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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 1, Number 1 October 2006 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Money/Finance Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
International Studies Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Gaming Shelf
Architecture Shelf Art Shelf World History Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Native American Shelf
Humor Shelf Education Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf American History Shelf
Sports Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Great Wisconsin Winter Weekends
Candice Gaukel Andrews
Trails Books
923 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703
1931599718 $18.95 www.trailsbooks.com 1-800-236-8088

"Great Wisconsin Winter Weekends" by nature and travel writer Candice Andrews wonderfully showcases what the Badger State has to offer during the winter months. This superbly presented guide to Wisconsin's winter sports and recreational activities range from skiing to dog sledding, from skating to snowmobiling, from community festivals to ice-fishing. Replete with listings for attractions, restaurants, lodging, special events and walking tours, "Great Wisconsin Winter Weekends" covers the whole of Wisconsin from Appleton to Wausau and is ideal reference for the tourist and the native-born alike, who are seeking something interesting to do on a day trip, a weekend, or a holiday vacation. No Wisconsin community library should be without at least one copy of "Great Wisconsin Winter Weekends" for their community patrons to peruse.

A History Of The 4th Wisconsin Infantry And Cavalry In The Civil War
Michael J. Martin
Savas Beatie
521 Fifth Ave, Suite 3400, NY, NY 10175
Casemate, distributor
2114 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083
1932714189 $34.95 www.casematepublishing.com 1-610-853-9131

Eight years in the making, A History Of The 4th Wisconsin Infantry And Cavalry In The Civil War is an exhaustively researched, highly readable chronicle drawing upon numerous previously unused soldier and civilian diaries, letters, reports, contemporary newspapers, and reminiscences. Dozens of previously unpublished soldier photos, a complete regimental roster, and an index enhance this minutely detailed chronicle. A History Of The 4th Wisconsin Infantry And Cavalry In The Civil War focuses on individuals and the points of view of the men who laid their lives on the line as surely as the overall flow of history. Highly recommended.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Instructions to Money
Daniel W. Merrick, Ph.D.
Outskirts Press
10940 South Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO
1598004700 $12.95 www.outskirtspress.com

Instructions to Money: From Welfare To Millionaire by Daniel W. Merrick, Ph.D., a veteran who realized that military benefits and social security were insufficent to feed his family, resolved to earn more money, and became a millionaire. He offers a highly practical plan for duplicating his success, available to anyone with a willingness to work hard, learn, and grow a business from an investment of other people's money. Chapters give broad general advice, such as the importance of never putting money ahead of one's loved ones, and specifics such as the importance of getting a second legal opinion on trusts and similar setups (one unfortunate man didn't realize that his lawyer had the final disposition of his money until it was too late and his family had no legal recourse to get it back), and above all, the importance of not giving in to poverty mentality or the lure of remaining dependent on the welfare system. The author was unable to undertake difficult physical work when he became a millionaire; he did not let his physical limitations stop him, and with the advice from Instructions to Money, anyone can follow in his footsteps.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Ethical Dimensions Of The Prophets
Joseph Jensen, O.S.B.
Liturgical Press
PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
0814659837 24.95 www.litpress.com 320-363-2227

Ethical Dimensions Of The Prophets by Joseph Jensen, O.S.B., an experienced teacher of Scripture, is a thoughtful discussion of the teachings of the prophets, written for intermediate to advanced Biblical scholars. Ethical Dimensions Of The Prophets especially notes the strength and fervency of the prophets' messages of social equality, the importance of justice, and the evils of tyranny. A serious-minded discussion that reviews the prophets both in terms of their era and in terms of how their message in ethics and morals speaks to modern times.

The Dead Sea Scrolls
Eileen M. Schuller
Westminster/John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396
0664231128 $17.95 www.wjkbooks.com 1-800-227-2872

Written by Eileen M. Schuller, professor of Religious Studies at McMaster University and one of the leaders in translating, editing, and publishing the Dead Sea Scrolls over the past twenty-five years, The Dead Sea Scrolls: What Have We Learned? is a solid overview of the Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient texts from the religious Essene sect of two thousand years ago discovered in the mid-twentieth century. In addition, The Dead Sea Scrolls addresses how the Scrolls have influenced modern religious scholars, broadened understanding of early Jewish faith, and what they say about worship practices and the role of women in early Judaism. Written in candid terms accessible to lay readers and religious scholars alike, The Dead Sea Scrolls is a concise and ideal exposition of what decades of research have discovered from ancient texts.

Israel And The Nations
James Chukwuma Okoye
Orbis Books
P.O. Box 302 Maryknoll, NY 10545-0302
1570756546 $28.00 1-800-258-5838

Israel And The Nations: A Mission Theology Of The Old Testament by James Chukwuma Okoye (Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Catholic Theological Union) is a scholarly work that scrutinizes the Old Testament of the Holy Bible and debates the themes of mission and the universality of salvation. Chapters discuss Genesis 1 as a blueprint for mission, interpretations and context of the book of Jonah, the role of Israel as a light to nations, and much more. Biblical quotes are scrutinized in the utmost detail, in this serious-minded analysis written especially for advanced religious scholars.

The Da Vinci Code And The Secrets Of The Temple
Robin Griffith Jones
Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
255 Jefferson Avenue S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503
0802840388 $10.00 www.eerdmans.com 1-800-253-7521

The Da Vinci Code And The Secrets Of The Temple by biblical scholar and Knights Templar expert Robin Griffith Jones (Master Of Temple Church In London, England) is a guide to the popular novel and movie "The Da Vinci Code", and the debate about how much history and accuracy exists in the story that purports Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene had a child. Literate, yet accessible to the lay reader, The Da Vinci Code And The Secrets Of The Temple explains biblical text, the novel's characters' quest, and what modern biblical archaeology and schools of thought have to say. An open discussion especially recommended to fans of The Da Vinci Code.

The Essence Of The Bhagavad Gita
Paramhansa Yogananda & Swami Kriyananda
Crystal Clarity Publishers
14618 Tyler Foote Road, Nevada City, CA 95959
1565892194 $24.95 www.crystalclarity.com 1-800-424-1055

The Essence Of The Bhagavad Gita by Paramhansa Yogananda (The first Indian Yoga Master to establish his life work in the west) as remembered by his Disciple Swani Kriyananda (founder of Ananda Sangha) is an exhaustive explanation of the Bhagavad Gita, sacred text to Hindus worldwide, in terms accessible to lay readers and religious scholars alike. Introductory chapters walk the reader through the origin and allegory of the Bhagavad Gita, but the bulk of The Essence Of The Bhagavad Gita takes the sacred text passage by passage and explicates at length the literal, spiritual, allegorical, cultural and other implications. Written with particular care and clarification for readers who may be personally unfamiliar with ancient Indian history, Hindu belief tenets, and similar matters, The Essence Of The Bhagavad Gita is enthusiastically recommended for public and college library shelves, as well as the personal shelves of any reader curious about what Hindu holy men have to say about this classic sacred text.


The International Studies Shelf

Peace Operations Seen From Below
Beatrice Pouligny
Kumarian Press Inc.
1294 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, CN 06002
1565492242 $24.95 www.kpbooks.com 1-860-243-2098

Peace Operations Seen From Below: UN Missions And Local People by Beatrice Pouligny (A Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for International Studies and Research) examines United Natioins peace operations in societies torn apart by political and ethnic conflict in a different light from most studies. Instead of examining reconstruction and peacekeeping from the view of political elites or in terms of the demobilization of armed groups, Peace Operations Seen From Below forcefully puts for the claim that the essence of rebuilding lies in the societies that emerge from the war, and the daily "ordinary" lives of both civilian populations and the staff of UN missions. A wealth of research and numerous case studies illustrate this examination of the common people caught up in the midst of strife, and their role in brining armed clashes to a close.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Short Child
Paul Kaplowitz MD, Ph D. & Jeffrey Baron MD
Warner Books
1271 Avenue Of The Americas, New York, NY 10020
0446696528 $14.95 www.twbookmark.com 1-800-759-0190

The Short Child: A Parents' Guide To The Causes, Consequences, And Treatment Of Growth Problems by Paul Kaplowitz MD, Ph D (Chief Of Endocrinology, Children's National Medical Center). & Jeffrey Baron MD (Pediatric Endocrinologist) is a straightforward guide written especially for parents, guardians, and lay readers about growth problems in children as a medical issue and the options for treating it. Chapters discuss how genetics, nutrition, and hormones affect growth; the physical and psychological impact of short stature; controversy over the use of growth hormones; and the pros and cons of various available treatments as well as how specialists determine whether treatment is a preferred option. Detailed and offering examples as well as charts and graphs to clarify its principles, The Short Child is highly readable and a "must-have" for any parent wrestling with what, if anything, to do for a child who may or may not be too small.

10 Simple Solutions To Adult ADD
Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, Ph. D.
New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
1572244348 $12.95 www.newharbinger.com

10 Simple Solutions To Adult ADD: How To Overcome Chronic Distraction & Accomplish Your Goals by Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, Ph. D. (Adjunct Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at the University of Florida) is a solid self-help guide to developing lifestyle patterns to offset the disadvantages for attention-deficit disorder in adults. The techniques to improve concentration and memory, manage money and time better, and raise self-confidence, while especially invaluable to adults with ADD, are also quite useful for lay readers of all backgrounds. From the "Five Box" method for sorting one's possessions (fix it, give it away, keep it, don't know, and garbage) to the value of using alarms in wristwatches to keep track of time (especially while on the computer) to using a seven-day pill container to ensure one takes the correct dosage of one's medication over the course of a week, the advice in 10 Simple Solutions To Adult ADD is invaluable. Additional tips for diplomatically disclosing that one has ADD, picking up nonverbal cues in social situations and much more round out this no-nonsense, practical guide.

Your Body Speaks Your Mind
Deb Shapiro
Sounds True Inc.
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
1591794188 $19.95 www.soundstrue.com 1-303-665-3151

Now in a revised and updated edition, Your Body Speaks Your Mind: Decoding The Emotional. Psychological, And Spiritual Messages That Underlie Illness by bodymind therapy and meditation instructor of 20 years' experience Deb Shapiro is a guide to better understanding how to read and understand one's own bodily symptoms in order to increase one's own potential for healthcare and healing. Chapters discuss how physical health, feelings and thoughts are linked to specific body parts, and how to become aware of the body's rhythms and supplement both the body's healing with the mind and the mind's healing with the body. New to the revised edition, an accompanying audio CD includes two previously unreleased guided visualization practices to aid in experiencing and learning the techniques in Your Body Speaks Your Mind.

A Women's Guide To Men's Health
Abraham Harvey Kryger, MD, DMD
RDR Books
1487 Glen Avenue, Muskegon, MI 49441
157143156X $17.95 www.rdrbooks.com 1-510-595-0595

Despite its title, A Women's Guide To Men's Health by Abraham Harvey Kryger, MD, DMD (a board-certified family practitioner in full time practice) is an invaluable guide for both genders. Focusing especially on issues of male health, happiness, hormones, vigor, and sexuality, A Women's Guide To Men's Health goes into detail about everything from ways to improve the male sex life at all stages of life, to the perils of taking hormones unless deliberately prescribed for a specific medical condition, testosterone's role in penis size, and much more. Written lay reader-friendly terms, A Women's Guide To Men's Health discusses sensitive sexual subjects with candor and decorum, and is highly recommended.


The Gaming Shelf

Powers Unlimited 3
Carmine Bellaire & Kevin Siembieda
Palladium Books
12455 Universal Drive, Taylor, MI 48180
1574571524 $14.95 www.palladiumbooks.com

A new, 112-page sourcebook for Palladium's 'Heroes Unlimited' role-play gaming, "Powers Unlimited 3" is an expanded second edition of a popular title that features 133 new Super Abilities and numerous sub-powers, 46 new Minor Super Abilities, 77 new Major Super Abilities, 19 new types of Alter Physical Structure, 10 new Animal Ability types, new Random Power tables. The result is a Carmen Bellaire and Kevin Siembieda collaboration that will provide hours (even days) of cutting edge role-play as players adventure through new and unique challenges. No dedicated gamer in the Palladium Megaverse can afford to be without their own treasured copy of "Powers Unlimited 3".


The Architecture Shelf

What Not To Build
Sandra Edelman, Judy Gaman, Robby Reid
Creative Homeowner
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
078585112937 $24.95 1-800-631-7795 www.creativehomeowner.com

The collaborative effort of professional home designers and residential planners Sandra Edelman, Judy Gaman, Robby Reid, "What Not To Build: Do's And Don'ts Of Exterior Home Design" is unique among architecture books in that it's focus is on avoiding common design mistakes that result in un-esthetic (and down right ugly) exteriors. "What Not To Build deftly surveys architectural design principles of scale, proportion, balance, rhythm, and style consistency in residential home design. "What Not To Build" showcases fifty "before & after" examples of mistakes made on actual houses -- and how to correct them. Enhanced with more than 300 full color photographs, even the most novice architect and aspiring home owner can learn how to make their house building or remodeling project comply to sound architectural design principles. A thoroughly "user friendly" guide, "What Not To Build" is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Architectural Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Art Shelf

Viktor Schreckengost: American Da Vinci
Henry Adams, author & Sunny Morton, editor
Tide-mark Press Ltd.
PO Box 20, Windsor, CT 06095-0020
1594902208 $34.95 1-800-338-2508 www.tidemarkpress.com

Fine artist, sculptor, and ceramicist Viktor Schreckengost has had an enormous impact of popular culture through his Limoges dinnerware designs, his work as a graphic artist, theater and costume designer, as well as his industrial designs which ranged from Murray bicycles, pedal cars, planes and boats, to Steelcraft toy buses and trucks, commercial printing presses, the first riding lawn mower, General Electric lighting fixtures and appliances, the Sear's Beverly Hills lawn chair, and that classic icon of American childhood -- the little red wagon. Profusely illustrated in full color and enhanced with the addition of an Index and Image Catalogue, and with expert commentary by former museum curator Henry Adams, "Viktor Schreckengost: American Da Vinci" is a superbly presented and informative introduction to the life, work, and artistry of a remarkably talent who dedicated himself to the esthetic improvement of American popular culture. Highly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library American Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Imagined Interiors
Jeremy Aynsley & Charlotte Grant
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
1851774920 $85.00 www.abramsbooks.com 1-800-759-0190

Co-edited by Jeremy Aynsley (Head of the School of Humanities at the Royal College of Art) and Charlotte Grant (Senior Research Fellow at the AHRC Centre for the Study of Domestic Interior, Royal College of Art), Imagined Interiors: Representing The Domestic Interior Since The Renaissance provides art students and enthusiasts with an informed and informative historical survey of how the home has been depicted in western art over the last 500 years. Featuring home interiors that range from the grandly aristocratic to the simple ordinary, "Imagined Interiors" draws from a range of artists that includes Vermeer and Hogarth to Alfrided Hitchcock and Bill Brandt. Profusely illustrated with 260 full-color illustrations, this 304-page specialized art history is enthusiastically recommended for personal, academic, and community library Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists. Indeed, "Imagined Interiors" would be an appropriate and popular Memorial Fund acquisition selection choice for any public library.


The World History Shelf

Prostitutes & Courtesans in the Ancient World
Christopher Faraone & Laura McClure
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, 3rd Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
0299213145 $24.95 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress 1-800-621-2736

Expertly compiled and co-edited by Christopher A. Faraone & Laura K. McClure, Prostitutes & Courtesans in the Ancient World is a seminal collection of essays by learned authors about the sex trade in ancient human history, from ancient Mesopotamia to the beginning of the Christian period. Drawing upon sources ranging from legal and religious tracts to lyric poetry, love elegies, comic drama, and graffiti on the walls of ancient Pompeii, Prostitutes & Courtesans in the Ancient World offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of women whose work in the sex trade often put them amid otherwise all-male gatherings, and whose literary representations often had reverberating political and social influence. A perfect balance between scholarly analysis and conversational tone, Prostitutes & Courtesans in the Ancient World will prove fascinating and insightful to historians and lay readers alike.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Alligator Snapping Turtle
Peter C. H. Pritchard
Krieger Publishing Company
PO Box 9542, Melbourne, FL 32902-9542
1575242753 $42.00 www.krieger-publishing.com

Originally published in 1989 and out of print for several years, the Krieger Publishing Company's new reprint of zoologist Peter Pritchard's classic monograph, "The Alligator Snapping Turtle: Biology And Conservation", is an informed and informative introduction to one of nature's most impressive, dangerous, and famous of the turtle species. This new edition of "The Alligator Snapping Turtle" is enhanced with a major new section detailing the zoological progress made on the science and conservation of this species over the last seventeen years and is therefore a fully up-to-date, profusely illustrated treatise that includes the Snapping Turtle's geographic distribution, diet, reproduction cycle, natural history, exploitation and captivity, population status and trends, and so much more. With the addition of a comprehensive Index, a list of supplemental material, Reviews and Responses, Protection and Legislation, and more, "The Alligator Snapping Turtle" is an indispensable addition to professional and academic library Biology and Natural Science reference collections in general, and the supplemental reading list of turtle enthusiasts and wildlife conservationists in particular.

Buffalo Country
Donald M. Jones
Riverbend Publishing
P.O. Box 5833, Helena, MT 59604
1931832560 $13.95 www.riverbendpublishing.com 1-866-787-2363

Buffalo country: America's National Bison Range by wildlife photographer Donald M. Jones is a softcover photographic gallery of splendor of Montana wildlife. Beautiful, full-color images on every page of the Bison Range environment, flowers, and animals from rams and deer to owls, mountain bluebirds, mink, and turtles provide lavish illustration, while the text recounts the story of how bison recovered from near-extermination, how the National Bison Range was created, and the tale of Big Medicine, the sacred white buffalo. Especially recommended as a giftbook for nature lovers.

T.F.H. Publications
1 TFH Plaza, 3rd & Union Avenue, Neptune City, NJ 07753
www.tfhpublications.com 1-800-631-2188

Animal Planet is the cable television channel dedicated exclusively to the study and presentation of wonderfully diverse world of animal life and habitat. T.F.H. Publications is the premier publisher of books on pets and wildlife. In a new series of books, Animal Planet and T.F.H. have teamed up to present complete and introductory volumes showcasing some of the best loved and most common of household pets. Each book in the "Animal Planet Pet Care Library" series provides a thoroughly 'reader friendly' text laced with informative tips, enhanced with colorful photography, and covering all aspects of a pet care. This outstanding and highly recommended series includes "Guinea Pigs" (0793837693, $9.95) by Julie Mancini; "Rabbits (0793837650, $9.95) by Sue Fox; "Parakeets" (0793837677, $9.95) by Nikki Moustaki; "Hamsters" (0793837685, $9.95); and "Cockatiels" (0793837669) by Ellen Fusz. Each title in this informed and informative series would make a simply ideal choice for personal, school, and community library Pets & Wildlife reference collections.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

A Disguise For Death
Susan Kelly
Magna Large Print Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
0750525398 $32.50 www.ulverscroftusa.com 1-800-955-9659

Set in the United Kingdom, A Disguise For Death is the large print edition is a dark murder mystery about the distant aftermath of a deadly bombing. When a former IRA cell leader writes a best-seller about the tragedy, Superintendent Gregory Summers attends a reading; the situation soon turns violent, as old wounds are inflamed, and Summers becomes involved in one of the most difficult and labyrinth cases of his career. An intricate mystery about grudges that time won't heal.


The Native American Shelf

Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes
Carl Waldman
Facts On File, Inc.
132 West 31st Street, 17th floor, New York, NY 10001-2006
0816062730 $75.00 www.factsonfile.com 1-800-322-8755

Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes" is a compilation of facts for more than two hundred Native American tribes in North America, including prehistoric peoples on the North American continent as well as all of the identifiable Native American civilizations on the continent. Organized alphabetically by tribe or group, there is at least one representative Native American tribe from each language family or language isolate for each culture area covered. From locations, migrations, contact with non-Indians, wars, customs, housing, tools, clothing, art, rituals, diet, and cultural contributions, "Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes" has special relevance for contemporary tribal issues and concerns. "Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes" is a critically important, superbly presented, essential and core addition to professional, academic, and community library Native American Studies reference collections.


The Humor Shelf

The War Within
G. B. Trudeau
Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111
0740762028 $9.95

Featuring a foreword by General Richard B. Myers (USAF, Ret., Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) The War Within: One More Step At A Time is a unique collection of G. B. Trudeau's Doonesbury newspaper comics that is not only humorous, but also cutting-edge relevant . The strips follow the daily life Vietnam, Gulf War, and Iraq War veteran B.D., whose tour of duty was cut short by a near-death experience, the loss of his leg, and perhaps most shockingly, the loss of his iconic helmet. Far more life-altering than the physical damage is the post-traumatic stress disorder that leaves him increasingly disoriented, hostile, withdrawn, and turning to alcohol to self-medicate. When B.D. is on the verge of mistaking friends and family for mortal enemies, the turning point comes when he overhears his own daughter say that she has become afraid of him. Help comes in the form of the local Vet Center, and the skillful aid of counselor and fellow Vietnam vet Elias. The War Within brims with classic Trudeau wit, yet also reveals the author's resolve to accurately portray the harrowing pressures America's armed forces are subject to during and after risking their lives in the service. Highly recommended. Proceeds from "The War Within" are to benefit Fisher House, a "home away from home" for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers.


The Education Shelf

A Research Guide For Undergraduate Students
Nancy L. Baker & Nancy Huling
Modern Language Association
26 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10004-1789
0873529243 $12.00 www.mla.org 1-646-576-5018

Now in a newly updated and expanded sixth edition, the 104 page reference, "A Research Guide For Undergraduate Students: English And American Literature", by co-authors and librarians Nancy L. Baker and Nancy Huling offers a succinct and informative descriptional tour of the typical college library along with easy-to-understand summaries of the print and electronic research tools available to students and faculty. The research aids and reference works range from the 'Literary Resource Center', to the 'Expanded Academic ASAP', to 'Literature Online', to 'Library of Congress Subject Headings', to the 'MLA International Bibliography', to the 'Oxford English Dictionary', to the 'ProQuest Research Library', and dozens of others. "A Research Guide For Undergraduate Students" also provides a wealth of examples taken from the showcased reference materials, explains how to navigate a college library's electronic catalog, how to search for articles and books, the use of primary sources, locating biographic information, quotations, and miscellaneous facts. Of special note is a new chapter focused on dealing with bibliographic citation managers such as 'EndNote'. "A Research Guide For Undergraduate Students" is an invaluable guide, especially for new students and returning students wanting to take maximum advantage of what their college library has to offer them in support of their academic endeavors.

Quotes To Inspire Great Reading Teachers
Cathy Collins Block & Susan E. Israel
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
1412926483 $32.95 www.corwinpress.com 1-800-818-7243

Intended for use by reading teachers of students in grades K-10, Quotes To Inspire Great Reading Teachers: A Reflective Tool For Advancing Students' Literacy by co-authors Cathy Collins Block (Professor, Texas Christian University) & Susan E. Israel (Assistant Professor, University Of Dayton) is a unique educational supplement; each page presents a quote about reading, literature or thinking from a renowned individual, suggestions for linking the quote to a lesson, literature links for grade K-4 students and grade 4-10 students, and sample questions for prompting introspection on the part of the teacher. For example one quote is "Change your thoughts and you change your world" by Norman Vincent Peale; questions for the teacher's pondering include "How do you change your students' lives?", the lesson links recommended include "Ask students how they change their world", and the literature links recommended are "Golem" by David Wisniewski for grades K-4, and "Loser" by Jerry Spinelli for grades 4-10. An excellent source of ideas for creative and motivational lessons in reading, language, and literature.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The Movie Lovers' Club
Cathleen Rountree
Inner Ocean Publishing
PO Box 1239 Makawao, Maui, HI 96768-1239
1930722524 $16.95 www.innerocean.com

The Movie Lovers' Club: How To Start Your Own Film Group by best-selling author and writing consultant Cathleen Rountree is a handy guide to building a sustainable community group based upon love of movies and discussion. Recommending a classic movie for one's club for each week of the year, from "About Schmidt" to "Finding Neverland", and offering detailed information about each suggested movie as well as numerous discussion questions, The Movie Lovers' Club is a superb "starter kit" for launching a new social circle.

The Cuban Filmography 1897 Through 2001
Alfonso J. Garcia Osuna
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
0786427272 $39.95 www.mcfarlandpub.com 1-800-253-2187

The Cuban Filmography 1897 Through 2001 is a complete filmography of every Cuban film, including documentaries, shorts, and cartoons, released from 1897-2001. Arranged in alphabetical order by title,
each entry gives the original title and an English translation, director, production company, year of release, B&W/color, running time, writing credits, animation credits, music credits, cast credits, a synopsis and an evaluation of the film. A scattered handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this solid reference, and an extensive forerunner section devotes nearly 40 pages to recounting the history of Cuban films. A first-class reference.

Journalism In The Movies
Matthew C. Ehrlich
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6975
0252074327 $20.00 www.press.uillinois.edu 1-800-545-4703

"Journalism In The Movies" by Matthew C. Ehrlich (Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) is a history of how Hollywood movies have depicted American journalism and newspaper reporters, editors and publishers from the beginning of the sound era in motion pictures down to the present day. Professor Ehrlich documents how film makers from script writers to directors have consistently presented journalists as men and women who see through lies and hypocrisy, defend the ordinary people from corruption, conspiracy, and criminality, and serve in the defense of democracy. From 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington', to 'All the President's Men', to 'The Insider', and more, the reader is provided with illustrative examples of films that reflect and shape public opinion with respect to the role of journalist in American society and American life. "Journalism In The Movies" is an important and scholarly addition to academic library Cinema History reference collections, and supplemental reading lists for students and non-academic general readers with an interest in journalism and the movies.

Triquetra
Keith Topping
Telos Publishing Ltd.
61 Elgar Avenue, Tolworth, Surrey, England KT5 9JP
1845830024 $22.95 www.telos.com

"Triquetra: The Unofficial And Unauthorized Guide To Charmed" by Keith Topping is a superbly detailed and organized fan guide to the popular television show "Charmed" which featured the four Halliwell sisters -- good witches who are known as 'The Charmed Ones' to their friends, allies, and foes. Sworn to protect the innocent from all manner of bad guys (and gals!) ranging from warlocks, demons and black lighters, to the good guys including other white witches, elders, white lighters, and fairy folk of all kinds. Author and 'Charmed Ones' fan Keith Topping explores every episode from the never aired series pilot to the end of the seventh and final season. Here is the ultimate guide to the lives, loves and adventures of Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Paige and all their kin. No true and dedicated fan of the show will want to be without their personal copy of "Triquetra"!


The Language Studies Shelf

How Language Works
David Crystal
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
1585678481 $30.00 212-673-2210

How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, And Languages Live Or Die by expert linguist David Crystal is a comprehensive guide written for lay readers and linguistic scholars alike to how language develops and evolves, both in individuals and in societies. In addition to chronicling how new languages are created from the mixing of cultures, and surveying the process of how languages die, How Language Works also makes an impassioned plea to protect and sustain as many languages as possible in a modern world beset with the threat of literally thousands of human languages on the verge of extinction. Championing languages as facets of intellectual and cultural diversity as well as miracles of science and nature, How Language Works is highly recommended.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Haunted Minnesota
Hugh E. Bishop
Lake Superior Port Cities Inc.
PO Box 16417, Duluth, MN 55816-0417
0942235711 $14.95 www.lakesuperior.com 1-888-244-5253

Compiled and organized by Minnesota resident Hugh Bishop, "Haunted Minnesota: Ghostly Tales and Spirited Stories" offers the reader a tour of supernatural mysteries and ghost stories set in the upper Midwestern state of Minnesota. The work of meticulous historical research and including first-person interviews of those who hunt and exorcize ghosts (or simply help them to their final resting place), "Haunted Minnesota" includes accounts involving homes, historic buildings, work places, and wild woods. Also very highly recommended as additions to personal and community library Metaphysical Studies reference collections and reading lists are three additional titles from Lake Superior Port Cities: Hugh Bishop's "Haunted Lake Superior" (094233555X); and Frederick Stonehouse's "Haunted Lakes" (0942235304) and "Haunted Lakes II" (0942235398).

Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained
Derek Lin, translator
Skylight Paths Publishing
Sunset Farms Offices, Route 4, PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
1594732043 $16.99 1-800-962-4544 www.skylightpaths.com

Ably translated into English by Derek Lin (Tao Te Ching expert and Director of Tao Studies at the Great Tao Foundation of America), "Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained" introduces students of the Tao as to how they can integrate the Tao Te Ching into their daily lives. The format is one of an unobtrusive facing-page commentary highlighting the simplicity, balance, and learning from life's paradoxical truths. Readers will learn how to employ the Tao Te Ching approach to realizing their personal and professional goals. Reputedly the creation of Lao Tzu some 2500 years ago, this ancient Chinese body of teachings that comprises the "Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained" is now thoroughly accessible to students and non-specialist general reader alike who have an interest in the Tao. Highly recommended for Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and students of the Tao in particular.


The American History Shelf

Rally 'Round The Flag
Theodore J. Karamanski
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
0742551377 $24.95 www.rowmanlittlefield.com 1-800-462-6420

"Rally 'Round The Flag: Chicago And The Civil War" by Theodore Karamanski (Professor of History, Loyola University of Chicago) is an impressive, informative, and scholarly history of Chicago history during the years of the American Civil War. Professor Karamanski draws from diaries, letters, and newspapers to reveal how Chicago's public opinions on the war evolved from a romantic and patriotic naivete to a clarion recognition of the brutality of the conflict. Because Chicago was far from battle lines, war fields and killing grounds, yet accessible to them through railroad and waterway systems of transport, its war-time economy boomed, attracting a huge increase in population that strained Chicago's pre-war social fabric. From the Republic convention of 1860 to the dismal conditions of the Confederate POWs in Camp Douglas on the South Side of Chicago, readers are provided with a vividly accurate historical account of Chicago's conditions during the bloody conflict that threatened to tear apart the American nation. Highly recommended for non-specialist general readers, "Rally 'Round The Flag" is a seminal and strongly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American History and Civil War Studies reference collections and reading lists.

A Guide To The Battles Of The American Revolution
Theodore P. Savas & J. David Dameron
Savas Beatie
521 Fifth Ave, Suite 3400, NY, NY 10175
Casemate, distributor
2114 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083
193271412X $29.95 www.casematepublishing.com 1-610-853-9131

"A Guide To The Battles Of The American Revolution" is a 288-page, nicely illustrated, comprehensive, informed and informative history of every single engagement between American and British forces during the six year war of the American Revolution from first shots fired at Bunker Hill to the Siege of Yorktown in October 1781 resulting in the final defeat of the English and the emancipation of the colonies from British rule. Co-written by Theodore Savas (author and managing director of Sava Beatie) and David Dameron (author and historian), "A Guide To The Battles Of The American Revolution" is organized with each military engagement entry beginning with introductory details (date of the battle, location, commanders, opposing forces, terrain, weather, time of day), followed by both Colonial and British perspectives of the unfolding military situation, a detailed and unbiased account of what actually transpired, a discussion of numbers and losses, an assessment of the consequences of the battle, and suggestions for further reading. A work of impressive historical scholarship, "A Guide To The Battles Of The American Revolution" is thoroughly 'reader friend' and a very welcome addition to personal, academic, and community library American History collections in general, and American Military History collections in particular.

Scandinavians In Michigan
Jeffrey W. Hancks
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25 Manly Miles Building, East Lansing, MI 48823-5202
0870137751 $11.95 www.msupress.msu.edu 1-517-355-9543

Scandinavians In Michigan by Jeffrey W. Hancks (Endowed Professor Of Icarian and Regional Studies at Western Illinois University) traces the history of immigrants from Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) in the proud Midwestern state of Michigan. Black-and-white photographs and statistical tables offer extra insight into the text, which provides a brief overview of Scandinavian religious customs, festivals, place names, humor, and other contributions to Michigan culture. A compact history that doubles as a most enjoyable giftbook or souvenir book.


The Sports Shelf

Strength Training For Young Athletes
William J. Kraemer PhD & Steven J. Fleck PhD
Human Kinetics
P.O. Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
0736051031 $19.95 www.hkusa.com 1-800-747-4457

Now in an updated second edition, Strength Training For Young Athletes: Safe And Effective Exercises For Performance by co-authors William J. Kraemer PhD (Editor-In-Chief of the Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research) and Steven J. Fleck PhD (Chair of the Sport Science department at Colorado College in Colorado Springs), both world-renowned strength and conditioning experts addresses how to apply beneficial strength training to young people without risking harm to their physical, psychological, or emotional development, and keeping the odds of injury in athletics and athletic training to an absolute minimum. Chapters address how to determine individual needs, creating safe training environments, single and multi-joint upper and lower body exercises, total-body exercises and sport-specific regimens, and much more. Black-and-white photographs, detailed explanations and instructions, and no-nonsense prose fully accessible to lay readers and parents as surely as it is to coaches and professionals distinguish this "must-have" guide for anyone responsible for a young person involved in serious sports.


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


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