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The Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 1 January 2007 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice International Studies Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Military Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Hunting/Fishing Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Poetry Shelf Humor Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Music Shelf Art Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Railroading Shelf Civil War Shelf
Travel Shelf Economics Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf
Crafts Shelf American History Shelf Automotive Shelf
Education Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Biography Shelf Christian Studies Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Ganong
David Folster
Goose Lane Editions
500 Beverbrook Court, Suite 330, Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5X4
0864924801, $24.95 www.gooselane.com 1-888-926-8377

James and Gilbert Ganong opened their grocery story in 1873 and found that candy was a best selling, motivating them to invent what would eventually be more than 1100 different kinds of chocolates and confections, making them one of the world's leading candy-makers. "Ganong: A Sweet History Of Chocolate" is a wonderfully illustrated and fascinatingly presented history of the Ganong family and their business from its humble beginnings in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada, down to its present international status as a unique niche candy-maker in a world dominated by super-sized conglomerates. For the past 133 years, Ganong's chocolates have earned a number of 'firsts' that include the first All-Day Sucker, the five-cent chocolate nut bar, and that Maritime Christmas favorite – the Chicken Bone. They were the first company in Canada to use the heart-shaped chocolate box, first for Christmas, and then for Valentine's Day. Profusely illustrated throughout, "Ganong: A Sweet History Of Chocolate" is an inherently fascinating account of five generations of Ganongs who have worked in the family factory (still located in St. Stephen) and enthusiastically recommended reading!

Vandamere Press
P.O. Box 149, Saint Petersburg, FL 33731
www.vandamere.com

Andy J. Byers' THE IMPERFECT SPY: THE INSIDE STORY OF A CONVICTED SPY (0918339669, $24.95) offers the biography of one George Trofimoff, an American civil servant convicted in 2001 of spying throughout the Cold War for the Soviet Union. Plenty of insights on Russian/U.S. relations of the times permeates his story as it follows his early years living as a Russian refuge in pre-World War II Germany to his American citizenship and progress through the intelligence community. It's this progressive attention to changing social times paired with insights on an evolving life and evolving beliefs leading to espionage choices which makes THE IMPERFECT SPY so compelling a read. Philip Bigler's IN HONORED GLORY: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY: THE FINAL POST (0918339677, $16.95) comes from a historian and educator who covers the history and future of the Arlington National Cemetery in a new updated fourth edition survey. What is contained here is expanded coverage of ceremonial units, and the impact of modern war outcomes – including the war on terrorism – on the cemetery's institution. IN HONORED GLORY, as an insider's view and survey, makes for an important historical guide to internment and honor alike.


The International Studies Shelf

Borders and Bridges
Stewart Brewer
Praeger
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275982041 $49.95 www.praeger.com

BORDERS AND BRIDGES: A HISTORY OF US-LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS is required college-level reading for any who would approach the modern dilemmas of border protection armed with a historical approach. Here the changing relationship between the U.S. and Latin America is examined over the decades with an attention to US/Latin American collaboration and changing social and political interrelationships. From competition between differing political systems to changing military approaches, BORDERS AND BRIDGES is a 'must' for any in-depth analysis.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Regaining Bladder Control
Rebecca G. Rogers, MD, et. al.
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr., Amherst, NY 14228-2197
1591024161 $22.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

REGAINING BLADDER CONTROL: WHAT EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW covers a very treatable and very common problem. Many women may know of it – but few know that urinary incontinence is very treatable: there are both behavioral changes and exercises that improve the continence of eight in ten women.

The "I Hate To Exercise" Book
Charlotte hayes
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580402534, $14.95 www.diabetes.org 1-800-342-2383

One of the most difficult life-style changes that the newly diagnosed diabetic must deal with is that of proper, regular exercise. Exercise, along with an appropriate diet, blood sugar level monitoring, and medications, is an essential part of diabetes self-care. Exercise also helps the diabetic cope with this life-time disability both emotionally and physically. Now the American Diabetes Association has published a newly expanded and updated second edition of "The 'I Hate To Exercise' Book" by Charlotte Hayes, a nutrition and fitness consultant who has specialized in diabetes management and education for the last seventeen years. Readers will discover how to ease their way into more daily physical activity; build an active lifestyle based on their own daily routines; create fun low-impact walking programs; set realistic exercise goals, chart them, and so much more. Just beginning with five minutes a day, even the most sedentary diabetic will be able to lift their mood, lighten their weight, burn calories while building muscle, reduce stress levels, acquire more energy, look and feel great, and acquire the motivation to pursue their diabetic self-care practices with a growing satisfaction. "The 'Hate To Exercise" Book" should be considered 'must' reading for anyone diagnosed with diabetes who finds the thought of daily exercise intimidating or unappealing.

ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines
American College of Sports Medicine
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
0736051538 $52.00 www.HumanKinetics.com 1-800-747-4457

Now in a newly revised third edition incorporating most current information from the American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines is a straightforward explanation of the proper standards and guidelines to follow in creating and operating health and fitness facilities. ACSM's Health/Fitness Facility Standards and Guidelines covers all aspects of facility management, recommendations concerning technological advances such as automated external defibrillators, ACSM position statements and information from "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing an Prescription (2006)", and much more. The appendices and supplements outweigh the main text, offering everything from dimensions and markings for pools and courts or fields to illumination requirements for different competitive levels of indoor tennis play to sample preventive maintenance schedules for various types of equipment. An absolute "must-have" for anyone responsible for fitness facilities, from private gyms to community, school, workplace, hotel, and spa facilities.

The Schatz Technique
Bernard Schatz, P.T.
Ascara Publishing
536 Pantops Center, #105, Charlottesville, VI 22911
0977470717 $34.95 www.theschatztechnique.com

Written by expert physical therapist Bernard Schatz, The Schatz Technique: Loving Touch Can Change the World and Reverse Chronic Pain is an extensive discussion of chronic pain caused by contracted tissues that press on nerves, and means to treat it. A disclaimer at the beginning of the Schatz Technique instructs chronic pain sufferers to visit a doctor first; even though doctors are not always trained to diagnose or treat soft tissue dysfunction, they are skilled at detecting other medical problems, from vertebral fractures to various disease processes, that are beyond the scope of The Schatz Technique. The Schatz Technique is different from massage, or massage therapy; the focus is upon exploring tight, contracted fibrotic tissue with the aid of a proper lotion, and gradually coaxing the intense knot of dysfunctional tissue to normalize - to be fully effective, a session usually needs to last at least two hours. The Schatz Technique offers chapters specific to arthritic pain, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, ear pain, knee pain, "logger's hand", neck pain, rotator cuff syndrome, sprained ankle, tennis elbow, and many other types. Perhaps most valuable of all, The Schatz Technique gives detailed instructions for treating one's own pain with the power of one's own touch - no drugs or surgery, given that a doctor has already ruled out causes for which drugs or surgery are the best cure. An utterly invaluable self-treatment aid for anyone who has been given the runaround by the medical establishment while seeking help for pain, and highly recommended for massage and physical therapists seeking to expand their repertoire of healing techniques.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Llewellyn Worldwide
Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
www.llewellyn.com

Anna-Marie Ferguson's THE LLEWELLYN TAROT offers up something different in the way of Tarot card sets: a deck which is based on the medieval world of the Welsh and which offers insights into a mystic Celtic world as well as Tarot. A 78-card, full color deck accompanies the lovely 288-page book and golden beaded brocade tarot bag for the cards, making this a lovely gift set recommendation. Laurie Faria Stolarz's books are literally enchanting, so it's a treat to see them offered in a unified set in THE BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES COLLECTION (0738709883, $29.95). Here are her signature Wiccan guides RED IS FOR REMEMBRANCE, SILVER IS FOR SECRETS, WHITE IS FOR MAGIC, BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES packaged in a handsome boxed set for durability and easy consultation. Both sets are top picks for gifts.


The Military Shelf

Dances in Deep Shadows
Michael Occleshaw
Carroll & Graf
245 West 17th Street, 11th Floor, New York NY 10011
0786717890 $26.00 www.carrollandgraf.com

DANCES IN DEEP SHADOWS: THE CLANDESTINE WAR IN RUSSIA 1917-20 provides the setting of 1917 Russia, when a Bolshevik coup set the stage for socialism and vanished a capitalist structure in the country – but it goes beyond most facts in examining the underlying influence and sentiments of the Bolsheviks, who used an alliance with Germany to protect their regime and destroy the opposition to their plans. DANCES IN DEEP SHADOWS goes beyond most histories of the era to examine the complex, interconnected political interactions of Russia with other countries, adding in new information to reveal elements of espionage, subterfuge and manipulation. When added into the picture, these elements go farther than most in explaining the rise of socialism in the country.

Uniforms of the German Soldier
Alejandro M. de Quesada
Greenhill Books
c/o MBI, Distributors
380 Jackson Street Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101-3885
1853677086 $34.95 www.mbipublishing.com

If the title sounds familiar, it's because the author's already done one on the topic covering another era: Uniforms of the German Soldier's subtitle is 'An Illustrated History from 1870 to the end of World War I', adding to the information by packing in black and white photos, military history, and uniform specifics for the time period. Even more importantly, contrasts between German uniforms and those of their opposition allows for excellent insights and analysis.

The Eastern Front
Steve Crawford
Potomac Books, Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166-2012
1597970115 $19.95 www.potomacbooksinc.com 1-800-775-2518

On June 22, 1941, preceded by a massive artillery and aerial bombardment along the entire 2,000-mile border, three million German troops and their allies, along with 3,330 tanks, smashed into the Soviet Union in a military campaign that Adolph Hitler thought would be over in just four months. Four years later, thirty-five million Soviets and five million Germans had been killed in a campaign left the western USSR, Eastern Europe, and German itself, with a gutted landscape, and millions of civilians homeless. "The Eastern Front Day By Day, 1941-45" is a photographic chronology that includes key battles on land, at sea, and in the air, including the great encirclement engagements of 1941 at Minsk, Smolensk, Kieve, Leningrad, Stalingrad, Kursk, and Operation Bagration. Featuring sidebars on all the principle commanders who led the German and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front, as well as the events that occurred on both sides and influenced the war (including the SS and Einsatzgruppen murder squads), the technological advances in planes, tanks, rocket launchers, and more, "The Eastern Front" is a succinct, profusely illustrated, month-by-month historical overview that is as informed and informative, as it is engaging and recommended for personal, academic, and community library Military History reference collections in general, and World War II Eastern Front supplemental reading lists in particular.

Made In America, Sold In the Nam, second edition
Rick Ritter & Paul Richards, editors
Loving Healing Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
1932690247 $27.95 www.LoveHealing.com

Now in its second edition, "Made In America, Sold In the Nam" is co-compiled and collaboratively edited by Rick Ritter & the late Paul Richards who have assembled personal commentaries and stories by men and women who found themselves involved in the brutal realities of the Viet Nam War and its aftermath. These are intensely candid stories dealing with the wounds and scars, anger and guilt, lies and fears, mental, emotional and physical stresses that sometimes lingered for years, long after the war was over and they were home. A critically important addition to personal, academic and community library Military Studies and Veteran's Issues reference collections, "Made In America, Sold In the Nam" is the second title in the 'Reflections of History' series from Modern History Press and is a unique contribution to our understanding of how extraordinary circumstances impact ordinary men and women, some of whom eventual learn to deal – while others are eventually destroyed – by their experiences and their memories. This is a timely and relevant contribution to our current national dialogue in view of a whole new generation of American youth who are engaged in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq today. Also very highly recommended reading is the first title in this outstanding series, "My Tour In Hell: A Marine's Battle With Combat Trauma" by David W. Powell.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Schiffer Books
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com

Schiffer's extensive catalog of specialty collector's books provides audiences with excellent reference guides to specialty items not covered elsewhere. Jo and Bob Sanford and Barbara & Jim Payne's THE ARTISTIC GLASSWARE OF DALZELL, GILMORE, AND LEIGHTON (076432523X, $39.95) pairs collector history with the latest price guide for these specialty pieces, providing notes as specific as commentary on patterns to accompany a history of makers and production lines. Nicholas Zumbulyadis's MEISSEN'S BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN (0764324829, $49.95) packs well over 300 color photos of dining services, vases and more created by the Meissen porcelain manufactory, displaying pieces from rare, early 19th century museum pieces to 19th century easily-found plates. A history of porcelain painting accompanies the values and survey of pieces available. ROCK POSTERS OF JIM PHILLIPS (0764325310, $29.95) provides a 30-year retrospective of rock posters by Phillips, surveying the artist's life and times and following his career from early posters through present times. His computer painted posters as well as his classic rock art signature style is displayed in gorgeous full-page color reproductions paired with biographical and historical perspectives. Stuart Schneider's THE WORLD OF FLUORESCENT MINERALS (0764325442, $29.95) provides a lovely, color photo laden guide of different fluorescent minerals found around the world and displayed in both daylight and ultraviolet light. Nearly a thousand color photos pack descriptions which include both geological information and facts and a price guide of values. It's unusual to find a collector's guide to minerals let alone the rarer fluorescent minerals, making this a valuable reference. Marshall Ketchum's revised, expanded second edition of FREDERICK CARDER'S STEUBEN GLASS: GUIDE TO SHAKES, NUMBERS, COLORS, FINISHES, AND VALUES (076432411X, $29.95) is a 'must' for any collector, offering a new edition which can be used with other books displaying Carder's Steuben glass productions. A cross referencing system links the line drawings of shapes to be found in Paul Gardner's THE GLASS OF FREDERICK CARDER with auction records and references to photos in the nine books cited here: the result is an invaluable index and cross-linked reference Steuben collectors will find essential. Dean Six, Susie Metzler and Michael Johnson's AMERICAN MACHINE-MADE MARBLES (0764324640, $29.95) packs in nearly six hundred color images ranging from historical photos of marble-making factories to products and packages from a wide range of makers to accompany a survey of marble making in America and lists and photos of marbles and their values. This book was nearly forty years in the making, including interviews with over a hundred individuals and references and index packed with specifics marble collectors will want. Desire Smith's FUN HANDBAGS (0764324934, $29.95) comes in an unusual presentation of a paperback with a handbag handle, making the book itself look like the fine handbags it depicts. The attention to values, design, manufacturers and history makes for an important guide. All are top references collectors will want.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

The American Rifle
Major Townsend Whelen
Paladin Press
7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
9781581605136 $30.00 www.paladin-press.com

THE AMERICAN RIFLE: A TREATISE, A TEXT BOOK, AND A BOOK OF PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE USE OF THE RIFLE represents twenty-five years of study and work from a soldier, hunter and naturalist who by the 1920s was a renowned expert on military and hunting rifles. It's written for riflemen and any with such must have this, which covers everything from maintenance and care to shooting tactics and common mistakes. A 'foundation' title any weapons library must have.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Pyr
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.pyrsf.com

Justina Robson's MAPPA MUNDI (1591024919, $15.00) provides engrossing action in telling of a medical nanotechnology advancement which affects psychologist Natalie's research, suddenly catapulted into a sinister mind control project. FBI science specialist Jude is searching for a genius – and getting too close to the truth. The two will find their lives entwined when the Mapa Mundi project reaches a dangerous new level in this engrossing fast-paced plot recommended for any fan of hard science fiction. Marin Sketchley's second book of his 'Structure' series, THE DESTINY MASK (1591024390, $15.00), is a pick for prior fans of THE AFFINITY TRAP and offers a new space opera story telling of twin sons who have grown up ignorant of their parentage, raised apart – and both believing they're the rightful heir to a royal household. Politics and controversy erupt when the inevitable happens, changing a world in a sweeping epic of satisfying high drama. Mike Resnick's NEW DREAMS FOR OLD (1591024412, $15.00) is a diverse short story collection which challenges the notion that science fiction collections can be dry and predictable. Here are funny stories juxtaposed with hard science, novellas that have previously been available only to members of the Science Fiction Book Club, and ten Hugo nominees. The author's introduction to each story which describes its inspirational foundations makes for a particularly notable feature of a diverse, satisfying collection demonstrating Resnick's prowess.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Knitting Loves Crochet
Candi Jensen
Storey Publishing
210 MassMoca Way, North Adams, MA 02147
1580178421 $18.95 www.storey.com

Candi Jensen's projects are designed to highlight the pairing of knitting and crocheting: arts usually kept apart in their own books. From embellishments from the world of crochet to finished sweaters and clothing to knitted products with crochet bands and embellishments incorporated into the design, KNITTING LOVES CROCHET pairs up the best of both worlds.

Complete Knitting
Creative Homeowner Press
24 Park Way, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
1580112919, $24.95 www.creativehomeowner.com 1-800-631-7795

"Complete Knitting: Techniques & Projects" from the 'Home Arts' series by Creative Homeowner Press is an ideal knitting project instructional workbook that is spiral bound inside a covered spine so that it lays down open and flat for the convenience of the knitter. Step-by-step profusely illustrated instructions for knitting twenty five one-of-a-kind garments, accessories, and home accents (including knits for babies and children), result in a comprehensive course in all the knitting basics along with the essential tools and techniques required for successful knitting. Of special note is the 'Stitch Library', the practical advice on correcting knitting mistakes, a knitting glossary, a list of abbreviations, and recommended sources for knitting supplies. "Complete Knitting" is especially recommended for the novice beginner, but has much of value for even the more experienced needle crafter.


The Poetry Shelf

Tokyo Butter
Thylias Moss
Persea Books
853 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
0892553197 $24.00

Whiting Writer's Award-winning author and professor of poetics (University of Michigan) Thylias Moss presents Tokyo Butter, a free-verse compilation of poetry written to help make sense of the death of her beloved cousin and friend, Deirdre. Tokyo Butter is far from an elegy or a memorial; reaching beyond traditional limitations, it seeks remnants of Deirdre's life, passion, and essence in news stories, arcane tidbits of science, balloon warfare, and Internet search engines, among other places. A work of utmost sincerity about the resonating impressions of humanity, Tokyo Butter is a one-of-a-kind tribute to character and genius. "The Culture of Reena and the Bear (Before the Bear: derived from a theory of gravy)": (The neckline and hem of Reena's gown / were trimmed with real hummingbirds / [just a few tiny pins in the outspread wings / - she could feel the racing unison / that the tiny hearts fell into] and actual orchids. / The beak closest to it tried to extract nectar / from the small cleft - the suprasternal notch - / at the bottom of her perfumed throat) // (Bees drew near; live jewels from the garden.)


The Humor Shelf

Wry Harvest
Chris Lamb, editor
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404-3797
0253218721 $17.95 http://iupress.indiana.edu

Edited by Associate Professor of Communication (College of Charleston) Chris Lamb, Wry Harvest: An Anthology of Midwest Humor is an anthology of some of the best and funniest stories from authors ranging from Mark Twain and Don Marquis to Erma Bombeck and Garrison Keillor. Most mirth-inducing anecdotes and tall tales are only a few pages long; each is sure to bring a smile to the face of city slicker and country dweller alike. A hands-down perfect giftbook for anyone who likes a laugh and has hearty respect for Midwest culture.

Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111-7701
www.amuniversal.com

Andrews McMeel's collections of syndicated cartoons will be readily recognizable items to any who like to follow newspaper funnies: they gather the best of recent panels and strips and one huge advantage is that you have them all under one cover – something any comics fan will appreciate. Glenn and Gary McCoy's THE FLYING MCCOYS: HIGH MOM! COMICS FOR A BOLD NEW WORLD (0740760440, $10.95) offers many hilarious moments which take the form of black and white panels of social commentary and humor. From vampires to yard sales and funny bullet-proof vests, THE FLYING MCCOYS holds something for everyone. Guy & Rodd's BREVITY (0740760424, $10.95) also offers up powerful one-panel strips: these featuring a somewhat simplified drawing type but one packed with biting commentary and tongue-in-cheek humor. A level of sophistication will lend to appreciation of these zany revelations. The 11th Zits cartoon strip sketchbook is out in Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman's ARE WE OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY YET? (0740761994, $10.95), which is a top recommendation for any family with a teen in residence. Parents will readily recognize their teen's attitude and angst in this hilarious collection of the latest black and white strips. Darrin Bell's ANOTHER STEREOTYPE BITES THE DUST (0740760416, $10.95) is an excellent Candorville strip best suited for urban dwellers who will readily recognize and appreciate the urban settings and issues such as poverty, racism, and street savvy. Social commentary is the strong point of this powerful collection. All are top picks for public lending libraries in particular.


The Cookbook Shelf

Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban
Three Guys
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
PO Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
1423600630 $29.95 www.gibbs-smith.com

If you've seen the Three Guys in their past cookbook THREE GUYS FROM MIAMI COOK CUBAN, you'll find their sequel equally fun: an easy guide to preparing both classic Cuban and innovative Cuban cuisine for everything from grill recipes and sides to soups and main courses. Here are all the dishes stemming from some twenty years of Three Guys parties, suitable for families and parties alike, paired with color photos. As an introduction to Cuban home cuisine it's a fine and colorful presentation encouraging successful results even from novice cooks.

The Cork Jester's Guide To Wine
Jennifer Rosen
Clerisy Press
1700 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45206
1578602777 $14.95

Award-winning wine writer Jennifer Rosen presents The Cork Jester's Guide To Wine: An Entertaining Companion For Tasting It, Ordering It, and Enjoying It, a thoroughly accessible guide to the joy of savoring fine wine for readers of all culinary backgrounds. From how to recognize and distinguish the basic characteristics of wine, to important considerations when storing wine, to how to read and recognize what the nuances of the label say about a potential wine choice and much more, The Cork Jester's Guide To Wine offers savvy advice with wry insights topped off with chuckle-inducing tidbits. An excellent and enthusiastically recommended giftbook for wine lovers of all seasons.

Savoring Appetizers
Chuck Williams
Oxmoor House
c/o Leisure Arts, Inc.
5701 Ranch Drive, Little Rock, AR 772223-963
0848731409, $24.95 www.leisurearts.com 1-800-643-8030

Impressively illustrated throughout with full-color photography of finished dishes, the newest William-Sonoma cookbook, "Savoring Appetizers" offers a culinary cornucopia of palate-pleasing, appetite satisfying, meal-time celebrating, kitchen-cook friendly, step-by-step recipes for a wealth of appetizers for any and all occasions. Drawn from cuisines around the world, the recipes are grouped by regional areas: North America, Asia, France, and The Mediterranean. From Hot-Pepper Jelly Turnovers; Mushroom Empanadas; Yam Dumplings with Corn and Cinnamon; Steamed Shrimp with Soy-Chile Sauce; and Grilled Minced Beef Rolled in La-Lot Leaves; to Veal pate with Dried Apricots and Hazelnuts; Olive and Anchovy Choux Puffs; Salt Cod Fritters; Fried Stuffed Zucchini Flowers; and Black Cabbage Brushcetta, these are elegant little dishes that would grace any family meal, dinner party, or celebratory occasion. A simple delight just to browse through, "Savoring Appetizers" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections!

Sharing Mountain Recipes
Randi L. Levin
The Muffin Lady Inc.
1532 Yankee Creek Road, Evergreen, CO 80439
0974500828, $28.95 www.themuffinlady.com

"Sharing Mountain Recipes: The Muffin Lady's Everyday Favorites" by Randi Levin (aka The Muffin Lady) showcases a compendium of nutritious, delicious, and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes of easily prepared dishes ranging from breakfast favorites to special occasion treats. Ingredient supplements for special dietary needs are provided in addition to diverse tips for cooking and backing that will prove especially helpful for the novice chef. With recipes ranging from Dreamy Cheese Mashed Potatoes; Lemon Poppy Muffins; Berry Baked French Toast; and Sunshine Salad; to Sweet Poultry Kabobs; Seafood Au Gratin; Fried Bananas; Butter Cream filled Coffeecake. Of special note is the two pages devoted to 'A Few Favorite Submarine Sandwiches", the chapter on 'The Accessories of Foods', and unique recipe cited as being 'The Gourmet Mash for the Elder Horse'. There's even a poem to 'The Alligator Pear'. Enhanced with a 'Cooking Language Conversions' page, a U.S. to Metric Conversions chart, an a detailed index, "Sharing Mountain Recipes" is a welcome and recommended addition to any and all personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections!

Mexican Light
Kris Rudolph
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
1574412183, $17.95 www.unt.edu/untpress 1-800-826-8911

"Mexican Light: Healthy Cuisine For Today's Cook" by Kris Rudolph (owner of the El Buen Cafe in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico), is a bi-lingual cookbook that features a compendium of fifty delicious recipes that are presented side-by-side on facing pages with Spanish on the left and English on the right The focus is on pre-Columbian Mexican cuisine that was low in fat and high in fiber and vitamins. Ranging from appetizers to after-dinner refreshers, each palate pleasing, appetite satisfying dish not only includes the ingredients and the preparation instructions, but the number of calories, amounts of total fat and saturated fat, grams of carbohydrates, and amount of fiber. Low-fat and low-carbohydrate alternatives 9as well as ways to vary the degree of spiciness) are also provided. From Chayote and Chile Poblano Soup; Green Salad with Jicama, Manco, and Cucumber; and Chicken with Tomatillo Cilantro Salsa; to Beef in Avocado Salsa; Cauliflower with Spicy Tomatoes; and Amaranth Water, "Mexican Light" is an ideal and highly recommended culinary resource for diet conscious kitchen cooks wanting their friends and family to eat healthy while eating Mexican.

Authentic Recipes From Santa Fe
Dave DeWitt & Nancy Gerlach
Periplus
c/o Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
0794602894, $12.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com

Featuring a profusion of impressive photography by Eduardo Fuss, "Authentic Recipes From Santa Fe" is co-authored by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach who have compiled and edited a cornucopia of culinary dishes from some of the top restaurants in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Beginning with an introduction to food in Santa Fe; a description of the Santa Fe kitchen, a guide to chiles; and a listing of authentic Santa Fe ingredients; a section devoted to Sauces and Salsas; and the basics of taco or tostada shells, pickled red onions; and safron rice. Of special note are the instructions on the proper preparation methods for making do-it-yourself Chile Rellenos and homemade Tamales. The 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes are grouped by Appetizers; Soups and Stews; Main Dishes, Vegetables and Rice, Breads, Desserts, and Drinks. From Grilled Swordfish Tacos (Mark Kiffin, Coyote Cafe); to Grilled Steaks with Chimayo, Chile and Cumin (Came Asada); to Empanaditas with Apricot Peca Filling, "Authentic Recipes From Santa Fe" truly lives up to its title and is strongly recommended for the family cookbook shelf and community library cookbook collections.

Wandering & Feasting
Mary Houser Caditz
WSU Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
0874221382, $22.95 www.wsupress.wsu.edu 1-800-354-7360

Compiled and organized by Mary Houser Caditz, "Wandering & Feasting: A Washington Cookbook" offers more than two hundred tempting and tasty dishes reflecting the culinary heritage of Washington State. Spiral bound so as to lay flat upon the kitchen table or counter, "Wandering & Feasting is a regional collection organizing dishes from the Olympic Peninsula (Halibut with Macadamia Nut Crust; Whole Baked Salmon with Medley of Three Dill Sauces; Filet of Sole Turbans with Shrimp Sauce), Southwest Washington (Individual Salmon Wellingtons with Dijon Cream Sauce; Cream of Carrot Soup with Marsala; Chocolate Hazelnut Decadence with Rum Cream), North Puget Sound and San Juan Islands (Dungeness Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps; Strawberries in Raspberry Sauce with Orange Cream; Easy Apple Raisin Chutney), Puget Sound (Fried Calamari in Beer Batter; Cheese Puffs with Smoked Salmon Filling; Steamed Clams with Tomatoes and Herbs), Cascades (Flank Steak with Blue Cheese, Mushroom and Sun-dried Tomato Stuffing; Baked Pears in Apple cider and Cinnamon; Trout with Chive Cream Sauce), Central Washington (Beef on Skewers with Peanut Sauce; Spinach Salad with Apples and Ginger Vinaigrette; Minted Cantaloupe Soup), and the Inland Empire (Venison with Juniper Berry Sauce; Bulgar Wheat Pilaf with Mushrooms; Asparagus napoleons with Orange Hollandaise Sauce). Occasionally illustrated with historical photography, and featuring appendices that include 'Basic Recipes', 'Low-Fat Suggestions', Glossary, 'Selected Bibliography', and an Index, "Wandering & Feasting" is an ideal and strongly recommended addition to any personal and family cookbook collection.

The Very Best Salmon Cookbook
John Nicholas
Nitty Gritty Cookbooks
c/o Bristol Publishing Enterprises, Inc.
2714 McCone Avenue, Hayward, CA 94545
1558673210, $8.95 1-800-346-4889

Salmon is a superb source for many vitamins and beneficial fish oil. But salmon is best when fresh, properly stored, and expertly prepared. "The Very Best Salmon Cookbook" is a specialty cookbook which focuses on how to buy good salmon, details the various types of smoked salmon, offers easy-to-follow instructions for smoking salmon at home, as well as how to best freeze and glaze salmon. "The Very Best Salmon Cookbook" also offers more than 60'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, salmon dishes that range from appetizers (Smoked Salmon Corncakes; Cold Salmon Moose) to entrees (Creamed Salmon Casserole; Salmon fillets in Horseradish-Ginger Crust). Of special note are the recipes for classic sauces for Salmon, including Tartar Sauce, Hollandaise, Bechamel, and Rew Wine Sauce. If you like salmon, then "The Very Best Salmon Cookbook" is the do-it-yourself salmon cookbook for you!


The Music Shelf

I Was There When It Happened
Marshall Grant with Chris Zar
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
1581825102 $24.95 www.cumberlandhouse.com

Country music readers who can't get enough about Johnny Cash despite the many books and autobiographies on the market will relish I Was There When It Happened: My Life With Johnny Cash. Here's a focus that delves deeper than the usual Cash coverage, examining his life with a special focus on the evolution of and influences upon his musical style. Accompanying this focus is a survey of those who helped him attain success along the way, from fellow musicians to those who recorded his works. From Grant's initial introduction to Cash to his tenure as Cash's long-time bassist, this is insider writing at its best.

The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook
Wayne Erbsen
Native Ground Books & Music
109 Bell Road, Asheville, NC 28805-1521
1883206529, $19.95 www.nativeground.com 1-800-752-2656

Compiled and edited by Southern Appalachian music instructor and historian Wayne Erbsen, "The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook" presents 172 pages of lyrics, music, history, and chords to over one hundred bluegrass gospel classics. Enhanced with the inclusion of more than one hundred vintage photographs, "The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook" presents information on the roots of gospel music, a 'painless' gospel music theory, instructions on choosing the right key, and how to operate a Capo. Of special note is 'Harmony 101', as well as tips on singing lead, tenor, baritone and bass. Featuring such wonderfully well known classics as 'Amazing Grace', 'Are You Washed in the Blood', and 'The Old Rugged Cross', to such lesser known gems as 'I Am a Pilgrim', 'Little Moses', and 'Who Will Sing for Me?', "The Bluegrass Gospel Songbook" is a simply wonderful and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American Music History reference collections.

Destination Chicago Jazz
Sandor Demlinger & John Steiner
Arcadia Publishing Inc.
3047 North Lincoln Avenue, Suite 410, Chicago, IL 60657
0738523054, $34.99 www.arcadiapublishing.com 1-888-313-2665

Jazz is the authentically original music of America that has spread out to achieve a world wide popularity. While most people know about the roots of Jazz in the New Orleans and Harlem, not so widely recognized is that Chicago was and is another bastion of jazz music in America. "Destination Chicago Jazz", co-authored by documentary photographer Sandor Deminger and jazz scholar, historian, collector, and owner of Paramount Records, John Steiner (1908-2000), presents an impressive pictorial overview of the jazz music and jazz musicians that made 'The Windy City' a significant contributor to the musical genre. From Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong, to Muggy Spanier and Benny Goodman, we are provided with a virtual and visual tour-de-force that includes the world-famous theatres and clubs that made Chicago's South Side a Mecca for jazz enthusiasts, as well as the cultural influence jazz came to have on the city's North and West sides as well. Enhanced with more than 300 photographic images, "Destination Chicago Jazz"presents more than fifty years of Chicago's jazz history and is a welcome, enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American Music reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Art Shelf

Visual Shock
Michael Kammen
Alfred A. Knopf
1400041295 $35.00 www.aaknopf.com

Art and architectural aspirations have long aroused disputes among artists, scholars and the common citizen over the appropriateness of paintings, memorials and monuments: for the first time these debates are surveyed in VISUAL SHOCK: A HISTORY OF ART CONTROVERSIES IN AMERICAN CULTURE. Here are the social and political disputes which have taken place from the 1830s to modern times, with central themes and relationships including questions on the types of art appropriate for a democratic society, and how to assess and possibly regulate its appearance. Changes in policies, opinions, and conflicts between trustees of the arts and the general public are chronicled in chapters surveying the wild world of art history. An outstanding survey.

Edgar Degas: The Last Landscapes
Ann Dumas, et.al.
Merrell
1858943434 $29.95 www.merrellpublishers.com

There have been so many books on the market covering the life and works of Degas that we're almost hesitant to recommend yet another, but what makes Edgar Degas: The Last Landscapes stand out from the crowd is its in-depth focus on a surprisingly little-known aspect of his work: his scenery of northern France and the small town of his childhood. Here he experimented with painting and print-making techniques and used his sketchbook drawings to integrate landscape painting into his more notable works. A hundred works by Degas provides a new focus on this aspect of his vision and influence.

The Imprint of Place
David P. Becker
Down East Books
P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843-0679
0892727187 $35.00 www.downeastbooks.com

While THE IMPRINT OF PLACE: MAINE PRINTMAKING 1800-2005 would initially seem to be of very narrow regional interest, in reality it deserves a place in the holdings of any art library collection strong in printmaking representations. It represents a catalog celebrating some 200 years of printmaking with a large collaborative fine-arts project embracing a series of exhibitions and education programs, and as such provides the first chronological survey of the subject, standing as well alone as it does with the exhibit.

David C. Driskell
Julie L. McGree
Pomegranate Communications, Inc.
PO Box 808022, Petaluma, CA 94975-8022
978-0-7649-3747-7, $45,00 www.pomegranate.com 1-800-227-1428

Awarded the National Humanities Medal for his contributions to American public life, "David C. Driskell: Artist And Scholar" surveys nearly fifty years of Driskell's artistry, scholarship, humanitarianism, creativity and vision, as well as his work as an artist, teacher, curator, collector, and diplomat. Simply stated, there is no one who has done more to establish the study of African American art within the canon of American art scholarship that David Driskell. Now teacher, researcher and art historian Julie L. McGree (specializing in modern and contemporary visual culture of Africa and the African diaspora and who has spent more than a decade teaching art history at Bowdoin College, Bunswick, Maine) has created a showcase of more than 200 full-color and b/w images featuring Driskell's work and life – including personal photographs of Driskell, his family, friends, and associates. More than 50 years of Driskell's paintings, drawings, prints, and collages are represented, along with an insightfully informative text providing background and biography. "David C. Driskell: Artist And Scholar" is an enthusiastically recommended and substantive addition to academic library African American Studies and American Art History reference collections.

Romare Bearden
Sally Price & Richard Price
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
0812239482, $49.95 www.upenn.edu/pennpress 1-800-537-5487

"Romare Bearden: The Caribbean Dimension", co-authored by Sally Price and her husband Richard (both of whom are professor of American Studies, Anthropology, and History at the College of William and Mary in Virginia) showcases the life and work of the African American artist Romare Bearden (1911-1988) and his Caribbean work during his last twenty years with its themes of 'enchanted places and lush forest settings for sensuous female nudes. Also included is his 'Carnival' series revealing through an artist's eye the quintessential nature of this annual Caribbean celebration. Best known for his paintings and collages of jazz and the rural South, Bearden's work was postumously recognized with an exhibition at the national Gallery of Art in 2003. Enhanced with the inclusion of 130 paintings, as well as a profusion of photographs of Bearden and his friends, "Romare Bearden" also incorporates poet Derek Walcott and writer Albuert Murray's critical assessments of Bearden's enduring legacy, along with the thoughts of such luminaries as James Baldwin, Alvin Alley, and Ralph Ellison. Simply stated, no serious academic library American Art History collection can be considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of "Romare Bearden: The Caribbean Dimension".


The Audiobook Shelf

The Few
Alex Kershaw
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
1423315901 $34.95 www.brillianceaudio.com

If you like military history but find audio's high drama more compelling than the written word, then Scott Brick's reading of THE FEW is for you: he drives home the story of the American pilots who helped save Britain, surveying the Americans who battled to keep the country free. At the end of five years, just one would still be alive. High drama spices an outstanding narrative style.

The Edge of Darkness
Tim LaHaye and Bob Phillips
Random House Audio
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
0739331981 $27.95 www.randomhouse.com/audio

Book 4 of the 'Babylon Rising' series requires prior familiarity with the series for smooth entry into this story, with its vivid reading by Paul Michael and its new installment which blends a conspiracy with Biblical interpretation and drama. Here Michael Murphy's quest leads to a revelation that one of the Bible's most dangerous prophecies is about to come true. It's hard to stop listening to this riveting thriller: prior fans won't be disappointed!


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Poisoned Pen Press
6962 East First Avenue #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com

Claudia Bishop and Don Bruns' A MERRY BAND OF MURDERERS (1590583019, $24.95) packs an original mystery anthology with both stories and songs (songs re on an accompanying cd, featuring performances by the authors), pairing the skills of some thirteen mystery writers with a format to include an original story from each and an original musical composition themed around their contribution. Here are tales of mystery, suspense, noir and more from the likes of Jeffrey Deaver, Bill Moody and editors Bishop and Bruns themselves, offering up a diverse, multi-faceted set. John M. Daniel's VANITY FIRE (1590583221, $24.95) tells of a publishing firm which burns to the ground, leaving a body and a total loss. For Guy, it's the end of a career and a lover – and possibly the beginning of a new career and encounters with two strippers. It's a Faustian arrangement that blends the irony and terror of murder with a pact that could rescue or condemn Guy in this excellent mystery. Public libraries will find these very different, involving picks for discriminating patrons looking for more than your usual whodunnit plot.


The Railroading Shelf

Steam Trains
James P. Bell
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, Saint Paul MN 55101
0760322678 $34.95 www.voyageurpress.com

There have been numerous train books published over the decades, but steam trains too seldom receive their own coverages apart from the general train genre – making STEAM TRAINS: A MODERN VIEW OF YESTERDAY'S RAILROADS most notable and a recommended pick for general-interest public library lending collections. The author is also a photographer here, so is not limited to vintage or collection holdings: his lovely black and white photos capture the antiques in their modern activities, while 23 profiles explores the trains' unique characteristics, the places which still run and maintain them to date, and passenger experiences along the way. Simply outstanding – not to be missed by any collection train buffs frequent.


The Civil War Shelf

Thunder From a Clear Sky
Ray Mulesky
iUniverse, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
1583483004 $12.95 www.thunderfromaclearsky.com www.iuniverse.com

Written by Ray Mulesky, Thunder From a Clear Sky is the breathtaking true story of Confederate cavalry officer Adam "Stovepipe" Johnson, who led the first Confederate raid across the Mason-Dixon Line to seize the river-port community of Newburgh, Indiana during the American Civil War. Not a shot was fired. A highly accessible true story of how an ordinary man proved capable of a military master stroke, and the fallout thereafter when the territory he claimed was retaken by Union troops. A welcome contribution to Civil War and military history shelves.


The Travel Shelf

Cuba
Brendan Sainsbury
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
174059746X, $21.99 www.lonelyplanet.com 1-800-275-8555

Long off-limits to American businesses and tourists, Cuba is now beginning to reemerge as a desirable destination for both. Brendan Sainsbury provides a superbly written and organized 520-page travel guide and manual to what Cuba has to offer. From the secrets of salsa to the rhythms of the mambo, from recommended places to see and suggested places to eat, Cuba is massively infused with 'traveler friendly' descriptions, directions, maps, history, culture and customs. Seasonal events and celebrations are chartered along with day tripper itineraries. Of special note are the sections devoted to Language and a Glossary. If you are contemplating a trip to Cuba, beginning your planning with "Cuba", Brendan Sainsbury informed and indispensable travel guide to this island destination.


The Economics Shelf

The Collected Works Of Armen A. Alchian
Armen A. Alchian
Liberty Fund, Inc.
8335 Allison Pointe Trail, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46250-1684
0865976376, $15.00 www.libertyfund.org 1-800-955-8335

Armen A. Alchian is Professor Emeritus of Economics at UCLA and in the course of his long and accomplished career helped to found several schools of economic thought, being justifiably considered by his peers to be one of the most influential voices in the areas of market structure, property rights, and the theory of the firm. Complete in two volumes, "The Collected Works Of Armen A. Alchian" is professionally edited and provided with an informative introduction by Daniel K. Benjamin who drew upon Professor Alchian's most important essays, articles, editorials, and lectures to provide a comprehensive and detailed record of this thought on a broad range of topics in the field of economics. Volume One focuses upon the economic themes of "Choice and Cost Under Certainty"; Volume Two deals with "Property Rights and Economic Behavior" issues. "The Collected Works Of Armen A. Alchian: Volumes 1 & 2" is also available in a hardcover edition (0865976368, $30.00), and very strongly recommended for professional and academic library Economics Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Let Us Be Perfectly Clear
Paul Hornschemeier
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way, NE, Seattle, WA 98115
1560977523, $19.95 www.fantagraphics.com 1-800-657-1100

"Let Us Be Perfectly Clear" is an anthology of Paul Hornschemeier's short stories illustrated in full color and demonstrating his distinctive artistic approach to the graphic novel techniques of story-telling. "Let Us Be Perfectly Clear" is designed as a 'flip book' with one side (Perfectly Clear) featuring comedic work while the reverse side (Let Us Be) offers stories which are decidedly morose. A product of the underground comix movement, Hornschemeir's storytelling talents are thoroughly documented. Long out of print, these stories are derived from a variety of sources which include his own self-published 'Forlorn Funnies', as well as independent magazines and papers. "Let us Be Perfectly Clear" is especially recommended for its appeal to devotees of the avant garde graphic novel and the counter-culture underground comic.


The Crafts Shelf

Bead
Elizabeth Bower
Thunder Bay Press
c/o Advantage Publishers Group
5880 Oberlin Drive, San Diego, CA 92121
1592236901, $12.95 www.thunderbaybooks.com 1-800-788-3123

Beautifully illustrated throughout with photographic images of exquisite beaded jewelry, Elizabeth Bower's "Beads: Handmade Style" offers an impressive compendium of projects, each with their own materials list and step-by-step instructions. "Beads" offers a series of truly 'user friendly' beading projects that include jeweled gift-wrapping, chain necklaces, clip-on earrings, beaded flowers, evening bags, drop cluster earrings, beaded tablecloths, brooches, holiday decorations, belts, shoe jewelry, cuffs, a lantern candle holder, tassels, and a beaded curtain. A marvelous compendium of beading projects, "Bead: Handmade Style" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal or community library Crafts reference collection.

Discover Beading
Lesley Weiss
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
0871162393, $19.95 www.kalmbachbooks.com 1-800-533-6644

Drawn from 'Bead & Button' and 'BeadStyle' magazines, "Discover Beading: Stringing, Wirework, Knotting" is an impressive and highly recommended collection of projects using basic, beginner-friendly beading techniques to create stunning bracelets, lovely necklaces, striking earrings, macrame chokers, and more. Ideal for the novice beader, specific attention is directed to detail and an emphasis on using high-quality materials is stressed. "Discover Beading" is especially and specifically recommended for the novice craft maker wanting clear, illustrated, step-by-step instructions which will ultimate serve to prepare them to take on ever more elaborate beading-based jewelry making projects. Also very highly recommended for crafts enthusiasts is Kalmbach's "Polymer Pizzazz: 27 Great Polymer Clay Jewelry Projects" (0871162369, $19.95)


The American History Shelf

Latino Minnesota
Leigh Roethke
Afton Historical Society Press
PO Box 100, Afton, MN 55001
1890434736, $24.00 www.aftonpress.com 1-800-436-8443

The upper-Midwest American state of Minnesota is principally noted for its waves of immigrants from Norway, Sweden, and Germany. What is not so well known are the waves of Spanish speaking immigrants that came north from Mexico, Central and South America to settle in the 'land of a thousand lakes'. Minnesota historian Leigh Roethke has traced Minnesota's vibrant, diverse, and growing Latino communities which, since around 1910, have provided the principal and core labor group for Minnesota's agricultural, food processing, manufacturing, and service industries. Profusely illustrated throughout and highly recommended for personal, academic, and community library American History reference collections and supplemental reading lists, "Latino Minnesota" is the story of individual and collective Latino accomplishments and contributions to Minnesota's increasingly diverse popular and popular culture. Here is the story of Latino settlement, cultural and political injustices, and the strength that arises from community, history, and hard work.

The American Colonization Society
Allan Yarema
The University Press of America
c/o The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
0761833595 $19.95 www.univpress.com 1-800-462-6420

Written by Assistant Professor of History (Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas) Allan Yarema, The American Colonization Society is the true story of a major social movement that originated in the 1800's and gained increasing support in the United States. Growing in the 1820's and 30's, waning in the 40's, and regaining strength in the 50's when slavery polarized the nation, the American Colonization Society movement stumbled in its initial goal of colonizing free blacks and its efforts to encourage voluntary and gradual emancipation. A chronicle of the Society's organization, purpose, growth, and the factors that led to its ultimate failure in dealing with the existence of slavery in a would-be democracy, The American Colonization Society is a scholarly, well-researched, and welcome addition to American History and black studies reference shelves.


The Automotive Shelf

Corvette
Jerry Burton
Hugh Lauter Levin Associates
9 Burr Road, Westport, CT 06880
0883631210, $75.00 www.hlla.com

Corvette: America's Sports Car–Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow by Jerry Burton (founding editor of 'Corvette Quarterly' and one of the Corvette's most knowledgeable historians) is a 320-page history of one of the most popular of America's sports cars at home and abroad. Profusely illustrated with 700 images (500 of them in full color), readers will learn of how the corvette was conceived and its 50+ years of evolution and performance. Featured are exclusive interviews with many of the engineers and designers who defied conventional wisdom in creating a unique American automobile in terms of its design, engineering and racing performance. From its groundbreaking technologies to its impact on popular culture, the corvette set the standard for automotive freedom, speed, power, and fun. Jerry Burton's "Corvette" is an impressively detailed and informative reference and a strongly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Automotive History collections.

Volkswagen: History To Hobby
Bob Cropsey
Jersey Classic Publishing
75 Locust Avenue, Wallington, NJ 07057
0976526107, $24.99 www.JerseyClassic.com

"Volkswagen: History To Hobby" by Volkswagen enthusiast and expert Bob Cropsey is a celebration of the history of the little German car that was to signal the invasion of small, fuel efficient, economical automobiles who were to profoundly influence the automotive choices of a major section of the American public from the day they were first introduced down to the present. Nicely illustrated with black-and-white photos, along with the occasional VW cartoon, "Volkswagen: History To Hobby" includes 550 historical VW dates; some 402 VW magazine ads; 50 VW television commercials; 65 fun hobby facts about the VW; 40 movies starring VWs; 100 'Herbie The Love Bug' movie and book facts; 470 VW owner personalized license plates; year to year changes of the VW Beetle since 1945; the great VW buses beginning in 1949; and so very many more 'infobits' about these wonderfully distinctive cars and the company that made them. If you ever owned a VW, then you will definitely want to read Bob Cropsey's "Volkswagen: History To Hobby"!


The Education Shelf

Time To Write
Robert E. Myers
Good Year Books
PO Box 91858, Tucson, AZ 85752-1858
1596470739, $16.95 www.goodyearbooks.com 1-888-511-1530

Designed as a curriculum supplement for grades 5 to 8, "Time To Write" by Robert Myers is comprised of forty-three standards-based lessons for developing children's creative writing skills. Those skill sets include the use of synonyms, alliterations, descriptions, paragraphs, making advertisements, letter to the editor, writing limericks, haikus, cinquain, research reports, non-fiction narratives, essays, anecdotes, character sketches, humorous speech, the short story, and crafting the dramatic incident. These 'kid friendly' exercises will help students ages 10 to 14 to become progressively more involved and expert with their writing efforts. Enhanced with Teacher Notes for each lesson and student warm-up activities, "Time To Write" is especially commended as a resource to help classroom teachers with their lesson plans. Also very highly recommended for elementary school and home schooling curriculum resources are two other outstanding titles from Good year Books: "Write Away!: 140 Writing Prompts For Grades 4-6" (1596470879, $19.95) and "Moe's Cafe: 48 Decidedly Different Creative Writing Prompts" for grades 6 to 12 (1596470887, $14.95).


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Writing Game
W. A. Harbinson
BookSurge Publishing
1419644378 $19.99 www.waharbinson.eu.com www.booksurge.com 1-886-308-6235

W. A. Harbinson's "The Writing Game: Recollections Of An Occasional Bestselling Author" isn't simply another instruction manual on how to write better or how to get published. It is instead, a candid autobiographical account of being a professional writer with more than thirty years of experience at making a living in the highly competitive and volatile publishing industry. That experience includes the writing of more than fifty novels, as well as a wealth of short stories, magazine articles, screenplay adaptations, and radio plays. This is a graphic and detailed account of living a life and pursuing a career fraught with the possibilities of artistic and financial failure. Enhanced with superbly articulated accounts of his dealings with editors, other authors, and showbusiness celebrities, "The Writing Game" is as entertaining as it is engaging, and a 'must read' memoir for anyone who contemplates embarking upon a professional writing career for themselves.

Cite It Right
Julia Johns & Sarah Silvia
Source Aid
1284 A Main Street, Osterville, MA 02655
0977195708 $26.99 www.sourceaid.com

Now in an updated second edition, Cite It Right: The Source Aid Guide to Citation, Research, and Avoiding Plagiarism is a guide written especially for students and researchers. Cite It Right spells out exactly how to give credit where credit is due in circles where being "by the book" in one's references and citations is absolutely critical to earning good grades, furthering one's career, creating a professional-quality paper, and avoiding even the slightest possibility of unintentional plagiarism. Chapters briefly refresh the reader about the basics of researching and writing papers, but the four main chapters of Cite It Right are particularly devoted to the express guidelines required by four different professional organizations: the Modern Language Association, the American Psychological Association, Chicago Manual of Style, and Council of Science Editors. Though not sponsored or endorsed by any of these groups, Cite It Right meticulously spells out each group's precise format guidelines, including their individual terminologies, specific examples, and the format expected for different types of citations. A "must-have" for anyone preparing a scholarly work, especially if for one of these big four writing styles.

Wabi Sabi for Writers
Richard R. Powell
Adams Media Corporation
57 Littlefield Street, 2nd floor, Avon, MA 02322
1593375964 $12.95 www.adamsmedia.com 1-800-872-5627

Wabi Sabi for Writers is a philosophical source of inspiration for intermediate to advanced writers. Author Richard Powell, who studied at the Kootenay School of Writing under such acclaimed authors as Margaret Atwood and David McFadden, Wabi Sabi for Writers emphasizes that while perfection is great to strive for, the struggle to create flawless beauty is in essence a false idea in an imperfect universe - absolute "perfection" is impossible, yet imperfection contains within its own sense of timeless beauty. Written in a soothing style of narrative flow, Wabi Sabi for Writers applies ancient Japanese aesthetic to modern practical principles and suggestions, and is filled cover to cover with tips, tricks, and techniques for improving one's writing production rate. From the value of personally experiencing and connecting with nature, to applying the concept of "yugen" in hinting at depths below the surface and engaging the conscious mind to puzzle over the unseen, Wabi Sabi for Writers is an invaluable and inspirational tool for promoting personal fulfillment as well as improved quality in one's writing.

Rewriting
Joseph Harris
Utah State University
7800 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-7800
0874216427 $19.95 www.usu.edu/uspress

Written by Duke University Writing Program director Joseph Harris, Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts is a guide written especially for college students and professionals seeking to refine their academic writing technique. Leaning away from the static ideas of thesis, support and structure and toward a more naturally flowing and dynamic writing style, Rewriting challenges the reader to think of writing an adaptive, social activity and shape one's written intellectual opinions and discussions accordingly. Presented strategies for coaxing a more persuasive and intuitive tone into one's logical academic written arguments include forwarding (taking words, images, or ideas from text and putting them to use in new contexts), countering (suggesting different ways of thinking rather than simple nullification of a given ideal), and much more. Recommended for intermediate to advanced academic writers for its solid recommendations to make prose more readable, immersive, thought-provoking and natural-sounding.

Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace
Sarah Bolme
Crest Publications
PO Box 481022, Charlotte, NC 28269
0972554653 $17.99 www.marketingchristianbooks.com

Written by Sarah Bolme, the co-founder and director of Christian Small Publishers Association, Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace is a straightforward guide for publishers, self-publishers and authors seeking to promote quality books specifically among Christians. Chapters discuss basic steps such as securing distribution and garnering book reviews, how to connect with Christian retail stores and churches, harnessing the power of the Internet, reaching out to special markets such as the Christian homeschool market, eBooks, and markets for Spanish-language Christian books, and much more. Contact information and URLs for stores and websites enhances this experience-tested, high-quality "how to" guide. An absolute "must-have" for anyone involved in marketing Christian books, though the general tips, tricks, and techniques will prove useful for marketing mainstream books as well.

The Well-Fed Self-Publisher
Peter Bowerman
Fanlove Publishing
3713 Stonewall Circle, Atlanta, GA 30339
0967059860 $19.95

Award-winning author and self-publishing expert Peter Bowerman explains how to do-it-yourself publish and earn a solid living in The Well-Fed Self-Publisher, a how-to guide that especially focuses upon the steps of the process and how to maximize profits. Self-publishing can potentially be much more lucrative than landing a publisher, since publishers all too frequently come with meager royalty rates, a typical 18-24 month wait to publication, the loss of book rights, and minimal or nonexistent help with marketing. The Well-Fed Self-Publisher covers how to develop a "marketing mindset", find reviewers willing to spread book publicity, get in the big bookstore chains, build a cash-generating website, minimize dependence on the unreliable mainstream media, filter through the print-on-demand hype, and much more. A "must-have" for anyone considering self-publishing as a career.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Judaism and Justice
Rabbi Sidney Schwarz
Jewish Lights Publishing
PO Box 237, Sunset Farm Offices, RT 4, Woodstock, VT 05091
1580233120 $24.99 www.jewishlights.com

Written by Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World asks the questions: Why are Jews so often involved in causes central to justice, equality, human rights, and peace? Are they influenced by religion, history, sociology, or some other factor? Judaism and Justice examines the relationship between Judaism, social justice, and the Jewish identity of American Jews. From core values of the Rabbinic tradition, to the long history of Jewish struggles for civil rights, to the core and sometimes conflicting impulses to both survive (Exodus) and help the world become in accordance with a higher moral standard (Sinai), Judaism and Justice examines history with a keen account of missteps and falterings among Jews as well as their positive contributions to world history. Of especial interest is the chapter concerning Israel, and how the relationship of identification between American Jews and Israel has had to change in recent years, and is almost certainly not done changing. Highly recommended.


The Biography Shelf

Something Must Be Done
Peggy Wood
Syracuse University Press
1600 Jamesville Avenue, Syracuse, New York 13244-5160
0815608772 $16.95 www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu

Retired social worker and longtime civil rights activist Peggy Wood presents Something Must Be Done: One Black Woman's Story, a memoir of her life from being born into the pre-World War I American middle class, a group that a small yet significant number of black Americans had joined, to her years of learning at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute and the Atlanta School of Social Work, to thirty years of campaigning for civil rights. Offering a unique insider's view of early and mid-twentieth century middle-class black family life, Something Must Be Done offers a much-needed peek into an oft-overlooked social dimension of Africa-American culture, as well as an inspirational chronicle of working for the noble cause of civil equality.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Living A Radical Peace
Claire Krulikowski
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
1424122791 $19.95 www.publishamerica.com www.clairekrulikowski.com

Living A Radical Peace: Creating Life Anew is a spiritual call to learning how to live one's life in true peace. Addressing how people actually fear peace in the modern world, due to inaccurate portrayals that equate peace with passivity and other factors, Living A Radical Peace calls the reader to follow the example of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who took active peace into the streets daily. Connecting links between the soul's need, the most radical of biblical teachings, quantum physics, indigenous wisdom, and human destiny, Living A Radical Peace charts the course to reexamine Christian thought and experience life anew, through the drive to serve others and in so doing serve God. Highly recommended.


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