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The Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
5@55
Judith D. Grimaldi, Esq. & Joanne Seminara, Esq. with Pierre A. Lehu
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
9781610352581, $12.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com
5@55: The 5 Essential Legal Documents You Need By Age 55 comes from two elder law
attorneys and provides a slim but information-packed discussion of the five most important legal
documents one needs at age 55: a Will, a Health Care Proxy, a Living Will, a Power of Attorney
and a Digital Diary. While most will have heard of the wills and power of attorney, the latter
document is something many won't know about; and by setting a age-related deadline of 55 to
explain why these documents are needed and how to work with a lawyer to make sure they're in
order, consumers can be assured that they will have clear coverage of all the basics in language
they can readily understand.
Dutch East India Company Shipbuilding
Wendy van Duivenvoorde
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4354
9781623491796, $90.00, www.tamupress.com
It was eight months into its maiden voyage when the Dutch East India Company's ship Batavia
sank in 1629 off the coast of Western Australia. Not only was it lost, but the mutiny and
massacre among its shipwrecked survivors became one of the most notorious tales in nautical
history. The wreck of the ship and its subsequent excavation and reassembly is well known as is
its history; but until now closer study of the Batavia's wooden hull has been unpublished. This
book pairs historical and archaeological information with coverage of the technical processes
involved in the ship's restoration. It packs in tables, drawings, and photos in the process of
exploring and explains early ship construction, and is a recommended pick for any interested in
shipwrecks in general, archaeological restorations, or the history of the Batavia in particular.
The Photography Shelf
What They Didn't Teach You in Photo School
Demetrius Fordham
Ilex
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781781572696, $19.99, www.ilex-press.com
What They Didn't Teach You in Photo School: What You Actually Need to Know to Succeed in
the Industry passes on lessons the author learned from his successful career in commercial
photography, and discusses topics often left out of photography books. These include how to gain
internships, build an impressively professional portfolio, how to cement client relationships that
result in ongoing work, and how to build a career in the industry. As chapters move from
building contacts to getting paid for the process of taking pictures - such as travel expense - they
provide a solid review of industry processes, standards, and how the aspiring photographer fits
into that business picture. The result should be given to any college-level photography student
looking to make a career out of their art.
Amherst Media Inc.
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
www.amherstmedia.com
Jeff Smith's Pricing Your Portraits: High-Profit Strategies for Photographers (9781608958719,
$34.95) teaches photographers how to develop pricing strategies that avoid common errors and
allow flexibility to meet both customer expectations and market demands, and offers a set of
insights into how photography is priced. From planning sessions in advance with pricing in mind
to understanding how session fees operate and how to streamline the process, this book is packed
with insights on how to control imaging and equipment costs, how to create a profitable
workflow, and how to sell digital and print files. Any photographer looking to move into the
profit-making realm of the business will find this essential to understanding the difference
between profit and loss. The Essential Photographer Workbook: The Beginner's Guide to
Creating Impressive Digital Photos by Stephen Dantzig and Joan Dantzig (9781608958634,
$27.95) teaches the basics of taking shooting skills to a new level and is recommended for
photographers who already have the basics down, but wish to move from snapshots to design.
Lessons are blended into forty exercises that encourage photographers to learn new techniques
and approaches, making for a fine guide that beginners can easily access and understand. Stan
Trampe's Fine Art Nudes: Lighting and Posing for Black & White Photography
(9781608959013, $27.95) comes from a fine art photographer who covers sixty of his favorite
shoots, providing step-by-step coverage on how he conceived image concepts and worked them
into a polished piece. Studio and location shots involve composition, lighting, and posing skills:
all are discussed here with a focus on simple props and sets and working with models for
optimum results. While beginners will find this accessible; ideally the book is recommended for
those with basic photography and model-shooting skills, who are ready to take their business
pursuits in fine art nudes to the next level. Jennifer Emery's Lighting Design for Commercial
Portrait Photography (9781608958955, $34.95) surveys the world of commercial photography
and lighting challenges involved in portraiture, and comes from a photographer and educator
whose work in the field is successful and outstanding. Specifics covered in her book range from
production skills needed to produce better shots to shooting for magazines or movie posters,
using multiple-light setups, handling group shots, and applying negative fill to best advantage.
The result is a powerful survey highly recommended for any commercial portrait photographer;
especially those who have basic skills but want more specifics on producing professional
results.
The Education Shelf
The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox
Erin E. Barton and Barbara J. Smith
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
9781599576672, $36.95, www.brookespublishing.com
The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox provides a fine how-to book for preschool administrators, child
care directors, and staff, discussing how to chart and guide the process of early childhood
inclusion through wide changes of school systems and approaches to preschool. It provides a
checklist of problems, solutions, and actions that can be put into place based upon the latest
research and best practices, includes handouts and tools teachers can use in a preschool program,
and is loaded with solid action plans for success. No preschool leader should be without this
specific, powerful guide.
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com
With the multitude of books about common core practices and applications on the market today,
the appearance of more might suggest redundancy; but there's nothing redundant about a book
that narrows the focus to integrating common core writing standards with an applications that
promises to reach struggling students, making this a winning guide blending the UDL framework
with common core goals. Sally A. Spencer's Making the Common Core Writing Standards
Accessible Through Universal Design for Learning (9781483369471, $34.95) tells how UDL can
overcome common roadblocks to success, provides dozens of classroom activities, discusses
resources, and provides teachers with all the tools necessary to translate common core standards
to classroom goals. Teachers will find this a solid guide packed with practical suggestions for
success and advancement. Rae Pica's What If Everybody Understood Child Development?
Straight Talk About Bettering Education and Children's Lives (9781483381548, $21.00) imparts
the basics of connections between how kids grow and how they learn, and comes from an
educator with over thirty-five years in the education field. Her contention is simple: there's a
break in understanding between how children learn and how they develop - a disconnect that can
be filled with actionable lesson plans and approaches to education. Nearly thirty short essays
offer discussions of best practices in both child development and education processes, blending
the opinions of experts with the latest research. Educators will find this a solid approach to
improving teaching.
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
www.redleafpress.org
Allen C. Rosales's Mathematizing: An Emergent Math Curriculum Approach for Young Children
(9781605543956, $29.95) offers strategies for building children's math skills through a process
of immersing kids in a program connecting math to everyday experiences. It's a style that blends
lessons and case studies with illustrations and charts unavailable elsewhere and specific to this
customized style of teaching, and offers educators a concrete program of learning based on the
author's twenty-plus years of experience as an early childhood educator. The result is a highly
recommended approach. Deborah Hirschland's When Young Children Need Help: Understanding
and Addressing Emotional, Behavioral, and Developmental Challenges (9781605542386,
$34.95) explores the fundamentals of how to support three- to six-year-olds who have emotional
and behavioral problems, and provides ideas that can be used in a busy classroom environment.
From handling kids with histories of neglect to helping when language is limited, this book is a
'must' for teachers and childcare providers working in diverse classrooms or situations.
Teaching and Learning in Bilingual Classrooms: New Scholarship
Kristin J. Mulrooney, Editor
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
9781563686238, $80.00, www.gupress.gallaudet.edu
Teaching and Learning in Bilingual Classrooms: New Scholarship examines classroom
interaction using research by five professors who adopted SoTL methods in their own classrooms
at Gallaudet University to blend a bilingual approach incorporating American Sign Language and
written English, and is a scholarly examination recommended for ASL teachers and scholars.
Scholars assessed common problems in classes on ASL linguistics and criminal justice to
consider how providing educational materials in ASL and English resulted in better educational
quality. The result is a solid study in education and effectiveness that is recommended for any
collection strong in ASL studies.
Well Played
Linda Dacey, Karen Gartland & Jayne Bamford Lynch
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781625310323, $25.00, www.stenhouse.com
Well Played: Building Mathematical Thinking Through Number Games and Puzzles Grades 3-5
offers a rich presentation of puzzles that go beyond fun activities to prove key to teaching basic
math concepts, and is recommended not only for classroom teachers but for homeschooling
parents as well. Explanations of the foundations of math theory involved in each puzzle
accompany games, variations on themes, step-by-step directions, and sample classroom models
for integrating the puzzle or game into an overall curriculum approach. From how to teach using
these puzzles to handling diverse classrooms and using the reproducibles in the book, this is a top
recommendation for any teacher who would use a child's interest in games to reinforce basic
math skills.
The Crafts Shelf
The Art of Paper Weaving
Anna Schepper and Lene Schepper
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781631590399, $24.99, www.craftside.net
The Art of Paper Weaving: 46 Colorful, Dimensional Projects includes full-sized templates and
online support, plus paper for one project, as it covers techniques for a craft that has its roots in
traditional Danish and German woven paper designs. It comes from paper artists who have a
successful blog and shows crafters how to begin learning paper weaving, presenting projects that
begin simply and teach the techniques needed to move into more advanced circles. The result is a
recommendation for any crafts collection, pairing full-page color images with easy step-by-step
instructions beginners can access.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Haunted House Diaries
William J. Hall
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
12 Parish Drive Wayne, NJ 07470
9781632650061, $16.99, www.newpagebooks.com
The Haunted House Diaries: The True Story of a Quiet Connecticut Town in the Center of a
Paranormal Mystery tells of an author drawn to investigate a notorious, haunted farmhouse in his
home state. As his research led him to discover the 1790s house was built on a paranormal
crossroads where supernatural forces converged, he culled facts from the private diary of one of
the house's residents that detailed five decades of frightening encounters, and paired these with
interviews of neighbors and house inhabits to create this powerful collection. Any with an
interest in true ghost stories and ghostly encounters will find this takes the subject a step further,
creating a powerfully compelling read that's eerily hard to put down.
The Witch's Oracle
Marla Brooks and Tania Kahn
Schiffer Publishing
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764349317, $24.99, www.schifferbooks.com
The Witch's Oracle provides a 45-card oracle deck with each card including a magical
incantation to provide energy and support the card's underlying message, and is a recommended
deck for any new age tarot reader or oracle user. It's designed to be a divination deck for Witches
and non-Pagans alike and holds the ability to appeal to beginners and those well versed in Tarot
and other decks. The lovely artwork of the cards is supplemented by a guide that addresses the
symbolism of the deck and its interpretations, making for an excellent collection for any using
oracle decks.
The Computer Shelf
Web Security: A WhiteHat Perspective
Hanqing Wu and Liz Zhao
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781466592612, $79.95, www.crcpress.com
Web Security: A WhiteHat Perspective is for any company looking to improve their information
security strategies, and provides an in-depth guide to the topic designed for managers who want
to build a more effective security system. It comes from an expert who explains how hackers
work, why companies of differing sizes and approaches need different security measures, and
provides coverage of everything from client script security and Internet company security
operations to click jacking, injection attacks, authentication, and much more. Solutions to a range
of known vulnerabilities accompany coverage that considers the wider ramifications of web
security as it applies to bigger-picture thinking and smaller-scale companies, creating an
accessible discussion suitable for web security experts and managers alike.
Sams Teach Yourself Javascript in 24 Hours, sixth edition
Phil Ballard
Sams
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780672337383, $34.99, www.informit.com/sams
Sams Teach Yourself Javascript in 24 Hours appears in its sixth updated edition to cover the
basics of JavaScript programming, offering lessons geared to beginners with no prior
programming experience and offering a complete 'classroom in a book' discussion. Directions
cover the most common JavaScript programming tasks and include quizzes, self-test, exercises,
tips, and examples from real-world JavaScript applications. Updated basics and lessons that
serve as stepping stones of knowledge make for a key lesson plan highly recommended for any
who would learn the program with no assumption of prior programming skills.
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.informit.com/aw, www.amazon.com
Roger Sedgewick, et.al.'s Introduction to Programming in Python (9780134076430, $69.99) uses
examples of real-world programming to impart the basics of Python's features and its
applicability to engineering, business, and science projects alike, and blends a format ripe with
Q&As, exercises, and opportunities for diverse practice with algorithms, applied math and
physics examples, and source code specific with Python 2 and 3. No light treatment, Introduction
to Programming in Python takes the introduction from basics to advanced applications, in effect
creating a 'classroom in a book' for any programmer who would learn and apply Python's basics.
Martin L. Abbott and Michael T. Fisher's The Art of Scalability: Scalable Web Architecture,
Processes, and Organizations for the Modern Enterprise (9780134032801, $44.95) is a
recommendation for any involved in web programming or providing web services, and comes
from two leading scalability consultants who discuss the basics of how to tailor such products
and services. This edition represents an extensive revision covering new technologies, strategies,
and lessons and adds new case studies from the authors' consulting practice. It's written with
decision makers in mind and covers the basics of structuring organizations for maximum agility
and scalability, discussing how issues commonly begin with such structures, spill over into
technological answers, and how to meet the growing challenge of changing organizations as well
as technological responses to user needs. Hal Fulton and Andre Arko's The Ruby Way
(9780321714633, $49.99) appears in its third updated edition to show Ruby programmers who to
achieve specific solutions to coding issues. From best practices for regular expressions to storing
data, automating system administration, measuring Ruby performance, and using toolkits to build
GUIs, this reference comes with downloadable source code supporting the book's text and covers
Ruby 2.1 using over four hundred examples answering basic questions to using Ruby for specific
routines. The result is a 'must' for any Ruby code programmer who wants a combination of
reference and how-to manual. Dan Sullivan's NoSQL for Mere Mortals (9780134023212,
$49.99) provides a basic primer on solving problems with NoSQL, from getting started and
choosing between NoSQL databases to documenting databases, creating column family
databases, understanding document and collections terms, and designing tables using best
practices guidelines. The depth of detail and information makes for a powerful recommendation
for any new to NoSQL or for programmers who want to build upon its special capabilities.
The Science Shelf
Humankind
Alexander H. Harcourt
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781605987842, $27.95, www.pegasusbooks.us
Humankind: How Biology and Geography Shape Human Diversity is for any reader interested in
either biology or sociology, and considers how the evolution of humans has been shaped by a
diverse assembly of influences, from anatomy and culture to geographic and population changes.
It follows the human species around the planet in a history that considers how environmental
constraints lends to differing features and psyches of human beings around the world, and it
considers the interactions and connections between all these facets of humanity in a
wide-reaching survey recommended not just for college-level students of the sciences, but for
general-interest audiences with a particular interest in human evolution and diversity.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Free Range Triangle Quilts
Gwen Marston and Cathy Jones
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
9781604602111, $24.95, www.americanquilter.com
Free Range Triangle Quilts provides a new book of projects with lessons that blend traditional
methods and styles with updated quilt patterns, and is a pick for any who would use quilt projects
to teach the basics of using the classic triangle in new ways. A display of quilts made using the
'free range' concept of the triangle blends with good-sized color photos throughout to create a
quilter's guide packed with ideas for innovative triangle results. Quilters who already have the
basics down but who seek innovations on themes will be especially happy to have this guide,
which covers all the options and possibilities. The 'Lessons Learned at Granny's Knee' provides
many tips and discusses and contrasts Liberated and other techniques.
Crochet for Christmas
Salena Baca
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
9780811714785, $21.95, www.stackpolebooks.com
Crochet for Christmas: 29 Patterns for Handmade Holiday Decorations and Gifts arrives just in
time for needleworkers to put their skills together in time for the holidays, and offers seasonal
items ranging from tree skirts and reindeer baskets to a hedgehog door stopper. Because many of
these items are more seasonal than religious, a wide of users looking for seasonal themes will
find the crochet projects varied and to their liking, from Poinsettia balls to crocheted coffee cup
sleeves for warm beverages, making for a top pick for any holiday needleworker.
Style and Swing
Susan Dunlop
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604654674, $26.99, www.shopmartingale.com
Style and Swing: 12 Structured Handbags for Beginners and Beyond provides keys to making a
wide range of colorful and practical handbags, from totes and clasp purses to market bags and
satchels, and is recommended for beginning to advanced sewers who want twelve specific
projects covering a range of shapes and styles. Each project enjoys small color photos, full-page
patterns, and an easy step-by-step series of instructions that not only cover the basics but tell why
a particular strap or form is recommended for a particular style. With its clear directions and
unusually inviting blend of color and practicality, Style and Swing stands out from other primers
on producing totes.
2016 Quilting Calendars
Martingale & Company
19021 Avenue NE, Bothell, WA 98011
www.martingale.com
Two excellent wall calendars from Martingale are recommended picks for any looking to pair
quilting instructions with the handy date blocks of a wall calendar, and will make for good gifts
for any quilter. Sue Spargo's Stitches to Savor (9781604667156, $22.99) features her designs and
comes from a folk artist and designer who packs in over 250 photo close-ups of her stitches,
techniques, and approaches. It is both a showcase of Spargo's artistic works and quilting
embellishments and an inspirational starting point for quilters to hone their skills. The Quilt
Calendar 2016 (9781604687088, $16.99) includes instructions for each project and provides 12
designs by a variety of quilting artists, along with a pull-out booklet of step-by-step illustrated
instructions for every design. These lovely projects range from bed quilts to wall hangings and
sewing machine covers, making for a varied and inspirational collection of projects for all skill
sets.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Dragon in Exile
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
9781476780719, $26.00, www.baen.com
Dragon in Exile provides a new Liaden Universe story as it tells of Clan Korval, which has been
convicted of crimes against the homeworld - even if part of the crime involved saving the planet.
The Council of Clans doesn't care: they just want the Korvan family out - but their allies enter the
picture and they are banished rather than executed. Political alliances, clan efforts to recruit new
allies and return to the fold, a dangerous game that is being played on and off-world, and a series
of political interactions that threaten to bring everything down makes for a powerful survey
especially recommended for prior fans of the Liaden Universe and its intricate progression.
The Parenting Shelf
Your New Pregnancy Bible, fourth edition
Joanne Stone, MD and Keith A. Eddleman, MD, Editors
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
9780600631590, $34.99, www.octopusbooksusa.com
There are so very many books on pregnancy and health on the market today that one might
wonder at the need for yet another; but in fact Your New Pregnancy Bible: The Experts' Guide to
Pregnancy and Early Parenthood represents a fully revised, updated fourth edition of a
world-wide best-seller and is really the only book a prospective parent will need on the subject. It
synthesizes the advise of experts into a discussion of all the major issues of pregnancy, provides
practical tips on what to expect during different stages of pregnancy, and surveys health care
routines, exercise, emotional changes during pregnancy, and more. A section enhanced by 3-D
images even follows the weekly progress of an unborn child, while discussions include future
fathers and their roles. Any new to parenting and pregnancy will find Your New Pregnancy Bible
the perfect starting point for complete, easy understanding of the process of bringing a baby to
term.
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Will Eisner: A Spirited Life
Bob Andelman
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
9781605490618, $39.95, www.twomorrows.com
Will Eisner: A Spirited Life appears in a deluxe edition that expands and presents in full-color a
biography that's been out of print, covering the life of an artist with over seventy years in the
comics industry. His direction fostered the concept of concepts for adult readers, created the first
famous graphic novel, and helped influence other notable talents from Batman's creator to
various underground comics icons - so the publication of this definitive survey is something that
no serious comics, cartoon or graphic novel collection should bypass. Interviews, black and white
and color illustrations on every page, detailed discussions of comic history and evolution that
place Eisner's work in historical perspective, and more make this a 'must have' reference.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Man Who Fell from the Sky
Margaret Coel
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425280300, $26.95, www.penguin.com
The Man Who Fell from the Sky tells of what first appears to be an accidental death when Robert
Walking Bear's body is found in the mountains. The only suspicion comes from the fact that he
was hot on the trail of buried treasure when he seemingly fell - and when rumors begin to
circulate that he was murdered by family members, Vicky and Father John find themselves
involved when an anonymous witness pops up to support that theory. The real conviction that
something's wrong begins when another family member has an accident - and now a murder
spree prompted by greed seems more likely and even more deadly. Mystery fans who love
Hillerman and other Native American-based sagas - including prior Coel fans - will relish this
latest story.
Sense of Deception
Victoria Laurie
Obsidian Mysteries
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780451473868, $24.95, www.penguin.com
Sense of Deception offers a fine new 'Psychic Eye' mystery and continues to pair intrigue with
the paranormal as Abby Cooper senses that a convicted killer is innocent, but just needs proof.
Further complicating her case is an angry judge, the truth surrounding a woman who faces the
death penalty, and an investigation largely based on intuition which leads Abby directly into a
search for the real killer that runs up against an execution deadline. Mystery readers will find the
light psychic addition just the ticket for producing a compelling read; especially when added into
the mix of an impossible judge, an impossible deadline, and deadly dangers.
The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
A Guide Book of Mercury Dimes, Standing Liberty Quarters, and Liberty Walking Half
Dollars
Q. David Bowers
Whitman Publishing
4001 Helton Drive, Florence, Alabama, 35630
079484314X, $29.95, www.whitmanbooks.com
Coin collectors seeking specific guides will welcome over three hundred pages of pricing,
grading directions, history and collector insights to the mercury dime, standing liberty quarter
and liberty walking half dollars, which were minted between 1916 and 1947 and can be found in
many old-time collections. Thousands of coin collectors seek them and this new guide is the
reference to have in hand for both avid collectors and relative newcomers. With its full color
images, including some high-resolution enlargements for overdates and other die varieties, this
book includes any data needed to make value and build a coin collection with these pieces.
The Language Studies Shelf
A Historical and Etymological Dictionary of American Sign Language
Emily Shaw and Yves Delaporte
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
9781563686214, $75.00, www.gupress.gallaudet.edu
A Historical and Etymological Dictionary of American Sign Language discusses how ASL came
to be developed, and follows its evolution from early ASL creation until the late 19th century.
This history has plenty of data but until now, no single reference has gathered, under one cover,
all the known texts featuring illustrations of early ASL and accompanying images of French Sign
Language (LSF) and related them to modern signing. The blend of field research through France
and the U.S. and analysis of cultures, language lexicons, and ASL sign regional variations lends
to an alphabetical text of signs accompanied by origin notes, making for a powerful and unique
reference no ASL language collection should be without.
The Social Issues Shelf
The Ville, updated edition
Greg Donaldson
Empire State Editions
c/o Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
www.fordhampress.com
9780823265671, $29.95, www.empirestateeditions.com
The updated edition of The Ville features a new epilogue by the author and presents a powerful
story from a longtime Brooklyn school teacher who considers a Housing Authority police officer
who is struggling with guns and crack and a talented teen who is working to escape his
neighborhood, among others. It charts the politics and evolution of drug culture in a New York
inner city neighborhood, it details messages, chaos, and cultures under fire, and it ultimately
succeeds in creating a powerful saga that compelling, revealing, and offers up much food for
thought on the social processes involved in urban neighborhoods. Other books have attempted
what The Ville achieves: a well-rounded set of perspectives covering not one viewpoint, but all
the issues.
The International Studies Shelf
The Tail Wags the Dog
Efraim Karsh
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781632861184, $28.00, www.bloomsbury.com
The Tail Wags the Dog: International Politics and the Middle East refutes the common notion
that Middle Eastern history is based on the region's interactions with the west, and offers a
different idea: that such history has actually been formed more by trends and behavior patterns
within the region than dictated by encounters from the outside. His focus on its political
development argues that only a different perspective of the peoples and their evolution can
ultimately lead to a better relationship between the Middle East and the West, and chapters
consider international political approaches to the region which have not fostered this possibility.
Any studying Middle East history and politics will find this different perspective refreshing and
enlightening, and a 'must' for any real understanding of the traditional approaches and their
failures.
The Challenges of Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Richard D. Burns and Philip E. Coyle II
Rowman & Littlefield
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9781442223752, $29.95, www.rowman.com
The Challenges of Nuclear Non-Proliferation joins others in Rowman and Littlefield's 'Weapons
of Mass Destruction' series to survey the many aspects of non-proliferation agreements and how
they work - or don't work. It reviews nuclear programs in different countries and their different
approaches, considers rogue states and technological advancements in delivery and nuclear
systems, analyzes the political and economic influences behind decision-making processes, and
in general reviews the key issues involved in worldwide nuclear security. No student of nuclear
arms issues should be without this hard-hitting discussion.
The Mathematics Shelf
Numbers: Their Tales, Types, and Treasures
Alfred S. Posamentier & Bernd Thaller
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633880306, $19.00, www.prometheusbooks.com
Numbers: Their Tales, Types, and Treasures gathers under one cover a wide range of number
facts and mathematics oddities and crease a lively discussion to foster reader interest in numbers
and their unique attributes. One needn't be a mathematician nor even have a strong prior affection
for numbers in order to appreciate this book's approach, which blends math concepts with trivia
and fun facts to make discussions energetic and relevant. From the finer arts of combinations and
counting to the development of various math systems in different cultures and special calculation
systems, Numbers: Their Tales, Types, and Treasures offers more insights than most in a fun
survey highly recommended for any general-interest collection.
The Literary Studies Shelf
Palimpsest: A History of the Written Word
Matthew Battles
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
9780393058857, $26.95, www.wwnorton.com
Palimpsest: A History of the Written Word considers why writing exists, what it means in human
culture, and how it has evolved from myth and technology to become an intrinsic part of human
culture. Here Battles provides a compelling examination of this written word, considering why it
exists, its meaning, and its magic. From ancient to modern times, the history of writing receives a
lively survey that circles the globe in its consideration of how writing developed and
revolutionized not just local communities but the human race as a whole. Coming from a former
antiquarian librarian, this represents a powerful and lively discussion that invites reflection from
all kinds of literary circles, from historians and librarians to calligraphers and fans of the written
word.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Transplantation Ethics
Robert M. Veatch & Lainie F. Ross
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
9781626161672, $39.95, www.press.georgetown.edu
Transplantation Ethics appears in its second updated edition to cover the latest cutting edge
research in medicine and bioethics, and reflects vast changes in the field of transplantation ethics
during just the last fifteen years. From living donors and face transplants and their challenge to
personal identity to new transplantation policies and concerns, Transplantation Ethics covers
everything from new creating a new definition-of-death law to ethics of third-party risks and
agreements between donor and recipient, accountability issues in health-risky behaviors,
constitutional issues surrounding death, and more. No college-level medical reference library
should be without this.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Ocean Solutions Earth Solutions
Dawn Wright, Editor
ESRI Press
380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92378-8100
9781589483637, $59.99, www.esri.com/esripress
Ocean Solutions Earth Solutions is a recommendation for marine science, government, and
research and resources managers alike, and provides a compendium of GIS best practices as they
relate to these fields. Articles come from over fifty authors and include digital story maps and
online solutions for protecting the ocean and managing ocean resources. Additional data
supporting this book are available online, but the heart of the collection lies in abstracts and
discussions that discuss mapping as it relates to ocean study, data assessments and research. The
wealth of information culled from various resources makes this a top pick for any collection
concerned with either ocean resources study and management or GIS applications.
The LGBT Studies Shelf
No House to Call My Home
Ryan Berg
Nation Books
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
9781568585093, $25.99, www.nationbooks.org
No House to Call My Home: Love, Family, and other Transgressions considers the lives of
LGBTQ teens and comes from a caseworker at a group home who worked with young people
who were abandoned, abused, or regulated to the streets as a result of being LGBTQ. From a
transgender woman who dreams of a fine house but lives on crack and prostitution to encounters
with parents who have rejected their children to the point of denying that they have produced
them, No House to Call My Home consists not of dispassionate analysis but of poignant case
histories of children, parents and households the author encountered in the course of his work. It's
a moving, serious saga that's hard to put down and filled with psychological and social
insights.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
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