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The Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 7 July 2012 Home | BW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Economic Studies Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Psychology Shelf Art Shelf Sports Shelf
Travel Shelf Music Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Automotive Shelf Computer Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Audiobook Shelf Education Shelf
Business Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Photography Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Library Science Shelf Philosophy Shelf Science Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Architecture Shelf Railroading Shelf
Crafts Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Military Shelf Political Science Shelf
Biography Shelf Literary Studies Shelf Nautical Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Do It Well. Make It Fun.
Ronald P. Culberson
Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
9781608322855, $18.95, www.ghgpress.com

DO IT WELL. MAKE IT FUN. THE KEY TO SUCCESS IN LIFE, DEATH, AND ALMOST EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN provides an excellent survey based on the idea that excellence is the key to success in life - and it offers a different approach to implementing a two-step process that will lead to more of both. It's a formula that can be applied to any facet of life or business, and here life experiences and observations make for fun and thought-provoking reflections on the process of achieving excellence and joy in life. The author is a social worker and middle manager, and his reflections are well done.


The Economic Studies Shelf

The Real Crash
Peter D. Schiff
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9781250004475, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

THE REAL CRASH: HOW TO SAVE YOURSELF AND YOUR COUNTRY comes from a best-selling author and economist who offers a surprising solution to the nation's damaged economy: America needs to default and declare bankruptcy to fix it. he feels bankruptcy is the only way for the nation to get out of debt - and argues the U.S. is dangerously close to running out of money. The American consumer, reflecting the nation's woes, is also running out of money - and typically has no emergency funds to tap. Therefore, Peter Schiff maintains, consumers need to stop spending above their means, and must save more. It's a powerful call for consumer and nation alike to tighten those purse strings before real disaster - and belongs in economics, business and general-interest lending libraries alike.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Healing Remedies Sourcebook
C. Norman Shealy, MD, PhD
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
44 Farnsworth St., 3rd Floor, Boston MA 02210
9780738215914, $25.99, www.dacapopress.com

The Healing Remedies Sourcebook: Over 1000 Natural remedies to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments provides natural remedies for nearly 200 medical issues and comes from eight holistic disciplines, from traditional folk recipes to herbalism, aromatherapy, homeopathy, flower remedies and vitamins. Treatments for memory loss, anxiety, high blood pressure, diabetes and more combine brief histories of remedies with descriptions of how they affect body and mind, along with an index to help readers easily locate ailments and antidotes. A fine pick for any health collection, especially those adding to their natural remedies sections who want a broader viewpoint than many titles offer.

The Insulin Resistance Factor
Antony J. Haynes
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9781573245494, $18.95, www.redwheelweiser.com

The Insulin Resistance Factor: A Nutritionist's Plan for Reversing the Effects of Syndrome X teaches the basics of a health plan that tells how to lose weight, gain focus, and find lasting health. It documents insulin resistance, which affects 1 in 5 people and involves the overproduction of insulin, and tells how a reader can determine their level of insulin resistance and how to achieve lasting health through nutritional modifications. Highly recommended!

New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com

Emily Snadoz, PhD, Kelly Wilson, PhD, and Troy Dufrene's ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY FOR EATING DISORDERS: A PROCESS-FOCUSED GUIDE TO TREATING ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA (9781572247338, $59.95) provides a survey of ACT therapy and how it trains people to face their thoughts and respond in different ways. It's a recommendation for practitioners and clients alike, discussing how ACT acknowledges eating disorder behaviors and the underlying purposes they serve, and showing how ACT replaces these reactions with a different, better set of skills to help clients set aside negative thoughts and make more useful choices. It's a fine, detailed overview that belongs in any mental health library. Kelly G. Wilson, PhD works with Troy DuFrene in the accompanying workbook THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE: AN ACCEPTANCE & COMMITMENT THERAPY WORKBOOK FOR OVERCOMING SUBSTANCE ABUSE (9781572249288, $21.95). It provides a fine addiction recovery workbook based on the acceptance and commitment therapy outlined above, and can be used alone or in combination with any 12-step program. Discussions, worksheets and insights abound! Cindy N. Ariel, Ph.D.'s LOVING SOMEONE WITH ASPERGER'S SYNDROME: UNDERSTANDING & CONNECTING WITH YOUR PARTNER (9781608820771, $18.95) provides a fine survey for any whose partner has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, and considers its effects, its special challenges to communication skills, and how to develop relationship rules to cope with special Asperger's challenges. It's packed with tools to help partners build intimacy and communicate on a deeper level, and comes with exercises, assessments, and analysis perfect for couples just starting out.

W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
www.wwnorton.com

Carol J. Kershaw & J. William Wade's BRAIN CHANGE THERAPY: CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS FOR SELF-TRANSFORMATION (9780393705867, $37.50) uses the latest neuroscientific research and basics from hypnosis, biofeedback and more to help clients reach stable neurological and emotional states and change attitudes, and is a fine pick for any psychology holding catering to therapists and clinical applications of scientific research. BCT discusses how to repattern neural pathways and helps clients create empowering life experiences that can create then reinforce such pathways. It's a powerful guide for any therapist's arsenal of treatment options, and a 'must' for any serious psychotherapy reference collection. Terry Marks-Tarlow's CLINICAL INTUITION IN PSYCHOTHERAPY: THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF EMBODIED RESPONSE (9780393707038, $35.00) provides college-level collections with a fine survey of what actually happens in psychotherapy outside the therapeutic models and techniques. The focus is on how therapists use intuition to connect theory and real-world experience and explores how intuition is used to share clinical insights. Case studies, stories, and original artwork pair in a presentation highly recommended for any practicing clinician or collections catering to psychotherapists. Daniel A. Hughes and Jonathan Baylin's BRAIN-BASED PARENTING; THE NEUROSCIENCE OF CAREGIVING FOR HEALTHY ATTACHMENT (9780393707281, $27.95) is a powerful pick for any collection strong in parenting and the latest brain research, and provides a fine survey relating brain studies on learning and parenting to adjusting parenting perspectives. It shows how life experiences affect brain development and children, exploring the mechanics of healthy parenting and providing an attachment specialist's perspective. Chapters discuss neuronal processes, hormones, and chemicals that dictate caregiving in a fine survey linking physiology with psychology and parenting outcomes.

The Starch Solution
John A. McDougall, MD and Mary McDougall
Rodale Press
733 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781609613938, $26.99, www.rodalebooks.com

THE STARCH SOLUTION: EAT THE FOODS YOU LOVE, REGAIN YOUR HEALTH, AND LOSE THE WEIGHT FOR GOOD! Comes from a bestselling author and his wife who reveal a starch-rich diet plan can actually help lose weight. There's sure to be a rush for this idea, which promotes swapping carbs for proteins and fats for a better boost in energy. This book advocates a plant-based diet and is based on the latest scientific research showing exactly what foods are best for dieters, and is a pick for any diet library.

The Weight of the Nation
John Hoffman, Judith A. Salerno, Alexandra Moss
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9781250014735, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

Many people believe we're a fat nation because we lack self-control - but fewer Americans are smoking, many pay close attention to diet and weight - and most still struggle with weight-related health issues. THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION: SURPRISING LESSONS ABOUT DIETS, FOOD, AND FAT FROM THE EXTRAORDINARY HBO DOCUMENTARY SERIES considers what it really takes to reach a healthy weight and offers some eye-opening inspirations, such as the fact that the average adult only needs to engage in 30 minutes of moderate activity five times a week in order to maintain a healthy weight. Or what cutting back on portion sizes can be as simple as using a smaller plate - which used to be the case in the 1950s. An eye-opening collection of inspiring facts makes this a pick for any general lending library.


The Psychology Shelf

Subliminal
Leonard Mlodinow
Pantheon
c/o Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
9780307378217, $25.95, www.pantheonbooks.com

SUBLIMINAL: HOW YOUR UNCONSCIOUS MIND RULES YOUR BEHAVIOR provides a fine guide to how the unconscious mind shapes our experience of the world and our perceptions of relationships. From its ability to misremember important events to misunderstandings, this link between subliminal and conscious messages makes for a fine account documenting a new science of the unconscious and of how the subliminal mind affects how we live. Any psychology and many a health and business holding will find this draws fascinating links between human perception and behavioral responses.

Children with Social, Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties and Communication Problems, second edition
Melanie Cross
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market St., Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106
9781849051203, $34.95, www.jkp.com

The second updated edition of Children with Social, Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties and Communication Problems: There Is Always a Reason provides updated research and information perfect for health and education holdings, and considers why communications and behavior difficulties so often occur together. It analyzes mental health and social conditions alike, demonstrating that improving communication skills can lead to better outcomes, and that speech and language therapy that can help is often missing for this group. Her guidelines offer assessments of unmet communications needs in young people and is a 'must' for any collection looking at physical and mental health connections in kids.


The Art Shelf

Starting Your Career as an Artist
Angie Wojak and Stacy Miller
Allworth Press
307 West 36th St., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
9781581158533, $19.95, www.allworth.com

STARTING YOUR CAREER AS AN ARTIST: A GUIDE FOR PAINTERS, SCULPTORS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, AND OTHER VISUAL ARTISTS provides a fine primer for any just entering the world of art who would understand how to put together and promote a professional career. It comes from veteran art career professionals who teach the basics of setting up a studio, following health and business guidelines, developing marketing plans and locating exhibition venues, and much more. Any artist who would promote a career will find this a winning set of specific tips for success.

Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
www.hudsonhills.com

Alan Pensler & Mimi Ginsberg's ABRAHAM MANIEVICH (9781555953454, $60.00) is the first English-language publication to offer a combination of biography of the artist's life and catalog of his works, and is a recommendation for any serious arts collection. He was a Russian painter born in 1881 who produced a major group of successful paintings; yet his works remain largely unacknowledged. Under the overall heading of Jewish Futurist painting his work shines, and this discussion offers coverage of his life, works, and the milieu in which he operated. Jewish and arts holdings alike will find it a definitive, essential work. COLLEEN BROWNING: THE ENCHANTMENT OF REALISM (9781555953669, $60.00) by Philip Eliasoph offers a fine catalog of a pivotal realist painter who is one of the few women to make a name for herself in a male-dominated genre, and packs in an art history with a biographical sketch and review of Colleen Browning's works, influences, and the art history of the realist movement as a whole. Packed with full-page images of Browning's extensive creations, this is a definitive survey highly recommended for any serious arts collection.


The Sports Shelf

A Woman's Guide to Muscle and Strength
Irene Lewis-McCormick
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9780736090353, $19.95, www.humankinetics.com

A Woman's Guide to Muscle and Strength: Programs You Need for the Body You Want provides a fine training program that's easy to follow and is a 'must' for women interested in fitness and strength training. It's a program created for women, by a woman, and targets how women workout and react to exercise regimens. Step-by-step black and white photos provide all the basic movements and offer plenty of keys to successful workouts with different objectives in mind.

Fields of Glory Napoleonic
Terry Shaw & Mike Horah
Osprey Publishing
4402 - 23rd Street, Suite 219
Long Island City, NY 11101-5058
9781849089265, $34.95, www.ospreypublishing.com

Fields of Glory Napoleonic: Wargaming Rules for Napoleonic Tabletop Gaming offers a set of miniatures tabletop wargaming rules that blends history with all the information needed to recreate epic battles using miniatures, dice, and tape measures. Here are the complete rules including explanations of how to play, diagrams of key points, photos of the miniatures during the game, and Army lists, making this a fine addition to any wargamer's reference collection!

Run Less Run Faster, revised edition
Bill Pierce, Scott, Murr and Ray Moss
Rodale Press
733 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781609618025, $17.99, www.rodalebooks.com

RUN LESS RUN FASTER: BECOME A FASTER, STRONGER RUNNER WITH THE REVOLUTIONARY 3-RUN-A-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM appears in a revised updated edition to include Boston training programs for all 16 qualifying times, and is a 'must' for any runner who wants to become more efficient. It comes from FIRST (Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training) and pairs a user-friendly format with tips on how to get stronger and faster - by running less. Novices as well as semi-professional runners will find this packed with approaches to optimize training time for better performances.


The Travel Shelf

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

Christian Bonetto, et.al.'s SOUTHERN ITALY (9781741792362, $21.99) provides easy to use maps and a fine in-depth survey from three authors passionate about Southern Italy and is a top recommendation for any planning a journey to the region. It packs in maps and itineraries as well as tips on accommodations and restaurants, and provides a fine guide highly recommended for any collection strong in independent and budget European travel in general and Southern Italy as a specific destination! Oliver Berry and Brendan Sainsbury's BANFF, JASPER & GLACIER NATIONAL PARKS (9781741794052, $19.99) details over sixty hikes and itineraries in these two adjoining national parks and is a 'must' travel planner for any outdoors enthusiast heading to the parks. From where to stay to 'must see' routes and historic viewing areas, this documents them all! Korina Miller, et.al.'s GREEK ISLANDS (9781741798999, $22.99) provides a fine assessment of life and attractions on Greece's chain of islands and is a 'must' for any independent traveler heading to Greece. It packs in small maps, local attractions, places to stay and eat, and cultural observations in a top pick for any who plan on wandering Greece's less-traveled paths.


The Music Shelf

Languages of Global Hip Hop
Maria Terkourafi
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704, New York, NY 10038
9780826431608, $170.00, www.continuumbooks.com

Languages of Global Hip Hop isn't just a music book: it's a sociology study wrapped in the popular global hiphop movement and thus holds appeal for music and college-level sociology collections alike. Unlike most discussions of hiphop culture, this offers a scholarly, detailed analysis of the language and sentiments of hiphop as it relates to global business, economics, culture and economics, offering a special focus on hiphop language and its underlying social ramifications. Any interested in connections between music, language and society will find this technical analysis astute and revealing!

When I Left Home: My Story
Buddy Guy with David Ritz
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306819575, $26.00, www.dacapopress.com

When I Left Home: My Story offers a fine account of blues legend Buddy Guy and details his journey from the South to Chicago, and his involvement in the blues music revolution that evolved. Born a sharecropper's son, Guy worked the land and lived in a shack without electricity, glass windows or running water. Self-taught as a blues guitar player, he came to find inspiration in the music of John Lee Hooker and his contemporaries - and became part of a movement that would inspire him to head north and change his life. A 'must' for any collection strong in blues music history in general and the autobiographies of blues musicians in particular.

Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302
Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonard.com

Dave Rubin's GUITAR GEAR OF THE GREATS: THE GUITARS, AMPS & EFFECTS BEHIND THE SOUND OF 100 PLAYERS (9781849380713, $19.99) comes from a music historian who surveys the gear, licks and lives of 100 top guitarists in a combination of book and CD, including photos, tabulature, and an audio CD covering all licks in the book. From John Lee Hooker and Tony Rice to Merle Travis, Pete Townshend, Buddy Guy and Dick Dale, this pairs short biographies of each musician's style with history, coverage of the evolution of his sound, tabulature of the lick, and everything needed to emulate it. Very highly recommended for any serious guitar player looking for a solid guide to style. Bobby Owsinski's MUSIC 3.0: A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR MAKING MUSIC IN THE INTERNET AGE (9781458402899, $24.99) appears in its second updated edition to offer an analysis of today's music business and its future. Included in the review are insights into the industry's top professionals, analysis of what has changed and what is being done differently, keys to using social media marketing tools, and more. The tips on new low-cost high- and low-tech tips for marketing make this an accessible powerful reference!


The Cookbook Shelf

Skinny Ms. Slow Cooker
Tiffany McCauley and Gale Compton
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
9781934193761, $24.95, www.quailridge.com

SKINNY MS. SLOW COOKER: NATURAL RECIPES FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE provides another 'Best of the Best' collection and is a top recommendation for any who would use the slow cooker for healthier eating. It provides convenient slow cooker recipes that novice and experienced cooks will appreciate and packs in natural ingredients, nutrition information and calorie counts for each recipe, easy instructions and much more, pairing recipes with color photos and basic slow cooker tips and information. Any collection strong in slow cooker recipes will find this emphasis on low-calorie foods to be inviting!

Easy Does It Winners & Favorites
Patty Roper
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
9781934193693, $24.95, www.quailridge.com

Easy Does It Winners & Favorites comes packed with color photos and recipes that are very easy to produce yet show with a professional elegance usually associated with hours of cooking and expertise. And unlike Martha Stewart's books, you don't need to collect expensive Depression glass to pull it off - all you need is very basic cooking skills and a desire to create show-stopping results with very little expertise. Chapters are heavy on Southern dishes but round out the South with other influences. Adaptations of classic dishes are provided along with keys to adding something different, such as the classic Eggs Benedict served over cornbread. The result is an attractive, easy cookbook suitable for entertaining and any general lending library.

Gluten-Free Cooking
Betty Crocker
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781118146071, $19.99, www.chroniclebooks.com

Gluten-Free Cooking comes with the Betty Crocker stamp of quality and offers easy gluten-free dishes for breakfast, main courses and even the more challenging (for gluten-free) baking of breads and desserts. Over 150 recipes include select recipes form Silvana Nardone and Jean Duane and pair with over seventy color photos, detailed nutrition information for all recipes, and lists of ingredients to avoid and their gluten-free alternatives. There's no easier or better starting point than Betty Crocker's Gluten-Free Cooking, and any general lending library will want this.

Danish Cooking and Baking Traditions
Arthur L. Meyer
Hippocrene Books
171 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780781812627, $32.00, www.hippocrenebooks.com

Danish Cooking and Baking Traditions is a pick for any culinary collection looking for a specific focus on Danish traditions outside the usual general European collection. It provides a focus on traditional foods that are part of Danish meals, covering all courses and packing in over 170 recipes with step-by-step preparation directions to accompany an overall history of Danish cuisine. 45 recipes for famous Danish desserts and sweets make for a fine presentation worthy of any international cookery collection.

How the Hot Dog Found Its Bun
Josh Chetwynd
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762777501, $14.95, www.lyonspress.com

How the Hot Dog Found Its Bun: Accidental Discoveries and Unexpected Inspirations That Shape What We Eat and Drink is a 'must' for any general lending library seeing popularity in either trivia books, cookbooks, or both. It packs in fun vignettes and trivia about the quirky world of kitchen invention, products and foods, and packs in keys to kitchen innovations through short essays that attack popular myths and offer insights into food facts. A fun, compelling read for a wide audience spiced with illustrations throughout by David Cole Wheeler, this is simply not to be missed.

Cheese and Culture
Paul Kindstedt
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
9781603584111, $24.95, www.chelseagreen.com

CHEESE AND CULTURE: A HISTORY OF CHEESE AND ITS PLACE IN WESTERN CIVILIZATION offers a fascinating story behind different types of cheese and how it came to be, and explores some basic principles of cheese science and technology in the course of an in-depth look at choose, its origins and development from early times to modern. From how different cheeses have been shaped by their natural environment to the roles they played in local economies and trade, this provides a fine historical view connecting cheese and culture and is a 'must' for any collection strong in culinary history.

The Kitchen Diva's Diabetic Cookbook
Angela Shelf Medearis
Andrews McMeel Publishing
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City MO 64106-2109
9781449402396, $24.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

The Kitchen Diva's Diabetic Cookbook: 150 Healthy, Delicious Recipes for Diabetics and Those Who Dine With Them provides a fine guide for cooks at all skill levels who want to create easy, affordable meals to address the needs of prediabetics and people with diabetic-related complications. Her cooking blends American and ethnic dishes with comfort food basics that have been adapted for diabetics, offering seven chapters of dishes suitable for everyday meals and parties alike. Any diabetic cookery collection needs this!

The Hamptons
Ricky Lauren
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118293270, $40.00, www.wiley.com

THE HAMPTONS: FOOD, FAMILY, AND HISTORY provides an oversized and lovely survey from an author and photographer who shares over 130 healthy seasonal dishes and family favorites from the Hamptons region of the country. Lovely photos and art document the author's travels, culinary discoveries, and insights into the Hamptons and her life with designer Ralph Lauren and their three children. This is the fourth book in her personal lifestyle genre which blend memories with food and local insights, and will be a pick for culinary and cultural holdings alike.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

What the Robin Knows
Jon Young
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
9780547451251, $22.00, www.hmhpub.com

WHAT THE ROBIN KNOWS: HOW BIRDS REVEAL THE SECRETS OF THE NATURAL WORLD offers techniques from birding help beginning birders and general readers to understand a bird's perceptions and animal language and behaviors in general. It offers keys to expanding awareness while shrinking disturbances, and uses bird language to blend Native insights with current scientific research to lend deeper perspective on the natural world and connections and interactions in nature. Highly recommended for science and general holdings, alike!

Cat Daddy
Jackson Galaxy
Tarcher
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014-3658
9781585429370, $24.95, www.penguin.com

CAT DADDY: WHAT THE WORLD'S MOST INCORRIGIBLE CAT TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE, LOVE AND COMING CLEAN comes from a cat trainer who hosts the show My Cat From Hell, just renewed for a third season. It provides a memoir of how he became a 'cat whisperer' and shows how he moved from being a musician with multiple addictions to an animal shelter worker and a gifted cat trainer. His approach to cat care offers much to cat owners and cat fanciers and will appeal to any general lending collection.

Wiley-Blackwell
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell

Carolyn A. Sink and Nicole M. Weinstein's PRACTICAL VETERINARY URINALYSIS (9780470958247, $59.99) is a fine preference for any veterinary laboratory and covers sample handling guidelines, dry chemical analysis, diagnostic techniques and procedures for any who interpret urinalysis testing in animals. From a review of renal physiology to an assessment of urine sample techniques and analysis, this covers basic and advanced diagnostic tests and provides solid information for more efficient urinalysis testing. A 'must' for any vet's reference and for veterinary students. Sandra N. Koch, Sheila M.F. Torres and Donald C. Plumb's CANINE AND FELINE DERMATOLOGY DRUG HANDBOOK (9781405198967, $69.99) provides a compact reference summarizing dermatological drugs for dogs and cat, and covers all oral, topical and injectable medications. Each drug listing includes contraindications, dosage, formulations, side-effects, drug interactions and more, and is organized as a quick, at-a-glance reference suitable for clinical use. No veterinary operation should be without it!


The Automotive Shelf

Street Sleepers
Tommy Lee Byrd
CarTech
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
9781934709580, $24.95, www.cartechbooks.com

STREET SLEEPERS: THE ART OF THE DECEPTIVELY FAST CAR provides a fine survey of car acceleration and how to use different tricks to both make the car faster and make it look deceptively slow in competition. It examines exactly how these tricks are mechanically accomplished, considering the 'sleeper' car that looks stodgy but rips off the line at an awesome rate of speed. Owners of many of the country's 'sleepers' contribute their insider's tips to this fine account, which is packed with color photos and mechanical insights throughout!


The Computer Shelf

Core HTML5 Canvas
David Geary
Prentice Hall Professional
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780132761611, $49.99, www.informit.com/ph

Core HTML5 Canvas: Graphics, Animation, and Game Development provides dozens of real-world uses of the Canvas API, from interactively drawing shapes and restoring the drawing surface to using text controls, filtering images, and using advanced techniques for collision detection and custom controls for sliders and more. It covers everything from using Canvas on mobile applications to animations and modeling physical systems, and provides fine technical chapters packed with code and peppered with color screen shot examples of Canvas in action. The result is a top technical pick for any collection looking for basic programmer insights on the Canvas structure.

Scala for the Impatient
Cay S. Horstmann
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
0321774094, $44.99, www.informit.com/aw

SCALA FOR THE IMPATIENT is a 'must' for any collection strong in Scala programming, and offers developers keys to what Scala can do. It offers a code-based manual that is quick to reference and easy to apply, packed with hands-on activities and tips to using Scala's many advanced functions, such as its collections library. Learn how to create and use concurrent programs and how to use and apply the Scala type system with a fine guide to its advanced programming powers. Topics are accompanied by code, exercises and real-world applications for maximum impact.

Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
www.oreilly.com, www.microsoft.com/mspress

Ian McLean's RAPID REVIEW MCTS EXAM - 70-662 (9780735656103, $29.99) is a 'must' for any exam-taker reviewing the exam, and offers a quick method for assessing readiness for MCTS Exam 70-662. The guide walks you through the exam, provides checklists and review questions, and provides tips and links for further study. From installing and configuring Exchange Servers to monitoring and reporting, this packs in keys to configuration and common usage and is geared to the exam specs and objectives. Any exam-taker needs this quick reference to assure they are ready for the real thing - and computer and education collections alike will find it a solid acquisition. Joyce Cox, Joan Lambert and Curtis Frye's STEP BY STEP MICROSOFT OFFICE PROFESSIONAL 2010 (9780735626956, $44.99) provides a step-by-step guide to building spreadsheets, performing calculations, and creating a polished final report using Microsoft Office Professional, and is a pick for any collection seeking a comprehensive tutorial on Microsoft Office Professional 2010. It's packed with numbered steps, accompanying screenshots to check work, and tips for streamlining the entire process, and is a powerful pick for any who would learn Office Professional 2010.

iOS Hacker's Handbook
Charlie Miller, et.al.
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118204122, $44.99, www.wiley.com

iOS Hacker's Handbook provides all the basics of iOS, Apple's mobile operating system for the iPhone and iPad, and considers the inherent vulnerabilities of the iOS operating system and how it can be overcome. Chapters cover security software, kernel debugging, and provides all the tools needed to understand and foil attacks. From how the operating system works to its underlying risks, this is a 'must' for any working with the iOS system who wants a complete guide to its operations and security risks.

Tap, Move, Shake
Todd Moore
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449303457, $29.99, www.oreilly.com

TAP, MOVE, SHAKE: TURNING YOUR GAME IDEAS INTO IPHONE & IPAD APPS is a 'must have' reference for any who would develop games for iPhone and iPad applications. The author taught himself how to create an iPhone game in a week with no previous knowledge of Apple's development tools, and now develops smartphone games and apps full time. Coders can use this book to develop real products for the App Store, and receive keys to getting started and developing best practices in the course of writing games. All the basics are covered, along with common game development challenges.

NOOK Tablet: The Missing Manual
Preston Gralla
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N.
Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
9781449317751, $19.99, www.oreilly.com

NOOK Tablet: The Missing Manual should go with any first-time NOOK user's package and provides all the basics of getting up to speed quickly using the NOOK Tablet. From downloading ebooks and games to using it to enjoy magazines, TV shows and movies, this offers keys to browsing the web, checking email, logging into Facebook, and much more, and is a special recommendation for new NOOK users who want to get the most from their new NOOK.

My Kindle Fire
Jim Cheshire
Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
078974922X, $19.99, www.quepublishing.com

MY KINDLE FIRE offers step-by-step color instructions for using Amazon's latest Kindle and is a 'must' for any new owner of the Fire. It tells what to do to overcome common problems or limitations, offers keys to getting the most from the Kindle Fire, and teaches all the basics of using the Fire to maximum advantage, from getting more out of its battery to converting personal documents for use on the Fire and using large music libraries. From managing subscription costs to fine-tuning, this is a 'must' for any Kindle Fire owner, and for collections appealing to general computer users.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Targets of Opportunity
Jeffrey S. Stephens
Pocket Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 13th fl.
New York, NY 10020
www.pocketbooks.com
9781451672565, $7.99, www.simonandschuster.com

TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY offers a fine blend of thriller, suspense, and mystery and continues the story of CIA agent Jordan Sandor, who first appeared in TARGETS OF DECEPTION and here faces off a top terrorist agent from Iran's Revolutionary Guard. A secret alliance crosses international borders, involves espionage and intrigue, and centers around a plot to strike at the heart of America - unless agent Sandor can prevent it. A fine, fast-paced thriller evolves, perfect for any general lending library!

Final Sail
Elaine Viets
Obsidian Mystery
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451236746, $23.95, www.penguin.com

FINAL SAIL: A DEAD-END JOB MYSTERY returns the eleventh book in her series and here has the husband-and-wife PI team Helen and Phil searching for a jewel smuggler. Helen is working undercover on a private yacht and finds her hands full not only with drinks but with missing her husband and setting the stage for capturing a killer, when things begin to go awry and a sailing trip turns into a struggle for survival on the seas. FINAL SAIL is gripping, intriguing, and filled with satisfying twists and turns: a solid pick for any mystery holding.

Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com

Michael Norman's SKELETON PICNIC (9781590585511, $24.95) provides a fine J.D. Books mystery and tells of third generation Utah residents Rolly and Abigail Rogers, who turn up missing after a weekend searching for valuable antiquities. It's up to local Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement Ranger J.D. Books to help - and an investigation turns up not only many clues, but a puzzling series of events that point to the involvement of a group of assailants, not just one. Could it be a group of armed Indian police, or something more? An outstanding survey evolves, perfect for any mystery holding. Tina Whittle's DARKER THAN ANY SHADOW (9781590585467, $24.95) tells of Tai Randolph, who is feeling the summer heat in Atlanta and struggling with a new relationship when she faces an added complication: the murder of a poet friend of her best childhood friend Rico. A national poetry slam turns deadly as she tries to clear her friend's name and finds herself involved in more than she can handle. Any mystery collection will find this an involving story!


The Audiobook Shelf

Subliminal
Leonard Mlodinow
Random House Audio Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 8th floor, New York, NY 10019
9780739383681, $39.00, www.randomhouseaudio.com

SUBLIMINAL: HOW YOUR UNCONSCIOUS MIND RULES YOUR BEHAVIOR uses wit and insight to examine the research affecting judgments, perceptions, and the conscious and unconscious mind, and is a pick for any general collection seeing an interest in psychology. It considers the latest research on the subliminal self and discusses how the human kind works and how we interact with peers and family alike. A 'must' for any general lending library, this audio version brings the basics to life.

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017-0010
www.hachetteaudio.com

James Patterson's & Maxine Paetro's 11TH HOUR (9781611134148, $24.98) is narrated by January LaVoy, a New York actress who has extensive performance credits and whose smooth and evocative voice lends to a powerful story of Lindsay Boxer, who is both pregnant and investigating the discovery of severed heads in a movie star's garden. Her involvement in a bizarre crime leads to revelations about her own life and an alienation even from her husband in this moving saga of danger and revelation. Joel Stein's MANMADE: A STUPID QUEST FOR MASCULINITY (9781611133077, $26.98) is humor columnist Stein's first audiobook and follows his attempt to acquire as many manly skills as possible in order to be a father to his newborn son. His quest leads to some amazing jobs, fun encounters, and close insights on the nature of masculinity in this revealing survey. Sherrilyn Kenyon's BORN OF SILENCE (9781607885887, $29.98) receives a fine reading from Holter Graham, who has narrated numerous award-winning audios and who here brings to life the story of Zarya, whose entire family is murdered because of one man's greed. Zarya is forced to grow up in hell and becomes a resistance leader, with her goal of topping the government that destroyed her family and childhood - but a mysterious man enters her world and will bring with him betrayal and danger to her cause in this gripping saga of international intrigue.


The Education Shelf

Living the Questions, second edition
Ruth Shagoury & Brenda Miller Power
Stenhouse Publishers
477 Congress Street, Suite 4B
Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781571109463, $28.50, www.stenhouse.com

The second updated edition of Living the Questions: A Guide for Teacher-Researchers offers chapters explaining the research process, research activities that enable hands-on demonstration of strategies and techniques, and essays in which teachers share their projects and results. As such it's a complete step-by-step guide to designing and publishing research and a key pick for any educator's collection; particularly those interested in connecting research to classroom results.

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

STRATEGIC READING GROUPS: GUIDING READERS IN THE MIDDLE GRADES by Jennifer Berne and Sophie Degener (9781452202860, $27.95) is a pick for educators working with grades 4-8 and provides a collection of strategies for classroom management and assessment. It provides a tested working model for middle-grade readers and is packed with tips and formulas teachers will find immediately applicable and successful teaching tools. SCHOOL CLIMATE 2.0: PREVENTING CYBERBULLYING AND SEXTING ONE CLASSROOM AT A TIME (9781412997836, $29.95) provides a specific, positive strategy educators can apply to help prevent cyberbullying and sexting among teens, and is a pick for parents as well as educators. It offers a holistic approach that involves teachers and parents in the process, comes from national leaders in preventing cyberbullying, and analyzes underlying issues relating to young people and technology. Parents and educators alike will find this a powerful guide. Nina Jones Morel and Carla Staton Cushman's HOW TO BUILD AN INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING PROGRAM FOR MAXIMUM CAPACITY (9781452202891, $36.95) teaches the basics of how to build an effective school coaching program, considering the value of coaches in improving schools and leading to staff and student success. It offers an overview of a successful coaching program, provides data to help refine such an effort, and includes a Facilitator's Guide packed with resources, vignettes, and brain-based learning activities for groups. A 'must' for any serious educator's collection!


The Business Shelf

Positive Intelligence
Shirzad Chamine
Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
9781608322787, $23.95, www.gbgpress.com

Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours is a pick for any business or economics holding strong in realizing potential. It's based on the author's popular Stanford University lectures and reveals how to achieve this potential in a business environment, teaching the difference between IQ and emotional intelligence, the PQ factor that evolves from a combination of both, and how it can be improved in as little as 21 days. Techniques and tools for higher-level thinking make for a fine game plan for any who would move up the intelligence ladder.

Judgment Calls
Thomas H. Davenport and Brook Manville
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422158111, $30.00, www.hbr.org/books

JUDGMENT CALLS: 12 STORIES OF BIG DECISIONS AND THE TEAMS THAT GOT THEM RIGHT provides a fine survey that shares twelve stories of organizations that used skills and knowledge to build an organizational decision-making capability to effect positive changes from within. The stories offers a case for organization intelligence development and suggest ways to modify an organization's structure to make the most of its collective powers of judgment and creativity. Any business collection catering to organization executives will find this a winning approach.

Que
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300
Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.quepublishing.com

Gini Dietrich and Geoff Livingston's MARKETING IN THE ROUND: HOW TO DEVELOP AN INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN IN THE DIGITAL ERA (0789749173, $24.99) tells how to create a flexible, integrated marketing hub bridging all kinds of efforts from PR and sales to advertising, social media and an entire company's team. Then learn how to use this hub to address customer needs individually using the tools and platforms that deliver the most results for the least cost. This is a powerful survey that covers everything from iPad apps to using measurement and assessment techniques to better effect, covering everything from the risks of the top-down approach to customer relations to more effectively blending marketing efforts with the latest communications options. Evan Bailyn's OUTSMARTING SOCIAL MEDIA: PROFITING IN THE AGE OF FRIENDSHIP MARKETING (0789749394, $19.99) documents the battle between Google and Facebook and reveals the basics of attracting friendship-based recommendations that motivate customers more than the traditional ad approach. It analyzes business and social media, search services, and tells how to begin profiting from personal relationships, teaching the new basics of social media likes and comments and showing how to use social discovery to deliver attractive consumer messages. Any business involved in social media marketing will relish this!

The Power in a Link
David Gowell
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118134672, $19.95, www.wiley.com

THE POWER IN A LINK: OPEN DOORS, CLOSE DEALS, AND CHANGE THE WAY YOU DO BUSINESS USING LINKEDIN is for any business collection strong in social media marketing who wants a specific guide to using LinkedIn. This isn't just another social media tool - it's a huge professional online network that holds over 120 million users in more than two countries. The narrowed focus to LinkedIn provided here will allow any business professional to understand its networks and how to leverage business and personal advancements using its unique set-up and potentials. Most business books only lightly touch upon LinkedIn's opportunities, so it's refreshing to find a dedicated guide that covers all its untapped business wealth.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Complete Crumb Comics: Volume 1
Gary Groth with Robert Fiore, Editors
Fantagraphics Books
7563 Lake City Way, NE, Seattle, WA 98115
9781606995587, $24.99, www.fantagraphics.com

Any fan of comic artist R. Crumb will want The Complete Crumb Comics V. 1: The Early Years of Bitter Struggle. Here are black and white panels packed with Crumb's unique blend of humor and observation of social and political scenarios. It's a rich collection of fun early drawings that include some journal entries and a centerfold of large 'zine color panels from 1959 to the early 60s. The result is a powerful collection highly recommended for any definitive R. Crumb or graphic novel holding!

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Movie Prequel
John Barber
IDW Publishing
5080 Santa Fe Street, San Diego, CA 92109
9781613772034, $17.99, www.idwpublishing.com

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Movie Prequel is a 'must' for any graphic novel collection and provides a slim but color illustration-packed survey revolving around Snake Eyes and Roadblock, the most dangerous of all the JOEs. The two have powerful differences that need to be addressed so they can focus on their common enemy in this vivid drama that brings combat to life in graphic novel format.

Harvey Pekar's Cleveland
Harvey Pekar and Joseph Remnant
Top Shelf
Box 1282, Marietta, GA 30061-1282
9781603090919, $21.99, www.topshelfcomix.com

Harvey Pekar's Cleveland provides a fine celebration of the city he loved and provides a lovely survey of Cleveland culture spiced with Joseph Remnant's black and white illustrations. It celebrates Pekar's growing up in Cleveland, his experiences in the city, and his love of the region and it is one of his last graphic novels, blending city history and culture with the author's own ups and downs. Graphic novel and Cleveland collections will relish this!


The Photography Shelf

Collect Contemporary: Photography
Jocelyn Phillips
Thames & Hudson Inc.
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10110
9780500288542, $21.95, www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

Collect Contemporary: Photography packs in over 150 illustrations, most in full color, to provide a fine collection of modern photography and discussions of the process of acquiring photographic works. Forty photographers are discussed in detail including biographies of their lives, inspirations, training and influences on the field, while the selection covers many different countries. A fine survey, this is a recommended pick for any contemporary photography holding.

Beautiful Backsides
Bunny Yeager
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764339639, $24.99, www.schifferbooks.com

BUNNY YEAGER'S BEAUTIFUL BACKSIDES gathers pinup photos of the female derriere from an archive of Yeager's top models from the 1950s to the 1970s, and provides a playful collection of images shot at all kinds of locations. These are black and white nude and semi-nude shots and is a fine pick for any collection strong in pinup art in general and Bunny Yeager's perspectives in particular.


The Social Issues Shelf

Genetic Justice
Sheldon Krimsky & Tania Simoncelli
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023-7015
9780231145213, $22.50, www.cup.edu

GENETIC JUSTICE: DNA DATA BANKS, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS, AND CIVIL LIBERTIES is for any interested in balancing public safety and personal freedom, and surveys DNA databases and their pros and cons. It presents a new vision of justice based on DNA samples and effects of DNA evidence on the criminal justice system, and offers an assessment of the social and ethical issues raised by DNA testing. Any college-level criminal justice collection needs this wide-ranging probe into the effects of DNA evidence on criminal justice efforts.

The Road to Freedom
Arthur C. Brooks
Basic Books
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York NY 10016
9780465023240, $28.99, www.basicbooks.com

THE ROAD TO FREEDOM: HOW TO WIN THE FIGHT FOR FREE ENTERPRISE provides a powerful moral defense of free enterprise and offers a concrete plan for defending America's core economic values from the doctrine of redistributive fairness. It considers elements of upward mobility and personal responsibility which lie at the heart of a healthy free enterprise system and considers how policymakers have weakened these traditions through government expansion and corporate involvement - and it tells how to return our system to its inherent roots. A 'must' for any political or social issues collection debating American values.

The Cornbread Mafia
James Higdon
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
9780762778232, $24.95, www.lyonspress.com

THE CORNBREAD MAFIA: A HOMEGROWN SYNDICATE'S CODE OF SILENCE AND THE BIGGEST MARIJUANA BUST IN AMERICAN HISTORY tells of a 1987 effort by one Johnny Boone to grow and harvest one of the greatest outdoor marijuana crops in modern times: an endeavor which would lead to the rise of the largest marijuana syndicate in America. Author James Higdon's relationship with Boone, currently a federal fugitive, made him the first journalist subpoenaed under Obama's administration and lends to a powerful account here, fueled by personal knowledge of events. It's a powerful account of investigative journalism and deserves a place in journalism and social issues holdings alike, documenting the evolution of a world-changing syndicate.

Transaction Publishers
Rutgers University
35 Berrue Circle
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8042
www.transaction.com

Alla A. Yaroshinskaya's CHERNOBYL: CRIME WITHOUT PUNISHMENT (9781412842969, $39.95) remedies a long-standing lack in the literature by reprinting original papers from Russian scientists describing the aftermath of the event, and is a 'must' for any collection strong in nuclear disaster analysis. It gathers firsthand accounts from those who lived through the disaster, and comes from a reporter who defied the Soviet bureaucracy to get this information out to the rest of the world. From the nuclear lobby inside and outside the former Soviet Union to government attempts to handle its aftermath, this is a powerful survey for any social issues or nuclear studies collection. Wendell Bell's MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE (9781412842624, $44.95) is a recommendation for college-level social issues and environmental issues holdings alike and comes from a futurist who shows how our current ideas of alternative tomorrows serve as motivators for present-day change. Chapters pair autobiography with analysis of how human life affects the world, offering important connections between social and personal perceptions and actions. The result is a fine account perfect for those who would appreciate the memoir style documenting social change.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Put Some Charm in Your Quilts
Connie Kauffman
House of White Birches
c/o Quilting Books, Patterns and Notions LLC
95 Shaw Brook Road, Grantham, NH 03753
9781592173747, $11.95, www.houseofwhitebirches.com

Put Some Charm in Your Quilts: Instructions for both paper & traditional piecing provides a fine step-by-step colorful guide to charm square packs and paper piecing, and provides easy project specifications, materials, directions and more for many simple projects, from place mats to quilts and coasters. The projects offer easy methods of using charm square packets most effectively and make for a fine survey highly recommended for any quilter's collection.

Dynamic Quilts with Easy Curves
Karla Alexander
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604680829, $24.99, www.martingale-pub.com

Dynamic Quilts with Easy Curves: 19 Projects to Stack, Shuffle and Sew provides crafters with a fine set of beginner-friendly projects designed to teach the basics of curved piecing without headache. Instructions offer designs by quilter author Karla Alexander as well as opportunities to cut your own curves freehand, and provide designs that use modern fabrics and a range of options. With its color photos and patterns, this is a fine pick for any quilter's library.

Happy Home
Jennifer Paganelli
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
9780811874458, $27.50, www.chroniclebooks.com

HAPPY HOME could also have been featured in our 'Home and Garden' section but is reviewed here for its fine collection of sewing and craft projects for the home, packing in step-by-step sewing ideas with color photos by Tim Geaney throughout. It comes from the creator of Sis Boom Fabrics and covers everything from vintage projects to whimsical home decor, from aprons to laundry bags and pillows, and offers easy step-by-step directions. An inside cover packet of patterns accompanies a hardcover lay-flat binding suitable for any sewer's pursuit!

Fresh from the Garden
Dodi Lee Poulsen
Landauer Publishing
3100 NW 101st Street, Suite A
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
9781935726111, $24.95, www.landauerpublishing.com

FRESH FROM THE GARDEN; NEW DESIGNS BY DODI LEE POULSEN FOR TWO SISTERS AT SQUIRREL HOLLOW offers sixteen easy quilting projects perfect for home decorating, and offers a garden themed collection packed with fun fabrics and lively color. Large-sized simple color patterns accompany tips on fabric requirements, assembly instructions, and making place mats, napkins, and much more. Needlework collections seeking very easy projects will find this a great starting point.

Stitch Workshop: Herringbone Stitch
Elisa Neckar, et.al.
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164544, $17.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Stitch Workshop: Herringbone Stitch: Basic Techniques, Advanced Results packs in nearly thirty projects in a range of styles and patterns demonstrating the herringbone stitch and its uses, and is a pick for any working on beaded jewelry projects and needlework. It is arranged by order of difficulty so assumes a chronological learning path that helps learners readily absorb all the basic steps in an easy progressive fashion. Color photos and fun pack this fine guide, recommended for needlework and crafting collections alike.

Liberated Medallion Quilts
Gwen Marston
American Quilter's Society
P.O. Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600285, $24.95, www.americanquilter.com

Liberated Medallion Quilts offers seven "how to" projects to unleash creativity and draw connections between the medallion quilt motif and inspirational designs based on it. From different approaches to color and patterns to trimming and using discarded materials and design to produce winning new Medallion motifs, this is packed with photos of Medallion quilts and absorbing insights into their creation. A fine pick for any quilter's collection, this includes patterns, materials, descriptions of the possibilities, and enough inspiration to prompt quilters to experiment with their own medallion quilts!

Knit Your Own Cat
Sally Muir & Joanna Osborne
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
151 West 19th St., New York NY 10011
9781579128937, $14.95, www.blackdogandleventhal.com

KNIT YOUR OWN CAT: EASY-TO-FOLLOW PATTERNS FOR 16 FRISKY FELINES offers step-by-step knitting patterns for 16 breeds of cat and offers new and veteran knitters a fine survey of fun breed-specific knitting projects. From choosing yarns to stuffing and sewing the cats and adding embellishments, this pairs color photos and detailed shots with fun details perfect for knitters looking for something different!

Knit Red
Laura Zamder & Jimmy Beans Wool
Sixth & Spring Books
161 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1301
New York, NY 10013
9781936096428, $19.95, www.sixthandspringbooks.com

KNIT RED is the first book of its kind to mix style and soul with heart health education and features some 30 eye-catching red garment and accessory patterns from various industry names. The designers here share their garments and patterns as well as their personal experiences with heart disease and tips on how to stay heart healthy, creating an unusual discussion of knitting projects and heart healthy awareness. A fine pick for any health or knitting holding, alike!

Quilt Art 2012 Engagement Calendar
Klaudeen Hansen
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604600162, $13.95, www.americanquilter.com

It's that time of the year again, when the calendars for 2012 begin to hit the market, and first in is the annual winning pairing of quilt art with an engagement calendar book format suitable for any busy quilter. The spiral binding allows for lay-flat access, the presenting of 54 quilts, each facing a full page for days of the week, is bright and eye-catching, and the calendar pairs the very best of both worlds: appointments and the latest winning quilt art. A perfect gift for that busy quilter who already has a big stash of material!


The Money/Finance Shelf

Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability, sixth edition
David A. Morton III, M.D.
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413316896, $39.99, www.nolo.com

The sixth updated edition of Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability provides a fine personal finance guide to any who want to understand the process of qualifying for social security disability benefits. It comes packed with forms and samples covering both Disability and Supplemental Security income and is updated to cover all the latest facts on how to prove a disability and understand chances for benefits. From locating disability criteria for specific medical conditions to appealing if denied and understanding disability benefits for children, this is a top reference for any general lending library.

Nolo's Plan Your Estate, eleventh edition
Attorney Denis Clifford
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413317206, $44.99, www.nolo.com

Learn how to protect your family with a fine guide to easy estate planning, covering the basics of probate, wills, trusts, and much more. This has been completely updated to reflect the latest federal and state laws, applies in all states except Louisiana, and will save readers thousands in attorney fees, outlining the latest legal strategies for individuals and businesses and how to understand the basics of probate law and estate planning. A 'must' for any general lending library, especially those with strong self-help legal sections or aging clientele.

Social Security for Dummies
Jonathan Peterson
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
9781118205730, $19.99, www.wiley.com

Social Security for Dummies covers everything you need to know about the system, from determining when you quality for benefits for either retirement or disability to handling a bad decision from the Administration and understanding the program's funding sources. Sidebars of information, checklists, and a very simple format assume no prior familiarity with social security's system and makes for an easy fact-filled guide recommended for any general lending collection, especially those catering to older adults.


The Library Science Shelf

The Cybrarian's Web
Cheryl Ann Peltier-Davis
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055
9781573874274, $49.50, www.infotoday.com

The Cybrarian's Web: An A-Z Guide to 101 Free Web 2.0 Tools and Other Resources provides a guide to free Web 2.0 tools and their applications in libraries and information centers, and is a pick for information professionals who want to incorporate the latest new tech tools to connect and collaborate patron activities. From launching an events blog and publicizing programs to starting an ebook lending program and hosting virtual exhibits, this packs in 101 listings of tools and their varied applications, and offers examples of how real-world libraries are using these resources to link to and improve user services. Very highly recommended.


The Philosophy Shelf

Philosophy of Social Science, fourth edition
Alexander Rosenberg
Westview Press
2465 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
9780813345925, $40.00, www.westviewpress.com

The fourth updated edition of Philosophy of Social Science has been completely revised and updated to include three new chapters (on philosophical anthropology, functionalism as a research program, and theories of cultural evolution) and expanded discussions of interpretive social science and continental philosophers. College-level economics, political science and social science holdings as well as those strong in philosophy will find it packed with analysis on the philosophical foundations of the human sciences, serving as a basic introduction to connections between social science and philosophy.


The Science Shelf

The Forces of Nature
Barry A. Vann
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2119
9781616146016, $26.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

The Forces of Nature: Our Quest to Conquer the Planet follows the migration routes of the earliest modern humans and considers why our ancestors chose to settle down in places that were utopias - and which often held spiritual overtones and influences. It considers how scientific events were often equated with divine wrath or goodness, offers ancient spiritual texts to offer a different perspective on influences upon human population shifts, and provides a fine survey that moves into modern times in charting population shifts into dangerous areas that no technology can help. An important survey between places and natural influences evolves!

Radio Interferometry and Satellite Tracking
Seiichiro Kawase
Artech House
685 Canton St., Norwood MA 02062
9781608070961, $129.00, www.artechhouse.com

Radio Interferometry and Satellite Tracking provides a fine resource addressing the critical issue of space communications and satellites that are proliferating so much that they are causing overcrowded orbits - and it provides a fine understanding of radio interferometers for tracking and monitoring satellites in overcrowded conditions. Radio interferometer hardware, receiving equipment, signal processing and more are covered in a technical survey of different types of interferometers, recent technical developments, and more. Any collection strong in satellite electronics will find this a winning survey.


The Language Studies Shelf

The Natural Histories of Pliny the Elder
P.L. Chambers
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806142159, $24.95, www.oupress.com

The Natural Histories of Pliny the Elder: An Advanced Reader and Grammar Review is for students of Latin reading original works by Latin authors, and uses the works of one Pliny the Elder to offer text paired with grammatical reviews, examples from Latin, sentence exercises based on his writings, and vocabulary lists and a glossary. The result has been classroom-tested by the author and motivates students in the study of Latin.


The Architecture Shelf

Eco-House Renovations
Lucy D. Rosenfeld
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764339295, $49.99, www.schifferbooks.com

ECO-HOUSE RENOVATIONS: 40 GREEN HOUSE CONVERSIONS reviews the major considerations needed to oversee a home's conversion to an ecologically sound new house, and provides a design book useful for architects and homeowners alike. Over forty projects around the country include homes that have been reconfigured and renovated, added to or modified. Nearly 300 photos and building plans offer a combination of reference material and design insights perfect for homeowner and architect collections alike!


The Railroading Shelf

Realistic Animation, Lighting & Sound, second edition
Model Railroader & Jeff Wilson, Editor
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780890248638, $19.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

The second updated edition of Realistic Animation, Lighting & Sound offers over 20 modeling projects and covers the basics of installing streetlights, using fiber optics, and creating working windmills and crossing signals for model layouts. Railroaders will find this offers step-by-step projects that originally appeared in Model railroader magazine, with a focus on how animation effects lend life and excitement to the traditional layout, so will find this the perfect item of choice for any project.


The Crafts Shelf

Unconventional Chain Mail Jewelry
Laura Poplin
Kalmbach Publishing Company
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186
9780871164339, $21.95, www.kalmbachbooks.com

Unconventional Chain Mail Jewelry offers keys to incorporating dyed leather, beads and more into the usually-plain chain mail jewelry style, and is a fine pick for any jewelry looking to do something different with chain mail jewelry. From the basics of several different kinds of chain mail weaves for ideas for incorporating other materials, this provides over twenty projects to explore and includes gallery photos with more jewelry ideas, making for a fine guide for any jewelry crafter's collection!


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Belonging Here
Judith Blackstone, PhD
Sounds True
413 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
9781604077964, $22.95, www.soundstrue.com

BELONGING HERE: A GUIDE FOR THE SPIRITUALLY SENSITIVE PERSON uses Dr. Blackstone's personal story plus her thirty years psychotherapy practice to offer insights on how to blend personal healing and spiritual awakening through her Realization Process. This offers an exploration of five of the most common challenges of the spiritually sensitive and includes exercises for overcoming each, teaching how to live authentically in a trying world, and is a pick for new age and spirituality collections alike.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World
Craig Groeschel
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310333685, $19.99, www.zondervan.com

Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World is a fundamental spirituality guide that tells how to lead a spiritual life despite harmful relationships, toxic media, addictive habits, and bad influences all around. And the spiritual 'toxins' take a toll on a personal relationship with God, also. This outlines common hazardous thoughts and dangerous influences that come from cultural pressures, ethical ambiguity, and more - and provides keys to connecting with a deeper personal spirituality unaffected by the slings and arrows of the outside world. Christians who want insights into having a relationship with God will find this a powerful survey indeed!

Orbis Books
Price Bldg., Box 302
Maryknoll NY 10545
www.orbisbooks.com

Charlene Smith and John Feister's THEA'S SONG: THE LIFE OF THEA BOWMAN (9781570759628, $18.00) provides a fine biography that will appeal equally to spirituality and civil rights issues holdings, and tells of a black girl born in Mississippi who joined a convent of white Catholic sisters in Wisconsin. Thea fought prejudice and inspired others, and her story is captured in a riveting blend of historical and social examination that brings her world and beliefs to life. It's powerful on many levels and assures that Thea's life and contributions won't be forgotten. Diana L. Hayes' FORGED IN THE FIERY FURNACE: AFRICAN AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY (9781570754722, $22.00) describes the origins of African American spirituality, developments during slavery and changes brought about by the Civil Rights Movement, and much more, offering a link between evolving African-American spirituality and social issues of this country. From the effects of the rise of black leadership to the increased involvement and power of women in the church, this is packed with important insights key to any spirituality collection!


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Bankroll, second edition
Tom Malloy
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111, Studio City CA 91604
9781615930890, $24.95, www.mwp.com

The second updated edition of Bankroll: A New Approach to Financing Feature Films is a top recommendation for any film collection appealing to would-be filmmakers who all struggle with the basic issue of locating funding. Actor/producers and writer/producers who struggle to locate funding for feature films receive a fine guide from a successful Hollywood producer whose efforts have netted over twenty million dollars over the years. Chapters cover the basics of creating and marketing a project, handling the legal issues arising from funding, and offer lessons based on his own real-world experiences. The wealth of detail makes this a 'must' for any who would follow in his footsteps - and avoid the pitfalls!

Fat, Drunk, & Stupid
Matty Simmons
St. Martin's Press
175 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780312552268, $25.99, www.stmartins.com

FAT, DRUNK, & STUPID: THE INSIDE STORY BEHIND THE MAKING OF "ANIMAL HOUSE" offers a behind-the-scenes examination of the making of the film, packs in unique photos, and uses exclusive new interviews with the film's director, fellow producer Ivan Reitman, and others to consider Animal House's history, scripting, casting, and success. It offers hilarious and pointed observations of a 'little film' that turned into a box-office sensation, and comes form one who was on board with the film throughout its creation. Any fan of Animal House - and any film collection or general-interest library - will find this a fun set of insider observations.

Keeping the British End Up
Simon Sheridan
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9780857682796, $34.95, www.titanbooks.com

Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema provides a fine overview of British saucy cinema and is a special recommendation for any collection strong in British humor. Its focus is on British sex film from its beginnings in Nudist Paradise through its heyday with the Confession series and its demise in the early 1980s. This new revised, expanded edition features a filmography and new interviews and facts from stars and producers associated with the era, enhancing the black and white photos and discussions throughout, Any film or British cultural history holding will find this a winner!

The Cabin in the Woods
Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard
Titan Books
144 Southwark Street, London SE1 OUP, UK
9781848454241, $19.95, www.titanbooks.com

The Cabin in the Woods: The Official Visual Companion is a recommendation for any film collection where CABIN IN THE WOODS or horror films in general are of interest, and provides a fine selection of in-depth interviews, the movie's full screenplay, production art, and color photos. This is an in-depth coverage of a complicated horror film, and a 'must' for any who would analyze the film's underlying concepts. Any film library strong in the horror film genre will find this a fine choice!

A New History of Documentary Film
Jack C. Ellis and Betsy A. McLane
Continuum International Publishing Group
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 704, New York, NY 10038
9780826417510, $29.95, www.continuumbooks.com

A New History of Documentary Film in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom provides a fine retelling of the genre's history and influences, and offers a wide-ranging survey of documentary films that have evolved in the era of cable TV, digital video, and more. It considers changing commentary, emotional involvement techniques, changed subject matter and social presentation, and much more, and is a fine guide for any who would study the evolution of documentary film.

Digital Technical Theater Simplified
Drew Campbell
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, Suite 510
NY, NY 10010
1581158556, $24.95, www.allworth.com

Any collection strong in performing arts history and culture will find Digital Technical Theater Simplified a fine guide reviewing digital tools currently available for the stage. From lighting and audio and video to media servers and computerized control, this reads like a text and opens each chapter with a short quiz to help readers determine their own skills levels. All chapters offer examples of technology in action and case studies of how professionals incorporate digital techniques into theater productions, making this a fine guide for any involved in the performing arts.


The Military Shelf

Those Who Have Borne the Battle
James Wright
Public Affairs
250 West 57th St., Suite 1321, New York NY 10107
9781610390729, $27.99, www.publicaffairsbooks.com

THOSE WHO HAVE BORNE BATTLE: A HISTORY OF AMERICA'S WARS AND THOSE WHO FOUGHT THEM provides a powerful history of this country's changing relationship with its armed forces and comes from a historian and former marine who uses history to investigate America's wars. From the Revolutionary generation's difficulty assuming an obligation to veterans that changed by the start of the War of 1812 to the Civil War's policy of establishing national cemeteries for its soldiers, this is packed with fine reference details perfect for any military history collection.

Fearless
Eric Blehm
Waterbrook Press
12265 Oracle Blvd. #200, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
9780307730695, $21.99, www.waterbrookmultnomah.com

FEARLESS: THE UNDAUNTED COURAGE AND ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF NAVY SEAL TEAM SIX OPERATOR ADAM BROWN tells of a Navy SEAL team member who died during a firefight in the mountains of Afghanistan, and tells how he overcame physical disabilities to become a team member. Interviews with family, friends and teammates offers a fine portrait of an Arkansas farmboy who originally fell in with the wrong crowd and became addicted to crack cocaine, wound up in jail, and eventually found love and redemption. His family helped him, the love of his future wife gave him the strength to recover, and he fulfilled his dream of becoming a Navy SEAL, overcoming injuries that included being shot and blinded in one eye and having the fingers of his shooting hand crushed in a Humvee accident in Afghanistan. It's an inspirational, powerful pick for any military collection and many a general interest or spirituality holding.

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

Robert Stirling's SAS ULTIMATE GUIDE TO COMBAT: HOW TO FIGHT AND SURVIVE IN MODERN WARFARE (9781849087636, $25.95) provides a new combat handbook from a special forces soldier with a focus on modern fighting techniques, and is a 'must' for any military collection. Stirling is a combat veteran of Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and more, and here provides a complete training manual soldiers will want to check out. It's packed with tips boot camp doesn't teach - and offers a blend of personal experience and insights from operations that were successes and failures. 150 color and 100 black and white how-to illustrations and photos make this a fine, practical survey of the latest combat strategies. Shawn Carpenter, et.al.'s DAY OF THE RANGERS: SOMALIA 1993 (9781849087674, $24.95) provides a fine survey that pairs historical background with twenty scenarios of battle suitable for wargame players, and is a pick for military collections where wargames are of interest. It provides a range of tactical challenges for Force on Force players, and offers detailed battles and scenarios perfect for wargame players.


The Political Science Shelf

Trickle Down Tyranny
Michael Savage
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062083975, $26.99, www.harpercollins.com

TRICKLE DOWN TYRANNY: CRUSHING OBAMA'S DREAM OF THE SOCIALIST STATES OF AMERICA offers political collections a call to arms attacking Obama's policies and years in office, and will especially appeal to holdings catering to right-wing readers. It accuses Obama of threatening civil liberties and changing the U.S. into a virtual dictatorship, and criticizes his domestic and foreign policy choices alike, outlining specific laws and actions of the Obama administration and advocating a move to stop Obama from gaining another term in office. Food for thought.


The Biography Shelf

14 Minutes
Alberto Salazar & John Brant
Rodale Press
733 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781609613143, $25.99, www.rodalebooks.com

14 MINUTES: A RUNNING LEGEND'S LIFE AND DEATH AND LIFE is a powerful memoir recommended not only for athletes and fans of Alberto Salazar, but for any interested in survival accounts. The author was clinically dead for a world record: 14 minutes. His memoir includes a history of the evolution of running competitions, his place in that world, and the changes that affected his life after being clinically dead for an impossible amount of time, then returned to life. His is a striking account, hard to put down and recommended for sports and general interest holdings alike.

True Strength
Kevin Sorbo
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780306820366, $26.00, www.dacapopress.com

TRUE STRENGTH: MY JOURNEY FROM HERCULES TO MERE MORTAL AND HOW NEARLY DYING SAVED MY LIFE deserves ongoing mention as a powerful autobiography and tells of a strong actor who portrayed an invincible demigod on TV but suffered three strokes from an aneurysm in his shoulder that sent blood clots throughout his body. Left partially blind and incapacitated at just thirty-eight years old, Sorbo and his Hollywood associates hid his condition from the media even as an unbelievable recovery was being made. A powerful testimony, this deserves ongoing attention and recommendation for any film or general public lending library's collection.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Living With Books
Dominique Dupuich and Roland Beaufre
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
9780500290309, $26.95, www.thamesandhudson.com

LIVING WITH BOOKS could have been featured in many of our columns, from 'Home and Garden' to 'The Arts'. It's reviewed here so that any who love books won't miss its inspiring review of how to house and display a collection in the home. Illustrations and text cover shelving, lighting, and a blend of artistic presentation and practical arrangement of a book collection. It packs in color photos of book lovers and their collection displays, includes a healthy dose of interior design basics, and is a 'must' for any literary, arts, or home and interior design holding!

Sylvia Plath and the Mythology of Women Writers
Janet Badia
University of Massachusetts Press
Box 429, Amherst, MA 01003
9781558498969, $24.95, www.umass.edu/umpress

Sylvia Plath and the Mythology of Women Writers provides a college-level survey dedicated to considering the rise of the legend of Sylvia Plath's women readership, and is a fine discussion identifying the illusions of this readership and the anti-feminist roots of such perceptions. It exposes our cultural biases against women readers and reveals how the mythology has shaped the production and critical analysis of Plath's works, offering insights on book reviews, films and TV shows alike. A fine choice for any literary collection strong in Plath's writings, and for any women's issues holding as well.

Between the House and the Chicken Yard
Jolly Kay Sharp
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon GA 31207-0001
9780881462630, $35.00, www.mupress.org

Between the House and the Chicken Yard: The Masks of Flannery O'Connor is an ongoing recommendation for any college-level holding strong in the works and analysis of Flannery O'Connor, offering an in-depth critical study of her spiritual, Southern and intellectual roots. Here are considerations of a woman who left no memoirs or autobiographical writings, leaving future analyses to bridge the gap and provide details of her life and perspective from her other works. Here her letters, manuscripts and previously unpublished letters are used to consider how O'Connor defined herself; not just how critics have presented her. Any collection with extensive information on O'Connor will find this key to a thorough consideration of her life and perspectives.


The Nautical Shelf

Further Offshore
Ed Mapes
Paradise Cay Publications
PO Box 29, Arcata, CA 95518-0029
9781574092530, $39.95, www.paracay.com

Further Offshore deserves ongoing recommendation for any sailor who has already had extensive experience sailing or racing, but who wants to move to the next level of bluewater or offshore sailing. It's packed with everything from equipping a boat to the psychological changes needed to make this transition, is backed by the author's years of sailing and sail training, and is a 'must have' reference accompaniment to his newer, safety-oriented survey Safer Offshore. There are plenty of books on sailing, but this should be among the standard references on the shelf, as it holds timeless details.

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

The second updated edition of MARINE MEDICINE: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE offers a fine pocket guide preparing mariners for travel and covers everything form how to identify hazardous marine life to being safe under any conditions. Other marine books have covered this, but this book offers a compact format and easy first aid strategies that lend to being included in any basic care kit, and comes from two internationally recognized experts in emergency medicine. From CPR and treating dental injuries to hazardous marine life, cuts, and marine communications to include evacuations at sea, this is packed with invaluable information.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Nebula Awards Showcase 2012
James Patrick Kelly & John Kessel, Editors
Pyr
59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781616146191, $17.95, www.pyrsf.com

Nebula Awards Showcase 2012 offers stories that are tops in their field, reprinting winning stories in the Nebula Awards, voted on by members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Stories by such notables as Harlan Ellison, James Tiptree Jr., Connie Willis and more provide complete stories and excerpts, and represent some of the best writings of 2012. No science fiction collection should be without this definitive survey!


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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