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The Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
A Numerate Life
John Allen Paulos
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633881181, $17.00, www.prometheusbooks.com
A Numerate Life: A Mathematician Explores the Vagaries of Life, His Own and Probably Yours
comes from a mathematician who blends his personal memories with insights on mathematical
approaches to viewing his personal life and his world, and wraps all this in a lively blend of
autobiography and fun math insights. These vignettes go where few mathematician efforts can
follow in offering a math focus on life itself - blended with philosophy, wit, and wisdom.
Readers who hold a prior affection for math - but not necessarily an expertise in the subject - will
find his a revealing, education and entertaining story all in one.
The Needlecraft Shelf
A Bit of Applique
Amy Struckmeyer
Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
9781604685534, $26.99, www.shopmartingale.com
A Bit of Applique: Easy Projects with Modern Flair offers inspiring designs and techniques for
beginners new to applique and uses nearly twenty projects for quilts, bags, pillows and more to
teach the basics of both hand- and machine-stitched applique techniques. Chapters provide
templates and also encourage creative embellishments as they show how to accent projects and
use applique to best advantage, while designs utilize rich hues and different fabrics to best
advantage. The result presumes no prior familiarity with needlework or stitchery and is a highly
recommended pick for any newcomers who wants to get up and running quickly, with
neo-professional results.
The Art Shelf
Young Originals
Rebecca Jumper Matheson
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896729247, $37.95, www.ttupress.org
Young Originals: Emily Wilkens and the Teen Sophisticate tells of 1940s American designer
Emily Wilkens, who moved beyond her expertise in children's clothing to create costumes for
two teen characters in a Broadway play. Based on her experience working with these teens, she
launched the Emily Wilkins Young Originals line: the first designer label specializing in upscale
clothing for teen girls. Her efforts made her a national name at the time, but today it's all but
forgotten. Fashion historian Rebecca Matheson offers a history that takes Wilkens and her teen
clients and uses that history to examine female labels, designers, and the evolution of their power
over the decades. The focus on a change in perspective that allowed teens to become fashionable
contributes to a lively and involving survey highly recommended for any fashion collection.
The Reference Shelf
Find It Fast
Robert I. Berkman
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781937290047, $24.95, www.infotoday.com
Find It Fast: Extracting Expert Information from Social Networks, Big Data, Tweets, and More
appears in its 6th updated edition to provide key guidelines on how to locate information sources,
how to reach their authors, and how to do fast research on a wide range of subjects. By 'research'
this means techniques that go beyond using such search engines as Google, moving into deeper
layers of databases and information systems and also using social media for research. From
assessing a site for its accuracy and understanding the differences between different kinds of
sources to gaining information faster, this offers many keys to better searches and information
assessment practices.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
The Many Lives of Cy Endfield
Brian Neve
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299303747, $34.95, www.uwpress.wisc.edu
The Many Lives of Cy Endfield: Film Noir, The Blacklist, and Zulu tells of a filmmaker who
directed several Hollywood films before he was blacklisted and refused to identify others before
the House Un-American Activities Committee, and it follows his social, political and film
experiences in the first book to focus on his life. Years of archival research and personal
interviews succeed in documenting the changing world of a Hollywood director who was
fascinated by science and magic, who produced films in the 1940s to early 1950s, and whose
political statements about inequalities in class and race experiences led to a controversial career
and accusations. Any collection strong in film history and social change will find the chapters in
The Many Lives of Cy Endfield provide a multi-faceted read and close examination of the inner
life of a public filmmaker whose choices led to both creative and controversial productions.
The Science Shelf
Alfred Wegener
Mott T. Greene
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
9781421417127, $44.95, www.press.jhu.edu
Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration, and the Theory of Continental Drift blends biography
with scientific discovery as it charts the course of a scientist whose fieldwork embraced a wide
range of disciplines and ultimately resulted in his authoring of the theory of continental drift.
Unlike many scientists with narrowed focus, he also contributed beyond his geology focus to
astronomy, physics, glaciology, and more. While he died of overexertion on a journey to
Greenland to study the drift of its ice cap, his work survives him, and this in-depth biography is
the only complete account of his life and work and represents some twenty years of in-depth
research, making it a 'must' for any college-level science holding.
Viral Nanotechnology
Yury Khudyakov and Paul Pumpens, Editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781466583528, $159.95, www.crcpress.com
Viral Nanotechnology provides an updated overview of the developing field of viral
nanotechnology and discusses the developing fields of immunology, physics, chemistry and
more. This is no light overview but an in-depth scientific survey with articles by leading
researchers and practitioners who identify nanotechnology as a science that centers on how to
apply molecular models to viral technology. The focus on using viral nanotechnology to improve
health documents its use in genetic therapies and drug developments and considers its diagnosis
applications and host/vector system factors alike. With its extensive, in-depth reference detail,
Viral Nanotechnology is a 'must' for health and science holdings at the advanced college
level.
The Islamic Studies Shelf
A Treasury of Sufi Wisdom: The Path of Unity
Peter Samsel, Editor
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
www.worldwisdom.com
9781936597468, $22.95, www.worldwisdom.com
A Treasury of Sufi Wisdom: The Path of Unity includes selections form Rumi and major Sufi
writers and works as it gathers a treasure trove of well over a hundred sayings from the Qur'an
and Hadith, some 400 sayings from Sufi sages, and pairs them with a focus on metaphysical and
philosophical organization to contrast and juxtapose some of the major works of Sufi doctrine.
The texts, when viewed in this manner, offer a fine opportunity for scholars and students to
understand the major Sufi writings and ideals, making for a powerful survey no new age or
spiritual holding should be without.
The Sports Shelf
The HIIT Advantage
Irene Lewis-McCormick
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781492503064, $21.95, www.humankinetics.com
The HIIT Advantage discusses high-intensity workouts for women and is a recommendation for
trainers and athletes who want specific exercises, combinations, and progressions designed to
shape and strengthen the entire body. These HIIT protocols focus on very high-intensity
anaerobic intervals paired with shorter, low-effort rest intervals, and provide a comprehensive
guide filled with step-by-step instructions, photo sequences, discussions of variations and
customization, and workouts that combine 230-, 30- and 45-minute sessions. Black and white
photos throughout leave nothing to wonder, while access to an online video library completes the
process. A 'must' for any serious athlete's toolbox of exercises!
The Cookbook Shelf
Cooking at Home
Chuck Williams
Weldon Owen
415 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
9781616289621, $40.00, www.weldonowen.com
Cooking at Home: More than 1,000 Classic and Modern Recipes for Every Meal of the Day is a
Chuck Williams' 100th Birthday Limited Edition celebrating the founding of Williams Sonoma,
and packs in a thousand recipes with a hundred from his personal collection. It's meant to be a
'bible' of everyday food from breakfast to sandwiches and dinner: thus home cooks will find over
twenty chapters packed with detailed instructions and recipes for Crab Bisque, Pork Medallions
with Lemon and Rosemary, Chile-Corn Muffins, and much more. The result is an outstanding
cookbook that takes the basics and moves them a step up for any who would entertain and cook
at home.
Slow Cooker: 500 Recipes
Sara Lewis
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780600632450, $19.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com
Slow Cooker: 500 Recipes packs over 400 color photos into a cookbook filled with soups, stews,
and casseroles perfect for slow cooker winter preparations, and is especially recommended as a
warm and welcoming introductory text to any new to slow cooker preparations. Chapters go
beyond providing tested, foolproof recipes: they cover the basics of how to get the most of a slow
cooker, how to avoid common problems, and how to prepare food for the cooker to take best
advantage of its operations.
Cook the Pantry
Robin Robertson
Vegan Heritage Press
P.O. Box 628, Woodstock, VA 22664-0628
9781941252185, $21.95, www.veganheritagepress.com
Cook the Pantry provides vegan dishes that can be constructed in 20 minutes or less in a
cookbook that shows how to use ordinary ingredients on hand to make a vegan meal. From what
kinds of ingredients constitute a well-stocked pantry for quick, last-minute dishes to color photos
peppered throughout to international influences in an Asian Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
or a Pantry Bulgur Pilaf with dried cranberries, this is a delicious cookbook that busy vegan
cooks will especially appreciate.
The Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf
Spirit of Place: Scotland's Great Whiskey Distilleries
Charles Maclean
Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
0781613731833, $39.95, www.chicagoreviewpress.com
Spirit of Place: Scotland's Great Whiskey Distilleries is a specialty book especially recommended
for whiskey aficionados who enjoy a blend of travelogue and discussion about visiting
distilleries, and provides the author's experiences with some fifty of Scotland's greatest whiskey
producers. Presented in an oversized format replete with color photos - over 250 specially
commissioned for this book - Spirit of Place is filled with discussions that link the country's
history of producing Scotch whiskey with a compelling travelogue and survey of the drink, its
producers, and its history. The result is a beautiful presentation suitable for coffee table display
and research which is a top recommendation for any fan of either whiskey or Scotland.
The Education Shelf
Making Nonfiction from Scratch
Ralph Fletcher
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781625310125, $18.50, www.stenhouse.com
Making Nonfiction from Scratch offers a thought-provoking critique of how nonfiction writing is
taught in schools, and also provides teachers with new options to teaching differently to elicit
passion and insights from your aspiring writers. Directed to teachers who see the lack of passion
in their students, this provides a specific set of techniques directed towards nonfiction that takes
devices used in other genres, from fiction to poetry and comedy, and draws them together to
explore how they can apply to nonfiction efforts. Exercises, two case studies, and a chapter on
nonfiction writing pros and cons rounds out the presentation, highly recommended for any
teacher who wants to recharge the young nonfiction writer.
Corwin Press
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com
Three new titles are top recommendations for educators and collections catering to them. Maria
C. Grant, Douglas Fisher and Diane Lapp's Reading and Writing in Science: Tools to Develop
Disciplinary Literacy (9781483345680, $29.95) appears in its second updated edition to provide
a discussion of how to use science to develop modern science and literary skills alike. It offers
routines that incorporate using scientific texts in the classroom and provides students with all the
tools needed to improve understanding, and it uses reading guidelines to anchor science
understanding. Teachers also receive tips on how to develop text-based questions, how to assess
inquiries and processes, and how to blend the goals of teaching reading in science. Wendy W.
Nurawski and Kathy Lynn Scott edit What Really Works in Secondary Education
(9781483386652, $34.95), a collection of research-based strategies for teachers that compiles the
advice of experts who move beyond educational theory into how it applies (or doesn't) in a
classroom setting. Chapters discuss educational innovations that work, consider new approaches
to classroom management and student engagement, include forms for such goals as cooperative
learning lessons, and pairs sample lessons with self-assessment questions. The fact that these
approaches come from real-world tested solutions makes this a winning collection. Page Keeley's
Science Formative Assessment Volume 1: 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment,
Instruction, and Learning appears in its second updated edition to show educators how to
incorporate formative assessment routines into science curriculums, and comes from an expert in
science education. Here are over seventy classroom techniques that describes how formative
assessment promotes instruction, creates charts that link K-12 core ideas and science practices to
this process, offers expanded suggestions for applications beyond science studies, and more.
From paraphrasing and using 'four corners' to solicit student ideas to frameworks for K-12
education, this is a 'must' for any educator interested in learning about and applying formative
assessment techniques.
Starting with Character
Cathy Waggoner and Martha Herndon
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
9781605544472, $24.95, www.redleafpress.org
Starting with Character: Activities for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos is a recommended pick for
educators and parents looking at new curriculum development strategies for early learners, and
outlines six key character traits in young children that can be supported by easy activities. From
developing caring and honesty to cultivating self-discipline, chapters consider the emotional state
of infants, toddlers and two-year-olds and provide guidelines for assessment, evaluation, and
specific activities tailored to this group and these purposes. Cathy Waggoner worked in the field
of education since 1989 and her job has focused on character development in early education,
while Martha Herndon has worked as a researcher and ECE educator. Together they provide a
solid program for success.
Specific Learning Difficulties
Diana Hudson
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849055901, $19.95, www.jkp.com
Specific Learning Difficulties: What Teachers Need to Know is directed to both special
educators and general classrooms, but it's the latter who will best employ the basic guidelines on
how to recognize symptoms of specific learning disabilities and handle students who struggle
with dyslexia, autism, ADHD, and more. Moving beyond identifying issues, these chapters
discuss how to modify teaching materials and techniques and how to help students work within
their limitations to produce more effective results on exams, tests, and in classroom interactions.
From multisensory teaching to locating an adult mentor, this is filled with strategies and
observations the general classroom teacher can easily apply.
The International Studies Shelf
Crouching Tiger
Peter Navarro
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633881143, $25.00, www.prometheusbooks.com
Crouching Tiger: What China's Militarism Means for the World questions whether a war with
China is inevitable - and assesses the probability of conflict between the U.S. and China,
analyzing both routes to war and paths to peace along the way. More than the usual author
perspective, Crouching Tiger is based on interviews with over thirty top experts who discuss
various facts about the country's recent military buildup and its effects in Asia. Also surveyed are
China's evolving weapons systems and delivery systems, discussions of U.S. military strength,
and surveys of economic and diplomatic engagements and their pros and cons. Any interested in
China's evolving prowess must have this!
The Social Issues Shelf
Weaving a Malawi Sunrise
Roberta Laurie
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
9781772120868, $39.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca
Weaving a Malawi Sunrise: A Woman, A School, A People surveys the women of a developing
country and one woman in particular, Memory Chazeza, who struggled to gain an education and
then built a school for young women. Author Laurie was key in helping Memory achieve her
goals of seeing young girls become independent and powerful women, and met several other
women whose stories are woven into Memory's account. The result is a powerful blend of
biography, social and political probe of Malawi and a top recommendation for any women's
studies or social issues collection.
The Computer Shelf
Murach's jQuery, second edition
Zak Ruvalcaba and Anne Boehm
Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.
4340 N. Knoll, Fresno, CA 93722
9781890774912, $54.50, www.murach.com
The second updated edition of Murach's jQuery blends a course in a book with a reference topic
covering JavaScript skills needed for applying jQuery to real-world problem-solving, and
provides insights on how to get the most from scripting and other development topics. Chapters
offer an in-depth survey of using and understanding jQuery in a form that requires little prior
programming language experience, and which builds the basics and proceeds to teach in-depth
applications and customization routines. From using Ajax and others in working with common
websites to using jQuery Mobile to develop web pages for mobile devices, this reference packs in
code, sidebars of information, and plenty of real-world examples.
The Autism Shelf
Older Adults and Autism Spectrum Conditions
Wenn Lawson
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849059619, $24.95, www.jkp.com
Older Adults and Autism Spectrum Conditions: An Introduction and Guide examines the issues
facing older adults with autism spectrum conditions and offers guidance and an organized
examination of issues based on a blend of research and interviews with older people diagnosed
with ASC. From working with care staff to handling mental health issues, retirement, considering
a trustee and exploring various personality and learning types, this survey delves into the many
and changing issues affecting older adults on the spectrum and is essential for understanding
their progress and special challenges.
The Nautical Shelf
Shipwrecked in Paradise
Paul F. Johnston
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
www.tamupress.com
9781623492830, $39.95, www.tamupress.com
Shipwrecked in Paradise: Cleopatra's Barge in Hawai'i tells of America's first oceangoing private
yacht, built in Massachusetts as a flashy cruiser for a private owner. Sold several times after his
death, the ship wound up in Hawai'i and was purchased by a king for a million pounds of
sandalwood, renamed, and became the royal flagship until she was lost in 1924 in Kaua'i. This
offers a history of the boat from her 1816 construction to her 1995 discovery and excavation by
the Smithsonian Institution. Packed with photos, documents and rich archaeological and
historical detail, it's a 'must' for archaeologists and nautical history fans alike.
The Automotive Shelf
Evo Supercars
Evo Magazine
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9781784720506, $29.99, www.octopuspublishing.com
Evo Supercars: Behind the Wheel of the Greatest Cars of All Time comes from the experts at
Evo Magazine who provide an oversized survey of the 100 greatest supercars ever built, from
Ferraris to the latest models. Reviews for each car discuss why each model is a 'supercar' in its
class, but the meat of the survey lies in full-page color photos by Evo photographers that
accompany the reviews and specs on engines, power, price, and other technical details. This
makes for a blend of coffee table book and supercar presentations covering top models from
1968 to modern times, presenting the best of Jaguar, Ford, Aston Martin, Bugatti, and others.
Auto history buffs interested in a blend of eye-popping images and precise descriptions will find
this a 'must have' acquisition.
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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