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Library Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 1 January 2007 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Library Science Shelf Biography Shelf
Education Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Psychology Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Fiction Shelf American History Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Nautical Shelf Poetry Shelf
Travel Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Art Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Gardening Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
World History Shelf Military Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Crafts Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Time at War
Nicholas Mosley
Dalkey Archive Press
ISU Campus Pox 8905, Normal, IL 61790-8905
1564784568 $12.95 www.dalkeyarchive.com

Time at War is the autobiographical account of award-winning author Nicholas Mosley's service during World War II. Born in London, Mosley chose to enlist in the military at the age of twenty, to improve the status of his family name while his father was imprisoned by the government as an alleged security risk. Mosley served on the bloody Italian front, was once rescued from death by one of his men, and witnessed the devastation of war firsthand; but it was a war he knew had to be fought, and it kindled a sense of purpose in him that had eluded him during peacetime. A powerful true story about coming of age and learning to define oneself, as surely as it is a no-holds-barred firsthand account of the terrors and challenges of the European Theater of World War II, Time at War is highly recommended.


The Library Science Shelf

Developing Strategic Marketing Plans That Really Work
Terry Kendrick
Neal Schuman Publishers Inc.
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038-4512
185604548X $89.95 www.neal-schuman.com

Written by former library worker and current strategic marketing planning consultant Terry Kendrick, Developing Strategic Marketing Plans That Really Work: A Toolkit for Public Libraries is a practical, hands-on integrated guide to librarians to getting libraries back in the focus of the public eye with a more effective method than distributing a handful of leaflets. Chapters discuss how to make sense of the market for public library services, how to make sound priority choices using a basic SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, attention-seizing marketing communications, and much more. Black-and-white charts, diagrams, and a handful of reproducible figures useful for putting the concepts and plans into practice round out this enthusiastically recommended library marketing guide.


The Biography Shelf

Scorekeeping
Bob Cowser, Jr.
The University of South Carolina Press
1600 Hampton Street, 5th floor, Colombia, SC 29208
1570036535 $18.95 www.sc.edu/ucpress

Written by Bob Cowser, Jr., whose previous book "Dream Season" was selected as a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, Scorekeeping: Essays from Home is a simple memoir of small-town boyhood, as witnessed by the son of English professors among insular and close-knit townies. Leading the reader through Cowser's adolescence in rural Martin, West Tennessee followed by New Orleans and Lincoln, Nebraska, Scorekeeping covers both wonder and tragedy. From the savory taste of a barbeque sandwich, to learning that a friend from past years had been named in a lawsuit over the death of a young woman, to confronting the question of whether he should attend a reunion at his own school, Cowser's trip through memory lane comes alive with emotion, reflection, and plain and simple honesty.

Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti
Roberto Pagano
Pendragon Press
PO Box 190, Hillsdale, NY 12529
978-1576471081 $36.00 www.pendragonpress.com 1-518-325-6100

Ably translated into English by Frederick Hammond, "Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti: Two Lives In One" is an inherently fascinating and impressively informative biography of Alessandro Scarlatti, one of the most celebrated and least performed composers of the Baroque, and his son Domenico. Biographer Roberto Pagano examines their lives within the context of seventeenth-century Sicilian culture and in doing so, draws upon new documentation concerning their lives and careers. A masterpiece of original bibliographic scholarship, there is clear distinction between authenticated sources and Pagano's own insightful speculation. "Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti" is a seminal work and enthusiastically recommended for academic library European Music History and Biography collections.

Dreaming the Mississippi
Katherine Fisher
University of Missouri Press
2910 LeMone Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201
0826216862 $18.95

Written by National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium consultant Katherine Fisher, Dreaming the Mississippi is part memoir, part cultural reflection, part celebration of the mighty Mississippi. From the author's daily life in a house so close to the Mississippi banks that each spring she must open her basement doors to accept the regular floods, to tongue-in-cheek accounts of river rats and towboat pilots, to tales of desperate sandbagging against unruly flood tides, river hangouts, choice waterfront taverns, and more. A chapter especially devoted to the river's mouth considers not only the natural gulf itself, but the gulf as a metaphor for the gulf between engineers and naturalists, America's haves and its have-nots. A handful of black-and-white photographs, and somber reflections upon the outcome to Hurricane Katrina's wrath round out this reverent reflection upon not only the celebrated Mississippi, but also humankind's inextricable bond to the natural world.

Love Notes and Letters
Marie-Catherine Desjardins (Madame de Villedieu), author
Roxanne Decker Lalande, translator and editor
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
c/o Associated University Presses
2010 Eastpark Boulevard, Cranbury, NJ 08512
0838640702 $36.00 www.fdu.edu/newspubs/fdupress.html

Written by Marie-Catherine Desjardins and translated by Roxanne Decker Lalande, Love Notes and Letters is the first English translation of two works by 17th-century French writer Marie-Catherine Desjardins, better known as Madame de Villedieu. The first, "Love Notes and Letters", was a collection of her most intimate letters to her lover, Antoine de Villedieu, and the second, "The Letter Case", was an epistolary novel constructed as a set of ten letters from the Marquis de Naumanoir to a nobleman in the provinces, which lightheartedly discuss the romantic misadventures of various Parisian socialites. A lengthy introduction, bibliography, and index supplement these brief yet vibrant writings of classic erotica and mirth.


The Education Shelf

Workplace Learning
Robert W. Rowden, Ph.D.
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
1575242680 $26.50 www.krieger-publishing.com 1-800-724-0025

Author Robert W. Rowden, Ph.D., applies his numerous credentials, including his service to Mercer University-Atlanta as an Associate Professor of Human Resources/Management, in Workplace Learning: Principles and Practice, an in-depth exploration of learning in the workplace written especially for HRD practitioners and adult educators in the dynamic modern world. Designed to help trainers and adult educators of all experience levels develop workplaces that foster learning, Workplace Learning covers environmental factors, individual and group dimensions of workplace learning, how to move from training to workplace learning, the future of workplace learning, and more. A point-by-point analysis that combines theory with gathered data and years of practical experience, Workplace Learning is a useful resource especially for trainers and adult educators in fields such as computer science and cutting-edge medicine, that are constantly being reinvented and transformed by the latest modern discoveries.

Teaching Adolescent Writers
Kelly Gallagher
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B, Portland, ME 04101-3451
1571104224, $20.00 www.stenhouse.com 1-800-988-9812

In "Teaching Adolescent Writers", author and academician Kelly Gallagher draws upon his many years of expertise as a full-time English teacher at Magnolia High School in Anaheim, California, to show novice classroom instructors how to teach their students to write effectively. Gallagher offers classroom tested strategies for helping teachers to understand the importance of teaching writing, motivate their students to develop and improve their writing skills, model effective writing using the teacher's own compositions and real-world texts, provide alternatives and choice within the framework of a rigorous curriculum, help their students recognize the importance of purpose and audience with respect to their writing efforts, and how to assess essays in ways that produce better writing performance. Infused with humor and enhanced with illustrative anecdotes, "Teaching Adolescent Writers" is an ideal addition to college and university curriculums for aspiring English teachers.

Assessing Organizational Performance in Higher Education
Barbara A. Miller, Ph.D.
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
111 River Street, 4th floor, Hoboken, NJ 07030
0787986402 $40.00 www.josseybass.com

Written by college and university organizational development consultant Barbara A. Miller, Assessing Organizational Performance in Higher Education is a guide especially for leaders in higher education, offering a tested and proven model for integrating and expanding assessment practices that give a genuinely accurate picture of organizational successes, strengths, and weaknesses. Chapters discuss both internal and external elements in organizations as systems, practical assessment methods and terminology, how to define and measure organizational performance, how to create and maintain reliable assessment programs, and more. Black-and-white charts and tables help clarify the points and procedures spelled out in straightforward, readily accessible terms, in this excellent resource for garnering the necessary information to optimize institutional educational performance.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Jesus' Family Values
Deirdre Good
Seabury Books
445 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
1596270276 $15.00

Written by Professor of New Testament (The General Theological Seminary, New York City) Deirdre Good, Jesus' Family Values is a rigorously scholarly examination of exactly what "family values" and dimensions of the family were in the days of Jesus Christ and the apostles, and precisely what the New Testament has to say - and what it doesn't say - about such matters. Setting scripture in a firm and well-researched historical context, and meticulously noting the nuances of translation as well as which scriptures are considered apocryphal by which churches other factors influencing their interpretation, Jesus' Family Values makes every effort to analytically answer the questions: What were Jesus Christ's family values, and those of his apostles? What does this mean for modern Christians with abiding faith in both God and the importance of family? Of especial note is the keen observation that today's suburban family household divorced from the workplace perhaps resembles Victorian era households more than those of Jesus' time. A desperately needed antidote to proponents of "family values" who quote or misquote snippets of scripture to support specific narrow views, Jesus' Family Values places the highest value of all on truth - and concerning such thorny and controversial topics such as religion, the best way to reach the truth is to offer as much research, evidence, broad-ranging interpretation, and logical means of analysis as reasonably possible and let the reader come to his or her own informed conclusions, precisely as Deirdre Good has done. Highly recommended.

A Life That Says Welcome
Karen Ehman
Revell Books
PO Box 6287,Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0800731395 $12.99 www.revellbooks.com

Written by Hearts at Home speaker Karen Ehman, A Life That Says Welcome: Simple Ways to Open Your Heart & Home to Others is a practical introduction to the art of hospitality. Ad Ehrman explains, the secret of hospitality isn't primarily about how one's home is decorated or maintained, or what dishes are cooked; it's making one's guests feel welcome, and comes straight from the heart. Material matters are of course discussed as well, including the basics of battling clutter, dustballs and dirt; decorating on a shoestring budget; tips for hospitality on the road; and much more. As a devoted Christian, Ehman also shows how to open not only one's home to guests but also how to open one's life and soul as an avenue for God's love. An excellent selection of tips, tricks, and techniques for receiving guests with warmth and spreading joy.

Acting Up In Church
M. K. Boyle
Meriwether Publishing
PO Box 7710
Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7710
1566081092, $15.95 www.meriwether.com

A compilation of forty-five witty sketches by M. K. Boyle (a member of the Christian Writers Guild, and the Drama Director at her church, as well as the founder of Acts One, a youth drama company), each of which offers a fresh take on basic Christian concepts, "Acting Up In Church" utilizes humor to address important (and sometimes controversial) issues in a non-threatening manner that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. These are sketches that feature a contemporary twist ranging from classic Bible stories to marriage retreats. The themes of the individual sketches are readily accessible through three different indexes; Scriptural Index; Theme Index; Scriptural Story Index – which makes it quick and easy to match a sermon topic with a thematically appropriate sketch. Of interest to Christian drama students, "Acting Up In Church" is especially recommended to church school and Sunday School reference and resource collections.

The Work of the Chaplain
Naomi K. Pagnet & Janet R. McCormack
Judson Press
PO Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482
0817014993 $12.00 www.judsonpress.com

Written by Naomi K. Pagnet and Janet R. McCormack, both of whom are board certified with the Association of Professional Chaplains, The Work of the Chaplain is a straightforward and specific guide for the multireligious areas in which chaplains minister. Chaplaincy in the military, prisons, health-care professions, the workplace, and much more are all covered, as well as common "minefields" for anyone in the profession, how to prepare oneself for chaplain work, anecdotes of chaplains seeking to aid those in greatest distress, and much more. An absolute "must-have" for anyone interested in becoming a professional chaplain, and a useful resource of practical and tested advice for practitioners in the field.

Philokalia
Allyne Smith, annotator
G. E. H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Bishop Kallistos Ware, translators
SkyLight Illuminations
Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4, PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
1594731039 $16.99 www.skylightpaths.com

Extensively annotated by Orthodox priest Allyne Smith and skillfully translated by G. E. H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Bishop Kallistos Ware, Philokalia: The Eastern Christian Spiritual Texts, Selections Annotated & Explained is a collection of writings by monks from the fourth to fifteenth centuries, embodying the Eastern Church's interpretation of biblical meaning. Emphasizing mystical and contemplative practices that engage all senses in worship and prayer, Philokalia is wonderfully made fully accessible to professional theologians and lay Christians and spiritualists alike. Each two-page spread contains a passage on the right, and annotations on the left, the better to simplify reference and understanding. An invaluable addition to spirituality and Christian literature shelves, whether as part of a church or home library.

Creation to Revelation
James O. Chatham
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
255 Jefferson Avenue S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503
0802863221 $14.00 www.eerdmans.com

Pastor emeritus James O. Chatham presents Creation to Revelation: A Brief Account oh the Biblical Story, a condensed guide to biblical scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Spelling out the narrative of the Bible in layman's language across twenty-six short segments, Creation to Revelation is meant not to replace the Bible, but to entice the reader to read the Bible with a fuller understanding of what is happening, and improve his or her comprehension of it for the sake of biblical studies and personal understanding of its message. Sample questions for deliberation at the close of each chapter round out this excellent abbreviated survey of the story that scripture has to tell us.

Raising Children in Blended Families
Maxine Marsolini
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, grand Rapids, MI 49501-2607
082543355X $11.99 www.kregel.com

Written by American Association of Christian Counselors member Maxine Marsolini, Raising Children in Blended Families: Helpful Insights, Expert Opinions, and True Stories is a guide especially for Christian parents facing the unique challenges of a blended family and being a stepparent. Presenting testimony both from children affected by divorce or remarriage, and from experts on how best to help children deal with grief or anger, and how to make the adjustments to a new way of living. Raising Children in Blended Families also upholds the role of faith in God and Jesus Christ as a key to finding faith, stability, and nourishment of the soul. An excellent resource that blends equal measures of piety, practicality, testimony and psychology.

Evil and the Justice of God
N. T. Wright
IVP Books
c/o DeChant Hughes & Associates
1440 N. Kingsbury, Chicago, IL 60622
0830833986 $18.00 www.dechathughes.com

Bishop and theologian N. T. Wright presents Evil and the Justice of God, a faith-minded look at the all too real problem of evil in the modern world - child abuse, ethnic cleansing, torture, terrorism, and more. How can the existence God be reconciled with the unarguable presence of such suffering? Is a world in which humanity is delivered from evil possible? Wright puts forth the reasoned philosophy and theology that the problem of evil will only be solved by God's creation of a new world, with new heavens and new earth, and redeemed, renewed human beings ruling over it. Stressing that the continued presence of evil in today's world cannot prevent God's creation of a world free from evil due to the power of forgiveness, intrinsically linked to Jesus Christ's resurrection, Evil and the Justice of God lives up to its title with its measured reasoning supporting Wright's interpretation. Wright also acknowledges the importance of human choices in either becoming part of God's new world, or excluding oneself from it. A thoughtful, serious-minded and deep philosophical on an ancient and perplexing moral quandary.

Psalms Through the Year
Marshall D. Johnson
Augsburg Fortress Publishers
4001 Gantz Road, Suite E, Grove City, OH 43123-1891
0806653329 $14.99 www.augsburgbooks.com 1-800-328-4648

Biblical scholar and pastor Marshall D. Johnson presents Psalms Through the Year: Spiritual Exercises for Every Day, a daily devotional that presents Psalm 1 through Psalm 150 in sequence, distributed among days of the year. Psalms Through the Year is applicable to any calendar year, and each psalm's one-page entry comes with thoughtful contemplation concerning the theological messages, spiritual life lessons, and means to open one's heart to God that are intrinsic to the psalms. A selection of notes and recommendations for further reading round out this excellent resource for reminding oneself daily to honor God.


The Psychology Shelf

Freud & Tragedy
Heinz Politzer, author; Michael Mitchell, translator
Wilhelm W. Hemecker, editor
Ariadne Press
270 Goins Court, Riverside, CA 92507
1572411465 $24.00 www.ariadnebooks.com

Skillfully rendered into English by award-winning translator Michael Mitchell, and now featuring a new introduction, Freud & Tragedy is a classic examination of the father of psychology, Sigmund Freud. Exploring tragedy as a concept critical to Freud's works and life, Freud & Tragedy covers Freud's interpretation of Sophocles and Shakespeare; his relationship with Jung in the dynamic of father-son conflict; his concept of the "death principle"; and much more. In addition to deconstructing the sources of Freud's views on humanity, Freud & Tragedy also honors Freud as a literary author in his own right. A classic, in-depth intellectual psychoanalysis of the first true psychoanalyzer.

Bereavement in Late Life
Robert O. Hansson, Ph.D. & Margaret S. Stroebe, Ph.D.
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE Washington DC 20002
1591474728 $59.95 www.apa.org

Written by Robert O. Hansson, Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma) and Margaret S. Stroebe (Associate Professor of Psychology, Utrecht University, the Netherlands), Bereavement in Late Life: Coping, Adaptation, and Developmental Influences is a serious and scholarly examination of bereavement among older people confronting the loss of loved ones, as well as personal changes in patterns of cognitive and emotional functioning, social integration, loneliness, and financial risk. Bereavement in Late Life offers a critical review of the most recent literature and dominant theories in the field of bereavement psychology, particularly concerning how problematic developmental processes in late life affect the experience and outcome. The conclusions drawn point to the need for a new, more fine-tuned understanding of how the processes of aging and bereavement are interconnected, and can be integrated to provide an improved strategy that takes individual differences into account. Especially recommended for therapists helping elder patients to cope, Bereavement in Late Life is a valuable addition to both college and professional psychology and bereavement therapy reference shelves.

The Structure & Measurement of Intelligence
Hans J. Eysenck
Transaction Books
390 Campus Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873
1412805953 $32.95 www.transactionpub.com

Written by Professor of Psychology (University of London) Hans J. Eysenck, The Structure & Measurement of Intelligence is a scholarly examination of what precisely defines intelligence and how best to quantify it. Originally published in 1979, and now reissued with a new preface by the wife of the late author Sybil B. G. Eyesenck, The Structure & Measurement of Intelligence discusses the controversy as to whether IQ can be trusted to measure intelligence, nature vs. nurture factors determining intelligence ranging from heredity to socio-economic status, sample intellect models and development models, and much more. Charts, graphs, and tables help order the extensive research and data underlying this classic inquisition into psychology's understanding of the human brain and its capacities.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Masters of the World
Rabbi Yonatan Kolatch
KTAV Publishing House Inc.
930 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306
0881259365 $35.00 www.ktav.com

Written by Rabbi Yonatan Kolatch, Masters of the World: Traditional Jewish Bible Commentary from the First Through Tenth Centuries, Volume 1 is an extensive exploration of traditional Jewish Bible commentary. Devoting each weekly Torah portion to the exclusive commentary of a different individual scholar, Masters of the World allows the reader to become familiar with a wide variety of commentators through presenting a significant portion of each one's work. This first volume presents the work of commentators Chazal, Targumim, Zohar, R. Saadia Gaon, the Spanish linguists and the Ba'alei Masorah in chronological order, with forthcoming volumes to represent others. Extensive notes and an index round out this rigorous and scholarly compendium of Judaic theological discussion, especially recommended for religious, Judaic, and Biblical studies shelves.


The Fiction Shelf

Longinus
Steven Maines
iUniverse
10425 Woodbine Street, Suite 11, Los Angeles, CA 90034
0595396178 $16.95 www.stevenmaines.com

Film and television industry veteran Steven Maines presents Longinus: Book I of the Merlin Factor, a novel about the Roman Centurion Longinus who stabbed Jesus Christ as He hung from the cross, inadvertently enshrouding himself and his spear in Biblical legend. Longinus: Book I of the Merlin Factor follows Longinus as he flees Rome, barely escaping the priests who seek to claim the power of the Lance of Longinus for themselves; his love for the prostitute Irena; his mystic studies with the Druids of Gaul; and most fascinating of all, his spiritual awakening through his Druidic studies and the voice of Jesus Christ that he hears from the spear. Told in first person from Longinus' point of view, Longinus: Book I of the Merlin Factor is an unforgettable glimpse of what life and spiritual discovery in the time of Christ could have been like, and nearly impossible to put down.

All Men Are Brothers
Shi Napan & Luo Guanzhong
Pearl S. Buck, translator
Moyer Bell
459 Old North Road, Kingston, RI 02881
1559213035, $19.95 www.moyerbellbooks.com 1-888-789-1945

Originally published as two 700-page volumes, Pearl S. Buck's translation of Shi Napan (1290-1365) and Luo Guanzhong's (1330-1400) Chinese martial arts novel "All Men Are Brothers" is now available in a new single volume edition from Moyer Bell. This 600 year-old epic tale of a band of patriots in the latter part of the Sung Dynasty is the story of a band of 108 outlaws 9105 men and 3 women) who struggle to help the Emperor rid himself of a despotic prime minister. Also involved in this work of classical Chinese fiction are ghosts, innkeepers who augment their groceries with the bodies of their guests, giants with superhuman strength, lovely ladies in distress, wily intellectuals, crafty merchants, and more! A sage replete with sorcery, action, beats, demons, and heroes, "All Men Are Brothers" is a terrific read from beginning to end and a very highly recommended addition to academic and community library collections!

Southern Cross
LaVetia Poole
American Literary Press
8019 Belair Road, Suite 10, Baltimore, MD 21236
156167740X $12.95 www.americanliterarypress.com 1-800-873-2003

"Southern Cross" is a delightfully entertaining contemporary romance by LaVetia Poole, a gifted writer who deftly blends urban sophistication with a touch of Southern charm. The story is about Aquila Sutton, a dedicated career woman with no time for the distractions of romance – until the day a chance encounter turns her life upside down. Very highly recommended reading and an excellent addition to community library fiction collections, "Southern Cross" is enhanced with a roster of memorable characters who add substance to what is a raging contemporary romance that leads down a problematic road to an emotionally satisfying resolution.


The American History Shelf

Broken Trust
Samuel P. King & Randall W. Roth
University of Hawaii Press
2840 Kolowalu Street, Honolulu, HI 96822
www.uhpress.hawaii.edu 1-888-847-7377
082483044X $26.00 www.brokentrustbook.com

Written by district court judge Samuel P. King and law teacher Randall W. Roth, Broken Trust: Greed, Mismanagement & Political Manipulation at America's Largest Charitable Trust is the true story of greed, corruption, and mismanagement that plagued the "nation's wealthiest charity" according to the Wall Street Journal circa 1995 - the Bishop Estate, legacy of Hawaiian Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who created the trust to maintain the educational institution of Kamehamea Schools and therefore benefit the children of Hawaii. In August 1997, four respected leaders of the native Hawaiian community and a professor of trust law publically accused the Bishop Estate's trustees with gross incompetence and severe trust abuse, to the point of being criminal, in a statement titled "Broken Trust". Now Broken Trust: Greed, Mismanagement & Political Manipulation gathers never-before-public information concerning the entire sordid matter, especially highlighting how corruption flourished in the legislature, courts, and legal profession, and how the media and the native Hawaiian community neglected to take a stand against it - virtually the opposite; the community would often be coaxed into protesting attempts to reform the trust or limit the power of the trustees. Broken Trust is not only a case study, but also offers larger lessons about the dangers of unchecked power and civil responsibility, and is very highly recommended reading for American and Hawaiian history shelves in public, college, and private libraries alike.

A Chicago Tavern
Rick Kogan
Lake Claremont Press
PO Box 25291, Chicago IL 60625
1893121496 $10.00 www.lakeclaremont.com

WGN radio personality and Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Kogan presents A Chicago Tavern: A Goat, A Curse, and the American Dream, the true story of a baby goat who fell off a truck in 1934, hobbled into a tavern owned by Greek immigrant William Sianis, and became a Chicago icon. Known as The Billy Goat Inn, Sianis' tavern gained a lasting reputation as the leisure pub of choice for newspaper reporters, policemen, politicians, and more. But did Billy put a jinx on the Cubs? After Billy and one of his goats were prohibited from entering Wrigley Field during the 1945 World Series, the Cubs eventually lost to Detroit - and kept on losing. Today the single tavern has become a prosperous chain of seven, including one in Washington, D.C.; A Chicago Tavern acutely on the folklore, daily life, humorous anecdotes, and more revolving around the classy establishment that started the legend. Numerous vintage black-and-white photographs add a you-are-there touch to this history of a beloved Chicago hangout.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Health Care on Less Than You Think
Fred Brock
Times Books
c/o Henry Holt and Company LLC
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
0805079807 $15.00 www.henryholt.com

Written by New York Times contributor Fred Brock, Health Care on Less Than You Think: The New York Times Guide to Getting Affordable Coverage is a one-stop guide to reducing health-care costs while remaining as covered as possible. Chapters cover basic steps anyone can take to improve their health and therefore protect their budget, how to decipher the fine print of one's insurance policy, the increasing modern trend of shifting risk and health insurance payments from the corporation to the individual (without a corresponding increase in individual real wages!), guidelines for effectively weighing the pros and cons of all the different available options, and much more. An absolute "must-have" especially for anyone anticipating retirement, and a valuable money-saving resource for everyone else.


The Nautical Shelf

The Last Schoonerman
Joe Russell
Nautical Publishing Company
1227 South Florida Avenue, Rockledge, FL 32955
0978935004 $24.95 www.nauticalpublishing.com

Author Joe Russell spent over two years working with and gathering stories from Captain Lou Kennedy's family prior to penning The Last Schoonerman: The Remarkable Life of Captain Lou Kennedy, a biography that reads like an exciting nautical adventure. The ten vessels that Kennedy owned and skippered highlighted his remarkable life; chapters tell how Kennedy dared to leave college in 1918 to live on his own terms, used sail-only "tern" schooners to deliver freight up and down the eastern seaboard from the Nova Scotia to the Caribbean until nearly the 1950s, and continued to pursue his passion for sailing schooners until his passing in 1991. An enthralling story about a schoonerman who spurned excessive changes in modern boats and defiantly remained passionate about the type of vessel he loved, until he was almost literally the last of his breed. An enjoyable read for armchair travelers and nautical enthusiasts alike.


The Poetry Shelf

The Republic of Poetry
Martin Espada
W. W. Norton Company Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
0393062562 $23.95 www.wwnorton.com

The eighth poetry collection by editor, translator, creative writing teacher, and award-winning poet Martin Espada, The Republic of Poetry speaks to the collective power of history, imagination, miracles, justice, and redemption. The first part of the anthology consists of poems speaking to the heart of Chile, once under the harsh heel of the 1973 military coup, now growing as a democracy; the second part is a series of elegies written to poets; and the third and final part consists of powerful anti-war poetry. Written with passion, and scorn toward tyrants, The Republic of Poetry is an unforgettable, immersive experience and highly rewarding reading. "Black Islands (for Dario)": At Isla Negra, / between Neruda's tomb / and the anchor in the garden, / a man with stonecutter's hands / lifted up his boy of five / so the boy's eyes could search mine. / The boy's eyes were black olives. / "Son," the father said, "this is a poet, / like Pablo Neruda." / The boy's eyes were black glass. / "My son is called Dario, for the poet of Nicaragua," / the father said. / The boy's eyes were black stones. / The boy said nothing, / searching my face for poetry, / searching my eyes for his own eyes. / The boy's eyes were black islands.

The Architecture Of Language
Quincy Troupe
Coffee House Press
27 North Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401
1566891906 $15.00 www.coffeehousepress.org 1-800-283-3572

Quincy Troupe's enthusiastically recommended poetry comprising "The Architecture Of Language" is in the tradition of such American luminaries as Walt Whitman and has as a principle focus how diverse ethnic cultural histories have contributed to and helped to influence America. Troupe draws his inspiration from such diverse elements as art, music, literature, politics, and even sports in verse that is free from cliched rhetoric and staid constructions, infusing his images with energy, vibrancy, and lyrical phrasing. 'The Signatures of Time': binding signatures of time are fading footprints/tracking across wind blown desert floors,//newspapers whipping down cold, empty streets/split apart, become wings sailing light stingrays/swimming through wash of an emerald sea,//history is moments gleaned from unsorted stacks/holding facts, voices steamed clean as mussels/on a plat, disintegrating on worn tapes,/splintering on spools in old tape recorders,//like photos fading out in yellowing newspapers

The Miniature Room
Rebecca Dunham
Truman State University Press
100 East Normal Street, Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
1931112622 $15.95 http://tsup.truman.edu 1-800-916-6802

A beautifully published and enthusiastically recommended collection of poetry by Rebecca Dunham, "The Miniature Room" showcases a true poetic talent and skilled wordsmith able to lyrically evoke detailed images that include an impressive diversity of concepts and a full range of emotional responses. 'The Tempest': Clouds orchard the sky, dangle/flush globes overhead. The storm/has not passed. There is no/rest, I know, just my son's cry//splintering the silence. A flash/both serpentine & bright./If sleep's slick waters could slip/their banks & cover me//like a sheet. If the telephones, tea/kettle, even the raspong green/sofa's slipcovered twill could be/quieted. Below the water's purled//surface, a stillness pours. Please./This, the uninhabited moment.

Everything Preserved
Landis Everson
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
1555974538 $15.00 www.graywolfpress.org 1-651-641-0077

"Everything Preserved" is a collection of poems by Landis Everson which were composed between 1955 and 1960, then supplemented by poems written between 2003 and 2005. A significant figure of the Berkeley Renaissance in the 1940s and 1950s, Everson was one of those who rebelled agists the strictures of formalism in bringing his word painted images to paper. Receiving the Emily Dickinson First Book Award from the Poetry Foundation, "Everything Preserved" is highly recommended and rewarding reading and an important addition to academic library American Poetry Studies reference collections. 'Landscape with Deer': The forest I step in has to be imaginary./Can you imagine me following you otherwise,/me a non-trail blazer? Even the deer/large-eyed, tawny with twitching tails/were misplaced from the zoo. Do you//wonder, when you hear the mountains/in my speech that I'll never penetrate those trees/because they have become real to me,/and why I shake so in retreat/fearing the snowdrifts, the avalanches, the/broken landscapes that have made you unreachable, a fable to tell to deer/before thy learn old ways to be wild.

Only the Senses Sleep
Wayne Miller
Western Michigan University
1903 Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5331
1930974655 $14.00 www.wmich.edu

Award-winning poet Wayne Miller presents Only the Senses Sleep, a compilation of free-verse poems revolving around the theme of night. From the quiet that pervades a nighttime apartment to silent snowfalls and the ferocity of an ice storm, Only the Senses Sleep sublimely captures a wide range of environmental experiences in the dark that pervade the corners of human consciousness. "November Wind": Immured here / by infinitely minute and endlessly exact details - // Air ink-rolls the water, where far off / a trawler's anchored by a cloudlike net. // A curtain blows through a window, / gray (damp) along the bottom lace. // Cars in the street like hollowed cells, / their passengers naming certain stops // arrivals. To name these arrivals - / a ship, a curtain a face - your soul trailing // like a net. The ice wind cuts through. / Yes, to speak it now, and thus absolve it // like a read word. Or else there's no wind, / just the whipping of your shirt.


The Travel Shelf

A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland
Tom Richards
Storylines Entertainment Ltd.
Irish Books and Media Inc
1433 Franklin Avenue East, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2101
0955021200 $17.95 www.irishbook.com

Written by Tom Richards, an American who has lived in Ireland since 1982, A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland: A Funny, Insightful Book for Those Wanting to Survive Ireland Like the Irish Do lives up to its title with equal doses of practical advice, tips for coping with culture shock, and mirthful humor. A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland is not a tourist guide per se, and doesn't have the many maps, hotel and restaurant recommendations, etc. that guides meant for vacationers do. Instead, A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland is a text-heavy account of how to purchase a place to live in Ireland, how to seek a career or become an entrepreneur, how to live frugally, an introduction to Irish holidays, a short dictionary of Irish slang and phrases (English and Gaelic are both official languages of Ireland, and nearly everyone there speaks English, so the language barrier is less of a problem for an expatriate), and plenty of sensible advice such as "Despite Everything You'll be Criticized [by both Americans and Irish!] so Get Used to It". An absolute "must-have" for everyone considering living abroad in Ireland.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The New Medicine Book
Ronald Blumer & Muffie Meyer
Atlas Books
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
097782991X $14.95 www.atlasbooks.com 1-800-BOOKLOG

Co-written by documentary film makers Ronald Blumer and Muffie Meyer to accompany their popular Public Television series 'The New Medicine' (hosted by Dana Reeve, the widow of Christopher Reave prior to her own death), This 120-page paperback features in-depth interviews with physicians and academicians drawn from leading medical schools and medical clinics from across the country. Here is a methodical and informative presentation of what medical science has discovered with respect to the influence our mental and emotional state has upon our physical health. "The New Medicine" presents a compelling case for physicians treating the whole person with an illness, and not just the illness alone, if true healing is to occur with maximum efficiency and efficacy. "The New Medicine" is very highly recommended reading for all members of the medical community and is especially accessible for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in their own health and well-being.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Floating Alaska!
Don Crane
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
157188338X $15.95 www.amatobooks.com

"Floating Alaska!: Planning Self-Guided Fishing Expeditions" is an enthusiastically recommended, step-by-step planning guide for a do-it-yourself excursion to fishing the waters of Alaska. Expert angler and trip-planner Don Crane covers such issues as preparing for the trip, the appropriate gear to include, camping, food, fishing, the wildlife, resources, services, and a great deal more. Practical, comprehensive, 'user friendly', "Floating Alaska!" will insure a productive, inexpensive, well organized, and thoroughly enjoyable fishing trip to Alaska. Incidently, much of Crane's sage advice and practical instructions would apply to planning a fishing trip to anywhere else in the country!


The Library DVD Shelf

A Prairie Home Collection
Garrison Keillor
Highbridge Audio Books
201 Sixth Street SE, Suite 220, Minneapolis, MN 55414
1598870637 $34.95 www.highbridgeaudio.com 1-800-755-8532

The Prairie Home Companion is one of National Public Radio's most popular and entertaining weekly programs. Now some of the truly great moments from the show are brought together in "A Prairie Home Collection", a three volume DVD set that highlights the best of special guests and Garrison Keillor as they make music, tell jokes, and, of course, relate the latest news from the characters that inhabit Lake Wobegon. Showcased guests include Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Leo Kottke, Doc Watson, Bobby McFerrin, The Everly Brothers, Taj Mahal, Robin and Linda Williams. Simply stated, "A Prairie Home Collection" is a "must" for Garrison Keillor's legions of fans, especially those who appreciate a legendary Midwest community where the "all the children are above average"! Total Time: 3 hours

Vision Video
PO Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490-0540
www.visionvideo.com 1-800-523-0226

Vision Video is the premier producer of Christian videos. Two of their newest DVD titles are particularly impressive and very highly recommended for the non-specialist general viewer. "Behold the Man" (#501055D, $19.99) is narrated by British theologian Michael Green who is joined by Israel-based American scholar Steven Notley and author Jacob van Bruggen to presents a 43 minute, full color documentary on the history, literature, and archeology relevant to the life and claims of Jesus Christ and specifically addresses the fundamental questions as to the existence of Jesus in the opening decades of the first century, was Jesus more than merely human, and the resurrection of Jesus an actual event. "Overlord: A Might Host" (#501057D, $19.99) is a 58 minute, full color documentary focused on the events of June 6, 1944 during the greatest military operation in the history of recorded human warfare. This was the landing of more than 150,000 Allied troops on the beaches of northern France against the fierce opposition of the German military. Before the battle of Normandy was over in late August, these allied troops would have experienced heavy casualties as the Germans were experiencing the beginning of the end of their wars of conquest. The story is presented from the viewpoint of the soldiers, sailors and paratroopers who were involved in the invasion and the lives of these men who survived that extraordinarily lethal conflict undertaking against a foe that would be infamous for their determined and premeditated mass slaughter of Jews, Christians, Gays, Gypsies, and political opponents. Both of these outstanding documentaries are flawlessly produced, informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, and important additions to personal and community library DVD collections.


The Art Shelf

Charles Munch Dreaming In Color
Charles Munch
Trails Books
923 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703
1879483963 $19.95 www.trailsbooks.com 1-800-236-8088

Charles Munch is a Wisconsin artist whose paintings have as their themes imaginary landscapes in which humans, animals, and the elements combine in iconic and mysterious ways. "Charles Munch Dreaming In Color: Paintings 1971-2006" draws from a retrospective exhibit at the Fairfield Center for Contemporary Art in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and showcases the best of his work. Enhanced with an informed and informative essays by Jody Clowes and Richard Ely, and featuring full color reproductions of sixty of his best paintings, "Charles Munch Dreaming In Color" is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library 20th Century American Art History collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook
Amrita Sondhi
Arsenal Pulp Press
1014 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 2W9
1551522047 $22.95 www.arsenalpulp.com

"The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook: Healthful, Healing Recipes for Life" by Amrita Sondhi is a compendium of 250 culinary recipes showcasing Indian cuisine. These delicious dishes are provided with clear and 'kitchen cook friendly' instructions for turning out meals that are as nutritious as they are palate pleasing. Of special note are the included appendices: 'Seasons of the Year', "Menu Plans', Cleanses', 'Yoga Poses for the Doshas', 'Alternative Ayurvedic Therapies', and 'Food Guidlines for Basic Constitutional Types'. From Fresh Fruit Salad with Yogurt & Flax Seeds; to Vegetable Samosas; to Tea Party Channa Bateta, to Cinnamon & Sweet Warm Almond Milk, "The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook" will make a welcome and impressive addition to personal and community cookbook collections – and prove to be of very special interest for dedicated students of Indian cooking, holistic health, yoga, and Ayurvidics.

Nuts: Pistachio, Pecan & Pinon
Gwin Grogan Grimes
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
1887896872 $12.95 www.rionuevo.com

The lowly nut is not only a terrific source of tasty nutrition, it is a surprisingly versatile ingredient in a number of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, culinary dishes that would grace any table and add to any dining occasion. "Nuts: Pistachio, Pecan & Pinon" by professional food writer and former restaurant reviewer Gwin Grogan Grimes specifically focuses on three western nuts: the smooth pistachio, the woodsy pecan, and the mild but flavorful pinon. Fifty flavorful, easy-to-do, step-by-step recipes truly showcase what these three nuts can do. From a Bleu-Pistachio Cheese Spread; to a Toasted Pecan and Asparagus Pasta; to a Pinon-Garlic Spinach, "Nuts" offers a unique and welcome contribution to personal and community library gourmet cookbook collections! Also very highly recommended from Nio Nuevo Publishers are the other seven cookbooks comprising their 'Cook West' series: "Citrus Essentials; Elegant Olive; Chile Aphrodisia; Cilantro Secrets; Gorgeous Garlic; Absolutely Avocado; and !Mole!.

Happy Holidays From The Diva Of Do-Ahead
Diane Phillips
Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118
155832321X $14.95 www.harvardcommonpress.com 1-888-657-3755

In "Happy Holidays From The Diva Of Do-Ahead: A Year Of Feasts To Celebrate With Family And Friends", author, chef, and caterer, Diane Phillips draws upon her more than twenty years of professional experience and expertise to compile a compendium of recipes and ideas for twelve full holiday menus for superbly prepared gourmet meals. Each individual meal menu is broken down into step-by-step preparations that can be easily accomplished in manageable stages days, weeks, and even a month or more ahead of time – all without sacrificing quality in appearance, nutrition or taste! For each menu "Happy Holidays From The Diva Of Do-Ahead" provides the kitchen cook with a helpful countdown, a list of items to have on hand, instructions on economically finding what is needed, as well as 'Diva Tips' on substitutions, decorating and presentation. From a New Year's Eve Party and a Morning-After Brunch, to Memorial Day Picnic, to a Halloween party for All Ages, "Happy Holidays From The Diva Of Do-Ahead" is a unique, 'user friendly', and welcome addition to any family or community library cookbook collection!


The Needlecraft Shelf

Victorian Lace Today
Jane Sowerby
XRX Books
c/o Independent Publishers Group
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
1933064072 $29.95 www.xix-inc.com www.ipgbook.com 1-800-888-4741

Deftly edited by Elaine Rowley and enhanced by the photography of Alexis Xenakis, "Victorian Lace Today" by needlecraft expert Jane Sowerby blends the history, mystery, and hands-on techniques of Victorian era lace. From the beginning of lace patterns from basic edgings, to the sophistication of lace patterns employed with the making of scarves, shawls, capes, and fichus, "Victorian Lace Today" offers comprehensive descriptions of the tools and techniques of lace knitting suitable for the beginning novice, with sufficient expertise and information to interest the more experienced knitter. A profusely illustrated compendium of vintage ideas and patterns, "Victorian Lace Today" is a confidently recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft reference collections.


The Gardening Shelf

Gardens In Time
Alain Le Toquin & Jacques Bosser
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
0810930927 $60.00 www.abramsbooks.com 1-800-759-0190

Alain Le Toquin is one of the foremost nature photographers of France. Jacques Bosser is a writer and translator of more than forty books on architecture, design, and photography. Together, Toquin and Bosser have collaborated in their highly recommended coffee table book, "Gardens In Time", to provide a showcase compendium of almost 130 gardens drawn from twenty different countries in a photo documentary that is nothing short of extraordinary. Ranging from the Roman gardens at Hadrian's villa, to the late 16th century gardens of Castello Ruspoli in Italy, to the 17th century topiary gardens of Levens Hall in Kendal, Great Britain, to the 19th century gardens of Claude Monet at Giverny, to the work of such contemporary landscape gardeners as Fernando Caruncho, the Wirtzes, and Robert Irwin, "Gardens In Time" takes the reader on a brilliant and visually impressive tour. Whether it's a rooftop garden in Paris, or a Japanese garden in Kyoto, or the Tacaruna garden in Petropolis, Brazil, "Gardens In Time" is a dream tour that will provide inspiration for both amateur home gardeners and professional landscapers alike!


The Martial Arts Shelf

Combat Fitness For The Elite Female Martial Artist
Martina Sprague
Wish Publishing
PO Box 10337, Terre haute, IN 47801
1930546815 $20.00 www.wishpublishing.com

Martial arts training for women must take into consideration their physiological differences from men including being an average of 20% smaller than men, have less upper body strength, and often must overcome social conditioning afforded women that can have an inhibiting influence on their engaging in physical combat. A welcome addition to any personal, professional, or dojo Martial Arts reference collection, "Combat Fitness For The Elite Female Martial Artist" focuses specifically on the martial arts training needs of women needing to deal with real life situations requiring them to protect themselves and their loved ones from physical attack. Martial art expert Marrina Sprague draws upon her many years of experience and expertise (having achieved Black Belt status in Kenpo karate, kickboxing, and street freestyle fighting) to take women through a rigorous and effective step-by-step instruction process to develop their physical strength and stamina, hit hard and grip strong, acquire a winning attitude, press their attack against an opponent or adversary, and control counterattacks. Of special note are the chapters devoted to diverse kinds of failure, pain, gross vs. fine motor skills, 'fight or flight', finishing a fight, and exit strategies. Women wanting to train themselves to be able to defend themselves in all manner of situations and wherever they may arise, should give Martina Sprague's "Combat Fitness For The Elite Female Martial Artist" a careful reading.


The World History Shelf

The Siege Of Vienna
John Stoye
Pegasus Books
45 Wall Street, Suite 1021, New York, NY 10005
1933648147 $24.00 www.pegasusbooks.us

The siege by the Islamic Turks of the Christian city of Vienna in 1683 was a watershed incident in European history. Had the Turks been successful, there well might have been no Christian Europe to dominate the world stage for the next 500 years. Facing that magnitude of threat, European powers that were normally jealous and hostile to one another suppressed their mutual antagonisms to defeat the armies of Islam and their brutal Tartar Allies. The Ottoman empire lost control of half of their European territories which led to the long, slow, decline and inevitable collapse, even as the Hapbsburgs were able to parley the Viennese victory into control of the Balkans and expand their influence into France and the Rhine country. An enthusiastic recommendation for inclusion into both academic and community library World History collections, "The Siege of Vienna: The Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent" by John Stoye (Fellow in Modern History, Magdalen College, Oxford, England) is a superbly presented and accurately detailed account of this pivotal incident between the forces of a militant Islam and the armies of a European Christendom.


The Military Shelf

French Strategic And Tactical Bombardment Forces Of World War I
Rene Martel
Scarecrow Press
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
081085662X $60.00 www.scarecrowpress.com 1-800-462-6420

An impressive body of work, "French Strategic And Tactical Bombardment Forces Of World War I" is an outstanding military history by the team of Rene Martel, Allen Suddaby, and Steven Suddaby. Rene Martel (who served as an observer/bombardier during the conflict) brings a particular expertise to this historical and analytical survey of a particular facet of French military history – the use of aerial bombardment against German forces during World War I. This 461-page study showcases pioneering French efforts in the technology and tactics of bombing enemy forces from the air including the development of aerial bombs, bomb-dropping mechanisms, bombsights, intelligence-based targeting packages, formation flying, night flying and navigation, long-range fighter escorts, and aerial photography for bomb damage assessment. Detailing the men and accomplishments in the rapid evolution of effective aerial bombardment, "French Strategic And Tactical Bombardment Forces Of World War I" is a seminal contribution to academic library Military Studies and Aviation History reference collections.


The Philosophy Shelf

The Implications Of Immanence
Leonard Lawlor
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
0823226549 $20.00 www.fordham.edu 1-800-247-6553

"The Implications Of Immanence: Toward A New Concept of Life" by Leonard Lawlor (Faudree-Hardin University Professor of Philosophy, University of Memphis) draws from postphenomenological French philosophers such as Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, and Foucault, along with Husserl and Heidegger to expound upon a philosophy of life that is in opposition to the concept of 'bio-power' which reduced humanity to a mere biological existence. "The Implications Of Immanence" begins with the current and on-going genocide in Darfur and goes on to provide conceptual tools for such diverse cultural issues as the AIDS epidemic and care for the terminally ill. Professor Lawlor's writings are insightful, articulate, scholastically rigorous, thoughtful and thought-provoking. Also available in a hardcover edition, "The Implications Of Immanence" is a highly recommended addition to personal and academic library Philosophy Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Crafts Shelf

Smart Soapmaking
Anne L. Watson
Shepard Publications
1102 Olympia Avenue NE, #18, Olympia, WA 98506
0938497421 $15.00 www.shepardpub.com

"Smart Soapmaking" is a simple, 'user friendly', step-by-step, quick, safe and reliable instructional guide to making handmade soap the traditional way. After debunking myths about soap and soapmaking, Anne Watson goes on to explain just what soap is and what it consists of, the equipment needed to make it at home, and a methodical process for making soap from preparation to clean-up. Of special note are the variations on basic soap recipes that include two 'all-veggie grocery store soap recipes; a grocery store shortening soap; a non-veggie grocer store soap; an olive palm soap; Aaron's Hazelnut Soap; an almond facial soap, and Anne's Longer-Lasting Soap. "Smart Soapmaking" goes on to show how to design a soap, shaping a bar of soap, and packaging soap. Of special note is the section answering frequently asked questions. In addition to a resource list and an index, author and expert soap maker Anne Watson also offers 'A Few Final Thoughts'. An ideal manual that is as fun as it is informative, "Smart Soapmaking" is a must for anyone who would like to try their hand at this traditional craft!


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Wildlife Of North America
Whit Bronaugh
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
0813030129 $29.95 www.upf.com 1-800-226-3822

"Wildlife Of North America: A naturalist's Lifelist" by Eugene, Oregon based professional nature photographer and writer Whit Bronaugh is an informatively impressive compendium of all 4,000 species of animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish, butterflies, dragonflies, and damselflies to be found in the United States and Canada. This 565-page encyclopedic compilation provides each species with its common and scientific name, conservation status, and even ample space for the reader to record the details of their own sightings of that particular creature. Offering a wealth of up to date information on biodiversity, zoogeography, and taxonomy, Bronaugh has even included extinct species that can be seen in museum collections throughout North America. Offering combining the features of a checklist and journal, "Wildlife Of North America" is especially recommended for zoology students, environmentalists, wildlife enthusiasts, and aspiring naturalists.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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