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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 6, Number 12 December 2011 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Computer Shelf Business Shelf
Education Shelf Sports Shelf American History Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Gardening Shelf Travel Shelf
Art Shelf Poetry Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Music Shelf
Jewelry Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Fiction Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Memoir Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Social Issues Shelf Photography Shelf
Railroading Shelf Architecture Shelf Psychology Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf Gaming Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Music CD Shelf DVD Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Military Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Political Science Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Cluck: From Jungle Fowl to City Chicks
Susan Troller, Jane Hamilton, Michael Perry, & Ben Logan, stories
S.V. Medaris, art
Itchy Cat Press
Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
ffg@mhtc.net
9780981516134 $25.00 www.itchycatpress.com

Primarily intended as entertainment rather than an agricultural how-to, Cluck: From Jungle Fowl to City Chicks is an anthology of true stories about the trials, travails, and joys of raising chickens in one's backyard. Colorful artwork by S.V. Medaris illustrates tales about protecting chickens from diseases and predators; raising them from tiny chicks; even how to hypnotize a chicken. Anyone who has ever raised a chicken, or might be contemplating the prospect, will enjoy reading Cluck from cover to cover!

Lunch Bucket Paradise
Fred Setterberg
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145
Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597141666, $15.95, www.heydaybooks.com

The past is lost, but how do we reclaim that hope we need? "Lunch Bucket Paradise" is a blend of novel and memoir from Fred Setterberg as he reflects on his past, invoking the innocence of child hood and that hope for the future that seems to be all but lost in today's world. With poignancy, wit, and some humor, "Lunch Bucket Paradise" is a dose of nostalgia that has much to be considered, highly recommended.


The Computer Shelf

Programming Concurrency on the JVM
Venkat Subramaniam
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356760, $35.00, www.pragprog.com

As power increases, potential increases. "Programming Concurrency on the JVM: Mastering Synchronization, STM, and Actors" is a guide to making the most out of modern multicore hardware and developing multiple programs simultaneously, without complication, and avoiding many issues that commonly scare developers away from using such practices. "Programming Concurrency on the JVM" is a fine reference for those who want to expand their developing techniques and efficiency.


The Business Shelf

The Power of Foursquare
Carmine Gallo
The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
9780071773171, $25.00, www.books.mcgraw-hill.com

Social networking means more business opportunities than ever before. "The Power of Foursquare: 7 Innovative Ways to Get Your Customers to Check In Wherever They Are" is a delve into the power of the social networking application foursquare, an application that is targeted at businesses and their customers to maximize usability for all parties involved. A complete and comprehensive guide for getting the most out of foursquare for any size of business, "The Power of Foursquare" shouldn't be overlooked for business leaders and managers looking for new marketing opportunities.

Mob Rule Learning
Michelle Boule
Cyber Age Books
c/o Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike
Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9780910965927, $24.95, www.infotoday.com

The mind of a mob is something to be wary of. "Mob Rule Learning: Camps, Unconferences, and Trashing the Talking Head" delves into the conference mentality, what's wrong with it, and the emergence of the unconference movement in response, stating that the gathering forms a mob mentality and may prove ineffective in creating effective ideas for education and training for businesses and other organizations that depend on a gathering of minds to be effective. "Mob Rule Learning" presents many intriguing ideas and shouldn't be overlooked.

The Diversity Index
Susan E. Reed
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
9780814416495, $27.95, www.amacombooks.org

Has the race barrier truly been defeated in the corporate world? "The Diversity Index: The Alarming Truth About Diversity in Corporate America... and What Can be Done About It" cites low numbers of minority executives in Fortune 100 companies, and that diversity may be needed in today's growing global world where working with foreign companies and other cultures is vital to corporate success. With an intriguing approach to racial diversity in the workplace, "The Diversity Index" asks many questions and comes with many intriguing solutions.

Leadership Team Coaching
Peter Hawkins
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100
Philadelphia, PA 19102
9780749458836, $39.95, www.koganpageusa.com

Good leadership changes all those involved. "Leadership Team Coaching: Developing Collective Transformational Leadership" is a guide to developing a worthy team in a business environment. From understanding a team's performance and adjusting it accordingly, being a coach, and communicating with the powers that be, for all those who want to take a more proactive role in their business to succeed and more, "Leadership Team Coaching" is a practical guide loaded with plenty of examples and much to succeed, a strongly recommended choice.

5 Levels of Leadership
John C. Maxwell
Center Street
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017-0010
9781599953656, $25.99, www.hbgusa.com

Good leadership adds to success on many levels. "5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential" is a guide to business leadership, talking abut five virtues of leadership and how to use them for success. From leading people from simple responsibility to desire to follow a leader due to inspiration and what can be done, Maxwell speaks clearly on what it means to be a leader worth following. "5 Levels of Leadership" is a strong pick for anyone who wants to understand what makes a leadership truly worth following.

Effective Time Management
Lothar Seiwert & Holger Woeltje
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780735660045, $29.99, www.oreilly.com

Time is your most valuable resource. "Effective Time Management: Using Microsoft Outlook to Organize Your Work and Personal Life" is a guide to making the most of one's time as a business manager to get the best results out of oneself and the best results of everything else. From the e-mail inbox to making the most of the calendar and personal organization, Lothar Seiwert & Holger Woeltje show how to make the most of Microsoft Outlook for personal time. "Effective Time Management" is a strong pick for business, self-help, and technology collections.


The Education Shelf

So This is Normal Too?, second edition
Deborah Hewitt
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court
St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605540726, $29.95, www.redleafpress.org

Normalcy proves to be a myth in youth. "So This is Normal Too?" is the second edition of Deborah Hewitt delving into her experience with early childhood education, as many parents face children who develop in ways that they may not understand as perfectly normal and natural. Discussing brain development, the ins and outs of language, and helping children understand what they might not yet be able to. "So This is Normal Too?" is a fine pick for those concerned about early childhood development.

Lollipop Logic Book 3
Bonnie Risby & Robert K. Risby, II
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813
Waco, TX 76714-8813
9781593638320 $12.95 www.prufrock.com

Intended for young people in grades K-2, Lollipop Logic is a consumable book of reproducible activities and puzzles designed to teach logic, analogies, pattern recognition, inference, and more critical thinking skills to young people. The black-and-white lessons and exercises often take a simple multiple-choice format and utilize simple line drawings to help communicate the exercises. For example, one puzzle reads "[picture of nurse hat] is like [picture of stethoscope] as...", and the correct answer of three choices is "[picture of chef hat] is like [picture of rolling pin]". An excellent supplementary resource for educators, homeschoolers, even parents and babysitters, Lollipop Logic Book 3 is highly recommended.


The Sports Shelf

The Bill James Handbook
Justin Verlander
ACTA Publications
4848 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
9780879464738, $24.95, www.actapublications.com

The numbers behind baseball sometimes entice fans more than the game itself. "The Bill James Handbook 2012" is an updated statistics book from Bill James as he offers a complete and comprehensive book of stats for every player, team, and manager all throughout the major leagues. For fantasy baseball managers, statistician fans, and more, with new pitch repertoire guides and award listings, "The Bill James Handbook 2012" is an excellent pick and sports reference.

Alpine Skiing
Ronald W. Kipp
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9780736083553, $19.95, www.HumanKinetics.com

Screaming down a mountain is more fun than one would think. "Alpine Skiing" delves into the sport of Alpine skiing, with a solid introductory for those who want to delve into the sport and gain a more complete understanding of its rules, regulations, practices, and much more. For those who want to get into the sport or simply want to know more about it, "Alpine Skiing" is an excellent introductory and reference, very much recommended.


The American History Shelf

Alaska: A History
Claus M. Naske & Herman E. Slotnick
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780806140407, $39.95, www.oupress.com

Wide and vast, Alaska is certainly a unique member of the United States. "Alaska: A History" chronicles the history surrounding this state, from its earliest prehistoric inhabitants to its acquisition by America, its statehood, and its role in America ever since. Natural, political, cultural, Alaska's individual story is a story of many people and many eras, and proves to be an educational and endlessly intriguing reading. "Alaska: A History" is a fine pick for any history collection with a focus on American States history.

Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siu.edu/~siupress

Abraham Lincoln was a pivotal figure in 19th Century American history. Adding to the growing library of Lincoln Studies are four volumes newly published by the Southern Illinois University Press. "Lincoln and the Election of 1860" (9780809330355, $19.95, 144 pages) by Michael S. Green focuses upon the political acumen of Abraham Lincoln in one of the most critically important presidential campaigns. "Lincoln and the Civil War" (9780809330539, $19.95, 160 pages) by Michael Burlingame examines the role of Abraham Lincoln and his administration during the years of the bloodiest conflict our nation has ever known. "Abraham Lincoln and Horace Greeley" (9780809330454, $19.95, 160 pages) by Gregory A. Borchard explores the relationship between the most important political figure and arguably the most influential media mogul of the mid-nineteenth century. "Abraham Lincoln and Mary Lincoln" (9780809330492, $19.95, 160 pages) by Kenneth J. Winkle descriptively assesses the complex and sometimes controversial marriage of America's 'First Family' beginning with their contrasting childhoods, courtship, the 'lawyer Lincoln' years, and their White House tenure which ended tragically with the assassination of Lincoln at the close of the Civil War. Each of these informed and informative titles is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Lincoln Studies and 19th Century American History collections.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Story of Brutus
Casey Anderson
Pegasus Books
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10110
9781605982533, $14.95, www.wwnorton.com

Godless killing machines to some, bears aren't the most understood of creatures. "The Story of Brutus: My Life with Brutus the Bear and the Grizzlies of North America" is a memoir and wildlife discussion book from Casey Anderson as he shares his life of working with grizzly bears in North America through animal rescue, and how his rescue of Brutus, a particular North American Grizzly, seeks to educate the world and advocate their preservation. "The Story of Brutus" is a must for any animal lover, especially those who want to learn more about these mostly gentle beasts.

The World of Animals
Master Books
c/o New Leaf Publishing Group
PO Box 726
Green Forest, AR 72638
9780890516171, $24.99, www.masterbooks.net

The world is filled with thousands of species and there's no shortage of wonder behind them all. "The World of Animals: Fascinating Facts about the World of Animals" is a beautiful full color photography and reference to the countless animals all over the world, from the jungles, savannahs, seas, and so much more. An excellent choice for either coffee table book or as a gift for an animal lover of any age, "The World of Animals" is an excellent and much recommended pick for wildlife and nature collections, not to be overlooked.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Day by Day with Saint Francis
Gianluigi Pasquale
New City Press
202 Cardinal Rd.
Hyde Park, NY 12538
9781565483941, $24.95, www.newcitypress.com

Humor's power should not be underestimated. "Day by Day with Saint Francis: 365 Meditations" is a collection of 365 meditations from the saint who looked to joy to spread the love of God, to those who were in need of a bright spot in their lives more than anyone else. With an uplifting drive and no shortage of subjects to ponder about the world, "Day by Day with Saint Francis" is an insightful and much recommended read for the religious who want to preach joy instead of condemnation, highly recommended.

The Emerging Catholic Church
Tom Roberts
Orbis Books
PO Box 308
Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759468, $24.00, www.orbisbooks.com

Catholicism must find its way in the world once more. "The Emerging Catholic Church: A Community's Search for Itself" discusses the crisis the Catholic church faces from the surge of Sex abuse scandals, the clerical scandal, and the disillusionment that many have began to feel with the faith. With many musings on the importance of change and the rebirth of faith and reformation within the church, "The Emerging Catholic Church" is a fascinating discussion of the next generation of the Catholic Church, much recommended.

Gospel Basics
Andrew A. Bonar
Banner of Truth
PO Box 621
Carlisle, PA 17013
9781848711235, $15.00, www.banneroftruth.org

With so much crowding today's world, it can be easy to lose sight of the gospel. "Gospel Basics: Trusting, Following, and Winning Christ" is a reprinting of the wisdom of famed pastor Andrew Bonar who preached the faith well throughout the nineteenth century. With much to digest and consider for Christian readers, Bonar discusses many aspects of Christian life that still apply even today. "Gospel Basics" is a choice pick for any Christian reader who seeks wisdom on how to manage their faith in the modern day.

Inspired Work
Scott Ortega
Westbow
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200
Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
9781449720582, $13.95, www.inspired-work.com

Work doesn't have to be free of faith. "Inspired Work: A New Testament Guide to Working with Purpose" is an inspirational guide for those who want to bring God into their everyday life, to give it purpose and meaning, and to remember their faith as they face their daily occupation and what it means to them all. "Inspired Work" is an excellent and inspirational read for those who work their job and wonder what would Jesus do in their situation?

The Edge of Redemption
Troy A. Evans
Wesleyan University Press
215 Long Lane
Middletown, CT 06459
9780898274899, $19.99, www.wesleyan.edu/wespress

You don't know if something is a waste of time until you try it. "The Edge of Redemption: A Story of Hope for Rescuing the Unreachable" is a blend of memoir and inspiration to preaching and spreading the word from Troy A. Evans as he encourages people to reach out to the unreachable and how he turned away from t he hip hop dream to teach and help the community he once exploited. "The Edge of Redemption" is an excellent and very much recommended pick, not to be overlooked.

Walk Strong, Look Up
Chantel Hobbs
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 E Fulton
Ada, MI 49301
9780800720490, $13.99, www.revellbooks.com

Health is an all encompassing thing for life. "Walk Strong, Look Up: The Most Powerful Exercise for Your Body and Soul" is a Christian self-help and health guide from Chantell Hobbs as she encourages readers to find their own place in life and empower themselves and their lives to make the most of their lives and empower themselves to take control of their life and live healthier both physically and spiritually. "Walk Strong, Look Up" is a powerful read for religious readers who want to improve their lives and future.

Love Life and See Good Days
Emily Freeman
Deseret Books
PO Box 30178
Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0178
9781609087425, $18.99, www.deseretbook.com

What is a good day? "Love Life and See Good Days?" is a Christian inspirational guide from Emily Freeman who encourages people to see good days ahead of them and behind them, and learn to appreciate them for what they are. With powerful words for learning how to appreciate life and seek more joy from it, "Love Life and See Good Days" is an original outlook for life, much recommended.

All is Grace
Brennan Manning
David C. Cook
4050 Lee Vance View
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
9781434764188, $22.99, www.davidccook.com

God's love is unconditional, and the last part is all too often to forgotten. "All is Grace" is a memoir of Brennan Manning as he tells his story of seeking to preach such terms. A man of many roles in life who has never forgotten God's love, he tells his story in hopes that others too will remember the universal nature of love. Through it all, "All is Grace" proves to be a moving and much recommended pick for Christian memoir collections as a whole.

Women of the Passion
Joan D. Lynch
MSJ Press
c/o ACTA Publications
4848 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
9780982964002, $14.95, www.actapublications.com

The women around Christ had as much devotion to the faith as his apostles. "Women of the Passion" is a historical novel that explores the women around Christ, who stood by him in the face of anything and everything that the faith faced in the early days. Drawing from history, scripture, and a Christian imagination, Joan D. Lynch presents a read that is enlightening as it is entertaining. "Women of the Passion" is a fine addition to any Christian fiction collection.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Breath of Life
Rachel Timoner
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568
Orleans, MA 02653
9781557257048, $16.99, www.paracletepress.com

Many Jews lose sight of the spirit of God. "Breath of Life: God as Spirit in Judaism" discusses the role of the Talmud and other rabbinic writings and how they can help bring perspective to many Jews lives, and bring them closer to their faith to live with greater spirit, "Breath of Life" may be also of interest to Christians and other followers of the God of Abraham, very much recommended reading for community college Judaic Studies and religion collections.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

New Self, New World
Philip Shepherd
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
9781556439117, $19.95, www.northatlanticbooks.com

Changing with the world is key to making sure it doesn't change you. "New Self, New World: Recovering Our Senses in the Twenty-First Century" is a new age spirituality book from Philip Shepherd as he offers wisdom on how to better face the world, shifting ourselves and controlling ourselves as the world turn. With much philosophy, Philip Shepherd offers much to ponder about our changing world and what it means to be human. "New Self, New World" is an ideal read for spirituality and self-help collections.

The Bible is a Parable
Albert E. Gilding
Elderberry Press
1393 Old Homestead Drive
Oakland, OR 97462
9781934956465, $19.95, www.elderberrypress.com

Knowledge comes in many forms, and a wise man shuns none of them. "The Bible is a Parable: A Middle Ground Between Science and Religion" discusses philosophy and thought and encourages readers to take a more comprehensive search in their search for wisdom. Stating that our search for knowledge can be drawn back to our gatherer instincts and our instinct. With much to think about and plenty of fresh ideas, "The Bible is a Parable" is an enticing and much recommended read, not to be overlooked.

The Warrior Code
Imre Vallyon
Sounding Light Publications
c/o Warwick Associates
18340 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, CA 95476
9780909038649, $14.95, www.soundinglight.com

Through discipline, one better prepares themselves to battle life. "The Warrior Code: 365 Aphorisms of the Spiritual Warrior" presents many proverbs and thoughts for those who want to steel themselves to better face life and the battles they will face in life. Advocating calmness, fearlessness, and a never ending search for perfection, "The Warrior Code" is an insightful and much recommended pick for anyone who wants to equip themselves with thought and wisdom against life.

Soulmates
Juliana Geran Pilon
Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
1412842492, $34.95, www.transactionpub.com

History has long painted women as the submissive, the subservient, and this has often been codified in Eve. "Soulmates: Resurrecting Eve" delves into the biblical story of man and woman, and their relationship with each other and God, and the painting of womankind in its role as the second class, as Juliana Geran Pilon hopes to reconcile this notion through an analysis of legend, myth, and scripture. "Soulmates: Resurrecting Eve" is a fascinating and scholarly discussion of woman in love and life in ancient literature, an excellent choice through and through.


The Gardening Shelf

Bromeliads for Home and Garden
Jack Kramer
University Press of Florida
University of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
9780813035444, $26.95, www.upf.com

For many gardens, a symphony of flowers is key to perfecting it all. "Bromeliads for Home and Garden" is a gardening guide from Jack Kramer as he presents to readers on how to best embrace Bromeliads artistically for their garden year round. Packed with more than one hundred color photographs, and tips to adapting them to various climates, "Bromeliads" is an excellent pick for any garden enthusiasts who wants to adapt their garden to these beautiful flowers.


The Travel Shelf

Great Lakes Lighthouses
Wes Oleszewski
Avery Color Studios
511 D. Avenue, Gwinn, MI 49841
9781892384584, $17.95 www.averycolorstudios.com

Relics of another era, Lighthouses often inspire wonder. "Great Lakes Lighthouses: American & Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Over 300 Lighthouses" is a guide to the many light houses surrounding the Great Lakes, throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Ontario, and elsewhere throughout the region. For any traveler with an intrigue in light houses, "Great Lakes Lighthouses" is a top pick to find and see them all.

Tea & Cake: London
Zena Alkayat
Black Dog Publishing
10A Acton Street
London, WC1X 9NG
9781907317484, $14.95, www.blackdogonline.com

Sweet and savory, "Tea & Cake: London" is an upfront guide to experiencing all the best that one can see in cafe cuisine and beverage in a city that certainly knows it, London, the United Kingdom. Touching on the countless blends of tea and twists and turns of sweet confections, breaking them into the restaurants that serve them throughout, stand alone and alongside hotels, "Tea & Cake" is a must for any enthusiast of sweets and tea who will soon be traveling through London.


The Art Shelf

Italian Design is Coming Home. To Switzerland
Polyedra
Actar D
c/o Actar Birkhauser Distribution
151 Grand Street, 5th floor
New York, NY 10013
9788492861743, $39.95, www.actar-d.com

Some design choices apply well no matter where you are. "Italian Design is Coming Home. To Switzerland." is a delve into Italian design, as the folks at Polyedra argue that the best of Italian design actually comes from the Swiss. Discussing the history of the design and the best people behind the discipline to find success within it, it is presented in full color with plenty of examples of the art style throughout. For those who want a good sampling of the best of Italian design from the Swiss, "Italian Design is Coming Home" is an excellent and much recommended pick, not to be overlooked.


The Poetry Shelf

Unexpected Shiny Things
Bruce Dethlefsen
Cowfeather Press
PO Box 620216, Middleton, WI 53562
www.cowfeatherpress.org
9780984656806, $16.00, www.amazon.com

Bruce Dethlefsen is currently Wisconsin's official state poet laureate. "Unexpected Shiny Things" is a newly published, 104-page compendium showcasing his poetry which both demonstrates and documents his skills with the language of verse, as well as his familiarity with, and insights into, the human condition. No Wisconsin library should be without a copy of "Unexpected Shiny Things" as a core part of their poetry collection. 'Death of My Friend': what he offered me / I hold // what he showed me / I see // what he told me / I hear // I know I know / I have

Drive-By Vigils
R. Zamora Linmark
Hanging Loose Press
231 Wyckoff Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217
9781934909232, $18.00, www.hangingloospress.com

There's no stopping for life anymore. "Drive-By Vigils" is a collection of poetry from R. Zamaro Linmark who offers he considerations for our lives and our world, following up his previously critically acclaimed works. With much to ponder on, "Drive-By Vigils" is a fine choice that shouldn't be overlooked by general poetry collections. "After Pessoa": Today's rain takes over this city/& my mind gathers everything/about beauty & all that it clutters/so what mattered once/again matters and I become the student:/Whose ghost do I return to here?/To whom do I owe this honor of/the necessary disquietude I keep/tricking myself into believing/is mine to name and unmake?

Original Human
Deborah DeNicola
Word Press
PO Box 541106, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1106
9781936370207, $18.00, www.word-press.com

Humanity is imperfection, and that's the very essence of the species. "Original Human" is an anthology of verse from Deborah DeNicola, who discusses humanity's fall from Eden, the troubles of free will, and our endless quest to obtain that closeness to perfection and paradise once more. "Original Human" is a fine and thought provoking collection, recommended. "Dusk": Futile/to speak of us now/that we are erased./Your name/as if it lived under moon rock,/frostbitten./Even in the bullet holes/of my complaints, all is/ unutterable. Yesterday I wanted to erect a memorial. Post photos amongst/bees and weeds at the beach that no longer/castles my life. I chose instead to watch a few/disassembling clouds slim into spirals/and fade where the hearth/of dusk is hidden. The moon's dark/side begs for navigation/like a psychomantium where a spirit is held. One beam rubs/light beside the vase's shadow/where I've placed white camellias/on the table's white doily,/as if moonlight and fresh flowers/could bring me home consoled.

Leaving the Shade of the Middle Ground
F. R. Scott
Clare Hitchens
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
9781554583676, $16.95, wlupress.wlu.ca

For Canada, defending what Canada is very much important. "Leaving the Shade of the Middle Ground: The Poetry of F.R. Scott" is a compilation of the famed Canadian poet's work, touching on his love for his home country, while honest about the issues that threaten the people of Canada, and its place in the world, from after World War II and for many decades afterwards. "Leaving the Shade of the Middle Ground" is a fine pick for any world poetry collection, much recommended. "Lest We Forget": The British troops at the Dardanelles/Were blown to bits by British shells/Sold to the Turks by Vickers./And many a brave Canadian youth/Will shed his blood on foreign shores,/And die for Democracy, Freedom, Truth,/With his body full of Canadian ores,/Canadian nickel, lead, and scrap, Sold to the German, sold to the Jap,/With Capital watching the tickers.

Boneshepherds
Patrick Rosal
Persea Books
277 Broadway, Suite 708
New York, NY 10007
9780892553860, $15.00, www.perseabooks.com

Violence is as part of human nature as love is. "Boneshepherds" is a collection of poetry from Patrick Rosal who presents poetry that attacks both sides of these extremes and the burning desire to try to understand a world. In the process speaking on everything from everyday life to politics, "Boneshepherds" is sure to entertain as it provides much food for thought. "Making Love to You The Night They Take Your Father to Prison": There's got to be/a chorus/somewhere//for the con-/junction//of honey-suckle//and funk//a verse/for the turn/of your hips//and the slingback/steelbar/anthem//banged-/out breathless//over/your father's/small-time/under-/hand hustle/a tune/that begins/in the skin's/hi-hat/quiver//begins/with a lick/of the fist/of the thrum/of a summer/gust doubled/in the brief/sweet/moan coaxed/from your mouth/and mine//We grind/slow/--two/bodies become/one small/song scarcely//loud enough/to budge God/and any three/of his bloody/saints/Baby/we are our own/wine We/improvise//the gorgeous/toil/stillness/and motion/against each/ other.

Georg Trakl: Poems
Georg Trakl
Oberlin College Press
50 N. Professor St.
Oberlin, OH 44074-1091
9780932440426, $15.95, www.oberlin.edu/ocpress

With a short yet driven spark, Georg Trakl changed the way Europe approached poetry. "Georg Trakl" is a collection of poems from Georg Trakl, revered German writer who at the age of 31, took his own life in the trenches during World War I. Translated from the original German by Stephen Tapscott, the essence of conflict and the search for beauty and social nature are captured well. "Georg Trakl" is an excellent addition to any international poetry collection. "To Novalis": The holy stranger rests in dark earth./God received the dirge from his soft modest mouth/as he sank back, in his bloom-time./One blue flower/sustains his song, in pain's nocturnal house.

She'd Waited Millennia
Lizzie Hutton
New Issues Poetry & Prose
c/o Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008
9781936970025, $15.00, www.wmich.edu/newissues

Through everything life throws at us, we try to find something that resembles life. "She'd Waited Millennia" is a collection of poetry from Lizzie Hutton, teacher of the University of Michigan who speaks with clarity and a certain optimism about life in its many forms. "She'd Waited Millennia" is an insightful and much recommended collection from a newer poet, very much recommended. "Post Equinox": Early in December, early evening. The ever patient/rush hour traffic idles on our avenue,//the image of its brakelights projected on my husband's study window, so these shifting coin-sized fires//seem to stop and start to nowhere/in the real night, what's beyond them,//its swaying, almost emptied trees, its sky filling with blackness/that's fed from deep in the horizon.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Corus the Champion
D. Barkley Briggs
Living Ink Books
c/o AMG Publishers
6815 Shallowford Road
Chattanooga, TN 37421
9780899578644, $12.99, www.AMGpublishers.com

Against the wall, one will take any long shot they can to succeed. "Corus the Champion" is a continuation of D. Barkley Briggs fantasy series following brothers Gabe and Garrett seek to keep their kingdom safe from the rising evils that threaten them. Running out of option, they seek to find a great king of legend sealed away. With little information and certain destruction looming, "Corus the Champion" is a fine and exciting work of fantasy, very much recommended.

Salvation's Reach
Dan Abnett
The Black Library
c/o BL Publishing
1525 Hulse Road, Unit 1
Pt. Pleasant, NJ 08742
9781844168217, $24.99, www.blacklibrary.com

In the face of the impossible, only absolute success is acceptable. "Salvation's Reach" is another entry into the gritty science fiction and fantasy Warhammer 40,000 series, follows the Ghosts of the Tanith First and Only as they are tasked with the impossible into the Sabbat Worlds, as they face enemies countless, both living and dead giving it all. "Salvation's Reach" is another excellent pick for fans of fast paced military science fiction, enthusiastically recommended.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The World's Most Haunted Places, revised edition
Jeff Belanger
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
PO Box 687
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601631930, $15.99, www.newpagebooks.com

Some places are just unnatural and you can tell it just being there. "The World's Most Haunted Places" is the ghost enthusiast's guide to the many haunted places throughout the world. From the White House to the famous catacombs beneath Paris to countless other location, Jeff Belanger walks readers through a fun journey of paranormal history, making "The World's Most Haunted Places" a choice pick for followers of the paranormal.

The Little Book of True Ghost Stories
Echo Bodine
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
65 Parker St., Ste. 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
9781571746504, $14.95, www.hrpub.com

Being in touch with the spirits of the world has its own drawbacks. "The Little Book of True Ghost Stories" is the stories of Echo Bodine and the experiences she has faced as a psychic and seeing beyond the mundane. With honesty about what people do and don't believe about the world, "The Little Book of True Ghost Stories" is worth considering for those with interest in the unusual nature of our world.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Blood Lie
Shirley Reva Vernick
Cinco Puntos Press
701 Texas Avenue, El Paso, TX 79901
9781933693842, $15.95, www.cincopuntos.com

Small town life can be very volatile, and the explosion is easy to trigger. "The Blood Lie" is set in the small town of Massena, New York, as hopeful sixteen year old musician Jack Pool is accused of murder. As his town erupts around him, his dreams seem ever more distant, and he may be destined to the fate of a murderer. "The Blood Lie" is a riveting and hard to put down novel of small town life and the viciousness that lies in some people.

Playing the Hand She's Dealt
David Fingerman
L&L Dream-Spell
9781603183352, $14.95, www.lldreamspell.com

To be the target of a piece by piece execution is a very scary thing. "Playing the Hand She's Dealt" is a thriller from David Fingerman, telling the story of Louise Miller as her career as a cop is striking back at her and leaving her strained from options. As people begin to turn up dead, someone thinks killing Louise isn't enough, as her life seems to fall apart piece by piece, and from her evidence, engineered. "Playing the Hand She's Dealt" is a riveting and hard to put down read, not to be overlooked.


The Music Shelf

Bible & Music
Max Stern
KTAV
888 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306
9781602801660, $59.50, www.ktav.com

The Bible is not just a religious book, but a source of major inspiration for centuries. "Bible & Music: Influences of the Old Testament on Western Music" delves into the long standing influence that the old testament has had on the evolution of Western Music. From music of history to the classics, to its lingering effects even on modern popular music, it discusses each of the influences by topic from many religious and musical thinkers. Enhanced with bibliography and indexes, "Bible & Music" is an excellent and scholarly break down on the relationships of faith and music throughout the ages, a core addition to any musical studies or religious studies collection.

You Only Rock Once
Jerry Blavat
Running Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
9780762442157, $23.00, www.perseusbooksgroup.com

Through it all, you only get one chance to make a truly memorable impression. "You Only Rock Once" is a memoir from Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Blavat who was one of the early faces of rock and roll as the style finally began to gain ground in the 1950s and forwards. With plenty of opportunities and the reality of life following him, plus a life entrenched in legal warfare, "You Only Rock Once" is a frank and to the point memoir for anyone who wants another angle on the birth of Rock and Roll from one of the people there to see it all.


The Jewelry Shelf

Lest We Forget
Judith Price
Taylor Trade Publishing
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
9781589796867, $29.95, www.rowman.com

A token has value in its materials, but that value can be trumped by sentimentality. "Lest We Forget: Masterpieces of Patriotic Jewelry and Military Decorations" discusses the jewelry dedications to military history, before, during, and after the foundations of America. From around the world, these treasures have plenty to embrace for lovers of trophies and jewelry. Presented in full color, "Lest We Forget" is an ideal coffee table pick, highly recommended.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Pretty in Patchwork
Cathy Gaubert
Lark Crafts
c/o Sterling Publishing Company
387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016-8810
9781600599248, $18.95, www.sterlingpublishing.com

With color and will, one can make truly magnificent quilts of any size. "Pretty in Patchwork: Doll Quilts" is a guide to making small scale quilts that have as much life and flavor as their full sized brethren. Perfect for early starting projects for ambitious needleworkers, Cathy Gaubert advises readers how to tell a story with fabric and make something special and worth keeping. "Pretty in Patchwork" is presented with full color photography throughout and plenty of diagrams, very much recommended for needlework collections.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

As Thin as You Think
Kristin Volk Funk
Beaver's Pond Press
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 101
Edina, MN 55439-2129
9781592984176, $16.95, www.beaverspondpress.com

The mind is a powerful tool for many things, including weight loss. "As Thin as You Think: Discover the Keys to Unlocking Your Weight Loss Power" is a weight loss advisory from Kristin Volk Funk as she advises readers to use mental determination to help them determine their weight loss, and to use positive thinking to keep to their goal of losing weight and not to be lead astray. "As Thin as You Think" is a top pick for anyone who is currently trying to attain better health for the rest of their life.

Weight Resistance Yoga
Max Popov
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street
Rochester, VT 05767
9781594773907, $18.95, www.innertraditions.com

Yoga is good for the body and the soul, and it's more so when you know how to empower it. "Weight Resistance Yoga: Practicing Embodied Spirituality" discusses how to increase the workout benefit of Yoga by incorporating weight lifting into one's routine. Be it machines, free weights, or body weight exercises, Max Popov offers much to get the most out of the practice of Yoga for a healthier body, which in turn leads to a healthier mind. "Weight Resistance Yoga" is a fine addition to any Yoga enthusiast's health reference collection.


The Fiction Shelf

Down River People
Bea Exner Liu
New Rivers Press
1104 7th Avenue South
Moorhead, MN 56563
9780898232608, $14.95, www.newriverspress.com

China in World War II was in a constant state of turmoil. "Down River People" is a novel following an American woman, Connie, who is residing in China during World War II, as China was amid a loose peace between the Nationalists and the Communists, united against the Japanese invaders. Taking on her own experiences of living in China during this period, Bea Exner Liu creates a vivid picture of a unique period in history, making "Down River People" very much worth considering.

The Gentleman's Sport & Social Club
Joe Petterle
Langdon Street Press
212 3rd Avenue North, Suite 290, Minneapolis
9781936183647, $19.95, www.langdonstreetpress.com

When one breaks from normalcy, the whole world can change. "The Gentleman's Sport & Social Club" is a novel following John, who in his cynic and stagnant life, meets Evangeline who presents him with more than one way of changing everything at once. Entering into the titular club, John embarks on a journey that changes what he finds in life, what he finds in romance, and leaves readers pondering the nature of modern life. "The Gentleman's Sport & Social Club" is an insightful and riveting read that should prove hard to put down.

Calling Mr. King
Ronald De Feo
Other Press
2 Park Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10016
9781590514757, $14.95, www.otherpress.com

Assassination is a career that can lack fulfillment. "Calling Mr. King" follows an American assassin, Mr. King, in Europe as he seeks what his life lacks, finding a taste for the art and architecture of the world, and his profession calling for travel presents him with plenty of opportunity to see it. But his love and his career can't be kept apart forever, and he will soon be met with a choice that may change his world for good. "Calling Mr. King" is a riveting read with a grand dose of humor, very much worth considering. Also from Other Press in fiction, "Lamb" (9781590514375, $15.95) follows another man in midlife crisis in David Lamb, who tries to do good in the world only to find he is left with only more questions.

Document of Expectations
Devon Abbott Mihesuah
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25
East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611860115, $19.95, www.msupress.msu.edu

When it comes to money, the competition within a school can be fierce, and maybe even turn bloody. "Document of Expectations" is an intriguing novel set in a dysfunctional school. When some unique American Indian artifacts are stolen, racism and stereotypical assumptions throughout an American university are exposed. Tackling many issues while proving a high entertaining read, "Document of Expectations" is an excellent pick for fiction and Native American studies collections.

Spirits & Wine
Susan Newhof
University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
9780472118007, $24.00, www.press.umich.edu

A plague claimed the lives of millions, and the spirits still cry in torment. "Spirits & Wine" tells of a newlywed couple and their brush with paranormal as they take a home in a small town in Lake Michigan. As they look for the truth about their home, they find the tragedy of millions of lives lost to the vicious epidemic of the early twentieth century. "Spirits & Wine" is a thoughtful and unique read, very much recommended.


The Money/Finance Shelf

The Inner Voice of Trading
Michael Martin
FT Press
c/o Pearson
1330 Avenue of the Americans, 35th floor
New York, NY 10019
9780132616256, $26.99, www.mcp.com

Calmness and perseverance are key to succeeding in the market. "The Inner Voice of Trading: Eliminate the Noise, and Profit from the Strategies That are Right for You" is an investment advisory guide for establishing the right mindset about playing the market, as Michael Martin states it is mostly a psychological endeavor and that keeping cool under pressure can lead to better success than one would believe. From picking a strategy and understanding human nature, "The Inner Voice of Trading" is a strong pick that shouldn't be overlooked for market rookies.


The Memoir Shelf

Donut Dolly
Joann Puffer Kotcher
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336
Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574413243 $24.95 www.unt.edu/untpress

Donut Dolly: An American Red Cross Girl's War in Vietnam is the true-life memoir of a woman who served as an American Red Cross Donut Dolly who served in Korea and Vietnam, with emphasis on her experiences during the war. As a Donut Dolly, her duty was to lift the spirits and improve the morale of the men who served; she visited troops in the Central Highlands, the Mekong Delta, the Cambodian border and the South China Sea. At her four duty stations, she assembled recreation centers, and made mobile visits as needed; her service sometimes sent her into dangerous, combat zone jungle territory. She kept a daily journal recording her perspective of the war, and the harrowing dangers of her work included a near-ambush and even being abducted. Donut Dolly is as much the story of the men whose spirits she tried to cheer as it is her story, though, and includes powerful wisdom she learned firsthand - such as just what motivates a man to put his life on the line for another. Donut Dolly is a captivating firsthand testimony and a welcome addition to Vietnam War biography and memoir collections.

The Glimpse Traveler
Marianne Boruch
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street
Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
9780253223449, $19.95, www.iupress.indiana.edu

With a risk comes the adventure of a life time. "The Glimpse Traveler" is a memoir of Marianne Boruch, as she recounts a week and a half in 1971 which changed her life forever, embarking on a road trip through the many tenants of the booming counterculture movement of the day. With a frank poignancy which paints the experience as neither good or bad but merely a truly unique experience like none other, "The Glimpse Traveler" is a thoughtful and much recommended pick.


The Cookbook Shelf

Dishing Up Oregon
Ashley Gartland
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781603425667, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Superbly showcasing 145 recipes drawn from the state's best restaurants and finest kitchens "Dishing Up Oregon" is a culinary celebration reflecting the impressive diversity of Oregon's cuisine. Beautifully illustrated and superbly organized, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from Radicchio Salad with Parsley[-Hazelnut Pesto; Cermini-Stuffed Squash Blossoms; Roasted Beet and Chevre Spread; and Fettuccine with Caramelized onions, Zucchini Ribbons, and Walnuts in Yogurt Sauce; to Oregon Shrimp Napoleons; Fennel-Roasted Rabbit Salad with Fennel-Pollen Aioli; Gin and Citrus Salt-Cured Salmon Graviax; and Basil-Infused Strawberry Shortcakes. Of special note is the listing section 'Recipes by Category' which is perfect for menu planning purposes, making "Dishing Up Oregon" an outstanding addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections!

Best of the Best from Carolina Cooking
North Carolina AT&T Pioneers
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
9781934193600, $16.95, www.quailridge.com

More than just another collection of southern cuisine recipes (as outstanding as they are!), "Best of the Best from Carolina Cooking" is also replete with historical facts and illustrations showcasing the development of the telephone from its invention by Alexander Graham Bell. 'Best of the Best' refers to the winnowing of more than 3,500 recipes comprising two cookbooks (Carolina Cooking I & II), resulting in four hundred recipes that will serve any dining occasion, please any palate, and satisfy any appetite. Ranging from Salem Tea; No-Salt Seasoning; Frozen Fruit Salad; and Onion Pie; to Spanish Meat Loaf; Easy-Crust Chicken Pie; Grilled Lime Tuna; and Lemonade Pie, "Best of the Best from Carolina Cooking" is further enhanced for kitchen cooks with the provision of an equivalents and substitutions section, as well as a comprehensive index. Spiral bound to lay flat on any kitchen table or counter, "Best of the Best from Carolina Cooking" is an especially recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Delicious Gifts
Jess McCloskey
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764147081, $16.99, www.barronseduc.com

One of the most appreciated gifts anyone can receive is something a friend, family member, or neighbor has made themselves. This most assuredly includes something from the kitchen and that's where Jess McCloskey's "Delicious Gifts: Edible Creations to Make and Give" comes in. This beautifully illustrated, 144-page compendium of "kitchen cook friendly" recipes offers a cornucopia of recipes for truly elegantly edible gifts for any and all occasions. The recipes range from Dark Chocolate Truffles; Red Current Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting; and Honey Tarts; to Brown Sugar and Butter magic Brittle; Apple and Chile Jelly; and Sun-Dried Tomato and Walnut Pesto. Memorably inspiring, "Delicious Gifts" itself would make the perfect gift!

300 Best Potato Recipes
Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh
Robert Rose, Inc.
c/o Firefly Books Ltd.
66 Leek Crescent
Richmond Hills, ON, Canada, L4B 1H1
9780778802785, $24.95, www.fireflybooks.com

The potato is one of the most versatile and popular foods to be found on the average kitchen table. But there's more to the potato than just ending up as french fries or mashed with gravey. That's why Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh as assembled three hundred outstanding culinary recipes showcasing the potato in "300 Best Potato Recipes: A Complete Cook's Guide". This beautifully illustrated, 368-page compendium features a succinct introduction for each individual recipe accompanied by an ingredients list and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' instructions. The immense variety is reflected with recipes ranging from Roadhouse Hashbrowns; Smoked Salmon and Potato Salad; Sweet Potato Hush Puppies; and Yorkshire Pudding Potatoes; to Raeann's One Potato, Two Potatoes Casserole; Cottage Pie for Mac; Two-Potato Tian with Tomato and Sweet Pepper; and Potato, Ricotta and Anchovy Pizza. Simply stated, "300 Best Potato Recipes" well deserves to be a part of any and all family and community library cookbook collections!

Junior's Dessert Cookbook
Alan Rosen & Beth Allen
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street
Newtown, CT 06470
9781600853920, $24.95, www.taunton.com

The sweet tooth must be sated. "Junior's Dessert Cookbook: 75 Recipes for Cheesecakes, Pies, Cookies, Cakes, and More" is a packed guide to many tasty sweets of many flavors. Taken from the kitchens of Junior's Restaurants, a legendary east coast restaurant, these recipes are sure to please anyone with ideas like "The Cookie Monster", Junior's Famous Fresh 3-Berry Shortcake, strawberry cream cheese pie, with plenty of practical and wise tips for replicating that taste. "Junior's Dessert Cookbook" is a must for anyone who wants truly fine dining in their dessert time, highly recommended.


The Social Issues Shelf

The Transition Companion
Rob Hopkins
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
PO Box 428
White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781603583923, $29.95, www.chelseagreen.com

Times will be changing, whether we want them to or not. "The Transition Companion: Making Your Community More Resilient in Uncertain Times" is an advisory for community leaders and organizers to embrace a return to a more local community in response to rising oil prices, climate change, and the problems that have grown out of both issues throughout history. Many problems come as a community as a whole tries to get away from consumption of oil from the costs of imported food, it encourages creative solutions to the problems of rising costs of living. "The Transition Companion" is a wise pick for anyone concerned about the future of their community and wants to help find a better solution, highly recommended.


The Photography Shelf

Alvarado's Classic Modern Pin-Ups
Robert Alvarado
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764338922, $34.99, www.amazon.com

While it is thought that the pin-up (pictures of women that ranges from the down-home to the up-scale, and from the-girl-next-door to silver screen goddess) saw its heyday back in the war-torn years of the 1940s, "Alvarado's Classic Modern Pin-Ups" is a 272-page, superbly compiled collection showcasing 145 of his own contemporary pin-up photographs that would successfully rival anything once seen on a B-27 bomber plane or in a serviceman's kit bag. "Alvarado's Classic Modern Pin-Ups" documents photography as art and the female form as works of art, fun, and frolic. "Alvarado's Classic Modern Pin-Ups" is recommended for simple browsing and as a core addition to personal and academic library Contemporary American Photography collections.

285 Broken Dreams
Chris Enos
University of New Mexico Press
1312 Basehart Road SE
Albuquerque NM 87106-4363
9780890135358, $34.95, www.unmpress.com

What went wrong? "285 Broken Dreams" is a book packed with color photography as Chris Enos presents photography surrounding Southeastern New Mexico and its line into Texas. Focusing on the broken dreams of abandoned restaurants, gas stations, homes and businesses, and other remnants of the fall of human aspirations, as bustling main streets turn into near ghost towns with ruins of failure and the American Dream escaping people. "285 Broken Dreams" is a unique coffee table photography book with a sort of melancholy tone with a glint of optimism that people will always try again once more.

My Wrangell Mountains
Ruedi Homberger, Jon & Jona Van Zyle
Marketing Department
University of Alaska Press
PO Box 756240
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
9781602231368, $50.00, www.uaf.edu/uapress

The vastness of it all becomes so apparent as one stays down the mountains of the world. "My Wrangell Mountains" is a collection of full color photography from Ruedi Homberger & Jon and Jona Van Zyle as they offer readers the awe-inspiring nature of Alaska's vast mountain range and the sights that one views throughout the region, from snow capped mountains, to the icy beaches, to the life that thrives all throughout the tundra. A choice pick for any nature enthusiast looking for a fine choice for coffee table collections, "My Wrangell Mountains" is very much not to be overlooked.


The Railroading Shelf

Introduction to Model Railroading
Jeff Wilson
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, PO Box 1612
Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9780890247921, $19.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

A model railroad can prove to be a great creative endeavor. "Introduction to Model Railroading" is a guide to model railroad construction from Jell Wilson as he teaches readers to plan their ideal layout, build their track, pick their trains, and make an ideal scene for something that is worthy of showing off and of the result of hard work. "Introduction to Model Railroading" is a packed with full color photography and diagrams all throughout, very much recommended.


The Architecture Shelf

AutoCAD 2012
M. Hamad
Mercury Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, VA 20166
9781936420216, $41.95, www.internationalpubmarket.com

With the assistance of computers, the full power of an architect's potential can be realized. "AutoCAD 2012: Beginning & Intermediate" is an updated and revised guide to the latest in Computer Assisted Drafting from M. Hamad and Mercury books as they explain everything one needs to know to make the most of this process, and jumping from the blueprints to the computer screen for even experienced drafters. Included is a DVD with even more resources and lessons for those who want a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the process. "AutoCAD 2012" is a solid and core addition to any architecture and drafting collection, enthusiastically recommended. Also from M. Hamad and Mercury Books is "AutoCAD 2012: 3D Modeling" (9781936420216, $41.95) expanding on the subject with a focus on creating detailed 3D models of one's project.


The Psychology Shelf

Subliminal Therapy
Edwin K. Yager
Crown House Publishing
6 Trowbridge Drive Suite 5
Bethel, CT 06801
9781845907280, $34.95, www.CHPUS.com

If your mind believes it possible, it is possible. "Subliminal Therapy: Using the Mind to Heal" is a guide to this therapy that uses hypnotic techniques to encourage healing and recovery for problems in their lives, be they mental or physical. Introduced nearly thirty years ago, this therapy has been rapidly developed and has proved very much effective for many serious issues that people face in today's society. "Subliminal Therapy" is a fine pick for any psychotherapy professional or for those who simply seek to understand it at a greater level.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Apocalyptic Futures
Russell Samolsky
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L
Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823234806, $24.00, www.fordhampress.com

What lies in our end times? "Apocalyptic Futures: Marked Bodies and the Violence of the Text in Kafka, Conrad, and Coetzee" delves into the literary works of those who have stared into the future and prophesied in their own ways the end times. Russell Samolsky investigates these many claims of the end through the works of many great authors of history, he draws connections to these stories and the cruelty of today's world, and presents that Kafka and his ilk may have been closer than what we'd like to believe. "Apocalyptic Futures" is a fine pick, and much recommended reading for literary studies collections.


The Gaming Shelf

Deadly Roles
Chirs Kullstroem
Oak Tree Press
140 E. Palmer St.
Taylorville, IL 62568
9781610090261, $12.95, www.oaktreebooks.com

Roleplaying doesn't need dice or controllers to get going. "Deadly Roles: Interactive Games of Murder & Mystery" is a role playing game book from Chris Kullstroem, who presents games that encourage players to take on the roles of different participants in a murder mystery and invites them to explore the concepts of death throughout the ages and what is to come. "Deadly Roles" is a fun time that will provoke much thought into its players, highly recommended.


The Audiobook Shelf

Shadows From Boot Hill
L. Ron Hubbard
Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200
Hollywood, CA 90028
www.galaxypress.com
9781592123476, $9.95, www.amazon.com

L. Ron Hubbard was a master storyteller from the American 'Golden Age' of pulp magazines. He especially excelled in genre tales set in the American West. One of the distinctions Hubbard held was the ability to find new approaches to the well known material of gunslinger heroes and villains. Now in "Shadows From Boot Hill", a multicast audiobook production from Galaxy Press, three of Hubbards very best western yarns have been compiled. The title story, 'Shadows From Boot Hill' was originally published in the June 1940 issue of "Wild West Weekly" and took the unusual step of including a decidedly supernatural element when the gunslinger outlaw Brazos shoots down a black man whose curse turns out to be all too real. The other two splendidly presented short story westerns by Hubbard include two genuine classics, 'The Gunner From Gehenna' and 'Gunman!'. With its flawless production values, the impressive use of music and special sound effects, along with a talented roster of vocal actors, "Shadows From Boot Hill" creates a true 'theatre of the mind' experience and is very highly recommended for personal and community library audiobook collections!

Flash and Bones
Kathy Reichs, author
Barbara Rosenblat, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781456119102 $72.75 www.recordedbooks.com

Flash and Bones: A Temperance Brennan Novel is the unabridged audiobook performance of an exciting installment in author Kathy Reichs' series following forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan. When a corpse is discovered in a barrel of asphalt near the Charlotte Motor Speedway during Race Week, a NASCAR crew member comes to Brennan's office with a tragic story: twelve years ago, his sister and her boyfriend mysteriously vanished. The boyfriend was involved with a group of right-wing extremists; could the body belong to either of the couple, and could the extremists be behind the murder? A riveting mystery unfolds, superbly performed by multiple Audie and Earphone Award-winning narrator Barbara Rosenblat. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections.

The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge
Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker, authors
Adam Lazarre-White
Oasis Audio
289 Main Place
Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781613750254 $39.99 www.oasisaudio.com

Superbowl-winning coach Tony Dungy and lawyer Nathan Whitaker present The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge, an unabridged audiobook rendition of their spiritual wisdom. Dungy shares 365 Scripture readings, as well as his own reflections on how to live an "uncommon life" cherishing integrity and honor, as well as making time to form a personal connection with God. An uplifting testimony of how to reinforce one's faith in an increasingly fractured and complex world, The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge lives up to its title and is highly recommended for Christians seeking to better incorporate their faith into the challenges of daily life. 16 CDs.


The Music CD Shelf

Out of Context
Michael Patrick Walker
www.michaelpatrickwalker.com
Yellow Sound Label
c/o Miller Wright & Associates, Inc. (publicity)
$16.35 www.yellowsoundlabel.com

Award-winning co-writer/creator of the popular musical "Altar Boyz" Michael Patrick Walker presents Out of Context, an album of Walker's popular songs deliberately taken "out of context" from the musicals they were created for, and performed by a wide diversity of Broadway talent. The musical moments of joy, determination, love, pain, and enlightenment are emotionally written and profoundly brought to life, in this passionate and captivating album that musical lovers will especially enjoy. The tracks are "All About Me", "Weird Little Man", "Never Added Up", "Irene", "Different Kind of Man", "More", "Moonflower", "Someday", "Finding Me", "Pour Poor Me", "The Wall", "Sometimes", and "I Believe".


The DVD Shelf

Dare to Cook: Chocolate
Bill "Chocolate Man" Fredericks
Bennet Watt HD Productions, Inc.
13021 - 244 Avenue SE
Issaquah, WA 98027
www.Bennett-Watt.com

Confectioners, dessert chefs, and chocolate lovers with a creative flair will absolutely love the latest "Dare to Cook: Chocolate" installments of the "Dare to Cook" DVD series, each available in DVD, Blu-Ray, or downloadable versions. Both are hosted by "Chocolate Man" Bill Fredericks, who guides viewers step-by-step through dessert-making techniques. In "Dare to Cook Chocolate: Tempering" (9781604900651, $24.95) viewers learn how the tempering process that affects the final gloss, hardness, and contraction of chocolate; even slight variations in the temperature as melted chocolate cools can have a drastic effect upon the crystals formed within the cocoa butter and therefore the entire makeup of the finished product. Four different tempering methods (Slab, Seed, Stick Blender Mycryo) are covered in depth, as well as guides to creating wondrously delicious desserts such as Dipped Apricots & Strawberries or Molded Chocolate. In "Dare to Cook Chocolate: Holiday Confections" (9781604900668, $34.95, 3.5 hours, 2 DVDs), viewers can learn to cook a veritable smorgasbord of handmade chocolate treats perfect for Christmas or Easter celebrations, from Chocolate Pizzas to French Truffles, Hazelnut Bars, Peanut Butter Cups, Spring Molds of Bunnies & Eggs, and much more. Both programs are thoroughly accessible to amateur and experienced cooks alike, and highly recommended for anyone interested in trying their hand at making confections with love.

Apocalypse 2012: The World After Time Ends
Reality Films
PO Box 91, Foresthill, CA 95631
$19.95 www.reality-entertainment.com

Apocalypse 2012: The World After Time Ends is a thought-provoking metaphysical documentary that explores humanity's past spiritual roots - and its highly tenuous and uncertain future. Drawing upon insight from Native American spiritualists, the predictions of secular humanists, environmentalists, healers, and major figures in movements for global sustainability, Apocalypse 2012 reveals that the modern world is headed for destruction unless humanity can renew its former spiritual connections and respect for all life. Ultimately a film of revelation, inspiration, and hope, Apocalypse 2012 calls directly to the viewer's soul and is highly recommended.

Tibetan Yoga of Movement: Perfect Rhythm of Life
Senior Instructors Fabio Andrico and Laura Evangelisti
Shang Shung Institute
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$24.95 each www.411videoinfo.com

A two-volume, 4-DVD set introduces viewers to the full practice and benefits of Tibetan Yantra Yoga. In Tibetan Yoga of Movement: Perfect Rhythm of Life, Level One (2 DVDs, 86 min. instruction 60 min. practice), senior instructors Fabio Andrico and laura Evangelisiti demonstrate traditional Yantra Yoga as they personally learned it from Dzogchen Master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu. Viewers can follow the positions and coordinated movements, combined with conscious breathing, designed to promote harmony, relax the mind, and improve one's health and balance. Level Two (2 DVDs, 77 min. instruction 71 min. practice) is an advanced instructional for those who have mastered the poses of the first level, and are ready to learn about the remaining four series of Yantras and the Pranayama of Rhythmic Breathing. Both volumes are divided into 1 DVD of in-depth description and instruction, and 1 DVD designed to be used as a follow-along practice session to enact the poses. An excellent supplement to health and fitness DVD libraries, Tibetan Yoga of Movement: Perfect Rhythm of Life is highly recommended.

Christine Felstead's Yoga for Runners: Intermediate Program
Stingbabe Productions
c/o 411 Video Information
PO Box 1223
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
$21.95 www.411videoinfo.com yogaforrunners.com

Christine Felstead's Yoga for Runners: Intermediate Program is a workout on DVD that requires no expensive equipment - only a yoga mat and yoga belt (a yoga block and towel are optional). Though selected expressly for runners, with emphases on improving strength, flexibility and balance in the hamstrings, hips, quads, and lower back, the presented yoga poses promote will prove an invaluable supplement to any workout program. Although intended for intermediate level yoga practitioners, Yoga for Runners: Intermediate Program is widely accessible; those new to the practice of yoga are encouraged to remain within their physical limits as they discover the benefits that yoga can bring their overall health and well-being. Enthusiastically recommended for runners of all stripes, from casual joggers to runners training for a marathon. 75 min.

Dance Off the Inches: Hip Hop Body Blast
Jennifer Galardi, instructor
Anchor Bay Entertainment
2401 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200
Troy, MI 48084-3304
$14.98 www.amazon.com

Dance off the Inches Hip Hop Body Blast (65 min.) is a fitness DVD that makes staying in shape through the holiday winter fun. Expert instructor Jennifer Galardi demonstrates how to kick up the cardio workout without sacrificing fun. Hip Hop Body Blast is accessible to viewers of all fitness levels and backgrounds - even those who have never stepped on a dance floor in their lives! Easy-to-follow dance moves are summarized in a Dance Off the Inches Step Guide, in which Galardi breaks down the ten steps and mini combinations used throughout the entire program. Pulse-pounding music and vigorous dance moves make a solid cardio workout into pure fun in this excellent addition to DVD fitness libraries. Also highly recommended Anchor Bay's Personal Training with Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start ($14.98, 51 min.), in which celebrity personal trainer Jackie Warner shares her Power Pyramid Training method for transforming one's entire body, and breaking past personal plateaus with quick results.

SparkPeople: 28 Day Boot Camp with Coach Nicole
Coach Nicole
Acacia
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 650
Silver Spring, MD 20910
9781598287271 $16.99 www.acacialifestyle.com www.SparkPeople.com

No expensive equipment outside of simple hand weights and a mat are needed to benefit from SparkPeople: 28 Day Boot Camp with Coach Nicole, a high-energy workout from expert fitness trainer Nicole Nichols, perhaps best known for her work with SparkPeople, America's online fitness community with 11 million members. More than 200,000 individuals have taken part in Coach Nicole's online boot camps, and now a definitive session on DVD is available complete with four workout segments, recipes, tips for a more vigorous workout and lifestyle, abs exercises that can be done while seated, and much more. Each of the DVD's four workout segments consist of intense cardio intervals mixed with full-body strength-boosting exercises. 28 Day Boot Camp with Coach Nicole is an excellent, user-friendly resource to start working a solid fitness routine into one's daily life, and is highly recommended. 84 min.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Buddha is Still Teaching
Selected and edited by Jack Kornfield
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02115-4544
9781590309223 $17.95 www.shambhala.com

The Buddha is Still Teaching: Contemporary Buddhist Wisdom is an anthology of selections by a wide variety of respected Buddhist teachers, seeking to bring the Dharma to readers of all backgrounds in as accessible a manner as possible. Couching the Dharma's relevance to modern-day events and cultures, The Buddha is Still Teaching reveals that the universal truths of the Buddha's wisdom remain as critically invaluable now as they were thousands of years ago. Most passages are brief; some are only a paragraph, while others a few pages, but each illustrates an important principle. "Mind creates both / samsara and nirvana. / Yet there is nothing much to it. / It is just thoughts. / Once we recognize that thoughts are empty, / the mind will no longer have the power to deceive us."

Tibetan Yogas of Body, Speech, and Mind
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483
Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559393805 $18.95 www.SnowLionPub.com

Master of the Boe practice and founder of the Ligmincha Institute Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche presents Yogas of Body, Speech, and Mind, a guide to Tibetan meditation and yoga practice written in accessible language for readers of all backgrounds and skill levels. Chapters describe and explain the benefits of learning to adopt traditional meditation postures, engaging in physical movements that aid in quieting the ego and purifying oneself, discovering the healing properties of speech, clearing the mind of delusions, and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this excellent "how-to" guide to the nuts and bolts of learning from ancient Tibetan techniques to improve one's Buddhist practice, mental clarity, and physical well-being. Highly recommended, especially for Buddhist studies shelves.


The Military Shelf

American Veterans on War
Elise Forbes Tripp
Olive Branch Press
c/o Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street
Northampton, MA 01060-1804
9781566568678 $22.00 www.interlinkbooks.com

American Veterans on War: Personal Stories from WW II to Afghanistan collects testimonies and thoughts from fifty-five veterans, ages 20 to 90, on the thorny subject of war. They present true stories of fighting non-uniformed enemies, putting their lives on the line, and struggling with aftereffects after returning home from conflict. The contributions are sorted according to time peroid, and each prefaced with a no-nonsense summary of the major wars they touch upon. Perspectives on America's wars for the past 75 years make for a sobering and invaluable addition to military studies and philosophy shelves. Highly recommended.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

American Flyer: 2012 Edition
Robert Bubeck
TM Books & Videos
Box 9228, Michigan City, IN 46361
9781936890057, $14.99, www.tmbv.com

Building and operating model railroads continues to be a popular hobby generation after generation. Knowledgeably compiled by Robert Bubeck, "American Flyer: 2012 Edition" is a 170-page compendium of prices for American Flyer's S Gauge trains from 1946 to 2011. Nicely illustrated, authoritative, reliable, fully up to date, superbly organized, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "American Flyer: 2012 Edition is a thorough and complete listing of Gilbert and Lionel American Flyer S Gauge items and components. Of special note are the chapters on engines, rolling stock, accessories, sets, and paper, making it a highly recommended reference for railroading hobbyist antique and collectible reference collections.


The Political Science Shelf

Ronald Reagan In Quotations
David B. Frost
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
9780786465811, $45.00, www.mcfarlandpub.com

Ronald Reagan has become an icon of the Republican Party. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by David B. Frost, "Ronald Reagan In Quotations" is a 231-page compendium of quotations taken from Regan's speeches and writings during his two-term presidency and arranged in the format of a topical dictionary complete with source notations. Arranged alphabetically by subject ranging from Abortion to Welfare, "Ronald Reagan In Quotations" is enhanced with the inclusion of an informative Introduction and a comprehensive Index, making it a highly recommended addition to school, community, and academic library collections, as well as the personal reading list for anyone who admired his accomplishments by one of the more popular American presidents of the 20th Century.


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Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
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