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The Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 8 August 2012 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Photography Shelf
Education Shelf Travel Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Business Shelf Music Shelf
Gardening Shelf Cookbook Shelf Computer Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Science Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Military Shelf Architecture Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Nautical Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
International Studies Shelf Politics Science Shelf Law/Justice Shelf
Technology Shelf Sports Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
Biography Shelf Native American Shelf World History Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

The Hunt for KSM
Terry McDermott and Josh Meyer
Little, Brown
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780316186599, $27.99, www.hachettebookgroup.com

THE HUNT FOR KSM: INSIDE THE PURSUIT AND TAKEDOWN OF THE REAL 9/11 MASTERMIND, KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED offers access to key sources who have never spoken publicly, jihadis and member of KSM's own network, and tells the story of the real mastermind behind 9/11. It offers the first comprehensive, insider's account of the search for KSM and what happened after he was captured, and is a fine true-life survey of international intrigue and should be in the collections of any library strong in terrorist exposes.

Buried in the Sky
Peter Zucerkman and Amanda Padoan
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393979883, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com

BURIED IN THE SKY: THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE SHERPA CLIMBERS ON K2'S DEADLIEST DAY follows one fateful climb and reads like a novel but packs suspense and gripping true-life adventure into the story of the tragic 2008 climb of K2 when eleven climbers died. Most climbing accounts come from the Western climbers themselves, so it's refreshing to find a coverage by the high-altitude workers themselves: the ones who scout routes, tie the lines, and guide the climbers. Very highly recommended!

What Philosophy Can Tell You About Your Lover
Sharon M. Kaye, Editor
Open Court
70 East Lake Street #300, Chicago IL 60601
9780812697636, $19.95, www.opencourtbooks.com

What Philosophy Can Tell You About Your Lover is third in a 'What Can Philosophy Tell You?' series, and gathers the insights of over twenty philosophers from different persuasions and background who provide their insights into love and philosophy. It's filled with philosophical and romantic connections and offers studied yet lively discussions perfect for high school teachers seeking to show students why philosophy is a relevant art in today's world.

This is How
Augusten Burroughs
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110-7848
9780312563554, $24.99, www.stmartins.com

THIS IS HOW is a survival guide for any who would survive life's slings and arrows; from overcoming shyness and grief to handling disease, aging and more. Ten years ago Augusten Burroughs provided the classic RUNNING WITH SCISSORS, a hilarious account of his crazy childhood. A decade later he returns with a self-help book that blends humor with challenging observations people can use to face their deepest fears - and come out on top. It offers no platitudes or easy solutions, admits that some of life's problems are insurmountable, and provides a series of candid observations on everything from why positive thinking is dishonest and harmful to how to understand weight perception. It's a 'must' for any general lending library.

Harvest of a Decade: Disraelia and Other Essays
Walter Laqueur
Transaction Publishers
35 Berrue Circle, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
9781412842327, $39.95, www.transaction-pub.com

Harvest of a Decade: Disraelia and Other Essays provides a selection of essays written by a European liberal and offers a range of cultural observations and topics that comment on censorship, judgment, political pressures and more. A decade's worth of the author's reflections at the turn of the 21st century provides his insights into changing cultural and political climates, and makes for a fine presentation suitable for college-level collections studying essays in social and intellectual reflection.

The Enlightened Cyclist
BikeSnobNYC
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452105000, $16.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

The Enlightened Cyclist: Commuter Angst, Dangerous Drivers, and Other Obstacles on the Path to Two-Wheeled Transcendence follows up on the best-selling BIKE SNOB and is a special recommendation for readers of this prior guide, covering the basics of becoming a better bike commuter and handling the slings and arrows flung from the non-biking community. The author is a Brooklyn-based cyclist and writer who casts cynicism and politics to the wind and surveys everything from cycling challenges in an urban setting to handling the requirements of work and transport in the inner city. A 'must' for any collection strong in cycling politics and social issues.

Force Decisions
Rory Miller
YMAA Publications
Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894
9781594392436, $18.95, www.ymaa.com

FORCE DECISIONS: A CITIZENS GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING HOW POLICE DETERMINE APPROPRIATE USE OF FORCE offers wide-reaching details to all kinds of collections, from those strong in police force actions and social issues to collections that include coverage of citizen rights. It questions the premise that violence is always wrong and whether those who do violence are different from all others, and it reveals how the police officer judges the need for and types of force needed to act in the name of peace. From Force Law and Force Policy discussions to the realities of a police force acting in a violent society, this is a special recommendation for any law enforcement as well as many a citizen action collection.

Unflappable
Ragini Elizabeth Michaels
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781573244893, $16.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

UNFLAPPABLE: 6 STEPS TO STAYING HAPPY, CENTERED, AND PEACEFUL NO MATTER WHAT offers a key to staying unflappable, and that key is to embrace the idea of paradox and understand the role it plays in daily life. The author has worked with hundreds of corporate executives and individuals struggling with behavioral change, and here provides a fine survey that provides a six-step process to achieving a peaceful, more accepting mindset with which to face life's challenges.

American Windmills
T. Lindsay Baker
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman OK 73069
9780806142494, $24.99, www.oupress.com

American Windmills: An Album of Historic Photographs comes from an author who has written about wind power for twenty-five years, and gathers an album of striking images - some 200 of them - captured by windmill photographer B.H. "Tex" Burdick and rescued from the corporate archives of windmill manufacturers. The photos show the windmill manufacturing and use process across the country on everything from farms to railroads and in urban areas, and provides an overview of windmills in urban life. Very highly recommended for any American wind energy or history collection.

China Airborne
James Fallows
Pantheon
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780375422119, $25.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

CHINA AIRBORNE follows the latest developments in China: the building of new airports which represent more than two-thirds of the new airports under construction today. Chinese airlines expect to triple their fleet size over the nest decade, have plans to commit to an aerospace movement, and want to move to manufacturing planes. The idea is to use these expansions to modernize and innovate in other industries as well, and CHINA AIRBORNE provides a powerful survey of the effort and its effects upon Chinese workers and society. A fine pick for any collection strong in Chinese culture and social issues.

The Thing You Think You Cannot Do
Dr. Gordon Livingston
Da Capo Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738215525, $19.99, www.dacapopress.com

The Thing You Think You Cannot Do: Thirty Truths about Fear and Courage probes the face of fear and how it has evolved from a primal impulse for survival to a modern compulsion to avoid failure and humiliation, and shows how fear can become debilitating - and what to do about it. Chapters probe different kinds of fears, share both his own story of struggle and those of others, and provides an analysis of the fear impulse and how it can lead to finding an even better source of strength: courage. An inspiration guide, this is a pick for any general lending collection.

Campaign Boot Camp 2.0
Christine Pelosi
Berrett-Koehler
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781609945169, $19.95, www.bkpub.com

Campaign Boot Camp 2.0 provides leadership lessons from the campaign experiences of over forty public figures and packs in tips for any who want to run for office or win a public policy issue. It comes form her leadership "boot camps" conducted in over thirty American states, and offers basic training in new edition that updates profiles of political leaders, considers the influence of social media and the Internet in the process, and explores woman candidates' experiences. The result is a 'must' for any concerned about setting and meeting campaign goals.

Head Shot
G. Paul Chambers
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145613, $18.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Books, films, commentary, discussion and just about any conspiracy theory imaginable has about analyzed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as much as can be done: so what can HEAD SHOT: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE JFK ASSASSINATION tell us that's different? It comes from an experimental physicist for the US Navy who here provides an analysis that shows the commonly accepted view of the assassination is scientifically flawed. Chapters provide evidence for a second murder weapon, use science to identify multiple shooters, and provides a new paperback edition with a new preface and postscript discussing additional points since the book's original hardcover appearance in 2010. A 'must' for any holding strong in JFK details.

You Are What You Wear
Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738215204, $16.00, www.dacapopress.com

Collections strong in fashion or psychology will find YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR: WHAT YOUR CLOTHES REVEAL ABOUT YOU provides fine insights into how wardrobe choices reflect life perspectives and inner emotions. Nine shopping complaints and wardrobe mistakes are introduced by case history examples gained from the author's patient files, offering keys to understanding style choices and underlying psychology. Treatment plans include fashion and psychological remedies in a survey readers will find insightful and engrossing.

Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle
Waukesha, WI 53186
www.kalmbachbooks.com

Nealay Patel's Jewelry for the New Romantic: Unexpected Techniques with Crystals and Beading Wire (9780881164278, $19.95) provides jewelry makers with Edwardian-style pieces of modern jewelry that feature bare beading wire and crystals, and is a pick for any learner who wants to move to the next step in jewelry-making. It provides techniques easy for beginners that result in pieces that are sophisticated designs: some 10 jewelry sets with accompanying illustrations and instructions come with good-sized color photos and sidebars of materials for quick, successful projects perfect for any crafter's collection. Aaron Skinner's Essential Skills for Scale Modelers (9780890247914, $21.95) builds on the basics of modeling and provides the basics needed to build, paint, weather and display models. From spray-painting and applying decals to using metal finishes and improving upon an older kit, this is simply packed with step-by-step photos offering foolproof advice, and is a 'must' for any scale modeler seeking to acquire basic skills.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

A Year of Writing Dangerously
Barbara Abercrombie
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
9781608680511, $16.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

A Year of Writing Dangerously: 365 Days of Inspiration and Encouragement is a set of affirmations and insights for any writer who wants to make the time and effort to become serious about writing, and offers keys to setting up a writing practice and getting writing done. From setting up an inviting space to combating negativity from within and without, this packs in exercises and advice on writing and is a powerful how-to guide for any aspiring writer.

Reading Letters: Designing for Legibility
Sofie Beier
BIS Publishers
Het Sieraad, Postjesweg 1
1057 DT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
9789063692711, $49.00, www.bispublishers.com

Reading Letters: Designing for Legibility is a pick for any collection appealing to type designers, and covers the basics of assessing the optimal typeface for different projects. Chapters provide plenty of eye-catching insights into type and its applications under different conditions, showing graphic and type designers how to make logical, useful and even artistic choices. A 'must' for any collection catering to printers, graphic designers, or type designers.


The Photography Shelf

Sony Alpha Nex-7
David D. Busch
Course Technology
c/o Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place
Stamford, CT 06902
978113597452, $29.99, www.courseptr.com

Sony Alpha Nex-7 comes from a best-selling digital camera author who provides a powerful key to one of the most innovative cameras in Sony's line. It covers all the basics, from working with autofocus modes and shutter speeds to flash, advanced shooting including HDTV movie making, and more, and covers the mechanics, art and operations of good photography during the process. The step-by-step coverage paired with color photo examples throughout assure that David Busch's latest presentation keeps the same high quality that has earned him top ratings for previous camera manuals.


The Education Shelf

Cautionary Tales: Strategy Lessons from Struggling Colleges
Alice W. Brown, et.al.
Stylus Publishing
22883 Quicksilver Drive
Sterling, VA 20166-2012
9781579227807, $37.50, www.styluspub.com

Cautionary Tales: Strategy Lessons from Struggling Colleges uses a case study approach to analyze the different experiences of colleges that have struggled with major issues affecting their survival, and is a fine collection of narrative examples of struggle and closure that will greatly supplement any education collection strong in educational trends and prescriptions for health. Chapters present six carefully researched case histories, analyzing decisions, actions, and their impact, and provide administrators and educators alike with insights into the influences upon success or failure. An outstanding survey!

Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com

Vicky Giouroukakis and Maureen Connolly's Getting to the Core of English Language Arts Grades 6-12 (9781452218816, $38.95) offers teachers keys to revamping a secondary English Language Arts curriculum to reflect the Common Core State Standards, and is a 'must' for any who would build connections between curriculum and the standards for diverse student groups. From linking lessons to technology and service learning to collaboration ideas for connecting via technology with colleagues beyond the school, this provides a step-by-step guide to the best approach for handling standards-based lessons, and includes reproducible handouts. Teachers will find this a worthy pick indeed! Digital Learning for All, Now: A School Leader's Guide for 1:1 on a Budget by Jonathan P. Costa (9781452220055, $34.95) offers educators field-tested strategies for affordable technology in the schools, from integrating open source into classroom objectives to using new technologies to optimize student learning. Discussions pair patterns of student learning with digital processes and provide keys to bridging gaps between the two, making DIGITAL LEARNING a fine recommendation for schools looking to merge learning objectives with affordable digital opportunities. Peter M. Dewitt's Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students (9781452205908, $25.95) is a recommendation for teachers and parents who want to assure that LGBT students receive equal and fair attention in the school setting. It demonstrates how to create an inclusive school setting for all students and focuses on ways in which LBGT students can achieve the most from a school setting, and how parents and administrators can assure a safe and supportive learning environment in the process. Parents and Professionals Partnering for Children With Disabilities: A Dance That Matters by Janice M. Fialka, et.al. (9781412966399, $27.95) focuses on forging parent/professional relationships surrounding children with disabilities, and uses humor and pointed observation from real-world scenarios to discuss the need for dialogue, flexibility and interaction when addressing special needs. Chapters document this relationship between the two with an eye to exposing needed adjustments to make the entire process work. Teach Reading, Not Testing: Best Practice in an Age of Accountability by Liz Hollingworth and Hilleary Drake (9781412997737, $28.95) addresses issues of helping students prepare for high-stakes testing by showing teachers how to meld instruction with the latest standards for optimum testing results. High stakes testing is at the heart of a primer that provides a teacher-friendly key to adjusting or revamping instruction to align more closely with standards-based testing requirements. Carol Burris and Delia Garrity's Opening the Common Core: How to Bring ALL Students to College and Career Readiness (9781452226231, $34.95) provides standards-based model lessons to teachers who want to boost the numbers on students who successfully complete four-year programs. It shows how to use the new CCSS standards as a starting point for improving and enhancing the curriculum overall, and uses a blend of critical thinking and equity and teacher support to show how best to tweak an existing system. Developing Mindful Students, Skillful Thinkers, Thoughtful Schools by Martin Bouncristiani and Patricia Bouncristiani (9781452220147, $34.95) shows school leaders how to build a tools to encourage student creativity, and blends research from various sources to teach the basics of adapting traditional learning to modern classrooms and modern teaching requirements. Chapters show how thinking students evolve, and provide guidelines to assuring creativity and optimal progression in today's classroom. Leading the Common Core State Standards: From Common Sense to Common Practice by Cheryl A. Dunkle (9781452203928, $34.95) is a step-by-step guide to overcoming typical barriers to the Common Core State Standards, and probes the Common Core's relationship to leadership and teaching as a whole. Chapters provide teachers and administrators with keys to understanding the Common Core, and provide specific, clear guidelines for any seeking analysis of the Common Core's applications. E. Caroline Wylie, et.al.'s IMPROVING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICE TO EMPOWER STUDENT LEARNING (9781412997010, $31.95) provides teachers with a powerful survey that asks teachers three basic questions about where students are headed, where are they now, and how to bridge the gap between the two. It encourages teachers to select a specific aspect of formative assessment to investigate and explore personal practice, and provides a study guide that can be used by teachers to improve overall teacher assessment practices as a whole. Creating Standards-Based Integrated Curriculum: The Common Core State Standards Edition by Susan M. Drake (9781452218809, $36.95) provides the author's seventh book on the topic of curriculum integration, and is packed with information covering the Common Core Standards and how their requirements can be integrated into the classroom experience. Teachers receive specifics and will find this suitable for all kinds of real-world applications. THE NEW SCHOOL MANAGEMENT BY WANDERING AROUND by William A. Streshly, Susan Penny Gray and Larry E. Frase (9781412996044) provides insights on managing a school by wandering around, is based on the original work by Frase and Hetzel, and provides administrators with specific tips on exactly how to 'wander around' with more purpose. Twenty research studies document this management by wandering around process, from its rituals to its results, and offers a blend of proven results and a flexible organization to leadership as a whole. A 'must' for any who would improve their school leadership roles. Robert J. Garmston with Valerie von Frank's UNLOCKING GROUP POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE SCHOOLS (9781412998895, $29.56) tells how great groups contribute to outstanding schools, and tells how schools can develop a group culture ranging from working committees to grade-level and department teams. It outlines the basic guidelines that differentiate an active, powerful group from an ineffectual one, teaches basics of organizing effective meetings and setting clear shared goals, and provides keys to developing a better group outcome. All are highly recommended for any educator's collection.


The Travel Shelf

Moon: Coastal Oregon
W.C. McRae & Judy Jewell
Moon Handbooks
1700 - 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781612381602, $16.99, www.moon.com

Moon Coastal Oregon offers maps, itineraries, and suggestions for making the most of a coastal road trip to Oregon, from camping and hiking to foraging and enjoying the beaches. Here are restaurants, accommodations and more, including coverage of everything from bakeries to the best hiking opportunities - all under one cover in a tote planner that will make it easy to make the most of coastal Oregon's sights and attractions.

Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street
Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

Any who would visit the nation's national parks will find Danny Palmerlee, et.al.'s DISCOVER USA'S BEST NATIONAL PARKS (9781742204918, $24.99) to be a fine survey of itineraries and recommendations for the top national parks in the country - some 27 of them. By providing a narrowed focus, more information is packed into the coverage; from easy maps and surveys of highlights to itineraries and color photos throughout. From camping to nearby attractions and amenities, Discover USA's Best National Parks places all details in a title easy to tote, study, and plan from. Andy Symington and Fran Parnell's FINLAND (9781741795820, $24.99) is a fine take-along tote and travel planner exploring how to get the most from an independent journey to Finland. 3 months of research from two expert authors contribute to a collection of insights packed with small maps, travel ideas, and much more. Nick Ray, et.al.'s CAMBODIA (9781741794571, $22.99) offers a detailed guide to Cambodia in an updated 7th edition of the country that covers urban and rural attractions alike. Here's a guide that moves form temples to parks, that considers Cambodia's peoples and cultural attractions as well as its human and natural history, and which is unequalled in its take-along tote attractions.


The Audiobook Shelf

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachetteaudio.com

James Patterson & Maxine Paetro's 11TH HOUR (9781607884651, $34.98) is spiced by January LaVoy's background in television and stage, a dramatic combination that makes her voice the perfect choice for narrating this powerful story of a pregnant detective investigating the discovery of severed heads in a movie star's garden. This unabridged production is a powerful story that captures reader attention from the first moment, offering powerful insights on a movie star who might be a serial killer and making for a riveting listen hard to 'pause'. Any mystery audio holding will consider this a winning addition! Ed Falco's THE FAMILY CORLEONE (9781611134483, $29.98) offers a new novel based on Mario Puzo's famous Godfather series and is presented here unabridged on 12 CDs narrated by the smooth and evocative voice of Bobby Cannavale, nominated for a Tony Award for his winning performance. This new prequel to The Godfather offers insights on 1933 New York where the crime families are on the rise, and one Vito Corleone faces changes in his family's future. All the brilliance and high drama of The Godfather comes to life in this moving story! David Baldacci's THE INNOCENT (9781607885733, $29.98) receives a powerful dual narration by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy, an author/actor and actress who together bring to life a gripping saga of international intrigue, espionage, and Robie, a hired killer who suddenly refuses to kill. His involvement with a runaway who turns out to be something more will change his life in this gripping saga. Joel Osteen's YOUR WORDS HOLD A MIRACLE: THE POWER OF SPEAKING GOD'S WORD (9781611134285, $24.98) receives a reading by Dr. Paul Osteen who brings to life the late John Osteen's words and vision. At some time in life you'll need a miracle from God, and John Osteen maintains that this miracle is in the Bible. It shows how to take the Bible and translate its messages to daily living and actions, and makes for an inspirational audio for any spiritual collection. Christopher Buckley's THEY EAT PUPPIES, DON'T THEY? (9781611134261, $29.98) receives a fine reading by actor Robert Petkoff, who has appeared in film and many productions, and who lends his theatrical voice to a fine novel revolving around Washington lobbying, a top-secret weapons system, and one Bird, who teams up with a sexy woman to rouse the American public against the Chinese. The result is an international dance that keeps readers listening and involved as relationships between individuals and governments move to heart-stopping new levels. David E. Sanger's CONFRONT AND CONCEAL: OBAMA'S SECRET WARS AND SURPRISING USE OF AMERICAN POWER (9780307990471, $50.00) receives a masterful reading by Robertson Dean in an unabridged production that documents words of the chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times, and provides listeners with a picture of an administration that came in with a bang and since has struggled with international decisions. It provides powerful behind-the-scenes reflections contrasting ideals with harsh reality and surveys the struggles of the president and his administration in a candid assessment recommended for any general collection.

Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887
Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com

Ed McBain's KILLER'S CHOICE (9781455872022, $19.99) pairs veteran narrator Dick Hill's smooth and seasoned voice with the riveting story of a woman murdered in a liquor store, an event which involves the 87th Precinct into her secret lives and dangerous associations. Tension comes well to life in this solid audio thriller, recommended for old fans and newcomers of the 87th Precinct mysteries alike. McBain's LADY KILLER (9781455872060, $19.99) also receives a fine performance by Hill, who tells of a mysteries threatening letter which claims an unknown writer will murder an unnamed woman in twelve hours - unless the Precinct can get there first. Exquisite tension springs to life in this audio. Dale Brown and Jim DeFelice's NERVE CENTER (9781455862009, $14.99) benefits from Christopher Lane's seasoned voice, which has narrated over 100 audiobooks, and provides a thriller centered around a man who must salvage a key experimental program that merges electronic data with a pilot's natural senses. A dangerous game evolves in this gripping thriller which comes alive in audio. Ted Bell's PHANTOM (9781441891341, $38.99) provides a fine performance by an Emmy award winning narrator who has worked with over 45 films, and who here lends a powerful and smooth voice to the story of havoc at an American theme park, a pilot who loses control of his plane, and more. The disappearance of an artificial intelligence expert involves Hawke and former inspector Ambrose Congreve to discover connections between some bizarre events across the country and makes for a gripping novel of intrigue that comes alive in audio.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Myths of Light
Joseph Campbell
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato CA 94949
9781608681099, $14.95, www.newworldlibrary.com

MYTHS OF LIGHT: EASTERN METAPHORS OF THE ETERNAL explores the basic principle that underlies all Eastern religion from Jainism to Buddhism: the concept of the World Soul. Chapters survey the author's study of world religions, the core interconnecting mythologies and philosophies of the East, and uses examples and stories to bring them alive, offering insights in an easy, enlightening mode perfect for any new age collection seeking an easy introduction to the interconnecting spiritual forces of Eastern perceptions.

The Lost Worlds of Ancient America
Frank Joseph
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601632043, $15.99, www.newpagebooks.com

The Lost Worlds of Ancient America: Compelling Evidence of Ancient Immigrants, Lost Technologies, and Places of Power blends new archaeological finds that confirm America was visited and influenced by visitors from Europe and the Near East perhaps thousands of years before 1492, and provides a powerful survey of prehistory that documents such finds as a 3,000-year-old Phoenician altar in Los Angeles, a Templar Tower in Rhode Island, and ancient highways in West Virginia. It comes from the editor-in-chief of the magazine Ancient American and offers a fascinating alternative saga of prehistory perfect for new age and history holdings alike.

New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
www.newpagebooks.com

James O'Kon's THE LOST SECRETS OF MAYA TECHNOLOGY (9781601632074, $21.99) comes from an author, lecturer and award-winning structural engineer who in 1995 discovered a massive, lost landmark of Maya engineering, the long span suspension bridge in Mexico. Now considered to be the longest bridge of its times, this had been overlooked by scientists who had studied the site for more than a century - and this offers the author's first-person discovery and documents the methods he used to examine and provide the existence of the bridge. It documents his exploration and his contributions to the understanding of early Maya engineering technology, and makes for a fascinating history for new age, archaeology and world history holdings as well as many an engineering collection. Nick Redfern's THE PYRAMIDS AND THE PENTAGON: THE GOVERNMENT'S TOP SECRET PURSUIT OF MYSTICAL RELICS, ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS, AND LOST CIVILIZATIONS (9781601632067, $15.99) offers up the secret, classified files of the U.S. Government in a detailed study of how and why government agencies have, for decades, taken an interest in archaeological, historical and religious puzzles, and offers new data and documents to show how the U.S. military continues to hide many startling facts. From the CIA's secret files on Noah's Ark to Army documents about the Egyptian Pyramids constructed by levitation and claims of nuclear warfare in ancient India, this is a startling collection that seeks to prove secrets are being closely held in government vaults, that will change everything we believe about human and world history. New age collections will find this an exceptional presentation. Richard M. Dolan and Bryce Zabel's A.D. AFTER DISCLOSURE: WHEN THE GOVERNMENT FINALLY REVEALS THE TRUTH ABOUT ALIEN CONTACT (9781601632227, $16.99) is the first non-fiction survey to describe a world after the government finally admits contact with alien civilizations has been made. It comes from a historian and researcher and a journalist who predict radical change after such an official acknowledgment, is backed by their study of alien contact, and offers various projects surrounding the demise of UFO secrecy. A thought-provoking, well done book considers social and political changes and describes massive revolutionary transitions.


The Business Shelf

The New Geography of Jobs
Enrico Moretti
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
9780547750118, $28.00, www.hmhbooks.com

THE NEW GEOGRAPHY OF JOBS comes from a rising young economist who considers innovation and success, and where to find them in America. It reveals a "new geography of jobs" that centers around certain cities or regions based on redistribution of American jobs and populations, and it provides keys to understanding how new innovation jobs and non-innovation jobs are created and how workers who support 'idea creators' also benefit from the surge. The challenge will be supporting and maintaining this job growth - and THE NEW GEOGRAPHY OF JOBS discusses both the pros and cons of this brave new world.

Amacom
1601 Broadway
New York NY 10019-7420
www.amacombooks.org

Micah Solomon's HIGH-TECH, HIGH-TOUCH CUSTOMER SERVICE: INSPIRE TIMELESS LOYALTY IN THE DEMANDING NEW WORLD OF SOCIAL COMMERCE (9780814417904, $23.00) helps business leaders and customer service managers alike and offers keys to changing consumer expectations and how to stay ahead of the expectation game. The focus here is on using technology in business to reach customers on an emotional level: chapters offer keys to using technology to better advantage to anticipate - and meet - customer needs and expectations. A fine survey for any collection catering to business managers! Dan Seidman's THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF INFLUENCE: MASTER THE ONE SKILL EVERY SALES PRO NEEDS (9780814417263, $17.95) reveals how influencing a sale occurs at a level just below the buyer's awareness - and it provides a series of strategies that appeal to subconscious decisions to buy. Insights from psychology and behavioral science blend in a program that links these findings to better selling techniques by hooking into a buyer's motivation pattern, and shows professional salespeople who to identify ten of the most common different types of buyers. A 'must' for any collection strong in sales approaches. Ira G. Asherman's NEGOTIATION AT WORK: MAXIMIZE YOUR TEAM'S SKILLS WITH 60 HIGH-IMPACT ACTIVITIES (9780814431900, $34.95) offers keys to help managers and trainers make the most of work negotiations, and provides a collection of affordable, effective interactive exercises that cover all components of negotiation. Grouped by topic, each exercise includes goals and a step-by-step procedure for leaders to follow, along with additional reading and notes. Business collections interested in negotiation and teamwork will find this an excellent choice. Chris Komisarjevsky's THE POWER OF REPUTATION: STRENGTHEN THE ASSET THAT WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOUR CAREER (9780814417973, $22.00) discusses the importance of reputation as an asset with a tangible exchange value, and helps readers learn how to creative a positive result by building a reputation others will believe and invest in. From understanding self-value and its perception to engaging others and building responsibilities and rewards based on reputation, this is a choice for any career-building collection. PERSUASIVE BUSINESS PROPOSALS: WRITING TO WIN MORE CUSTOMERS, CLIENTS AND CONTRACTS (9780814417850, $19.95) explains how to create compelling messages and proposals that dovetail neatly with prospect's needs, and appears in an updated new edition including more questions to qualify opportunities, ways to strengthen summaries and presentations, guidelines for blending proof with a proposal, and tips for renewal contacts. The result is key to producing winning proposals and offers step-by-step instruction to achieve these goals. Steven J. Koprince's THE SMALL-BUSINESS GUIDE TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS (9780814431931, $29.95) tells how to comply with rules and regulations for government contracts and is a key acquisition for any business collection where working with the government is involved. Government contracts come with many strings attached, from requirements to restrictions - and ignorance of these requirements is no excuse. Small business owners need this survey, which covers all the basics of selling to the government, and comes from an attorney specializing in government contracts and small business.


The Music Shelf

Let Fury Have the Hour
Antonio D'Ambrosio, Editor
Nation Books
116 East 16th Street, 8th Floor, NY, NY 10003
9781568587196, $17.99, www.nationbooks.org

LET FURY HAVE THE HOUR: JOE STRUMMER, PUNK, AND THE MOVEMENT THAT SHOOK THE WORLD belongs in any popular music holding and tells of citizen artist Joe Strummer, a member of the punk rock group the Clash and an instigator of a movement that composed some of the most powerful rebel music of the last century. Strummer converted punk rock from its reactionary roots to a movement of world citizenship, and this gathers original writing, interviews, essays and visual art to document the evolution of this movement. Pieces by Billy Bragg, Lester Bangs, and others make for a powerful saga indeed!

Nickelback: Here and Now
Alfred Publishing
0739088246, $19.99, www.alfred.com

Nickelback: Here and Now provides a fine guitar tab songbook covering the rock group's best works, and provides keys to playing and singing eleven of their songs, from Bottoms Up and Midnight Queen to Holding on to Heaven. Fans will appreciate having a guitar tab book that allows them to reproduce the group's songs, and rock music collections will find this a popular pick!


The Gardening Shelf

Homegrown Harvest
Rita Pelczar, Editor-in-Chief
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781845336637, $19.99, www.octopusbooks.co.uk

HOMEGROWN HARVEST: A SEASON-BY-SEASON GUIDE TO A SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN GARDEN is compiled by a noted gardening expert and explains both beginning and advanced concepts involved in creating a sustainable kitchen garden. From preparing soil and using non-toxic methods to fine-tuning a planting scheme and designing a garden, this is packed with color photos, sidebars of at-a-glance information, and details perfect for the gardener who wants specific how-to insights.


The Cookbook Shelf

Zuppe
Mona Talbott
The Little Bookroom
435 Hudson St, Suite 300, New York NY 10014
9781892145970, $18.95, www.littlebookroom.com

ZUPPE: SOUPS FROM THE KITCHEN OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY IN ROME is second in a series of cookbooks that gather favorite dishes served in the American Academy in Rom, and is a 'must' for any who would enjoy easy recipes paired with color photos throughout. The book is small in size but large in presentation, pairing Annie Schlechter's color photos with dishes such as Minestra Verdissima (Very Green Spring Vegetable Soup) and Nettle and Bean Soup. Especially recommended for any Italian cookery collection!

The Sugar Cube
Kir Jensen, et.al.
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452101262, $24.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

THE SUGAR CUBE is a small pink food cart in Portland that serves up unique sweets, from twisted Toll House Cookies to Highway to Heaven cupcakes and Vanilla Bean Risotto. The flavor and taste combinations are often unexpected, and provide a kick to sugar that ordinary desserts don't have. Any who want desserts with a difference will find THE SUGAR CUBE laden with tested recipes, colorful photos, and insights on how sugar can achieve new heights. A fine pick for any interested in new dessert approaches!

Back to Baking
Anna Olson
Whitecap Books
195 Allstate Parkway
Markham, ON, Canada, L3R 4T8
9781770500631, $40.00, www.whitecap.ca

BACK TO BAKING: 200 TIMELESS RECIPES TO BAKE, SHARE AND ENJOY comes from a Food Network Canada chef who hosted several successful series (Sugar, Fresh and Bake With), and who here provides her seventh cookbook in BACK T0 BAKING. The focus is on making treats that sync with a balanced diet, which means making desserts from scratch and including adjustments for food intolerances and allergies. Her step-by-step instructions include color images for any complicated techniques and encourage novices to become adventurous. There are many surprises here not featured elsewhere: among them, an Earl Grey Chiffon Cake with Maple Meringue Frosting (yes, it's made with Earl Grey tea!), a Springtime Lemon Wedding Cake with Fondant, and Classic Fruit Flan. Yum!

Cake Pops
Helen Attridge & Abby Foy
Spruce
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781846014024, $12.99, www.octopus.com

CAKE POPS features fine color photos by Lis Parsons and is packed with easy to follow recipes for creating fun cake pops at home. It's cake on a stick, with the fun of lollipops combined with cake snacks. The book offers basic recipes for making a vanilla cake and frostings that can be adapted to other flavors, and uses visual guides to tell how to make the balls, dip them, and decorate them. 28 designs for all occasions make this a great introduction to the new fad, perfect for general lending libraries.

Grilling Vegan Style
John Schlimm
Da Capo
c/o Perseus Books Group
44 Farnsworth St., 3rd Floor, Boston MA 02210
9780738215723, $20.00, www.dacapopress.com

GRILLING VEGAN STYLE: 125 FIRED-UP RECIPES TO TURN EVERY BITE INTO A BACKYARD BBQ is a pick for veggie lovers who want grill-friendly dishes that everyone can enjoy, and shares foods ranging from a Pineapple Teriyaki to a Mexican Tortilla Burger and Tex-Mex Tempeh. Cocktails, family-friendly drinks, and sides accompany dishes meant to make the most of the grill in a title recommended for any vegetarian or vegan cook.

John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

James Villas's FROM THE GROUND UP (9780470571651, $22.99) provides a fine focus on ground meat recipes and gathers some 200 recipes for everything from burgers to crab cakes and British meat pies to American meatloaf. Packed with color, cooking insights, and fun ground beef facts and reflections, FROM THE GROUND UP is filled with flavor and appealing, easy ground beef dishes both standard and gourmet, and is a pick for any culinary collection. Mark Bittman's LEAFY GREENS: AN A-Z GUIDE TO 30 TYPES OF GREENS PLUS MORE THAN 120 RECIPES (9781118093870, $18.99) covers everything from mustard greens and radicchio to kale and Swiss chard, and offers a new re-release of a classic guide to some thirty common kinds of greens. It comes from a food writer with much experience and provides over a hundred savory recipes along with over sixty illustrations to help readers quickly identify different types of greens. A fine recommendation for any who want to expand their cooking knowledge of greens.

150 Best Cupcake Recipes
Julie Hasson
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
9780778802907, $19.95, www.robertrose.ca

150 Best Cupcake Recipes comes packed with easy, appealing recipes for cupcakes and frostings and provides a new edition with a new, bright cover, interior redesign, plus 25 bonus vegan recipes in a new chapter. It comes loaded with color photos and decorating tips for all kinds of cupcakes, a glossary of ingredients, and includes both simple and more complex-sounding cupcake recipes in a fine guide for any general dessert cookery holding.

The Naked Foods Cookbook
Margaret Floyd & James Barry
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
9781608823185, $21.95, www.newharbinger.com

The Naked Foods Cookbook: The Whole-Foods, Healthy-Fats, Gluten-Free Guide to Losing Weight & Feeling Great tells how to put together 'naked' foods: nutrient-dense, additive-free whole foods - to lose weight and improve health. It is packed with flavor and different ingredients and approaches to traditional fare, from a noodle-less lasagna to nut-crusted pesto chicken and a shaved fennel, pear and gorgonzola salad. Black and white small photos pepper a fine survey that makes the most of the 'naked food' approach to nutrition.


The Computer Shelf

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012
Ross Mistry and Stacia Misner
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com
9780735665156, $14.99, www.microsoft.com

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 offers a first look at data management and BI capabilities and is a 'must' reference for any who would get up and running with SQL Server 2012. Two experts who have worked with the product from beta to release provide all the basics from setting up a database and managing applications to scalability, programmability and business intelligence services. From analysis to reporting, this is a pick for any collection strong in SQL Server applications.

Pragmatic Programmers
P.O. Box 293325
Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
www.pragprog.com

Stuart Halloway and Aaron Bedra's PROGRAMMING CLOJURE (9781934356869, $35.00) appears in its second updated edition to provide A significant update to the classic book on Clojure. It covers all the new features in Clojure 1.3, features entirely rewritten and re-orgnaized chapters covering new Clojure concepts. And teaches how to build powerful programs. Charts, diagrams, code examples, and step-by-step coverage of expressions and applications make this a powerful survey for any programmer working with Clojure. John Athayde and Bruce Williams' THE RAILS VIEW: CREATE A BEAUTIFUL AND MAINTAINABLE USER EXPERIENCE (9781934356876, $35.00) is edited by Brian P. Hogan and tells how to use HTML5 to build solid layouts, then manage the whole creation using Rails 3.1. Programmers receive keys to managing code and creating easy user interfaces in a book that tells how to pair an application with tools for mobile audiences by creating structured views that enhance the user's experience. Very highly recommended for programmers who wish to get the most from Rails!

John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Jeremy Osborn & the AGI Creative Team's ADOBE DREAMWEAVER CS6 DIGITAL CLASSROOM (9781118124093, $49.99) teaches everything needed to set up Dreamweaver CS6 and use its layout tools to create and maintain websites, and is a 'must' for any web designer who would incorporate Dreamweaver CS6 into the equation. It's a full-color, step-by-step tutorial accompanied by video training on a companion DVD and provides a powerful training package that covers everything from elementary-level basic set-up and use to designing HTML5 web pages for mobile devices. 17 lessons offer easy step-by-step coverage of all the keys to successful application of Dreamweaver CS6. Jason Tyler works with Will Verduzco in XDA DEVELOPERS' ANDROID HACKER'S TOOLKIT: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ROOTING, ROMS AND THEMING (9781119951384, $34.99), and is an excellent pick for any collection strong in mobile app development. It teaches how to take control of an Android-based smartphone or tablet regardless of brand name, offering tools for backing up apps and systems, modifying a device's ROMs or flash ROMs from other devices, and helping an Android perform the latest tricks. Any Android owner who wants to tinker with his device must have this guide.

O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com

Chris Grover's ADOBE EDGE PREVIEW 5: THE MISSING MANUAL (9781449330309, $24.99) offers the basics on how Adobe Edge Preview 5 operates, how to use it to create and import graphics, and how to make it interactive and understand how HTML and CSS documents work. It's a basic primer designed to cover all the basics including customization processes, and it's packed with web design basics key to successfully using Adobe multimedia tools - even for those with no prior programming abilities. Tom White's HADOOP: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE (9781449311520, $49.99) is for any collection strong in programming languages and provides a key to using Hadoop to solve specific problems. This updated third edition covers the recent changes to Hadoop, including material on the new MapReduce API and tips on common pitfalls and advanced features for writing MapReduce programs. Packed with analysis, data processing insights, and keys to understanding Hadoop cluster and cloud operations alike, this is a 'must' for any serious programming reference library.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Magical Materials to Weave
Lotte Dalgaard
Trafalgar Square Press
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road
North Pomfret, VT 05033
9781570765285, $24.95, www.trafalgarbooks.com

MAGICAL MATERIALS TO WEAVE: BLENDING TRADITIONAL & INNOVATIVE YARNS is for weavers who want to learn new techniques to blend traditional with high-tech yarns on multi-shaft looms to create unique material blends, and comes from a respected weaver who worked for over 10 years developing her own hand-loomed fabric. Chapters provide a new style and approach to loom-formed textiles and provides a guidebook that is supplemented with a list of yarn suppliers, a shrinkage chart, and numerous photos and diagrams throughout. A unique 'most' any serious weaver needs.

Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE
Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com

Kathy Brown's MORE TAKES 5 QUILTS: 16 NEW QUICK AND EASY PROJECTS (9781604681376, $24.99) is especially recommended for fans of Kathy Brown's prior TAKE 5, and offers new quilt patterns and details on quilts that can be made from just five fabrics. The latest fabrics are integrated into a range of designs for some lovely projects based on traditional quilt patterns using a very easy approach. Newcomers and seasoned quilters alike will find this a treasure trove! Cheryl Lynch's SEW EMBELLISHED! ARTISTIC LITTLE QUILTS, PERSONALIZED WITH EASY TECHNIQUES (9781604681475, $24.99) provides small projects packed with techniques and ideas and includes eight step-by-step projects for creating a focus using photos, applique, and more. It teaches how to use embellishments to personalize the entire production, and is a treasure trove of easy and fun designs! Kay Mackenzie's SCRAP-APPLIQUE PLAYGROUND: TURN QUILTING SCRAPS INTO FUN APPLIQUE FABRICS (9781604681390, $22.99) teaches the basics of how to fuse and patch strips and scraps to make a whimsical applique design for a quilt, and provides eight patterns for quilters of all skill levels. These are step-by-step instructions that leave nothing to guesswork, and are accompanied by color photos and patterns throughout in a fine presentation for any newcomer to working with quilting scraps or applique. Nancy Mahoney's KALEIDOSCOPE PAPER PIECING: 10 DYNAMIC QUILT DESIGNS (9781604680621, $24.99) offers ten new paper-piecing designs and teaches how to make complex-looking quilts using step-by-step instructions paired with the patterns presented herein. This is a Kaleidoscope quilt theme guide that features eight shapes to form a unique block, and pairs lovely full-page patterns and photos with clear directions even beginners can easily duplicate.


The Science Shelf

Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments
Robert Bruce Thompson & Barbara Fritchman Thompson
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449396596, $34.99, www.oreilly.com

Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments teaches how to master the microscope, build and observe microcosms, explore photosynthesis, investigate genetics and much more, and offers hands-on introduction to some 30 educational experiments that can be conducted at home. Middle to high school students and many an adult DIY science person will find this an inviting collection packed with fun experiments and ideas.

The Book of Universes
John D. Barrow
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
978039334311, $16.95, www.wwnorton.com

The Book of Universes: Exploring the Limits of the Cosmos considers whether our universe is one of an infinite number of universes and alternate versions of us all, and comes from a Cambridge professor of mathematics who considers the evolution of cosmology and cosmological thought. It considers the development of our knowledge about our universe and surveys the rise and fall of theories and ideas that have led to Einstein's famous theories - and it considers the physics and math supporting these contentions in a fine tour geared to general-interest, non-scientist readers. An excellent recommendation for any general science holding!

Inventing Iron Man
E. Paul Zehr
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore MD 21218
9781421402260, $24.95, www.press.jhu.edu

INVENTING IRON MAN: THE POSSIBILITY OF A HUMAN MACHINE uses the Iron Man figure from Marvel Comics and the concept of mechanized armor to consider the technology and science that would be involved in constructing such a suit of armor similar to the Iron Man science fiction story. It uses scientific principles to consider how Iron Man's suit operates and grants super-powers to the wearer, analyzes the feats Iron Man performed, and looks at brain-machine interfaces and neuroscience alike, making for a fine pick for science fiction and science holdings alike.

A Sanctuary of Trees
Gene Logsdon
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603584012, $19.95, www.chelseagreen.com

A SANCTUARY OF TREES: BEECHNUTS, BIRDSONGS, BASEBALL BATS, AND BENEDICTIONS uses the author's own home groves in Ohio to provide a history of trees back to the native Americans and early Europeans, then provides an overview of his experiences living with trees of different regions. Discussions of woods, forest groves, and lessons about the multiple uses and attributes of trees make for a fine and literary reflection that embraces natural history, botany, and philosophy alike, and is a pick for any collection strong in literary and scientific nature reflection.

Swell: A Year of Waves
Evan Slater
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781452105932, $29.95, www.chroniclebooks.com

Swell: A Year of Waves isn't about surfing: it's about the different kinds of waves that exist and the swells that produce them. The science of four different kinds of swells from different corners of the globe is covered in essays that are accompanied by gorgeous color photos peppered throughout, while discussions focus on the creation, effects and impacts of these waves at sea and when they hit land, around the world. SWELL deserves ongoing recommendation as a fine guide of interest to scientists and surfers alike, packed with specific water information perfect for browsers, general readers and surfers alike!

Destination Mars
Rod Pyle
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst NY 14228-2119
9781616145897, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

DESTINATION MARS: NEW EXPLORATIONS OF THE RED PLANET comes from a science writer and documentary producer who considers the latest projects being developed around the world to visit Mars, and is a 'must' for any collection strong in astronomy. It describes various missions involving Mars, provides a basic introduction to the planet's geology and history, and includes the latest findings from remote observations on Mars, including places on Earth conducting experiments under conditions that duplicate the hostile conditions on the red planet. Firsthand interviews with some of the leading experts on Mars lend to a comprehensive and enthusiastic coverage recommended for any astronomy or general-interest science collection.

Quantum Man
Lawrence M. Krauss
W.W. Norton
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393340655, $15.95, www.wwnorton.com

QUANTUM MAN: RICHARD FEYNMAN'S LIFE IN SCIENCE comes from a theoretical physicist who provides a fine biography of a lively genius whose methods of investigation would change the world of science. His systematic, different approach to examining scientific problems tells of a man who early on ignored convention and developed his own successful approaches to problem-solving. Throughout his career his findings would continue to challenge and redefine physics and science - and QUANTUM MAN traces both his contributions and the underlying influences on his way of thinking. Any general science holding will find this a lively, inviting read!

The Day the World Discovered the Sun
Mark Anderson
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306820380, $26.00, www.dacapopress.com

THE DAY THE WORLD DISCOVERED THE SUN: AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF SCIENTIFIC ADVENTURE AND THE RACE TO TRACK THE TRANSIT OF VENUS shares stories of the three most important Venus transit voyages in history: journeys that would ultimately result in making longitude measurements at sea more accurate, resulting in an increase in exploration of the world. It provides a history that includes an analysis of methods used by astronomers to calculate solar distance using methods from the Venus transit, and it offers plenty of detail on the last transit of our lifetimes, the 2012 Venus transit. A fine guide for any interested in astronomy's link to mankind's development.


The Social Issues Shelf

Digital Vertigo
Andrew Keen
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780312624989, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

DIGITAL VERTIGO: HOW TODAY'S ONLINE SOCIAL REVOLUTION IS DIVIDING, DIMINISHING, AND DISORIENTING US argues that social media transformation is weakening and dividing us rather than establishing a new era of interconnectedness, and it provides a powerful assessment that social media is the most wrenching cultural transformation since the industrial revolution - without the success. Chapters probe the underlying hollowness of most social networks and virtual worlds and draw important connections between electronic associations and the fading of community and friendship. Any social issues collection should have this analysis.

Rebuild the Dream
Van Jones
Nation Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9781568587141, $25.99, www.nationbooks.org

REBUILD THE DREAM COMES FROM THE FORMER Special Advisor to the Obama administration and proposes a different approach to restoring American faith in democracy and revitalizing the American Dream. It blends a reflection on Van Jones' personal journey to the White House with his experiences once there, his assessment of the state of our political system and economy, and maintains that positive change requires two sources of leadership: the Obama administration and the progressive movement itself. He questions how Americans could build a better outcome for the future - and offers keys to empowering change.

Degrees of Inequality
Ann L. Mullen
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421405742, $30.00, www.press.jhu.edu

Degrees of Inequality: Culture, Class, and Gender in American Higher Education is a recommendation for social issues and education collections alike, and offers a scholarly assessment of the presence and tone of inequality in American higher education. The author interviewed students from Yale and Southern Connecticut University and found the students' college choices were strongly linked to social background and gender: Yale students were encouraged to view their education as an enriching process, while Southern students perceived their education as a path to better employment. Interviews with some 100 students at both institutions reveal glaring inequalities in the educational process as a whole.

The Last Myth
Mathew Barrett Gross and Mel Gilles
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616145736, $18.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

THE LAST MYTH: WHAT THE RISE OF APOCALYPTIC THINKING TELLS US ABOUT AMERICA explores why apocalyptic beliefs are surging in the American mainstream today, using a history of apocalyptic thought of the past to survey recent trends in such ideas. Psychology, social and cultural analysis, and history blend in a survey that identifies how perceptions of impending doomsday limit our abilities to effectively confront global realities. A fine survey for any social issues collection!


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Fluid Therapy for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses
Charlotte Donohoe
Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780813814841, $49.99, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

Fluid Therapy for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses provides veterinary support staff with key details on fluid therapy and covers everything from placement to monitoring of intravenous fluid therapies and possible complications. It's designed for easy use and covers the basics, supporting nursing information with a companion website reviewing questions and answers and providing even more illustrations. Technicians and any administering fluid therapy to animals will find this a powerful presentation and a 'must' vet's reference.

Falling for Eli
Nancy Shulins
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738215273, $15.99, www.dacapopress.com

FALLING FOR ELI: HOW I LOST HEART, THEN GAINED HOPE THROUGH THE LOVE OF A SINGULAR HORSE is a 'must' for any collection strong in true-life horse stories, and provides the memoir of a woman who endured a series of failed fertility treatments until she suffered crippling depression. A casual invitation to learn to ride a horse - one of her long-standing dreams - leads to her acquisition of her own horse Eli - and her slow acceptance of a new dream. Any collection strong in general-interest pet and autobiography accounts will relish this moving, inspiring story.


The Military Shelf

M4 Sherman Tank Owners' Workshop Manual
Pat Ware
Zenith Press
c/o Quayside Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760342947, $28.00, www.zenithpress.com

M4 Sherman Tank Owners' Workshop Manual uses archive images and photos of restored tanks to cover the M4's development, variants, and differences between the models. Experiences of men who used the tanks in combat supplement the entire story of the Sherman's design and overall development in a powerful account that includes Sherman ownership today and keys to buying, insuring and driving one. Military and hobbyist collections alike will find this engrossing!

Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
www.ospreypublishing.com

Dr. Raffaele D'Amato's ROMAN CENTURIONS 31 BC-AD 500 (9781849087957, $17.95) is for any early military history holding and represents the second volume of a two-part study probing the weapons, role and impact of the Roman Centurion soldier during the five centuries of the Roman Empire's greatest years. Color artwork packs a probe written by an authority on the era and offers a range of new approaches to the appearance and role of the early centurions. Any early military history collection needs this. Stephen Bull's FROM D-DAY TO VICTORY WITH THE MEN AND MACHINES THAT WON THE WAR (97811849088381, $25.95) is written by a military historian but uses the expertise of others as well, including interviews from surviving veterans, to provide a fine official tie-in to the British Cannel 4 series. It's a book and documentary using a different approach to examine the experience of Europe during World War II, and provides myth-busting tests to supplement accounts of the campaign to liberate Europe in a fascinating, different take on events. Clayton K.S. Chun, PhD's THE PHILIPPINES 1941-42 (9781849096097, $19.95) provides #238 in Osprey's 'Campaign' series, and focuses on the Philippine Islands, one of only two major US bases in the Pacific. The Japanese considered capture of the Philippines essential for its efforts and intended to invade and occupy them during its five-month campaign, stifled by General MacArthur, a hero of World War I. This powerful focus allows for an in-depth coverage of all events during the Philippines campaign. Gordon L. Rottman's TUNNEL RAT IN VIETNAM (9781849087834, $18.95) provides book number 161 in Osprey's 'Warrior' series, which seeks to provide insights into the daily lives of history's fighting men and women. It focuses on the training, tactics and experiences of Vietnam's 'tunnel rats', documenting how tunnels served as hiding places for soldiers and ammunition alike, and showing how the Free World Forces had 'cleared' the area only to have the Viet Cong emerge from tunnels to continue their actions. The personal accounts of those who served the role of rousting these tunnel inhabitants is revealed in a powerful survey recommended for any military holding strong in Vietnam history. Ian Gardner's DELIVER US FROM DARKNESS: THE UNTOLD STORY OF 3RD BATTALION/506TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT DURING MARKET GARDEN (9781849087179, $27.95) explains how the 101st Airborne Division parachuted into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden. Their mission was to secure the main highway that passed through Eindhoven to facilitate the advance of the Second British Army towards Arnheim. Any World War II military historian will find this an intense and narrowed survey of a single airborne battalion's experience - an experience which many said rivaled the hell of Normandy. A powerful survey indeed. Ken Ford's RUN THE GAUNTLET - THE CHANNEL DASH 1942 (9781849085700, $18.95) tells of three of the major ships of the German surface fleet that stormed out of the harbor at Brest on their way to Germany, facing everything the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy could muster. This vivid account of a running battle that ultimately brought humiliation to the British provides a fine moment-by-moment survey and is a pick for any World War II holding. Joining others in Osprey's 'Combat Aircraft' series is Jonathan Bernstein's P-47 THUNDERBOLT UNITS OF THE TWELFTH AIR FORCE (9781849086721, $22.95), a fine account of the P-47 Thunderbolt that became the main US fighter-bomber of World war II. The focus on this plane includes technical and military battle details alike, following its missions in the Twelfth Air Force and considering its tactical air involvements. Almost nothing has been written on the Twelfth Air Force fighter-bomber operations, making this focus a 'must'. Edward Young's B-24 LIBERATOR VS. K1-43 'OSCAR': CHINA AND BURMA 1943 (9781849087025, $17.95) is number 41 in Osprey's 'Duel' series, which provides riveting accounts of machines of war pitted against each other and the combatants who operated them. Historic combats are a key to the series and this addition focuses on the combats within the Chinese and Burmese arenas, discussing plane superiorities and tactics, Japanese and German fighter pilots who exploited machine weaknesses, and the inability of Japanese fighters to produce heavier fighters in enough quantities to make a difference in combat outcomes. A powerful survey for any military history or aircraft collection! Robert Forczyk's RED CHRISTMAS - THE TATSINKAYA AIRFIELD RAID 1942 (9781849085861, $18.95) tells of a December 1942 event in which the 24th Tank Corps seized the Tatsinskaya airfield on Christmas Eve. The Soviet tankers eventually found themselves isolated and out of fuel behind German lines, but accomplished their mission of severely disrupting the airlift to Stalingrad. This is first in the armor-only RAID titles and serves the added attraction of being the first in English about the raid - making it a powerful addition to any comprehensive military library. Rene Chartrand's FORTS OF THE WAR OF 1812 (9781849085762, $18.95) adds to Osprey's 'Fortress' series which provides histories of key fortresses and military defensive strategies surrounding them. This covers the modern fortifications built by the US Corps of Engineers to protect some of the main port cities during the War of 1812, and arrives for the 200th anniversary of this war to cover many fortifications widely visited today in both the US and Canada. It's a powerful addition to any US or military history holding. David Nicolle's THE FALL OF ENGLISH FRANCE 1449-53 (9781849086165, $19.95) adds to Osprey's 'Campaign' series and covers the fall of English France during the Hundred Years War in medieval Europe. It rounds out other coverages in the Osprey series and provides a fine narrowed focus on the battles of Formigny and Castillon high represented a change in how warfare was perceived and fought, and is a pick for any collection strong in medieval European history. David Fletcher's THE ROLLS-ROYCE ARMOURED CAR (9781849085809, $17.95) provides #189 in Osprey's 'New Vanguard' series, which explores the design and operation of military machinery. It focuses on the first Rolls Royce armored car, a privately owned vehicle fitted with a machine-gun and some armor plating in France, used by the Royal Naval Air service in 1914 and sparking the creation of more Rolls-Royce armored cars throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It's a fascinating history of a vehicle used from 1914 to the 1950s that served in conflicts around the world, and will interest auto history as well as military history buffs.


The Architecture Shelf

Law for Architects
Robert F. Herrmann and Attorneys at Menaker & Herrmann LLP
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780393733457, $35.00, www.wwnorton.com

LAW FOR ARCHITECTS; WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW is for any working in architecture and design and discusses the arena where construction and design encounter the legal system. It's intended as an introduction for newcomers and covers everything from why it's important to obtain and keep a license to handling written agreements between architectural firms and clients, making sure insurance is correct, organizing a firm, and even transferring ownership within a company. It covers all the basics an architectural firm or individual will need to know when conducting business in the industry, and is a 'must' for legal and
architecture collections alike.

Embedded Commissioning of Building Systems
Omer Akin
Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
9781608071470, $129.00, www.artechhouse.com

Embedded Commissioning of Building Systems covers AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) approaches to conducting building performance assessments that incorporate embedded commissioning as the approach to effective building evaluation, and is a pick for any architectural or engineering reference collection. It reviews emerging approaches with ECx, covering the latest technology, building code trends, data access and exchange standards and providing details on the latest research findings on wearable computers, sensor networks, field tools and more. Professionals and students alike will find this a powerful coverage.

Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com

SUBSTRATE SURFACE PREPARATION HANDBOOK by Max Robertson (9781608072132, $99.00) is a recommended reference for any college-level engineering collection and provides practitioners with a complete survey of the maintenance methods and equipment available to the field of substrate surface preparation. Keys to processing new material come from tested methods rather than trial and error, and provides discussion of everything from optics to semiconductor de-lamination and deconstruction. Any professional high-technology collection needs this! PASSIVE RF COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY: MATERIALS, TECHNIQUES, AND APPLICATIONS by Guoan Wang and Bo Pan provides professionals with a solid understanding of smart passive RF components, and is a pick for engineers and any in the field who seek a reference on how to apply these materials and techniques to design a range of RF passive components from chips to metamaterial-based passives. Chapters pack in over 145 black and white diagrams and illustrations in the process of explaining the technology, making for a powerful, key reference for any engineering holding.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Other Log of Phileas Fogg
Philip Jose Farmer
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857689641, $9.95, www.titanbooks.com

The Other Log of Phileas Fogg comes from a publisher who is providing new editions of Farmer's classic Wold Newton and Grandmaster series, beginning with THE OTHER LOG OF PHILEAS FOGG from his Wold Newton stories. When a powerful teleportation device falls into enemy hands, secret agent Fogg embarks on a world struggle to save his immortal race for annihilation, encountering his rival Captain Nemo - and getting in the way of a secret alien war in the process.

Redshirts
John Scalzi
TOR Books
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780765316998, $24.99, www.tor.com

REDSHIRTS tells of one Ensign Andrew Dahl, who has just been assigned to the flagship Intrepid in the year 2456, working in the ship's xenobiology lab with the chance to serve on "Away Missions" with starship officers. It's his dream job - until Andrew discovers all missions involve lethal confrontations with aliens that the ship's officers always survive. His probe into these circumstances reveals a dangerous secret and provides new opportunities in this gripping saga!


The Nautical Shelf

Gone to the Sea
Herb McCormick
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9780939837946, $16.95, www.paracay.com

GONE TO THE SEA: AN ANTHOLOGY comes from a sailing writer who has detailed his world sailing adventures for over thirty years. This is an anthology of his best articles and first-person accounts of sailing, and gathers the highlights and moments of over 75,000 offshore miles and journeys. Any who would read a nautical adventure in all its hair-raising, 'you are there' glory will find this collection of vignettes a powerful account perfect for any true adventure or nautical collection!

Marine Medicine, second edition
Eric C. Weiss, MD & Michael Jacobs, MD
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201
Seattle, WA 98134-1161
9781594856600, $15.95, www.mountaineersbooks.org

The second updated edition of MARINE MEDICINE provides a comprehensive, must-have pocket guide and should accompany any emergency first-aid kit. In fact, it was originally created from the international reference book Wilderness and Travel Medicine and is included in the first-aid kits sold worldwide by Adventure Medical Kits. The second updated edition has been thoroughly revised to include new 2011 American Heart Association CPR guidelines, updated treatment of injuries and illness, reviews of new products for treating trauma, solar injury, and more - anything the sailor might encounter. A 'must' for any kind of boat and any kind of sailing experience.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Better End
Dan Morhaim, MD
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421404189, $18.95, www.press.jhu.edu

The Better End: Surviving (and Dying) on Your Own Terms in Today's Modern Medical World offers assessments, hope and inspiration for better end-of-life decisions, and is a pick for any health collection. It comes from a practicing physician and a Maryland state legislator and guides patients on everything from creating a living will to making a set of advance directives, and considers new medical advancements and options and how they relate to end-of-life decision-making. A 'must' for any general consumer health holding!

Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu

Jeremy A Geene and Elizabeth Siegel Watkins edit PRESCRIBED: WRITING, FILLING, USING, AND ABUSING THE PRESCRIPTION IN MODERN AMERICA (9781421405070, $30.00), a social and medical history of the prescription process that documents what is deemed prescribable, how it's regulated and prescribed, and why some classes of drugs are over-the-counter. Chapters document the history of prescriptions and examine drugs individually, as classes, and as reflections of social structure in a powerful guide that should be in any basic health collection. Another winning survey is Joseph November's BIOMEDICAL COMPUTING: DIGITIZING LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES (9781421404684, $60.00), a college-level reference joining others in the 'The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science' series and considering the history of how computers first appeared in research labs and doctor's offices. It considers the process by which biology was computerized and its lasting impact on research, and offers an assessment of how computerization changed the life sciences and even fed back into new computer software designs based on biological research needs. A fine pick for medical, science and computer collections alike.

Eye Care Sourcebook, fourth edition
Sandra J. Judd, Editor
Omnigraphics
155 W. Congress, Suite 200, Detroit, MI 48226
9780780812284, $95.00, www.omnigraphics.com

The fourth updated edition of EYE CARE SOURCEBOOK is a winner and provides basic information about common vision and eye-related problems and how they are diagnosed and treated. From cataracts to glaucoma and diabetes-related eye conditions, this describes both congenital and hereditary disorders that affect vision, infections, injuries and more, and provides tips for preventing eye injuries and treating emergencies. A 'must have' reference for any consumer health library.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye V. 1
James Roberts, et.al.
IDW Publishing
5080 Santa Fe St., San Diego CA 92109
9781613772355, $19.99, www.idwpublishing.com

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye V. 1 comes from the team behind LAST STAND OF THE WRECKERS and provides an epic graphic cartoon saga in which the Transformer team journeys to the end of the universe on a quest that could change - or destroy - them. Also included here is the one-shot story DEATH OF OPTIMUS PRIME. Just in time for summer, this is a recommended read for any Transformers fan who just can't get enough.


The Fiction Shelf

Skip Rock Shallows
Jan Watson
Tyndale House
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
9781414339146, $12.99, www.tyndalehouse.com

SKIP ROCK SHALLOWS is a lovely story of a woman who has just graduated from medical school and is on her way to an internship in the coal camp of Skip Rock, Kentucky. Her beau doesn't understand why she would choose to move to a backwater town - but Lilly is drawn to the people of Skip Rock, believes she can help - and finds herself facing prejudice and trouble. When she saves the life of a young miner she begins to earn their respect in this fine story of a woman's coming of age and her slow
understanding of her self and her purpose.

150 Pounds
Kate Rockland
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312576011, $24.99, www.stmartins.com

150 POUNDS: A NOVEL OF WAISTS AND MEASURES provides an entertaining new novel that tells of Alexis and Shoshana, who have successful blogs that provide followers with their insights on nutrition tips and weight-related topics. The two couldn't be more different in their personalities and approaches to nutrition: one is a perfectionist; the other lives a life full of indulgences. When they meet on the set of Oprah, their lives begin to change and their evolving friendship will bring changes to their families and lives in this fine saga of weight loss and perspective.

Anno Dracula: The Bloody Red Baron
Kim Newman
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857680846, $14.95, www.titanbooks.com

Anno Dracula: The Bloody Red Baron offers a follow-up to the bestselling Victorian novel ANNO DRACULA and is packed with literary and historical figures from the early 20th century, providing the second novel in a vampire-tinged series of the War of the Great Powers in Europe between living and undead. It's set in 1918 where Dracula commands the armies of Germany and Austria-Hungary, and provides an added bonus: a long new novella VAMPIRE ROMANCE, set in the 1920s between the events of THE BLOODY RED BARON and the third novel in the series, DRACULA CA CHA CHA. New annotations from Kim Newman and a film version outline rounds out the offering and makes for a 'must' for any collection strong in vampire themes.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Death Comes Silently
Carolyn Hart
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
978045124705, $24.95, www.penguin.com

DEATH COMES SILENTLY provides a new 'Death on Demand' mystery and is the 21st novel in the series. Here Annie, owner of the mystery bookstore Death on Demand, is enthusiastic about hosting a book signing with a local author, but asks her friend to take her place since she has to be at her shop. When her friend is brutally murdered, Annie uncovers the evidence leading to a killer in town - and another riveting 'death on demand' story is created, recommended for newcomers and old fans alike.

Obsidian Mystery
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

There's no better summer reading than picking up a satisfying mystery, and two releases are special recommendations for avid mystery fans. Denise Swanson's LITTLE SHOP OF HOMICIDE: A DEVEREAUX'S DIME STORE MYSTERY (9780451236180, $7.99) is the first in a new series and features five-and-dime store owner Devereaux Sinclair, who faces a gripping murder with unidentifiable suspects and the promise of more murders unless solutions can be found. Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain's MURDER, SHE WROTE: SKATING ON THIN ICE (9780451236289, $7.99) joins others in the series and offers a paperback reprint of mystery revolving around the death of a figure skater. Fierce competition and murderous suspects are everywhere in this saga, packed with satisfying twists and turns of plot.

Driven
James Sallis
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
9781464200106, $19.95, www.poisonedpenpress.com

DRIVEN is a fine sequel to the prior novel DRIVE and is especially recommended for those who enjoyed the noir fiction approach of DRIVE - including those who appreciated the film version. Readers left off with Driver's murder of Bernie Rose, the only man who he ever mourned, and DRIVEN reveals his new identity as one Paul West, who has a successful business and a fiancee. When she is killed during an attack, Driver returns to life to find out the truth about her murder in this riveting story, a 'must' for any collection that saw popularity with DRIVE.


The International Studies Shelf

Israel and the United States
Robert O. Friedman
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344942, $45.00, www.westviewpress.com

ISRAEL AND THE UNITED STATES: SIX DECADES OF US-ISRAELI RELATIONS considers the many long-standing ties that have historically connected Israel since its birth, and offers essays from a mix of Israeli and U.S. scholars from a range of political perspectives. Its focus on foreign policy offers a close inspection of the changing relationship between the two nations, right up to the present Obama administration, making this a powerful survey for any college-level political studies holding.

The Arab Uprising
Marc Lynch
Public Affairs Books
250 West 57th Street, #1321
New York, NY 10107
9781610390842, $26.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

THE ARAB UPRISING: THE UNFINISHED REVOLUTIONS OF THE NEW MIDDLE EAST offers an insider's guide to the political and social changes behind events that brought down the governments of Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia, and argues that the uncertain future of dictatorial governments in the region is actually less interesting than the ongoing rise of a socially and politically empowered Arab populace. Lynch was the first in media to define these new uprisings as the "Arab Spring", and considers the history and influence of interlocking revolts and the movement toward Arab mobilization across the region. A powerful survey, this is a recommended pick for any serious Middle East history and politics holding.

Hamas
Paola Caridi
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
9781609803827, $24.95, www.sevenstories.com

HAMAS: FROM RESISTANCE TO GOVERNMENT comes from an Italian journalist and historian who offers an account of how conditions in the Middle East led to the organization and rise of Hamas, and considers Palestinian history and the evolution of a movement that became embroiled in two causes: to resist an oppressor and to provide support to refugees. Years of research and interviews with the residents of Gaza and leaders of Hamas covers the history of Gaza in a survey highly recommended for any collection strong in Middle East politics and social issues.

Qatar: A Modern History
Allen J. Fromherz
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781589019102, $29.95, www.press.georgetown.edu

Qatar: A Modern History considers the role Qatar plays in the Middle East arena, showing how it differs from other Gulf states, its growing influence in the region, and how its economic and social history creates a unique country that has become an unheralded economic superpower in the area. It's one of the fastest-growing countries in the area and thus holds powerful social, economic and political impact for the entire region, making Qatar: A Modern History a 'must' for any serious Middle East holding.


The Political Science Shelf

Promoting Democracy Abroad
Peter Burnell
Transaction Publishers
300 McGaw Drive, Edison NJ 08837
9781412818421, $49.95, www.transactionpub.com

Promoting Democracy Abroad: Policy and Performance covers a movement that involves academia, business and popular media as well as political circles, and offers chapters assessing the differences between and connections of promoting democracy to advocating human rights and good governance practices. An industry has arisen around democratic assistance, but there's still disturbing questions about the future of democracy promotion - and this book addresses the questions, outlook, and applications of democratic process on an international scale. High school to college-level collections strong in political participation and international politics will find this thought-provoking.

Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue
Boulder CO 80301
www.westviewpress.com

The seventh updated edition of William E. Rosenbach, et.al.'s CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN LEADERSHIP (9780813345574, $33.00) deserves ongoing recommendation for any college-level collection seeking an interdisciplinary survey of leadership from top scholars. 18 new essays and two revised original contributions enhance a complete revamp of this collection of essays that consider leadership issues as they relate to psychology, social science, religion and even the military. Leadership components receive close analysis in a title recommended for political science and business holdings alike. The second updated edition of H. George Frederickson, et.al.'s THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THEORY PRIMER (9780813345765, $38.00) also deserves ongoing recommendation as a fine addition to any political science collection, offering new material to update public administration topics, from the rise of reporting as a means of accountability to the evolution of network theory and new psychological/biological behavioral research. Political science collections will consider this a fine survey promising lasting value.


The Law/Justice Shelf

8 Ways to Avoid Probate, ninth edition
Mary Randolph, J.D.
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413317107, $21.99, www.nolo.com

The ninth updated edition of 8 Ways to Avoid Probate provides readers with solid advice on easy methods that can skip the probate process, from naming payable-on-death beneficiaries for financial accounts and owning property jointly to creating living trusts and more. It's been completely updated to include the latest estate laws and gift tax rules, and offers a focus on the transfer-on-death deeds which are now available in more states. From personal property such as autos to home ownership and bank accounts, this covers all kinds of transfers and includes case history examples throughout in a recommendation for any general lending library.


The Technology Shelf

Android Phones for Dummies
Dan Gookin
John Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118169520, $24.99, www.wiley.com

Android Phones for Dummies provides a fine survey of handheld devices and hardware involved in the Android smartphone, and offers all the basics for newcomers, from learning basic phone operations and setting up a Google account to making and receiving calls, setting ringtones, texting and video chat, and more. Step-by-step examples accompany sidebars of information and plenty of illustrations designed for both serious study and at-a-glance referencing, making this a fine guide for any Android phone owner.


The Sports Shelf

Eat & Run
Scott Jurek with Steve Friedman
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547569659, $26.00, www.hmhbooks.com

EAT & RUN: MY UNLIKELY JOURNEY TO ULTRAMARATHON GREATNESS comes from an author who for nearly two decades has been a dominant force in the growing sport of ultrarunning. In 1999, as an unknown, he took the lead of a 100-mile Western States Endurance Run - and won the race seven years in a row. This autobiography covers his life and career and will serve as an inspiring account for any runner who dreams of breaking records and building endurance and a competitive edge.

Human Kinetics
Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825-5076
www.humankinetics.com

G. Gregory Haff and Charles Dumke's Laboratory Manual for Exercise Physiology With Web Resource (9780736084130, $65.00) is designed for undergrad students and offers a basic review of all the testing methods used for assessing human performance and wellness. It provides a workbook manual of 15 labs embracing nearly fifty activities for assessing screening processes and provides step-by-step instructions for each lab activity. Special binding allows the book to lay flat on a lab table, while web resources and question sets allow for extra online support and review of basic exercise physiology concepts. A 'must' for any college-level exercise physiology collection. The Strength Training Anatomy Workout II by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill (9781450419895, $24.95) considers the most effective exercises in strength training and offers literally hundreds of color photos to accompany some 60 exercises and a number of programmed workouts. The focus is on serious muscle development, and includes specific programs for systematically developing muscle mass and targeting specific muscle groups. A fine trainer's presentation, this should be in any strength training collection!


The Martial Arts Shelf

Taekwondo: Defense Against Weapons
Grandmaster Kim, Bok Man
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
9781549392276, $34.95, www.ymaa.com

Taekwondo: Defense Against Weapons was originally published in 1979 and has been updated here to include a more user-friendly design as it provides basic defense techniques as taught to military and law enforcement officials. It comes from one of the original founders of modern taekwondo and moves beyond explanations of techniques to also cover practical applications of the martial art for self-defense against armed or unarmed opponents, teaching beginners how to build techniques to advance their training and offering advanced students with expanded skills sets. A 'must' for any martial arts collection looking to move beyond simple basic skills.


The Biography Shelf

Father's Day
Buzz Bissinger
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780547816562, $26.00, www.hmhbooks.com

FATHER'S DAY: A JOURNEY INTO THE MIND AND HEART OF MY EXTRAORDINARY SON tells of twin sons born three minutes and a world apart. The older one is a grad student, while his brother has spent his life in special schools. Zach is a savant - facing serious intellectual defects but also packed with talent. FATHER'S DAY isn't about the holiday: it's about taking what comes and seeing the gold in the challenges and controversies of life. It follows the evolving father and son relationship between Zach and Buzz, considers what it means to be 'normal', and includes lessons Zach teaches Buzz. A powerful story of parenthood and achievement, this should be on the desk of any father, any time of year.


The Native American Shelf

American Indians and the Mass Media
Meta G. Carstarphen and John P. Sanchez, editors
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142340, $24.95, www.oupress.com

American Indians and the Mass Media details changing interactions between Indians and the media and provide history and contemporary practices involved in Native American image and representation. These are historical studies that consider treatment of Indians in America's first newspaper, in Life magazine's images, in early Cherokee newspapers, and in syndicated feature stories of Elmo Scott Watson, with chapters addressing contemporary issues such as movies and TV programs that are running contrary to popular images of the "movie Indian" of the past. The result is a solid exploration of mainstream American media's impact on the Indians and the evolution of counter forces reflecting authentic tribal voices in modern media settings. A fine recommendation for Native and journalism collections alike.


The World History Shelf

Japan Emerging
Karl F. Friday
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813344836, $49.00, www.westviewpress.com

JAPAN EMERGING: PREMODERN HISTORY TO 1850 provides a powerful survey of the changes modern Japan has experienced, and offers original essays by leading authorities on major themes and issues experienced by Japan from prehistory to modern times. Experts in all fields of pre-history contribute to the overall survey that provides a strong focus on how and why Japanese political, social and economic life evolved. Each section identifies key questions and issues, making for a fine pick for any college collection looking for a primer to supplement classroom discussions.


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


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