchowitz
TFH
One TFH Plaza, Neptune, NJ 07763
079383760X $9.95 www.tfhpublications.com

If you're a first-time aquarium owner interested in the basics of setting up a freshwater aquarium, Freshwater Aquariums is the perfect starting point. Envision a simple, easily-followed book packing in colorful photos to illustrate fish care and set-up, tips on species selection and maintenance, and colorful charts and sidebars of fish information and you will realize what a useful, attractive and easy manual you have here.

What Dog?
Amanda O'Neill
Barrons Educational Series
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764132725 www.barronseduc.com

New dog owners and potential owners know how important the right breed is – but it's also easy to ignore sense when a cute dog enters the picture. This book is designed to highlight the pros and cons of breed characteristics with an eye to helping owners choose breeds that fit their lifestyle. Color photos of a hundred popular breeds highlight each breed's personality and survey how it will fit into a home. Lovely drawings, sidebars of tips, and some 400 color photos make WHAT DOG? A GUIDE TO HELP NEW OWNERS SELECT THE RIGHT BREED FOR THEIR LIFESTYLE a winner.

Horse Breeds of North America
Judith Dutson
Storey Publishing
210 MassMoca Way, North Adams, MA 01247
158017650X $10.95 www.storey.com

Similar-sounding books usually have large-size formats and coffee table-like hardcover weight: the joy of Horse Breeds of North America is that it offers up an affordable, easy 96-page photo display in pocket size lending to toting. This means you can take it along on a car ride, trip, or anyplace else a horse might show up. Quick sidebars provide height, description, history, and suitability for potential owners.

Shelter Dogs
Traer Scott
Merrell Publishers
49 West 24th Street, 8th Floor, New York NY 10010
1858943523 $19.95 www.merrillpublishers.com

Three years ago dogs housed at a Rhode Island shelter intrigued photographer Traer Scott: today his interest translates well to a photo celebration of these animals in Shelter Dogs, which comes from a volunteer shelter worker and pairs black and white and sepia photos with animal names and occasional notes on their endearing qualities. Dog lovers will find it compelling.

Breeder's Guide to Mare, Foal & Stallion Care
Christine M. Schweizer, DVM, Christina S. Cable, DVM and E.L. Squires, Ph.D.
Eclipse Press
Box 919003, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
1581501439 $19.95 www.eclipsepress.com

Joining others in the ‘Horse Health Care Library' set is a specific guide for both novices and experienced breeders which covers everything from mare reproductive cycles and conception to managing high-risk pregnancies and common problems after birth. From manipulation of the breeding season to pre-foaling management and handling the birth, Breeder's Guide to Mare, Foal & Stallion Care is a reference breeders can't miss.

In the Company of Wild Bears
Howard Smith
Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1592289525 $12.95 www.LyonsPress.com

In the Company of Wild Bears: A Celebration of Backcountry Grizzlies and Black Bears pairs photographer Michael H. Francis' black and white photos of bears in the field with a blend of writer Howard Smith's bear encounters paired with sidebars of bear facts and safety tips. What makes this different from the usual bear guide – many laden with color photos and made for coffee table display - already on the market is an attention to understanding the bear's habitat and psyche: chapters focus on first-person encounters which provide such insights and understanding, and are designed to reduce reader fears about bear activities and presence.

Understanding Sharks
Erich Ritter
Krieger Publishing Company
P.O. Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
1575242699 $59.50 www.krieger-publishing.com

Don't look for UNDERSTANDING SHARKS: THE FASCINATING BEHAVIOR OF A THREATENED HUNTER in your usual public library science section: this is a specific, college-level natural history recommendation and as such this audience will find it a key to any detailed study on sharks. Dr. Ritter is a world-renowned expert on shark behavior, and his UNDERSTANDING SHARKS goes beyond any simple survey to reflect his thousands of hours of shark observations. He developed the first interaction concept and set the stage for diver lessons on shark behavior: his book pairs detailed physiological analysis with psychological and behavioral insights of both diver and shark and is a top pick for not only college-level science collections, but diving libraries.

The Man-Eaters of Eden
Robert R. Frump
Lyons Press
Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1592288928 $24.95 www.LyonsPress.com

Mozambican refugees are being eaten alive en masse as they attempt to walk across South Africa's Kruger National Park – home to the notorious man eating lions that are a well-kept secret outside the area. Journalist Robert Frump journeyed to the region in 2002 in search of their story and found a complex social and political mileau instead of the simple tale he had anticipated. THE MAN-EATERS OF EDEN thus becomes as much a story of politics and regional issues as it is a natural history of the park's two thousand lions and the plight of reguees who are their prey.

Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide
Richard W. Thorington Jr. and Katie Ferrell
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
0801884039 www.press.jhu.edu

You may think you know squrrels – but if you didn't know a groundhog's a type of squirrel, that squirrels control body temperaturev with their tails, or that there is a wide diversity of squirrels in the world – some 278 species on nearly every continent – then Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide will surely fascinate. Even general-interest libraries will find this most accessible, offering both science students and general-interest readers a fine survey of squirrel history using a most accessible question-and-answer format. It's rare to see all the science of a college text embedded into a lively presentation also geared for the general audience – but here, it works very well.


The Library Science Shelf

Technology Made Simple
Kimberly Bolan and Robert Cullin
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
0838909205 $34.95 www.alastore.ala.org

TECHNOLOGY MADE SIMPLE: AN IMPROVEMENT GUIDE FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM LIBRARIES comes from a librarian and technical expert who join forces to offer up a primer on how librarians can help customers with growing needs for electronic information. The challenges lies in keeping track of ever-changing technological delivery and search system options: library leaders receive stories from libraries which have successfully helped patrons with technology needs, and offers answers to overcoming common challenges. From understanding the basics of how technology affects libraries to troubleshooting hardware errors and software issues, the basics here should not be missed.


The Nautical Shelf

The Barefoot Navigator
Jack Lagan
Sheridan House
145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
1574092324 $17.95 www.sheridanhouse.com

The navigation skills of the ancients were legendary yet seem to pale in comparison with modern technology and navigation research – but THE BAREFOOT NAVIGATOR: NAVIGATING WITH THE SKILLS OF THE ANCIENTS offers up an important survey of these early skills, and applies them to modern times. From how to analyze clouds and currents to determine direction to how 21st century sailors can integrate these techniques with modern equipment, any sailor will find THE BAREFOOT NAVIGATOR intriguing.

Pirates Aboard!
Klaus Hympendahl
Sheridan House
145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
1574092308 $17.95 www.sheridanhouse.com

Think of pirates and movies and acting – or ancient times – comes readily to mind; but truth is, piracy is alive and well on the high seas today and even can be a threat to modern sailors. That's why PIRATES ABOARD! 40 CASES OF PIRACY TODAY AND WHAT BLUEWATER CRUISERS CAN DO ABOUT IT is so key to sailing safety. The author interviewed the victims of over 40 cases, asking them what lessons they learned and how they'd avoid or survive similar encounters: their responses offer invaluable lessons for any braving the high seas today.

How to Trim Sails
Peter Schweer
Sheridan House Inc.
145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
1574092200 $19.95 www.sheridanhouse.com

Owners of all kinds of boats, from dinghies to cruisers, will find HOW TO TRIM SAILS: DINGHIES TO OFFSHORE CRUISERS an easy, important reference now in its updated second edition. Don't let its slim appearance surprise you: it's in fact packed with trim details for all levels of experience and packs in tips on the most popular rig configurations for modern yachts and boats, pairing reference tables of at-a-glance detail with diagrams and clear directions.

The Adlard Coles Book of Outboard Motors
Tim Bartlett
Adlard Coles Nautical
c/o AC & Black Publishers
38 Soho Square, London W1D 3HB, UK
0713675756 L12.99 www.adlardcoles.com www.amazon.com

First published under the title THE RYA BOOK OF OUTBOARD MOTORS and directed to boat owners, the reissue of a classic offers the same jargon-free language and visuals to demonstrate to non-mechanics how an outboard motor works and how to maintain it. From basic lubrication and control systems to propellers and beyond, instructions offer details right down to comparing boat-specific parts with more familiar mechanical parts to help novices adjust. A fine book which should be on any boat!


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Writing Metrical Poetry
William Baer
Writer's Digest Books
4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1582974152 $16.99 www.fwpublications.com

If you wish to learn the rules and methods of mastering metrical poetry, look no further than Writing Metrical Poetry: Contemporary Lessons for Mastering Traditional Forms. It's a rarity in the world of the poetic free verse of modern times, and provides all the details needed to work with poetry in the major forms, from quatrains to sonnets and beyond. Step-by-step directions offer easy instructions and plenty of examples and exercises to reinforce focused assignments.

Writing for Design Professionals, 2nd Edition
Stephen A. Kliment
W.W. Norton
500 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
0393731855 $39.95 www.wwnorton.com

Whether you're a student or a design professional, good writing is the key to advancing your career: a key too often missed in design schools which don't inform students how to improve writing skills. Enter the second, updated edition of Writing for Design Professionals, a survey expanded to consider internet marketing, communication and job hunting and which fills the gap in blending a focus on design professionals with instructionals and methods of clarifying and improving writing. From producing brochures and marketing through proposals and portfolio development to writing for school or media and producing appropriate public speeches, Writing for Design Professionals is one of the most comprehensive, specific guides you could want.


The Language Studies Shelf

High Definition
American Heritage Dictionaries editors
Houghton Mifflin Company
222 Berkeley, Boston MA 02116
0618714898 $14.95 www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com

The American language changes even more rapidly today than in the past, and in no subject are changes more marked than in personal technology: that's why High Definition: An A to Z Guide to Personal Technology is so important to any general-interest or school library. It covers over 3,000 technical terms covering home computers, cell phones, networks and the technology which would be likely to be in most any home, with definitions often moving behind a line or two to provide entire paragraphs of description and examples. Abbreviations are even included in this wide-ranging survey which embraces all kinds of technological changes.


The Reference Shelf

Family Reference Atlas of the World, 2nd Edition
National Geographic Books
1145 – 17th Street N.W., Washington, DC 20036-4688
0792255674 $65.00 www.ngs.org

The new edition of Family Reference Atlas of the World represents more than a reprint: it adds some 15,000 changes and includes over thirty new pages, expanding the Europe section and adding a section of maps on the Caribbean. New locations and maps have been added since the last, with everything revamped and updated to provide home and library users alike with a gorgeous, polished contemporary result. Highly recommended.

Advanced Global Illumination, 2nd Edition
Philip Dutre, Kavita Bala and Philippe Bekaert
A.K. Peters Ltd.
888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482
1568813074 $54.00 www.akpeters.com

The second updated edition of a college-level reference packs in the basics of global illumination algorithms, surveying image synthesis, theory, and offering up not only exercises concluding each chapter, but new material on environment map sampling and precomputed radiance transfer. From stochastic path tracing to building a global illumination system from scratch, this is the reference of choice for any college-level collection with courses in the subject.

Atlas of the Middle East and Northern Africa
Hammond World Atlas Corporation/Lande Communications
Box 979, Spring House, PA 19477
0843709111 $14.95 www.hammondmap.com

Any collection from elementary through college (and including public libraries) seeking to provide readers with a clear and easy reference atlas to the Middle East will want to include the affordable and specific Hammond Atlas of the Middle East and Northern Africa in a collection. It offers up the latest maps for the region, includes overviews of over twenty countries within the region which include historical, political and geographical notes, and color codes everything into easy charts and profiles lending to quick reference. It promises to be an important reference for any collection strong in Middle East history or geography.

Concise History of the World: An Illustrated Time Line
Neil Kagan, Editor
National Geographic Publishing
1145 – 17th Street NW, Washington DC 20036-4688
0792283643 $40.00 www.ngs.org

Both public libraries and high school to college-level collections will find much to appreciate in National Geographic Concise History of the World: An Illustrated Time Line. Its organization is geared to show historical connections between continents, cultures and nations over the centuries, and allows readers to draw important connections between events around the world. There are other books of timeline history on the market today; but National Geographic uses a stunning combination of art, timeline charts and written history to great effect, here.


The Mathematics Shelf

Brain-Compatible Mathematics, 2nd Edition
Diane Ronis
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
1412939380 $32.95 www.corwinpress.com

Teachers will find the updated second edition of BRAIN-COMPATIBLE MATHEMATICS a fine key to successful teaching: it takes advantage of a student's natural inclination to learn and pairs this with the latest brain research on learning to provide a set of lessons and strategies linked to 200 UCTM standards. Here are teaching guidelines which take these requirements into consideration while offering different approaches to creating more brain-friendly math processing lessons. Any math teacher must read this.


The Photography Shelf

New England Rediscovered
Ulrike Welsch
Commonwealth Editions
266 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
1889833681 $27.95 www.commonwealtheditions.com

For over forty years the name of female photographer Ulrike Welsch has been making waves in the field: she's produced images for major U.S. publications, was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize, and has captured classic New England scenes, but New England Rediscovered is no retrospective. Instead it's new material, reflecting Welsch's recent photos of the region, and packs in over a hundred new color photos from across New England. Prior fans of her work will be delighted to find something new here, while newcomers will easily come to understand why she's been receiving such acclaim: the images are powerful and when treated to full-page coverage in a presentation of their own, make for an attractive, outstanding book whether it's used for coffee table embellishment or to grace the collections of any strong in New England images or lore.

Wedding Photographer's Handbook
Bill Hurter
Amherst Media
P.O. Box 586, Buffalo, NY 14226
9781584281924 $34.95 www.AmherstMedia.com

If you're a serious portrait or wedding photographer who has read extensively in the field you'll readily recognize the name of Bill Hurter, whose skills have produced many winning titles on the subject of professional photography. Here he goes beyond the scenes with some of the world's top wedding photographers to learn – and impart – their secrets to any handy with a camera. From understanding current wedding photography trends to tips for lighting, posing, and digital manipulation of images, black and white and color examples compliment discussions of everything from developing photographer ‘people skills' to technical manipulation.

Digital Boudoir Photography
John G. Blair
Thomson Course Technology
25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210
1598632205 $34.99 www.course/ptr.com

Digital Boudoir Photography: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Fabulous Images of Any Woman isn't about capturing beauty on film; it's about a new style of boudoir photography which doesn't involve professional models or movie stars, and which seeks to avoid the use of heavy makeup and props in favor of casual, sensual approaches. Photographers will find it an excellent guide to this sytle which covers everything from boudoir-appropriate props and settings to displaying body parts tastefully both outdoors and indoors. A clear, outstanding survey, DIGITAL BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY is a top pick for portrait photographers seeking to move beyond the usual settings and approaches.

Work: The World in Photographs
Ferdinand Protzman
National Geographic Books
1145 – 17th Street NW, Washington DC 20036-4688
0792262042 $35.00 www.ngs.org

Cultural writer Ferdinand Protzman explores some of the world's finest images of men, women and children at work, packing in almost two hundred images spanning some 150 years from the beginnings of photography to modern times. Eighty top photographers from around the world are featured – and some aren't even affiliated with National Geographic, either – making for a collection celebrating all kinds of work situations from farming and bullfighting to begging and snake charming and beyond. A powerful tribute to the world of work makes for an exceptional celebration.

Aftermath
Joel Meyerowitz
Phaidon Press Inc.
180 Varick Street, New York NY 10014
0714846554 $75.00 www.phaidon.com

After September 11th Ground Zero at the World Trade Center was deemed a crime scene with few allowed inside: only photographer Joel Meyerowitz was allowed unlimited access – and so the photos you see here in Aftermath are guaranteed unique to this book. Meyerowitz photographed the ‘pile' for nine months: his stunning images appear in a set of oversized full-page color works documenting the recovery efforts and makes for a unique, powerful testimony to courage and spirit. If you get only one book about 9/11, it should be AFTERMATH: you won't find these hard-hitting photos anywhere else.

Picture This!
Gary Haynes
Bulfinch Press
1271 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0821257587 $40.00 www.bulfinchpress.com

PICTURE THIS! THE INSIDE STORY AND CLASSIC PHOTOS OF UPI NEWSPICTURES comes from a veteran syndicate editor and photographer who pairs the best of UPI news photos with an insider's account of the stories behind them. But it's more than just a gathering of key photos linked to major news stories: it follows the wire service industry as a whole, providing a history of its development and evolution, competition with other news services, and how its library ended up in a Pennsylvania cave. An outstanding survey essential for any student of journalism.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Yarnplay: Colorful Techniques & Projects for the Creative Knitter
Lisa Shobhana Mason
North Light Books
c/o F&W Publications
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1581808410 $22.99 www.amazon.com

YARNPLAY isn't your usual ‘how to knit' title – it's how to choose among some of the newest styles of yarns to achieve the most from knitting using multiple hues in unexpected new arrangements. Here are 20 projects from home decor to hats and sweaters that accompany a guide to mix and match knitting, accompanying full-page color photos with knitting directions. You should have prior knitting skills – but not too far advanced – to read these knitter's directions.

At Knit's End
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Storey Publishing
210 MassMoca Way, North Adams, MA 01247
1580175899 $9.95 www.storey.com

AT KNIT'S END: MEDITATIONS FOR WOMEN WHO KNIT TOO MUCH could've been featured in our section on holiday projects and seasonal celebrations but is reviewed here because any avid knitter will find it a welcome acknowledgment of knitting problems which often pop up during holiday-inspired projects. From time constraints in knitting projects to knitting while on the phone, light pages of tips and insights take the form of uplifting first-person vignettes detailing common knitting challenges which can range from keeping cats and projects separate to ‘bribing' a mate for proper appreciation of knitting results.

Sew U
Wendy Mullin with Eviana Hartman
Bulfinch Press
1271 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0821257404 $25.99 www.bulfinchpress.com

If you want to add new styles and accessories to a wardrobe you sew yourself, SEW U: THE BUILT BY WENDY GUIDE TO MAKING YOUR OWN WARDROBE is your item of choice. It includes 3 full Simplicity patterns and color drawings and illustrations by Beci Orpin as it provides contemporary ideas for the new generation who wishes to be stylish and chic. From beginning sewing basics and instructions to using the patterns from her studio, difficulty levels, sewing skills and more accompany easy instructions beginners can use to revolutionize their dress. A user-friendly guide.

American Quilter's Society
P.O. Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.AmericanQuilter.com

Mary Mayne's CLEVER BANNERS, PANELS & POSTCARDS (1574329117, $21.95) is a winner: it tells how to use over sixty applique patterns and a folk art alphabet to personalize work, pairing projects for sewing up mini-panels with tips on turning them into wallhangings, quilts, banners and more. An excellent, original and creative survey which goes beyond the ordinary quilt guide. Linda M. Poole's QUILTED FAIRIE TALES (1574329138, $19.95) uses appliqued fairies to enhance projects, offering up eleven applique patterns to create fine magical quilt designs. From butterflies and bumblebees to flowers, birds and rainbows, the fairies are the central attraction of the design with the embellishments adding much. Sue Patten's QUILTING POSSIBILITIES…FREEHAND FILLER PATTERNS (1574329189, $22.95) tells how to multiply designs from different filler categories to apply them to a range of quilting ideas. Here is a range of cornerstone patterns with wide application complimented by background and embellishment patterns – all full-page for easy application – to accompany three dozen traditional pieced block ideas and over a hundred worksheets. The author's tips and tricks accompany these fine basic patterns.

Machine Embroidery Room by Room
Carol Zentgraf
Krause Publications
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
089689214X $29.99 www.fwpublications.com

Embroidery used to be done solely by hand; now the advent of machine embroidery teaches how to feature machine-embroidered designs in home decor whether purchased or made by scratch. It's a snap to make home accents using this guide: the author's an expert in both sewing and home decor and here provides tips on measuring, cutting and enhancing everything from tablecloths and napkins to comforters.

Martingale & Company
20205 144th Avenue NE, Woodinville, WA 98072-8478
www.martingale-pub.com

Maaike Bakker's SPELLBINDING QUILTS: WIZARDS, WITCHES AND MAGICAL CREATURES TO PAPER PIECE (1564776743, $24.95) arrived too late for Halloween mention, but is a fun quilter's crafting guide for any interested in translating magic and fantasy into a quilt. 11 projects offer full-sized patterns for 17 blocks and tell how to create enchanting paper-pieced designs suitable for all ages. Color photos accompany lists of materials, instructions on cutting and piecing, and patterns. Pamela Mostek's DAZZLING QUILTS: EASY GLITZ AND INSTANT GLAMOUR (1564776697, $24.95) presents eight projects which look like art quilts but are simple to piece and applique. Perfect for beginners, these artistic craft quilts use a range of embellishments and basic techniques for production and finishing, with each introduced by a lengthy description of why and how the author chose the fabric. These are truly colorful creations not to be found elsewhere. Julie Popa's A FRESH LOOK AT SEASONAL QUILTS (1564776808, $24.95) tells how to sew some 19 lap quilts, rugs and wall hangings and assumes a basic beginner's level in so doing, offering projects which can take beginners to the next level. Here are step-by-step techniques for piecing and hand applique, full-page patterns, and tips on how to put the project together, along with color photos of finished results.

C&T Publishing
Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549
www.ctpub.com

D'Arcy-Jean Milne's FABRIC LEFTOVERS: SIMPLE, ADAPTABLE WAYS TO USE UP SCRAPS (9781571203847, $26.95) offers up fine ideas for something often regulated to the scrap heap, showing how to use buttons, beads, and scraps as well as old and cast-off clothing for maximum advantage. Learn how to embroider, cord, embellish and wrap with such cast-aways – make notecards, beads, and more in the process. Nancy Johnson-Srebro's BIG-BLOCK QUILTS BY MAGIC (9781571203083, $26.95) tells how to use different blocks that hold only squares and rectangles: blocks with sew together quickly and produce eye-catching results. Each project receives two quilting options – and each works well to create not only quilts but wallhangings and more. Amy Barickman's INDYGO JUNCTION'S NEEDLE FELTING: 22 STYLISH PROJECTS FOR HOME & FASHION (9781571203793, $24.95) holds wool projects for all kinds of embellishment, offering up needle felting ideas which blend basic techniques and instructions with over twenty sophisticated projects. Color photos add interest and sidebars of tips on weaving techniques and more are keys to success in this excellent primer.


The Philosophy Shelf

The Reason Driven Life
Robert M. Price
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591024765 $24.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

Pastor Rick Warren's THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE has been a best-seller in Christian circles, and biblical scholar Robert Price's THE REASON-DRIVEN LIFE: WHAT AM I HERE ON EARTH FOR should prove the same. It uses a similar point/counterpoint argument pattern to survey the importance of reason in life's realities, comes from an author who was a born-again Christian in his youth, and provides an offset and counterpart to Warren's scripture-driven analysis, offering a critical approach to Warren's title and offering arguments for the use of reason as a tool for developing moral maturity. Readers interested in philosophy and religion blends, especially those who've already read and deeply considered Pastor Warren's title, will find this survey equally satisfying.

The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless
Richard Greene Editor and K. Silem Mohammad
Open Court Publishing Company
P.O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354-3000
0812696018 $17.95 www.opencourtbooks.com

The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless is a recommended pick for both philosophy and general reading sections: it blends popular culture with philosophy – something rarely seen in a genre which tends to rehash interpretations of old-time philosophers – and here also blends in a dose of fantasy in its survey of the idea of the Undead and its underlying messages of morality, ethics, and philosophy. From ‘deserving' to be a vampire and the paradox of damnation to issues of vampire accountability, The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless is a light-hearted look at vampires which does include a healthy dose of solid philosophical reflection.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Logos Run
William C. Dietz
Ace Books
c/o Berkeley Publishing
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0441014283 $24.95 www.penguin.com

If you enjoyed the first book in Dietz's new ‘Runner' series, LOGOS RUN is a pick for you: prior readers will easily segue into the sequel to RUNNER, which continues the story of Jak Rebo, an interstellar courier to whom time and place is a snap and Earth a myth. Humanity is scattered amongst the stars – and the only intelligent life there – and interstellar couriers like Jak make a living delivering between systems. Now Jak possesses a sentient computer, Logos, who wants to reactivates star gates to change the world… fast action, solid characterization and an even continuation of a fine tale and universe makes LOGOS RUN a top pick.

Golden Gryphon Press
3002 Perkins Road, Urbana, IL 61802
www.goldengryphon.com

Eric Brown's THRESHOLD SHIFT (1930846436, $24.95) is a real treat, offering up a new collection of stories about people facing challenges from the effects of science, technology, and change – a theme any reader, even those outside the genre – can readily relate to. From two stories which won the British Science Fiction Award to others set in Brown's Kethani universe where aliens offer modern-day humans immortality setting off rampant ethics issues, THRESHOLD SHIFT is packed with lessons for our times. Joe R. Lansdale's MAD DOG SUMMER AND OTHER STORIES (1930846428, $14.95) provides the third in a series of short story collections gathering his best works, and will prove a pick for readers of horror, novels, action and fantasy alike. Here are some truly wild settings – as in a story where a group of lawmen track a vampire in a 40-foot tall, steam-powered robot – which are the original mark of a Lansdale creation. Lansdale excels in creating unique, hard-hitting stories with unpredictible twists: these shouldn't be missed.

Pyr
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.pyrsf.com

Fans of Book 1 of Sean Williams' ‘Cataclysm' series will have to have Book 2, THE BLOOD DEBT (1591024935, $25.00), which continues the story one millennium after the death of Seth Castillo, where three friends join to save their families, hunting for a creature summoned by Sal's estranged father which has rotos in the Cataclysm. Williams has a passion for building fantastic landscapes and riveting action, and THE BLOOD DEBT is a top pick for prior fans who will enjoy smooth, easy transition into this ongoing adventure. John Meaney's TO HOLD INFINITY (1591024897, $25.00) tells of an Earth-based biologist devestated by her husband's death who journeys to a Eden-like world to see her estranged son – who is inv trouble. Add fast-paced action revolving around a conspiracy, tech-trafficking charges, and Pilots who navigate fractal dimensions between worlds and you have a satisfying blend of technology and action which proves a riveting page-turner till the end.

How to Raise and Keep a Dragon
John Topsell & Joseph Nigg, Editor
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
0764159208 $18.99 www.baronseduc.com

If you've ever dreamed of becoming a dragon owner, HOW TO RAISE AND KEEP A DRAGON tells everything of the process and comes from a dragon scholar who's spent his life raising dragons. From different types of dragons and reasons to raise them to dragon lore, fantasy, and much whimsy, this is a fun and engaging book for any fan of the dragon.

Pushing Ice
Alastair Reynolds
Ace Books
c/o Berkeley Publishing
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0441014011 $25.95 www.penguin.com

Alastair Reynolds' PUSHING ICE deserves ongoing mention as a top pick, set in 2057 where humanity is making a living exploiting the solar system's riches – and telling of a nuclear-powered ship which makes its living mining comets. When one of Saturn's moons leaves orbit and heads out of the solar system at high speed, Rockhopper is the only ship nearby able to respond, and finds itself tailing a mystery. Swift action and intrigue marks a story with many twists and turns.

Fragile Things
Neil Gaiman
William Morrow
10 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022
0060515228 $26.95 www.harpercollins.com

If you're familiar with Gaiman's name you know him likely from his prior children's books, graphic novels or short stories: so you'll find FRAGILE THINGS: SHORT FICTIONS AND WONDERS a real treat, channeling some of his best science fiction, fantasy, and erotic dark forces into hard-hitting, short stories. These stories and poems focus on realistic settings and peoples facing otherworld challenges: FRAGILE THINGS also blends in horror, fantasy and a healthy dose of philosophical reflection in the process.

A Meeting At Corvallis
S.M. Stirling
DAW Books Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0451461118 $25.95 www.dawbooks.com

S.M. Stirling's epic of alternate history began with DIES THE FIRE and continued with THE PROTECTOR'S WAR, so prior fans of these two will appreciate this hard-hitting story of a world plunged into the dark ages by an event which has destroyed all technology. Here the focus is on the shift of power leading to war when the forces who would rebuild a peaceful world clash with the Protector, who wants unlimited power. Tensions between feuding factions make for a hard-hitting story of high tension and intrigue: an excellent continuation prior fans of the series will love.

Once Upon A Spring Morn
Dennis L. McKiernan
Roc
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0451461126 $23.95 www.dawbooks.com

Fantasy readers will find ONCE UPON A SPRING MORN begins light-heartedly, telling of romance, a knight, and a princess – but evolves into a story of rescue, politics, a mysterious city, and a quest. All the elements of a fine read are here, and while the protagonists and their journey may sound like formula writing, the plot evolution is anything but predictable, imparting mystery and intrigue into an odyssey powered by strong characterization.


The Social Issues Shelf

End of the Line
Joseph Vranich
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
1150 – Seventeenth Street NW, Washington DC 20036
0844742031 $25.00 www.aei.org

END OF THE LINE: THE FAILURE OF AMTRAK REFORM AND THE FUTURE OF AMERICA'S PASSENGER TRAINS is a hard-hitting survey of an impending major failure: it comes from an Amtrak advocate-turned-critic who here offers evidence Amtrak should be replaced, as it's wasting taxpayer dollars. Exactly how that's happening, what's wrong with the system, and how to fix it is profiled in dozens of reports from numerous offices gathered to support Vranich's claims that Amtrak is a fiscal failure, operating a potentially disastrous system.

Patrolling Chaos
Robert Lee Maril
Texas Tech University Press
Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
0896725944 $24.95 www.ttup.ttu.edu

Any interested in border issues, especially since it's been in the newspapers as headlines lately, must have PATROLLING CHAOS: THE U.S. BORDER PATROL IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. An initial glance might deem it a specialty item for either college-level holdings or Southern libraries – but it's also a recommended pick for any general-interest collection strong in immigration issues. Chapters focus on one station of the three hundred Border Patrol agents over a tw—year period, following twelve typical men and women as they conduct their ten-hour border patrols. The insights are clear, hard-hitting and document border patrol encounters and issues alike.

Watching the World Change
David Friend
Farrar, Straus, Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York NY 10003
0374299331 $30.00 www.fsgbooks.com

Watching the World Change: The Stories Behind the Images of 9/11 tells stories behind the now-familiar shots taken by bystanders and professionals of 9/11 events, taking the reader back through the years to dialy events experienced by families and the nation. From how some of the most harrowing photos were taken of events to their lasting effects on photographer and viewers alike, WATCHING THE WORLD CHANGE questions how modern history comes to life with images, reveals the lasting traumas of events of 9/11, and draws important connections between observer, reporter, and daily life. Public libraries and college collections strong in the social sciences will find this a hard-hitting survey.

Property Rights in 21st Century America
Timothy Sandefur
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001
1930865961 $11.95 www.cato.org

Few books offer so succinct or specific a set of insights connecting property rights to democratic principles as in Property Rights in 21st Century America, a survey of property rights as linked to issues of freedom and personal identity. Here are ideas for legal changes to the existing system which would enhance owner rights and individual liberties: here also are historical and political as well as social considerations of property rights issues as they relate to the constitution and society. College-level collections will find this essential.

The Daily Six
John Chappelear
Perigee/Berkeley
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0399532889 $12.95 www.penguin.com

The Daily Six: Six Simple Steps to Find the Perfect Balance of Prosperity and Purpose comes from one who used his six steps to change the priorities of his own life, bridging personal and career success and affording the author a new, more memorable career. These steps are simple ones that consider the value of service to others, willingness to keep learning and accept change, and more, and focuses in on the elements which really make for happiness. No other book provides such easy lessons – and such specific connections.

Passionaries: Turning Compassion Into Action
Barbara R. Metzler
Templeton Foundation Press
300 Conshohocken State Road suite 550, West Conshohocken, PA 19428
1599471051 $19.95 www.templetonpress.org

Plenty of books advocate compassionate action, but few are as specific on how to go about translating ideals into action as PASSIONARIES, which offers up profiles of visionaries that made changes. These profiles document the transition from ideal to action, including special circumstances that spurred action and how they got started and overcame obstacles. General-interest public library collections with readers interested in social issues will find PASSIONARIES inspirational.

Anti-Arab Racism in the USA
Steven Salaita
Pluto Press/University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
0745325165 $19.95 www.press.umich.edu

If it's a hard-hitting, college-level analysis of anti-Arab racism you seek, be sure to Anti-Arab Racism in the USA: Where it Comes From and What It Means for Politics Today in any collection strong on the subject. Steven Salaita is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin and here explores the reality of modern anti-Arab racism in this country, blending personal experience, theory, and social and political analysis to not only document cases, but show how they affect the structure of American lifestyle and responses as a whole. It's an important key to understanding connections between Middle Eastern relationships and American freedoms, and should not be missed.

Handbook of Transnational Crime & Justice
Philip Reichel, Editor
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
1412927560 $49.95 www.sagepub.com

College-level collections strong in criminology will find Handbook of Transnational Crime & Justice an important focus which gathers writings from scholars around the world to examine the transnational nature of crime and rising cooperative cross-national responses. Here are surveys of terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, and more along with analysis of the approaches and efforts of police, courts, international agencies and others. The authors come from a variety of fields and represent a solid cross-section of respected experts, and it's notable that this survey summarizes major issues and discusses organized crime by world regions for a clear and easy analysis. If only one book on the topic of transnational crime issues is needed for a college collection, it should be this.

America on Foot
Kerry Segrave
McFarland
Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
0786425598 $35.00 www.mcfarlandpub.com

AMERICA ON FOOT: WALKING AND PEDESTRIANISM IN THE 20TH CENTURY will appeal to college-level collections strong in both sports science and sociology, surveying the history of waling and the issues which have affected walkers over time. Psychology, literature, writings from sports and history provide both a social history and a legal analysis of pedestrians in an unusual coverage perfect for college-level audiences.

Food Not Lawns
H.C. Flores
Chelsea Green
85 North Main Street, Suite 120, White River Junction VT 05001
193339207X $25.00 www.chelseagreen.com

For activist readers who believe activism is a political pursuit, FOOD NOT LAWNS: HOW TO TURN YOUR YARD INTO A GARDEN AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD INTO A COMMUNITY offers a different viewpoint, maintaining that growing food where you live is a key method of becoming a food activist in the community. Chapters advocate planting home and community gardens with an eye to drawing important connections between the politics of a home or community garden and the wider politics of usage, consumption, and sustainability. Another rarity: chapters promote small, easy changes in lifestyles to achieve a transition between personal choice and political activism at the community level, providing keys to change any reader can use.

The Architecture of Happiness
Alain de Botton
Pantheon Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0375424431 $25.00 www.randomhouse.com

Why should the non-artist pay attention to architecture? Because architecture can reflect the meaning of life: joy, vision, ideals and pain as well – and decisions about space and its arrangements not only reflect but influence the human psyche: that's the message of The Architecture of Happiness, which examines the influence of environment on psychology. In fact, human needs and human psyche has influenced the history of architecture: what would seem to be a dry contention comes to live with a jovial flair under de Botton's talents, making THE ARCHITECTURE OF HAPPINESS accessible to lay readers as well as students of the arts.

Being Muslim
Hardoon Siddiqui
Groundwood Books
110 Spadina Avenue, Suite 801, Toronto Ontario Canada M5V 2K4
0888997868 $15.95 www.groundwoodbooks.com

If it's an easy overview of key issues, topics and social and political concerns you need to serve as an introduction to Muslim concerns, you can't go wrong with BEING MUSLIM, based on travels in Muslim lands and interviews with experts there and in the West. Here's an analysis of the impact of terrorism on Muslims, explaining how Islam affects daily living and surveying differences between East and West perspectives. A very simple, easy introduction, this lends equally well to middle to high school libraries strong in social and political history.

Urban Planning Today
William S. Saunders, Editor
University of Minnesota Press
Suite 290 111 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55401
0816647577 $22.95 http://www.upress.umn.edu/

URBAN PLANNING TODAY is part magazine, part newsletter, and part book report on the latest problems and debates facing urban planning. Here various contributors provide articles on projects from different backgrounds and goals in urban and regional planning, juxtaposing development strategies and issues with criticism and legal notes. Any with an interest in successes, failures, and evolving perspectives will welcome this addition to a college-level collection strong in urban studies.


The Education Shelf

Building Engaged Schools
Gary Gordon with Steve Crabtree
Gallup Press
1251 Avenue of Americas, 23rd Floor, New York NY 10020
1595620109 $24.95 http://education.gallup.com

America's public schools often rely too heavily on the same old formula for passing success without rising to the challenge of making changes to the system. BUILDING ENGAGED SCHOOLS offers a program for so doing, outlining the many challenges public schools face and covering the different values inherent in ‘soft' education activities often ignored in favor of standards and testing processes. Chapters come from a leader of Gallup's Education Division and focuses on how to tap into a child's inner drive and needs to build a classroom program that lifts them from alienation into engagement. Teachers and students alike will benefit from this process.

Raising Reading Achievement in Middle and High Schools
Elaine K. McEwan
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
1412924359 $32.95 www.corwinpress.com

The second updated edition of a classic re-focuses and enhances five basic concepts for raising reading achievement using seven cognitive strategies. Far from being the author's own regimen, Raising Reading Achievement in Middle and High Schools is based on twenty resreach-based reading strategies, incorporating these into a teacher's daily curriculum and routines and helping teachers with students who can't seem to learn to read. New programs designed for adolescent learners also provide updates to developmental tools, evaluation methods and programs, and more. A ‘must have' reference.


The Music Shelf

Violin Dreams
Arnold Steinhardt
Houghton Mifflin
222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116
0618368922 $25.95 www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com

A cd of the author playing Bach's Partita in D Minor forty years ago at the beginning of his career and recently on his Storioni violin accompanies VIOLIN DREAMS, a blend of memoir and violin history which recounts the author's affection for the instrument. From his first violin and early teachers to his rise to professional status, his journey accompanies a survey of the history and backgrounds of the world's great violin makers in a powerful and fine account.

Texas Zydeco
Roger Wood
University of Texas Press
Box 7819, Austin TX 78713-7819
0292712588 $34.95 www.utexaspress.com

James Fraher's black and white photos highlight a solid story of the most influential players and history in Zydeco music past and present, and while the survey focuses on the genre's rise in Texas, any with an interest in Cajun or Zydeco music will find it incorporates facts and history from other states as well. Chapters chart the movement of black Creoles from Louisiana into Texas and the cross-influence of their music with other Texas forms. The seven-year collaboration between writer Wood and photographer Fraher provides powerful visual embellishment to the facts and biographies within.

Rockin' Down the Highway
Paul Grushkin
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street Suite 200, Saint Paul MN 55101-3385
0760322929 $40.00 www.voyageurpress.com

There are plenty of books on automobile history and culture and plenty on music history, but what makes Rockin' Down the Highway: The Cars and People That Made Rock Roll an impressive study is not just an oversized format which packs in color photos on every page – some 1,000 of them – but an attention to surveying the connections between cars and rock music. It's the first illustrated, book-length history of the topic and includes many photos not previously seen in print, coming from a notable rock historian who uses posters, photos, ads, album covers and more in the process of analyzing the attraction of fast cars and fast music to a teen audience. An outstanding, sweeping presentation which will prove a ‘must' for any comprehensive rock library collection.

Music & Youth Culture
Dan Laughey
Edinburgh University Press
22 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LF
0748623817 $25.00 www.eup.ed.ac.uk

It's common knowledge that music interacts with everyday youth culture: but how it does so is the focus of Music & Youth Culture, which uses interviews with and observations of youth groups along with research to examine youth performances, tastes, and more. The modern young generation's focus and interests are compared and contrasted with youth music and dance movements from the 1930s and 40s, with chapters linking issues ranging from club subcultures to music media uses and approaches. A fine primer for any college-level student of either music or youth sociology.

Punk: The Whole Story
Mark Blake, Editor-in-Chief
DK Publishing
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014-3658
9780756623593 $35.00 www.dk.com

PUNK: THE WHOLE STORY celebrates some thirty years of a movement which embraced musical and social anarchy and produced not just revolutionary music, but outrageous street fashion. It was born in 1976 and Punk Magazine embraced the music, movement and personalities: PUNK details the years leading up to punk's beginning and offers a color photo-laden survey of the genre essential for any student of contemporary music.

U2byU2
HarperEntertainment
10 East 53rd Street, New York NY 10022-5299
0060776757 $39.95 www.harpercollins.com

Most books by and about rock musicians are written by third parties – and of these, most are lacking in color; so it's a treat to have a large-sized coffee table art book packed with color photos and written by the band members themselves. U2 formed in 1975 and moved from a kitchen band to a world-renowed group still together thirty years later. Their idealistic lyrics affected politics and social issues of their times, while their live performances incorporated revolutionary elements. U2byU2 won't be writing such a book again, so consider this a definitive 'must have' for any fan of the group – and enjoy over 1,500 images taken from the band's own collection.

The Blues Is My Story
Sam Myers and Jeff Horton
University Press of Mississippi
P.O. Box 1287, Lebanon, PA 17042
1578068967 www.upress.state.ms.us

Fans of blues music may recognize the name of Sam Myers, who grew up blind in the Jim Crow South and became a blues musician in Chicago, joining Elmore James's band as a drummer and eventually fostering bands and recordings of his own – but it's unlikely the general public will recognize it. Therefore, The Blues Is My Story is a specific and recommended pick for collections strong in blues music history, offering a history to accompany Myers' memoir of his experiences and providing such audiences with plenty of blues history and music insights in the process.

Haunted Heart
Linda Dahl
University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
0472115642 $29.95 www.press.umich.edu

HAUNTED HEART: A BIOGRAPHY OF SUSANNAH MCCORKLE isn't likely to reach the general interest, non-musical reader, for her name is likely to prove familiar only to those with an in-depth interest in female jazz vocalists. This audience, however, will find HAUNTED HEART a brilliant expose of a troubled American songbird, surveying her many achievements as she devleoped her own style and performed in venues around the world while struggling with bipolar disorder. From her emotional ups and downs to her influences on singers of the 70s through the 90s, HAUNTED HEART is a key piece of musical history not to be missed.

Across the Great Divide: The Band And America
Barney Hoskyns
Hal Leonard
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York NY 10010
142341442X $19.95 www.halleonard.com

George Harrison called The Band ‘the best in the history of the universe', and other rock musicians applauded them as well, so it's importantb to note ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE: THE BAND AND AMERICA is essential for any in-depth understanding of the group and it's lasting influence on rock music. This revised edition offers a detailed survey of its members, with the new US edition including a postscript, obituary of Rick Danko, and a new interview with Robbie Robertson, among other features.


The California Shelf

No Guns, No Knives, No Personal Checks
Larry Sager
Everett Madison Publishers
41 Sutter Street, Suite 1157, San Francisco, CA 94104
0978575105 $14.95 www.everettmadison.com

No Guns, No Knives, No Personal Checks: The Tales of a San Francisco Cab Driver offers up a blend of suspense, eclectic humor, and true-life scenarios – but it's fiction – based on a San Francisco cab driver's colorful characters. From drunk stripper lesbians in the back seat to stolen cabs and cigarette abstinance, this offers up a set of hard-hitting, authentic vignettes documenting not just any cab driver's life, but a slice of San Francisco culture. A fun ‘must' for any who would understand the city's neighborhoods, counter-culture, characters and cabbies!

Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Arcadia Publishing's California regional titles just keep getting better, offering increasingly expanded surveys of the state's lesser-known neighborhoods, smaller ciites, and routes off the beaten tourist path which locals will thrill to be able to learn more about. Margaret Clovis' MONTEREY COUNTY'S NORTH COAST AND COASTAL VALLEYS (0738546771, $19.99) comes from a museum curator who has gathered vintage images and history from numerous public and private archives: this and Tim Thomas and Dennis Copeland's MONTEREY'S WATERFRONT (0738530034, $19.99) will delight Monterey area residents, whether native or new arrival, who want an outstanding pairing of public and rare private photo holdings and fine local history and color. Gary Griggs and Deepika Shrestha Ross' SANTA CRUZ COAST (0738546666, $19.99) offers a ‘then and now' contrast of images which juxtaposes historical images paired with those of the same sites today. The approach allows for a unique contrast between past and present, documenting not just human change but geologic landscape differences from natural events. Gary S. Breschini, Mona Gudgel and Trudy Haversat's SPRECKLES (0738546844, $19.99) covers a lesser-known Salinas Valley community which was begun by one Claus Spreckles, known as the ‘Sugar King', who devised the largest sugar beet factory in the world and virtually built the town around it – including a railroad. The co-authors are archaeologists and Gudgel is executive directory of the Monterey County Historical Society, making for a rich blend of vintage photos and historical review. From the ‘Postcard History Series' comes Gail Unzelman and the Wine Library Associates of Sonoma County's SONOMA COUNTY WINERIES (0738546674, $19.99), which blends wthe author's gathering of wine history facts with vintage postcards depicting the county's changing landscapes and wineries. While the presentation would've been vivid in color, the black and white photos allow for an affordable and fine presentation perfect for local library acquisition. Branwell Fanning's THE TIBURON PENINSULA (0738546518, $19.99) moves further north to an area which was once owned by generations of one dairy family. Learn, here, from Tiburon's official historian who himself played a role in the town's incorproation within Marin County in 1964, served on the town council, and uses his own archives as well as those of other associations to round out historical details. All are top picks California libraries, whether public lending institutions or historical association holdings, should have.

Colonial Rosary
Alison Lake
Ohio University Press
19 Circle Drive, The Ridges, Athens, OH 45701
0804010854 $19.95 www.ohio.edu/oupress

COLONIAL ROSARY: THE SPANISH AND INDIAN MISSIONS OF CALIFORNIA examines not just the history of mission construction, but the accompanying social impact of missionary control of California's Indian peoples. It considers controversies and debates in the role and establishment of Franciscan missions in the state's settlement, surveys the architecture of the missions, the role of women in early mission development, and mission trades and practices. Essential for any comprehensive California collection!

Exploring the Back Roads
Peter Browning
Great West Books
P.O. Box 1028, Lafayette, CA 94549
0944220215 $12.95 www.greatwestbooks.com

Exploring the Back Roads: 28 Day Trips in the Greater Bay Area appears in its third updated edition to provide California Bay Area residents with discriminating guides selected for their scenic, pastoral and historic qualities. From old levee roads in the Delta area to the ruins of Jack London's Wolf House, chapters survey roads less traveled, and does an outstanding job with its clear, easy line maps and step-by-step surveys of routes, alternatives, and local history. Mention of facilities or lack thereof also lend to making a back roads exploration day trip an informed, easy one.

Best of California's Missions, Mansions and Museums
Ken & Dahlynn McKowen
Wilderness Press
1200 – 5th Street, Berkeley CA 94710-1306
0899973981 $21.95 www.wildernesspress.com

If you're a California resident or library seeking a fine blend of California trivia facts and history and a travelogue to the state's best museums, then you can't go wrong with Best of California's Missions, Mansions and Museums. It functions like a travel guide by offering hours, costs, contact information and trip and tour itineraries for visitors – and it functions like a history book in providing a healthy dose of background history about each establishment. The ‘don't miss this' tips are particularly well done.


The World History Shelf

Historical Dictionary of India, 2nd Edition
Surjit Mansingh
Scarecrow Press Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard #200, Lanham, MD 20706
0810847701 $115.00 www.scarecrowpress.com

College-level collections will find Historical Dictionary of India a powerful addition to the series of historical dictionaries of Asia and the Mid-East: its updated second edition offers over a hundred new cross-referenced dictionary entries, much of which cover the last decade, and other updates add new research, revise the chronology of events, and expand the introduction. Listings do more than provide a paragraph of detail: history and biography embrace pages of detail, at times, and are packed with in-depth coverage suitable for reports.

National Narratives in Mexico: A History
Enrique Florescano
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK
0806137010 $65.00 www.oupress.com

Any college-level holding strong in Mexican history and culture holdings will find National Narratives in Mexico: A History an essential acquisition: it examines different historical visions of Mexico as it was interpreted in its own time, surveying issues of ethnic identity, culture, and different concepts of history reporting and representation over the centuries. Modern Mexico can best be understood by realizing the differences in these approaches, and National Narratives in Mexico assures Mexico's volatile history is understood through the source documents making assumptions, assertions, and facts. Add black and white drawings by Raul Velasquez and you have an excellent, scholarly survey which should be a foundation pick for any serious collection.

The History of Martha's Vineyard
Arthur R. Railton
Commonwealth Editions
266 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
1933212004 $29.95 www.commonwealtheditions.com

The History of Martha's Vineyard: How We Got to Where We Are is the only book a library should need on the subject: it doesn't just begin with human habitation, but moves from the region's geologic formation through the end of World War II, using a quarter-century of research in the process of detailing its changes. Any Vineyard resident or visitor will find this perfect for learning how the Vineyard played an important role in American history, with local color and family history supplementing wider considerations of Vineyard influence. An outstanding, definitive guide results.

Cowboy: The Illustrated History
Richard W. Slatta, Ph.D.
Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016-8810
1402718004 $24.95 www.sterlingpub.com

So many titles have been written on cowboy history that one might wonder at the need for yet another, but here's an oversized photo tribute which stands out from the crowd, surveying both myths and realities of the cowboy on and off-screen, including assessments of cowboys around the world, ranching roots, cowboy film, and cowboy representation in literature. With such a wide-ranging survey in hand, any with an interest benefits from the lively research of ‘cowboy professor' Richard W. Slatta, who has already earned numerous awards for his research.

By His Own Hand?
John D.W. Guice, Editor
Oklahoma University Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
0806137800 $24.95 www.oupress.com

BY HIS OWN HAND? THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF MERIWETHER LEWIS surveys the evidence in the strange death of explorer Lewis, who was found dead from two gunshot wounds while staying at an inn in Tennessee. Who fired these shots may never be fully known, but BY HIS OWN HAND takes a healthy stab at a case with no eyewitnesses. Contributors here are all historians of the West and conduct investigations making the case for different results, with editor Guice dissecting the suicide argument and outlining inconsistencies in the theory.


The Science Shelf

The Trouble With Physics
Lee Smolin
Houghton Mifflin
215 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10003
0618551050 $26.00 www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com

Theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that physics as a science has lost its path and focus – and provides evidence based upon new knowledge of physics and science laws since the 1970s – which have been remarkably slim. During this period there've been many unproven and often popular theories – but no real advancements. One of the major reasons why is string theory – an attempt to bring together all diverse laws and theories under one umbrella – but the flaw here is, no part of it's been tested. Any interested in scientific advancement will find THE TROUBLE WITH PHYSICS: THE RISE OF STRING THEORY, THE FALL OF A SCIENCE, AND WHAT COMES NEXT to be a fine survey.

Seafaring Scientist
Lester D. Stephens and Dale R. Calder
University of South Carolina Press
Columbia, SC 29208
157003642X $24.95 www.sc.edu/uscpress

While readers outside the field of marine biology may not have heard of the name Alfred Goldsborough Mayor, his achievements shouldn't remain distant to those outside the field and are essential knowledge for college-level students seeking an understanding of marine biology history and development. Mayor was a Harvard-trained marine biologist and directed the first tropical marine bio-lab in the Western Hemisphere. Because of his achievement, marine biology today enjoys sophisticated labs located around the world – and a scientific community familiar with the exotic locales Mayor traveled in his search for knowledge. While this sounds like a technical guide for researchers alone, in fact Seafaring Scientist: Alfred Goldsborough Mayor, Pioneer in Marine Biology will also appeal to general-interest collections strong in science.

Creatures of Accident
Wallace Arthur
Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York NY 10003
0809043211 $25.00 www.fsgbooks.com

Creatures of Accident: The Rise of the Animal Kingdom comes from a renowned professor of zoology in Ireland who delves into the weighty-sounding science of ‘evolutionary developmental biology' – and while it may seem like this book is for college-level holdings, it will appeal equally well to general public library collections with its easy introduction to evolutionary theory. From analyses of the structure of life forms and the complex methods of evolution which are neither predictable nor straightforward to conflicts between creationism and evolutionary theory, this book provides both general reader and science readers with an easily-understood set of explanations, making it a top pick for both public and school holdings.

Galileo Observed
William R. Shea & Mariano Artigas
Science History Publications
P.O. Box 1240, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562-1240
0881353566 $30.00 www.shpusa.com

Galileo Observed: Science and the Politics of Belief provides yet another focus on the trial of Galileo – with a difference. Most such considerations come from specific genres whether they be religion, literature, philosophy or science: GALILEO OBSERVED synthesizes all genres, considering the 19th century milieu of warring religious and science circles, the forged documents and misrepresented interpretations which have fostered myths about events, and the biographies and works which take different approaches to analysis. The result is a powerful pick for any college-level holding strong in science history.

Science and the Search for Meaning
Jean Staune, Editor
Templeton Foundation Press
300 Conshohocken State Road Suite 550, West Conshochocken, PA 19428
1599471027 $24.95 www.templetonpress.org

Science and the Search for Meaning: Perspectives from International Scientists should find a home on the shelf of any college-level collection strong in both science and religion. It offers a technical gathering of papers on discussions between science and religion stemming from meetings of the minds in Europe, represents the first English translation of a recent French edition, and gathers articles by fifteen recognized leaders in the science-religion field – four Nobel Prize winners – to provide an excellent gathering of cross-cultural opinion.

The Blind Watchmaker
Richard Dawkins
W.W. Norton
500 – 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
0393315703 $16.95 www.wwnorton.com

If THE BLIND WATCHMAKER: WHY THE EVIDENCE OF EVOLUTION REVEALS A UNIVERSE WITHOUT DESIGN sounds familiar, it's because this is a reprint of a best-selling coverage from twenty years ago. Here is Dawkins' fine survey testifying to the nonrandom process of Darwinian theory, using biology and physics to address Darwin's contentions and insights on nature's complexities. Any interested in evolution's arguments, no matter what side they're on, will find THE BLIND WATCHMAKER involving, making it a top recommendation not just for college-level science libraries, but for public library holdings.

The Chemical Promise
Allen G. Debus
Science History Publications
P.O. Box 1240, Sagamore Beach, MA 02562-1240
0881352969 $89.95 www.shupusa.com

CHEMICAL PROMISE: EXPERIMENT AND MYSTICISM ON THE CHEMICAL PHILOSOPHY, 1550-1800 is no light reading, but an in-depth gathering of the papers and essays of Allen G. Debus, History professor at the University of Chicago who was trained as research chemist and has published widely on Renaissance and early modern science theory. His history CHEMICAL PROMISE embraces both European and American history and philosophy and offers up a close analysis of scientific method, definition, and changing scientific perceptions from alchemy to modern times. College-level students of either science or philosophy will find it important.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Killing Our Oceans
John Charles Kunich
Praeger Publishers
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275988783 $49.95 www.praeger.com

It's long been known humankind is destroying the oceans, and plenty of titles have surveyed the problem: what makes Killing Our Oceans: Dealing With the Mass Extinction of Marine Life different is an extension of the author's prior analysis of threatened hotspots from land to pockets of ocean life. Here also is a focus on international law and regulations pertaining to the ocean, along with efforts and language of domestic laws of nations with such key marine resources – another differentiation which makes KILLING OUR OCEANS a powerful recommendation not just for college-level science holdings, but collections concerned with international legal applications of social issues. It's this dual legal and science approach which makes for a top pick, here.

Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting
Catherine Rich and Travis Longcore, Editors
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue Northwest Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20009
1559631295 $29.95 www.islandpress.org

A reader might anticipate from its title that ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF ARTIFICIAL NIGHT LIGHTING holds a in-depth technical focus on night lighting's impact on nature – but it goes beyond chronicling science to consider how human activities from lighting affects animals and plants in a variety of ways. ‘Photopollution' exists nearly everywhere thanks to mankind's activities: here are examples not only of effects on plants, insects and animals but how to mitigate them. Sections seek a readable approach by pairing vignettes of events and experiences of nighttime creatures with plenty of science and analysis of the physiological and behavioral effects of light pollution. It's these vignettes which make this book accessible not only to college-level students of science, nature and ecology but the general non-scientist public library browser, as well.

Green Encounters
Luis A. Vivanco
Berghahn Books
150 Broadway, Suite 812, New York, NY 10038
1845451686 $75.00 www.berghahnbooks.com

Green Encounters: Shaping and Contesting Environmentalism in Rural Costa Rica covers the inner workings of a country renowned for its environmental management. Luis Vivanco is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Vermont, so his is an anthropological view as he examines Monte Verde politics, culture, and environmental issues. Very few books narrow the focus to one country's policies, fewer yet focus on a single region, and even fewer include the social and political backdrop necessary for understanding – all of which are contained in Green Encounters, making it a unique college-level analysis and acquisition.

Jungle of the Maya
Jim Wright
University of Texas Press
Box 7819, Austin, TX 78713-7819
0292714122 $34.95 www.utexaspress.com

Jungle of the Maya features fine color photographs by Douglas Goodell and Jerry Barrack to accompany text by Jim Wright and explores the Selva Maya, one of the world's least publicized jungle locales. It holds some 9,000,000 acres and packs in a wide range of wildlife and ancient Maya ruins, only a fraction of which are displayed here. From wildcats and hummingbirds to snakes and various tree frogs, JUNGLE OF THE MAYA does an outstanding job of displaying some of the diversity to be found here, and this eye-catching exploration is a recommended pick for both public and speciality library holdings.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Dictionary of Jewish Words
Joyce Eisenberg & Ellen Scolnic
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
0827608322 $18.00 www.jewishpub.org

Updated and revised to add new words, terms and expressions is the handy DICTIONARY OF JEWISH WORDS, an easy A-Z reference defining words from Hebrew and Yiddish and offering a paragraph of definition and examples for each. Any collection strong in Jewish history, culture and language should have this easy reference: its coverage is quite extensive.

What You Need to Know About Kabbalah
Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh
Dwelling Place Publishing Inc.
383 Kingston Avenue Suite 22, Brooklyn, NY 11213
9657146119 $21.95 www.dewllingplacepub.com

Rabbi Ginsburgh is one of the prime modern scholars of Kabbalah and Chassidut in modern times, having written over forty books in Hebrew and English on the topic, and What You Need to Know About Kabbalah is a ‘must' primer for any interested in this mystical tradition of Judaism. Topics range from understanding the crown's representation in the unconscious mind to how Kabbalah is often confused with Eastern religions, and provide a thorough grounding essential for any Jewish or spirituality collection.

The Jewish Pope: A Yiddish Tale
Yudel Mark
Fithian Press
P.O. Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
1564744590 $14.95 www.danielpublishing.com

Ruth Fisher Goodman provides a new translation to a story intended for young adults, but reviewed here because it should be a primary ‘foundation' pick for any comprehensive Jewish collection for all ages. European history and culture come to life in this 1947 fictional piece which has its roots in history and legend and tells of a Jewish boy kidnapped to be raised in the Catholic faith, there to rise to power in the church before discovering his roots.

Let There Be Light
Howard Smith
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1577315480 $15.95 www.newworldlibrary.com

Author Howard A. Smith, Ph.D. is a senior astrophysist and former chair of the Smithsonian Museum's astronomy department – so why isn't his LET THERE BE LIGHT: MODERN COSMOLOGY AND KABBALAH reviewed in our science section? Because it's packed with interactions between ancient Kabbalah and modern astronomy and thus forms an important bridge between the two. Learn how science and religion interact harmoniously and how an understanding of the two can bring better understanding of Kabbalah in an inviting dialogue perfect for science-minded yet religious readers.

The Healthy Jewish Cookbook
Michael van Straten
North Atlantic Books
P.O. Box 12327, Berkeley, CA 94712
1583941509 $21.95 www.northatlanticbooks.com

The author is Jewish, loves food, and is also one of Britain's foremost authorities on health and alternative medicine: melding these talents under one cover and adding world-wide research produces THE HEALTHY JEWISH COOKBOOK: 100 DELICIOUS RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, which offers innovative versions of traditional Jewish fare. Dishes contain only small amounts of animal protein and pack in nuts, grains, fruits, herbs and spices and vegetables in dishes such as Orange Beets with Almonds and Vegetarian Cholent. A healthy dose of color photos completes the presentation and will delight Jewish cooks seeking new seasonal celebration fare.

The Wicked Son
David Mamet
Schocken Books
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0805242074 $19.95 www.schocken.com

THE WICKED SON: ANTI-SEMITISM, SELF-HATRED, AND THE JEWS challenges the reader to consider the roots of anti-Semitic belief, opening with a blasting ‘The world hates the Jews. The world has always and will continue to do so." And attacking the foundations of the cycle of violence against Jews. These contentions may be difficult to digest for some readers, and for others it may evoke questions about religious commitment and prejudice which are uncomfortable to reflect upon – but that's the glory of THE WICKED SON: it forces such reflection and in so doing, offers up keys to honesty and assessment not to be found elsewhere. A top recommended pick.

The Crafts Corner

Big Bead Jewelry
Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell
North Light Books
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
9781581808964 $19.99 www.fwpublications.com

BIG BEAD JEWELRY: 35 BEAUTIFUL EASY-T0-MAKE PROJECTS offers up over thirty beading projects which use big style beads along with step-by-step photos to put tem together into stylish pieces. If you've ever wanted to work with jewelry but been put off by tiny pieces and eye-straining detail work, BIG BEAD JEWELRY is for you: its projects are very easy and cover the basics, offering up quick and modern results jewelry fans will love.


The Art Shelf

Winslow Homer: An American Vision
Randall C. Griffin
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, New York NY 10014
0714839922 $69.95 www.phaidon.com

The works of Winslow Homer are already well familiar to any interested in American art: they captured the American Civil War and, later, scenes of early America as a whole, presenting a range of styles and themes – so it's surprising to note this book is the first in-depth critical survey written in the last decade. Here all his major paintings appear along with a number of etchings and woodcuts to compliment a blend of biography and critical art survey. Full-page color prints not only analyze the works; they offer insights into the public's reaction to scenes, settings, and perspectives. A powerful, recommended pick.

Islamic Calligraphy
Sheila S. Blair
Edinburgh University Press
22 George Square, Edinburgh
0748612122 $150.00 www.amazon.com

Every college-level collection strong in either Middle Eastern Studies or Middle Eastern art must have ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY: it's a specialty item for the serious holding which offers the first reference work on Arabic script. Calligraphy is one of the foundation arts of Islamic culture and has been a primary method of artistic expression from the 7th century to modern times, so it well deserves its own book and is anything but the ‘esoteric art' Westerners might believe. Over 150 color illustrations and over a hundred black and white details come from dated examples to provide insights on everything from construction and history to identifying forgeries and understanding differing styles. An essential key to understanding Islamic arts and civilization, this reference is not to be missed.

Sean Scully
Florence Ingleby, Editor
Merrell
49 West 24th Street, 8th Floor, New York NY 10010
1858943515 $29.95 www.merrellpublishers.com

SEAN SCULLY: RESISTANCE AND PERSISTENCE SELECTED WRITINGS comes form one of the leading modern painters working in the arts, whose career has been built on abstract painted stripes and bars in muted colors. These works are exhibited in major holds throughout the world, but these writings here are key to understanding them, presenting his writings for the first time along with reproductions of his paintings. College-level art library holdings will find this an important addition to their collections, offering up insights into how Scully works, his art and inspirations, and artistic metaphors specific to pieces. Any collection with Scully's art needs this first-person analysis, key to understanding.

Real Photo Postcard Guide
Robert Bodgan and Rodd Weseloh
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210
0815608519 $39.95 www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu

Photo postcard collectors and fans of photo postcard art have plenty to enjoy in REAL PHOTO POSTCARD GUIDE: THE PEOPLE'S PHOTOGRAPHY. Such art dominated the U.S. Photo market during the first third of the 20th century, but until now hasn't received a comprehensive coverage. The authors have plumbed archives and conducted original research to cover photo postcard history, art, and specifics on dating and preserving a collection. Over three hundred photo postcards from archives and private collections across the country display a fine range of black and white images. Any serious photography library or collector's handbook holding must have this.

Drawing the Line
Tom Sito
University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
0813124077 $32.00 www.kentuckypress.com

DRAWING THE LINE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE ANIMATION UNIONS FROM BOSKO TO BART SIMPSON provides the first comprehensive history of animators' unions in modern times, from silent cartoons through today's big movie hits. Any involved in cartooning will find the business and industry insights essential to a thorough knowledge of their career choice: history and cultural observations blend with a survey of the entertainment industry as a whole, making for many important insights on how the business evolved and how it affects today's working animators.

Girls in Pearls
Claudia Lanfranconi
Merrell
1858943507 $24.95 www.merrellpublishers.com

Pearls are not just jewelry for the affluent: they're symbols of power and social standing and have been prized throughout history. Other books offer views of pearl culture and collectability, but GIRLS IN PEARLS gathers the paintings, drawings, and photos of those who have displayed and worn pearls over the centuries. From Marilyn Monroe to Jacqueline Kennedy, art historian Claudia Lanfranconi covers the history of artistic representations of pearls and their wearers, offering a focus art library holdings, especially those strong in jewelry history, will find packed with insights.

The Paintings of Ben McLaughlin
James Hamilton
Merrell
1858943582 $49.95 www.merrellpublishers.com

Ben McLaughlin paints cinematic pictures with a focus on everyday subjects and elements of alienation and uncertainty: this is the first study of his work and considers his influences, art, and approach, adding in history and cultural reflections to pair well with full-page color photos throughout. As an introduction it invites both newcomers and familiar fans to understand McLaughlin's works and will make for an essential college-level art library addition; especially for collections strong in modern art.

The Beautiful Fall
Alicia Drake
Little, Brown
1271 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
0316768014 $24.99 www.hachettebookgroup.com

In the 1970s Paris fashion led the city to become a center of innovative trends, and plenty of books have followed this event – but few examine the tea parties, costume balls, and events which led to Paris' rise in the fashion world. THE BEAUTIFUL FALL: LAGERFELD, SAINT LAURENT, AND GLORIOUS EXCESS IN 1970S PARIS fills this gap, charting the excesses, the major designer figures at the heart of Paris fashion marketing and creation, and how fashion became an industry unto itself. A lively, deft review of personalities and achievements reads with the high drama of fiction yet packs in facts about underlying motivation and approaches lacking in other survey of Paris fashion history, making THE BEAUTIFUL FALL key to any in-depth understanding.

Bauhaus Culture
Kathleen James-Chakraborty, Editor
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South Suite 290, Minneapolis MN 55401
0816646880 $25.00 www.upress.umn.edu

The Bauhaus was the site of one of the most influential experiments in the art world, moving from Germany at the turn of the century to 1933 Berlin and offering an alternative to state-sponsored fine arts academies. Today modern art still holds elements of Bauhaus tradition and thus BAUHAUS CULTURE: FROM WEIMAR TO THE COLD WAR offers essays from art scholars analyzing accomplishments of the Bauhaus and adding the history essential to a thorough understanding of its unique role in the arts. Other books on the topic review Bauhaus artistic results: BAUHAUS culture is the other side of the spectrum: essential for an understanding not only of the art works and artists, but for the underlying culture which spawned them.

Paintings of Maine: A New Collection
Carl Little
Down East Books
P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843-0679
0892727128 $25.95 www.downeastbooks.com

PAINTINGS OF MAINE: A NEW COLLECTION must be defined as such because author Carl Little originally collaborated with Arnold Skolnick to provide the original volume back in 1991. Here Skolnick serves as picture editor on a new volume which visits Maine landscapes through art, gathering works from three generations of the Wyeth family as well as many other well-known American artists who painted Maine scenes. A lovely pick for any Maine fan.

Dubai Architecture & Design
Sabrina Marreiros, Editor
Daab
Friesentstr.50, d-50670, Kolon
3937718478 $49.95 www.daab-online.com www.amazon.com

Joining others in the Architecture and Design Books series is Dubai Architecture & Design, a fine collection of full-page color photos displaying some thirty of Dubai's newest commercial buildings and museums. Dubai is undergoing some significant transitions, so any interested in world architectural trends will find this book key to understanding one of the most rapidly-evolving urban centers in the world. German and English text refers to Arabic settings and other international influences, providing short paragraphs of history – but it's the images which are the striking highlight.

Good Fences
William Hubbell
Down East Books
P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843-0679
0892726768 $29.95 www.downeastbooks.com

GOOD FENCES: A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND'S STONE WALLS provides a lovely pictorial celebration of these walls accompanied by text surveying their history and construction. Six stone wall builders and their works receive in-depth focus, while photos provide close-up details profiling unusual walls. A rare, visual treat documents a profession that leaves behind monuments of wonder from its builder/artists.

Selling Art Without Galleries
Daniel Grant
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, Suite 510, New York NY 10010
1581154607 $19.95 www.allworth.com

Selling Art Without Galleries: Toward Making a Living From Your Art offers artists a different way of making money without the traditional art gallery involved: by self-promotion. This is no mean fete for the artist without business savvy, but Selling Art Without Galleries offers the basic keys to making it happen, from learning how to arrange exhibitions and locate prospective collectors to selling art on the Internet and negotiating a price. An outstanding survey covers all points and links business savvy to an independent artist's pursuits.


The Audiobook Shelf

Star Wars: Bloodlines
Karen Traviss
Random House Audio
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0739323962 $29.95 www.randomhouse.com/audio

Marc Thompson's voice may sound familiar because it can be readily heard in commercials and on numerous cartoons: here it pairs well with a new Star Wars saga which tells of the Alliance again confronting civil war and rebellion. It's tearing apart the Skywalker and Solo families, leading the children to war and introducing a new threat – from within. A vivid audio story comes to life here: it's Marc Thompson's voice that powers the special effects of high drama.

Random House Audio
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com/audio

Suzanne Brockmann's LADIES MAN (0739340867, $29.95) receives fine recording by Kathe Mazur, who has worked extensively in film and here lends excitement and high drama to the story of one Ellen, who throws herself into a romance with a beautiful cop. Trouble is, she's also facing a deranged stalker…. Every woman's nightmare comes to life here. James Ellroy's THE BLACK DAHLIA (0739323881, $29.95) receives Stephen Hoye's professional acting power: set in 1947 Los Angeles, it tells of a torture-murder of a beautiful young woman and an investigation that obsesses those who begin it. One of the finest murder mysteries comes to renewed life under audio. Both are outstanding.

Airborn
Kenneth Oppel
Full Cast Audio
P.O. Box 6110, Syracuse, NY 13217
1933322543 $57.00 www.fullcastaudio.com

As usual with the Full Cast personnel, this audio adventure receives all the high drama and action of a full radio show as it tells of a cabin boy who manages a mid-air rescue of a stranded traveler in a derelict balloon and thus sets in motion a dangerous chain of events which includes romance, air battles, and high adventure ala Jules Verne. The audio format is perfect for such an adventure: the cast brings it all to life and the high adventure simply shines in a top pick which is a recommended ‘must' for any audio collection.

Brilliance Audio
Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com

Ted Dekker's SAINT (1423326792, $36.95) receives an outstanding narration by Kevin King, who has over 30 years in theatre and voiceover to his credits and who drives the riveting story of The Saint, covertly recruited as one of the most effective assassins in the world. His new identity can't keep out doubts, however – and King's voice brings them to dramatic life here. R.A. Salvatore's ROAD OF THE PATRIARCH (1423316401, $38.95) receives veteran David Colacci's moving and dramatic voice as it tells of a cold, emotionless killer searching for the real price of justice, and a mercenary elf who challenges a king. Fantasy is one of those genres which seems to lend particularly well to audio drama – and with ROAD OF THE PATRIARCH there's nothing to disappoint: fast action, unabridged presentation, or smooth reader voice are all highlights complimenting the plot. Alexander McCall Smith's DREAM ANGUS (1423321006, $19.95) is based on an old myth about a dream bestowerer cherished by all but fated to love only a lovely swan maiden from his own dreams. Five woven stories emerge from the story of Angus' search for his beloved in this gentle tale. Nora Roberts' VALLEY OF SILENCE (1423309200, $36.95) is a recommended pick for prior fans of her ‘Circle Trilogy' – for this is Book 3, enjoys an excellent and powerful reading by audio veteran Dick Hill, and is a new work never before pbulished, continuing the story of romance and a vampire who sets out to change the world. Moira is both warrior and royal as she prepares to lead her people into battle in this fast-paced, involving read.

Audio Editions
Auburn, CA 95604
www.audiopartners.com

Agatha Christie's A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY (1572705493, $27.95) provides an excellent Miss Marple mystery in unabridged power and pairs it with Rosalind Ayres' English voice and strong acting skills. This pairing lends authenticity and strength to the mystery telling of Miss Marple's attempt to repose in quiet paradise – shaken by the death of Major Palgrave, which sets her into an exotic murder investigation. It's hard to stop listening to Ayres' compelling rendition of the results. Rex Stout's WHERE THERE'S A WILL (1572705515, $27.95) receives Michael Prichard's warm and seasoned voice: he reads all the Rex Stout Nero Wolfe titles, which lends a satisfying continuity of approach and style to the mystery dramas. When the wealthy Mr. Noel Hawthorne dies at the ripe old age of 49, inheritance tiffs lead to a murder investigation.


The Parenting Shelf

Raising Young Children Well
Sandra Radzanower Wolkoff, LCSW, et.al.
Other Press
2 Park Avenue, 24th Floor, New York NY 10016
1590512022 $17.95 www.otherpress.com

Forty of the best articles and advice from the Parent and Preschooler Newsletter, an award-winning publication, provides parents with specific short, concise articles from some of the country's leading parenting experts. Three chapters cover how kids learn, develop, and interact with families, guiding parents through the common childhood crisis points and covering everything from a child's capacity to trust adults and connect with peers to messages kids receive from media and home on food.


The Fiction Shelf

Havoc
Jack DuBrul
Dutton
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014
0525948821 $24.95 www.penguin.com

Set in 1937 aboard the German Hindenberg, a madman throws a safe overboard to prevent discovery, then inadvertently sets a fire which destroys its secret. Seven decades later a field researcher investigates a small village with one of the highest cancer rates in the world - and stumbles upon a long-buried secret in the face of a local civil war. Cali's journey will bring her back to the U.S. on a mission to uncover a secret that could change the world. Tension is powerfully woven in a book which includes elements of detective intrigue, science, and military history: the result is a rich stew of intrigue which grabs from Page 1 and doesn't let go: mystery and intrigue readers will find this a delightfully different, engrossing read.

Natural Selection
Dave Freedman
Hyperion
77 West 66th Street, New York NY 10023-6298
1401302092 $21.95 www.hyperionbooks.com

There are so many horror novels on the market that it takes quite a bit to find one which stands out from the rest, deserving recommendation for its blend of science fiction, thriller and horror – such is Natural Selection, particularly recommended for fans of Jurassic Park. A team of marine scientists on the cusp of making a great discovery experience romance, adventure, horror, and discovery. In fact, Natural Selection would make an outstanding adventure movie, too: it has all the elements of a major thriller, has already been named one of USA Today's top reads, and is simply outstanding. High drama, romance, hard science, horror: what more could you want?

Beyond the Summit
Linda LeBlanc
Pilgrims Publishing
Varanasi, India
0978535308 $16.95 www.beyondthesummit-novel.com www.amazon.com

Beth is an American jouranlist coveirng Nepal, Dorje is a young Sherpa who aspires to climb great summits – even at the risk of alienating his family. His search for modernity in a primitive culture and her search for love and meaning in life blend in BEYOND THE SUMMIT, a hard-hitting blend of adventure and romance which deserves a spot in any serious fiction collection.

Dangerous Depths
Colleen Coble
Westbow/Thomas Nelson Publishers
P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
0785260447 $14.99 www.thomasnelson.com

Leia Kahale has left career and romance to settle on a secluded Hawaiian island - and Bane journeys to the island to find out why, under cover of searching for an archaeological fortune in Hawaiian waters. Treachery will drive them closer together, murder will challenge their ideas of safety, and danger will re-ignite romance and attention to valuesi n life in DANGEROUS DEPTHS, a passionate novel of adventure and love.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Poisoned Pen Press
6962 East First Avenue #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com

For outstanding action and vivid plots, you can't do better than Poisoned Pen's offerings for consistently high-quality mystery, and these new titles are top picks. Jon Talton's ARIZONA DREAMS (1590583183, $24.95) provides a fine new David Mapstone mystery (David is a history professor turned deputy) in telling of a former student who involves him in her father's legacy of murder. Add this to other murders, a sister David's wife hasn't seen in years, and a body which is weeks old, rather than years, and you have an involving plot packed with many subplots and twists, perfect for the mystery fan who wants ongoing action and drama. Kerry Greenwood's MURDER ON THE BALLARAT TRAIN (1590582411, $24.95) is set in the 1920s and provides another mystery revolving around the glamorous lady detective Miss Phyrne Fisher, who here arranges to go to ballarat for the week – only to find passengers being poisoned as they sleep with chloroform. Can she use the few clues to solve the mystery? CRUEL MUSIC (1590582306, $24.95) is third in the ‘baroque' mystery series and tells ofo ne Tito Amato, who returns home from a tiring operatic tour only to discover his merchant brother imprisoned on a smuggling charge. The time is 1740 Venice, the setting includes Papal politics and social challenges – and readers receive a satisfying historical mystery with plenty of complexity. Donis Casey's HORNSWOGGLED (1590583094, $24.95) provides a satisfying Alafair Tucker mystery, set in 1913 nd telling of romance, a wife's mysterious murder, and Alafair's investigation of husband Walter's possible involvement. Family politics and involvements blend with a satisfying tangle of lies and subterfuge that lend complexity and vivid action to HORNSWOGGLED. Public library holdings strong in mysteries won't want to miss these: they're a cut above the ordinary one-dimensional plot and will please any avid mystery fan.


The Transportation Shelf

The Car Design Yearbook 5
Stephen Newbury
Merrell
1858943191 $39.95 www.merrellpublishers.com

It will take an in-depth automotive fan to appreciate the very technical The Car Design Yearbook 5 – but any fan of automotive design will find this an essential addition to the latest concept and production cars around the world, representing the fifth installment in Merrell Publishers' yearbook series. Here are A-Z profiles of all such cars of the last 12 months – over a hundred of them – showing exteiror and interior designs and technical machine layout. The profiles on leading auto designers is also an important feature, covering leading designers. Jam-packed with color photos throughout, this is a survey no transportation collection should be without.

Haynes Publishing
Sparkford Nr Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7JJ, England
www.haynes.co.uk www.amazon.com

David Tremayne's THE SCIENCE OF FORMULA 1 DESIGN (1844253406, L19.99) appears in an updated second edition to draw important connections between advances in scientific theory and applications in the Formula 1 industry. This isn't for the casual auto racing fan but will prove the perfect selection for any who avidly follow the technology of Formula 1: chapters survey design philosophy, evolving technology and changing materials with an eye to putting it all together in a logical review. John Reynolds' ANDRE CITROEN: ENGINEER, EXPLORER, ENTREPRENEUR (1844253201, L30.00) provides a biography of the man who helped change the European motor industry. While millions know his name from the Citroen car company, few will have heard of his life, his focus as a mass-marketing expert, and his pioneering work popularizing the motor car in Europe – and few may recall he built his firm to be the largest car manufacturer in Europe in only ten years. Don't limit this presentation to auto buffs alone, though: the wealth of business history will help it cross over into business-oriented collections as well, making it an unusual pick for both audiences. Georgio Piola's FORMULA 1 TECHNICAL ANALYSIS 2005-06 (8879113917, $34.95) isn't for lay readers, but for car buffs interested in technical specifications in general and Formula 1's specs in particular. Such an audience will find most accessible the cut-away surveys of engines, tires and brakes, the discussions of model specifications and new solutions for old problems, and the colorful at-a-glance details on every page which lend to browsing as much as study. An excellent addition to the detailed, in-depth auto collection.

Abarth: Fiat-Based Cars
Andrea & David Sparrow
Veloce
33 Trinity Street, Dorchster, DT1 1TT, England
1904788823 $19.95 www.velocebooks.com www.amazon.com

Here's a car buff's specialty item indeed: a survey of FIATs modified by Abarth, pairing original photos of such productions by photographer David Sparrow with text by Andrea Sparrow. While historical background and technical insights are given, it's the color photos that create an outstanding and rare production here. You won't see this in most general-interest public lending library collections, which is too bad: even though its topic is quite narrow, the visuals hold appeal for a wider audience than simply Fiat fans.

David Bull Publishing
4250 East Camelback Road, Suite K150, Phoenix, AZ 85018
www.bullpublishing.com

Even if you're a public library with few funds allocated to the automotive book world, these two titles are top recommendations: they hold the ability to reach out into general-interest audiences as well as the specialty car racing world and make for vivid display pieces as well. John Horsman's RACING IN THE RAIN: MY YEARS WITH BRILLIANT DRIVERS, LEGENDARY SPORTS CARS, AND A DEDICATED TEAM (189316714, $49.95) comes from an automotive engineer whose talents led him into a highly competitive car world as early as the 1960s and 70s. Horsman worked for Aston Martin and other legendary car companies, helping to develop prototype racing cars, evolving the GT-40 models, and working with member of the official factory team for Porsche. His work on that team would lead to both high points and disappointments as they analyzed mechanical prowess, made revolutionary modifications which sometimes worked and sometimes failed, and personally saw the golden age of sports-car racing. His vivid memories blend well with technical prowess, inviting leisure audiences into a world seldom seen by the average auto enthusiast. Vic Elford's VIC ELFORD: REFLECTIONS ON A GOLDEN ERA IN MOTORSPORTS (1893618628, $39.95) is also an outstanding blend of memoir and auto racing insights – and also comes from one involved in sports racing since the 1960s. His is from another angle, though – that of being a driver – as he worked with Porsche to make a new rally car of their new 911, driving it to a number of wins in the late 1960s on tracks around the world. His insider's view is not so much of engineering marvels as of driver abilities, challenges and interactions, making this an excellent complementary acquistion to the engineer's perspective of RACING IN THE RAIN. Both offer up an ease of accessibility for non-racing fans which will attract readers outside the genre, as well as from within.

Motorbooks/Crestline
c/o MBI Publishing Company
729 Prospect Avenue Box 1, Osceola, WI 54020
www.mbipublishing.com

Three excellent motorsports titles are top picks for any discriminating library with a strong section on the topic: each packs in pictures and details car buffs will find fascinating. Those interested in 1950s cars will find mike Mueller and Dennis David's CLASSIC FIFTIES CARS (0760327106) one of the finest you could get on the topic, covering a decade of cars which represented many industry innovations and changes. Model histories, specifications, and technical details accompany half-page color photos. There's plenty of text detail, making this much more than your usual light picturebook read on the subject – and helps CLASSIC FIFTIES CARS stand out from the crowd with more detail and depth. Mike O'Leary's ROGER WARD: SUPERSTAR OF AMERICAN RACING'S GOLDEN AGE (076321779, $40.00) is a ‘must' for any collection claiming strength in automotive racing history: it documents the achievements and background of a midget car racer who rose to fame as a world-class driver, and uses both vintage black and white and modern color photos in the process of documenting his rise to fame. Racing writer Mike O'Leary adds vivid drama and detail to this story, and also delves into Ward's lesser-known history such as his stint as a fighter pilot during the second world war. Auto racing fans shouldn't be without it. Stephan Gruhsem and Peter Vann's LAMBORGHINI TODAY: A TEMPO FURIOSO (0760327041, $50.00) charts the changes to the specialty models past, present and future and is a special pick for the in-depth automotive collection. An oversized, coffee-table presentation lends to browsing and display, but the meat of LAMBORGHINI TODAY lies in its unique in-depth research: the authors devoted two years of research into the history of their topic and were granted unprecedented access to both company archives and current working engineers, designers and management staff. The result is much more detailed than you'd expect from a book which looks most suitable for a coffee table, pairing gorgeous full-page color photos with plenty of technical detail and background. All are outstanding recommendations.


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

Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net


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