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The Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Find Out Anything from Anyone, Anytime
James O. Pyle & Maryann Karinch
Career Press
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601632982, $15.99, www.careerpress.com
Find Out Anything from Anyone, Anytime: Secrets of Calculated Questioning from a Veteran
Interrogator belongs in self-help, business and reference collections alike, and offers keys to
asking the right questions that get the best information. From identifying good questioning
techniques and how to avoid the wrong questions to controlling conversations and gaining
expertise, this comes from a strategic debriefer who has been training other interrogators and
debriefers, and who here offers special skills and focus not commonly addressed. A 'must' for any
reference collection!
Game-Changer
David McAdams
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393239676, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com
Game-Changer: Game Theory and the Art of Transforming Strategic Situations comes from a
university professor who uses the foundations of game theory and explains, for lay audiences,
how it works both within and outside the gaming industry. Real-world examples follow the
concepts of game-awareness and its wider-ranging applications, while gamers receive clear notes
on how game theory is used within the gaming environment. This wider-ranging discussion
moves from such a field to military, business, and social applications, considering how gaming
strategies work in the real world and how game-awareness changes lives. Any who would
understand game theory or strategy will find this a fine starting point for understanding.
The Audiobook Shelf
The Prince of Risk: A Novel
Christopher Reich
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780307943552, $45.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com
The Prince of Risk: A Novel is narrated by Paul Michael and provides the powerful story of a
New York hedge fund manager, Bobby Astor who seeks the truth when his father is murdered.
Moments before his death his father sent him a puzzling text message: now it's the only thing
Bobby has left - and it's the key to trouble. From his ex-wife to a successful FBI special agent on
the trail of terrorists, Bobby finds himself well in over his head, in a world where business
connections and hedge fund managers mean nothing. Add a foreign conspiracy and you have a
thriller that springs to life in audio under Paul Michael's seasoned voice.
The Computer Shelf
Being Agile
Leslie Ekas and Scott Will
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780133375626, $34.99, www.ibmpressbooks.com
Being Agile: Eleven Breakthrough Techniques to Keep You from "Waterfalling Backward"
outlines eleven techniques to keep agile teams from falling back into old, non-agile habits, and is
a recommendation for software and business collections alike. From building the kinds of teams
that engage stakeholders to overcoming multitasking issues and deploying software that is ready
to go for the user, chapters cover the basics of using agility structures to move beyond traditional
software development strategies. Addressing root causes of common problems is just one of the
many themes tackled in a workbook specific to interacting in the agile environment.
The Needlecraft Shelf
SixthandSpring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301
NY, NY 10013
www.sixthandspringbooks.com
Nicky Epstein's SIGNATURE SCARVES: DAZZLING DESIGNS TO KNIT (9781936096688,
$19.95) uses the author's innovations to present traditional simple scarves with colorful
embellishments, and provides some 30 scarves in a range of styles. From felting and Fair Isle to
florals and striking patterns, this offers patterns for beginners and advanced knitters alike, and
pairs patterns with colorful images throughout. Any knitter looking for creative inspiration for
scarves will welcome this coverage! Laura Zander's STITCH MOUNTAIN: 30 WARM KNITS
FOR CONQUERING THE COLD (9781936096671, $19.95) pairs lovely color photos by Brad
Swonetz with some thirty cold-weather knits inspired by winter garments from celebrities, and is
a wonderful survey for any who would choose contemporary knit designs for winter fare. Essays
on knitting and winter sports accompany fiber guides, knitting techniques, and special designs
geared to the coldest of weather. The result is a fine collection perfect for any knitter looking for
something different. Debbie Bliss's CREATIVE CABLES (9781936096589, $24.95) uses yarns
from the Debbie Bliss Rialto Yarns collection and designs selected by Bliss from some of the top
designers in the field to provide a fine collection based on cabling. Sweaters, pullovers, dresses
and more all include step-by-step color photos, a color sidebar of measurements, materials and
gauges, a stitch glossary, and more, and provide an excellent workbook of the entire cabling
technique. The result is a wonderful collection packed with cable designs and unique, innovative
applications perfect for yarn workers looking for something different and specific.
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
Kristin Roylance's CUTE QUILTS FOR KIDS (9781604682564, $22.99) is for any who would
make quilts for babies and toddlers, and features nine patterns and projects that create appealing
designs kids will love, from colorful butterflies to dinosaurs. There are applique and other
techniques imparted in a series of projects beginners can immediately use, and the focus on
dimensional quilts that intrigue kids makes for a welcoming collection of new ideas. The result is
a project collection that will delight kids as well adult quilters seeking something different. Kay
Connors and Karen Earlywine's CANDY STORE AND MORE; 1930S QUILTS MADE NEW
(9781604663332, $26.99) provides some 10 new quilt designs based on 1930s classics, using
patterns and quilts from old newspapers to provide inspiration for new designs written for today's
techniques. From patchwork to embroidery and using rickrack, this offers keys to applying
full-sized applique patterns to projects at all skills levels, and creates an outstanding collection
perfect for those who want new designs based on old ideas. Karen M. Burns compiles KITCHEN
STITCHES: SEWING PROJECTS TO SPICE UP YOUR HOME (9781604684032, $26.99), a
fine collection of some 17 designs from various crafters who provide kitchen projects ranging
from aprons and towel sets to place mats. The focus on kitchen-oriented, useful designs assures
that needleworkers have colorful projects to undertake that add useful items to the home - not
knickknacks - and are accompanied by color photos and patterns throughout. Stacey Trock's
MODERN BABY CROCHET: PATTERNS FOR DECORATING, PLAYING, AND
SNUGGLING (9781604683394, $22.99) is packed with crochet ideas for a baby, and are
directed to beginning crocheters who want to complete successful projects for baby boys and
girls. Over twenty easy patterns perfect for a baby shower accompany designs ranging from
blankets to stuffed animals and mobiles and toys. With its colorful creations, this is a perfect pick
for newcomers to crochet who want to enjoy gift-giving ideas. ALL ABOUT KNITTING
(9781604684346, $22.99) provides a comprehensive book packed with details on knitting, from
the first process of casting on to undertaking an actual project - of which some 20 are featured,
here. There's step-by-step coverage using both color photos and written word, there are full page
photos of completed projects, and there's plenty of information beginners will relish. Any
collection seeking just one basic knitting handbook should look no further than this fine
guide.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
To Sail a Darkling Sea
John Ringo
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781476736211, $25.00, www.baen.com
To Sail a Darkling Sea is set in a world where survivors of the apocalypse battle zombies - a
world where human civilization has been annihilated by a zombie plague and a group of youths
and survivors struggle to remain free, human, and alive. Here Wolf Squadron must take on a new
challenge: to clear an assault carrier of the infected before its trapped sailors die off. And then
there's the battle for humanity itself...Swift action accompanies a satisfying series of
confrontations at the end of the world and will involve any interested in apocalyptic or zombie
stories.
What Makes This Book So Great?
Jo Walton
Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765331939, $26.99, www.tor-forge.com
What Makes This Book So Great comes from a Hugo and Nebula award winner who is one of
the most critically acclaimed science fiction and fantasy authors of our times. This book gathers a
range of something different: her blogs about the classics she re-read. Her posts have been one of
the most popular features of Tor.com, and having them under one cover provides a rich history of
the genre and its best works. Some 130 essays offer her thoughts about the past and present of
fantasy and science fiction works, and offers critical reflection on everything from series science
fiction to individual titles. It doesn't even matter if you've read the books or not: this collection
offers plenty of food for thought and lovely description - enough to compel science fiction lovers
to expand their boundaries and reading lists!
The Business Shelf
How to Work for an Idiot
John Hoover, PhD
Career Press
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601631916, $15.99, www.careerpress.com
How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive Without Killing Your Boss has been revised and
expanded to include more scenarios revolving around 'idiot' personality types who wind up as
business leaders, and how to handle them. Any who want to overcome obstacles thrown up by
such idiots will find this a powerful survey packed with even more keys to overcoming
cluelessness. From malicious leaders to those who genuinely don't have a clue how business or
interpersonal relationships operate, this covers all kinds of personalities and offers many
real-world strategies for handling them in an exceptional read recommended for any business
reader.
Crown Business
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.crownbusiness.com
Alexa Von Tobel, CFP's FINANCIALLY FEARLESS: THE LEARNVEST PROGRAM FOR
TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR MONEY (9780385347617, $19.99) provides a fine financial
planning guide from the founder and CEO of one of the leading websites for financial planning,
and here promotes her LearnVest program for helping people take charge of their finances. It
teaches the basics of putting together a personal financial plan through a series of lessons, tips,
and user-friendly pages filled with worksheets and tips on everything from consolidating loans to
researching funds. The idea is to put the power and purpose of financial planning into the hands
not of planners, but of everyone - and chapters devoted to this purpose outline the virtues of a
program that is easy to absorb even for those with no prior financial background. Seth Goldman
and Barry Nalebuff's MISSION IN A BOTTLE: THE HONEST GUIDE TO DOING BUSINESS
DIFFERENTLY - AND SUCCEEDING (9780770437497, $23.00) tells what happens when two
outsiders to the beverage industry decide to make an exceptional bottled tea, and uses an unusual
graphic novel format to consider the story of the cofounders of Honest Tea. While the idea was
simple, its execution and marketing was not: chapters packed with insights for fellow
entrepreneurs explain how the authors used economic theory to develop their strategies and
product line. Having all this in a most accessible graphic novel format assures that even those
with non-business backgrounds will find the information inviting, not daunting.
Game Plan
Kevin D. Freeman
Regnery Publishing, Inc.
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781621572008, $27.95, www.regnery.com
Game Plan: How to Protect Yourself from the Coming Cyber-Economic Attack is the first 'how
to' investment guide to consider the effects of a cyber attack on economic investments, and is a
pick for not just business but self-help and social issues collections alike. It addresses common
topics of investing - diversifying a portfolio, including gold investments, and decreasing
vulnerability - while including concerns about offensive and defensive strategies involved in a
global economic war. Economic warfare could introduce a whole new field of conflict, and any
who would prepare for this possibility should consider the advice of Game Plan and its winning
ideas for overcoming financial terrorism. How can an ordinary investor prepare for such a
possibility? Read Game Plan and find out...
Working with Bitches
Meredith Fuller
Da Capo Press
44 Farnsworth Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02210
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738216584, $14.99, www.dacapopress.com
Working with Bitches: Identify the 8 Types of Office Mean Girls and Rise Above Workplace
Nastiness is a pick for any who face passive-aggressive behaviors, exclusion or insults in the
workplace from bitchy behavior. It comes from a psychologist and career counselor who uses
some thirty years of experience to expose workplace nastiness and strategies for handling it.
More than an analysis of behaviors or identification techniques, this more importantly centers on
how to successfully handle such individuals, making it a powerful pick for any business
collection.
The Political Science Shelf
Dancing with the Devil
Michael Rubin
Encounter Books
900 Broadway, Suite 601, New York, NY 10003
9781594057238, $27.99, www.encounterbooks.com
DANCING WITH THE DEVIL: THE PERILS OF ENGAGING ROGUE REGIMES is a pick
for collections strong in international politics, and considers world interactions with rogue
governments and groups outside the diplomatic norm who sponsor terrorism and threaten the
U.S. around the world. Chapters offer a strong history of American diplomacy with these rogue
states, trace the costs of dealing with them, and consider more challenges to the processes of
traditional diplomacy. The result is a powerful analysis recommended for any collection strong in
political studies.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Writing God's Obituary
Anthony B. Pinn
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616148447, $18.95, www.prometheusbooks.com
Writing God's Obituary: How a Good Methodist Became a Better Atheist is written by a man
who preached his first sermon at age twelve, became one of the youngest ordained ministers in
his denomination at age eighteen, and quickly received a PhD in religion from Harvard
University -- all the while struggling with his own growing skepticism. His church was unable to
address his questions, he viewed it as being ineffectual in meeting the community at large's
needs, and in his mid-twenties he decided to leave the ministry and study humanism, becoming
as fervent a non-believer as he had been a believer. Writing God's Obituary outlines his search
for meaning and considers the basics problems of God and religion: it's a strong pick for any
theology or spirituality collection, providing personal and religious perspectives from an unusual
viewpoint.
The Cookbook Shelf
Never Too Late to Go Vegan
Carol J. Adams, et.al.
The Experiment Publishing
220 East 23rd Street, Suite 301, NY, NY 10010
9781615190980, $16.95, www.theexperimentpublishing.com
Never Too Late to Go Vegan: The Over-50 Guide to Adopting and Thriving on a Plant-Based
Diet is all about creating a vegan diet and lifestyle to help self and planet, and brings over
seventy years of vegan experience to this book, which narrows the focus to vegan concerns later
in life. From nutritional needs that change with aging to steps for going vegan and involving
friends and family, this incorporates advice from dozens of over-50 vegans and is far more than
your usual cookbook approach to the transition into a vegan lifestyle. It is an outstanding survey,
highly recommended for any who would go vegan later in life.
The Every Other Day Diet
Krista Varady
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401324933, $25.00, www.hyperion.com
The Every Other Day Diet: The Diet That Lets You Eat All You Want (Half the Time) and Keep
the Weight Off isn't just a concept, it's a proven, successful program: one dieter lost 41 pounds
on this diet, and kept it off. This isn't just a layman's creation, either: it comes from Dr. Krista
Varady, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois who developed this
strategy after conducting scientific studies on hundreds of people in search of a unified diet
approach that would work for the largest number. Diet Days are alternated with Feast Days so the
dieter feels no loss of food enjoyment or cravings that are never satisfied. It's a very simple
concept that requires no measuring, no big changes: quite simply, on Diet Day, you limit calories
and on Feast Day, you eat anything you want and as much as you want. It's proven to work and it
IS that simple. Some 80 recipes round out the fine presentation.
The Fashion Shelf
Color Me Couture
Catherine Mong
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
9781612431314, $12.95, www.ulyssespress.com
COLOR ME COUTURE: IMAGINE, CREATE AND SKETCH YOUR OWN FASHION
DESIGNS tells fashion students how to create a personal design studio, and teaches the basics
about cuts, patterns and fabrics of the world's finest couture dresses and gowns from designers.
The workbook approach provides one page of a finished garment along with design and history
notes, with a facing page containing a typical style challenge and a blank model to work with.
Fashion students will find this filled with insights and fine styles perfect for learning the finer art
of fashion design.
Fashion Design Studio
Chris Hart
Sixth&Spring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301, New York, NY 10013
9781936096626, $16.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com
Fashion Design Studio: Learn to Draw Figures, Fashion, Hairstyles & More is for any who would
learn how to draw fashion figures, and teaches aspiring fashion designers how to share their
designs. From drawing a figure with the right proportions and poses to adding garments, shoes
and more, this offers pages of step-by-step instruction and keys to bringing a fashion design to
life. While this could have appeared in our Crafts section for illustrators, it's featured here so that
no fashion designer misses these specific details geared to translating ideas into examples.
The Art Shelf
Traces
Ana Mendieta
Hayward Publishing
c/o D.A.P., Distributors
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10013
9781853323171, $39.95, www.artbook.com
Traces covers the short artistic career of Ana Mendieta, who created a body of work using her
own body combined with elemental materials to explore themes of life, death and spirituality.
Her art is all about displaced culture, exile, and alienation, and her works varied from including
ancient goddess-forms and fiery representations to color and black and white images of elemental
natural sculptures. She worked in a wide range of media and here essays by art historians
accompany a catalog of the extent of her works, making this a solid recommendation for any
modern arts library as well as those interested in representations of displaced cultural
heritage.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
The Heart Health Bible
John M. Kennedy, MD
DaCapo Lifelong
44 Farnsworth Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02210
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738217185, $15.99, www.dacapopress.com
The Heart Health Bible: The 5-Step Plan to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease provides a fine
survey of techniques that work for achieving optimal heart health without drugs, and uses some
twenty years of experience as a preventative cardiologist to provide a guide to solving common
heart health issues, from high blood pressure to high blood sugar and triglycerides. This formula
is presented as a series of steps that can be easily blended into a daily routine and makes for
chapters that outline not only solutions, but the more important focus on how to blend them into
a lifestyle for lasting change. Highly recommended for any self-help health collection.
Integrative Treatment of Hypertension
Joel A. Blush
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781482206098, $129.95, www.crcpress.com
Integrative Treatment of Hypertension: A Clinical and Mechanistic Approach is a 'must' for any
alternative medicine holding, and offers an alternative approach to treating hypertension. It
analyzes these treatments based clinical research from authoritative medical journals, explaining
how blood pressure works, describing common causes of hypertension, and reviewing
medications and their side effects, before proceeding to alternate treatments. From diet to natural
supplements, this categories different treatment methods suggests ways of implementing an
approach to hypertension that works, and is a solid reference for any health care provider.
Healthy Joints for Life
Richard Diana, MD
Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road
Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9780373892709, $17.95, www.harlequin.com
Dr. Richard Diana is the only orthopedic surgeon to play in a Super Bowl and here uses his
professional background combined with the latest joint research to explore how to reduce
inflammation without surgery or medication. It's an eight-week program that uses diet, exercise
and supplements to relieve pain, and considers what foods are best to reduce inflammation,
which supplements help, and how to incorporate gentle exercise into the program. Any interested
in alternatives to surgery will find this a solid focus on inflammation's underlying causes and
how to reduce issues.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Confessions of a Casting Director
Jen Rudin
It Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
9780062292094, $19.99, www.youritlist.com
Confessions of a Casting Director: Help Actors Land Any Role with Secrets from Inside the
Audition Room comes from an author with over thirty years in show business who here answers
basic questions she always hears, from whether an agent is needed for success to how to build a
performing arts career. Whether you're in film, television or stage, this covers everything form
commercials and voice overs to web series creations and imparts all the basics to those who
aspire to an acting career. A 'must' for any who want details on how show business actually
works, and how to get ahead in various pursuits.
Anatomy of An Actor: Meryl Streep
Karina Longworth
Phaidon Press
180 Varick Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780714866697, $45.00, www.phaidon.com
Anatomy of An Actor: Meryl Streep is one of the most famous actors in American and world
history, holding the record for the most Academy Award nominations and winning an Oscar for
best actress twice. This examination of her works comes from a Los Angeles film critic and
writer and provides an in-depth study of Streep's style, its evolution, and why it made her so
famous. From film stills and set photos to coverages filled with information, this is a close-up
examination which is powerful and specific, and highly recommended for film collections look
for more than casual biographical coverage.
The Best Monologues from the Best American Short Plays V. 1
William W. Demastes
Applause Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
www.halleonard.com
9781480331556, $19.99, www.applausebooks.com
The Best Monologues from the Best American Short Plays V. 1 is for actors of all ages,
newcomers as well as veterans, and is for any who want new monologue material for actor
practice. The monologues here are excerpts from The Best American Short Plays, presents the
works of many of the best playwrights today, and provides single-character pieces that explore a
range of acting methods, from comedy to dramas. Each monologue includes a reference
identifying where to locate the complete play, for those who want to make it a full-length
performance. Teachers and aspiring actors will find this a fine collection.
The Photography Shelf
Peachpit Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.peachpit.com
Nicole S. Young's Canon EOS 70D: From Snapshots to Great Shots covers the Canon 70D
(9780133571257, $24.99), which aims to teach this camera's users how to take not good shots,
but terrific, semi-professional shots using the camera. Towards this aim, chapters cover all the
modes and settings of the Canon 70D with an eye to exploring what each setting produces and
how it can be used to best advantage. From basic settings to advanced uses, chapters offer
step-by-step coverage of the Canon EOS 70D in a format any level of user can readily absorb.
Add plenty of color photos examples at each step and you have a winning guide indeed!
Photoshop for Lightroom Users by Scott Kelby (9780321968708, $39.99) is a pick for any who
use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for editing, and is for the advanced Lightroom user who
recognizes they need to use Photoshop to put the finishing touches on finished images. It covers
the basics of how Photoshop works in the Lightroom environment, teaches all the basics of using
it for editing, retouching, and much more. From adding text over image to using Photoshop tools,
this will prove a boon to any who edit and compose photos.
The Education Shelf
High-Impact Writing Clinics
Sara Holbrook and Michael Salinger
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781452286860, $36.19, www.corwin.com
High-Impact Writing Clinics: 20 Projectable Lessons for Building Literacy Across Content Areas
is for modern students and offers 21st century discussions of Common Core State Standards and
writing. It provides some 20 lessons for grades 4-8 that uses poetry to teach writing skills in any
subject, providing said poems on a DVD with color photos and graphics to inspire activities
where students read, write and discuss. From interpreting how words and phrases appear in text
to producing clear writing, this fine survey includes discussions of 'why teach this', anchor
standards, and pre-lesson preparations to help the entire instructional process. The result is a
solid reference, highly recommended for any teacher's reference collection.
The Hybrid Tiger
Quanyu Huang
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616148515, $19.95, www.prometheusbooks.com
The Hybrid Tiger: Secrets of the Extraordinary success of Asian-American Kids provides a
compelling argument that classroom cultural convergence holds many riches, and it considers the
special contributions of Asian students in the educational system as an example of the benefits of
incorporating diversity into a classroom. At the heart of the questions are why Asian-American
students tend to be so successful. This pairs anecdotes and research with insights on American
parents, belief systems, educational approaches and underlying attitudes for a multi-faceted
survey no education or social issues collection should be without.
The World History Shelf
Hunting Hitler
Jerome R. Corsi
Skyhorse Publishing
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
9781626361713, $22.95, www.skyhorsepublishing.com
HUNTING HITLER: NEW SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT HITLER ESCAPED NAZI
GERMANY offers a shocking expose which considers the idea that Hitler survived the end of
World War II. This book is very specific, positing that Hitler made his way to Argentina, there to
take up residence. New DNA evidence about the body discovered and presumed to be Hitler's
refutes this assumption, while other troubling questions continue to thwart physical evidence
about Hitler's remains. The result uses autopsy reports, documents from Soviet archives, and
many more research and report source materials to support the author's theories about Hitler's
escape and ultimate faith, making this a 'must' for any World War II history holding.
The Social Issues Shelf
Outsmart Waste
Tom Szaky
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781626560246, $15.95, www.bkconnection.com
Outsmart Waste: The Vote for a Cleaner, More Natural World is all about garbage and its
management; the garbage we create and its environmental and social hazards. Now, garbage has
traditionally been seen as a minor annoyance - so why has it become a major issue in this
century, especially when it's not an issue in nature? The author says that in order to 'outsmart'
waste, we must understand how it's created and what to do with it. His insights into individual
influences and power in producing a waste-free world makes for an engrossing survey on
recycling and creating new uses for discarded products.
The Women's Studies Shelf
Say Goodbye to Survival Mode
Crystal Paine
Thomas Nelson Press
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
9781400206469, $22.99, www.thomasnelson.com
Say Goodbye to Survival Mode comes from the creator of MoneySavingMom.com, and offers a
key to survival and meaning for women who believe their lives have been taken over by laundry
and home. It addresses the common issues of being overwhelmed and overworked, and it
provides nine specific strategies to reduce stress and manage time and money better, using the
author's own experiences as a wife and mother of three to provide solid keys to better living. The
result is a guide that goes beyond your usual money and time management self-help book to
explore the lives of women and their link to a more meaningful existence.
The Music Shelf
Chasing Sound
Sussan Schmidt Horning
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421410227, $45.00, www.press.jhu.edu
CHASING SOUND: TECHNOLOGY, CULTURE & THE ART OF STUDIO RECORDING
FROM EDISON TO THE LP is for science, technology and music collections alike and provides
a history of recording studios in the U.S. It comes from a former performer who uses original oral
interviews with major labels and independent recording engineers as well as musicians and
others, rounds all this out with memoirs and sound recordings, and offers a fully rounded survey
of the relationship between sound engineering and the development of popular music styles.
With its rich and multifaceted focus, this is a powerful pick for does more than traverse the
technology of sound recordings: it provides a history on the evolution of sound recording,
quality, and even popular music movements, and is a 'must' for any music history or music
technology library.
The Science Shelf
Neanderthal Man
Svante Paabo
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
97804650208236, $27.99, www.basicbooks.com
Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes recounts the author's work in the field of ancient
DNA, describes how he arranged the first successful effort to sequence the entire Neanderthal
genome, and offers some starting revelations about the process and its newfound implications for
mankind's origins. It starts with his study of DNA in ancient Egyptian mummies and covers the
methods used for extracting DNA from ancient bones. Chapters connect genetic studies and
paleontological records with the debate surround the relationships between modern humans and
Neanderthals. The result is a lively chronicle suitable for general-interest readers, paleontology
and anthropology students, and any with an interest in genomes.
The Technology Shelf
The Second Machine Age
Erik Brynjolfssson and Andrew McAfee
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393239355, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com
The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies
comes from co-founders of MIT's Initiative on the Digital Economy and explains how advances
in computer power and global information networks together have created a new technological
revolution that is changing the world. It identifies the major influences on what they call The
Second Machine Age, which relies on digital data and information processing systems, and it
considers how cloud computing, 3D printing and more are creating new social and technological
trends around the world - and creating new ethical and moral dilemmas in the process. The result
is a powerful survey highly recommended for any social issues and technology collection.
Camtasia Studio and Beyond
Stephanie Torta and Stacey Dunbar
Mercury Learning
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
9781936420339, $49.95, www.merclearning.com
Camtasia Studio and Beyond is recommended for any interested in multimedia presentations and
the software surrounding Camtasia Studio's present and prior versions, and offers a basic
introduction to its use from installation to production, editing and applications for different kinds
of multimedia projects. Chapters cover all the skills needed to incorporate this media into any
educational setting, and survey everything form PowerPoint recordings to editing using preview
windows and timelines, and using Snagit. The accompanying DVD includes some 30 tutorial
video clips, all text images in color, and more. With its black and white screen shots and
real-world applications, this shouldn't be missed.
Microwave Circulator Design, second edition
Douglas K. Linkhart
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
9781608075836, $149.00, www.artechhouse.com
The second updated edition of Microwave Circulator Design represents vast changes in the
microwave and electronics industry, especially in the 25 years since publication of the first book,
and is thus a recommended replacement for any older copies and a pick for newcomers interested
in the latest microwave design systems. Resources discuss the various units used in design
computations, theories of operations, and examples on how to apply problem-solving routines
using circulators to the latest real-world design challenges. Packed with specific technical detail,
this is a 'must' for any electronics reference collection strong in microwave design.
The Language Studies Shelf
Form, Meaning and Focus in American Sign Language
Miako N. P. Rankin
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
9781563685736, $70.00, http://gupress.gallaudet.edu
Form, Meaning and Focus in American Sign Language is recommended for any collection strong
in linguistics in general and deaf communication in particular, and provides a new study - the
19th in the Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communication series, to consider specific types of ASL
expressions and how it expresses nonagent focus. College-level students will find this assessment
of ASL expressions traces patterns, meanings and various forms of focus on the agent, offering
keys to understanding the implications of ASL in the teaching world in particular. Any more than
lightly concerned about ASL specifics will find this a scholarly, key acquisition.
The Nautical Shelf
As Long as It's Fun
Herb McCormick
Paradise Cay Publicaitons
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9781929214983, $18.95, www.paracay.com
Ask any sailor about the names Lin and Larry Pardey and you'll receive instant recognition: they
are the couple best known for their sailing exploits, their long list of popular sailing books, and a
marriage that has lasted nearly fifty years. Despite all the books and DVDs and recognition, many
a sailor might not know the specifics about their lives and choices: enter As Long as It's Fun, a
humorous and involving biography that recounts their sailing career using interviews with
families, friends and critics. It's an adventure story, it's a love story, and it will prove engaging to
any who love stories of the sea.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Standup Guy
Stuart Woods
Putnam
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780399164149, $26.95, www.penguin.com
Standup Guy provides readers with an exciting new Stone Barrington novel, and is a
recommendation for prior fans as well as newcomers. Here Stone's newest client, a polite
gentleman, comes to him seeking legal advice on a dilemma. Stone sets him right but their
encounter doesn't end there: several others are interested in the gentleman and may be pursing
him. As Stone becomes involved in a hunt that takes him from Florida to the Northeast, he finds
danger at many turns. The result is a fine thriller/mystery that will leave readers guessing right up
to its unpredictable conclusion.
The Railroading Shelf
Basic Trackwork for Model Railroaders, second edition
Jeff Wilson
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780890249383, $19.99, www.kalmbachbooks.com
Basic Trackwork for Model Railroaders appears in its second edition to provide a narrowed focus
on track installation, and is a recommended pick designed to profile the latest products,
manufacturers, and techniques for laying flextrack, Handlay track and more. From installing
turnouts to using techniques for smooth operations, this is a solid reference model railroaders
will find invaluable, packed with large-size step-by-step color photos covering installation
methods and leaving nothing to guesswork.
The Military Shelf
Plenty of Time When We Get Home
Kayla Williams
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393239362, $25.95, www.wwnorton.com
Plenty of Time When We Get Home: Love and Recovery in the Aftermath of War tells of author
Sergeant Kayla Williams, an Arabic linguist deployed to Iraq whose life is changed by an injured
fellow soldier who is predicted to never regain total functional independence again. Despite the
grim prognosis a relationship blossomed between the two and overcame all obstacles - including
struggling with a military medical snafu which ordered McGough back to base without
rehabilitation or addressing the severe mental and physical challenges he faced. As Williams
faced her own challenges returning to civilian life as a female veteran, the two found strength to
face severe challenges to their happiness and life, eventually moving forward together. Plenty of
Time When We Get Home is a powerful testimony to the power of love and the failings of the
military to address veteran issues. It should be in every military collection.
Damn Few
Rorke Denver
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401312800, $16.00, www.hyperion.com
Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior comes from the former head of basic and
Advanced SEAL Training and Ellis Henican, who together examine everything SEALS do, from
how they are recruited and trained to their deployment and actions. SEALs are changing the face
of warfare and military strategy itself, so it's refreshing to see an account that is more than
autobiographical experience, focusing on how Navy SEAL operations are made. From how the
program itself has evolved to its underlying psychology and behaviors, this is a solid and
in-depth examination that is a 'must' for any serious military collection.
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
Thomas G. Ivie's ACES OF THE 325TH FIGHTER GROUP (9781780963013, $22.95) covers
one of the most successful USAAF fighter groups of World War 2, and focuses on their aviation
successes and tours of duty in North Africa and Italy. Over 202 successes from the total 537
aerial victories against the Luftwaffe were credited to these aces, making this in-depth coverage a
powerful comprehensive history for aviation and military holdings alike. Chapters consider
events and offer first-hand accounts of combat, packing in vintage black and white photos
throughout. The result is a solid pick for any military history holding. Paul F. Crickmore's
LOCKHEED A-12: THE CIA'S BLACKBIRD AND OTHER VARIANTS (9781472801133,
$18.95) traces the struggles of the early years of the Cold War, when reconnaissance flights were
the primary method of gaining intelligence, and focuses specifically on the development and
deployment of the A-12, the first Blackbird. This aircraft represented a vast departure for both
aviation development and intelligence practices, preceding later Blackbird programs and
fostering in a new era of intelligence-gathering opportunities. Chapters use declassified A-12
aerial photos and technical analysis to provide the history of the early Blackbirds, making for a
top pick for any military history or aviation collection. Alexander Mladenov works with
illustrator Adam Tooby in SUKHOI SU-25 FROGFOOT (9781782003595, $18.95), a survey of
the first Soviet jet dedicated by design to CAS (Close Air Support). Color illustrations and
vintage photos accompany history and coverage of the Soviet Air Force's first mass-produced jet
for this purpose, providing plenty of insights into military strategy, aviation history, and wartime
operations. Any military collection looking for a clear and in-depth survey of the Frogfoot will
find this a 'must have' acquisition. Stephen Bull's BRITISH INFANTRYMAN VERSUS
GERMAN INFANTRYMAN: SOMME 1916 (9781782009146, $18.95) centers around the
battle of the Somme, a brutal encounter that resulted in tens of thousands of British casualties on
its first day alone. This battle - which waged on throughout the autumn of 1916 - pitted
Kitchner's volunteers against Hitler's veteran fighters in three separate battles. With its narrow
focus on this particular conflict and the realities of front-line combat during World War I,
BRITISH INFANTRYMAN VERSUS GERMAN INFANTRYMAN: SOMME 1916 is a strong
historical survey recommended for any collection interested in World War I encounters.
The Native American Studies Shelf
The Native American Renaissance
Alan R. Velie, et.al.
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806144023, $29.95, www.oupress.com
The Native American Renaissance: Literary Imagination and Achievement is a recommendation
for American literature and Native American collections alike, and provides college-level readers
with a new addition to the 'American Indian Literature and Critical Studies' series. Since 1968
and the publication of Scott Momaday's classic Pulitzer Prize-winning House Made of Dawn,
there's been a outpouring of such literature, and these scholarly essays consider this wealth and
how Native American writers have influenced one another. From considerations of particular
genres, such as Native American drama, to discussions of how Native writers have influenced
one another, The Native American Renaissance makes suitable reading for any college-level
collection looking for in-depth analysis.
The Marriage Shelf
The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages
Shanti Feldhahn
WaterBrook Press
c/o Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
9781601421210, $17.99, www.waterbrookmultnomah.com
The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages is a recommendation for any who have an
intimate relationship or aspires to a happier relationship, and outlines the common habits the
most highly happy couples share regardless of any other connections. Small changes can lead to
big results, and can be as simple as understanding the different desires men and women have for
acknowledgment, why 'going to bed mad' may be a smarter choice than trying to make up, and
how to cultivate the habits that lead to greater understanding and joy. Chapters provide specific
examples in a book certain to be a winner for any looking for marriage advice based on proven
success strategies.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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