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California Bookwatch

Volume 6, Number 11 November 2011 Home | CALBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Language Studies Shelf Art Shelf
Computer Shelf Literary Studies Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Journalism Shelf Business Shelf Psychology Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Audiobook Shelf Sports Shelf
Photography Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fiction Shelf
Travel Shelf Science Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Social Issues Shelf Gun Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
American History Shelf World History Shelf Economic Studies Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Interior Design Shelf Architecture Shelf
Music Shelf Biography Shelf Education Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf Crafts Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Military Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Nautical Shelf California Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Make: 27: Robots!
Makezine.com
O'Reilly Publishers
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449302467, $14.99, www.oreilly.com

Make: 27: Robots offers up over twenty projects to make at home and range from a portable LED sign to a wireless spy bot and a small robot that can allow the user to play with a dog from work. Color step-by-step photos accompany articles and essays perfect for any who would not only build a robot or gain ideas for one, but those who would understand the trends of robotics in general. It's a blend of book and magazine perfect for any general lending library!

The Dynamics of Conflict Resolution
Bernard Mayer
Jossey-Bass
989 Market Street, 5th floor
San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
www.josseybass.com
9780787950194, $48.00, www.josseybass.com

Business leaders and mediators will find this a powerful collection that shows negotiators how to use internal creative processes to resolve conflicts. Lessons on how to go beyond the usual tactics involved in conflict resolution make for a guide packed with insights on the resolution process and what makes an effective mediator. His extensive experience in the field of conflict resolution lends to a 'must have' reference for business collections and any involved in referencing conflict management.

The Legacy Letters
Tuesday's Children
Brian Curtis, Editor
Perigee
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9780399537080, $22.00, www.penguin.com

THE LEGACY LETTERS: MESSAGES OF LIFE AND HOPE FROM 9/11 FAMILY MEMBERS appears before the ten-year anniversary of 9/11 and provides a fine set of reflections gathered by Tuesday's Children, a non-profit group founded by family and friends of those killed on 9/11. Letters by relatives written to loved ones provide a compelling and absorbing survey, hard to put down!

Manskills
Chris Peterson
Creative Publishing International
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781589236318, $15.99, www.creativepub.com

MANSKILLS: HOW TO AVOID EMBARRASSING YOURSELF AND IMPRESS EVERYONE ELSE offers a fun, humble book packed with lessons on handling problem people and situations in life, and is a fine pick for lending libraries and gift-giving alike. MANSKILLS offers keys to differences between impressing people and participating in potentially embarrassing scenes: it teaches how to become sophisticated without being a bore, and it couches all descriptions in fun examples that are hilarious, readable, and pointed.

Retirement Heist
Ellen E. Schultz
Portfolio
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10014
9781591843337, $26.95, www.penguin.com

Retirement Heist: How Companies Plunder and Profit from the Nest Eggs of American Workers comes from an award-winning investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal and reveals how large companies and the retirement industry have played a big role in the demise of American pensions and benefits. Over a decade ago most companies had set aside enough to pay these benefits no matter how long workers lived - but loopholes and new accounting rules have led these companies to use the funds as tax shelters and profit centers with disastrous results. Analysis of company data, government filings and confidential memos and more contribute to a solid documentation of how retirement funds have been mismanaged. It's strong pick for any general or business collection!

Bali: Art, Ritual, Performance
Natasha Reichle, Editor
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
9780939117550, $49.50, www.asianart.org

Deserving of ongoing recommendation for a range of collections, from college-level holdings on Asian history and culture to arts libraries, the oversized Bali: Art, Ritual, Performance is a winning compilation blending observations of Balinese life with art. Full-page color photos of carvings, paintings and relics provide a fine, artistic catalog of Balinese works accompanied by analysis from Balinese scholars in an outstanding pictorial catalog not to be missed by any serious Asian arts or history holding.

Little Voice Mastery, second edition
Blair Singer
SelectBooks Inc.
1 Union Square West, Suite 909, NY, NY 10003
9781590792155, $17.95, www.selectbooks.com

The second updated edition of Little Voice Mastery offers a fine survey of personal growth and techniques that encourage eliminating self-sabotaging habits to build strong self-confidence. Over twenty proven techniques for reprogramming the internal "little voice" in one's mind offers keys to accountability, consequences, and changing self-defeating messages. Very highly recommended for any self-help collection!

Where to Retire
John Howells
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762764860, $18.95, www.globepequot.com

Where to Retire: America's Best and Most Affordable Places provides a fine guide to finding the ideal home for retirement and has been completely revised and updated to profile life in hundreds of affordable cities and communities around the U.S. From climate and lifestyle assessments to opportunities for recreation and socializing, WHERE TO RETIRE includes Chamber of Commerce addresses and websites and is a top pick for any general lending library.

How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass
Christopher W. DiCarlo
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616143978, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass: A Critical Thinker's Guide to Asking the Right Questions is a whimsical yet pointed guide to critical thinking and offers tools to question beliefs and assumptions by 'experts'. It's designed to help readers find faulting reasoning and logic processes and provides a fine guide to understanding personal beliefs and their origins, as well as opposing viewpoints. Any collection strong in analysis and critical thinking skills will find this a lighter, yet easily absorbed, treatise.

Urban Policy and the Census
Heather MacDonald and Alan Peters
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands CA 92373-8100
9781589482227, $49.95, www.esri.com

Urban Policy and the Census is a pick for urban planners, researchers and policy analysts and provides a study of census data and how it can be applied to population research and policies. From economics to housing and demographics, this outlines a process for applying analysis to census data and features GIS analysis methods in a fine pick for any college-level political science or GIS collection.

Creative Capacity Development: Learning to Adapt in Development Practice
Jenny Pearson
Kumarian Press
c/o Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling VA 20166-2012
9781565493308, $75.00, www.styluspub.com

Creative Capacity Development: Learning to Adapt in Development Practice comes from an author who has been living and working in Cambodia for years, and who refutes the notion that there is a singular approach to addressing world poverty. Insights from cultural studies and the arts document the failures of underlying technocratic and specialized paradigms inherent in development work, using the author's own experiences as she struggled to implement a VBNK program. College-level collections strong in social issues and world issues need this assessment of capacity development's pitfalls and successes.

Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin
Calvin Trillin
Random House
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9781400069828, $27.00, www.randomhouse.com

Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin: Forty Years of Funny Stuff selects the best of Trillin's funny writings and organizes it into topics. For over forty years Trillin has lent his humor to shows, poetry, comic novels and essays, so it's refreshing and fun to see his words organized by topic and presented under one cover. From how his mother fed her family nothing but leftovers for thirty years to weekend car alarm tests and killer bagels, this is packed with hilarious moments highly recommended for any general lending library strong in humor.

Never Put a Ten-Dollar Tree in a Ten-Cent Hole
Ed Grisamore
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207
9780881462333, $24.00, www.mupress.org

Never Put a Ten-Dollar Tree in a Ten-Cent Hole offers a compendium of the author's newspaper articles and essays and provide a fine survey of small town American living, his father values, and Grisamore's own fatherhood and treatment of his three sons. His themes run the gamut from faith and the human condition to music, travel, social issues, and daily living, making this a top recommendation for any general-interest collection.


The Language Studies Shelf

The Cheaper the Crook, The Gaudier the Patter
Alan Axelrod
Skyhorse Publishing
307 W. 36th St., 11th Floor, New York NY 10018
1616084022, $12.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com

The Cheaper the Crook, The Gaudier the Patter gathers and defines linguistic gems that originated during the Depression World War II and the postwar fifties and which are now in danger of being forgotten. Terms receive history, definitions and sample sentences and make for a fine account blending history and linguistic analysis.


The Art Shelf

Sketching: The Basics
Koos Eissen & Roselien Steur
BIS Publishers
bis@bispublishers.nl
9789063692537, $45.00, www.bispublishers.nl

Sketching: The Basics provides a close study of form in sketching and packs in step-by-step guides to making drawings using different techniques. Manual and digital approaches to sketching are presented in a survey that discusses the basics of learning to draw, presenting case studies and adding contributions from designers from around the world. From ellipses and viewpoints to expressing color, this appears in full color and is a basic primer for any newcomer to the sketching process.

Alwyn's Top Tips for Watercolour Artists
Alwyn Crawshaw
Search Press USA
1338 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954-1117
9781844485802, $19.95, www.searchpress.com

Alwyn's Top Tips for Watercolour Artists comes from an artist whose books, DVDs and TV shows have taught millions around the world how to paint. Here he shares his tips from his career, from choosing materials to painting landscapes and people. Over 150 tips are designed to help improve painting and provide beginning artists and aspiring artists with many shortcuts and techniques geared to beginners and early learners. Any crafts collection will find this packed with color examples from Alwyn's own art, pairing a lay-flat binding with spine lettering with important keys to success.

Tony Robbin; A Retrospective
George Francis, et.al., Contributors
Hudson Hills Press
Box 205, Manchester, VT 05254
9781555953676, $45.00, www.hudsonhills.com

Tony Robbin; A Retrospective uses the author's extensive knowledge of physics and month along with computer programming for geometry to provide a fine catalog of the paintings and grids that represent his artistic exploration of the fourth dimension. Robbin was a founding member of the Patter and Decoration movement of the 1970s: his title details his forty-year career from painting to sculpture then computer art, pairing essays by art critics, mathematicians, historians and artists with an outstanding survey of his creations. Arts collections strong in geometric art will find this an excellent title.

Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming
Ellen Lupton, Editor
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781568989792, $24.95, www.papress.com

Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming provides a fine survey of different techniques for solving design problems, and is a top pick for any arts or architecture collection. It covers brainstorming techniques involved in the three main phases of design: defining problems, obtaining ideas, and realizing them. Case studies accompany color photos and diagrams of finished results, and make for a fine pick for any graphic design collection.

Illustration Now! Portraits
Julius Wiedermann, Editor
TASCHEN America
107 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012
9781836324254, $39.99, www.taschen.com

Illustration Now! Portraits gathers a wealth of portraiture creations from illustrators around the world, pairs full-page color portraits of the art of some 80 selected working artists with agent names and websites, and includes a one-line description by the artist of his portraiture objectives. Any looking for new illustration portraiture artists will find this an outstanding reference, which is recommended for serious art collections seeking modern styles and representation.


The Computer Shelf

Spring in Action, third edition
Craig Walls
Manning Publications
Box 261, Shelter Island, NY 11964
1935182358, $49.99, www.manning.com

The third updated edition of SPRING IN ACTION covers Spring 3.0 and is a top pick for any Java programmer's collection. It surveys Spring 3's many new features and continues the hands-on style of previous editions, teaching the basics of Spring Expression Language, security, writing a basic controller, and integrating Spring with applications. Java programmers will find this a key introduction.

Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 20th edition
Scott Mueller
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
0789747103, $59.99, www.quepublishing.com

The 20th updated edition of Upgrading and Repairing PCs is accompanied by a DVD-ROM that includes over 90 minutes of instruction in a new how-to video with the author. For 20 years Upgrading and Repairing PCs has been the single source for reliable information on troubleshooting PC options: this offers in-depth answers about how PC processors, motherboards, memory and more work, discussing everything from hardware and networks to power sources and the latest computer processors. Any involved in repairing PCs will find this a top how-to reference.

Advanced Software Testing V. 3
Rex Black and Jamie L. Mitchell
Rocky Nook
26 West Mission Street, Suite 3
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
9781933952390, $49.95, www.rockynook.com

Advanced Software Testing V. 3: Guide to the ISTQB Advanced Certification as an Advanced Technical Test Analyst provides a fine pick written for the technical test analyst who wants to achieve advanced skills in analysis, design and more. Exercises show how to carry out tasks for putting a test strategy to work, helping readers prepare for the Test Analyst exam and including sample exam questions for most of the objectives covered by the syllabus. Computing collections will find this an excellent in-depth technical survey.

Seductive Interaction Design
Stephen SP Anderson
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
0321725522, $34.99, www.newriders.com

Seductive Interaction Design: Creating Playful, Fun, and Effective User Experiences provides a fine survey of what happens when you build a fine website or app, but nobody cares. This provides a different approach to designing sites and interactions based on the stages of seduction, moving form aesthetic beauty and building better visuals to creating compelling engagements online and using better language to influence behaviors. Chapters cover all the basics of motivating repeat behaviors and make for a key computer or business collection acquisition.

Fundamentals of ActionScript 3.0: Develop and Design
Doug Winnie
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
0321777026, $54.99, www.peachpit.com

Fundamentals of ActionScript 3.0: Develop and Design tells how to learn what ActionScript can do and how to use it to create projects. From the basics of using it to interact with objects to using conditionals to make projects adapt to users and animating with external assets, this pairs step-by-step instruction with assignments to test skills. Black and white screen shots throughout supplement color sidebars of detail perfect for any ActionScript developer seeking review of both basic and advanced features.

Model-Based Development Applications
H.S. Lahman
Addison-Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
0321774078, $64.99, www.informit.com/aw

Model-Based Development Applications offers a proven development strategy that uses model-based approaches and comes from half a century of the author's experience as a pioneering software innovator. It offers discussion of modern development and design models, provides historical background, and surveys application partitioning and modeling classes and models.

CoffeeScript
Trevor Burnham
Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
9781934356784, $29.00, www.pragprog.com

COFFEESCRIPT: ACCELERATED JAVASCRIPT DEVELOPMENT is a pick for any Java programming collection and provides all of JavaScript's functionality in a new language that results in cleaner code. From the basics of using time-saving features to arranging code using classes, this offers a step-by-step set of foundation keys to applying Coffeescript and is a fine pick for any JavaScript coder!

Mastering Autodesk Navisworks 2012
Jason Dodds and Scott Johnson
Sybex
c/o Wiley-Blackwell
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46256
9781118006788, $79.99, www.sybex.com

Mastering Autodesk Navisworks 2012 provides an official training guide for using the Navisworks software, covering the entire project flow of Navisworks through real-world examples and tips. From its special features and navigating around a 3-D model to optimization and customization, Mastering Autodesk Navisworks 2012 is for any building a project who wants to use Autodesk at the next level. A top reference for any Autodesk collection!

The Software IP Detective's Handbook
Bob Zeidman
Prentice Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780137035335, $49.99, www.phptr.com

The Software IP Detective's Handbook: Measurement, Comparison, and Infringement Detection discusses intellectual property and software plagiarism and explains everything from how a business can protect its IP to identifying software theft, analyzing code statements for evidence of plagiarism, and how lawyers can understand copyright and protections in the digital realm. Lawyers, software developers and businesses alike will find this a top pick.

3D Engine Design for Virtual Globes
Patrick Cozzi and Kevin Ring
A K Peters, Ltd.
5 Commonwealth Road, Suite 2C
Natick, MA 01760-1526
www.akpeters.com
9781568817118, $59.95, www.crcpress.com

3D Engine Design for Virtual Globes provides a fine guide to engine design and algorithms for virtual globe applications such as Google Earth and is a pick for engineering and technical computer holdings alike. It surveys rendering techniques, shader-based design strategies, and provides working knowledge for building interactive 3D environments. From modern algorithms to vector data rendering, this is packed with formulas and details on simulations, visualization and GIS applications and is a winner for any technical collection.

Mac OS X Lion For Dummies
Bob LeVitus
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118022054, $24.99, www.wiley.com

Mac OS X Lion For Dummies provides a fine guide updated for the latest Mac OS X system and provides important keys for upgrading to Lion. It covers Lion's differences, customization options, new features from Face Time to Photo Booth, and offers all keys needed to successfully navigate the entire program. The Lion OS is very different, and users familiar with prior operating system will find it essential to obtain OS X LION FOR DUMMIES for a head-start on these differences and workflows.

Java: A Beginner's Guide, fifth edition
Herbert Schildt
McGraw-Hill
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
0071606327, $40.00, www.mhprofessional.com

The fifth updated guide of Java: A Beginner's Guide teaches all the basics of how to compile and run Java programs and has been fully updated for JDK 7, making this a 'must' for any serious computer collection. It begins with the basics of how to run a java program then moves to step-by-step discussions of keywords, syntax and building programs using the Java language. It's a workbook designed for easy learning and offers hands-on exercises paired with basic instruction that assumes no prior knowledge, making it a pick for Java instructors and computer libraries alike.

Windows 7 Inside Out Deluxe Edition
Ed Bott, et.al.
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9780736656925, $59.99, www.microsoft.com/mspress

Windows 7 Inside Out Deluxe Edition has been updated to include SP1 and Internet Explorer 9 and packs in new chapters, new CD resources, and new tips on troubleshooting and using Windows 7. From applying best practices to user accounts to managing files and folders, backup and recovery, customizing system settings and using Windows 7 for a small business, this is a pick for intermediate and advanced programmers and users and comes with a searchable ebook on CD packed with customizable scripts and troubleshooting information. A 'must' for any Windows 7 user!

Metasploit: The Penetration Tester's Guide
David Kennedy, et.al.
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro Street, #250, San Francisco, CO 94107
9781593272683, $49.95, www.nostarch.com

Metasploit: The Penetration Tester's Guide covers the open source Metasploit Framework, one of the most popular penetration testing tools in the world with a million downloads yearly. It's surprising to note, therefore, that this is the first in-depth user's guide - and a key acquisition for any computer collection. It covers the basics of identifying vulnerabilities in networks using Metasploit to launch simulated attacks. Detailed chapters on interfaces, the program's module system, and more make this a 'must have' reference.

CCNA Voice 640-461 Official Cert Guide
Jeremy Cioara, CCIE & Michael Valentine
Cisco Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
1587204177, $49.99, www.ciscoprss.com

CCNA Voice 640-461 Official Cert Guide is a recommendation for any Cisco exam students, and focuses on the objectives for the Voice ICOMM exam. The authors are senior voiced consultants and trainers who offer test-taking tips, quizzes, exam topic lists for quick reference, and more. A CD-ROM offers a practice test engine that enables students to take a complete, timed sample exam. With its many reviews of key concepts, this is not to be missed and is a recommendation for any serious computer education or Cisco collection.


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Secret Life of Pronouns
James W. Pennebaker
Bloomsbury Press
175 - 5th Avenue Suite 300, New York NY 10010
9781608194803, $28.00, www.bloomsburyusa.com

The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us comes from a social psychologist and language expert who uses his research in computational linguistics to demonstrate how language carries secrets about our feelings and intelligence. Pronouns and prepositions hold fine patterns and keys to social evolution: this offers a basic understanding of pronouns and their underlying meaning, and is a top pick for any literary or general collection.

Between the Sheets
Lesley McDowell
The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
9781590202388, $16.99, www.overlookpress.com

BETWEEN THE SHEETS: THE LITERARY LIAISONS OF NINE 20TH-CENTURY WOMEN WRITERS focuses on the letters, diaries and journals of nine key women writers, from Hilda Doolittle and Simone DeBeauvoir to Sylvia Path and Anais Nin, considering their personal lives, literary connections to men and women, and how each woman put artistic pursuits above personal happiness. It's a powerful set of literary and biographical sketches perfect for any literary or women's history holding!

Nom de Plume
Carmela Ciuraru
HarperCollins
10 East 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780061735264, $24.99, www.harpercollins.com

Nom de Plume: A (Secret) History of Pseudonyms uses the pseudonym to provide a fine literary history and explores the history of sixteen authorial imposters across centuries and cultures, considering the stories behind their noms de plume and providing a lively literary account recommended for general and literature holdings alike. From secrecy to modesty and scandal, this provides a fun survey of famous authors, pseudonyms and their purposes.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

2012 Writer's Market
Robert Lee Brewer, Editor
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1599632268, $29.95, www.writersmarket.com

2012 Writer's Market offers another excellent updated to a time-tested guide for any who would get published and paid for their work. The latest update revises all the information on writers' sources and packs in interviews, articles, tips for finding work, and more. Everything from publication guidelines to handling contracts and copyrights are included alongside lists of professional writing resources and statistics on frequency of publication, pay rates, and whether submissions need to be made through agents or independently. A 'must' for any serious writer and for any literary or general reference collection.

2012 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market
Chuck Sambuchino, Editor
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236
1599632314, $29.99, www.writersmarket.com

The 2012 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market updates a solid writing reference key to any writer's library, pairing interviews with best-selling children's authors and advice from dozens of literary agents seeking new clients with solid listings - over 700 - of publishers and magazines actively seeking - and paying for - work. Learn all about how to write a query letter, sell and get paid for articles, and more with a guide that now includes access to an online publisher database and which substantially updates details in this 24th annual edition!

Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words
David Lindsay
Cisro Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9780643100466, $25.95, www.styluspub.com

Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words provides a fine assessment of scientific writing and research, surveying unspoken dogma, unwritten rules, and the complexities of article structure. Any researcher preparing articles for scientific journals and reviews will find this packed with basic principles applicable to scientific articles in a range of disciplines.

Just My Type
Simon Garfield
Gotham Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9781592406524, $27.50, www.penguin.com

JUST MY TYPE explores the history and powers of fonts and type and considers their history and applications. This surveys the evolution of fonts and considers how different fonts became associated with particular applications. From the use of Trajan on bad movie posters to what makes a font impart an official feel, chapters provide a lively, inviting history of typefaces and their changing uses. Any collection strong in graphics arts references will find this a winner!


The Journalism Shelf

Kill the Messenger
Maria Armoudian
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616143879, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Kill the Messenger: The Media's Role in the Fate of the World tells of the Rwandan Hutus who went on a murderous rampage against their Tutsi neighbors in an act of genocide followed by a propaganda campaign backed by the media. KILL THE MESSENGER considers the role journalism plays in atrocities and considers how it can be used to either preserve democracy or affect the outcome of regional conflicts. Veteran journalist Maria Armoudian provides a survey of the power of the media in a hard-hitting assessment highly recommended for any college-level collection strong in journalism and media issues.


The Business Shelf

Lost Decades
Menzie D. Chinn and Jeffry A. Frieden
W.W. Norton
500 - 6th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393076509, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

LOST DECADES: THE MAKING OF AMERICA'S DEBT CRISIS AND THE LONG RECOVERY provides an impartial explanation for the current global recession, foreseen for observers long before its advent, and also proposes nonpartisan solutions for rebooting the global economy and reaching recovery. Chapters provide a fine survey of the roots of the economic crisis, with narratives tracing its roots without falling into the partisan trap in the process. The focus on economics, business, and fragile systems makes for a fine survey of regulators, underlying issues, and long-term influences on economic health in a pick recommended for business and social issues libraries alike.

What is Global Leadership?
Ernest Gundling, et.al.
Nicholas Brealey Publishing
20 Park Plaza, Suite 1115A, Boston, MA 02116
9781904838234, $34.95, www.nicholasbrealey.com

What is Global Leadership? 10 Key Behaviors That Define Great Global Leaders uses cutting-edge research conducted by Aperian Global, presents interviews with successful global leaders, and outlines ten key behaviors critical to international success. Any involved in overseas endeavors will find this a specific assessment of what makes global business leaders exceptional, with sidebars of examples from around the world highlighting each approach. Business collections strong in international dynamics must have this!

Starting an Etsy Business for Dummies
Allison Strine and Kate Shoup
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470930670, $19.99, www.wiley.com

Starting an Etsy Business for Dummies provides a fine set of tips for artists looking to market their crafts and collectibles online through Etsy. It covers everything form how to sign up for an account and research competitors and sales to understanding what can and can't be sold on Etsy and how to get the most from a listing. All the basics covered in clear language make this a winner!

Flying Without a Net
Thomas J. DeLong
Harvard Business Review
60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163
9781422162293, $29.95, www.hbsp.harvard.edu

Flying Without a Net: Turn Fear of Change into Fuel for Success provides a fine outline of how a strategy that can result in business success can ultimately lead to failure over the long term. It identifies a personality type - the high-need-for-achievement professional - then goes on to chart the common traits of this person and why their drive to achieve results in anxiety that ultimately short-changes and derails efforts. Loss of flexibility and adaptability is the greatest barrier to success for these people, and FLYING WITHOUT A NET tells how to break the cycle to achieve long-term goals and results. Very highly recommended!

Wired and Dangerous
Chip R. Bell and John R. Patterson
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781605099750, $19.95, www.bkconnection.com

Wired and Dangerous: How Your Customers Have Changed and What to Do About It charts the dramatic changes that have affected customer patterns over the years, using real-world examples of businesses who have experienced customer changes and responded to requests with new service standards. Any involved in business services will find it assesses these new standards and provides a fine method for addressing customer interests, making this a fine pick for business collections concerned with customer relations.

Unbeatable Resumes
Tony Beshara
Amacom
1601 Broadway, New York NY 10019-7420
0814417620, $16.95, www.amacombooks.org

Unbeatable Resumes: America's Top Recruiter Reveals What REALLY Gets You Hired provides a fine survey based on nearly forty years of the author's experience as a placement and recruitment specialist who works directly with hiring managers. His knowledge offers invaluable keys to resume success not found elsewhere, comes from an insider's perspective, and covers all the hallmarks of what sets a resume apart from the norm. Any business or career-seekers' library must have this!

Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies
Amy Porterfield, et.al.
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470942307, $34.99, www.wiley.com

Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies covers all the Facebook basics and the intricacies of social media marketing and covers everything from working with apps to developing a Facebook-specific marketing plan. Chapters use examples and case studies to emphasize concepts and offers a fine basic resource for businesses new to Facebook's business potentials. It lends to methodical study and browsing alike, making for a top recommendation for both business and general collections!

George Lindsay and the Art of Technical Analysis
Ed Carlson
FT Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780132699068, $34.99, www.ftpress.com

George Lindsay and the Art of Technical Analysis: Trading Systems of a Market Master tells of a genius who predicted the biggest bull stock market in history to within a few points - and who precisely called its end a few days before his death. Today the name of George Lindsay would be forgotten were it not for this survey, which considers his prediction techniques and applies them to today's markets. Investors and traders using this book need no special math or analytical skills to find it a useful model for uncovering predictable patterns, making this an excellent choice for business collections strong in investing and the stock market.

Undecided
Barbara Kelley and Shannon Kelley
Seal Press
1700 - 4th Street, Berkeley CA 91710
9781580053419, $16.95, www.sealpress.com

Undecided: How to Ditch the Endless Quest for Perfect and Find the Career-and Life-That's Right for You is written by a mother-daughter team and gathers the latest information from the media and academic worlds to consider women's career choices and how opportunity can feel paralyzing. Women face a range of employment problems, from internal pressure to succeed to and idea that full-time careers and motherhood should be simultaneously successful job choices. UNDECIDED interviews academics, experts and women to consider how women's career choices evolve and why they feel overwhelming. Business and women's issues holdings will find this an appealing, popular lend.

How to Click With People
Dr. Rick Kirschner
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, NY, NY 10023-6298
9781401323202, $24.99, www.hyperionbooks.com

How to Click With People: The Secret to Better Relationships in Business and in Life offers techniques and observations that show how to lead and connect more deeply with people on both business and personal levels. Anyone can make these kinds of connections, especially using the step-by-step tools provided here, which include taking responsibility for the way you relate to others and making changes in communication approaches. Any business and many a psychology collection will find this a fine survey outlining the traits that lead to communication and people skills.

Social Media for Social Good
Heather Mansfield
McGraw-Hill Professional
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
007177081X, $35.00, www.mhprofessional.com

Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits offers a fine survey of how to raise money online, from using Facebook and LinkedIn to developing a comprehensive marketing plan that unifies online systems rather than making sporadic approaches. Social Media for Social Good identifies common mistakes, like using PayPal for online donations or leaving out an email marketing approach in favor of a Facebook page, and it takes into account budget-minded organizations as it provides specific approaches geared to nonprofit needs. A fine survey evolves!

What Your CPA Isn't Telling You
Mark J. Kohler, CPA
Entrepreneur Press
2445 McCabe Way Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92614-6244
9781599184166, $19.95, www.entrepreneurpress.com

What Your CPA Isn't Telling You: Life-Changing Tax Strategies tells how to gain greater return from tax filings, and comes from an attorney who uses a fictional story to follow a family's move through life. Strategies for tax management are blended into the story line to avoid CPA jargon and teach small business owners and wage earners alike how to blend basic tax management issues into their lifestyles. An outstanding survey!

Service Intelligence
Sharon Taylor
Prentice Hall
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0132692074, $34.99, www.informit.com/ph

Any collection strong in information technology at the college level will find SERVICE INTELLIGENCE: IMPROVING YOUR BOTTOM LINE WITH THE POWER OF IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT to be an important acquisition. It tells managers and business leaders how to use IT Service Management successfully and comes from an innovator in the field. From defining IT service quality measures to managing reliability and avoiding IT service failures, this offers many keys to successful IT management and is a top recommendation!


The Psychology Shelf

The Handy Psychology Answer Book
Lisa J. Cohen, PhD
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
9781578592234, $21.95, www.visibleinkpress.com

The Handy Psychology Answer Book offers answers to over 1,000 common questions about how the human mind and psychology works, covering the history and basics of psychology in everyday life. From what makes a marriage last and how psychology offers different approaches to problem-solving and treatments to why people vote and how they live, this takes data and tailors it into questions and answers that lend to general-interest browsing. Recommended for any general lending library!

Redirect
Timothy D. Wilson
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780316051880, $25.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

REDIRECT: THE SURPRISING NEW SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGE provides a fine survey that argues that many conventional approaches to psychology simply don't' work - and that any interested in real change can help redirect destructive patterns by using story editing to redirect stories we tell about ourselves and our world. Most programs involving self-help are fairly ineffectual: REDIRECT explains why they don't work - and how his approach differs. Any self-help psychology holding needs this!

The Dyslexic Advantage
Brock L. Eide, MD, MA and Fernette F. Eide, MD
Hudson Street Press
Publicity Department
Hudson Street Press
c/o The Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9781594630798, $25.95, www.penguingroup.com

The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain outlines how the dyslexic brain has a different structure and needs and provides advice for educators, parents and those with dyslexia. Two neurolearning experts show how dyslexics can - and do - use other skills to compensate for weakness and build new strengths. Chapters explain how this happens - and argue that differences in dyslexic brain structure account for not just challenges - which are a commonly recognized - but huge advantages in spatial reasoning and larger-picture thinking abilities. Any dyslexic will find much hope and encouragement in this discussion of the positive aspects of the condition.

The ASD Workbook: Understanding Your Autism Spectrum Disorder
Penny Kershaw
Jessica Kingsley Publisher
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849051958, $22.95, www.jkp.com

The ASD Workbook: Understanding Your Autism Spectrum Disorder uses an interactive workbook format to help parents explain ASD to children. It provides a fine resource that is easy to use for both parents and kids, and provides explanations, examples and worksheets in such a manner that many a medical professional will want to use this ASD workbook to teach newcomers the basics. A fine pick for parenting and medical collections alike!

A First-Rate Madness
Nassir Ghaemi
The Penguin Press
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, NY, NY 10014
9781594202957, $27.95, www.penguin.com

A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness builds an argument based on the latest psychiatric research and the author's studies of selected great political, military and business leaders of the last two centuries. It shows how personal suffering resulted in leadership under the most adverse conditions, identifying four traits that are shared by the mentally ill and crisis leaders. Any interested in uncovering the roots and strengths of mental illness will find this a winner!

Wearing My Tutu to Analysis and Other Stories
Kerry L. Malawista, et.al.
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231151658, $25.00, www.cup.columbia.edu

Wearing My Tutu to Analysis and Other Stories share stories from the authors' personal and professional lives and explores the dynamics of the psychoanalytic profession through narratives of shared experience. From theory to applied techniques, it blends a case history format with stories of psychodynamic encounters across lifespans, blends histories of theories and treatments, and makes for a lively pick for any psychology collection at either the general or college level.

My Dyslexia
Philip Schultz
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393079647, $21.95, www.wwnorton.com

MY DYSLEXIA stands out from the flood of books exploring the science of dyslexia and its management to provide a moving memoir that discusses what life is like for those living with the disorder. It describes inner emotions as the author struggles with academic challenges, shows how creativity can evolve from controversy, and provides a moving, poetic memoir by an author unable to read in childhood, bullied by students, and whose disability was unrecognized. Any who suffer from dyslexia will find much to understand in his struggles - and much to applaud and learn from in his successes, making this a pick for health and general libraries alike.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Telemedicine for Trauma, Emergencies, and Disaster Management
Rifat Latifi, Editor
Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
9781607839972, $99.00, www.artechhouse.com

Telemedicine for Trauma, Emergencies, and Disaster Management pairs over seventy illustrations with discussions by experts in the field on the logistics and safety of telemedicine and how it can be used to manage a range of disaster scenarios, from car crashes to regional widespread disasters. Telemedicine can do everything from manage patients to assisting in major surgical interventions from a distance: this volume considers telemedicine's clinical and technical challenges and covers everything medical personnel need to know to utilize it more effectively. A top pick for any medical shelf!

Why You Can't Lose Weight
Pamela Wartian Smith, MD, MPH
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
9780757003127, $16.95, www.squareonepublishers.com

Why You Can't Lose Weight: Why It's So Hard to Shed Pounds and What You Can Do About It provides important keys to weight loss challenges that identify and discuss nearly twenty common obstacles to losing weight. They don't all revolve around diet failures, either! From lifestyle practices such as insufficient exercises to health disorders such as thyroid dysfunction, biochemical issues such as insulin resistance, and depression, this identifies common issues, offers self-tests to target problems, and offers keys to making changes. Any who would lose weight will find this a winner!

Learning from SARS
Forum on Microbial Threats
National Academies Press
22883 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles VA 20166
978039091541, $42.00, www.nap.edu

Learning from SARS: Preparing for the Next Disease Outbreak -- Workshop Summary deserves ongoing mention as a top health library acquisition, providing the results of an international forum on SARS and its dangers. It assesses health system responses to SARS threats in different countries, the biology of SARS outbreaks in animals, the political, social and economic impacts of SARS threats, and findings from the epidemic. While its publication date is 2004, LEARNING FROM SARS continues to prove relevant in 2011 and beyond, and should be on the shelves of any serious medical collection.

Diabetes Sourcebook, fifth edition
Sandra J. Judd, Editor
Omnigraphics
Box 31-1640, Detroit MI 48231-1640
9780780811492, $95.00, www.omnigraphics.com

The fifth updated edition of Diabetes Sourcebook is a fine reference for health and general-interest health reference collections alike. It provides all the latest information on diabetes and its management, from a basic understanding of its two types and management to lifestyle changes, complications and common disorders, and the latest research in diabetes care. Material supporting this volume has been compiled from a range of health, government and nonprofit sources and makes for a fine reference.

Pain Chronicles
Melanie Thernstrom
Picador
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312573072, $17.00, www.picadorusa.com

THE PAIN CHRONICLES: CURES, MYTHS, MYSTERIES, PRAYERS, DIARIES, BRAIN SCANS, HEALING, AND THE SCIENCE OF SUFFERING surveys chronic pain management, tracing the history of pain through the ages and blending first person accounts of the author's own struggles with chronic pain with research from the latest cutting edge discussions across a range of disciplines. It considers the nature of pain itself, shows how science, religion, philosophy and literature has presented and handled pain, and chronicles effects of and antidotes to pain. Any health collection strong in pain management and history will find this compelling reading.

Delmar Nurse's Drug Handbook 2012 Edition
George Spratto and Adrianne Woods
Delmar
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
9781111310653, $34.95, www.cengage.com/delmar

Delmar Nurse's Drug Handbook 2012 Edition should be a required reference for any medical library. It covers over seven hundred FDA-approved drugs, listing their drug action, pharmacokinetics, dosage, interactions, and contraindications. It also offers guidelines for communication with patients and considerations of nursing administration, and it comes with an iPhone/iPad Touch application that puts all the information literally at a nurse's fingertips. A key acquisition for any serious medical collection and for nursing professionals.

Lifeblood
Alex Perry
Public Affairs
250 West 57th St. #1321, New York NY 10107
9781610390866, $25.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

LIFEBLOOD: HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD ONE DEAD MOSQUITO AT A TIME comes from a journalist with unique access to Wall Street pioneer and philanthropist ray Chambers, who began a race to eradicate malaria from the world. His business savvy led him to change foreign aid programs and evolved into a campaign followed by journalist Alex Perry, who visited malaria towns to political boardrooms. Science, history and medicine blend in a top recommendation for general-interest and science holdings alike.

The Tender Cut
Patricia A. Alder and Peter Alder
New York University Press
838 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10003
9780814705070, $22.00, www.nyupress.org

THE TENDER CUT: INSIDE THE HIDDEN WORLD OF SELF-INJURY offers a survey of self-injury: the deliberate, non-suicidal destruction of one's own body tissue, and argues that such injury is acoping mechanism and a type of rebellion - not a suicide attempt, as has been the common notion. Chapters discuss the meaning of self-injury in modern times, its effects on practitioners, and packs in case history examples of those who have experienced self-injury. Social, psychological and cultural insights abound in this recommendation for college-level health holdings.


The Audiobook Shelf

Midnight Never Comes
Jack Higgins
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1441845305, $29.99, www.brillianceaudio.com

Seasoned audio narrator Michael Page, who has recorded over 100 titles for Brilliance Audio, provides a spirited reading for this tale of intrigue and espionage set in the Scottish Highlands and revolving around agent Paul Chavasse, who was badly injured on his last mission yet is ready to take on a new adversary in Max Donner, a millionaire with his private army and a dangerous plot. Midnight Never Comes provides a vivid, fast-paced plot perfect for any audio collection strong in thrillers.

The Bourne Dominion
Eric Van Lustbader
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781609412142, $39.95, www.hachetteaudio.com

The Bourne Dominion provides a fine new Robert Ludlum-created drama narrated by Jeremy Davidson, an actor and writer who has read the other Bourne titles and whose voice enhances a series begun by writer Ludlum and continued by Eric Van Lustbader. Here Jason Bourne is searching out a group of terrorists planning on attacking America's natural resources - and finds himself involved in deadly international conspiracies. Gripping action springs to life in an audio highly recommended for collections seeing interest in the prior Bourne dramas.

Transition
Chaz Bono with Billie Fitzpatrick
Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
978014249297, $29.95, www.penguin.com

What does it mean to be male? The former daughter of Sonny and Cher changed vastly: first to become a public speaker for gay rights, then to change his gender. Years of struggle as a female lead to a slow acceptance of his transsexual feelings, and the ultimate process that re-invented his life as a male. TRANSITION: THE STORY OF HOW I BECAME A MAN documents this process and is an ongoing recommendation for any general lending library. Chaz reads his own autobiography, making this a powerful listen.


The Sports Shelf

Western Herbs for Martial Artists and Contact Athletes
Susan Lynn Peterson, PhD
YMAA
Box 480, Wolfboro, NH 03894
1594391971, $20.95, www.ymaa.com

Western Herbs for Martial Artists and Contact Athletes is a pick for martial arts and health collections alike and offers herbs for bruises, sprains, and common athlete issues. It explores herbs readily available in the West, outlining 64 such herbs common to Europe and/or North America and considering its specific applications to martial arts endeavors. An outstanding recommendation for any collection, this offers specifics geared perfectly to sports and herbal applications.

Careers in Sport, Fitness, and Exercise
American Kinesiology Association
Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61852-5076
0736095667, $24.95, www.hkusa.com

Careers in Sport, Fitness, and Exercise: The Authoritative Guide for Landing the Job of Your Dreams offers a practical guide for any who would develop a career in the sports world and discusses working conditions, salaries, skills and requirements for a wide range of positions, from sport dietitians and event managers to fitness leaders, kinesiology administrators and teachers, researchers, therapists and more. The future outlook for each position discussed makes this a key acquisition for any sports or career library.

Gym-Free and Ripped
Nathan Jendrick
Alpha Books
800 East 96th St., Indianapolis, IN 46240
9781615640997, $16.95, www.pearson.com

Gym-Free and Ripped: Weight-Free Workouts That Build and Sculpt provides a series of weight-free workouts designed to sculpt the body without the need for expensive gym equipment. It's perfect for those who want a simple yet effective home workout and provides an easy eight-week program using an exercise regimen based on natural movement and resistance. Chapters also focus on abs, arms and legs and provide numerous how-to photos to accompany step-by-step descriptions of the various courses. Another plus: the exercises can be done either at home or on the road. Add nutrition tips and you have an all-in-one simple program that's a winner!

Controlled Violence
Sam Huff with Kristine Setting Clark
Triumph Books
542 South Dearborn St. #750, Chicago IL 60605
9781600785184, $24.95, www.triumphbooks.com

CONTROLLED VIOLENCE ON THE FIELD AND IN THE BOOTH provides a fine biography of a football player who evolved from roots in coal-country poverty to become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sam Huff was the first NFL player to be featured on the cover of Time magazine, and was the subject of numerous interviews and the object of numerous field battles. CONTROLLED VIOLENCE is as much about the evolution of the sport as it is about Huff's participation in it, and will delight any football history reader.

The Complete Guide to Surfcasting
Joe Cermele
Burford Books
101 East State St. #301, Ithaca, NY 14850
9781580801676, $19.95, www.burfordbooks.com

The Complete Guide to Surfcasting covers everything from selecting tackle to analyzing a beach for surfcasting potential and is a pick for any involved in saltwater angling. Beginners and intermediate anglers alike will appreciate the coverage of all accessories and tools, their maintenance, and how to use them more effectively. Over 250 photos and illustrations enhance this top recommendation for any spots fishing collection.

The Voodoo Wave
Mark Kreidler
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393065350, $25.95, www.wwnorton.com

THE VOODOO WAVE: INSIDE A SEASON OF TRIUMPH AND TUMULT AT MAVERICK'S offers a fine survey of surfing at a surf point near Half Moon Bay, California, where some of the biggest waves on earth offer challenge. Breaking nearly a half mile out to see, these waves were first surfed - alone - by a teen who rode them for fifteen years. When he finally convinced others to join him, the Maverick's Surf Contest evolved - and this is their story, from a veteran sports journalist who captures the drama and excitement for both surfers and general-interest readers.


The Photography Shelf

Pinhole Cameras
Chris Keeney
Princeton Architectural Press
37 East 7th St., New York NY 10003
9781568989891, $18.95, www.papress.com

Can a common oatmeal container be turned into a camera? How about a shoe box? These and other basic household items can all be transformed into pinhole cameras, and this book offers easy step-by-step instructions and how-to photos to display images taken with such cameras, and how to build one. From shutter sleeves to tripod mounts and processing and printing film, this is packed with black and white photos covering all the basics in a top recommendation for any DIY or photography holding!

The Art of Off-Camera Flash Photography
Lou Jacobs. Jr.
Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200
Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
9781608952755, $34.95, www.amherstmedia.com

The Art of Off-Camera Flash Photography offers semi-professional photographers a fine photo workshop that explores approaches to using off-camera flash in the studio and on location. It discusses techniques for using off-camera flash and optimizing the flash, covers single- and multiple-flash, and also includes a range of exceptional flash techniques. A top pick for any photography reference collection!


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

A Crack in Everything
Angela Gerst
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781590589441, $24.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

A Crack in Everything provides a fine Susan Callisto mystery that tells of a woman who specializes in real estate law, is the political consultant for ordinary people seeking an easy office, and faces rejection by her boyfriend, who dumps her overnight. When a local man offers her a huge retainer to advise his political campaign, she decides to investigate - and uncovers a background closely connected with a biotech company. A gripping saga evolves, perfect for any general mystery collection.

Murder by Mocha
Cleo Coyle
Berkeley Prime Crime
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780425241341, $25.95, www.penguin.com

Murder by Mocha: A Coffeehouse Mystery tells of Clare Cosi, head barista of a coffeehouse who stirs up more than lattes in this tenth book in the Coffeehouse Mystery series. Here Clare's blend of coffee beans are being used to create a love potion billed as an aphrodisiac - but when its launch party ends in murder, it's up to Clare to find out who wants the coffee's secret formula enough to kill for it. An outstanding coffee-centered mystery!


The Fiction Shelf

Slicker
Lucy Jackson
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
0312573596, $14.99, www.stmartins.com

SLICKER provides a fine novel for leisure readers and tells of one Desiree, a Yale student experiencing a frustrating summer vacation in New York City where Alzheimer's is taking away her live-in grandfather and her father announces he is gay. Her response is to take a trip far away from everyone and everything she knows, which means a journey to small town Kansas with all its prejudices and intimate conflicts. A fine story of a young woman's coming of age emerges.

The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern
Doubleday
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780385534645, $26.95, www.doubleday.com

The Night Circus provides a rich account that pairs romance with a magical circus environment, and recounts a contest between two young illusionists who have been trained since childhood to compete in a game using the circus backdrop as a stage for imagination. The magic expands with each stop the circus makes on its journeys - and ultimately it will affect the world when the two contestants decide to test collaboration rather than competition. An outstanding love story evolves mixed with fantasy and magic, making for a unique and involving novel recommended for any general lending library.

American Apocalypse: Wastelands
Nova
Ulysses Press
Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
9781569759776, $14.95, www.ulyssespress.com

American Apocalypse: Wastelands introduces an America in shambles, where millions struggle to survive in a country where federal troops fire on the population and citizens find shelter in government safe zones. A military government intends to render citizens defenseless and one young man searches for renewed meaning in his world as America falls apart in this riveting near-future account of apocalypse and survival.

Targets of Opportunity
Jeffrey S. Stephens
Gallery Books
c/o Pocket Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 13th fl.
New York, NY 10020
9781451624328, $24.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Targets of Opportunity provides a fine thriller recommended for any collection strong in intrigue and international espionage. Jordan Sandor is back and has been sent to a CIA safe house in Virginia where he's dealing with a top terrorist agent from the Middle East. The terrorist's information implicates not only Middle East players but those in South America and North Korea, and will involve a strike at the heart of America, unless Sandor can prevent it. A top thriller evolves!


The Travel Shelf

Borneo, second edition
Daniel Robinson, et.al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
9781741792157, $24.99, www.lonelyplanet.com

The second updated edition of BORNEO updates the 2008 original and vastly revises much of the information about the remote region, making this a 'must' for independent travel collections. Maps, comprehensive listings, and tips on sights, activities and tourist destinations offer all the specifics independent travelers need to plan a trip to the Indonesian island.

The Best Travel Writing 2011
James O'Reilly, Larry Habegegger & Sean O'Reilly, Editors
Travelers' Tales, Inc.
853 Alma Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
9781609520083, $19.95, www.travelerstales.com

The Best Travel Writing 2011 gathers outstanding armchair, literary travel writings perfect for any general library and captures many award-winning essays that prove hard to put down. From a visit to the My Lai battle fields in Vietnam to environmental travels and eco-tours, culinary encounters, and cultural clashes, this is packed with vivid first-person surveys recommended for any travel library seeking superior, literary works.

Travels: Collected Writings
Paul Bowles
Ecco
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022
9780062067630, $16.99, www.eccobooks.com

Travels: Collected Writings 1950-1993 gathers the travel essays he's written which have never before appeared in a single volume, and which span over forty years. Original photos from Bowles accompany some forty writings that follow him around the world observing the cultures, sight and sounds of different countries. Events spring to life in a gathering of literary and cultural observations, especially recommended for travel literature holdings or any with an interest in Bowles.

All Around Town, second edition
Patrick Bunyan
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823231744, $24.95, www.fordham.edu

All Around Town: Amazing Manhattan Facts and Curiosities has been revised and updated this new second edition o reflect a lively, changing urban environment and offers additional anecdotes, over a hundred new illustrations, and a format that lends to travel study and take-along toting with its cross-street information and over 300 new and updated places of interest. The city's history comes to life street by street, with entries arranged by street address to lend to a walking tour. Histories, biographies, newspapers and maps all were used in the making of ALL AROUND TOWN, a recommended study and pick for any New York-bound visitor.

Madagascar, tenth edition
Hilary Bradt
Bradt Guides
c/o Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437
www.globepequot.com
9781841623412, $27.99, www.bradtguides.com

The tenth updated edition of Madagascar revises all travel information for the country and offers the surprising revelation that the country is now open to more than the rugged adventure-minded traveler. Chapters cover everything from fly-in resorts and cheap hotels to places where lemur viewing is easy. From small black and white local maps to discussions of what to see and do, this is a pick for any Madagascar-bound tourist.

Best Places Portland
Elizabeth Lopeman, Editor
Sasquatch Books
119 South Main Street, Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98104-2555
9781570616242, $19.95, www.sasquatchbooks.com

Best Places Portland deserves ongoing recommendation for any collection strong in Oregon travel. It truly covers the 'best' and comes from Portland residents who offer their picks for the extraordinary places to eat, sleep, shop and play in the city. From food scenes to the best bookstores and bars, this is a powerful recommendation for any collection strong in Portland destination details.


The Science Shelf

What's So Hot About Volcanoes?
Wendell Duffield
Mountain Press
Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878425747, $16.00, www.mountain-press.com

What's So Hot About Volcanoes? provides a fine new book by a volcanologist who provides discussions of volcano science to a wide general interest audience. The purpose is to present volcano science in an easy manner: discussions address contemporary research and concerns, from predicting eruptions to using volcanic heat for energy. There are many more complicated science discussions of volcanoes on the market: this is intended to intrigue those who want simple explorations presented in a lively non-technical manner, and makes it a pick for collections from advanced elementary through adult general libraries.

The Manga Guide to the Universe
Kenji Ishikawa, et.al.
No Starch Press
555 DeHaro Street, #250, San Francisco, CO 94107
9781593272678, $19.95, www.nostarch.com

The Manga Guide to the Universe provides a fine cartoon guide to the universe teaching about the universe's origins, measurements and properties of heavenly bodies, history of scientific discoveries and theories, and much more. Black and white Manga-style Japanese comics throughout provide a fun approach to science that will appeal to students seeking a less 'dense' approach to astronomy, making this a pick for high school to general collections.

Now You See It
Cathy N. Davidson
Viking Press
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780670022823, $27.95, www.penguin.com

NOW YOU SEE IT: HOW THE BRAIN SCIENCE OF ATTENTION WILL TRANSFORM THE WAY WE LIVE, WORK, AND LEARN comes from an innovator who and Vice Provost for Duke University who pushed the school's effort to provide free iPods to all incoming freshmen. While the move was initially condemned as wasteful, by school year's end Duke students had found academic uses for iPods in all discipline. This event is only one example that presents new ways of adopting changing technology and incorporating brain science into the issue of adaptation. While new technology has been embraced, it's slow-moving in institutions such as schools and workplaces: this provides new keys to movement in these arenas and is a top pick for a range of disciplines, from science and psychology to business and social issues to general libraries.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Climate Change and Environmental Ethics
Ved P. Nanda, Editor
Transaction Publishers
300 McGaw Drive, Edison NJ 08837
9781412810432, $49.95, www.transationpub.com

Climate Change and Environmental Ethics uses writings from scholars from different disciplines - ethics, ecology, economics and more - to explore issues inherent in climate change politics. There's a big divide between developed and developing countries on how to respond to climate change issues: Climate Change and Environmental Ethics offers a scholarly multi-disciplinary exploration of environmental ethics as a whole, and pairs this analysis with suggestions for concrete, specific actions.

Windfall
Robert W. Righter
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806141923, $19.95, www.oupress.com

WINDFALL: WIND ENERGY IN AMERICA TODAY offers a powerful survey of the world's fastest-growing source of energy: wind. It provides a history of how wind is use for energy, the spread of wind farms and their controversies, and provides social and cultural insights into the resistance of wind energy. From political issues to science, this offers a focus on opposing arguments on wind energy in a social and political approach recommended for any alternative energy holding.

Offshore Windpower
Christopher Gillis
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764337437, $29.99, www.schifferbooks.com

Offshore Windpower provides a fine, comprehensive survey pairing striking color photos throughout with a survey of the history of wind turbine development and the trend for putting turbines into coastal waters. World systems are analyzed, the process of building an offshore wind farm is explored, and resources are offered to help individuals and businesses utilize wind power. With its chapters on international approaches to wind technology, this is a top reference for any serious alternative energy library!


The Cookbook Shelf

Cake Stencils
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811876612, $19.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

Tara Duggan is an award-winning food writer and cookbook author with a syndicated cookbook column, and here pairs stencil designs by Jessica Hische with keys to producing unique, eye-catching decorated cakes and cupcakes. From designs, flowers and writing to complex swirls and patterns, the eight food-safe plastic stencils accompany recipes and cake decorating ideas perfect for any baker's library!

Thrive Foods
Brendan Brazier
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA 02142
9780738215112, $20.00, www.dacapopress.com

THRIVE FOODS: 200 PLANT-BASED RECIPES FOR PEAK HEALTH provides a blend of recipes and connections between personal and environmental health, providing a cookbook of foods which use the least amount of natural resources to produce for the greatest amount of nutrition. From lentils and kale to baked squashes and Italian herb stir-fries, this is a pick for any vegetarian or environmentally-conscious eater.

How to Import Wine
Deborah M. Gray
Wine Appreciation Guild
360 Swift Avenue, S. San Francisco CA 94080
9781934259610, $29.95, www.wineappreciation.com

HOW TO IMPORT WINE: AN INSIDER'S GUIDE is for wine lovers with familiarity of world wines who want to become a wine importer. Enthusiasm aside, a lot of business keys are needed to be able to import fine, and in this first discussion in book form from a veteran importer, readers learn all the basics. From developing a business model to branding, pricing, licensing and regulations, shipping and storage rules and more, this covers all the 'dos and don'ts' of the import business in a top recommendation for any professional wine or business library.

Pocket Wine Book 2012
Hugh Johnson
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781845336028, $14.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com

Pocket Wine Book 2012 offers a fine new edition of a best-selling guide in pocket format, fully revised and expanded with a color supplement that profiles the wines of South France in this edition. Over 6,000 wines, regions, and growers around the world are covered along with regional maps, tips on food and wine pairings, and more. Any wine buff looking for a compact take-along pocket tote detailing wine specifics will find there's nothing else like it on the market.

Culinaria Germany
Christine Metzger, Editor
H. F. Ullmann
c/o 60 Cycle Media Relations LLC
38 High Avenue, 4th floor, Nyack, New York 10960
9783833151286, $39.99, www.ullmann-publishing.com

Culinaria Germany results from the authors' travels to each of Germany's sixteen states looking for typical and unique regional foods. The travelers were journalists with an expert understanding of each state and were accompanied by food photographers that pack in over 1400 color images. CULINARIA GERMANY thus profiles special local products not to be found in more general English-language German cookbooks, offering an encyclopedia of Germany's best foods and including many recipes. It's a weight, extensive 450+ page tome on the topic that will earn a fine place in any culinary collection.

The Vegan Slow Cooker
Kathy Hester
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781592334643, $19.99, www.fairwindspress.com

The Vegan Slow Cooker offers the basics on creating meals that are ready as soon as you come home: plant-based dishes that feature strong flavor and quick preparation. From a White Bean and Kale Stew to Pumpkin and White Bean Lasagna, this is packed with vegan dishes that will intrigue the entire family. There are plenty of slow cooker books on the market, but this one is a top recommendation for any vegan collection!

Royal Teas With Grace & Style
Eileen Shafer
Dorrance Publishing
701 Smithfield St., 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh PA 15222
9781434904676, $25.00, www.dorrance.com

Royal Teas With Grace & Style is packed with color photos and appears in a sturdy, lovely hardcover format to guide readers through the proper hosting and serving of afternoon tea. Over 50 recipes for savories, sweets and tea displays pair an introduction to tea history and varieties with quotes by famous authors and poets to accompany the meat of the title: how to set a table and host an afternoon tea. Photographer Thomas Rouse provides lovely color embellishments to this pick recommended for any culinary collection

The Professional Chef, ninth edition
Culinary Institute of America
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9780470421352, $75.00, www.wiley.com

Over a thousand pages packed with professional chef tips makes this updated ninth edition a 'bible' for any serious chef or culinary academy student. It offers all the tools needed to become a chef, covering how to cook everything, recipes and directions for techniques, and color step-by-step and illustrative photos for any process or ingredient the aspiring professional needs to know. From tips on standard breading procedures and shallow poaching techniques to preparing specific vegetables and working with broths, poultry, and specialty ingredients, this is quite literally a recipe for success and a 'must' for any serious culinary collection.

Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe
Alisa Huntsman
Artisan Books
c/o Workman Publishing Company
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4381
9781579654344, $24.95, www.artisanbooks.com

Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe outlines unique creations from the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee where country stars and locals come for dessert - and have been since 1951. Over a hundred of the restaurant's desserts have been adapted for home cooks while the pastry chef author offers a survey of Southern ingredients and classics from Honey Chess Pie to Root Beer Float Cake and Caramel Apple Pie. Add a host of color photos and you have a real winner suitable for any culinary collection.


The Social Issues Shelf

Breach of Peace
Eric Etheridge
Atlas & Company
15 W. 26th St., 2nd Floor, New York NY 10010
9780977743391, $30.00, www.atlasandco.com

BREACH OF PEACE: PORTRAITS OF THE 1961 MISSISSIPPI FREEDOM RIDERS provides a powerful survey of the summer of 1961 and the freedom rider experience in Jackson Mississippi, and is a 'must' for any civil rights history collection. Over eighty portraits of the riders arrested, based on recordings saved by agents of the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, are featured here in a title that searched out the Riders and poses modern portraits alongside original mug shots and interviews with the former Riders. Invaluable!

Erotic Capital
Catherine Hakim
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
9780465027477, $26.00, www.basicbooks.com

Collections strong in both business and sociology will find EROTIC CAPITAL: THE POWER OF ATTRACTION IN THE BOARDROOM AND THE BEDROOM to be an unusual and excellent discussion of a controversial theory. Everyone has the asset of 'erotic capital' that they can and should be using in social to business settings: this book explains the idea, uses the latest research to argue that such capital is just as important as financial, cultural and social capital, and explains how it can be fine-tuned as another success tool. Any sociology and many a business and general collection will find this a top pick!

Translation, Resistance, Activism
Maria Tymoczko, Editor
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498501, $26.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

Translation, Resistance, Activism offers college-level readers an outstanding analysis linking the ideology of translation to power, rebellion, and even revolution in societies, making for a strong pick for literary and sociology collections alike. Translation strategies are instrumental in historical interventions, cultural change and conflict, and ideological transformation. Chapters outline how translators affect agendas by creating new narratives and ideals. Any college-level collection will find this an intriguing, different addition!

Outlaws Inc.
Matt Potter
Bloomsbury
175 - 5th Avenue Suite 300, New York NY 10010
9781608195305, $27.00, www.bloomsburyusa.com

Outlaws Inc.: Under the Radar and on the Black Market with the World's Most Dangerous Smugglers probes a new global economy where, for a price, underworld figures will transport everything for rogue regimes - including nuclear warheads. Author Matt Potter, a seasoned journalist, obtained access to the leader of this crew of undercover smugglers to provide his overview of how the company operates in the black market. Interviews with key smugglers provide an outstanding, rare opportunity in this eye-opening survey, recommended for any social issues or general collection.

Can Intervention Work?
Rory Stewart and Gerald Knaus
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393081206, $23.95, www.wwnorton.com

CAN INTERVENTION WORK considers the mechanics of global ethics and intervention in regional conflicts, joins others in the 'Amnesty International Global Ethics Series', and uses the authors' firsthand experiences in the military and in international governmental and nongovernmental organizations to consider the foundations of intervention techniques and their lessons. Chapters consider the Balkan 1990s 'lessons', how they were mistakenly applied to Afghanistan, and why intervention strategy must change to prevent future disasters. From regional cultural resistance to foreign influence to the failures of a system that rewarded jargon and administration over field knowledge, this pinpoints issues and causes of tensions and makes for an outstanding survey college-level political and social issues holdings will appreciate.

Rebel Bookseller
Andrew Laties
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
9781609801397, $14.95, www.sevenstories.com

REBEL BOOKSELLER: WHY INDIE BUSINESSES REPRESENT EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO FIGHT FOR - FROM FREE SPEECH TO BUYING LOCAL TO BUILDING COMMUNITIES makes a case for small local bookselling, challenging the shifting interests of the general public towards online and ebook sales and arguing that independent booksellers pay key roles in communities. Chapters offer advice to booksellers on succeeding in the face of these challenges, tells how he began as a bookseller and how he kept going, and makes a case for a positive future for independents. Business, social issues and literary collections alike will find this outstanding!

Race in North America, fourth edition
Audrey Smedley and Brian D, Smedley
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder CO 80301
9780813345543, $45.00, www.westviewpress.com

The fourth updated edition of Race in North America: Origin and Evolution of a Worldview adds a new chapter on the health impacts of a racial worldview, rewriters a chapter on the idea of race to add new material that explores Obama's election and the changing role of race in American politics, and offers new material showing that race is a social idea, not biological fact. The latest studies in science, health, history, politics and social issues enhance this new edition of RACE IN NORTH AMERICA and make it a powerful pick for any college-level social issues collection.

After the Fall
Mary Marshall Clark, Editors, et.al.
The New Press
38 Greene St., 4th Floor, New York NY 10013
9781595586476, $26.95, www.thenewpress.com

AFTER THE FALL: NEW YORKERS REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 2001 AND THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED gathers hundreds of first-person narratives from family members of victims, first responders, and others and is published to mark the tenth anniversary of 9/11. People form all walks of life come together in a moving collection that makes for a powerful oral history and a 'must' for social issues and general lending libraries alike.

Of Thee I Zing
Laura Ingraham with Raymond Arroyo
Threshold Editions
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451642049, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Of Thee I Zing provides a fine analysis of the culture and habits of everyday U.S. citizens and considers how our modern culture and freedoms are working against us. It provides a satirical examination of ten examples of this cultural milieu which ranges from small observations - such as airline seats shrinking even as passengers expand - to the ironies of being absorbed in computers and emails to the exclusion of life itself. It's a fine cultural commentary recommended not just for college-level holdings but for any general lending collection.

The Next Wave
Catherine Herridge
Crown Forum
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307885258, $25.00, www.amazon.com

The Next Wave: On the Hunt for Al Qaeda's American Recruits is packed with details about U.S. government incompetence, cover-ups, and how the next generation of Muslim revolution is happening right here in America. It's packed with startling revelations about the evolution of lower-level, home-grown threats from Al Qaeda, comes from a seasoned reporter in national security issues, and reveals how Washington's approach to terrorism is fostering the growth of terrorists on our home turf. Any collection strong in terrorist issues should have this!

Poor and Homeless in the Sunshine State
James Wright & Amy Donley
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842211, $39.95, www.transactionpub.com

Poor and Homeless in the Sunshine State: Down and Out in Theme Park Nation provides a hard-hitting analysis of conditions in Orlando, Florida, home of DisneyWorld and special interest development groups whose efforts to foster the park have worsened conditions between rich and poor. Those who live in the shadow of one of the richest parks on Earth are documented here in a survey that gathers stories about homelessness in Central Florida. Any interested in either Florida politics and social issues or poverty in America will find this an in-depth, eye-opening probe of lives and politics.

Adrift
William C. Harris and Steven C. Beschloss
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616144036, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

ADRIFT: CHARTING OUR COURSE BACK TO A GREAT NATION discusses what has gone wrong with America and what can be done about it. It comes from a veteran scientist and journalist who address the issues affecting America - and provide a blueprint for positive changes. From American complacency and feelings of helplessness at the political level to how government can work with industry for innovation, this provides a fine call to action recommended for any political or social issues collection.


The Gun Shelf

Gun Digest Book of Revolvers Assembly/Disassembly
J.B. Wood
Gun Digest
PO Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235
1440214522, $34.99, www.gundigest.com

Gun Digest Book of Revolvers Assembly/Disassembly provides step-by-step black and white photos for some sixty models and 130 variants of guns, adds updates for Taurus Judge and other models, and provides specs and steps for similar or identical pattern guns along with data on cartridges, length, weight and history. Any owner of a revolver collection who wishes specifics on how to clean and disassemble them will find this filled with the exact requirements needed to know all about how the revolver is put together. Gun collections will find this an invaluable reference.

Blue Book of Modern Black Powder Arms, second edition
John B. Allen Edited by S.P. Fjestad
Blue Book Publications Inc.
8009 - 34th Avenue South, Suite 175
Minneapolis, MN 55425
1936120127, $24.95, www.bluebookinc.com

The second updated edition of Blue Book of Modern Black Powder Arms packs in over three hundred pages in a unique survey of the latest prices on black powder arms reproductions and replicas, and is a 'must' for any gun reference collection. Most of the information is not to be found elsewhere: this covers major makes and models produced since 1959, holds black and white images throughout, and provides shooters, reenactors and collectors alike with specifics on prices and technical description. A 'must' for any gun reference collection!


The Needlecraft Shelf

Pick Four
Sue Abrey
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604680201, $24.99, www.martingale-pub.com

PICK FOUR: EASY FABRIC CHOICES FOR GREAT QUILTS provides a fine, foolproof way to choose fabrics and combine colors using Sue Abrey's unique technique. Beginners will learn from 12 quilt projects that build skills from easy four patch to more complicated endeavors, providing a fine step-by-step collection of important foundation skills that will lend, long-term, to any quilting project!

Give & Take Fabric Applique
Daphne Greig & Susan Purney Mark
American Quilters Society
Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600056, $24.95, www.aqsquilt.com

GIVE & TAKE FABRIC APPLIQUE presents a fine two-for-one technique that offers hand or machine-friendly applique techniques perfect for all kinds of projects - and presents 12 different projects for using them. Patterns can be adapted to numerous patterns, traditional patterns can be used with the fabric applique approach, and full-page color photos and patterns make for a collection easy to duplicate. Any beginning quilter or newcomer to applique will find this a fine starting place!

My Grandmother's Knitting
Larissa Brown
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
115 West 18th St., New York NY 10011
9781584799399, $22.50, www.stcbooks.com

My Grandmother's Knitting: Family Stories and Inspired Knits from Top Designers blends knits from top designers with family stories in an unusual presentation that comes from the author's interviews with nearly thirty influential knitters about the people and places that influence their craft. Stories of their relatives accompany over twenty knitting patterns inspired by these memories in a top pick for any knitter's library!

Knitting Beyond the Edge
Nicky Epstein
SixthandSpring Books
161 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10013
9781936096039, $19.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

Knitting Beyond the Edge tells how to knit cuffs, necklines, corners and more and provides a fine collection focusing on decorative finishes. It represents the third in her Edgings series and appears here in paperback for the first time to pack in over 150 edging embellishments for all skills levels. Projects show how to use lace, buttons, ribbons and more to embellish jackets, shawls, sweaters and other projects. Knitters will find this a satisfying way of extending their skills to specific techniques and needlework collections will find it an unusual, specific reference.

Classic Collection
Sasha Kagan
Taunton Press
Box 5507, Newtown, CT 06470-5507
9781600854118, $24.95, www.taunton.com

Sasha Kagan's CLASSIC COLLECTION comes from a knitwear designer who provides a survey of her work from the past four decades: works that use color, design and striking patterns. Sasha has created long-lasting, contemporary knitting works and her collection updates and reworks jackets, sweaters, and more. Five patterns represent each decade, swatches, articles and photos are included to recreate the original design context, and essays by other knitwear designers offer insights into the entire process. Any knitter's library will consider this an outstanding collection!

Masters: Art Quilts, Vol. 2
Ray Hemachandra and Martha Sielman
Lark Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
9781600595998, $24.95, www.larkbooks.com

Masters: Art Quilts, Vol. 2: Major Works by Leading Artists provides a gorgeous photo book of the works of some forty leading quilt artists from around the world, and provides over a dozen quilts for each artist. Over four hundred pages profile techniques, polished pieces, and provide themes ranging from portraiture and contemporary quilt art to politics. This second volume features works from acclaimed quilters around the world and packs in innovative, exciting works highly recommended for any quilting collection.

More Layer Cake, Jelly Roll & Charm Quilts
Pam & Nicky Lintott
David & Charles
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
www.fwpublications.com
0715338986, $24.99, www.amazon.com

More Layer Cake, Jelly Roll & Charm Quilts comes from two authors who have sold over 250,000 boks around the world, and who here provide new quilt pattern designs with basic step-by-step instructions. 14 new quilt patterns offer fine variations and use Moda pre-cuts, pairing full-page color photos of completed projects with smaller step-by-step photos and illustrations on assembly. At-a-glance 'vital statistics' for each project provides specifications for production.

Knitting Socks from Around the World
Kari Cornell, Editor
Voyageur Press
400 First Avenue North #300, Minneapolis MN 55401
9780760339695, $24.99, www.voyageurpress.com

Knitting Socks from Around the World pairs lovely color photos by Sue Flanders and Janine Kosel with tips on knitting heirloom sock styles from around the world. Patterns come from knitters everywhere and offer over twenty sock patterns from Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Peru and more. Highly recommended for any knitting collection looking for specific ethnic patterns.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Ghost Ship
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Baen Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781439134559, $25.00, www.baen.com

GHOST SHIP is a recommended, powerful pick for any with prior familiarity and enthusiasm for the Liaden Universe series, and provides a new novel revolving around Theo, now a First Class pilot offered a dangerous job carrying multiple weapons. Her family has been exposed for their secrets and she needs to make peace with dangerous enemies if she can successfully carry out her assignment in this fast-paced, military and political thriller recommended for prior fans of the Liaden stories.

The Unincorporated Woman
Dani Kollin & Etan Kollin
TOR Books
c/o Tor/Forge
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780765319043, $26.99, www.tor-forge.com

The Unincorporated Woman tells of a legacy left by Justin Cord, the Unincorporated Man, and the figurehead of an Unincorporated Woman which is needed to wage war to carry on his legacy. The only problem is - the woman chosen has her own agenda, and secrets - and provides a resurrected intelligence that has a very different agenda in mind. Military and political interactions make for a purposeful, fine addition to the Unincorporated universe and is a recommended pick for prior enthusiasts of the theme who will appreciate the twists and turns of plot here.

Prince of Thorns
Mark Lawrence
Ace Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780441020324, $25.95, www.penguin.com

PRINCE OF THORNS represents Book One of The Broken Empire and provides a top fantasy perfect for collections seeing interest in the genre. It offers the setting of a country without an emperor, divided by many factions and many evil forces. Gang leader Jorg leads one of these groups - but he is, in fact, a prince - and his companions wouldn't follow him if they knew. Now it's time for him to reclaim his father's inheritance - only to discover that dark forces beyond his experience will affect his possible rule and his country. Swift action makes for an involving story!

The Measure of the Magic
Terry Brooks
Del Rey
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780345484208, $27.00, www.delreybooks.com

The Measure of the Magic provides another fine addition to the 'Legends of Shannara' fantasy and continues the prehistory in a sequel to BEARERS OF THE BLACK STAFF. It tells of survivors of the Great Wars who see enchanted barriers crumbling and a new threat of annihilation. Sidar was bearer of the last black staff and its power, and now that he's gone, the world might end. Prior readers of the 'Legends of Shannara' novels will appreciate the action and drama of this title.]

The Last Four Things
Paul Hoffman
Dutton
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
978052595183, $25.95, www.penguin.com

Paul Hoffman's THE LEFT HAND OF GOD was a global hit and introduced the world of the Redeemers and anti-hero Thomas Cale, trained to be a killer without remorse. His escape from his world leads to disappointment in a saga continued here in THE LAST FOUR THINGS, and recommended for prior fans. Here Thomas is about to lead the Redeemers into a battle bringing them closer to killing the entire human race. Will he continue his course to destroy mankind - or will he change? This provides a powerful sequel to the original fantasy and is a pick for any who have seen popularity in THE LEFT HAND OF GOD.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Johnny Depp Photo Album
Christopher Heard
Plexus Books
110 Riverside Drive Apt 5-F, New York NY 10024
9780859654708, $19.95, www.plexusbooks.com

Johnny Depp Photo Album has been substantially revised and updated, packs in color and black and white images and provides a fine visual biography of a cult movie actor whose Pirates of the Caribbean has earned him fame. Film stills, candid shots, and how Depp has chosen to live outside the Hollywood mainstream make for a highly recommended tribute collection to his many skills!

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Tunes Into TV
Bathroom Readers' Institute
Bathroom Readers' Press
PO Box 1117, Ashland, OR 97520
1607101815, $18.95, www.bathroomreader.com

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Tunes Into TV offers a trivia-packed title to do with all TV subjects, from discussions of talk show feuds and facts from sitcoms and shows to bloopers, scientific inquiry on how television affects the brain, Nielsen rating history, and more. It's an outstanding survey with short, lively discussions perfect for any avid television viewer with a trivia fascination, and recommended for any general lending library.

Dark Borders
Jonathan Auerbach
Duke University Press
Box 90660, Durham, NC 27706
9780822350064, $23.95, www.dukeupress.edu

DARK BORDERS: FILM NOIR AND AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP is recommended for college-level film studies programs and offers a technical explanation connecting anxieties about citizenship and national belonging in America to the idea of alienation portrayed by American film noir. Over a dozen dark crime thrillers are assessed with cultural and social insights, studying film's relationship to national identity and psyche. College-level film and sociology collections alike will find this a detailed psychological and artistic study.

2012 Movie Guide
Leonard Matlin
Plume
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9780452297357, $20.00, www.penguin.com

2012 Movie Guide comes from one of the most respected authorities on movies and film and provides another updated guide packed with over 17,000 reviews - over 300 new entries -to cover all kinds of films, from classics and 'sleepers' to which movies are better seen in the theatre versus DVD format. Packed with movie trivia and insights, 2012 MOVIE GUIDE is a top reference for any film or move library; particularly those seeing popularity with the prior Matlin guides.

The Digital Filmmaking Handbook, fourth edition
Sonja Schenk and Ben Long
Course Technology PTR
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
9781435459113, $49.99, www.courseptr.com

The fourth updated edition of The Digital Filmmaking Handbook provides beginners and professionals alike with a powerful key to successful digital filmmaking. It's organized into three parts, like a film shoot, for preproduction, production, and postproduction and covers everything for initial planning and choices to setting up production and sound, shooting, and wrapping up the film. This extensively revised and updated fourth edition includes information on HD video, shooting with digital SLR cameras, and workflows for tapeless recording and is a key reference for any working filmmaker's collection.

Fashion in Film
Adrienne Munich, Editor
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton St., Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
9780253222992, $27.95, www.iupress.indiana.edu

Fashion in Film is a recommended pick for arts collections strong in fashion as well as film libraries, and provides college-level audiences with a survey of film costume and fashion in a reader that shows how film presents fashion, how fashion influences film, and how both reflect and affect cultural identity. International films from early cinema to the present are used to reflect on history and offer insights and examples of changing fashion trends.

Hire Me, Hollywood
Mark Scherzer and Keith Fenimore
Adams Media
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor, Avon, MA 02322
1440512124, $17.95, www.adamsmedia.com

Hire Me, Hollywood: Your Behind-the-Scenes Guide to the Most Exciting - and Unexpected - Jobs in Show Business presents discussions with some 30 industry insiders on show business, offering some thirty funny, revealing interviews with a range of industry experts, from makeup artists and actors to talent producers, show cohosts, and more. The professionals discuss how they entered the industry, the pros and cons of their jobs, and the working atmosphere of Hollywood in general, making this a 'must' for any seeking to break into the film industry.


The American History Shelf

Creating Dairyland
Edward Janus
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State St., Madison WI 53706
9780870204630, $26.95, www.wisconsinhistory.org

CREATING DAIRYLAND offers the complete history of Wisconsin's dairy industry and captures the spirit and interests of the state's ranchers and cheesemakers. Any interested in Wisconsin history in general and American ranching and farming interests will find CREATING DAIRYLAND a fine survey that documents how Wisconsin came to be known as a dairyland Mecca. Black and white and color photos both vintage and modern liberally pack a lively consideration recommended for any collection strong in farming interests.

Perfectly Average
Anna G. Creadick
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004
9781558498068, $26.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

Perfectly Average: The Pursuit of Normality in Postwar America investigates how 'normality' emerged in postwar America and uses a blend of scientific studies, literature, film and the arts, and mass media to trace the evolution of the idea of 'normal'. From models produced during the war by anthropologists to statistics of 'normal' American bodies, this describes the historical evolution of an ideal and will make a fine pick for college-level history or sociology holdings.

Hot Time in the Old Town
Edward P. Kohn
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780465024285, $16.99, www.basicbooks.com

Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt originally appeared in 2010 and here provides a fine survey of a New York City heat wave where temperatures were as high as 137 degrees for 10 days. Near riots, animal corpses, and the deaths of over a thousand marked the heat wave, and this history uses modern newspaper accounts, police records and death certifications to consider how cities 'bake' differently from rural areas and why the poor suffer more during such heat waves. Social and political issues come to life in a survey that blends the two, making this a pick for general and political studies collections alike.

The Civil War in Georgia
John C. Inscoe
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens GA 30602-4901
0820339814, $22.95, www.ugapress.org

The Civil War in Georgia: A New Georgia Encyclopedia Companion uses selected articles drawn from the New Georgia Encyclopedia to cover the Georgia Civil War experience and provides the latest scholarship discussing how the Civil War affected individual states. The Atlanta campaign and Sherman's March to the Sea changed the course of the war and its impact on both Georgia and the Confederacy. This guide covers naval encounters, guerrilla warfare, politics and more and provides extensive deals on home-front conditions often lacking in more general Civil War collections. A fine guide, this is a pick for any Civil War or Southern history holding.

Sold Down the River
Anthony Gene Carey
University of Alabama Press
Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
0817317414, $29.95, www.uapress.us.edu

Sold Down the River: Slavery in the Lower Chattahoochee Valley of Alabama and Georgia considers a small part of slavery's North American experience in the lower Chattahoochee River Valley between Alabama and Georgia - a relatively new region. A slave society evolved there and these valley counties between Georgia and Alabama became places where property rights were the basis of economics. The narrowed focus on a unique region offers a special examination of slavery in a small Southern area and makes this a pick for both civil rights and Southern regional history holdings.


The World History Shelf

The Modern History of Iraq, third edition
Phebe Marr
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344430, $45.00, www.westviewpress.com

The Modern History of Iraq appears in its third updated edition to include three new chapters and commentary on the U.S. nation building effort in Iraq. The latest economic and social issues have also been updated in a modern history that covers all of Iraq's crises ad issues and provides the latest events affecting its politics and social standing in the world. No college-level Middle Eastern history holding should be without this specific, insightful guide!

The Ancient Guide to Modern Life
Natalie Haynes
Overlook Press
141 Wooster St., New York NY 10012
9781590206739, $25.95, www.overlookpress.com

The Ancient Guide to Modern Life comes from a classics scholar and comedienne and provides a fun, alternative view of ancient Greece and Rome. Ancient history and pop culture blends humor with historical analysis a fun account of how our early ancestors built great civilizations under harsher conditions than we experience now - including fine arts, literature and innovations. Many of their cultural struggles were similar, and Ancient Guide to Modern Life outlines these similarities and shows how ancient myths hold importance to modern life. General-interest collections will find the lively discourse unusually accessible, and not limited to dry history holdings alone.

Pakistan
Maleeha Lodhi
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd St., New York NY 10023
9780231702447, $24.95, www.cup.columbia.edu

PAKISTAN: BEYOND THE "CRISIS STATE" provides a fine survey that brings together a variety of experts, from a sociologist and historian to a journalist, to consider the republic's basic political and social strengths and weaknesses. It's an anthology from the country's top intellectuals and thus offers insiders' perspectives on Pakistan's internal affairs. The contributors here conclude that Pakistan can be a stable modern Muslim state through reforms - and they outline the nature and applications of these changes in a pick recommended for any college-level political studies or Middle East collection.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Grand Pursuit
Sylvia Nasar
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9780684872988, $35.00, www.simonandschuster.com

Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius offers an in-depth survey of the lives and times of men and women who changed the discipline of economics from that of a dry idea born in Victorian times to a purposeful pursuit to master and change monetary destiny. The rise of economics was fostered by a series of remarkable visionary individuals: this identifies and documents their lives and affects upon the world economy and material wealth. General-interest collections as well as college-level holdings strong in economic history and discussion will find this a winner.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

On Rare Birds
Anita Albus
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762769872, $24.95, www.lyonspress.com

ON RARE BIRDS blends natural history with folklore and cultural analysis and tells the stories of ten rare or extinct bird species around the world. It accompanies the stories with lovely illustrations by the author in full color as well as images from over five centuries and explores the natural history and decline of these threatened species. Any college-level natural history collection, particularly those strong in ornithology, will appreciate this artistic and lovely natural history survey.

The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles
Bo Beolens, et.al.
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
9781421401355, $100.00, www.press.jhu.edu

The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles is packed with technical natural history references yet is easy enough for amateur herpetologists to use, offering a thorough coverage of reptiles and their origins and scientific names. A dictionary format explains the origins of reptile names, often linking them to discoverers - primarily herpetologists. The reference makes for fascinating reading and is a top pick for any serious college-level collection strong in herpetology references.

Small Animal Toxicology Essentials
Robert H. Poppenga & Sharon M. Gwaltney-Brant
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780813815381, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

Small Animal Toxicology Essentials provides a fine introduction to veterinary toxicology in a reference for the initial triage and management of a small animal poisoning case. It outlines the basics of evaluating small pets, covers prevention to monitoring and treatment, emphasizes case management and approaches to specific poisons, and is especially recommended for veterinary students and reference libraries for vets.

Zen Mind Zen Horse
Allan J. Hamilton, MD
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781603425650, $24.95, www.storey.com

Zen Mind Zen Horse: The Science and Spirituality of Working With Horses provides a new method of training horses and offers any who work with them a new understanding of how humans train and interact with horses. It's an entirely new technique for training that goes beyond the usual routines to blend self-awareness into the training process. Chapters address specific training goals, from positive reinforcement of habits and training horses to lead and follow to working with the round pen. A top pick for any horse library!


The Interior Design Shelf

Design Sponge at Home
Grace Bonney
Artisan Books
225 Varick Street, New York NY 10014-4381
9781579654313, $35.00, www.artisanbooks.com

Design Sponge at Home provides a top survey on decor and comes from a design blogger who provides DIY projects to help personalize a home space for all budgets. Tips and techniques offer homeowners and artists a step-by-step guide to designing a dream living space, offering hundreds of projects in five main sections addressing both functionality and artistic exploration. Any home and garden library will find this a fine winner!

SoulSpace
Xorin Balbes
New World Library
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9781608680375, $14.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

SOULSPACE: TRANSFORM YOUR HOME, TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE mixes spirituality, psychology, and interior design to provide a fine coverage of how to create a dream home and a concurrent good life. The 8 stages of a 'SoulSpace' change are recounted with an eye to exploring how interior design helps lead to peace and beauty in the home. New age, home and garden, psychology and interior design holdings alike will find this involving and eye-opening.


The Architecture Shelf

Porch
Brian Vanden Brink and Richard Grant
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
9780892729333, $14.95, www.downeast.com

PORCH provides a lovely photographic celebration of the porch, pairing lovely color images from award-winning photographer Brian Vanden Brink with text by Richard Grant to explore the architecture, culture and social meaning of the house porch. Any arts, architecture or homeowner's collection will find this an outstanding blend of history and design insights, filled with porch examples perfect for any homeowner's inspiration.

Bungalow Kitchens
Jane Powell & Linda Svendsen
Gibbs Smith
Box 667, Layton UT 84041
9781423607533, $19.99, www.gibbs-smith.com

Bungalow Kitchens provides a fine visual survey of bungalow-style kitchens and is a 'must' for any reader who would consider a kitchen rebuild using the bungalow style for modern efficiency. This isn't so much a 'how to' title as a 'what to' title: chapters explore the modern kitchen's history, eye appeal versus functionality, and provide a host of color photos of a wide range of bungalow kitchen styles. The result is a top pick for any interior design or homeowner's library.

A Carpenter's Life As Told By Houses
Larry Haun
Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
9781600854026, $22.95, www.taunton.com

A Carpenter's Life As Told By Houses comes from a veteran builder who considers the structure of the American home from the vantage point of twelve selected houses he's been involved with. From the sod schoolhouse in Nebraska where his mother was born to his childhood home and production houses he helped construct in California, this surveys building, architecture, and house culture as it's changed over a 100 year period. Period photos accompany a lively history and commentary perfect for any architecture or home collection.


The Music Shelf

The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers with Brendan Mullen
IT Books
10 R. 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
9780061351914, $20.00, www.youritlist.com

The Red Hot Chili Peppers is an oversized presentation celebrating the rock group, is now available in paperback, and follows the band using a satisfying blend of oral and visual history documenting their personal stories and combined talents. From their early influence on the Los Angeles underground music scene to their rise to international fame, this follows the band's ups and downs and makes for a satisfying documentary recommended for rock music collections and any with a special interest in the Peppers.

What a Wonderful World
Ricky Riccardi
Pantheon
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307378446, $28.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years provides a fine account of the final twenty-five years of Louis Armstrong - especially satisfying and recommended because so much work already focuses on the early and middle stages of his career. The author is a jazz scholar and a musician who examines Armstrong's later years from World War II until his death: chapters document his many band associations, expanded musical legacy, and provide many insights into his ongoing evolution during a period of time ignored by most competing Armstrong biographies. Any collection strong in jazz history needs this insightful musical biography.

Celebrity Vinyl
Tom Hamling
Mark Batty Publisher
68 Jay Street, Suite 410, Brooklyn, NY 11201
9781935163251, $19.95, www.markbattypublisher.com

CELEBRITY VINYL is a pick for general interest and music collections alike and provides a lively, fun documentation of embarrassing albums recorded by TV stars, sports figures and more: people who weren't actually musicians. Celebrities and others have long produced albums that were questionable at best: CELEBRITY VINYL documents these funny creations, adds funny captions to pinpoint album artwork and flaws, and makes for an overall hilarious probe of the questionable world of non-musician productions.

Everybody Loves Our Town
Mark Yarm
Crown Archetype
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307464439, $25.00, www.crownpublishing.com

Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge recounts the history of the popular style of 'grunge' which fuses punk rock and heavy metal, and which came from the Pacific Northwest in the 1980s. It provides a detailed, definitive guide to the grunge era and interviews musicians, record executives, photographers, club owners, and more who witnessed or participated in it first-hand. Over 250 interviews with major grunge bands and their leaders make this a top 'must' for any popular music collection!

Harvest
Neil Young
Hal Leonard Corporation
PO Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213
9781423431213, $29.99, www.halleonard.com

Neil Young fans who are also guitar players will find HARVEST a fine reference. It provides guitar versions of Young's songs from his album, offering words and music guitar players will find essential to successfully re-creating the magic of HARVEST. Having guitar recorded classics of these versions will delight any musician seeking to re-create Neil Young's style and music!

Aerosmith
Richard Beinstock
Voyageur Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760341063, $35.00, www.voyageurpress.com

AEROSMITH; THE ULTIMATE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE BOSTON BAD BOYS offers a unique illustrated tribute to the band and follows their entire career, from their initial organization and cross-country travels to the band's rise, fall, and rebirth. Nearly 400 photos include band shots, gig posters, ticket stubs, and memorabilia and includes a detailed discography of the band's studio albums. Critiques of the albums by rock icons and professionals rounds out a rock music tribute suitable for any popular music collection.


The Biography Shelf

Songs of Blood and Sword
Fatima Bhutto
Nation Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781568586762, $16.99, www.nationbooks.com

Songs of Blood and Sword tells of a teen who faced her father's murder, her aunt's assassination, and the events of Pakistan that changed her life and led her to search for the truth behind her father's murder - a truth that would lead her to probe her country's brutal politics and interactions. Fatima loved her father and believed in his innocence: this traces autobiography provides a dual probe of Fatima's life and Pakistan history and social issues from its struggle with India over Kashmir to the post 9/11 War on Terror. It's a 'must' for any Middle East collection as well as any general lending library.

The Faraway Horses
Buck Brannaman with William Reynolds
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
9781585748631, $16.95, www.lyonspress.com

The Faraway Horses provides a moving story now adapted as a major motion picture, Buck, and tells of the author's evolution from an abusive childhood to a horseman with a unique success as a 'horse whisperer'. His compassion and approach changes both horses and people - and THE FARAWAY HORSES tells his story with a fine centerfold of color photos complimenting a powerful account of a man who moves from self-healing to healing animals and people alike. A top pick for any general lending collection.

Ghost in the Wires
Kevin Mitnick
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780316037709, $25.99, www.hbgusa.com

Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker provides a dramatic account of the author's efforts to outsmart security programs and rack codes. Kevin Mitnick has been the subject of many articles and news reports and fellow hackers idolize him, but for seven years a government mandate silenced him. His computer hacking exploits and his successful three-year run from the FBI makes for fascinating reading in a pick sure to see popularity in any general lending library!

Jane Fonda
Patricia Bosworth
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547152578, $30.00, www.hmhbooks.com

JANE FONDA: THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A PUBLIC WOMAN provides a fine biography of a controversial and successful woman and creates a rich in-depth survey of how Jane Fonda became winning actress. Chapters cover her evolution as a sex star, her associations with other actors and industry professionals, and her involvement in politics. With numerous black and white photo groups throughout, JANE FONDA provides a rich survey of the personal life of the woman who became an industry legend.

One Day It'll All Make Sense
Common, with Adam Bradley
Atria Books
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451625875, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

One Day It'll All Make Sense is written by one Common, a 'conscious artist' whose music album CAN I BORROW A DOLLAR entered him into an underground music community of hip hop artists. Yet Common stood out from even this crowd, and his memoir reveals his childhood on the streets of Chicago, his pursuit of a controversial career in hip hop music, his emotional and spiritual struggles with addition and poverty, and his strong connection to his mother, who contributes her insights throughout his memoir. Add his letters to loved ones living and dead along with lyrics of some of his songs and you have a memoir perfect for autobiography and music holdings alike.

Found: A Daughter's Journey Home
Tatum O'Neal
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.williammorrow.com
9780062066565, $25.99, www.harpercollins.com

Found: A Daughter's Journey Home documents the journey of a Hollywood star who was the youngest person to win an Oscar for her performance in the 1973 Paper Moon. Her first memoir, A Paper Life, covered her struggles with drug addiction and a dysfunctional superstar father. FOUND comes from a woman six years older and focuses on her hopes of reclaiming a relationship with her father: one estranged for nearly 25 years. The healing process and her journey back to sobriety makes for a top recommendation for any general lending collection seeing interest in either O'Neal's previous memoir or in Hollywood autobiographies in general.

You Are Not Alone
Jermaine Jackson
Touchstone
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451651560, $26.00, www.simonandschuster.com

YOU ARE NOT ALONE: MICHAEL; THROUGH A BROTHER'S EYES provides a powerful memoir of Michael Jackson and the Jackson family and traces his younger brother's life through shared experiences with the Jackson 5 to adulthood. It provides vivid set of memories of a pop star who has maintained a very private shield of his life up to his death, and provides the personal perspective of the brother who was closest to Michael. Any collection strong in pop music memoirs must have this.


The Education Shelf

You, Your Child, and "Special" Education
Barbara Coyne Cutler, et.al.
Paul Brookes Publishing
Box 10624, Baltimore MD 21285-0624
9781598571233, $24.95, www.brookespublishing.com

You, Your Child, and "Special" Education: A Guide to Dealing with the System offers a fine step-by-step guide to parents on how to get the most from the school system, and is a top pick for any parents' or educators' collection. It covers all the basic, real-world challenges inherent in the educational system and documents how parents can work around these built-in obstacles, providing plenty of tips on approaches and strategies. No special needs collection should be without this set of insights into how the system works and how to get around common problems.

Transition or Transformation?
John Clements, et.al.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Box 960, Herndon, VA 20172-0960
9781843109648, $29.95, www.jkp.com

Transition or Transformation?: Helping Young People With Autistic Spectrum Disorder Set Out on a Hopeful Road Towards Their Adult Lives reveals a program developed by teachers concerned with helping autistic spectrum kids make the transition into adulthood, and is a 'must' for any health or educator's collection dealing with these kids. It explores styles for building relationships at school, explains how the program fosters social skills that continue into successful employment and social interactions outside the classroom, and addresses the need for a whole-school approach to helping autistic children integrate into the classroom.

Transforming School Climate and Learning
William L. Preble
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
9781412992688, $34.95, www.corwinpress.com

Transforming School Climate and Learning: Beyond Bullying and Compliance offers a fine book for teachers and administrators and provides a five-step program geared to changing school climate. Its focus is on long-term goals and results, and it provides the mechanics, data, measurement and application techniques to obtaining cooperative compliance in a school setting. Each chapter packs in case study examples, making this a top pick for any education collection!

Barron's Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges, seventh edition
Barron's College Staff
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
9780764145995, $23.99, www.barronseduc.com

The seventh updated edition of Barron's Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges packs in details not present in other college guides and covers data on over eighty academically challenging four-year colleges. From each school's academic programs and fees to student facts and figures, the inclusion of assessments by recent school grads and a comparison chart of at-a-glance statistics to help students assess each school make this an especially recommended pick for any high school or college collection!

Cracking the SSAT & ISEE 2012
Elizabeth Silas & Reed Talada
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780375427138, $19.99, www.princetonreview.com

Cracking the SSAT & ISEE 2012 offers tested techniques for obtaining higher scores on the tests and covers everything needed to master the Upper, Middle or Lower Levels of each test. Five full-length practice exams accompany tips and techniques for better scoring. Any who are facing one of the tests will find this reviews all the basics and includes a 'hit parade' of the most frequent vocabulary words seen on the tests. A 'must' for any college-bound high school collection.

The Real ACT Prep Guide, third edition
ACT
Peterson's Publishing
2000 Lenox Drive
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
0768934400, $34.95, www.petersonspublishing.com

The third updated edition of The Real ACT Prep Guide remains the only guide to include 5 real ACT tests and offers insider strategies to test-taking that teaches how to achieve top scores on the ACT. It provides details on how the optional Writing Test is scored, offers approaches for different sections of the test, and provides refresher courses in all topics on the test. The accompanying CD is packed with additional resources and makes this package an exceptional recommendation for any collection where patrons are taking the ACT.

NCLEX-PN, third edition
Wilda Rinehart, et.al.
Pearson
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0789741067, $39.99, www.personITcertification.com

The third updated edition of Exam Cram: NCLEX-PN teaches the basics the NCLEX and shows how to score higher on the exam. A CD offers tools that blend multiple test modes with random questions and answers and in-depth explanations, while the book uses a Cram Sheet tearcard to identify and reinforce key concepts. Over 400 sample test questions help students prepare for the actual exam by testing knowledge and identifying common challenges. Any test-taker will find this an essential study tool!

Hey, Back Off!
Jennie Withers with Phyllis Hendrickson, M.Ed
New Horizon Press
Box 669, Far Hills, NJ 07931-0669
9780882823652, $14.95, www.newhorizonpressbooks.com

Hey, Back Off! Tips for Stopping Teen Harassment is a pick for educators, parents, and any working with teens and addresses the growing issue of teen bullying that have resulted in tragedy. A teen-friendly writing style appeals to all ages and uses case study examples and stories to support solid strategies and coping tips for teens and the adults around them. Teens are given specific direction for handling bullying while adults are instructed how to model assertive behaviors and ask the kinds of questions that pinpoint problems. Parenting and education collections alike will find this a winner!

Grow Your Own Teachers
Elizabeth A. Skinner, et.al.
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, NY, NY 10027
9780807751930, $30.95, www.teacherscollegepress.com

Grow Your Own Teachers: Grassroots Change for Teacher Education describes the history of a local school reform movement in Chicago that was to serve as the model for school reform across the country, and is a pick for any education collection interested in school reform processes. It outlines the 'GYO' model for change that embraces ethnicity and community spirit alike, and provides a program any teacher or principal will find intriguing.

PMP Study Guide, third edition
Joseph Phillips
McGraw-Hill
c/o The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10121-2298
0071772197, $70.00, www.mhprofessional.com

The third updated edition of the Project management Professional bundled study package packs in a study guide, a lab manual, and two CDs offering five complete practice exams, instruction videos, and eight PMP formula worksheets. Over 300 practice exam questions accompany a huge package keyed to every facet of the exam and offering linked instruction with a multifaceted approach to reading, watching the video and practicing the test. PMP exam takers will find this an essential, in-depth key to success.


The Christian Studies Shelf

A Good and Perfect Gift
Amy Julia Becker
Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55438
978-0764209178, $14.99, www.bethanyhouse.com

Good and Perfect Gift, A: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny offers an autobiography revolving around faith and despair. The author's first child Penny was born with Down syndrome: the author kept a journal of her journey from Penny's birth and growth, and outlines her evolving faith, struggles with accepting and raising a child with a disability, and more. Any spirituality collection, particularly those accessed by parents with special needs kids, will find this a fine survey of the journey from struggle to faith and acceptance.

The Bible Made Impossible
Christian Smith
Brazos Press
c/o Baker Publishing Group
Box 6287, Grand Rapids MI 49516-6287
9781587433030, $22.99, www.brazospress.com

The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism is Not a Truly Evangelical Reading of Scripture comes from a sociologist who explains evangelical Biblicism as a sociological phenomenon, and who shows that evangelicalism alone can't account for how scripture is interpreted or acts. Biblicism is still of value, and THE BIBLE MADE IMPOSSIBLE analyzes the problems and positives of Biblicism and explains important connections between evangelicalism beliefs about the Bible and the realities of its message. Spiritual collections will find this a scholarly, intriguing survey.

Migrations of the Holy
William T. Cavanaugh
William B. Eerdmans Publishing
2140 Oak Industrial Drive NE, Grand Rapids MI 49505
9780802866097, $18.00, www.eerdmans.com

Migrations of the Holy: God, State and the Political Meaning of the Church considers the modern idea that religious fervor has toned down in the West - and argues that instead that same passion has changed to a new form of workshop. The modern transfer of sacred devotion from the church to the nation-state receives a caution from Professor Cavanaugh that a rigid separation of religion and politics that constrains the church actually succeeds in sending citizens to the state for salvation. Christians need to embrace new radical forms of religion that blend in politics and become part of daily life: that's the message of a powerful testimony suitable for any Christian collection.

Radical Together
David Platt
WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
12265 Oracle Blvd. #200, Colorado Springs CO 80921
9781601423726, $14.99, www.waterbrookmultnomah.com

RADICAL TOGETHER: UNLEASHING THE PEOPLE OF GOD FOR THE PURPOSE OF GOD offers a plea to Christians to 'take back' their faith from the American Dream - a plea begun in RADICAL and continued in this discussion, which offers a call to Christians to united around a Gospel-centered vision. Christians can prevent God's people from accomplishing God's purpose; this discusses how, and how the church can revitalize followers. Leaders receive an assessment of six critical areas which fuel radical obedience among Christians and a discussion that uses Bible teachings and stories to help Christians apply the claims and commands of Christ in a new community-supported manner.

Hungry for God
Margaret Feinberg
Zondervan
5300 Patterson Avenue SE, Grand Rapids. MI 49530
9780310332077, $12.99, www.zondervan.com/books

Hungry for God: Hearing God's Voice in the Ordinary and the Everyday shares the author's personal journey to discovery how an appetite for spirituality is woven into our lives. Spiritual hunger compels a person to search out God, and her account considers the possibilities in seeking out God in ordinary events and everyday life, and listening for God's voice even in silent. Readers receive keys to developing their own listening abilities in a fine reference for any concerned with spiritual growth.

How to Succeed in Hollywood (Without Losing Your Soul)
Ted Baehr
WND Books
2020 Pennsylvania Ave NW, #351
Washington, DC 20006
9781936488278, $15.95, www.wnd.com

How to Succeed in Hollywood (Without Losing Your Soul): A Field Guide for Christian Screenwriters, Actors, Producers, Directors, and More comes from an entertainment industry professional who reveals how opportunities unique to people of faith can actually lead to changing the faithless culture that is Hollywood. Film and Christian collections alike will appreciate this survey of how aspiring Christian artists can change Hollywood, with in-depth interviews of industry giants exploring how religious movies can become blockbuster sellers. Average citizens can find value in mass media: this tells how those involved in show business can be both profitable and Godly.

Are You Waiting for The One?
Margaret Kim Peterson and Dwight N. Peterson
InterVarsity Press
Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 605151426
9780830833108, $16.00, www.ivpress.com

Are You Waiting for The One discusses modern marriage and how Christians should approach the concept of marriage. It considers what makes a marriage, what marriage is not, and covers the foundations of what makes for a family, from friendship and children to handling conflict, kids and changes. This confronts the basic premises of a Christian marriage and will make for excellent reading for any Christian.

Sinner
Lino Rulli
Servant Books
c/o St. Anthony Messenger Press
28 W. Liberty St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
9781616360399, $18.99, www.servantbooks.org

SINNER provides a funny, entertaining book about a catholic guy who admits he's a sinner - then recounts his Catholic experiences with tongue-in-cheek humor and a healthy dose of faith. His account of his years being a Catholic, straying from the fold at age eight, and finding renewed vision and meaning in Catholic Church associations makes for a spirited and fine account recommended for any Catholic collection.

The Cross and the Lynching Tree
James H. Cone
Orbis Books
Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
9781570759376, $28.00, www.orbisbooks.com

The Cross and the Lynching Tree offers insights into the image of lynching and terrorism and offers a survey that incorporates American history and culture and religious perspectives. From images of the cross and connections between it and lynching in black culture to considerations of lynching and American cultural realities, this provides a powerful survey for any spirituality or racial history holding.


The Political Science Shelf

The B.S. of A.
Brian Sack
Threshold Editions
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of Americas, New York NY 10020
9781451616712, $25.00, www.simonandschuster.com

The B.S. of A.: A Primer in Politics for the Incredibly Disenchanted offers a fine, non-artisan guide to American politics and takes a humorous look at our structure, amendments, party policies, and more. A glossary of useful political terminology accompanies a fine and whimsical survey highly recommended for any general or political studies collection.

Stealing You Blind
Iain Murray
Regnery Publishing
One Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001
9781596981539, $27.95, www.regnery.com

Stealing You Blind: How Government Fat Cats Are Getting Rich Off of You reveals the truth about where and how America's money is being spent, documenting how the IRS and other federal departments are wasting money and offering examples of governmental waste to accompany advice on how citizens can stop it. From overpaid federal workers to how pensions for public employees are bankrupting the country, this makes a case for a broken system and its major issues, and will intrigue any political reader.

Back on the Road to Serfdom
Thomas E. Woods Jr.
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
9781935191902, $29.95, www.isi.org/books

Back on the Road to Serfdom: The Resurgence of Statism gathers ten scholars who write about how the evolving road to statism is being fostered in by the explosion of government growth. The dangerous trends of government growth and expense has proved unrelenting no matter which party was in power, and is documented here in articles that explore the disaster of the European welfare state and its implications for this country. Any political studies collection needs this college-level assessment of the dangers of statism.

The Persistence of the Color Line
Randall Kennedy
Pantheon
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307377890, $26.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

The Persistence of the Color Line: Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency is the first book by a major Afro-American public intellectual on racial politics and Obama, and is a pick for any general to college-level library strong in racial and political issues. It analyzes the relationship between the first black president and his Afro-American constituency, considering opposition, Obama's responsibility to Afro-American issues, and how his presentation and even his politics differs between black and white audiences. Very highly recommended!

The Nature of the Nonprofit Sector, second edition
J. Steven Ott and Lisa A. Dicke, Editors
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder CO 80301
9780813344911, $50.00, www.westviewpress.com

The second updated edition of The Nature of the Nonprofit Sector gathers the most influential readings on the roles and nature of the nonprofit arena, surveying both a history and philosophy of nonprofit activities and revising a basic edition to update information with the latest scholarship on the nonprofit sector. New sections explore social theories of nonprofits and philanthropy and this edition offers an additional section on the international nonprofit sector, making for a top pick for any political course on nonprofits and their management.


The Crafts Shelf

Everything Alice
Hannah Read-Baldrey & Christine Leech
North Light Books
c/o F+W Media
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
1440314403, $24.99, www.fwmedia.com

EVERYTHING ALICE: THE WONDERLAND BOOK OF MAKES & BAKES offers some fifty crafts projects based on the Alice in Wonderland theme and includes a range of materials and projects, from a cupcake embroidery box to a 'wonderland' mobile and a 'queen of hearts' apron. Any fan of Alice will find this an outstanding pick, packed with color photos and a wide diversity of Alice-themed projects that are whimsical and fun.

Patterns in Polymer
Julie Picarello
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164094, $21.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Patterns in Polymer comes from a noted mixed-media artist and instructor whose work has appeared in many magazines and books, and who offers a fine survey of polymer clay beads and jewelry projects to make from them. Five bead projects and six jewelry projects feature her beads and provide a range of tips for creating and using polymer patterns, with bright color photos outlining the entire process for newcomers to jewelry-making in general or polymer in particular.


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

The World's Most Haunted Places comes from the author of over a dozen books on the topic and provides a revised edition of his bestseller, updating details on legends, folklore and ghost history and documenting historic hauntings around the world. Both armchair readers and those who would actually journey to visit these places will welcome the diversity of profiles here, from haunted libraries and museums to inns and famous buildings. Stories of ghostly encounters read like fiction but are taken from actual case histories, making this a fine general-interest collection addition.

Real Aliens, Space beings, and Creatures from Other Worlds
Brad Steiger
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
9781578593330, $19.95, www.visibleink.com

Real Aliens, Space beings, and Creatures from Other Worlds comes from a paranormal researcher and author of thousands of books on the topic and considers the otherworldly encounters from alleged eyewitness accounts of aliens. Testimonials, news articles, history and more provide over 300 examples of alien encounters and conspiracy theories and discuss the culture and mystery surrounding aliens. General-interest collections will find it a lively survey!

Psilocybin Solution
Simon B. Powell & Graham Hancock
Park Street Press
c/o Inner Traditions
Box 388, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594774058, $18.95, www.innertraditions.com

The Psilocybin Solution: The Role of Sacred Mushrooms in the Quest for Meaning provides new age collections with an outstanding explanation of how the mushrooms lead to spiritual understanding. Chapters offer a history of the sacred mushroom and its applications and uses, discussing how it can enhance consciousness and exploring the scientific and health aspects of psilocybin mushroom usage. As a tool for consciousness enhancement it is unparalleled, and this book explores all the applications of the mushroom on different levels.

The Medium Next Door
Maureen Hancock
HCI Books
3201 SW 15th St., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
9780757315640, $14.95, www.hcibooks.com

As a child the author had paint poisoning and was in a coma, spending three years in and out of the hospital. At age five she could see spirits in her house, but repressed her observations until adulthood. When 9/11 hit she was bombarded with messages from the spirit world - and could no longer ignore the 'invisible people' that lived in her world. THE MEDIUM NEXT DOOR: ADVENTURES OF A REAL-LIFE GHOST WHISPERER speaks about her struggles to accept and learn to use her gifts, and makes for an involving read difficult to put down. Any general or new age collection strong in medium autobiographies must have this!

Hidden Treasure
Gangaji
Tarcher
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9781585428878, $24.95, www.penguin.com

Hidden Treasure: Uncovering the Truth in Your Life Story comes from a spiritual teacher and author who has reached thousands through her workshops and talks and who uses stories to help readers visualize their own life stories. Spiritual teachings are presented with the idea of aiding those on their road to personal fulfillment and teach the basics of being still, learning from stories, and focusing on problems and lessons gained from life stories. New age collections in particular will find this a close inspection of how life stories hold keys to change.


The Military Shelf

Operation Pointblank 1944
Steven J. Zaloga
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849083850, $19.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Operation Pointblank 1944 provides a fine survey adding to Osprey's 'Campaign' series recounting history's greatest military conflicts, and covers the U.S. Army Air Force's attempt to destroy German fighter capability through strategic daylight bombing campaigns. The events unfold through both German and Allied perspectives and cover all the strategies, innovations and strikes and counterstrikes made by both sides, making this a pick for any military collection interested in the history of campaign strategies in World War II.

Killing the Cranes
Edward Girardet
Chelsea Green Publishing
Box 428, White River Junction, VT 05001-0428
9781603583428, $27.95, www.chelseagreen.com

KILLING THE CRANES: A REPORTER'S JOURNEY THROUGH THREE DECADES OF WAR IN AFGHANISTAN represents some thirty years of the author's reporting from war-torn Afghanistan, and provides a powerful assessment of not only events but what went wrong and what can be done about them today. He experienced the heart of the country's most dangerous conflicts and terrain, witnessing its major battles and meeting those who helped shape its future: KILLING THE CRANES is a vivid history and a powerful recommendation for military and general history holdings alike.

Counterstrike
Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker
Times Books
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780805091038, $26.00, www.henryholt.com/timesbooks

COUNTERSTRIKE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICA'S SECRET CAMPAIGN AGAINST AL QAEDA comes from two veteran New York Times correspondents who tell how a group of analysts within the military and in law enforcement have created more efficient strategies to fight terrorism: strategies that remain unknown to most Americans today. The authors use sources and stories unavailable to other journalist to examine the battles against Al Qaeda and the new counterterrorism strikes that have proved successful. This fine survey is a pick for any collection strong in terrorism writings.

Black Ops Vietnam
Robert M. Gillespie
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
9781591143215, $41.95, www.nip.org

Black Ops Vietnam: The Operational History of MACVSOG covers the evolution and history of a group officially activated in January 1964, and surveys changing commands, missions, and how the group embodied elements from the Army Special Forces, Naval SEALS, and Marine Force Recon units. The unit operated in the jungles of Vietnam and planned the war's strategy and operations, with nine years of history making it a key player in some of the greatest offenses in Vietnam. This is a complete history of the MACVSOG unit and uses declassified documents and memoirs to detail its achievements, offering a full and involving survey for any military history collection strong in Vietnam operations.


The Philosophy Shelf

Faith in Life
Donald J. Morse
Fordham University Press
University Box L, 2546 Belmont Ave, Bronx NY 10458
9780823234707, $55.00, www.fordham.edu

FAITH IN LIFE: JOHN DEWEY'S EARLY PHILOSOPHY provides college-level spirituality collections with a detailed survey of John Dewey's early philosophy and discusses links between American and European philosophy. From Dewey's early writings on Kant and Hegel to his observations of the human condition and its philosophical impact, this is a scholarly, recommended pick for any collection strong in philosophical discourse in general and Dewey's perspective and writings in particular.

What Place for the A Priori?
Michael J. Shaffer and Michael L. Veber, Editors
Open Court
70 East Lake St. #300, Chicago IL 60601
9780812696608, $44.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

What Place for the A Priori offers original essays on a priori knowledge in a fine collection suitable for college-level audiences strong in philosophy. It considers the basic concept of a priori knowledge, how it's conceived, and how it's related to other kinds of knowledge, gathering original essays from different viewpoints to contrast different perspectives on a priori. Arguments discuss the nature and scope of this knowledge and offers the latest research and writings.

Ego
Peter Baumann and Michael W. Taft
NE Press
c/o Jane Rohman jr@janerohman.com
9781604075731, $24.95, www.egothebook.com

EGO: THE FALL OF THE TWIN TOWERS AND THE RISE OF AN ENLIGHTENED HUMANITY offers a wide-ranging survey that blends eyewitness accounts of 9/11 with insights from neuroscience studies on emotion, genetics and more, and blends in philosophical observations of how science can help understand and resolve the human capacity for horrific action. The 'self' we identify with - which includes beliefs structures - is an evolutionary achievement begun some 50,000 years ago, and allowed humans to define social structures and connections. The ego was key for brain development - but now it assumes more of an illusionary nature. Science and philosophy blend in this discussion, recommended for college-level audiences.


The Nautical Shelf

Winter in Fireland
Nicholas Coghlan
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, University of Alberta
Edmonton AB Canada T6G 2E1
9780888645470, $34.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca

Winter in Fireland: A Patagonian Sailing Adventure tells of the author's journeys to Patagonia: first in 1978 while teaching and almost twenty-five years later aboard their 27-foot sailboat. It documents their sailing journey in the challenging waters of the tip of South America, blending a history of the region's explorers with their own nautical experiences. Adventure-oriented readers and nautical collections alike will find this packed with action and adventure.

The American Practical Navigator: Bowditch
National Imagery and Mapping Agency
Paradise Cay
Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780939837540, $49.95, www.paradisecay.com

The 2002 Bicentennial Edition of The American Practical Navigator updates a classic by an 1800s nautical expert, mariner and mathematician and is a 'must' for any sailor or nautical collection. The U.S. government has published over fifty editions since acquiring the copyright to Bowditch: this drops dated material and offers new methods, technologies and techniques to keep up with the changing world of electronic and celestial navigation. It continues to be a 'must' reference for any serious maritime holding.


The California Shelf

Hercules
Jennifer Posedel and Stephen Lawton
Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
0738574406, $21.99, www.arcadiapublishing.com

HERCULES joins others in the 'Images of America' series offering a fine history of Hercules packed with images and research from the Hercules Historical Society. It covers a small California Bay Area town incorporated in 1900 - a company-owned town whose employee clubhouse was the sole center for the city's social life. Its evolution is documented in fine vintage black and white photos in a pick highly recommended for any California history shelf; especially those specializing in Bay Area towns.

Sierra Nevada Place Names From Abbot to Zumwalt, third edition
Peter Browning
Great West Books
Box 1028, Lafayette, CA 94540-3184
0944220231, $19.95, www.greatwestbooks.com

Sierra Nevada Place Names From Abbot to Zumwalt appears in its third updated edition to enhance an original 1986 publication covering the place names of California's Sierra Nevada from the Lake Tahoe basin south to Walker Pass. Altitudes of most peaks and lakes are given, references to topographical maps, and two new indexes - one of those who named features, the other of those whose names appear in the text of various entries - are included here, making this a top pick for any California history or travel collection.


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

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


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