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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 3, Number 4 April 2008 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Archaeology Shelf Railroading Shelf
Poetry Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Black Studies Shelf
Political Science Shelf Native American Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
World History Shelf American History Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Education Shelf Photography Shelf Gardening Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Genealogy Shelf Psychology Shelf
Biography Shelf Astronomy Shelf Military Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Economics Shelf Literary Shelf Business Shelf
Gaming Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Wisconsin Gardens & Landscape
Mary Lou Santovec & Rick Santovec
Trails Books
c/o Big Earth Publishing
145 North Commercial Street, Suite 100, Neenah, WI 54956
9781931599894, $19.95 www.bigearthpublishing.com 1-800-258-5830

Although best known as the Dairy State because of its historic importance for the production of milk and cheese, Wisconsin is also home to more than one hundred public gardens, memorable landscapes, nature preserves, and impressive plant nurseries. Now for the first time these diverse horticultural sites of interest have been organized into a superlatively illustrated guide book by Madison resident Mary Lou Santovec and her photographing husband Rick. Each of these remarkable Wisconsin horticultural sites comes with complete directions on getting to them, as well as descriptions of what each of them have to offer the visitor. Enhanced with directories of Wisconsin garden and plant clubs, master gardeners, specialty gardens, and so much more, this beautiful guidebook is a 'must' for Wisconsin gardeners, horticulturalist, and naturalists, as well as the non-specialist general reader who would like to enjoy the beauty and diversity of gardening in Wisconsin. This seminal itinerary of Wisconsin horticultural sites is organized geographically into Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast. Each entry also includes an 'info block' description that includes the county, address, phone number, directions, admission fee (if any), access availability hours, and amenities such as the availability of street parking, food, sanitation facilities, etc. Ideal for planning excursions for day-trips, weekend getaways, or vacation travels, "Wisconsin Gardens & Landscapes" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library Wisconsin Travel and Wisconsin Gardening/Horticultural reference collections.

Grandpa Ranney's Stories
Julia Richards Cechvala
Goblin Fern Press
6401 Odana Road, Suite B, Madison, WI 53719
9781595980571, $16.95, www.goblinfernpress.com 1-888-670-2665

After they are gone, how many of us end up wishing that we had had the presence of mind to record those long-ago conversations with our grandparents when they would tell us stories of their own lives and times, hardships and accomplishments, the places they'd been to and the people they'd met. A journalist by training and inclination, Julia Richards Cechvala did exactly that and compiled the stories her octogenarian grandfather told her about his history and the history of their ancestors. Here are personal stories of what life for the early settlers of Wisconsin was like, including the heartache of losing a farm during the Great Depression, the difficulties and joys of being a UW-Madison during the 1930s, tales of trials and triumphs, loss and love. Occasionally illustrated with historic black-and-white photos, "Grandpa Ranney's Stories" reads like you were sitting in the room across from an articulate, thoughtful, humorous man whose intrinsically interesting memoir showcased an ordinary life lived through extraordinary times. From beginning to end, "Grandpa Ranney's Stories" is a fascinating and highly recommended read -- and would well serve as a template for others to record the life stories of their own aging kinfolk while they are till here to tell them.

Wisconsin Cheese
Martin Hintz & Pam Percy
The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762744893, $16.95 www.globepequot.com 1-800-243-0495

Long known as America's 'Dairy State', Wisconsin has a long and distinguished history of cheese making that includes such standards as cheddar, blue, and Swiss, as well as specialty cheeses. The collaborative work of dedicated Wisconsin cheese enthusiasts Martin Hintz and Pam Percy (who reside on five acres in suburban Milwaukee where they raise two Saanen dairy goats, raise vegetables, chicken and quality, in addition to writing books and articles on travel, history, and food), "Wisconsin Cheese: A Cookbook And Guide To The Cheeses Of Wisconsin" is a 272-page celebration of Wisconsin's contribution to cheesemaking, including more than 100 thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes showcasing the nutrition, flavors, and diversities of cheese. From Milk Chocolate Cheesecake; Wisconsin Cheddar Scones with Smoked Turkey; and Open-Faced Sandwich Layered with Wisconsin Baby Swiss, Eggplant, and Peppers; to Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Warm Goat Cheese Rounds; Morels and Eggs 'En Cocotte' with Parmesan Cheese; and Corn-Stuffed Tomatoes with Wisconsin Muenster Cheese, "Wisconsin Cheese" is a series of culinary celebrations that will satisfy any appetite and please any palate. Of special note is the section devoted to 'The Great Wisconsin Cheeseburger' (especially the recipe for Wisconsin Turkey Pizza Burger!). Enhanced with black-and-white photography and historical info bits about Wisconsin cheesemakers, "Wisconsin Cheese" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to Wisconsin community library cookbook collections in general, and cheese lover culinary reference shelves in particular!


The Archaeology Shelf

Crossing the Borders
Corinne L. Hofman, et al.
The University of Alabama Press
PO Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
9780817354534, $39.95 www.uapress.ua.edu 1-800-621-2736

Collaborative compiled and edited by the team of Corinne L. Hofman, Menno L.P. Hoogland, and Annelou L. van Gijn, Crossing the Borders: New Methods and Techniques in the Study of Archaeological Materials from the Caribbean is an anthology of essays by a diverse array of global experts concerning the latest methodologies and techniques applied to the study of archaeological materials from the Caribbean. Individual studies discuss the advantages and disadvantages of specific, newly created techniques, and each new approach is exemplified with a case study. A straightforward narrative historical background of the study of Caribbean archaeological materials is also provided, for quick and easy reference. An index enhances this extensively researched, in-depth, up-to-date guide, enthusiastically recommended for Caribbean studies and college library shelves.


The Railroading Shelf

Milwaukee Road
P. A. Letourneau, editor
Iconografix
PO Box 609, Osceola, WI 54020
Voyageur Press (distributor)
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101
1882256611, $29.95 www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-289-3504

Railroads were a fundamental foundation for the growth and prosperity of virtually all major American Midwestern cities. Wisconsin's Milwaukee was no exception. Compiled, captioned, and informatively introduced by railroad enthusiast P. A. Letourneau, "Milwauke Road: 1850-1960 Photo Archive" is an impressive, 150-page compilation of historic black-and-white photographs drawn from the collection of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Originally conceived in 1847 as a twenty-mile route, the Milwaukee Road began as the Milwaukee and Waukesha Rail Road, which in 1849 was extended further to service Madison -- the Wisconsin State capital, then beyond to the Mississippi River. The historic photographs of the steam, electric, and diesel engines, railway workers, line construction, depots and shops spanning 110 years of operation is inherently fascinating and will prove to be of immense interest for railroad buffs and students of 19th and 20th century Wisconsin history. Railroad enthusiasts, as well as librarians seeking to expand their railroading history collections in general, and Wisconsin railroading history sections in particular would be well advised to contact Iconografix for a complete list of their many unique and specialized railroading titles.

The Model Railroader's Guide to Logging Railroads
Matt Coleman
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780890247020, $18.95 www.kalmbachbooks.com 1-800-533-6644

One of the country's most popular hobbies, model railroading appeals to railroad buffs and enthusiasts from 8 to 80! Kalmbach Books is a premier publisher of model railroading books and among their newest releases is Matt Coleman's "The Model Railroader's Guide to Logging Railroads", an informed and informative compendium enhanced more than 150 photos and diagrams that illustrate how modelers can make accurate models based on information and tips regarding logging camps and structures, sawmills and log ponds, rolling stock, skeleton cars, the loading and unloading of log trains, track planning for logging lines, and geared steam locomotives. "The Model Railroader's Guide to Logging Railroads" is recommended to the attention of all railroad buffs whether or not they are engaged in railroad modeling. Also very highly recommended from the Kalmbach Publishing Company for railroading enthusiasts is "Modeling The '50s: The Glory Years Of Rail" (9780890247181, $19.95), a compilation of articles published in Model Railroad magazine and providing readers and railroad modelers with a wealth of historical information and photos covering steam and diesel locomotives, freight cars, passenger equipment and trackside details.

The Montana Rail Link
Pentrex
2652 East Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA 91107
156342195X, $29.95 www.pentrex.com 1-800-950-9333

Pentrex is the premier producer of railroad DVDs, each of which is characterized by flawless production values, Hi-fi sound, an informative narration, and 'Chapter Menus'. One of their newest releases is "The Montana Rail Link", a one hour and ten minute, full color, 1990 tour of the rails traversing Montana's 'Big Sky' country. One of the nation's newest regional railroads, the Montana Rail Link crosses the rugged and beautiful landscapes of western Montana's Rock Mountain country in high tonnage trains. The impressive footage includes what these trains must deal with from the MRL trackage from the eastern starting point of Jones Junction to the western end of the line at Sandpoiknt, Idaho. Originally released in a VHS format some eighteen years earlier, this new DVD edition is simply packed with action and information, making it enthusiastically recommended viewing for all railroad buffs, as well as a welcome addition to personal and community library Railroading History collections. Also very highly recommended are several other new DVD releases from Pentrex including "The Ultimate Cajun Subdivision" (1563422247, $39.95); "Today's Illinois Central: North" (1563422212, $29.95); and Today's Illinois Central: South" (1563422220, $29.95). Railroad enthusiasts and community librarians seeking to expand and update their Railroad History collections would be well advised to visit the Pentrex website and request a free copy of their catalog listing all of their superbly produced DVD railroading documentaries.


The Poetry Shelf

Hallelujah Blackout
Alex Lemon
Milkweed Editions
1011 Washington Avenue South, #300, Minneapolis, MN 55415-1246
9781571314314, $15.00 www.milkweed.org 1-800-520-6455

Written by co-editor of "LUNA: A Journal of Poetry and Translation" Alex Lemon, Hallelujah Blackout is a collection of energetic poetry that plays up both the good and the bad of the human condition. Applying a variety of meters, the verses practically shout out their intensity, in this electrically charged reading experience. "Souvenirs from the Unraveling": The owner's manual mother gave me / Taught me everything I needed to know / Up to this point, so I didn't realize / It was too late until they phoned / About organ donation. Then came the dull / Ache of heartburn. Then the parade of mice. / I tried to rid myself of the infestation / By walking miles with a sandwich board. / I wished everyone a terrific stay. Cars passed, horns honked wildly. / Many folks gave me the finger.

The Headless Saints
Myronn Hardy
New Issues Poetry & Prose
c/o Western Michigan University
1903 West Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
9781930974760, $14.00 www.wmich.edu/newissues

Written by award-winning African-American poet Myronn Hardy, The Headless Saints is an anthology of free-verse poetry that memorializes those who survived human cruelty throughout history. Some poems are directly from the perspective of those who survived losing loved ones to invasion and colonization; others address the creation of the first ghetto, or the aftermath of other atrocities committed against people of color. A haunting yet exceptional testimony against the evils of genocide in all its forms. "The Living": White gold crowns on water green / swirls into cobalt light pierces. // Coral broken a heart with exposed / valves arteries veins severed by currents. // Seaweed circles legs but will not pull / another body under. This time it drags // a living man to shore.

Things I Must Have Known
A.B. Spellman
Coffee House Press
27 North Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781566892117, $16.00 www.coffeehousepress.org 1-800-283-3572

The first full-length collection of poetry by African-American jazz commentator A.B. Spellman, Things I Must Have Known is shines with seasoned humor, unforgettable imagery, and compelling rhythm. Truly a work of poetry for music lovers, Things I Must Have Known captures the fleeting moments of audiovisual experience in emotionally expressive verse. "Groovin' Low": my swing is more mellow / these days: not the hardbop drive / i used to roll but more of a cool / foxtrot. my eyes still close / when the rhythm locks; i've learned / to boogie with my feet on the floor / i'm still movin', still groovin' / still fallin' in love

Shedding Skins
Adrian C. Louis, editor
Michigan State University Press
Manly Miles Building, Suite 25,
1405 South Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9780870138232, $15.95 www.msupress.msu.edu

Edited by Lovelock Paiute Tribe member Adrian C. Louis, "Shedding Skins: Four Sioux Poets" collects selected free-verse poems from four Lakota (a.k.a. Sioux) poets -- Trevino L. Brings Plenty, Steve Pacheco, Joel Waters, and Luke Warm Water. Each poet offers his own perspective upon their heritage, legacy, and the difficulties of grappling with modern social issues including homelessness, poverty, urban decay, and depression. A singularly poignant and relevant work of contemporary Native American literature. "It Is Called a Chow Line": I see them every morning / waiting for breakfast / in a line along a building / wrapping around the city block. / Homeless men and women / smoking cigarettes, / nipping at bottles, / wiping rain from brow. / They squat or stand, / then the line moves / into the soup kitchen. / The meal is free. / It is warm inside / as they sit at tables, / swiping S.O.S. with / a flaky biscuit, / and blow before / sipping on their hot coffee. / During the meal / there is laughter, / a small prayer is answered. / They stay as long as they can / until they walk the streets / and sleep somewhere out of the rain.

Kamikaze Commotion
Cathryn Cofell
Parallel Press
372 Memorial Library
728 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
http://parallelpress.library.wisc.edu
9781893311954, $10.00 1-800-636-0071

A well crafted poem can evoke an emotion, engender a reflection, create an atmosphere, generate contemplation, or any combination of these. Cathryn Cofell's poetry as representatively compiled in "Kamizkaze Commotion" are just such examples of what superbly composed and highly recommended free verse can accomplish within the 'theatre of the mind' of her readers. 'The Day Phil Hartman Died': think about getting lost. Staring at a map for solace,/confusing cities with rivers,/backroads with borders.//Think about a battle at breakfast./rising like fat in a stew,/that morning dew of fried meat/lingering for long weeks after.//Think about a broken jaw./Set against what you meant to say,/this loss of words so trivial,/words stuck forever in your teeth.//Think about Jesus with no laugh track./Haunting a silent drafty space,/peeing with the door open,/whole body rigid, cocked for prayer.

Factory of Tears
Valzhyna Mort, author
Elizabeth Oehlkers Wright and Franz Wright, translators
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, Washington 98368
9781556592744, $15.00 www.coppercanyonpress.org

The first ever bilingual Belarusian/English book published in the United States, Factory of Tears is the debut American publication by poet Valzhyna Mort, translated into English by Elizabeth Oehlkers Wright and Pulitzer prize-winning poet Franz Wright. Chronicling the vibrant coming-of-age of an emerging nation, Factory of Tears touches upon the re-emergence of cultural heritage and national identity, and the sometimes contentious fallout from such resurrections. A one-of-a-kind work of passion and insight. "Origin of Tears": tears / this is when / your heart is sweating / in the mine of the thorax / never seeing the sun // do you feel the heart's back aching? / do you feel the heart's chest aching? // tears / this is when / the heart spits in your eyes.

Secular Eden
Harry Clifton
Wake Forest University Press
PO Box 7333, Winston-Salem, NC 27109
9781930630369, $15.95 www.wfu.edu/wfupress

In a time of literarily impoverished general American culture, the art and craft and articulate passion of poetry is alive and well. Harry Clifton's compilation of his poetry published by the Wake Forest University Press, "Secular Eden: Paris Notebooks 1994-2004" is evidence that deftly crafted poetry is still being published and made available to readers who value and appreciate how poetry can best express impressions of the world in which we live. Clifton left his native Ireland to travel the world (like so many other young Irishmen born in the 1950s), eventually to return to a new Ireland that had evolved into a multicultural sophistication unknown just a few decades earlier. Highly recommended and thoughtful reading, "Secular Eden" is a body of his verse that focuses upon his impressions while visiting the legendary capital and diverse people of France with competing and conflicting elements of religious tradition and perspectives of modern secular culture. 'Theft of a Leather Jacket': Theft of a leather jacket, fifty francs/And a set of keys. Report it at the desk--/No need for police, no need for the local bank/To change our in-code. Little risk/In a city of millions, in the small hours,/Of the ultimate stranger, the thief in the night,/A wandering moonbeam, highlights in his hair,/Suddenly standing before us, life a fright/Or an apparition, killing for metro fare/Or conscience money, chemicals or food./For sexual favours, anything we share,/Loving each other, dealing in stolen goods.

Aching For Tomorrow
Frank L. Meyskens, Jr.
Fithian Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel Publishers
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
9781564744685, $14.00 www.danielpublishing.com 1-800-662-8351

Well crafted poetry can stimulate, can sooth, can lift the spirit, can inspire the soul. "Aching For Tomorrow" is a compilation of the poetry of Frank L. Meyskens Jr. who began writing poetry in his third year of medical school as a buffer against the enormous emotional toll initiated by one of his first patient encounters. Two years later he stopped writing poetry thinking that he had advanced enough in his medical career that the emotional solace provided by his poetry writing was no longer needed. The death of one of his patients some thirty years later compelled him to turn again to poetry as an aid in dealing with the impact of terminal cancer on his patients lives -- and the lives of those around them. The result is "Aching For Tomorrow", a collection of powerful free verse poems that are powerful, universal expressions that can benefit us all when we are confronted with the impact of suffering and death in our lives and they lives of those we love. 'Gentile Tears for Hannah Szenes': You did not die in vain sixty years ago/at the age of twenty-three. You did not roll the dice/and lose as you thought you had.//By doing what was right/the tyrant was vanquished/And Jews know a better day/until the next monster appears.//Your still shining face, your bravery, courage, hope/pierce my heart and make me angry that/it is with the blood of the young/that wars are won or lost.

Another World Instead
William Stafford, author
Fred Marchant, editor
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, Saint Paul, MN 55114
9781555974978, $24.00 www.graywolfpress.org 1-651-641-0077

Another World Instead: The Early Poems of William Stafford 1937-1947 is an anthology of vintage free-verse poetry by teacher, award-winning author, and poet William Stafford. The poems have been chosen from Stafford's earlier works by poet, teacher, and former Marine officer (one of the first to be honorably discharged as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War) Fred Marchant. Many of the poems date back to the World War II era; Stafford was a conscientious objector during this time, assigned under penalty of law to work in Civilian Public Service camps, a type of internal exile within his own country. Nearly all the poems in Another World Instead have never before been published - now their tale of a committed pacifist and fledgling poet living in a time of war can be told. Highly recommended. "Fate": More steadfast than a truck / Along a narrow street / A minute looks for you / Until you meet.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

The Art Of Video Production
Leonard Shyless
Sage Publications
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781412916752, $64.95 www.sagepub.com 1-800-818-7243

One of the great pick-up lines was for a man to encounter a woman and declare "You ought to be in the movies and I can make you a star!". Advances in video technology have made it possible for anyone to produce a video -- but it still takes training and know-how to make one that is worth the investment of time, capital, and energy into its production. "The Art Of Video Production" by Leonard Shyless (Associate professor, Department of Communication, Villanova University and former Director of the Video Production Lab) is a single volume, 534-page instruction manual covering every aspect of what goes into making a video. While covering all of the basic principles and essential skills, "The Art Of Video Production" also addresses the new digital technologies necessary for crafting and creating effective video content. Enhanced with six interviews with industry professionals that range from network, freelance, and independent producers, to directors, writers, and editors, "The Art Of Video Production" is a veritable compendium of practical advice, insights, and tips for aspiring videographers. Professor Shyless covers the video production process, video as a means of communication, and how television works, as well as the specific elements and techniques of video production including lighting, camera usage, audio, graphic and set design, field production, editing, scripts, producing, directing, and performing. Each chapter concludes with a 'Questions for Review' to insure the reader has grasped the information presented. Deftly written, effectively organized, and enhanced with a Glossary, a Bibliography, and an Index, "The Art Of Video Production" would make an ideal textbook for video production courses, as well as being a core addition to personal, professional, telecommunications industry, academic, and community library video production instructional reference and resource collections.


The Black Studies Shelf

The Colored Cartoon
Christopher P. Lehman
University of Massachusetts Press
PO Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558496132, $29.95 www.umass.edu/umpress 1-800-537-5487

Written by Christopher P. Lehman (Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, Saint Cloud State University), The Colored Cartoon: Black Representation in American Animated Short Films, 1907-1954 is a scholarly study of the depiction of African-Americans in early American cartoons - a representation that was overwhelmingly grounded in caricatures from the culture of southern slavery. During the 1920s, when sound-synchronized cartoons were the new wave, animators began to blend black stereotypes with the expressions of jazz musicians and Hollywood actors. In the 1930's, the film industry started to segregate African Americans from others, particularly from the white females. At the same time, animators would tap into African-American culture by creating animal characters like Bugs Bunny which had traits associated with African-Americans yet were not identifiably black. By the 1950's, the advent of civil rights started to erode the prevalence of African-American portrayals in the animated medium, though animated films continue with negative renditions to this day. The Colored Cartoon studies the history and legacy of African-American animated cinema imagery with an eye to what can be learned from the past and how these lessons shape the future. Enthusiastically recommended for scholars and students of animation, as well as animated cinema reading lists.


The Political Science Shelf

A Faustian Foreign Policy from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush
Joan Hoff
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
9780521714044, $24.99 www.cambridge.org 1-800-872-7423

Written by Joan Hoff (Research Professor of History, Montana State University, Bozeman) A Faustian Foreign Policy from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush: Dreams of Perfectibility is a sharp critique of how America's post-September 11th foreign policy has increasingly taken on Faustian overtones. Tracing the roots of the ideological aspects that drive current American diplomacy back to the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Hoff reveals how belief in "exceptionalism" has shaped America's past and present efforts to remake the world in its own image. The result has been a medley of unethical Faustian pacts that the U.S. has made since 1920 to pursue its yearning for global supremacy. "In March 2005 it was revealed that the Bush administration had approved a secret program right after September 11 allowing the CIA to transfer suspected terrorists ('ghost prisoners') for imprisonment and interrogation in 'black hole' prisons in such countries as Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Pakistan, all noted for torturing their prisoners. This illegal kidnapping process is officially called 'extraordinary rendition' and is known colloquially as 'torture outsourcing.' Individual cases do not have to be approved by the White House or the State or Justice Department, as previous administrations had required." A troubling yet highly recommended analysis.

Clintonisms
Julia Gorink, editor
Cambridge House Press
115 West 29th Street, New York, NY 10001
0978721330, $12.95 www.CamHousePress.com

One of the most polarizing political families in American politics today is that of the husband and wife team of former President Bill Clinton and his wife, the current Illinois Senator Hillary Clinton. The notoriety of these Democratic Party icons has been exacerbated with Hillary's current pitched political battle for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency being waged against fellow Democratic Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama. All that the Obama (and the Republican McCain) campaign personnel need by way of background research material to point out past foibles, follies, and questionable conduct of Hillary Clinton and her husband/political partner Bill, is to be found within the 130 pages of "Clintonisms: the Amusing, Confusing, And Suspect Musings Of Billary". Compiled by Julia Gorgin, readers are treated to a wealth of such infobits as Hillary's observations regarding the Whitewater scandal, "If we did something improper, ;then how come we lost money?", or Bill 'I did not have sex with that woman' opining that "The road to tyranny, we must remember, begins with the destruction of the truth.". While Bill and Hillary's direct quotations are plentiful, "Clintonisms" also features a wealth of comments by other concerning this American couple such as the comment by Jim McDougal (deceased former Clinton business partner) that "I just got sick and tired of lying for the fella. "Clintonisms" is especially recommended reading for anyone, Democrat, Republican, or Independent, not wanting to relive the turmoil and torment of the Clinton White House years with 'Billary" back in charge.

The Origins of Christian Anti-Internationalism
Markku Ruotsila
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589011915, $29.95 www.press.georgetown.edu 1-800-246-9606

Markku Ruotsila (adjunct professor of American church history, University of Helsinki) presents The Origins of Christian Anti-Internationalism: Conservative Evangelicals and the League of Nations, a close examination of conservative Christian skepticism of international politics. Discussing the historical and theological genesis of evangelical Christian thought on modern-day international organizations as well as American foreign policy, takes a bold stand in depicting a the fierce role that religion plays in American domestic and foreign procedure. Chapters focus on the influence of a number of different religious groups in America's history, including Calvinists, Lutherans, Methodists and Episcopalians, as well as exploring the history of conflict between religion and the League of Nations, and much more. "It was during the League of Nations controversy that conservative Christians first put in systematic terms that doctrinal insistence that the nation's faith should be placed only in the instrumentality of those Christian churches that were engaged in traditional evangelism and trusted God, not humanity, to perfect the world in due time. They taught that America could play a special role in the world only after it had reposed its faith in Christ and had thereby been transformed... they further insisted that America must not be tied to non-Christian nations but must remain a free agent in the world's affairs. Such beliefs... would have a profound impact on American foreign policy for the eighty or so years after the original debates over the League of Nations. In all likelihood, Christian anti-internationalism in its doctrinal and popular forms would last for a long time to come." Notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this measured study of a crucial factor influencing American political science.


The Native American Shelf

Reflections on American Indian History
Albert L. Hurtado, editor
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806138961, $29.95 www.oupress.com 1-800-627-7377

Edited by professor Albert L. Hurtado, Reflections on American Indian History: Honoring the Past, Building a Future is an anthology of five essays by American Indian history scholars discussing key themes of Native history. The five crucial forces contemplated are Indian identity, tribal acknowledgment, sovereignty, oral tradition, and cultural adaptation. A vibrant revelation of Native history continues to impact Native life to this day, written and presented in plain terms for readers of all backgrounds, and especially recommended for college libraries and Native History course reading lists. "...for most tribes, the blood quantum limitation will either markedly decline or be eliminated. Indeed, conversations with tribal enrollment agents indicate that since growing numbers of current tribal members' children currently are ineligible for enrollment, most tribes who still retain a one-quarter minimal blood quantum now are reconsidering their requirements. Some tribes have attempted to increase blood quantums, and others oppose lowering blood quantum restrictions for economic reasons, but they seem to be swimming against a rising tide of intermarriage that is unlikely to ebb."

Engraving the Savage
Michael Gaudio
University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
9780816648474, $22.50 www.upress.umn.edu

Engraving the Savage: The New World and Techniques of Civilization is an art history study of the effect that the early images and engravings of North American Indians had on establishing the "visual prototype" of North American Indians in the minds of European and Euro-American readers. Paying particular attention to the early engravings of Carolina Algonquian Indians, created in 1585 by British painter-explorer John White and engraved in 1590 by Flemish publisher and printmaker Theodor de Bray, Engraving the Savage reveals how the image of the "savage other" as an intellectual and ideological concept was engendered. An in-depth scrutiny of how art and perception reinforced one another; though the topic discussed is specifically that of visual portrayals of Native Americans, the deeper precepts of human perception as shaped by art are broad-ranging in the extreme. A welcome addition to both art history and Native American studies shelves.


The Needlecraft Shelf

The Best Of Knitters: Guy Knits
Rick Mondragon & Elaine Rowley, eds.
XRX Books
PO Box 1525, Sioux Falls, SD 57101
9781933064093, $19.95 www.knittinguniverse.com 1-800-722-2558

Style-conscious women want their men to look as good as possible. This is especially true when it comes to their wardrobe. Drawn from the pages of 'Knitter's Magazine, "The Best Of Knitters: Guy Knits" is the collaborative work of co-editors Rick Mondragon and Elaine Rowley and showcases twenty-eight of Knitter's Magazines best needlecraft projects for men's garments ranging from hats and mittens, to gauntlets, sweaters and vests. Beautifully illustrated in full color by photographer Alexis Xenakis, "The Best Of Knitters: Guy Knits" features new yarn choices, cables, and textured stitches. The patterns include a range of sizes and a 'knot-to-fit' section. From pullovers and cardigans, to vests and waistcoats, these are knitted garments that can be worn by sportsmen, business professionals, college students, and gentlemen of leisure. Of special note are the chapters on Accessories and Choosing Color. Novices will find especially beneficial the illustrated directions, 'Technical Index', abbreviation glossary, and 'Specifications at a Glance' features. "The Best Of Knitters: Guy Knits" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal and community library Needlecraft reference collections.

Closely Knit
Hannah Fettig
North Light Books
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990
9781600610189, $22.99 www.fwpublications.com 1-800-726-9966

Knitting gift items is one of those rare handicrafts that is as enjoyable for the giver as it is for the receiver. It is estimated at about one third of what needlecrafters knit they give away to someone else. That is the premise upon which expert needlecrafter Hannah Fettig has used in "Closely Knit: Handmade Gifts For The Ones You Love", a compendium of do-it-yourself projects that range from a men's sweater, to a women's scarf and hat, to a baby's patchwork blanket, to a pocket tote for a friend -- and so very much more!. Profusely illustrated with full color photography throughout, each individual project includes complete step-by-step instructions, along with all the needles, notions, and materials required. Enhanced with Knitting Resources, Quick Reference, Glossary, Resources, and an Index, "Closely Knit" is the ideal gift for any needlecraft enthusiast -- and a perfect guide for knitting that perfect gift for someone special! Also very highly recommended as additions to personal knitting reference collections from North Light Books are Stefanie Japel's "Fitted Knits" (978158180872); Narumi Ogawa's "Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful" (9781581809664); Heidi Boyd's "Soft + Simple Knits For Little Ones" (9781581809657)); and Lisa Shobhana Mason's "YarnPlay" (9781581808414).

Crazy Shortcut Quilts
Marguerita McManus & Sarah Raffuse
Krause Publications
c/o F&W Publications
700 East State Street, Iola, WI 54990-0001
9780896895478, $22.99 www.fwpublications.com 1-800-726-9966

The quilted blanket and bedspread are American icons and have proved to be enduringly popular with American families for more than two hundred years. Indeed, some of the them are to be found on display in American museums and galleries as works of art. Most are handed down from generation to generation as prized family heirlooms. "Crazy Shortcut Quilts: Quilt As You Go And Finish In Half The Time" is the collaborative work of quilt-making expert Marguerita McManus and quilting enthusiast Sarah Raffuse who show aspiring needlecrafters how they can make crazy quilts in a matter of hours instead of the months it took their grandmothers to accomplish. Clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step, illustrated instructions are provided for fifteen crazy quilt projects that include wall art, pillows, a queen-size quilt, fabric valances, and accent throws. Enhanced with practical advice on selecting the proper fabrics and choosing the right colors, "Crazy Shortcut Quilts" is also enhanced with useful ideas and tips for utilizing decorative stitches. Combining layers of a quilt in small manageable sections requiring no precise measuring or cutting, "Crazy Shortcut Quilts" is especially appropriate for novice quilt makers and a truly welcome addition to personal and community library Needlecraft reference collections.

Machine Quilting: The Basics & Beyond
Lynn Witzenburg
Landauer Corporation
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A, Urbandale, IA 50322
9780979371134, $27.95 www.landauercorp.com 1-800-557-2144

The machine as a labor saving device is never so perfectly illustrated as the advent of the sewing machine and the making of a quilt. A hardcover, hidden-spiral bound, 'user friendly' instruction manual, "Machine Quilting: The Basics & Beyond" by quilting expert Lynn Witzenburg offers the novice machine stitch quilter with a complete, step-by-step, visually illustrated guide to successfully creating quilts with the assistance of a sewing machine. As fun as it is informative, "Machine Quilting: The Basics & Beyond" includes twelve do-it-yourself projects complete with full-size patterns, as well as favorite and original quilting designs that even the most novice of needlecrafters can employ to good effect. Such issues as choosing a stencil design, working with quilting paper, adapting motifs to fill spaces, making border designs fit, even the creation of 'feathers' in round, square, triangular, and free form. From the needed equipment and supplies, preparing to machine quilt, to free-motion stitching techniques, and so much more, "Machine Quilting: The Basics & Beyond" will prove to be an invaluable reference and a popular addition to personal and community library Needlecraft reference collections.

The Quilter's Catalog
Meg Cox
Workman Publishing Company
708 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10003-9555
9780761138815, $18.95 www.workman.com 1-800-722-7202

The Quilter's Catalog: A Comprehensive Resource Guide is an all-in-one quilting delight, covering everything from the different kind of quilting tools to the latest dying and personalization techniques, to profiles of the top quilting teachers, twelve illustrated step-by-step projects, a tour of the history of quilting, answers to the enigma of why quilting remains so popular even in today's modern technology-driven era, and much more. A massive 600-page reference, resource, trivia guide, and all-around quilter's bible, The Quilter's Catalog features black-and-white photographs on almost every page and is as fun to browse through as it is useful. A treat for avid quilters, and recommended as a giftbook for anyone interested in the craft!


The World History Shelf

Knights of Spain, Warriors of the Sun
Charles Hudson
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA, 30602-4901
0820320625, $22.95 www.ugapress.org 1-800-266-5842

Written by Charles Hudson (Franklin Professor of Anthropology, University of Georgia), Knights of Spain, Warriors of the Sun is an in-depth scrutiny of Hernando de Soto's history-making mission of exploration between 1539 and 1542. Taking pains to recreate as precise a geographic answer as possible to the question "Where did De Soto go?", Knights of Spain, Warriors of the Sun retraces De Soto's steps along a map, with supplementary black-and-white photographs and illustrations, recounting De Soto's adventures, perils, and encounters with Native Americans as accurately as possible. Accessible to lay readers and historians alike, Knights of Spain, Warriors of the Sun is a welcome addition to public and college library world history shelves.


The American History Shelf

Forgotten Lives
Betti Vanepps-Taylor
South Dakota State Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
9780977795550, $17.95 www.sdshspress.com

Forgotten Lives: African Americans in South Dakota is a historical study of the contributions that African-Americans have made to South Dakota's history. From York, who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition, to acclaimed filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, to laborers, river men, seamstresses, midwives, doctors, lawyers, town leaders, and many more, Forgotten Lives opens up an oft-overlooked chapter of South Dakota's origins and legacy. Extensively researched with meticulous notes and an index, Forgotten Lives is a welcome contribution to South Dakota history shelves and is especially recommended for public and university libraries.

Life of a Soldier on the Western Frontier
Jeremy Agnew
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399, Missoula, Montana 59806
9780878425419, $16.00 www.mountain-press.com 1-800-234-5308

Outdoorsman and western history buff Jeremy Agnew presents Life of a Soldier on the Western Frontier, a reference that quite literally lives up to its title as an accurate portrayal of the day-to-day life of young men who joined the frontier army, particularly in the 1840s through the 1890s. Inspired by tales of glory and battle, their realities consisted of hard work seven days a week, drills, questionable meals, cramped living quarters, badly-fitting uniforms, little opportunity for advancement, and harsh discipline, all for $13.00 a month. Black-and-white photographs and maps help round out the reader's understanding of the challenges enlisted men faced as they helped conquer the American frontier, in this fascinating presentation sure to intrigue western historians, Western storytellers, and lay readers alike.

Myth of the Hanging Tree
Robert J. Torrez
University of New Mexico Press
MSC04 2820, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
9780826343796, $19.95 www.unmpress.com 1-800-249-7737

Former New Mexico state historian Robert J. Torrez presents Myth of the Hanging Tree: Stories of Crime and Punishment in Territorial New Mexico, a close study of various criminal cases that tell of the often gruesome role that legal hangings and lynching's had in enacting frontier justice. In these violent episodes lie an indelible legacy influencing America's modern perception of the Old West. Myth of the Hanging Tree sorts truth from fiction. Illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs, Myth of the Hanging Tree is a singularly fascinating addition to crime history reference shelves and collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

The Great Big Butter Cookbook
Diana von Glabn, editor
Running Press
2300 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-4371
9780762431694, $19.95 www.runningpress.com 1-800-345-5359

Butter is one of the oldest dairy products know to man, going back as an ingredient in prepared dishes to at least 2000 BC. With the assistance of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, "The Great Big Butter Cookbook: Because Everything's Better With Butter", compiled and edited by culinary expert Diana von Glabn presents the kitchen cook with an enthusiastically recommended, 500-page compendium of more than 300 recipes showcasing the benefits of butter in making everything from snacks, soups, and salads, to entrees, desserts, and sauces! Enhanced with full page color photography of finished dishes, the recipes range from Herbed Smoked Gouda Rice Squares; Cherry Ladder Coffee Cakes; Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich; and Blue Cheese Potato Pancakes with Hot Spiced Apple Compote; to Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Sauce; Veal Parmigiana; Butterscotch Cookies with Brown Butter Icing; and Pumpkin Five-Spice Butter, "The Great Big Butter Cookbook" offers a wealth of 'kitchen cook friend' recipes for dishes that would satisfying any appetite and please any palate while showing off the nutritious, delicious, culinary benefits of butter!

The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook
Joyce Hendley
The Countryman Press
PO Box 478, Woodstock, VT 05091
9780881507782, $16.95 www.countrymanpress.com 1-800-245-4151

The days when a diagnosis of diabetes condemned to a life of the bland and the unappetizing are long gone. Compiled from the pages of 'Eating Well' magazine by Joyce Hendley and the publication's editorial staff, "The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook: Delicious Recipes And Tips For A Healthy-Carbohydrate Lifestyle" fully lives up to the promise of its title by offering a culinary wealth of diabetes-friendly recipes that are as delicious as they are nutritious and dietarily sound. Beginning with the encouraging introduction that 'Eating Well: It's Not Dieting', followed by 'Diabetes 101: The Essential Facts', and 'Food Matters: Eating to Manage Diabetes', "The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook" presents a compendium of information about calorie counts and menus as well as food and exercise diaries. Then the individual recipes are organized into chapters of 'Healthy Starts', Muffins & Breads, Snacks & Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Vegetarian Main Dishes, Chicken & Turkey, Fish & Seafood, Side Dishes, Sauces & Condiments, Desserts & Treats. The thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from a Greek Potato & Feta Omelet; to a Spicy Mushroom & Rice Soup; to Grilled Rosemary-Scented Chicken; to Citrusy Couscous Salad with Olives; to a One-Bowl Chocolate Cake! Enhanced with a Glossary, a Resources list, 'Healthy Pantry Essentials', Ingredient Notes, Cooking tips, and an Index, "The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook" is an ideal addition to personal and community library cookbook collections for diabetics -- and anyone else seeking to prepare and consume nutritionally healthy, appetite satisfying, palate pleasing meals.

Dinner
Jody Vassallo
Thunder Bay Press
c/o Advantage Publishers Group
5880 Oberlin Drive, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92121-0653
9781592238149, $12.95 www.thunderbaybooks.com 1-800-788-3123

For the true gourmet and connoisseur of fine dining, what is set before us at dinner time can make or mar our entire day. Directly addressing the need for dishes that are as nutritious and 'kitchen cook friendly' as they are appetite satisfying and palate pleasing is Jody Vassallo's "Dinner". Part of the acclaimed Marie Claire series of cookbooks, "Dinner" arranges beautifully illustrated recipes arranged in chapter dedicated to 'Quick Ideas', Noodles and Pasta, Seafood, Poultry, Meat, Vegetables, and Desserts. From such delicacies as Green Tea Noodles with Scallops; to sophisticated entrees as Chili Longuine with Chermoula Chicken; to hearty fare like Beer-Battered Fish with Chunky Fries; to gourmet items such as Cabernet Beef with Lentils; to perfect meal time desserts like Passion Fruit Custard Potsk, "Dinner" will prove to be an instant favorite on any family cookbook shelf, and will prove a welcome and popular addition to community library cookbook collections.


The Education Shelf

Break The Bully Cycle
SiriNam S. Khalas
Good Year Books
PO Box 91858, Tucson, AZ 85752-1858
9781596471191, $19.95 www.goodyearbooks.com 1-888-511-1530

School shootings and other violent incidents occurring in public high schools over the past decade have brought the perennial problem of abusive bullies to the public's attention and are no longer looked upon as acceptable (or even tolerable) youthful or adolescent behavior. "Break The Bully Cycle: Intervention Techniques & Activities to Create A Respectful School Community" by SiriNam S. Khalsa (Inclusion Coach and Mentor Teacher for the Springfield School District, Massachusetts) is an instructional manual for classroom teachers, building and district administrators, and school staff personnel seeking to create and maintain a school environment free of violence and abuse. A compendium of research-based advice for containing and dealing with the pervasive problem of bullying behavior, "Break The Bully Cycle" presents possible reasons students become violent, what the early warning signs are, as well as strategies and tactics to use with potentially violent students. The object of "Break The Bully Cycle" is to help not only the victims of bullying, but through behavioral changes, help the bullies as well. Simply stated, if there had been access to instructional manual such as "Break The Bully Cycle", there well may have never been a Columbine.

Smart Sex Stuff For Kids 7-17
Carole Marsh
Gallopade International
PO Box 2779, Peachtree City, GA 30269
9780635066459, $14.99 www.gallopade.com 1-800-536-2438

Just as children must become literate in reading and capable in mathematics if they are to succeed in today's complex and rapidly evolving world, so they must also become knowledgeable about matters of sex well beyond the simple rudiments of human 'plumbing'. Once the isolated province of parental responsibility, sex education for children ages seven to seventeen is now recognized as requiring the joint and cooperative participation of parents, teachers, and the children themselves. An expert and an author in the field of sex education for children, Carole Marsh has now written "Smart Sex Stuff For Kids 7-17: Practical Information & Ideas For Kids, Parents & Teachers", a compendium of information, advice, suggestions, and commentary that will prove invaluable in developing sex education curriculums, as well as parent-child discussions on this sensitive but necessary subject. The text is particularly 'reader friendly' and illustrated with cartoon-like artwork as everything from 'Recipe for a Baby', to 'Master Bation', to 'The Dating Game', to Sex Abuse/Rape, to the issues of pregnancy, abstinence, safe sex practices, love, morality and ethics. From the basic 'facts of life', to the emotional and social ramifications of being sexually active, to 'smart strategies' for boys and girls from puberty through adolescence, "Smart Sex Stuff For Kids 7-17" is an invaluable and strongly recommended resource and reference. Two other titles from Gallopade International on this topic by Carol Marsh which are also very highly recommended include: "A Period Is More Than A Punctuation Mark!: Smart Sex Stuff For Girls" and "Sperm, Squirm & Other Squiggly Stuff!: Smart Sex Stuff For Boys".

Craft Lessons
Ralph Fletcher & Joann Portalupi
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571107060, $20.00 www.stenhouse.com 1-800-988-9812

Teaching children how to write is one of the fundamental tasks of all community schools be they public, private, or parochial. Now in an expanded and updated second edition, "Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8" is the collaborative work of professional writer Ralph Fletcher and classroom teacher Joann Portalupi, who have worked with teachers and children from New York City to Hilo, Hawaii. A curriculum supplement and mainstay of writing teachers, this newly augmented edition features seventeen additional craft lessons (many based on veteran teachers' observations about typical student writing), revisions to previous published craft lessons (model texts that have gone out of print and replaced with current titles, as well as expanded resource materials sections); new thinking about teaching elements of craft and the reading-writing connection; and two new indexes. Comprising a total of ninety-five lessons specific to developing student writing skills, "Craft Lessons" continues to be an impressive collection of strongly recommended and thoroughly 'user friendly' curriculum resource material.


The Photography Shelf

Lost Waterfront
Shelley Seccombe
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823228454, $21.95 www.fordhampress.com 1-800-247-6553

Mere verbal accounts simply do not hold the impact of photographs in visualizing the changes that time wroughts upon the creations of men. "Lost Waterfront: The Decline And Rebirth Of Manhattan's Western Shore" is an 80-page catalog of full-color photographs taken by Shelley Seccombe between 1972 and 1982 that showcase what a decade has seen transpire among the buildings and shorelines of Manhattan's Hudson River shoreline. The transformation from a booming commercial trade, to its decline, to the reclamation of a devastated area as an impressive and valued public space as a waterfront esplanade with four miles of renovated piers and grassy upland areas is a visual tour-de-force that not only serves as a memorial to what has been accomplished, but also as a template that other similarly blighted areas of other cities can accomplish. "Lost Waterfront" is highly recommended and ultimately inspirational reading.

Picture Science
Carla Neumann-Hinds
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781933653235, $29.95 www.redleafpress.org 1-800-423-8309

One of the most enjoyable and 'kid friendly' pastimes for young boys and girls is the taking of photographs. Digital photography technology is now so simple and easy to use that teachers, parents, and caregivers can use digital cameras as an educational tool to enhance any child's learning experience. "Picture Science: Using Digital Photography to Teach Young Children" by classroom teacher Carla Neumann-Hinds (Codrington School, St. John, Barbados) can be readily used to teach children from three to fourteen how use photography as an important part of their early childhood program, making each step in the process from posing questions, to gathering data, to showing findings, a fun and informative learning experience. After an informative introduction about digital photography and how to use "Picture Science" to best advantage, the thoroughly 'user friendly' and profusely illustrated text is divided into four chapters dedicated to collecting and analyzing data, demonstrating conclusions, making the process of inquiry visible, and creating documents. Of special note is the appendices of technical questions and answers. A unique contribution to public and private school classroom curriculums for young learners, "Picture Science" is highly recommended for home-schooling parents and community library Early Childhood Learning resource collections as well.


The Gardening Shelf

Plant Pathology
Robert N. Trigiano, et al.
CRC Press
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
1420046691, $79.95 www.crcpress.com 1-800-272-7737

The pathology of plant life is an on-going and never ending study whose importance cannot be overestimated if America is to remain the world leader in agriculture. A respected textbook in the agricultural studies curriculums of colleges and universities throughout the country, "Plant Pathology: Concepts And Laboratory Exercises" is now available for a new generation of agricultural science students in a fully updated and significantly expanded second edition. The collaborative work of Robert N. Trigiano, Mark T. Windham, and Alan S. Windham (three renowned American agricultural researchers and academicians), "Plant Pathology" now features two additional chapters on soilborne pathogens, molecular plant fungal interactions, and expanded treatment of molecular tools (including AFLPs), advanced biocontrol concepts, as well as the use and care of microscopes. An accompanying CD-ROM provides figures from the text, supplemental full-color photos, and PowerPoint slides. It also provides students with laboratory exercises appropriate for developing and applying a wide range of thematically appropriate skill sets, detailed step-by-step instructions for experiments, as well as the identification of anticipated results, thought-provoking questions, and a glossary. Of special note is the use of real-world case studies. "Plant Pathology" should be considered a critically important core reference for academic library Agricultural Studies collections and will prove to be of immense interest for students interested in an historical perspective and conceptual frameworks concerning plant diseases and disease relationships, plant disease epidemiology, control strategies, and diagnosis.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Techniques in Large Animal Surgery, 3rd Edition
Dean A. Hendrickson
Blackwell Publishing
2121 State Avenue, Ames, IA 50014-8300
0781782554, $100.00 www.blackwellpublishing.com

College-level collections strong in vet science will find this third edition of a classic surgery text is essential to covering the basic techniques of any large animal surgery, and packs in illustrated, step-by-step techniques for a range of domestic animals. From color illustrations, black and white diagrams and sketches, and equipment lists to descriptions of surgery indicators and new sections on minimally invasive surgery options, this is a technical vet's handbook no animal surgery student should be without.

Get Connected With Your Dog
Brenda Aloff
Dogwise Publishing
PO Box 2778, Wenatchee, WA 98807-2778
1929242530, $49.95 www.dogwisepublishing.com 1-800-776-2665

For the past 12,000 years of human history, domesticated dogs have been man's constant companion, helper, and occasional food source. Dogs come in an immensely diverse profusion of breeds, sizes, and dispositions. A professional dog trainer specializing in canine problem behavior, Brenda Aloff has produced "Get Connected With Your Dog: Emphasizing The Relationship While Training Your Dog" a book/dvd combination training manual that will teach dog owners how to use the subtle language of the body to direct (or redirect) their dog's movements; how to be both consistent and coherent in their interactions with their dogs; and how to identify, mark, reinforce those behaviors to be encouraged from those behaviors to be extinguished. The accompanying 90-minute DVD provides exercises and illustrative examples for building skill and confidence as a trainer. Enhanced with 286 black-and-white photos and an extensive \index, "Get Connected With Your Dog" is an ideal, step-by-step training manual for first-time dog owners as well as aspiring and aspiring dog trainers. A comprehensive, detailed, practical, experienced based, and thoroughly 'user friendly' manual from beginning to end, "Get Connected With Your Dog" is an especially recommended addition to personal, professional, veterinary school, and community library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Genealogy Shelf

Flemish DNA & Ancestry
Guido Deboeck
Dokus Publishing / Gateway Press, Inc.
c/o Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, Maryland 21211-1953
www.genealogical.com 1-800-296-6687
9780972552677, $45.00 www.gatewaypress.com

Flemish DNA & Ancestry: History of Three Families over Five Centuries Using Conventional and Genetic Genealogy is more than a narrow focus on a handful of Flemish families; author and amateur genealogist Guido Deboeck delves into how the modern science of genetics can play a crucial role in genealogy today and in the future. Though Flemish DNA & Ancestry spotlights the Flanders-Flemish DNA project, the De Bock family of Little Brabant, the Girardin Family, and the De Zutter family, a wealth of more general insights into the art and craft of divining ancestry. Of particular interest is Deboeck's observations on the value of DNA tests, which can hold true when surnames change and paper trails break down. Straight talk on how to interpret and weight the results of DNA analysis are what make Flemish DNA & Ancestry particularly invaluable to any genealogist, regardless of which genealogical ethnicity he or she is currently pursuing.


The Psychology Shelf

Polarities of Experience
Sidney J. Blatt, Ph.D.
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
9781433803147, $69.95 www.apa.org/books 1-800-368-5777

Written by personality and psychopathology development expert Sidney J. Blatt, Ph.D. (winner of the 2006 Mary S. Sigourney Foundation award for distinguished contributions to psychoanalysis), Polarities of Experience: Relatedness and Self-Definition in Personality Development, Psychopathology, and the Therapeutic Process is a scholarly assessment of psychological development intended for clinical researchers, therapists, and psychiatrists in the field, as well as graduate-level psychology students. Putting forth the claim that psychological development consists of a lifelong personal negotiation between two essential aspects of human affairs, relatedness and self-definition, Polarities of Experience discusses how this model affects social theory, personality organization, psychopathology, and the mechanisms of the therapeutic process. An extensive list of references and an index round out this thoroughly professional culmination of a lifetime of study and practice. "Increased understanding of the mechanisms of therapeutic change in both brief and long-term intensive treatment is essential for the further development of refinements of the psychotherapeutic process, refinements that can enable therapists to be more effective in assisting individuals in distress to establish fuller and more satisfying lives - to develop a more adaptive and constructive sense of self and to establish more meaningful interpersonal relationships."

Autism Asperger Publishing Company
PO Box 23173, Shawnee Mission, KS 66283
www.asperger.net 1-877-277-8254

The developmental disabilities of Autism and of Asperger Syndrome afflict thousands of children each year and is the subject of significant research in their causes and treatments. The Autism Asperger Publishing Company is dedicated to providing parents, caregivers, teachers, and the medical profession the informational resources they need and can use to help deal with children having to cope with the symptoms and limitations imposed by these conditions. Of special note for professional care providers is "The Ziggurate Model: A Framework for Designing Comprehensive Intervention for Individuals with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome" (1931282366, $49.95) by Ruth Aspy (a licensed psychologist and specialist in autism spectrum disorders) and Barry G. Grossman (a licensed psychology specializing in assessment and intervention with respect to autism spectrum disorders). Specifically designed to include assessment tools, illustrative case scenarios, diverse available interventions, and resources, "The Ziggurate Model applies to all autism spectrum disorders where the persona affected operates at higher functioning levels. "Asperger Download: A Guide to Help Teenage Males with Asperger Syndrome Trouble-Shoot Life's Challenges" (9781934575024, $19.95) is the collaborative work of Josie Santomauro (author of eleven resource volumes on Asperger Syndrom) and her son Damian Santomauro who as diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of five and who, now 18, has successfully completed high school and is working on a bachelor's degree. This mother-son collaboration shares what they have learned through many years of experience and is an especially 'reader friendly' compendium of insight and advice for parents and teens in familial and educational situations similar to theirs. "Girls Under the Umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Practical Solutions for Addressing Everyday Challenges" (9781931282475, $19.95) by Lori Ernsperger (an expert in the field of autism and behavioral disorders who draws upon her more than 22 years of experience as a public school teacher, administrator, and behavioral consultant) and Danielle Wendel (the mother of Mattie, an 11 year old girl with Asperger Syndrome and her 8 year old brother Nicholas) focus on providing insightful 'real-life' accounts of effective strategies and applicable techniques specifically addressing the needs of autistic girls from early childhood, through their teenage years, to becoming young adults. Of special note are the personal illustrations of families with girls living with ASD. Jan Johnston-Tyler is a single mother of a teenaged son with Asperger Syndrome and a lively four-year old daughter. She applies her years of personal experience and hard-won expertise in "The Mom's Guide To Asperger Syndrom and Related Disorders" (9781431282420, $21.95) to provide a uniquely 'parent friendly' compendium of advice, instruction, and illustrated example for families having to deal with the kinds of problems she and her family have dealt with through their children's preschool through elementary school years. Cooperatively written by Michael Fitzgerald (the first professor of child and adolescent psychiatry in Ireland) and Brendan O'Brien (a Irish freelance writer and editor with a particular expertise in autism), "Genius Genes: How Asperger Talents Change The World" (9781931282444, $29.95) is a unique study of twenty-one men and women in history who are classifiably autistic, were nonetheless highly creative, and especially noted for their personalities, talents, and contributions to their chosen fields of endeavor. These were men and women who helped to create the world as we know it today despite (and perhaps because) of their 'autistic mind-style'. All of these titles are welcome and highly recommended additions to personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections and supplemental reading lists. Anyone with an interest in autism spectrum disorders would be well advised to visit the Autism Asperger Publishing Company website at www.asperger.net for a complete listing of their extensive list of publications in the field for parents, caregivers, and medical professionals.


The Biography Shelf

Negro with a Hat
Colin Grant
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
9780195367942, $27.95 www.oup.com/us 1-800-451-7556

Independent historian and BBC Radio script editor Colin Grant presents Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey, an in-depth biography of Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1887-1940), who is perhaps best-known for his "Back to Africa" movement that sought to create an independent homeland through Pan-African emigration. Known as the "Black Moses" to his many admirers, and crowned Jamaica's first national hero after his death, Marcus Garvey also made plenty of enemies - he was deemed a enough of a threat by Winston Churchill and J. Edgar Hoover to warrant surveillance, and was scornfully derided as a "negro with a hat" by W.E.B. Du Bois. His talent for promoting his ideas and resurrecting memory of lost African civilization was unsurpassed, and he earned his place in history as one of the founders of black nationalism and a crucial figure of the twentieth century. Negro with a Hat spares no detail yet remains accessible to readers of all backgrounds, and is highly recommended for its thoughtful and balanced presentation of a thoroughly complex individual's life.


The Astronomy Shelf

Cambridge Illustrated Dictionary of Astronomy
Jacqueline Mitton
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473
9780521823647, $35.00 www.cambridge.org 1-800-872-7423

Printed on high-quality glossy paper with 300 beautiful color illustrations and 20 new star maps by stellar illustrator Wil Tirion, Cambridge Illustrated Dictionary of Astronomy is a solid reference text accessible to readers of all backgrounds, from high school students to field professionals. Most of the 1300 entries are limited to roughly a paragraph in length, and range from named astronomical objects to space missions, brief biographical sketches of 70 key figures in the history of astronomy, explanations of acronyms and specialist terms, and more. "Dwarf Planet: A body in the solar system, traveling in orbit around the Sun and with enough mass to have a more-or-less spherical shape due its own gravity, but not massive enough to dominate the vicinity of its orbit to the extent that its influence has cleared away all or most of the smaller bodies there. The International Astronomical Union adopted this definition in 2006 following the discovery in 2003 of Eris, a Kuiper Belt object larger than Pluto. Eris and Pluto, being located in the Kuiper Belt, fall into this category as does the large asteroid, Ceres." A thoroughly cross-referenced, easy-to-use reference and resource highly recommended for astronomy teachers and enthusiasts - everywhere.


The Military Shelf

Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II
Sarah Byrn Rickman
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574412413, $24.95 www.tamu.edu/upress 1-800-826-8911

Award-winning author Sarah Byrn Rickman presents Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II, the fourth installment of the "North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series" published by University of North Texas Press. Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II tells of the women who served their country as ferry pilots when the United States needed them most, during World War II. A trailblazing figure for women's service in the military along with her rival Jacqueline Cochran, Nancy Love was a dedicated and determined aviation enthusiast and served admirably as the Executive for the unified women's programs under the name Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Extensive notes, a glossary of military and airplane terms, and an index round out this captivating biography of a truly extraordinary woman aviator.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Mission and Menace
Robert Jewett
Fortress Press
c/o Augsburg Fortress Publishers
100 Fifth Street, Suite 600, Minneapolis, MN 55402-1210
9780800662844, $22.00 www.augsburgbooks.com 1-800-328-4648

Mission and Menace: Four Centuries of American Religious Zeal is a highly skeptical examination of the impact of Christianity on American history from the colonial era to the modern day. From the role of the "Indian captivity narrative" in popular culture and its evolution into the modern-day superhero story that substituted other villains for nefarious portrayals of Native Americans, to the Civil War interpreted as a conflict over the Bible and millennial mission, to the rise of religious replacement and escapism during the Great Depression and World War II, to the triumph of zealous nationalism over prophetic realism during the Vietnam War and more, Mission and Menace critically analyzes religion's influence on American perception and policy, particularly focusing upon the repercussions of fundamentalist religion. "American millennialism, whether evangelical or liberal, tends to encourage intolerance, which was particularly manifest during the Second Great Awakening and the First World War. In the belief that one's group has the only correct view about the thousand-year kingdom, there is a tendency to reject compromise, which is the essence of constitutional systems of checks and balances. This surfaced with particular intensity after 1980. Gridlock in government, which naturally results from such intransigence, was increasingly welcomed... This theology sees every compromise with America's adversaries as a betrayal of divine trust; every effort to achieve arms control and to reduce the danger of accidental nuclear wars is a sellout to the demonic powers." A scathing indictment, nonetheless astutely written and persuasively presented.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

A Portable God
Risa Levitt Kohn and Rebecca Moore
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9780742544659, $22.95 www.rlpgbooks.com 1-800-462-6420

Professor of Hebrew Bible and Judaism Risa Levitt Kohn and associate professor Rebecca Moore present A Portable God: The Origin of Judaism and Christianity, an exploration of Christianity and Judaism as sister religions tracing their lineage back to the common parent of ancient Israelite religion. Written to be accessible to readers of all backgrounds, A Portable God discusses the legacy of the Israelite religion, divine presence as recognized in the absence of the temple, the question of the messiah, and much more. "...successors of ancient Israel use the Torah, the Prophets, and some Writings, such as the Psalms, as their guide to understanding what it means to be Israel. in order for these texts to remain meaningful, communities read them in light of their current experiences and, by doing so, interpret or reinterpret these writings anew. This process is further complicated when a number of different communities share the same texts but have different experiences and different interpretive views. Each community interprets scripture uniquely." A glossary and index round out this welcome and astutely thought-out contribution to modern Judeo-Christian studies and dialogues.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Alpha
Catherine Asaro
Baen Books
Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
1416555129, $7.99 www.baen.com

Charon was a ruthless criminal who created and traded in illegal robots and androids so his death benefits the world - unfortunately his android Alpha survives to bring his legacy to the world. Alpha is indistinguishable from a human woman but has superpowers - and General Thomas finds her as intriguing as she is dangerous. For she is carrying out her last orders from her maker - and Thomas finds her too human to kill. An intriguing story of robots, androids, and a touch of love evolves.


The Economics Shelf

Expectations In Economic Theory
S. A. Ozga
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9780202361550, $29.95 www.transactionpub.com 1-888-999-6778

Economic theories are not just some pie-in-the-sky, ivory tower academic exercises. A sound economic theory is based upon a rational attempt to conceptualize and articulate the rules, principles, causes and effects of certain facts in terms of how they came to be, what they mean as an explanation of what has happened, and as predictors of what can be reasonably expected in the future. An economic theory is a scientific hypothesis capable of being tested, modified, or superceded as the data arising from its testability accumulates.. "Expectations In Economic Theory" by economist scholar and academician s. A. Ozga (London School of Economics) is a compilation of expert and insightful commentary dealing with the subject of economic theory in the normative idea of it being an explanation of something in the form of an idea, and not as an expression of a methodology for testing that idea. Divided into three major sections (Formalization of Expectations; Logical Relations in Expectations; and Subjective Factors in Expectations), "Expectations In Economic Theory" is as thoughtful as it is thought-provoking. A superbly written and deftly presented, comprehensive and seminal contribution to a complex subject, "Expectations In Economic Theory" is a very highly recommended addition to academic library "Economic Studies" reference collections, and student supplemental reading lists on the subject of Economic Theory.


The Literary Shelf

Book Smart
Jane Mallison
McGraw Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10121-2298
9780071482714, $14.95 www.mcgraw-hill.com 1-877-833-5524

Not reading the books that have endured in their reputation as literary gems for generation after generation of readers is akin to starving in the midst of an orchard of ripe, pluckable fruit. Jane Mallison is a self-acknowledged passionate and life-long reader of books. She was head of the New York Trinity School English Department from 1982 to 2004 and therefore employs a very special experience-based expertise in "Book Smart: Your Essential Reading List For Becoming A Literary Genius In 365 Days". This is a literary guide to be employed every day of a single year, at the end of which the reader will benefit from a month-by-month plan involving 120 of the most compelling books of our universal literary heritage. Presented on a January through December calendar, the suggested titles are organized thematically, ranging from titles that are 'Towering Works to Read in Translation' from Beowulf to The Aeneid; to 'Some Notable Biographies' from Flaubert's Parrot to "The Life and Times of Cotton Mather; to 'Winners of Major Awards' from Herzog to All the King's Men. The authors of these 120 recommended literary works range from Charlotte Bronte, Sophocles, Thomas Hardy, and Benjamin Franklin, to Joseph Conrad, Evelyn Waugh, James Thurber, and Voltaire. Each title is presented with a succinct description that includes historical notes, highlights on key themes and characters. Of special note is the cogent advice on how to approach reading. Ideal as a curriculum guide for highschool and college level English Literature curriculums, "Book Smart" is especially recommended for individual readers wishing to acquire a basic literary literacy. Especially since every single recommended title can be acquired for reading through a local public library, either directly or through their community library's free InterLibrary Loan System.


The Business Shelf

Executing Your Strategy
Mark Morgan, Raymond E. Levitt, William Malek
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781591399568, $29.95 www.HBSPress.org 1-800-668-6780

To succeed in business it's not just a matter of coming up with good ideas, it's being able to come up with good ideas along with effective ways to implement them. "Executing Your Strategy: How to Break It Down & Get It Done" is the collaborative effort of Mark Morgan (Chief Learning Officer, IPSolutions Inc. and Practice Director of the Stanford Advanced Project Management Program), Raymond E. Levitt (Professor of Civil and Environmental engineering, Stanford University, and Academic Director of the Stanford Advanced Project Management Program), William Malek (Strategy Execution Officer, Strategy2Reality LLC). Corporate executives are show how they can transform strategies into action and in the process, insure successful business outcomes. Six basic steps in this process are covered exhaustively: Ideation; Vision; Nature (corporate culture); Engagement; Synthesis; and Transition. These are principles and concepts that apply to profit-making and non-profit organizations and enterprises alike. Articulate, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Executing Your Strategy" is a compendium of practical 'tips, tricks and techniques' that should be considered 'must reading' for anyone with a management responsibility, and is a highly recommended, core addition to academic and community library Business Management & Leadership Studies reference collections.


The Gaming Shelf

Bridge Endplays for Everyone: Yes, Even You!
David Bird
Master Point Press
331 Douglas Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5M 1H2
9781897106365, $19.95 www.masterpointpress.com

Bridge Endplays for Everyone: Yes, Even You! is a bridge guide intended for intermediate to advanced players. Though the endplay of a bridge game can be extraordinarily complex, its basic principles are much more straightforward; Bridge Endplays for Everyone covers different types of elimination play (such as loser-on-loser or partial elimination play), aspects of the trump (such as the trump coup, trump elopement, or trump endplay), the throw-in, the strip squeeze, and much more. Author David Bird, well-known for his "St. Titus Abbey" stories that appear regularly in bridge magazines worldwide, walks the reader through the workings of bridge endplays in a conversational, easy-to-follow style. A "must-have" for any bridge devotee seeking to improve their game!

The Counting Game
Alan Berg, CPA
Barricade Books, Inc.
185 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 308-A, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
9781569803349, $14.95 www.barricadebooks.com, 1-800-592-6657

The Counting Game: An Accountant Reveals How to Win at Blackjack is different from an ordinary "how-to" gambling guide in that author Alan Berg is not only a skilled professional gambler (so good at winning money through card counting he's been banned in casinos across America), but also a certified public accountant. The Counting Game teaches the reader about the mechanics of card counting, the savvy acting skills needed not to get caught doing it, and especially about tax law, including how to take the government's due into account when calculating one's gambling profits. In particular, Berg notes that tax law is brutally regressive to recreational gamblers, effectively amounting to double taxation (and it's not much nicer to professional gamblers, who must adhere to stringent criteria to be considered such by the IRS). Taking the hypothetical example of a female recreational gambler who wins a $7000 casino jackpot and then amasses $7000 of losses in subsequent plays: "Her preparer explains that the $7000 win, even though wiped out by aggregate losses of roughly an equal amount, reduce her refund to the tune of $1475!" Although The Counting Game is the "must-have" blackjack counting book for anyone seeking to make money at casino tables, it effectively (and unintentionally?) is also one of the strongest exhortations not to gamble at all, simply because it spells out the unvarnished truth about what gambling for a living is really like, the severity of its risks, and the demands it makes upon a player. Highly recommended.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
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