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The Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
100 Skills You'll Need for the End of the World (As We Know It)
Ana Maria Spagna
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781612124568, $14.95, www.storey.com
100 Skills You'll Need for the End of the World (As We Know It) is a survivor's guide to all
kinds of situations, whether they be shipwrecks, economic ruin, or anything else, and covers
everything from foraging techniques to hiding, harnessing horses or mules, grafting plants, home
brewing and hoarding, and more. Each skill is treated to a fine color drawing by Brian Cronin
and a quick treatment that entertains and instructs. Leisure readers and survivalists alike will find
it easy, inviting, and filled with a wider range of concerns than most survivalist books (what
competitor would include 'daydreaming' in the mix, for example?).
Desk Notes From Frank to Make Humans Smile
Frank, LLC
Quarto Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
9781631061257, $12.99, www.qbookshop.com
Desk Notes From Frank to Make Humans Smile provides a stationary set pairing fun images and
snarky quotes by the From Frank dog posse, from bulldog Frank, the group's leader, to grump
Lab Walter, chubby English bulldog Big Louie, and tabby cat Izzy, known for being sexy and
sassy. These fun quotes pack some 250 sheets of advice in a production that toes the line between
stationary set and advice book.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
The Accidental Indexer
Nan Badgett
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781573875141, $39.50, www.infotoday.com
The Accidental Indexer offers an authoritative guide to the indexing profession, reviewing the
field, its specialties, and how to begin and run a freelance indexing business. Would-be indexers
as well as professionals who want strategies for handling deadlines, keeping a work-life balance,
and creating new work for indexing will find this filled with information specific to the indexing
industry. Checklists, forms, and training and professional development complete the information
in a reference recommended for librarians, professionals and would-be career seekers in
indexing.
59 Reasons to Write
Kate Messner
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781625310033, $23.00, www.stenhouse.com
59 Reasons to Write: Mini-Lessons, Prompts, and Inspiration for Teachers shows teachers and
librarians who teach writing how to become a writer, and covers the basics of a process that
encourages teachers to become part of the writing community, thereby teaching by example. The
book grew out of an online summer writing camp, Teachers Write, and provides a series of daily
lessons, inspirations, admonitions and assignments designed to get teachers in the writing mode.
The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any teacher who wants motivation to
move forward in their own work.
The Cookbook Shelf
The Cheese Lover's Cookbook
Emily Chambers & Whitney Lindlsey
Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
9781462115907, $16.99, www.cedarfort.com
From Greek Feta Salad and Au Gratin Potatoes to a Ham and Cheese Breakfast strata, The
Cheese Lover's Cookbook comes packed with dishes that are loaded with flavor and different
kinds of cheeses, and provide everything from breakfast fare and main course dishes to desserts.
It's a collection that holds bright full-page color photos on each facing page and which features
recipes that are easy to put together. The result is a collection packed with flavorful ideas that are
surprisingly simple to put together, yet loaded with flavor.
Wild Gourmet
Boulud, Chiarello, Leysath, Shaw, et.al.
Boone and Crockett Club
250 Station Drive, Missoula, MT 59801
9780940864931, $34.95, www.booneandcrockettclub.com
Wild Gourmet: Naturally Healthy Game, Fish and Fowl Recipes for Everyday Chefs teaches new
ways of preparing wild game: easy recipes that produce guaranteed results along with tips for
processing venison to achieve maximum flavor. All that's required is access to fresh game. Wild
Gourmet gathers top chef's recipes and covers a range of wild meats and flavors. It provides
step-by-step recipes for fish, wild boar and deer, quail, and more, and it doesn't assume cooks are
familiar with cooking with wild game or using wild meats in dishes. Hunters, sportsmen, and
home cooks will find this an accessible introduction packed with fresh flavors and new
preparation ideas perfect for making the most of fresh-caught wild game.
The Outdoor Table
April McKinney
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.thomasnelson.com
9780718022198, $26.99, www.thomasnelson.com
The Outdoor Table: The Ultimate Cookbook for Your Next Backyard BBQ, Front-Porch Meal,
Tailgate, or Picnic packs in nearly two hundred recipes under one cover for foods that travel well
and lend to gatherings, and is perfect for summertime enjoyment. The outdoor table provides all
the keys to creating portable dishes for picnics, country gatherings, and more, and provides
inspiration perfect for any who would enjoy sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit drinks, and more. The
emphasis on portability means that prepared dishes won't all apart when transported and will
remain fresh, not soggy or tired, when presented for lunch, dinner or snacks.
The Broad Fork
Hugh Acheson
Clarkson Potter Publishers
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780385345028, $35.00, www.clarksonpotter.com
The Broad Fork: Recipes for the Wide World of Vegetables and Fruits provides recipes based on
more than fifty farmers' market vegetables - some two hundred in all - and includes many
lesser-known vegetables alongside familiar fare. Another plus to this cookbook is that dishes
aren't just sides, but include pickles, purees and sauces, and more. An arrangement by season and
vegetable type (i.e. 'Bok Choy, Tatsoi, Chard & Other Tasty Winter Greens') makes it easy to
locate specific kinds of vegetable dishes, while recipes such as Salsify and Oyster Stew with
Toast, Roasted Beet Soup with Hard-Boiled Egg and Celery Cream, and Lobster with Peas and
Seared Fingerling Potatoes offer a satisfying range of appealing dishes. The result is a collection
strong in under-utilized vegetables, offering new ways to look at old favorites and insights on
how to make the most of vegetables that are lesser-known.
The Yilna Vegetarian Cookbook
Fania Lewando
Schocken Books
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.schocken.com
9780805243277, $30.00, www.schocken.com
The Yilna Vegetarian Cookbook: Garden-Fresh Recipes Rediscovered and Adapted for Today's
Kitchen is translated by Eve Jochnowitz from the Yiddish, presenting a collection of four
hundred recipes from traditional Jewish dishes to vegetarian versions of holiday dishes. Lewando
owned a popular vegetarian restaurant in Lithuania and while she died during World War II, in
1995 a couple attending an antiquarian book fair in England came upon her cookbook where it
was donated to the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, translated, and here appears for new
audiences. Paired with lovely color illustrations throughout, this represents both a vegetarian
culinary treasure and a fine addition to Jewish history collections.
The Beer/Wine Shelf
Modern Homebrew Recipes
Gordon Strong
Brewers Publications
P.O. Box 1679, Boulder, CO 80306
9781938469145, $19.95, www.brewersassociation.org
Modern Homebrew Recipes: Exploring Styles and Contemporary Techniques provides fine
advice for different kinds of homebrewed craft beers, and comes from a seasoned beer judge and
author who surveys brewing styles, mashing and hopping techniques, and basic recipes and how
to customize them for the desired effects. Over one hundred recipes accompany discussions of
different techniques, brewing options, equipment and software, and more, moving beyond most
recipe-oriented collections to consider how different flavors are achieved from different
ingredients and approaches to home brewing. The result is a top recommendation for any home
brewer.
The American History Shelf
Showdown in the Big Quiet
John P. Bieter, Jr.
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780906729032, $39.95, www.ttupress.org
Showdown in the Big Quiet: Land, Myth, and Government in the American West covers the
history and controversy surrounding Owyhee County, Idaho, known as the 'Big Quiet', the
largest, least inhabited area in the lower 48 states. Surprisingly its very isolation has led to
conflicts - including violent mine wars in the mid-19th century - over its use, pitting American
against government and challenging historical interpretations of the West. College-level readers
of American environmental history will find this a powerful survey of how settlers and
corporations acquired land and pushed out Native Americans, revealing the myths and facts of
the Big Quiet in particular and placing it in historical perspective with the rest of the West. The
result is an analysis of power struggles and expansion and uses a single remote region to illustrate
land battles and more.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Urgent Interventional Therapies
Nicholas Kopshidze, et.al. Editors
Wiley Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
9780470672020, $235.00, www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
Urgent Interventional Therapies focuses on urgent procedures performed in critical cases of
cardiovascular disease, and differentiates between urgent interventions and those designed to
treat and manage chronic conditions. It narrows the focus to cardiovascular and peripheral artery
disease, gathers works by some of the world's foremost cardiovascular experts, and supplements
their articles and insights with the work of a team of authors who add expert research and
analysis. Any cardio interventionist or radiologist interested in the processes and applications of
urgent interventions will find this packed with technical expert advice on all stages of
treatment.
Healing Gotham
Bruce F. Berg
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421415994, $34.95, www.press.jhu.edu
Healing Gotham: New York City's Public Health Policies for the Twenty-First Century charts the
rise and incidence of five serious public heath threats: childhood lead poisoning, childhood
asthma, HIV/AIDS, obesity, and West Nile virus, and considers the various tools used by health
officials and policy makers to control public health problems. He analyzes contributing social
factors - race and ethnicity - and makes a case for how various social forces affect the managing
of illnesses in the public arena. Scholars and students can thus compare public health policies and
can understand how these policies are developed and implemented around the country, using
New York City's practices as a foundation for analysis and examination.
The Audiobook Shelf
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachetteaudio.com
David Baldacci's Memory Man (9781478929987, $40.00) is narrated by Ron McLarty with
Orlagh Cassidy and provides a fine story of one Amos Decker, whose life moved from a
promising career as an athlete to a 'disability' that leads him to never forget anything. This talent
lends more to investigation than athletics - and so Amos moves into the field of law as a police
detective, only to find his family murdered and destroyed by an elusive killer. He leaves the force
- but is called back in when unusual crimes threaten Baltimore - and he must call on all his gifts
to get to the bottom of not only present-day events, but his memories of the past. The resulting,
gripping narrative comes alive in audio. Nelson DeMille's Radiant Angel (9781478953241,
$40.00) is narrated by Scott Brick, whose firm and revealing voice lends well to the story of a
political game, terrorism, and a new assignment. Corey realizes the threat in a newly-strong
Russia - and when a colonel posing as a diplomat in the Russian Mission vanishes, it's up to him
to find him - which immerses him in Russian politics and a possible nuclear threat called 'radiant
angel'. The result is a tense thriller that comes to life in audio.
The Computer Shelf
Teach Your Kids to Code
Bryson Payne
No Starch Press
38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-4403
9781593275990, $29.95, www.nostarch.com
Teach Your Kids to Code: A Parent-Friendly Guide to Python Programming provides an
introduction to the Python programming language for parents who want to teach kids the basics
of Python programming, and offers parents and teachers a user's guide to teaching kids the basics
of programming and problem solving using Python. Step-by-step explanations teach kids about
analytical thinking and computations while instructions on basic programming concepts lead
young programmers to learn how to build their own games. From encoding and decoding
messages to calculations in games, this offers a blend of introductory programming and
kid-friendly activities for kids ages 9 and older, and is a pick for any who would learn
programming basics at an early age.
The Parenting Shelf
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
"8 Keys to Raising the Quirky Child: How to Help a Kid Who Doesn't Quite Fit In"
(9780393709209, $19.95) provides tips and strategies for parents of kids who are different, and
who thus experience problems fitting in and making friends. The difference may lie in
personality, behaviors, interests and hobbies, or how they play: they're not on the autism
spectrum but neither are they part of the norm. This book defines such quirks and provides
parents with ideas for understanding their children, development norms, and how to help their
kids function in social settings. It's a lovely survey parents will find unique and filled with
practical ideas. Michael Mascolo's "8 Keys to Old School Parenting for Modern-Day Families"
(9780393709360, $19.95) blends psychology and psychotherapy in a guide designed to help
parents understand their role and their influence on a child's emotional development. From
strategies to motivate compliance to encouraging problem-solving skills, handling conflict, and
communicating better, this book helps parents raise strong children who are emotionally secure
and engaged in their environments, and is a pick for parents who want to blend modern
perspectives with old-fashioned morality and ethical standards. Both are key discussions that
should be in any parenting library.
The Christian Studies Shelf
Dignity and Destiny
John F. Kilner
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802867643, $35.00, www.eerdmans.com
Dignity and Destiny: Humanity in the Image of God explores that the Bible says about humanity
being in God's image, considering all the Biblical references to the image of God and
documenting common misunderstandings and how their origins often lie in misinterpretation. It
considers the impact of sin on God's image, what factors lay in humanity's renewal in God's
image, what passages indicate people can expect a new life in Christ, and more, and it provides
thinking Christians with philosophical as well as spiritual points of reflection. The result is a
powerful survey that will attract theologians and Christian readers interested in philosophical and
spiritual reflection.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Blood of the Cosmos
Kevin J. Anderson
Tor
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780765333001, $27.99, www.tor-forge.com
Blood of the Cosmos: The Saga of Shadows Book Two is a top pick for fans of the space opera
genre and offers the second book of the trilogy, in which humans and Ildirans, having escaped
annihilation at the hands of the Shana Rei, are facing deadly black clouds that absorb all life.
Alien refugees may threaten all - but as the clouds attack worlds, an alliance among competing
forces may produce the only kind of weapon to drive them back. Familiarity with the prior book
in the series is a prerequisite to the successful appreciation of this follow-up to the epic: an
engrossing and enchanting story of survival, alliances, and uncertain survival that is as
engrossing as Wheel of Time and other detailed universes.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Purl Up and Die
Maggie Sefton
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425258446, $25.95, www.penguin.com
Purl Up and Die provides another lovely blend of recipes and knitting patterns as it tells of Kelly
Flynn's summer in Colorado, which is supposed to be steeped in romantic celebrations and
knitting classes, but which turns into murder when a young woman accuses her friend's son of
assaulting her - and when she is then found dead, making the son the top suspect. The police
think it's an open-and-shut case but Kelly's work proves otherwise in a fun knitting mystery that
will appeal to any who love knitting, recipes, and intrigue.
The Fiction Shelf
A God in Ruins
Kate Atkinson
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316176538, $28.00, www.littlebrown.com
A God in Ruins provides a companion to Atkinson's best-selling Life After Life, in a fashion: but
don't expect the same focus on reincarnated life that drove its predecessor; for this sequel is about
war and recovery and is a sequel primarily in its focus on one of the characters, Teddy, who is
Ursula's little brother. It stands well alone as it tells of the world through Teddy's eyes as he
moves from a military fighter to becoming a father, husband, and grandfather and moves through
his changing world. Readers who enjoyed the life changes and perspectives of Life After Life
will find A God in Ruins doesn't employ the same device but does succeed in fleshing out the
perspective and story of Teddy quite nicely, making it a winning novel for those who would
experience life's changes through one character's perspective and evolving world.
The Political Science Shelf
Clinton Cash
Peter Schweizer
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062369284, $27.99, www.harpercollins.com
Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped
Make Bill and Hillary Rich tells of how the Clintons left the White House owing millions in
legal debt - and how they have earned over, $130 million since. Most assume this largess comes
from book deals and speaking engagements - but many will be surprised to discover that many of
these gigs paid up to, $750,000. Why, and who paid these fees? Schweizer reveals the special
interests at work in these events, discussing various scenarios of enormous contributions made to
the Clintons by those who stood to benefit from them. As an eye-opening story of politics gone
awry, it will provide food for thought not just into the Clintons, but into the process of political
gifting and a reward system with dubious ethical connections.
Constitutional Calculus
Jeff Suzuki
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421415956, $34.95, www.press.jhu.edu
Constitutional Calculus: The Math of Justice and the Myth of Common Sense considers what
would happen if we replaced the electoral college with a direct popular vote, and analyzes the
social and political impact of such a move. Mathematician Jeff Suzuki maintains that the popular
ideal of letting common sense prevail actually is not a good foundation for change, arguing that
common sense based traditions developed in quite a different world might not apply today. His
book considers how math reveals flaws, provides answers, and offers more concrete insights,
promoting the idea that math offers a superior decision-making foundation than common sense
could provide. The result is a powerful survey that is a 'must' for any political science reader.
The Social Issues Shelf
The Silencing
Kirsten Powers
Regnery Publishing
300 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781621573708, $27.99, www.regnery.com
The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech details the left's tactics of shutting down
debates on modern issues - despite the thought that it's the right who tends to do the same - and
comes from a lifelong liberal, not a right-wing Republican - so it holds much food for thought.
Powers identifies the "illiberal left" and its mission of silencing dissent, exploring how opinions
are delegitimized and how rhetoric substitutes for real debate in the political arena. If this book
had come from a right-wing Republican, it might be less intriguing: the fact that lifelong
self-proclaimed liberal Powers makes a case for problems in liberal thinking makes this
especially intriguing and accessible for any who would examine the liberal mindset and its
problems.
The Education Shelf
The Great Disconnect in Early Childhood Education
Michael Gramling
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605543994, $24.95, www.redleafpress.org
The Great Disconnect in Early Childhood Education presents a new approach for early childhood
educators who may know much about how children learn, but less about how that connects to
classroom choices. With a system that advocates rote learning, young children are less
encouraged to use play and exploration as learning devices: this book identifies the problems,
provides a history of how this educational focus came to be, and, most importantly, uses real-life
examines to show how to improve communication with young children. Highly recommended.
Teaching Arguments
Jennifer Fletcher
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571109996, $26.00, www.stenhouse.com
Teaching Arguments: Rhetorical Comprehension, Critique, and Response provides teachers with
classroom activities, writing prompts, and student samples to help students learn how to write,
read and think rhetorically, and is a recommendation for teachers looking to help students
analyze texts to form persuasive arguments and debates. It outlines the basics of the rhetorical
approach to argument which can apply from high school into college and, in many cases, to life's
challenges. The process involves evaluation, assessment, understanding audience and speech
dynamics, and written word alike, and is a powerful survey for any teacher seeking to help
students hone their analytical abilities.
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com
Margery B. Ginsberg's Excited to Learn: Motivation and Culturally Responsive Teaching
(9781452259536, $32.95) helps teachers to identify and form teaching methods around natural
curiosity, creating a learning environment that takes curriculum and tailors it to a
research-validated model to foster inspiration, motivation, and insight. Templates, protocols, and
directions provide keys to handling culturally diverse classrooms and introduces the concept of a
motivational framework to teachers who may not have had this background. The specific
strategies can easily apply to different subjects and approaches. The result is a solid guide for any
teacher looking to instill excitement into the learning process. Lee Jenkins' Optimize Your
School: It's All About the Strategy (9781483382890, $34.95) is for school leaders looking for
concrete methods of analyzing whether or not a school is heading in the right direction, and
comes from a school advisor who has worked with different districts in the process of
transforming school culture. Each chapter reviews strategies, offers insights on the evaluative and
leadership process, and shows how to apply basic principles of continuous strategic improvement
to the achievement of a healthier school culture. Russell J. Quaglia, et.al.'s Student Voice: Turn
Up the Volume K-8 Activity Book (9781483382784, $25.00) provides activities for inspiring and
involving students at this grade level and offers teachers ideas designed to help students achieve
on a different level than the usual classroom approaches have traditionally offered. By organizing
content around activities that support self-expression, create values, reinforce dreams and
encourage student engagement, as well as keeping with the intentions of Common Core, 21st
Century Skills, Student Voice: Turn Up the Volume K-8 Activity Book provides a rich and
varied resource teachers will appreciate. Chris McGaughy and Andrea Venezia's Supporting the
Dream: High School-College Partnerships for College and Career Readiness (9781483316819,
$28.95) discusses how to build strong working relationships for high school graduates who want
to succeed, and teaches the basics of creating cross-system partnerships among schools and local
communities to help educators support their forthcoming high school grads. From connecting
policies and practices so that these cross-partnership efforts work smoothly together to building
plans to assure success whether it be in the workplace or in college, this manual offers educators
an opportunity to use a systematic framework to guide students through this critical phase in their
lives. Dionne V. McLaughlin's Insights: How Expert Principals Make Difficult Decisions
(9781483351193, $22.00) shows principals how to tackle hard decisions by providing case
studies of actual situations faced in the real world. From checklists and frameworks for handling
difficult situations to keeping professional values in mind when crafting solutions, this survey
comes from a former elementary and secondary school administrator and blends research-based
strategies with an analysis for school principals that doesn't just tackle unique situations, but
provides a solid problem-solving formula for success.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Afterlife Healing Circle
Candace L. Talmadge and Jana L. Simons
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
9781601633736, $14.99, www.newpagebooks.com
The Afterlife Healing Circle: How Anyone Can Contact the Other Side describes a practice that
will enable not just reconnections with the other side, but newfound guidance for afterlife
awareness. It discusses various methods for contacting the dearly departed and understanding
those who have either passed on or are being reborn, and it discusses how to contact these spirits.
One of the most interesting contentions here is a belief that "...if more of us were in conscious
and frequent communication with our guides, there would be a lot fewer instances of hauntings,
diabolic home invasions, and even possession, all of which are far more common than the media
or religious authorities care to admit." This, and its focus on how ordinary people can make
contact and enjoy healing as a result, makes for a unique and involving survey.
Way of the Bushman As Told By the Tribal Elders
Bradford Keeney, PhD and Hillary Keeney, PhD
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591432050, $18.00, www.bearandcompanybooks.com
Way of the Bushman As Told By the Tribal Elders: Spiritual Teachings and Practices of the
Kalahari Jul'hoansi is told in the Bushman's own words and provides a series of insightful
teachings on how they receive direct transmissions of God's words through the universal life
force. Such is an inspired feeling of love that lends to heightened awareness, mystical
experiences, and newfound perceptions of the world that awaken spiritual wisdom, and may be
inherent in legends as well as teachings and experiences. This focus on the Bushmen of the
Kahahari gathers the core teachings of the tribal elders and uses their own words to reveal these
processes, making for a coverage that is precise and purposeful in its discussions.
Manual of Psychomagic
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620551073, $19.95, www.innertraditions.com
Manual of Psychomagic: The Practice of Shamanic Psychotherapy blends spirituality, new age
concerns and psychology as it considers the unconscious mind, rational thought, and how to
reach into the unconscious using dreams, poetry, and symbolism to overcome repressed
memories and emotions. Psychomagic spells here come from the filmmaker and creator of
psychomagic, who provides some 200 solutions for a range of psychological and physical
problems from stuttering to eczema and more. Solutions use emotional connections to inject
symbolism that enables one to pay the psychological debts that have become barriers to real
understanding. Readers should ideally be grounded in psychology and new age spiritual thinking
to appreciate his unique approach.
The Botany Shelf
Famous Trees of Texas
Gretchen Riley and Peter D. Smith
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
9781623492380, $35.00, www.tamupress.com
The centennial edition of Famous Trees of Texas traces the history and horticulture of some of
the state's famous trees, appears in a centennial edition, and celebrates all kinds of tree and state
history in the process of appearing in the hundredth anniversary of the Texas Forest Service.
Over a hundred trees are featured and provide a range of stories and insights into trees in general,
Texas history and culture, and tree history and relationships particular to Texas. The result is a
lively read that will interest two audiences: those with an appreciation for Texas history and
those interested in Texas forestry and trees.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
life.love.beauty
Keegan Allen
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9781250065704, $29.99, www.stmartins.com
life.love.beauty comes from an actor, photographer, and musician who is known from the hit
show 'Pretty Little Liars', who here uses camera and written word to explore his personal
experiences with Hollywood and its inhabitants. It uses his photography, prose and poetry to
capture his life growing up just off the Sunset Strip, becoming a young actor, looking for love
and fame in Hollywood, and landing a major role in a hit television series, but provides just as
powerful a documentary of his course through life. The result is a blend of memoir and
Hollywood insider's expose and will delight any who are followers of the sights, sounds, and
magic that is Hollywood.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
House Guests
Richard Jones
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781472906236, $28.00, www.bloomsbury.com
House Guests: A Natural History of Animals in the Home covers a number of domestic animals,
pets and pets and focuses on how animals live in the home environment. It includes bats in the
attic, cellar denizens, moths, mosquitoes, and various beetles and louses and it includes pest
control efforts, a history of homes and invaders, and more. While the tone is lively, the book is
loaded with natural history and facts, making it a fine acquisition for science, nature, and
general-interest collections alike.
The Fashion Shelf
Fifty Fashion Designers That Changed the World
The Design Museum & Lauren Cochrane
Conran
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781840916812, $20.00, www.octopusbooksusa.com
Fifty Fashion Designers That Changed the World provides a new title in the Design Museum
Fifty series published in conjunction with London's Design Museum, and follows on the success
of other 'Fifty' arts titles covering significant people and events in international design. This book
traces the works of a number of pioneers, examining their influences, creations, and their lasting
impact on fashion as a whole. Full-page color photos of models and designers accompany a
facing page that places their works and approach in historical perspective, making for a visually
inviting introduction perfect for newcomers to design and those who want a solid historical
survey.
The Travel Shelf
Road Trip USA
Jamie Jensen
Moon Handbooks
c/o Avalon Travel
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781612389028, $29.99, www.roadtripusa.com
Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways covers over
35,000 miles of routes and cross-references the routes to allow for numerous itineraries and
possibilities, making for an approach that goes beyond the usual documentation of roads and
byroads to create a rich traveler's compendium of road trip ideas. The page color coding, small
maps, color photos throughout, and sidebars of information all lend to browsing and quick
review, but it's the format that offers unique opportunities to customize, change, or revise routes.
It's hard to put together a road trip guide that lends to browsing and at-a-glance information alike,
but the style and approach of Road Trip USA accomplishes both and makes it a take-along 'must'
for any American road traveler.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Applique: The Basics & Beyond
Janet Pittman
Landauer Publishing
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726623, $24.95, www.landauerpub.com
Applique: The Basics & Beyond provides a guide to machine and hand techniques alike, and
packs in over a hundred forty pages of visuals perfect for beginners and those who are looking to
learn new techniques. It builds on basics and uses hundreds of step-by-step photos to explain the
various machine and hand techniques, and it details stitching instructions, tells when to use
different techniques, and includes projects so that users can test their newfound skills. The result
is a collection of patterns, projects, and instructions perfect for those who want to either learn the
basics or build on what they have.
The Biography Shelf
The Obelisk and the Englishman
Dorothy U. Seyler
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633880368, $26.00, www.prometheusbooks.com
The Obelisk and the Englishman: The Pioneering Discoveries of Egyptologist William Bankes
tells of a pioneer in Egyptian studies who discovered the King List - a call listing Egyptian kings
in chronological order - and uncovered an obelisk which he had sent back to England. Despite
the fact that he was the first European to make sketches and site plans of Petra and more, his
name has largely gone unheralded outside of the field, and this rich book covering his life,
influences, and times will appeal to a wide range of audiences, covering his homosexuality,
persecution, his travels and love of the arts, and his key contributions to Egyptian research. It's a
powerful survey, highly recommended for history and general-interest readers alike.
John Mullan
Keith C. Petersen
Washington State University Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
9780874223217, $32.95, www.wsupress.wsu.edu
John Mullan: The Tumultuous Life of a Western Road Builder discusses the man responsible for
a 625-mile link that connected the Missouri and Columbia Rivers: a West Point graduate who
completed the Northwest's first engineered highway at age thirty-two. When he died twenty-five
years later, he saw automobiles making crossings along his route, which would become a link in
America's longest interstate freeway, I-90. Much has been said about this road but the
soldier/explorer who built one of the West's most important byways has all but vanished from
history - until now. This represents the first in-depth survey of his life and provides a biography
that should be in any Northwest history collection. From Mullan's knack for logistics to his
participation in bridge-planning and road building, this biography not only considers his life; but
in so doing traces how he participated in the development of the Pacific Northwest.
Henry David Thoreau
Tim Flinders, Editor
Orbis Books
Price Building, Box 302, Maryknoll NY 10545-0302
9781626981102, $22.00, www.orbisbooks.com
Henry David Thoreau: Spiritual and Prophetic Writings is a biography that embraces a healthy
dose of spiritual and philosophical reflection as it gathers classic writings in an anthology which
gives a narrowed focus on his prophetic works from his journeys, correspondence, and more.
From Thoreau's cultivation of privacy so he can tap his spiritual roots and writings more
effectively to getting a living and living life well, these works are powerful reflections of
Thoreau's evolution and his spiritual sentiments, and are a top pick for any collection seeking a
wider-ranging gathering of his more spiritual thoughts.
The Art Shelf
The Art of Forgery
Noah Charney
Phaidon Press
Regent's Wharf, All Saints Street, London, England, N1 9PA
9780714867458, $35.00, www.phaidon.com
The Art of Forgery: The Minds, Motives and Methods of Master Forgers details the efforts and
history of art forgery from early to modern times, and considers the talent, subterfuge, and efforts
that go into forging a piece of art, and the forensic science and investigations of exposing these
works. It considers psychological profiles of the forgers who have faked great art pieces and
conned the public, it examines their motivations and methods, and it uses 30 case studies,
accompanied by many full- and half-page photo illustrations throughout, to explore the history
and works of master forgers. The result is a fine survey of fakes, originals, and forgery that even
moves into realm of archaeology and beyond: a masterful and lively chronicle that belongs in not
only art, but general interest libraries.
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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