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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Six Weeks to Zero Waste
Kate Arnell
GAIA
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781856754118, $16.99
Six Weeks to Zero Waste: A Simple Plan for Life provides a step-by-step survey of converting
one's world to a zero-waste lifestyle. Plenty of books advocate recycling and many offer tips, but
eco blogger Kate Arnell's goal is to reinforce waste-free living entirely, and cements this purpose
with a six-week plan that can be followed as easily as choosing reusable water bottles,
considering packaging when shopping, and revising cleaning practices to reduce laundry and
reliance on environmentally harsh cleaning products. From a bar of soap to reusable ear picks, all
kinds of products factor into these goals and the ultimate zero waste objective, making for a
thought-provoking blueprint for anyone who would tackle and change their daily
waste-producing habits.
The Smartphone Society
Nicole Aschoff
Beacon Press
24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.beacon.org
9780807061688, $25.95, HC, 216pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Our smartphones have brought digital technology into the most intimate spheres of
life. It is now time to take control of them, repurposing them as pathways to a democratically
designed and maintained digital commons that prioritizes people over profit.
Smartphones have appeared everywhere seemingly overnight: since the first iPhone was released,
in 2007, the number of smartphone users has skyrocketed to over two billion. Smartphones have
allowed users to connect worldwide in a way that was previously impossible, created
communities across continents, and provided platforms for global justice movements. However,
the rise of smartphones has led to corporations using consumers' personal data for profit,
unmonitored surveillance, and digital monopolies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon that have
garnered control over our social, political, and economic landscapes.
But people are using their smartphones to fight back. New modes of resistance are emerging,
signaling the possibility that our pocket computers could be harnessed for the benefit of people,
not profit. From helping to organize protests against the US-Mexico border wall through Twitter
to being used to report police brutality through Facebook Live, smartphones open a door for
collective change.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a fourteen page bibliography of Works
Cited, fourteen pages of Notes, and an eleven page Index, "The Smartphone Society:
Technology, Power, and Resistance in the New Gilded Age" is an extraordinary and seminal
work of meticulous scholarship combined with insightful social/cultural commentary with
respect to the impact of the 'SmartPhone' on the American public. "The Smartphone Society" is
especially recommended for community, college, and university library collections in general,
and supplemental curriculum studies lists for the Social Aspects of Technology, Computer
Hacking, and the Politics of Privacy & Surveillance in particular. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students, academia, social/political activists, and non-specialist general
members with an interest in the subject that "The Smartphone Society" is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Nicole Aschoff is the editor at large at Jacobin magazine, where she writes about
capitalism, technology, and labor. Her writing has also appeared in the Guardian, the Nation,
Dissent, and Al Jazeera. Aschoff is also the author of The New Prophets of Capital, and she
contributes frequently to podcasts, radio shows, and documentaries about corporate power.
Aschoff received her PhD in sociology from Johns Hopkins University and previously taught at
Boston University. She maintains a website at www.nicholeaschoff.com and can be contacted on
Twitter (@NicoleAschoff).
Shakespeare's First Reader
Jason Scott-Warren
University of Pennsylvania Press
3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4112
www.upenn.edu/pennpress
9780812251456, $45.00, HC, 344pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The man known as Richard Stonley has all but vanished from history, but to his
contemporaries he would have been an enviable figure. A clerk of the Exchequer for more than
four decades under Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I, he rose from obscure origins to a life of
opulence; his job, a secure bureaucratic post with a guaranteed income, was the kind of which
many men dreamed. Vast sums of money passed through his hands, some of which he used to
engage in money lending and land speculation. He also bought books, lots of them, amassing one
of the largest libraries in early modern London.
In 1597, all of this was brought to a halt when Stonley, aged around seventy-seven, was
incarcerated in the Fleet Prison, convicted of embezzling the spectacular sum of 13,000 British
pounds from the Exchequer. His property was sold off, and an inventory was made of his house
on Aldersgate Street. This provides our most detailed guide to his lost library. By chance, we also
have three handwritten volumes of accounts, in which he earlier itemized his spending on food,
clothing, travel, and books. It is here that we learn that on June 12, 1593, he bought "the Venus &
Adhonay per Shakspere" -- the earliest known record of a purchase of Shakespeare's first
publication.
In "Shakespeare's First Reader: The Paper Trails of Richard Stonley", Jason Scott-Warren (who
is a Reader in Early Modern Literature and Culture at the University of Cambridge and a fellow
of Gonville and Caius College) sets Stonley's journals and inventories of goods alongside a
wealth of archival evidence to put his life and library back together again. He shows how
Stonley's books were integral to the material worlds he inhabited and the social networks he
formed with communities of merchants, printers, recusants, and spies.
Through a combination of book history and biography, "Shakespeare's First Reader" provides a
compelling "bio-bibliography" -- the story of how one early modern gentleman lived in and
through his library.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative study of meticulous, detailed,
and documented scholarship, "Shakespeare's First Reader: The Paper Trails of Richard Stonley"
is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university
library Literary Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, dedicated bibliophiles, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Shakespeare's First Reader" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $42.50).
Job Man: My Life in Professional Wrestling
Chris Multerer & Larry Widen
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870209253, $20.00, PB, 168pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Milwaukee-native Chris Multerer wrestled for more than a decade, starting in 1978, on
professional circuits around the United States. As a "job man", Multerer made the superstars of
wrestling, such as Mad Dog Vachon and Hulk Hogan, shine. In cities around the country,
thousands of screaming fans cheered when their favorite wrestlers pinned and punished Multerer
in a variety of painful ways.
In "Job Man: My Life in Professional Wrestling", Multerer, along with his friend Larry Widen,
shows what life was like for wrestlers outside the spotlight. Long nights on the road, thoughtful
takes on some the biggest personalities in the business, and, perhaps most of all, a love for the
sport, are as much a part of Multerer's revealing and remarkable story as his time in the ring.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and engagingly informative read from first page to last, "Job
Man: My Life in Professional Wrestling" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
addition to both community and academic library Contemporary American Biography
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated wrestling fans that
"Job Man: My Life in Professional Wrestling" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Chris Multerer is a retired professional wrestler. He worked for the American
Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation. As a "job man", or a wrestler trained
to perform alongside the headliners, Multerer appeared live and on television with superstars
such as Hulk Hogan. He has run a professional training camp, and supervised the wrestling
choreography in the play Luchadora!
Larry Widen is a Milwaukee author and has been friends with Chris Multerer for more than forty
years.
RuPaul: In His Own Words
Rachel Hinton & Helena Hunt, editors
Agate B2
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572842793, $12.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, actor,
model, singer, songwriter, and television personality. Since 2009, he has produced and hosted the
reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race, for which he has received six Primetime Emmy
Awards, in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. RuPaul is considered to be the most commercially
successful drag queen in the United States. In 2017, he was included in the annual Time 100 list
of the most influential people in the world. In 2019, Fortune noted RuPaul as "easily the world's
most famous" drag queen. (Wikipedia)
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Rachel Hinton and Helena Hunt, "RuPaul: In His
Own Words" is an impressive collection of quotes has been carefully curated from RuPaul's
numerous public statements including interviews, books, social media posts, television
appearances, and more. "RuPaul: In His Own Words" provides a comprehensive picture of his
decades-long career, his transformative effect on pop culture, and his wise perspective on
identity, love, and life.
Critique: Simply speaking, "RuPaul: In His Own Words" is essential reading for the legions of
RuPaul fans and will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community,
college, and university library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all
dedicated RuPaul fans that "RuPaul: In His Own Words" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.97). Now, for the first time, you can find his most inspirational,
thought-provoking quotes in one place.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Writer's Notebook: A Guided Journal to Plan Your Story
Liz Delton
www.lizdelton.com
Tourmaline & Quartz Publishing
9781734523102, $11.95, PB, 126pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Writer's Notebook: A Guided Journal to Plan Your Story" by Liz Delton is
specifically intended for anyone who has ever wanted to write a book. It will also have practical
value for experienced writers engaged in starting their next story.
Aspiring authors can get their thoughts on paper by writing all your story ideas in this
pre-organized journal. This notebook is part blank journal, part guided story planner. There's
plenty of room for to customize notes, and enough guidance to help figure out plot, characters,
and publishing goals.
Critique: A consumable instructional guide and thoroughly 'user friendly' DIY manual, "Writer's
Notebook: A Guided Journal to Plan Your Story " is an especially recommended and highly
valued addition to any writer's personal reference shelf.
Editorial Note: Liz Delton writes and lives in New England, with her husband and amazing son.
She studied Theater Management at the University of the Arts in Philly, always having enjoyed
the backstage life of storytelling. She loves reading and writing fantasy, especially the kind with
alternate worlds. Liz is the author of the Arcera Trilogy, and the Realm of Camellia series.
World-building is her favorite part of writing, and she is always dreaming up new fantastic
places.
The Write to Happiness
Samantha Shad
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781642798098, $17.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: What happens when aspiring writers compose stories? Neuro science reveals that
writing stories transforms their brains and their minds.
"The Write to Happiness: How to Write Stories to Change Your Brain and Your Life" by
Samantha Shad is an impressively practical tool that can help writers to change their lives in the
direction they choose. In this strikingly original writing manual, Samantha Shad teaches aspiring
writers not only how to write great stories, but also how writing will change their life for the
better.
The process of changing the brain and the process of writing a great story are the same. "The
Write to Happiness" teaches professional story structure to help writers to understand and use the
power of storytelling. Those writers will also learn why gossip is central to survival, how
forgetting creates meaning, and why accurate memory is a joke!
Critique: Effective storytelling is at the heart of any writer's success in both fiction and non-
fiction. "The Write to Happiness: How to Write Stories to Change Your Brain and Your Life"
should be considered essential reading for anyone seeking to write either for their own personal
and private benefit or for publication and the benefit or entertainment of others. While
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library
Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted that "The Write to Happiness: How to Write
Stories to Change Your Brain and Your Life" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Samantha Shad was a member of the bar in three states and a practicing
entertainment attorney in Beverly Hills before she turned her attention to screenwriting. She
wrote twenty feature film scripts for the major studios, including Class Action (Twentieth
Century Fox), as well as feature length and episodic television for each of the major networks,
including the movie Vanished Without A Trace (NBC-Universal). Each story increased the joy in
her life. She learned how to write her story to right her life. She now teaches advanced writing
and leads seminars on how to Write to Happiness.
The Public Relations Writer's Handbook
Whitney Lehmann
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, New York, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9780815365297, $155.00, HC, 202pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: From pitches and press releases to news and feature stories to social media writing and
more, "The Public Relations Writer's Handbook" is a new book by author and communications
expert Whitney Lehmann, along with a handful of experienced contributors that breaks down the
most widely used types of public relations writing needed to become a PR pro.
"The Public Relations Writer's Handbook" serves as a guide for those both in the classroom and
in the field who want to learn, and master, the style and techniques of public relations writing.
Eighteen conversational chapters provide an overview of the most popular forms of public
relations writing, focusing on media relations, storytelling, writing for the web/social media,
business and executive communications, event planning and more. Chapters include
user-friendly writing templates, exercises and AP Style skill drills and training.
A dedicated eResource also supports the book, with writing templates and answer keys (for
instructors) to the end-of-chapter exercises in the text. www.routledge.com/9780815365280.
Critique: Offering a complete and comprehensive instruction manual and guide, "The Public
Relations Writer's Handbook" is particularly recommended to the addition of PR majors and/or
PR practitioners. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
corporate, college, and university library Writing/Publishing collections in general, and Public
Relations curriculum supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Public
Relations Writer's Handbook" is also readily available in a paperback edition ( 9780815365280,
$64.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $61.70).
Editorial Note: Whitney Lehmann, Ph.D., APR, is an assistant professor of communication in the
Department of Writing and Communication at Nova Southeastern University, USA. Her industry
experience includes working for Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Miami International
Airport, Barry University and the Miami Herald.
The Author's Checklist
Elizabeth K. Kracht
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608686629, $15.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The bad news for all aspiring writers seeking publication is that even really good
manuscripts can have weak spots that are enough to garner rejections from agents and publishers.
The good news is that most of these commonly encountered problems are easy to fix once the
writer sees and understands them.
After several years of evaluating manuscripts, literary agent Elizabeth Kracht noticed that many
submissions had similar problems, so she began to make a list of the pitfalls. "The Author's
Checklist: An Agent's Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript" is comprised of her
short, easy-to-implement bites of advice, illustrated by inspiring (and cautionary) real-world
examples. Most aspiring authors yearn for a friend in book publishing -- "The Author's
Checklist" is just that!
Critique: A critically important instructional resource that should be considered essential reading
for any writer (especially self-published authors) seeking publication of their work, "The
Author's Checklist: An Agent's Guide to Developing and Editing Your Manuscript" is
impressively well organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation. While especially and
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Writing/Publishing
instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Author's
Checklist" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Health/Medicine Shelf
The Little Book of Doctors' Rules
Clifton K. Meador, MD
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757004933, $14.95, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "The Little Book of Doctors' Rules: A Practical Guide To The Art Of Healing", Dr.
Clifton Meador draws on his nearly sixty-year medical career for nuggets of advice with both
compassion and humor. Although there may not be a defined medical disease behind every
physical symptom, Dr. Meador reminds us that the reason behind a symptom may be found if a
doctor observes and listens carefully to a patient. He believes an effective physician treats a
patient, not just a patient's disease.
"The Little Book of Doctors' Rules" offers insightful rules that address a host of topics, which
include developing a rapport with patients, treating dementia, and prescribing drugs. Designed
for any healthcare professional, these short rules are easily understood and (mostly)
non-technical. Here is a small sampling of Dr. Meador's advice, from the sage and somber to the
clever and sometimes controversial.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "The Little Book of Doctors' Rules: A
Practical Guide To The Art Of Healing" should be considered mandatory reading by all medical
students, practicing physicians, and other members of the medical profession. "The Little Book
of Doctors' Rules" should be considered a core and unreservedly recommended addition to
college and university medical school library Health/Medicine collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Clifton K. Meador, MD is a graduate of Vanderbilt University School of
Medicine. He trained at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York and at Vanderbilt Medical
School, where he completed a NIH fellowship in endocrinology. After practicing medicine, he
joined the faculty of medicine at University of Alabama School, where he was professor of
medicine and then dean of the UAB School of Medicine from 1968 to 1973. He returned to
Vanderbilt and Saint Thomas Hospital, serving as chief of medicine and chief medical officer of
Saint Thomas Hospital from 1973 to 1998. He then served as the first executive director of the
Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance from 1999 to 2012. He is professor of medicine emeritus at both
Vanderbilt School of Medicine and Meharry Medical College.
Plants for the People
Erin Lovell Verinder, author
Georgia Blackie, photographer
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9781760760465, $29.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Plants are our oldest source of medicine and a leading wellspring of our future cures.
"Plants for the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine by master herbalist Erin Lovell
Verinder is a celebration of plants and an introduction to their healing powers. An exploration of
the plant world, combined with expert advice, "Plants for the People" deftly weaves ancient
traditional knowledge with a modern approach to plant medicine.
Including dozens of medicinal plants (ranging from aloe vera to turmeric), "Plants for the People"
introduces readers to each plant's unique personality, story, characteristics, quirks, and strengths.
"Plants for the People" also explains how to use these herbs in tinctures, teas, balms, essences,
lotions, and more. From gathering to storing, "Plants for the People" is packed from cover to
cover with captivating visuals and informative text that will give readers an insightful
understanding of plant medicines.
"Plants for the People" is a basic herbal compendium that encourages readers to explore the
world of plant medicine and expand their journey to health and wellness through nature's
bounty.
Critique: Enhanced with 80 full color photographic illustrations by Georgia Blackie, "Plants for
the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine" is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in commentary,
organization and presentation, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, college, and university library Health/Medicine collections in
general, and Herbal Medicine supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Erin Lovell Verinder is an herbalist, nutritionist, energetic healer, mentor,
wellness expert, and writer. She trained in America and Australia and has spent more than
eighteen years walking the plant path, working with natural medicine to promote health and
well-being. She has written for multiple online platforms and magazines, such as The Planthunter
and Vogue Australia.
Lipoprotein (a), the Heart's Quiet Killer
Joel K. Kahn & Beverly Lynn Bennett
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
www.BookPubCo.com
9781570673870, $19.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A cardiologist Joel Kahn draws upon his professional experience and expertise in
"Lipoprotein (a), the Heart's Quiet Killer: A Diet & Lifestyle Guide" to create a breakthrough
book on lipoprotein(a). An estimated one in five people have elevated levels of a type of
cholesterol called lipoprotein(a) which can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, including
blocked arteries, blood clots, and stroke.
Dr. Kahn explains how this condition is a factor of genetics rather than poor lifestyle choices,
pinpoints who needs to have their levels checked, and which types of tests to request. He also
shares research that shows plant-based diets in general provide the best defense against heart
attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular disease and can play an important role in protecting
individuals with elevated lipoprotein(a) levels.
In "Lipoprotein (a), the Heart's Quiet Killer: A Diet & Lifestyle Guide" He has partnered with
vegan expert Beverly Lynn Bennett who provides dozens of delicious, oil-free recipes that
feature foods rich in the nutrients found to be the most protective for heart-health.
Critique: A combination medical manual and cookbook, "Lipoprotein (a), the Heart's Quiet
Killer: A Diet & Lifestyle Guide" showcases beautifully and profusely illustrated recipes for
'heart healthy' dishes that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite. Exceptional in both
organization and presentation, "Lipoprotein (a), the Heart's Quiet Killer: A Diet & Lifestyle
Guide" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library cookbook collections
and a 'must' for anyone having to deal with cholesterol issues.
Exercises for Sciatica
William Smith, M.S., author
Wazim Buksh, MD, MPH, author
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578267880, $15.00, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Defined as back or leg pain caused by irritation to the sciatic nerve, sciatica is a
debilitating and painful condition that is only growing more prevalent with time. As lifestyles
become more and more sedentary, cases of sciatica become more common which is why a
complete lifestyle overhaul, one which includes targeted exercise routines aimed at easing
sciatica symptoms is required to help individuals with this condition live their lives
pain-free.
"Exercises for Sciatica: A Simple and Effective Self-Care Program for Pain Relief and the
Treatment of Sciatica" works as an integrated part of any sciatic or piriformis syndrome
treatment plan, optimizing mobility, increasing strength and minimizing pain, while providing
lifestyle tips to keep you motivated and moving forward.
"Exercises for Sciatica" also includes: A detailed overview of how exercise can relieve common
sciatica symptoms; Clear, informative pictures of safe, effective exercises; Detailed instructions
on how to perform each movement; Information on sciatica life-hacks for relaxation and
motivation; A complete fitness approach to restoring health and functionality.
Featuring expert-approved fitness techniques, with options ranging from resistance training to
mobility movements to light strength exercises, "Exercises for Sciatica" is the all-in-one resource
for anyone looking to take back control and live their best life.
Critique: Expertly and profusely illustrated, "Exercises for Sciatica: A Simple and Effective
Self-Care Program for Pain Relief and the Treatment of Sciatica" is an ideal DIY instruction
manual and guide that is especially commended to the attention of the non-specialist general
reader having to deal with Sciatica as a health issue for themselves or a loved one. While
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Health/Medicine
collections, It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Exercises for Sciatica" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: William Smith, MS, NSCA, CSCS, MEPD, completed his B.S. in exercise
science at Western Michigan University followed by a master's degree in education and a
post-graduate program at Rutgers University. In 1993, Will began coaching triathletes and
working with athletes and post-rehab clientele. He was a Division I Collegiate Strength Coach
and has been competing in triathlons and marathons since 1998, recently finishing the Steelhead
Half Ironman in Michigan in 5 hours and 22 minutes. Will founded Will Power and Fitness
Associates and currently consults for fitness, healthcare, and wellness centers in New York and
New Jersey.
Wazim Buksh, MD, MPH, CAQSM, is board certified in both sports medicine and internal
medicine. He currently practices both specialties as the lead physician for Primary Care at
Novartis, an Atlantic Health System's practice, in New Jersey. He has worked with the New York
Jets and the athletic departments of Seton Hall and Drew Universities, respectively. In addition,
he has provided sports coverage for a multitude of high schools in the New Jersey area. Dr.
Buksh practices with a focus towards prevention.
Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout
National Academy of Medicine
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309495479, $75.00, PB, 334pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Patient-centered, high-quality health care relies on the well-being, health, and safety of
health care clinicians. However, alarmingly high rates of clinician burnout in the United States
are detrimental to the quality of care being provided, harmful to individuals in the workforce, and
costly. It is important to take a systemic approach to address burnout that focuses on the
structure, organization, and culture of health care.
"Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being"
builds upon two groundbreaking reports from the past twenty years, To Err Is Human: Building a
Safer Health System and Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st
Century, which both called attention to the issues around patient safety and quality of care. This
report explores the extent, consequences, and contributing factors of clinician burnout and
provides a framework for a systems approach to clinician burnout and professional well-being, a
research agenda to advance clinician well-being, and recommendations for the field.
Critique: A timely and much needed study in view of today's pandemic threat to every medical
resource in the country, "Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to
Professional Well-Being" is an urgent and unreservedly recommended addition to college and
university medical school library collections and would well served as a textbook for
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of medical
students and practicing physicians that "Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems
Approach to Professional Well-Being" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$59.84).
Antimicrobial Stewardship for Nursing Practice
Molly Courtenay & Enrique Castro-Sanchez, editors
CABI
745 Atlantic Avenue, 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02111
https://www.cabi.org
9781789242690, $32.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Drug-resistant infections are one of the greatest threats to human health, and with
resistance on the rise, appropriate antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is more important than ever.
This book, written by nurses for nurses, provides a clear and concise approach to good practice in
this vital area.
Expertly compiled and co-edited by Molly Courtenay (Cardiff University) and Enrique Castro-
Sanchez, (Imperial College, London) and exploring all aspects of AMS, "Antimicrobial
Stewardship for Nursing Practice" is underpinned by a competency framework endorsed by
scientific and professional societies, including the National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence (NICE). It explains the practices that ensure optimal use of antibiotics for the best
clinical outcome, with both minimal toxicity to the patient and minimal impact on subsequent
antimicrobial resistance.
The first book that is applied directly to antimicrobial stewardship for nurses, supports standards
of proficiency for registered nurses, and can therefore be used by regulators and professional
bodies to inform standards of proficiency and guidance, "Antimicrobial Stewardship for Nursing
Practice" covers infection prevention and control, antimicrobial resistance, diagnosis of infection
and appropriate antimicrobial use, patient engagement, collaboration between professions and
how to implement AMS in nursing practice. Including learning tools such as objectives, practical
case studies and questions throughout, as well as lecture slides, this book is an essential read for
undergraduate nursing students and specialist nurses worldwide.
Critique: An essential and core addition to college and university library Health/Medicine
collections, and an ideal textbook for nursing school curriculums, "Antimicrobial Stewardship
for Nursing Practice" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.12) for the
personal reading lists of medical students, nurses, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject.
The Science Shelf
IFL Science WTF Weird True Facts
Ripley Publishing
c/o Ripley Entertainment Inc.
7576 Kingspointe Pkwy - Suite 188, Orlando, FL 32819
https://www.ripleys.com/publishing
9781609913830, $19.99, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It's weird. It's true. And in the pages of "IFL Science WTF Weird True Facts", the folks
at Ripley's Believe It or Not! have created a remarkable and memorable compendium of odd and
unusual facts.
Did you know that there may be mini black holes passing through Earth every day? Or that the
secrets of digestion were discovered by testing on a gentleman who was curiously living with a
6-inch hole in his stomach? What if we told you the color pink isn't real? These are all Weird
True Facts!
From the editors of Ripley's Believe It or Not! and IFL Science comes an unusual volume that
will not only educate but entertain, giving a deeper approach to science and wonders of the world
around us.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, informative, and entertaining read from beginning to end,
"IFL Science WTF Weird True Facts" is an extraordinary and certain to be enduringly popular
addition to personal, school and community library collections.
Editorial Note: Ripley's Believe It or Not! is globally renowned as the authority on the weird, the
eccentric, and the amazing. Ripley's Believe It or Not! provides entertaining books for children of
all ages which educates and informs them in a humorous style. Every day the researchers at
Ripley's are busy digging up the craziest true stories and the most unbelievable facts.
The Education Shelf
What to Expect When You're Expected to Teach Gifted Students
Kari Lockhart
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618219077, $22.95, PB, 140pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "What to Expect When You're Expected to Teach Gifted Students: A Guide to the
Celebrations, Surprises, Quirks, and Questions in Your First Year Teaching Gifted Learners" by
Kari Lockhart is a practical, easy-to-read guide for classroom teachings that: Reviews
expectations versus likely classroom realities that first-time gifted teachers may face; Includes
real-world advice for navigating the joys, surprises, and frustrations; Addresses specific topics
related to gifted education, including students' social-emotional needs: Includes considerations
for choosing appropriate curricular materials and working with parents and families; Features
ways to advocate for gifted and advanced programming and tips for continued professional
learning.
In each individual chapter the reader will dive into issues that are frequently cited as challenges
for new gifted teachers and emerge equipped with resources and strategies to build a successful
classroom that meets the needs of high-ability students.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "What to Expect When You're Expected to
Teach Gifted Students" by Kari Lockhart is especially recommended to the attention of
classroom teachers who are new or inexperienced with respect to the education of gifted students
K-12 -- and should be a core acquisition for school district, college, and university library
Teacher Education & In-Service Training instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: Kari Lockhart has served the public education system for 10 years in a variety of
roles, including gifted and talented teacher, campus coordinator, and district coordinator. She has
a master's degree in educational psychology, focusing on gifted education, and is now pursuing a
doctoral degree in the field.
Classroom Talk for Social Change
Melissa Schieble, Amy Vetter, Kahdeidra Monet Martin
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807763490, $105.00, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With "Classroom Talk for Social Change: Critical Conversations in English Language
Arts", classroom teachers can learn how to foster critical conversations in English language arts
classrooms. This guide encourages teachers to engage students in noticing and discussing
harmful discourses about race, gender, and other identities.
"Classroom Talk for Social Change" take readers through a framework that includes knowledge
about power, a critical learner stance, critical pedagogies, critical talk moves, and vulnerability.
The text features in-depth classroom examples from six secondary English language arts
classrooms. Each chapter offers specific ways in which teachers can begin and sustain critical
conversations with their students, including the creation of teacher inquiry groups that use
transcript analysis as a learning tool.
"Classroom Talk for Social Change" features: Strategies that educators can use to facilitate
conversations about critical issues; In-depth classroom examples of teachers doing this work with
their students; Questions, activities, and resources that foster self-reflection; Tools for engaging
in transcript analysis of classroom conversations: Suggestions for developing inquiry groups
focused on critical conversations.
Critique: Expertly organized and presented, "Classroom Talk for Social Change: Critical
Conversations in English Language Arts" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for student teachers, classroom
instructors, education administrators, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Classroom Talk for Social Change" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9780807763483, $34.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $34.95).
Editorial Note: Melissa Schieble is an associate professor of English education at Hunter College
of the City University of New York. Amy Vetter is a professor in English education in the School
of Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Kahdeidra Monet Martin is a
presidential research fellow and doctoral candidate in Urban Education at the Graduate Center of
the City University of New York.
Achieving Equity in Gifted Programming
April Wells
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618218773, $24.95, PB, 150pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Achieving Equity in Gifted Programming: Dismantling Barriers and Tapping
Potential" offers practical, research-based programming implementations to increase equity in
gifted education.
"Achieving Equity in Gifted Programming" also: Helps educators understand diverse learners'
identification and needs; Calls educators to act in response to the disproportionate participation
of diverse students in gifted programs; Builds off of research on talent development, cultural
awareness, and social justice in education; Tasks educators with exploring their own implicit and
explicit biases; Asks educators to focus on culturally responsive teaching.
Each individual chapter poses an opportunity for educators to address under representation and
their own understanding of culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse learners. Under
representation in gifted education can be addressed -- it does not have to go on in perpetuity.
Critique: Expertly organized and accessibly presented, "Achieving Equity in Gifted
Programming: Dismantling Barriers and Tapping Potential" is an ideal instructional guide that
would well serve as a curriculum textbook for school district in-service training programs, and is
an essential, core addition to both college and university library Teacher Education collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Achieving Equity in Gifted Programming" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: April Wells is a district administrator in the second largest school district in
Illinois. She facilitated the comprehensive redesign of the district's gifted program. She believes
advocacy is key to achieving equitable access for gifted learners.
The Principal Reboot
Jen Schwanke
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416628811, $29.95, PB, 172pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Today's school principals face unprecedented challenges that can overwhelm even the
most dedicated among them. What can they do when their initial enthusiasm for the job begins to
deflate, when the demands of the job seem to outnumber the rewards? How can they regain the
energy that propelled them early in their career?
"The Principal Reboot: 8 Ways to Revitalize Your School Leadership" by Jen Schwanke answers
these questions with specific advice on how to reignite passion in addressing the many aspects of
the principalship, including: Defining a school's values and mission through rebranding;
Strengthening relationships with staff, students, and community; Leading renewed efforts to
improve instruction; Developing teacher leadership; Using data effectively and innovatively;
and
Improving operational procedures and processes.
Sharing the wisdom gained from colleagues and her own experience as a principal, author and
school administrator Jen Schwanke offers an engaging, accessible account of the ups and downs
of the job, along with helpful, step-by-step suggestions for how to reinvigorate a flagging career
and restore the joy that comes with making a school the best that it can be.
Critique: As thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is informed and informative, "The Principal
Reboot: 8 Ways to Revitalize Your School Leadership" offers an extraordinary, practical, and
effective instructional guide that should be required reading of all school administrators and a
core addition to school district, college, and university library Education Administration
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Jen Schwanke has been an educator for more than 20 years, teaching or leading at
all levels. She is the author of You're the Principal! Now What? Strategies and Solutions for New
School Leaders, published by ASCD. She has written for Choice Literacy, Education Week
Teacher, Principal, and Principal Navigator and presented at conferences for ASCD, as well as
NAESP, Battelle for Kids, and various state and local education organizations. She has provided
professional development to various districts in the areas of school climate, personnel, and
instructional leadership. She is an instructor in educational administration at Miami University
and has served on several state-level committees and workgroups focused on best practices in
school leadership. She is currently a principal for the Dublin City School District in Dublin,
Ohio.
Research in Special Education, third edition
Phillip D. Rumrill, Jr., Bryan G. Cook, & Nathan A. Stevenson
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398093167, $44.95, PB, 300pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, the primary purpose of "Research
in Special Education: Designs, Methods, and Applications" is to offer a broad-based examination
into the role of scientific inquiry in contemporary special education -- and to provide a
comprehensive overview of the philosophical, ethical, methodological, and analytical
fundamentals of social science and educational research.
Aspects of special education research that distinguish it from scientific inquiry in other fields of
education and human services are specified. Foremost among these distinctions are the research
beneficiaries children with disabilities, their parents, the special educators; availability of federal
funds for research and demonstration projects that seek to improve educational outcomes; and
the historical, philosophical, and legislative bases for the profession of special education.
This new third edition represents a revision of more than 30 percent with over 250 new
references. Each individual chapter is thoroughly updated with new developments in research
topics, designs, and methods that have emerged over the past decade in the field of special
education. "Research in Special Education: Designs, Methods, and Applications" is a unique
resource guide for graduate-level students, practitioners, teachers in the field of special
education, disability studies, early intervention, school psychology, and child and family
services.
Critique: With this updated and expanded third edition, "Research in Special Education: Designs,
Methods, and Applications" continues to be an extraordinary and impressively informative
volume that would well served as a curriculum textbook for Special Education coursework. The
collective work of Phillip D. Rumrille, Jr. (Human Development Institute, University of
Kentucky), Bryan G. Cook (Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education), and
Nathan A. Stevenson (School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences, Kent State
University), "Research in Special Education: Designs, Methods, and Applications" is an essential
and unreservedly recommended addition to college and university library Contemporary
Education Issues collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Student Conduct Practice, second edition
Diane M. Waryold & James M. Lancaster, editors
Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781642671049, $125.00, HC, 312pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and considerably expanded second edition, "Student Conduct
Practice: The Complete Guide for Student Affairs Professionals" maintains the objectives of the
first edition originally published in 2008 to constitute a compendium of current best practices in
the administration of student conduct, to summarize the latest thinking on key issues facing
practitioners today, and to provide an overview of the role and status of conduct administrators
within their institutions.
This text invites student conduct administrators to examine current programs and policies to
ensure that the spaces that they create during interactions with students are spaces in which all
students feel welcome and heard. As we strive to prepare students not only to be productive
members of today's workforce, and more importantly to be good people and upright citizens, this
text accentuates the delicate balance between responding to regulatory mandates and meeting the
educational aims of student conduct. The aim is to offer those with an interest in student conduct
and those professionals who are new or seasoned student conduct administrators with both a
compendium of chapters on best practices and the background to grapple with the
thought-provoking situations they will encounter.
In close collaboration with the leadership of the Association for Student Conduct Administration
(ASCA) the editors identified the most pressing conduct issues on our campuses and
practitioners and faculty who offer related expertise and a necessary diversity of voices.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a complete listing of the contributors and
their credentials, "Student Conduct Practice: The Complete Guide for Student Affairs
Professionals" is comprised of fifteen erudite and informative articles and a succinct conclusion.
While especially recommended for college and university library Education Administration
collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, teachers,
administrators, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this second
edition of "Student Conduct Practice: The Complete Guide for Student Affairs Professionals" is
also readily available in a paperback edition (9781642671056, $37.50) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note: Diane M. Waryold is also an Assistant Professor of Human Development and
Psychological Counseling at Appalachian State University. Prior to this position, Dr. Waryold
served as the Executive Director for The Center for Academic Integrity and Program
Administrator for The Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University in Durham, NC.
James M. Lancaster is currently an Assistant Professor of Human Development and
Psychological Counseling at Appalachian State University. Prior to taking this position, Dr.
Lancaster was Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at The University of North Carolina
at Greensboro.
The Psychology Shelf
Evaluating ADHD in Children and Adolescents
Gene Carroccia, Psy.D.
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398093204, $53.95, PB, 388pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder of the
neurodevelopmental type. It is characterized by difficulty paying attention, excessive activity and
acting without regards to consequences, which are otherwise not appropriate for a person's age.
Some individuals with ADHD also display difficulty regulating emotions. For a diagnosis, the
symptoms should appear before a person is twelve years old, be present for more than six
months, and cause problems in at least two settings (such as school, home, or recreational
activities). In children, problems paying attention may result in poor school performance.
Additionally there is an association with other mental disorders and substance misuse. Although
it causes impairment, particularly in modern society, many people with ADHD can have
sustained attention for tasks they find interesting or rewarding (known as hyperfocus).
"Evaluating ADHD in Children and Adolescents: A Comprehensive Diagnostic Screening
System" is the ADHD diagnostic guide that assists clinicians to accurately conduct
evidence-based ADHD evaluations, as well as identify and better understand the numerous other
possible coexisting conditions that may present along with and worsen true ADHD, or cause
ADHD-like presentations when ADHD does not exist.
"Evaluating ADHD in Children and Adolescents: A Comprehensive Diagnostic Screening
System" diagnostic clinicians to: Confidently conduct ADHD evaluations; Identify conditions
that coexist with, worsen, or mimic ADHD; Improve the accuracy of diagnosing ADHD and
other conditions; Better understand and provide referrals for other suspected conditions.
"Evaluating ADHD in Children and Adolescents" is deftly organized into three major
sections:
Part One presents the 10-Step ADHDology Evaluation Model, which provides the steps to
comprehensively evaluate ADHD.
Part Two presents numerous medical, sleep, psychological, trauma, neurodevelopmental, sensory
processing, and fetal substance exposure conditions. These chapters describe the conditions in
detail, how they coexist with or appear similar to ADHD, how to distinguish them from true
ADHD, and how mental health clinicians and specialists can further evaluate and treat these
disorders.
Part Three is composed of the Comprehensive Diagnostic ADHD Screening System (CDASS), a
unique approach to improve the accuracy of evaluating ADHD by utilizing checklists to help
identify: the risk factors associated with ADHD, the many possible conditions presented in Part 2
that may exist so these can be further considered and evaluated by specialists, and little-known
and not typically considered conditions that can cause ADHD-like presentations.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "Evaluating ADHD in Children and
Adolescents: A Comprehensive Diagnostic Screening System" is comprehensive and thoroughly
detailed, making it an ideal curriculum textbook for ADHD diagnostic curriculums and an
essential, core addition to college, university, and medical school library Psychology Testing &
Measurement collections in general, and ADHD supplemental studies reading lists in
particular.
Editorial Note: Gene Carroccia is a licensed clinical psychologist and author who has extensive
experience working with individuals with ADHD, as well as other conditions, including
psychological trauma and maltreatment. For over twenty years, he has evaluated and treated
hundreds of children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD. Dr. Carroccia works at a large
not-for-profit health care system as a vice president of behavioral health care services.
Previously, for many years, he supervised doctoral psychology interns and was the director of
training of an accredited doctoral clinical psychology internship program. Dr. Carroccia is the
author of two ADHDology books, Treating ADHD/ADD in Children and Adolescents: Solutions
for Parents and Clinicians and Evaluating ADHD in Children and Adolescents: A
Comprehensive Diagnostic Screening System. He was also the editor of the clinical workbook
Treating Sexual Abuse and Trauma with Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with
Developmental Disabilities, published by Charles C. Thomas.
Healing Childhood Trauma
Robin Marvel
Loving Healing Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
www.lovinghealing.com
9781615994977, $26.95, HC, 106pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Post-traumatic stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, substance abuse, depression, a lack of
confidence and many other mental and physical ailments may be a result of childhood trauma
you have endured. Uncovering, accepting and healing this childhood trauma will allow you to let
go of the pain, releasing yourself from the guilt, shame and self-destruction you have been living
with. "Healing Childhood Trauma: Transforming Pain into Purpose with Post-Traumatic
Growth" by Robin Marvel (who is a multi-published author and motivational speaker in the field
of self development) will provide you with tools and strategies to heal your childhood trauma
allowing you to live fully.
"Healing Childhood Trauma" pinpoints the areas of struggle in your life now that are a reflection
of the childhood trauma you endured. It also: Tackles limitations by learning how childhood
trauma can be healed and forgiven; Strategizes an effective plan that will take you from struggle
to success; Reveals hands-on strategies and plans to heal, recover and let go of the limits
imposed on your daily living due to childhood trauma.
Critique: Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation,
"Healing Childhood Trauma: Transforming Pain into Purpose with Post-Traumatic Growth" is
ideal for non-specialist general readers having to deal with the aftermath of childhood trauma in
their adult lives. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
Contemporary Psychology & Counseling collections, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students, academia, practitioners, and anyone else with an interest in the subject over
overcoming childhood trauma and personal emotional growth.
Healing the Heart
Christine Fonseca
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618218957, $17.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Trauma permeates America's families, and no one is immune to its impact. Natural
disasters such as the current pandemic, community and institutional violence, adverse childhood
experiences -- all of these kinds of events impact the developing brains and bodies of our
youth.
Trained as an educational psychologist, Christine Fonseca is dedicated to helping children and
adults connect with their personal truth. She is also an award-winning author of fiction and
nonfiction, a nationally recognized speaker, and an international consultant and coach.
In the pages of "Healing the Heart: Helping Your Child Thrive After Trauma" Christine:
Provides parents with specific tools to help their trauma-impacted children; Combines the
research on adverse childhood experiences and other traumatic events, positive psychology, and
resilience: Is presented in an easy-to-read, conversational style; Uses evidence-based strategies,
inspirational stories, and role-playing scenarios; Includes the information and tools needed to
heal the negative impact of traumatic events.
With specific strategies to address diverse forms of trauma and diverse populations, "Healing the
Heart" is an essential and must-read resource for any parent wanting to reestablish safety,
increase resilience, and help heal the long-term impact of trauma their child is subject to.
Critique: Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation,
"Healing the Heart: Helping Your Child Thrive After Trauma" will prove to be a timely,
welcome, and enduringly useful addition to personal, professional, community, and academic
library Parenting collections.
The General Fiction Shelf
The Big One
Ed Moses
Daniel & Daniel
www.danielpublishing.com
9781564746160, $15.95
The Big One will especially delight fans of Huck Finn and other stories of young protagonists
who narrate their adventures in the first person, confront the adult world with a precocious
attention to problem-solving beyond their years, and face uncommon adversity in a romp
between childhood and adult concerns. Twelve-year-old Eddie and his family live next to a river
and he faces both adult moods and choices and his own growth during a summer of change and
confrontation. Gramps is the one adult he can count on for steady wisdom. His hero is invested in
fishing for The Big One, a legendary fish, and he involves Eddie in a journey that goes far
beyond fishing. The characters, lively observations, and growth opportunities abound in a classic
coming of age tale that holds its own powerful voice.
The Road to Delano
John DeSimone
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
https://rarebirdlit.com
9781644280317, $26.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A high school senior, Jack Duncan dreams of playing college baseball and leaving the
political turmoil of the agricultural town Delano behind. Ever since his father, a grape grower,
died ten years earlier, he's suspected that his mother has been hiding the truth from him about the
suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
With his family's property on the verge of a tax sale, Jack drives an old combine into town to sell
it. On the road, an old friend of his father shows up with evidence that Jack's father was
murdered. Armed with this new information, Jack embarks on a mission to discover the entire
truth, not just about his father but the corruption endemic in the Central Valley.
When Jack's girlfriend warns him not to do anything to jeopardize their post graduation plans and
refuses to help him, Jack turns to his best friend, Adrian, the son of a boycotting fieldworker who
works closely with Cesar Chavez. The boys' dangerous plan to rescue the Duncan family farm
leaves Adrian in a catastrophic situation, and Jack must step up to the plate and rescue his family
and his friend before he can make his escape from Delano.
Critique: An original and deftly crafted novel that showcases author John DeSimone's impressive
flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling style that keeps the reader's total
attention from cover to cover, "The Road To Delano" is certain to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists and community libraries that "The Road To Delano" is
also readily available as a complete and unabridged audio book (HighBridge Audio,
9781684572403, $39.99, CD).
Sharks in the Time of Saviors
Kawai Strong Washburn
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
175 Varick Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10014
www.fsgbooks.com
9780374272081, $27.00, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In 1995 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on a rare family vacation, seven-year-old Nainoa Flores
falls overboard a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean. When a shiver of sharks appears in the water,
everyone fears for the worst. But instead, Noa is gingerly delivered to his mother in the jaws of a
shark, marking his story as the stuff of legends.
Nainoa's family, struggling amidst the collapse of the sugarcane industry, hails his rescue as a
sign of favor from ancient Hawaiian gods -- a belief that appears validated after he exhibits
puzzling new abilities. But as time passes, this supposed divine favor begins to drive the family
apart: Nainoa, working now as a paramedic on the streets of Portland, struggles to fathom the full
measure of his expanding abilities; further north in Washington, his older brother Dean hurtles
into the world of elite college athletics, obsessed with wealth and fame; while in California,
risk-obsessed younger sister Kaui navigates an unforgiving academic workload in an attempt to
forge her independence from the family's legacy.
When supernatural events revisit the Flores family in Hawai'i (with tragic consequences) they are
all forced to reckon with the bonds of family, the meaning of heritage, and the cost of
survival.
Critique: "Sharks in the Time of Saviors" is all the more impressive when considering that is
author Kawai Strong Washburn's debut as a novelist. A compelling and original story set in
Hawaii, "Sharks in the Time of Saviors" is an inherently riveting read from beginning to end.
While certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community and academic
library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Sharks in the Time of Saviors" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781786896490, $19.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
What She Lost
Melissa W. Hunter
Cynren Press
9781947976191, $17.00, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For thirteen-year-old Sarah Waldman, life in the small Polish town of Olkusz is idyllic,
grounded in her loving, close-knit family and the traditions of their Jewish faith.
But in 1939, as the Nazis come to power, a storm is gathering -- a relentless, unforgiving storm
that will sweep Sarah and her family into years of turmoil in the ghetto and concentration camps,
tearing them apart. Will Sarah's strong will and determination be enough for her to survive when
everything she loves is taken from her?
Part memoir, part fiction, "What She Lost" is the re-imagined true-life story of the author Melissa
W. Hunter's grandmother growing into a woman amid the anguish of the Holocaust. It is a tale of
resilience, of rebuilding a life, and of rediscovering love.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and deftly crafted novel that is based on real events and
people, "What She Lost" is an extraordinary read and one that will linger in the mind and
memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While
unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "What She Lost" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Isaiah's Legacy: A Novel of Prophets and Kings
Mesu Andrews
WaterBrook Press
c/o WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
10807 New Allegiance Drive Suite 500, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
9780735291881, $16.99, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: At eight years old, Shulle has known only life in a small village with her loving but
peculiar father. When Uncle Shebna offers shelter in Jerusalem in exchange for Shulle's help
tutoring King Manasseh, Judah's five-year-old co-regent who displays the same peculiarities as
her father, she's eager to experience the royal court. But Shulle soon realizes the limits of her
father's strict adherence to Yahweh's Law when Uncle Shebna teaches her of the starry hosts and
their power.
Convinced Judah must be freed from Yahweh's chains, she begins the subtle swaying of young
Manasseh, using her charm and skills on the boy no one else understands. When King Hezekiah
dies, twelve-year-old Manasseh is thrust onto Judah's throne, bitter at Yahweh and eager to marry
the girl he adores. Assyria's crown prince favors Manasseh and twists his brilliant mind toward
cruelty, beginning Shulle's long and harrowing journey to discover the Yahweh she'd never
known, guided with loving wisdom by Manasseh's mother: Isaiah's daughter, the heartbroken
Hephzibah.
Amid Judah's dark days, a desperate remnant emerges, claiming the Lord's promise, "Though
we're helpless now, we're never hopeless -- because we serve El Shaddai." Shulle is among them,
a girl who becomes a queen through Isaiah's legacy.
Critique: A superbly crafted and biblical inspired historical novel by an author with a genuine
flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling that holds the reader's rapt attention
throughout, "Isaiah's Legacy" by Mesu Andrews will prove to be an enduringly popular addition
to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Isaiah's
Legacy" is also readily available in a digital book format ($11.99). Librarians should also be
aware that there is a large print edition of "Isaiah's Legacy" (Center Point Publishing,
9781643585970, $36.95, Library Binding, 500pp).
Irish Above All
Mary Pat Kelly
Forge Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
9780765380883, $27.99, HC, 512pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: After ten years in Paris, where she learned photography and became part of the
movement that invented modern art, Chicago-born, Irish-American Nora Kelly is at last returning
home. Her skill as a photographer will help her cousin Ed Kelly in his rise to Mayor of Chicago.
But when she captures the moment an assassin's bullet narrowly misses President-elect Franklin
Roosevelt and strikes Anton Cermak in February 1933, she enters a world of international
intrigue and danger.
Now, she must balance family obligations against her encounters with larger-than-life historical
characters, such as Joseph Kennedy, Big Bill Thompson, Al Capone, Mussolini, and the circle of
women who surround F.D.R. Nora moves through the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression,
and World War II, but it's her unexpected trip to Ireland that transforms her life.
Critique: An inherently interesting historical novel by Mary Pat Kelly, "Irish Above All" is the
kind of book that blockbuster movies are made. Deftly written in that kind of narrative
storytelling style that will keep and hold the reader's rapt attention from beginning to end, "Irish
Above All" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library History Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Irish Above All" is also readily
available in a paperback edition (9780765380890, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Jenny Colgan
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway New York, New York 10007
www.harpercollins.com
9780062869586, $16.99, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Sophie Chesterton is London's "It Girl". She knows all the right people, goes to all the
right parties, and wears all the right clothes -- and her rich parents pay for everything. But deep
down she suspects that her best "friends" (and her posh lifestyle) are nothing but shallow
fakes.
Then one evening Sophie's life takes a shocking, drastic turn, and her father decides it's high time
for the party girl to make her own way in the world. Forced to earn a meager living as a lowly
assistant to a "glamour" photographer, live in a shabby flat with four smelly boys, and eating
baked beans from the can -- Sophie is desperate to get her old life back, at any cost. But does a
girl really need diamonds to be happy?
Critique: With a subtly embedded message about the pitfalls of unearned wealth and the value of
true happiness, "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is an extraordinarily entertaining novel by
an author with a genuine gift for imaginative and engaging storytelling. While a certain and
unreservedly recommended addition to all community library Contemporary General Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781094116143, $29.99, CD). Full of warmth and
sparkle, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend is a surprisingly winning tale about luxury, life
lessons, and the surprisingly low cost of true happiness.
Hillbilly Hustle
Wesley Browne
West Virginia University Press
1535 Mileground, Morgantown, WV 26506
www.wvupressonline.com
9781949199284, $19.99, PB, 263pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Knox Thompson thinks he's working a hustle, but it's a hustle that's working him.
Trying to keep his pizza shop and parents afloat, he cleans out a backroom Kentucky poker game
only to be roped into dealing marijuana by the proprietor -- an arrangement Knox only
halfheartedly resists.
Knox's shop makes the perfect front for a marijuana operation, but his supplier turns out to be
violent and calculating, and Knox ends up under his thumb. It's not long before more than just
the pizza shop is at risk.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel by an author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of
narrative storytelling style that keeps his reader's rapt and continuing attention from first page to
last, "Hillbilly Hustle" by Wesley Brown is an especially and unreservedly recommended
addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for
the personal reading lists of all dedicated crime thriller fans that "Hillbilly Hustle" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
The Body Politic
Brian Platzer
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781501180774, $27.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: New York City is still regaining its balance in the years following 9/11, when four
twenty-somethings (Tess, Tazio, David, and Angelica) meet in a bar, each yearning for
something: connection, recognition, a place in the world, a cause to believe in. Nearly fifteen
years later, as their city recalibrates in the wake of the 2016 election, their bond has endured --
but almost everything else has changed.
As freshmen at Cooper Union, Tess and Tazio were the ambitious, talented future of the art
world -- but by thirty-six, Tess is married to David, the mother of two young boys, and working
as an understudy on Broadway. Kind and steady, David is everything Tess lacked in her own
childhood -- but a recent freak accident has left him with befuddling symptoms, and she's still
adjusting to her new role as caretaker.
Meanwhile, Tazio (who once had a knack for earning the kind of attention that Cooper Union
students long for) has left the art world for a career in creative branding and politics. But in
December 2016, fresh off the astonishing loss of his candidate, Tazio is adrift, and not even his
gorgeous and accomplished fiancee, Angelica, seems able to get through to him. With tensions
rising on the national stage, the four friends are forced to face the reality of their shared histories,
especially a long-ago betrayal that has shaped every aspect of their friendship.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel that insightfully explores the human condition in terms of
commitments, the necessity of forgiveness, and the way that secrets will inevitably be revealed,
"The Body Politic" by Brian Platzer is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to
community library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Body Politic" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781501180781, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Two Blankets, Three Sheets
Rodaan Al Galidi, author
Jonathan Reeder, translator
World Editions
https://www.worldeditions.org
9781642860450, $16.99, PB, 356pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Amsterdam Airport, 1998. Samir Karim steps off a plane from Vietnam, flushes his
fake passport down the toilet, and requests asylum. Fleeing Iraq to avoid conscription into
Saddam Hussein's army, he has spent seven years anonymously wandering through Asia. Now,
safely in the heart of Europe, he is sent to an asylum center and assigned a bed in a shared dorm -
- where he will spend the next nine years. As he navigates his way around the absurdities of
Dutch bureaucracy, Samir tries his best to get along with his 500 new housemates. Told with
compassion and a unique sense of humor, this is an inspiring tale of survival, a close-up view of
the hidden world of refugees and human smugglers, and a sobering reflection of our times.
Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Jonathan Reeder, "Two
Blankets, Three Sheets" is a deftly written and engaging novel that showcases author Rodaan Al
Galidi's exceptionally effective narrative storytelling style. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Two Blankets, Three Sheets" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.69).
The Deadly Kiss-Off
Paul Di Filippo
Blackstone Publisher
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781538450291, $26.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As part of their trafficking in counterfeit merchandise, consummate con-artists Glen
and Stan are looking to turn a few pallets of Grade Z computer chips into some military hardware
sure to interest dictators and despots and drug lords around the globe. Bankrolled by a greedy
local crime boss, the two of them hope to promote a half-genius, half-addlepated invention from
a naive and principled inventor into a bonanza. But no one ever counts on complications arising
from a wayward wife, some sexy Eurotrash go-betweens, and a lonely entrepreneurial girlfriend
who finds her native tropical isle conducive to a troublesome loosening of morals. Add in a most
unconventional explosives expert, and "The Deadly Kiss-Off" by Paul Di Filippo is a true page-
turner of a compulsive read from first page to last.
Critique: "The Deadly Kiss-Off" by Paul Di Filippo is another of the author's original and
thoroughly entertaining novels by a master of an impressively effective and reader engaging
narrative storytelling style. While certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to
community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Deadly Kiss-Off" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781094091082, $16.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.69), and as a complete an
unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781538404690, $29.95, CD).
Followers
Megan Angelo
Graydon House
http://graydonhousebooks.com
9781525836268, $26.99, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Orla Cadden is a budding novelist stuck in a dead-end job, writing clickbait about
movie-star hookups and influencer yoga moves. Then Orla meets Floss who is a striving,
wannabe A-lister that comes up with a plan for launching them both into the high-profile lives
they dream about. So what if Orla and Floss's methods are a little shady -- and sometimes people
get hurt? Their legions of followers can't be wrong.
Thirty-five years later, in a closed California village where government-appointed celebrities live
every moment of the day on camera, a woman named Marlow discovers a shattering secret about
her past. Despite her massive popularity (twelve million loyal followers!) Marlow dreams of
fleeing the corporate sponsors who would do anything to keep her on-screen. When she learns
that her whole family history is based on a lie, Marlow finally summons the courage to run in
search of the truth, no matter the risks.
The paths of Orla, Floss and Marlow are deftly traced as they wind through time toward each
other, and toward a cataclysmic event that sends America into lasting upheaval. At turns wry and
tender, bleak and hopeful, this darkly funny story reminds us that even if we obsess over famous
people we'll never meet, what we really crave is genuine human connection.
Critique: An inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Followers" by Megan Angelo
showcase the author's genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling skill set
that will fully engage the reader from beginning to end. Certain to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Followers" is also readily available in a paperback
edition (9781525809965, $17.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781094097466, $39.99, MP3 CD).
Weird Pig
Robert Long Foreman
Southeast Missouri State University Press
One University Plaza, MS 2650, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
http://www.semopress.com
9781732039971, $18.00, PB, 266pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Weird Pig is a pig who wants to do right. But doing right isn't always easy. He drinks.
He eats pork chops. He rides a skateboard. He gets his fellow farm animals murdered, and fathers
an illegitimate son who has a messiah complex.
When Weird Pig leaves the farm he calls home, he inspires a series of children's books that help
bring on the end of his little world -- a farm where human and beast alike toil in the shadow of an
ever-growing factory livestock complex.
In "Weird Pig" by Robert Long Foreman, and from farm to table and beyond, readers will follow
the misadventures of Weird Pig in a kaleidoscopic portrait of America as seen through the eyes
of a crazed animal who insists on making himself at home there!
Critique: Destined to be an anthropomorphic classic along the lines of Animal Farm or Watership
Down, author Robert Foreman's "Weird Pig" is a unique and extraordinary comedic novel that
reflects all too human conditions. "Weird Pig" is an original, deftly crafted and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as both community, college, and
university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections.
The Immortals of Tehran
Ali Araghi
Melville House
9781612198187, $27.99, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As a child living in his family's apple orchard, Ahmad Torkash-Vand treasures his
great-great-great-great grandfather's every mesmerizing word. On the day of his father's death,
Ahmad listens closely as the seemingly immortal elder tells him the tale of a centuries-old family
curse -- and the boy's own fated role in the story.
Ahmad grows up to suspect that something must be interfering with his family, as he struggles to
hold them together through decades of famine, loss, and political turmoil in Iran. As the world
transforms around him, each turn of Ahmad's life is a surprise: from street brawler, to father of
two unusually gifted daughters; from radical poet, to politician with a target on his back. These
lives, and the many unforgettable stories alongside his, converge and catch fire at the center of
the Revolution.
Exploring the brutality of history while conjuring the astonishment of magical realism, "The
Immortals of Tehran" is a novel about the incantatory power of words and the revolutionary
sparks of love, family, and poetry -- set against the indifferent, relentless march of time.
Critique: A skillfully crafted, inherently fascinating, and thoroughly entertaining novel by an
author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling skill set that fully
engages the reader's rapt attention from beginning to end. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that Ali Argahi's new novel, "The Immortals of
Tehran", is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Star of Persia: Esther's Story
Jill Eileen Smith
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800737788, $26.99, HC, 354pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In an effort to complete a war his father had planned to win, King Xerxes calls every
governor, satrap, and official in his vast kingdom to his palace in Susa to strategize and feast.
When they finally leave, he decides on one more week of frivolity, which ends in the banishment
of his favorite wife, something he never intended to do. But when he discovers Esther, Xerxes is
sure he has a second chance at happiness.
In her wildest dreams, Esther could never have imagined that she would end up as queen of
Persia. Yet she knows better than to become complacent. Another of Xerxes's wives is vying for
position, and his closest advisor has a deep and dangerous grudge against Esther's adoptive
father. Caught in the middle of palace politics, Esther will find herself in an impossible position:
risk her life or consign her people to annihilation.
Critique: With her impeccable research and her imaginative flair, author and novelist Jill Eileen
Smith brings to life the romantic, suspenseful, and beloved story of Esther, queen of Persia in
"Star of Persia: Esther's Story". Another of her deftly crafted and thoroughly entertaining novels,
this one will again prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library
Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the growing
legion of Jill Eileen Smith fans that "Star of Persia: Esther's Story" is also readily available in a
paperback edition (9780800734718, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Love, Death & Rare Books
Robert Hellenga
Delphinium Books
https://www.delphiniumbooks.com
9781883285852, $26.95, HC, 350pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Grandfather, father and son, Chas. Johnson & Sons has been a family operation for
three generations. But when it comes time for Gabe Johnson to take the reins of the business, the
world of books has changed, and the combination of the internet and inner city rents forces the
bookstore to close.
But instead of folding his hand, Gabe decides to risk everything he has and reopen the shop (and
in a sense restart his life) in a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan. Haunted his entire life
by an obsession with a former lover, he finds her again only to be faced with yet another even
more difficult challenge that threatens the well-being of the revival of the bookstore as well as
the fate of his rekindled relationship.
Critique: With the publication of "Love, Death & Rare Books", author Robert Hellenga once
again demonstrates his effective narrative storytelling style and impressive flair as a novelist for
originality and reader engagement. While certain to be an especially popular addition to
community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Love, Death & Rare Books" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $17.99).
Salt the Snow
Carrie Callaghan
Amberjack Publishing
c/o Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781948705646, $24.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Salt the Snow" by novelist Carrie Callaghan is the story of the trailblazing and
liberated Milly Bennett, an American journalist Milly Bennett who has covered murders in San
Francisco, fires in Hawaii, and a civil war in China. But the Russian city of Moscow in the 1930s
presents her greatest challenge yet.
When Milly's young Russian husband is suddenly arrested by the secret police, she tries to get
him released. But his arrest reveals both painful secrets about her marriage and hard truths about
the Soviet state she has been working to serve. Disillusioned, and pulled toward the front lines of
a captivating new conflict, Milly must find a way to do the right thing for her husband, her
conscience, and her heart.
Critique: Based on the life of one of the first female war correspondents whose work has been all
but lost to history, "Salt The Snow" is an inherently interesting and impressively crafted novel
that is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community and academic
library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Salt The Snow" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).
Miss Austen
Gill Hornby
Flatiron Books
c/o Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillan.com
9781250252203, $26.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane,
Cassandra Austen has lived alone, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly,
purposefully working to preserve her sister's reputation. Now in her sixties and increasingly frail,
Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiance, in search of a
trove of Jane's letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually
hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about
Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or
commit her sister's legacy to the flames?
Critique: Residing in Kintbury, England, Gill Hornby is the author of the novels The Hive and
All Together Now, as well as The Story of Jane Austen, a biography of Austen for young
readers. In "Miss Austen" Hornby deftly movies back and forth between the vicarage and Cassandra's
vibrant memories of her years with Jane, interwoven with Jane's brilliantly re-imagined lost
letters. Exceptionally well written in a distinctively effective and narrative driven storytelling
style, Hornby does full literary justice to one of literature's most enduringly popular novelists
with the publication of "Miss Austen". While unreservedly recommended for both community
and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Miss Austen" is also readily available in a digital book format ($13.99) and as
a complete and unabridged audio book (Macmillan Audio, 9781250260598, $45.99, CD).
The Great Concert of the Night
Jonathan Buckley
New York Review of Books
435 Hudson Street, Suite 300, New York, NY 10014
www.nybooks.com
9781681373959, $15.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: David has just spent New Year's Eve alone, watching Le Grand Concert de la Nuit, a
film in which his former lover Imogen starred. In the early hours of the new year, consoled and
tormented by her ethereal presence, he begins to write. What follows is a brilliantly various
journal, chronicling a year in the life of a thinking man.
David works as a curator at the ailing Sanderson-Perceval Museum in southern England, whose
small collection of porcelain, musical instruments, crystals, velvet mushrooms, and glass jellyfish
is as eccentric and idiosyncratic as the long-dead collectors' tastes. David himself is a
connoisseur of the derelict and non-utilitarian, of objects removed from the flow of time.
Refusing the imposed order of a straightforward chronology, his journal moves fluidly back and
forth in time, filled with fragments of life remembered, imagined, and recorded, from memories
of his past life with Imogen or with his ex-wife, Samantha, to reflections on the lives and relics
of female saints or the history of medicine.
There are quotations from Seneca, Meister Eckhart, and the Goncourt brothers mixed in with the
equally compelling imagined words of fictional film directors, actors, and, always, the
fascinating Imogen, who is alive now only "in the perpetual present of the sentence."
"The Great Concert of the Night" by Jonathan Buckley expertly interweaves sexual despair,
cultural critique, the plot lines of one man's quietly brilliant life, and the problems and paradoxes
of writing, especially writing about and to the dead.
Critique: Showcasing the author's genuine flair for originality and a pitch-perfect narrative
storytelling style, "The Great Concert Of The Night" by Jonathan Buckley is especially and
unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary
Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Great Concert Of The
Night" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.79).
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Worst Best Man
Mia Sosa
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
www.harpercollins.com
9780062909879, $15.99, PB, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A wedding planner left at the altar? Yeah, the irony isn't lost on Carolina Santos,
either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina's offered an opportunity that could
change her life. There's just one hitch -- she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst)
man from her own failed nuptials.
Marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client
looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he'll be working with his brother's whip-smart,
stunning (and absolutely off-limits) ex-fiancee. Plus, she loathes him!
If they can nail their presentation without killing each other, they'll both come out ahead. Except
Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride,
and Lina's ready to dish out a little payback of her own.
Soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between
them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina
isn't interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again.
Critique: A superbly scripted novel by a master of the romance fiction genre, "The Worst Best
Man" by Mia Sosa is a thoroughly entertaining and unreservedly recommended addition to the
personal reading lists of all dedicated romance fans, and certain to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections. It
should be noted that "The Worst Best Man" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $10.99) and as a complete an unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio,
9781094107684, $39.99, CD).
Out of the Embers
Amanda Cabot
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
www.dreamscapeab.com/audiobooks
9780800737801, $29.99, HC, 331pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Ten years after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The
orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground, and only she and
a young orphan girl have escaped.
Convinced this must be related to her parents' murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite
Springs in the Texas Hill Country and finds shelter in the home of Wyatt Clark, a talented horse
rancher whose plans don't include a family of his own.
At first, Evelyn is a distraction. But when it becomes clear that trouble has followed her to
Mesquite Springs, she becomes a full-blown disruption. Can Wyatt keep her safe from the man
who wants her dead? And will his own plans become collateral damage?
Critique: With a special blending of mystery and romance, "Out of the Embers" by novelist
Amanda Cabot is an extraordinarily entertaining read that is embedded with many an unexpected
twist and turn. While certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community
library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Out of the Embers" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9780800735357, $15.99), in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media,
9781690585244, $22.99, CD).
A Happy Catastrophe
Maddie Dawson
Lake Union Publishing
9781542006460, $14.95, PB, 381pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Marnie MacGraw and Patrick Delaney have been in love for a few years now, enough
to realize that they are imperfectly perfect together. Still, there are some things that maybe need a
little attention. Marnie's ebullient; he's brooding. She thrives on change; he prefers stability. She
sees marriage and parenthood in their future, but he can't see beyond the shadow of an earlier
tragedy.
Then an eight-year-old surprise from Patrick's past shows up on their doorstep, cartwheeling into
their lives and spinning things in all directions. While it's not exactly the change she envisioned,
it looks like instant family to Marnie. But Patrick, afraid of being hurt again, retreats further into
himself. Suddenly, two very different pieces of a beautiful puzzle find it harder and harder to
fit.
How can Marnie trust in the magic of the universe when it seems to be doing its best to knock
her off her feet? But some love stories are worth waiting for. And what's love without a little
chaos anyway?
Critique: An inherently engaging and entertaining novel from cover to cover, "A Happy
Catastrophe" by Maddie Dawson will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition
to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "A Happy Catastrophe" is readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$4.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781799747628, $14.99,
CD).
Duke In Danger
Fenella J. Miller
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444843972, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 328pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Lady Helena Faulkner agrees to marry only if her indulgent parents can find a
gentleman who fits her exacting requirements. Wild and unconventional, she has no desire for
romance, but wants a friend who will let her live as she pleases. Lord Christopher Drake, known
to Helena as Kit, her brother's best friend, needs a rich wife to support his mother and siblings. It
could be the perfect arrangement. But when malign forces do their best to separate them, can
Helena and Kit overcome the disasters and find true happiness?
Critique: Fenella J. Miller is a master of the historical romance genre and her latest novel, "Duke
in Danger" is an expertly crated and extraordinarily entertaining read from first page to last. This
large print edition of "Duke in Danger" is particularly recommended for the personal reading lists
of all dedicated historical romance fans and community library Romance Fiction collections.
Love's Promise
Jean Robinson
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444843996, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Having worked the cruising circuit a number of years ago, Hannah now steps on board
as a passenger, hoping for a relaxing break from her hectic life as a single parent. It's great to see
some familiar faces and catch up with old friends. What she didn't bargain for was meeting her
ex, and the father of her young son Charlie, on that ship! Then there's the bad-tempered Claudia,
who won't leave him alone... Is Nick still that reckless adventurer, or could love really be lovelier
the second time around?
Critique: A thoroughly 'reader engaging' and exceptionally entertaining romance novel that
showcases author Jean Robinson's impressive knack for originality in her storytelling, this large
print paperback edition of "Love's Promise" is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular
addition to the personal reading lists of all romance fans, as well as community library Romance
Fiction collections.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Lonely Is The Hunter
Dale Graham
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444841404, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When outlaw Caleb Ollinger and his gang stop in the New Mexico town of Carrizozo,
a few drinks and a game of poker suddenly turn into a double killing. The gambler who was
caught cheating matters little, but an innocent boy run down by Ollinger as he rode out of town
was the son of New Mexico's territorial governor. Bounty hunter Chance Newcombe is hired to
bring the killer in, though he hasn't reckoned on competition from an old comrade who's been
promised amnesty for his past crimes if he secures the prize first.
Critique: A classic western novel of revenge, this large print edition of Dale Graham's "Lonely Is
The Hunter" is a fully absorbing read from cover to cover and a 'must' for all dedicated western
action/adventure fans -- and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to any and all
community library Western Fiction collections.
Valeron's Range
Terrell L. Bowers
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444842357, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When Scarlet Valeron, poised to be married in Pueblo, Colorado, she is kidnapped and
her betrothed killed by a ruthless gang of outlaws. A desperate call goes out to the extensive
Valeron family. Brothers, cousins, and hired help unite in an effort to find her and bring her back.
They learn Scarlet is on her way to Brimstone, a bandit stronghold of over a hundred outlaws.
Most would look at the incredible odds and figure Scarlet was lost forever. The Valerons and a
lady Pinkerton agent, however, see it as a matter of honor to get their kin back -- and settle the
score, in blood if necessary!
Critique: Once again veteran western novelist Terrell L. Bowers has written an action packed
western with all manner of unexpected plot twists and turns -- including a surprising showdown
at the end. Simply stated, This large print edition of "Valeron's Range" is very highly
recommended for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Revenge Burns Deep
Ethan Flagg
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444842722, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Army scout Green River Jim Claymaker's journey south is disrupted by a devastating
prairie fire which claims the life of an old friend who has been scouting for a wagon train. The
devious Ira Gemmel has his own reasons for preventing the wagon train from reaching New
Mexico; so when he shoots the son of a Comanche chief, he puts the blame on Claymaker and
the settlers. Claymaker's proficiency and courage are tested to the limit to bring the real
perpetrator to justice and save the pioneers from the avenging Indians.
Critique: With more unexpected plot twists and cliff-hanger turns than a Disney Land roller
coaster ride, "Revenge Burns Deep" by Ethan Flagg is western action/adventure at its very best.
This large print edition from the Linford Western Library collection is especially recommended
for the personal reading lists of all western novel enthusiasts and community library Western
Fiction collections.
The Vigilance Committee War
Bill Sheehy
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444842395, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A gang of vigilantes calling themselves the Vigilance Committee have gone on a
lynching spree of rustlers and possibly non-rustlers who are just men in the wrong place at the
wront time. This group of vigilantes are preventing part of the Indian Territory from becoming a
state, and former Texas Rangers Buck Armstrong and Louie Lewis are being paid by local
businesses and ranchers to bring them in -- when noone knows who they are! Making their job
even more difficult is the fact that most of the area's ranchers don't care, or even approve of the
hangings carried out by the Committee. When the Buck and Louie get too close to Committee
members, Louie himself ends up at the end of a hangman's noose -- and things only get worse
from there!
Critique: Combining a 'whodunnit' style mystery with a rousing western action novel, "The
Vigilance Committee War" is a welcoming and entertaining treat for all dedicated western
action/adventure buffs and will prove to be a cherished addition to any and all community library
large print and/or Western Fiction collections.
Marshal Of The Barren Plains
I. J. Parnham
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444842753, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 232pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When Marshal Rattigan Fletcher failed to stop Jasper Minx raiding the Ash Valley
bank, he and his deputy Callan McBride were forced to leave in disgrace. In the town of
Redemption, the pair are hired to find out why men from the Bleak Point silver mine have been
disappearing - and when they discover that Jasper works there, they don't have to look far for a
culprit. But as the miners side with Jasper, Rattigan will need all his instincts as a lawman if he is
to bring his nemesis to justice.
Critique: Featuring and inherently riveting plot featuring many an unexpected twists and cliff
hanger turns, "Marshal Of The Barren Plains" by I. J. Parnham is a superbly crafted and
unrelentingly entertaining read from beginning to end. This large print edition from the Linford
Western Library is an especially and highly recommended addition to the personal reading lists
of all dedicated western action/adventure fans, as well as an enduringly popular inclusion to
community library Western Fiction collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Rinn's Crossing
Russell Heath
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9781633938861, $19.95, Soft Cover
9781633938885, $27.95, Hard Cover
9781633938878, $7.99, EBOOK
Rinn van Ness, who lives on a remote Alaskan island, commits a minor felony that turns into a
conundrum which changes his life and revolves around a murder accusation. Rinn's Crossing is a
thriller steeped in Alaskan environmental issues, politics, and Native tribal struggles for rights
and survival. As such, it's story of betrayal, broken promises, and Native heritage that holds far
more complexity and social insights than the usual thriller, juxtaposing a murder investigation
and personal struggles with the political and social forces tearing at the fabric of Alaska's
peoples. It's interesting to note that many of the questions about the murder are steeped in this
Native Alaskan cultural overlay. One of its many characters is Dan Wakefield, a Tlingit Native
who carries on the fight of his people for rights they'd been promised a generation ago. Rinn now
suspects that Dan's fight has led him to murder. Another fighter is Kit Olinsky, who combats
state legislation in a desperate attempt to preserve the Alaska she loves. As she wades through
complex political and legal battles, readers receive a healthy dose of insight into the perspectives
and objectives of many different sides. They come to realize that the men and women of Alaska
are on the frontline of the environmental war between development and preservation and that the
forces at play are often beyond their control. Kit's powerful encounters illustrate that women are
as passionate about their homes as their male counterparts. In many ways, Kit is as rugged and
gritty a survivalist as the male characters, defying the traditional view of Alaska as being largely
a man's world. If the story line seems unexpectedly complex with this kind of background, that's
only because Alaska itself is a multifaceted melting pot of often-disparate cultures operating at
cross-purposes with one another. Depicting these conflicts and belief systems takes time and an
attention to detail not usually seen in the thriller genre. However, the time readers take to absorb
this background results in many rewards and insights beyond the murder mystery and political
battles depicted in Rinn's Crossing. The philosophical reflections injected into the action are just
as astute and revealing as Russell Heath's attention to political and social description. Combine
such insights with fast-paced action and intrigue for a thriller that educates on many unexpected
levels and remains vivid and engrossing up to its heartfelt conclusion. Thriller readers and
anyone interested in Native American issues in general and Alaskan Native struggles in particular
will find Rinn's Crossing thoroughly absorbing and hard to put down.
A Shadowed Fate
Marty Ambrose
Severn House
110 East 59th Street, 22th Fl., New York, NY 10022
www.severnhouse.com
9780727889928, $28.99, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Claire Clairmont is the last survivor of the 'haunted summer of 1816' of the
Byron/Shelley circle. Claire is now reeling from the series of events triggered by the arrival of
Michael Rosetti two weeks before, which culminated in a brutal murder and a shocking
revelation from her old friend, Edward Trewlany.
Stunned by her betrayal at the hands of those closest to her, Claire determines to travel to the
convent at Bagnacavallo near Ravenna to learn the true fate of Allegra, her daughter by Lord
Byron. But the valuable Cades sketch given to her by Rosetti is stolen, and Claire soon finds
herself shadowed at every turn and in increasing danger as she embarks on her quest. Is the theft
linked to Allegra, and can Claire uncover what really happened in Ravenna so many years
ago?
Critique: Set in 1873, Florence, "A Shadowed Fate" is a superbly crafted historical mystery by an
author with an impressive flair for the kind of narrative storytelling that will hold the reader
simply riveted from first page to last. While especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library Historical Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "A Shadowed Fate" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Ishmael Covenant
Terry Brennan
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825445309, $15.99, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: His marriage in tatters and his career ruined by lies, Diplomatic Security Service agent
Brian Mullaney is at the end of his rope. Banished to Israel as punishment by his agency, he's
assigned to guard a US ambassador and an insignificant box. Little does he know that this new
job will propel him straight into a crisis of global proportions.
Inside the box is a messianic prophecy about the fate of the world. And a dark enemy known as
The Turk and the forces of evil at his command are determined to destroy the box, the prophecy,
and the Middle East as we know it. When Ambassador Cleveland gets in the way, his life and his
daughter's life are threatened -- and Mullaney must act fast!
Now agents of three ancient empires have launched covert operations to secure nuclear weapons,
in direct defiance of the startling peace treaty Israel and its Arab neighbors have signed. And a
traitor in the US State Department is leaking critical information to a foreign power. It's up to
Mullaney (still struggling with his own broken future) to protect the embassy staff, thwart the
clandestine conspiracies, and unmask a traitor -- all before the desert is turned into a radioactive
wasteland.
Critique: A simply riveting action/adventure suspense thriller of a novel by an author with an
impressive flair for originality and the kind of deftly scripted narrative storytelling style that
holds the reader's riveting attention from beginning to end, "Ishmael Covenant" by Terry Brennan
is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Contemporary
General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Ishmael Covenant"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
A Cross to Kill
Andrew Huff
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825422744, $15.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: John Cross is a small-town pastor, bent on leading his flock to follow God's calling.
He's not the sort of man one would expect to have a checkered past. But the truth is that the man
behind the pulpit preaching to his sheep was once a wolf -- an assassin for the CIA. When John
decided to follow Christ, he put that work behind him, determined to do penance for all the lives
he took. He vowed never to kill again.
Now someone wants the peaceful pastor to pay for his sins with his own life. And when a
terrorist out for revenge walks into the church, John's secrets are laid bare. Confronted with his
past, he must face his demons and discover whether a man can truly change. Can he keep his vow
-- even when the people he loves are in mortal danger? Will his congregation and the brave
woman he's learning to care for be caught in the cross fire? In the end, John's life may be the only
sacrifice he has left to offer. . .
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "A Cross to Kill" is author Andrew
Huff's debut as a novelist. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to
community library Mystery/Suspense collections, "A Cross to Kill" is both a simply riveting
story of suspense and the moral quandaries facing anyone choosing to follow the path of peace in
a violent and hostile world. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Cross to Kill" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Turn To Stone
James W. Ziskin
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633885523, $15.99, PB, 344pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Florence, Italy, August 1963. In Italy to accept a posthumous award for her late father's
academic work, "girl reporter" Ellie Stone is invited to spend a weekend outside Florence with
some of the scholars attending the symposium. A suspected rubella outbreak leaves the ten
friends quarantined in the bucolic setting with little to do but tell stories to entertain
themselves.
Deciding to make the best of their confinement, the men and women spin tales, gorge themselves
on fine Tuscan food and wine, and enjoy the delicious fruit of transient love. But the summer
bacchanalia takes a menacing turn when the man who organized the symposium is fished out of
the Arno. "Morto." As long-buried secrets rise to the surface, Ellie must figure out if one or more
of her newfound friends is capable of murder.
Critique: A classic 'whodunnit' style novel of mystery and suspense, "Turn To Stone" by James
W. Ziskin is another deftly crafted and impressively entertaining story from first page to last.
While very highly recommended to community library collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "Turn To Stone" is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
A Forgotten Murder
Jude Deveraux
Mira Books
195 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10007
www.mirabooks.com
9780778309895, $26.99, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux has crafted another irresistible case
in her bestselling Medlar Mystery series.
After solving two murder cases in their hometown of Lachlan, Florida, Sara Medlar, her niece
Kate and their friend Jack need a change of scenery. Sara arranges for them to visit an old friend
of hers in England. Upon arrival at Oxley Manor, a centuries-old estate that has been converted
to a luxury hotel, Kate and Jack quickly realize that Sara is up to something. They learn that Sara
has also invited a number of others to join them at Oxley.
When everyone assembles, Sara lets them know why they are there. Decades earlier, two people
ran off together from Oxley and haven't been heard from since -- and Sara wants to solve the
case. As the people who were there the night the two went missing, the guests find themselves
cast in a live mystery-theater event.
In reenacting the events of that night, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide and
no one is safe, especially when the discovery of a body makes it clear that at least one of the
people who disappeared was murdered.
Sara, Jack and Kate are once again at the heart of a mysterious case that only they are able to
solve. But someone is willing to continue to kill to keep the truth about Oxley Manor buried, and
none of the guests are safe.
Critique: A literary master of the mystery genre, "A Forgotten Murder" continues to showcase
author Jude Deveraux's genuine flair as a novelist for originality and reader engaging plot twists
and turns. While certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library
Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
Deveraux's legions of fans that "A Forgotten Murder" is also readily available in a paperback
edition (9780778360902, $8.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Recorded Books, 9781980057772, $39.99, CD)
A View to a Kilt
Kaitlyn Dunnett
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496712653, $26.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Liss has suddenly found herself in charge of the March Madness Mud Season Sale, a
town-wide celebration created to boost the local economy during the slushy weeks of early
spring. With businesses ailing after a rough winter, the pressure is on to make this year's effort
the can't-miss-event of the season. But before Liss can get her hands dirty, her husband makes a
horrifying discovery. There's a dead man on their property, and he didn't die of natural causes . .
.
Stunned by the murder mystery developing in her own backyard, Liss receives another shock.
The victim is identified as Charlie MacCrimmon, an uncle believed to have died eleven years
before Liss was born. No one has seen or heard from Charlie since he went off to fight in
Vietnam. What secrets could he have been hiding for so many years, and who would want to kill
a man long thought to be dead?
Enlisting the help of her family, Liss uncovers more questions than answers as she delves into
her uncle's murky past. One thing is clear -- before he met his end, Uncle Charlie was desperately
trying to warn her about something sinister. And unless Liss can soon track down a maniacal
criminal as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster, she just might be the next MacCrimmon to
disappear!
Critique: An expertly crafted and wonderfully entertaining 'whodunnit' mystery from an author
with an impressive and effective narrative storytelling style, "A View To A Kilt" by novelist
Kaitlyn Dunnett will prove to be an extraordinarily popular addition to community library
Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
all dedicated mystery buffs that "A View To A Kilt" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $12.99).
The Jerusalem Assassin
Joel C. Rosenberg
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496437846, $27.99, HC, 464pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Marcus Ryker has spent his entire career studying killers. One thing he knows for sure:
a peace summit is the ultimate stage for an assassination.
President Andrew Clarke is determined to announce his historic peace plan from the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem. But when senior American officials who support the plan begin violently
dying, Clarke orders Ryker and his team of CIA operatives to hunt down those responsible and
bring the killing spree to an end.
When the Palestinians denounce the American plan, the Saudis signal they may be ready to forge
a historic treaty with Israel. Could the Saudi king's support be the missing ingredient that will
lead to peace at long last?
Ryker soon uncovers a chilling plot to kill the American president. A well resourced international
alliance is dead set against the peace plan. They will stop at nothing to strike a blow against the
Americans and seize leadership of the Muslim world.
With all eyes on Jerusalem and the president in the crosshairs, it's up to Ryker to eliminate the
terrible evil that's been set in motion. The fate of the region depends on his success. He has 48
hours.
Critique: A superbly crafted suspense thriller of a novel by an author with a total mastery of the
genre and the kind of narrative storytelling style that will rivet the reader's total attention from
cover to cover, "The Jerusalem Assassin" by Joel C. Rosenberg is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated suspense/thriller fans
that "The Jerusalem Assassin" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99)
and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781978623460, $24.99,
CD).
Bells of Hell
Michael Kurland
Severn House
110 East 59th Street, 22th Floor, New York, NY 10022
www.severnhouse.com
9780727889690, $28.99, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Bells of Hell" is set in March, 1938. It's the story of Otto Lehman who arrives in New
York on the S.S. Osthafen only to be immediately confronted by two men with FBI badges. Only,
that isn't his real name and the men aren't with the FBI! The next day Lehman is found tied to a
chair, beaten to death and naked, in an abandoned Brooklyn warehouse.
The sole witness to the crime, Andrew Blake, a homeless man struggling through the Great
Depression, claims those responsible were speaking German. With the threat of the perpetrators
being Nazis, President Roosevelt's own covert counter-intelligence agent Jacob Welker is
brought in to investigate.
Welker recruits Blake along with Lord Geoffrey Saboy, a British 'cultural attache', and his wife
Lady Patricia, to help him to thwart a Nazi terrorist attack. But who exactly are the Nazis, what is
their target and when will they strike?
Critique: An inherently riveting and deftly crafted political suspense/thriller of a novel by a
master of the genre, "The Bells Of Hell" by Michael Kurland is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "The Bells Of
Hell" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Budapest Escape
Bill Rapp
Epicenter Press
c/o Coffeetown Press
6524 NE 181st Street, Suite #2, Kenmore, WA 98028
www.camelpress.com
9781941890721, $15.95, PB, 244pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: CIA officer Karl Baier has been running a highly-placed source in the Communist
Party and Hungarian government from his post in Vienna for over a year. When he receives a
warning that is source is in danger, Baier knows he will have to return to Budapest to find and
rescue his agent if he is even alive. Despite resistance from CIA Headquarters in Washington,
Baier and a colleague will have to locate the Hungarian agent, overcome his reluctance and
skepticism, dodge Soviet tanks, evade Red Army patrols, escape from KGB prisons, and disobey
orders from Washington as they search for a way to freedom. Along the way he will discover
support and betrayal where he least expected it.
Critique: An inherently riveting political spy thriller of a Cold War era novel by Bill Rapp,
"Budapest Escape" has more unexpected plot twists and turns that a Coney Island roller coaster.
"Budapest Escape" is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal
reading lists and community library Suspense/Thriller collections.
The Familiar Dark
Amy Engel
Dutton
c/o Penguin Group USA
https://www.penguin.com
9781524745950, $26.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Set in the poorest part of the Missouri Ozarks, in a small town with big secrets, The
Familiar Dark opens with a murder. Eve Taggert, desperate with grief over losing her daughter,
takes it upon herself to find out the truth about what happened.
Eve is no stranger to the dark side of life, having been raised by a hard-edged mother whose
lessons Eve tried not to pass on to her own daughter. But Eve may need her mother's cruel brand
of strength if she's going to face the reality about her daughter's death and about her own true
nature. Her quest for justice takes her from the seedy underbelly of town to the quiet woods and,
most frighteningly, back to her mother's trailer for a final lesson.
Critique: A superbly crafted dystopian noir novel of 'women doing the best they can for their
daughters in dire circumstances', "The Familiar Dark" showcases author Amy Engel's very
special and thoroughly reader engaging narrative storytelling style. While very highly
recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of suspense/thriller fans that "The Familiar Dark" is also readily available in digital book format
(Kindle, $13.99). Librarians should be aware that there is also a large print paperback edition
(Random House Large Print, 9780593171851, $28.00, 460pp) of "The Familiar Dark" as
well.
Hid from Our Eyes
Julia Spencer-Fleming
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9780312606855, $27.99, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Readers have waited years for this newest book and Julia Spencer-Fleming delivers
with the exquisite skill and craftsmanship that have made her such a success.
In 1952, the Millers Kill Police Chief, Harry McNeil, is called to a crime scene where a woman
in a party dress has been murdered with no obvious cause of death.
Then in 1972 the Millers Kill Police Chief, Jack Liddle, is called to a murder scene of a woman
that's very similar to one he worked as a trooper in the 50s. The only difference is this time, they
have a suspect. Young Vietnam War veteran Russ van Alstyne found the body while riding his
motorcycle and is quickly pegged as the prime focus of the investigation.
Now the present-day Millers Kill Police Chief, Russ van Alstyne, gets a 911 call that a young
woman has been found dead in a party dress, the same MO as the crime he was accused of in the
70s. The pressure is on for Russ to solve the murder before he's removed from the case.
Russ will enlist the help of his police squad and Reverend Clare Fergusson, who is already
juggling the tasks of being a new mother to her and Russ's baby and running St. Alban's Church,
to finally solve these crimes.
Critique: "Hid from Our Eyes" is the latest addition to author Julia Spender-Flaming's
outstanding 'Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne' mystery series. This is mystery writing at its
very best by a novelist with a complete mastery of the genre. While unreservedly recommended
for all community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs in general, and the legions of Julie Spencer-Fleming
fans in particular, that "Hid from Our Eyes" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Macmillan Audio,
9781250261151, $54.99, CD).
Gone with the Whisker
Laurie Cass
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
9780593100134, $7.99, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It's the summer season in Chilson, Michigan, and the town is packed with tourists
ready for a fabulous Fourth of July fireworks show. Minnie Hamilton and her rescue cat, Eddie,
have spent a busy day on the bookmobile, delivering good cheer and great reads to even the
library's most far-flung patrons. But Minnie is still up for the nighttime festivities, eager to show
off her little town to her visiting niece, Katrina.
But then, during the grand finale of the fireworks display, Katrina discovers a body. Minnie
recognizes the victim as one of the bookmobile's most loyal patrons. And she knows she (and
Eddie) will have to get to the bottom of this purr-fect crime!
Critique: The perfect mystery for cat lovers and 'whodunnit' fans alike, "Gone with the Whisker"
showcases the distinctive storytelling style of author Laurie Cass -- and her impressive originality
as a novelist. While very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery
buffs and community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted that "Gone with
the Whisker" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99). Librarians should
be aware that there is a large print edition of "Gone with the Whisker" (Center Point Publishing,
9781643586069, $36.95, HC, Large Print, Library Binding, 500pp).
Spitfire
M. L. Huie
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781643852454, $26.99, HC, 312pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It's 1946 in London. World War II has been over for a year, and former spy Livy Nash
is celebrating with her third drink before noon. She went to war to kill Nazis. Dropped behind
enemy lines as a courier, she quickly became one of the toughest agents in France. But her war
ended with betrayal and the execution of the man she loved. Now, Livy spends her days
proofreading a demeaning advice column for little ladies at home, and her nights alone with
black market vodka.
But everything changes when she meets the infamous Ian Fleming. The man who will create the
world's most sophisticated fictional secret agent has an agenda of his own and sends Livy back to
France with one task: track down the traitor who killed the only man she ever loved. Livy jumps
at the chance, heading back to Paris undercover as a journalist. But the City of Lights is teeming
with spies, and Livy quickly learns just how much the game has changed. With enemies on every
corner and ever-shifting alliances, she'll have to learn to fight a new war if she wants to conquer
the past once and for all.
Critique: A superbly crafted Livy Nash mystery by M. L. Huie, "Spirtfire" is a riveting great read
that is peppered throughout with unexpected twists and hazardous turns. While certain to be an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs in general and M. L.
Huie fans in particular that "Spitfire" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Hour of the Assassin
Matthew Quirk
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway New York, New York 10007
www.harpercollins.com
9780062875495, $27.99, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As a Secret Service agent, Nick Averose spent a decade protecting the most powerful
men and women in America and developed a unique gift: the ability to think like an assassin.
Now, he uses that skill in a little-known but crucial job. As a "red teamer," he poses as a threat,
testing the security around our highest officials to find vulnerabilities -- before our enemies can.
He is a mock killer, capable of slipping past even the best defenses.
His latest assignment is to assess the security surrounding the former CIA director at his DC area
home. But soon after he breaches the man's study, the home's inner sanctum, Nick finds himself
entangled in a vicious crime that will shake Washington to its foundations -- as all the evidence
points to Nick.
Nick knows he's the perfect scapegoat. But who is framing him, and why? To clear his name, he
must find the truth in a search that leads to a dark conspiracy whose roots stretch back decades.
The prize is the most powerful position in the world: the Oval Office.
To save himself and the people he loves, Nick must stop the men who rule Washington before
they bury him along with their secrets!
Critique: A pitch-perfect and high-octane conspiracy action-adventure novel by an author with an
impressive flair for original and narrative driven storytelling, "Hour of the Assassin" is a
compelling read from start to finish -- and will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular
addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hour
of the Assassin" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781094117980, $39.99, CD), and in a
HarperLuxe Large Print edition (9780062978929, $29.99, PB, 448pp).
Diver's Paradise
Davin Goodwin
Oceanview Publishing
1620 Main Street, Suite 11, Sarasota, FL 34236
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608093830, $26.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: After 25 years on the job, Detective Roscoe Conklin trades his badge for a pair of
shorts and sandals and moves to Bonaire, a small island nestled in the southern Caribbean. But
the warm water, palm trees, and sunsets are derailed when his long-time police-buddy and friend
back home, is murdered.
Conklin dusts off a few markers and calls his old department, trolling for information. It's slow
going. No surprise, there. After all, it's an active investigation, and his compadres back home
aren't saying a damn thing.
He's 2,000 miles away, living in paradise. Does he really think he can help? They suggest he go
to the beach and catch some rays. For Conklin, it's not that simple. Outside looking in? Not him.
Never has been. Never will be.
When a suspicious mishap lands his significant other, Arabella, in the hospital, the island police
conduct, at best, a sluggish investigation, stonewalling progress. Conklin questions the evidence
and challenges the department's methods. Something isn't right.
Arabella wasn't the intended target -- he was!
Critique: A deftly crafted and pitch-perfect mystery novel by a master of the genre, "Diver's
Paradise" by Davin Goodwin will be an immediate and extraordinarily popular addition to
community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Diver's Paradise" is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.49).
Dead on the Vine
Elle Brooke White
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
www.dreamscapeab.com/audiobooks
9781643852966, $26.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Charlotte Finn never wanted to inherit the family's produce farm--much less plow a
heap of money into it. Her plan is to hammer a great big FOR SALE sign into the farm's fallow
furrows -- but Charlotte's sunny hopes of a quick sale succumb to a killing frost when she finds a
dead body entwined supine in the tomato vines. The poor man, it seems, was run through with a
pitchfork!
Now, Charlotte is stuck with running the farm in the midst of a murder investigation. Charlotte's
knowledge of farming is smaller than her bank balance, so she relies on caretakers Joe and Alice
Wong and their farmhands. Can she trust them? She doesn't know them. There's also farmer
Samuel Brown, who still carries a childhood grudge. But the case gets personal when Charlotte
learns that the victim might have been her own kin -- and seeds of suspicion grow into a fertile
field of suspects.
Charlotte turns to the farm's pig to help root out the killer. Soon, the goats, geese, and horse join
in, but will Charlotte harvest a murderer -- or buy the farm?
Critique: A deftly crafted and simply pitch-perfect mystery novel by an author with an
impressively effective and narrative driving storytelling style, "Dead On the Vine" by Elle
Brooke White is an impressively entertaining and very highly recommended addition to
community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of all mystery buffs that "Dead On The Vine" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape
Media, 9781690599173, $22.99, CD).
Death on the Page
Essie Lang
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
www.dreamscapeab.com/audiobooks
9781643852942, $26.99, HC, 330pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: There are a thousand stories arising from New York's scenic Thousand Islands, and
when they are published, Bayside Books co-owner Shelby Cox tries to stock them all. But lately,
the Blye Island bookseller's life is more about investigation than inventory. True-crime writer
Savannah Page caps off two successful signings at Bayside Books with a night in Blye Castle.
She's there to research Joe Cabana, a colorful Prohibition-era mobster who owned the castle --
until he was found dead in the island Grotto.
But crime becomes all too true for Savannah. Her body turns up the next morning, in a secret
passage at the bottom of the stairs. The last thing Shelby Cox wants is to sleuth another murder,
but she's intrigued about how a killer could have reached the island after hours. She's not at a
lack for suspects either. It could have been anyone from Savannah's fiance, Liam Kennelly, who
argued with her the evening before, to island caretaker Matthew Kessler, recently cleared of his
wife's murder. Can Shelby keep regular store hours, elude the police chief, and assemble the
clues into a hard-bound case without getting permanently shelved?
Critique: Another exquisitely crafted murder mystery by an author with a genuine flair for the
genre, "Death on the Page" is the newest edition to novelist Essie Lang's 'A Castle Bookshop
Mystery' series. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to any and all
community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of all dedicated mystery buffs that "Death on the Page" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media,
9781690590972, $19.99, CD).
Restless Coffins
M. P. Wright
Isis Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785418235, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 452pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Bristol, 1967: JT Ellington, ex-cop and reluctant private eye, is still trading in favours,
helping those scared of the police or trying to stay one step ahead of the law. But when news
arrives of a tragedy that's unfolded thousands of miles away, life gets even tougher. He needs to
journey home to Barbados to pay his final respects - but first he must travel to New York, where
his cousin Vic is boss of a criminal empire. There, JT discovers a web of violence that stretches
to Barbados and back, and connects him to the deaths of his own beloved wife and daughter.
Embroiled in a world of drugs, corruption, voodoo and the legacy of slavery, can JT escape the
demons of his past as he returns to the island of his birth?
Critique: Showcasing author M. P. Wright's impressive and narrative storytelling skills, this large
print edition of "Restless Coffins" is a deftly crafted mystery lover's delight and an unreservedly
recommended addition to both the personal reading lists of dedicated suspense/thriller fans and
community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
The K Team
David Rosenfelt
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250257192, $27.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Corey Douglas and his K-9 partner, Simon Garfunkel, have recently retired from the
police force. Not ready to give up the life yet, they come up with a proposal for fellow former
cop, Laurie Carpenter, and her investigating partner, Marcus. Laurie and Marcus (who help out
Laurie's lawyer husband Andy on cases) have been chafing to jump back into investigating on
their own, so they are in.
They call themselves the K Team, in honor of Simon. Their first job as private investigators
comes to them from Judge Henry Henderson, who's known as a very tough but fair judge, and
they've all come up against him in court at one time or another. Though it's hard to believe, Judge
Henderson is being blackmailed and extorted, and he doesn't want to involve the police -- he
needs the K Team to figure out why.
Critique: David Rosenfelt is a master of the mystery/suspense genre and with "The K Team" he
has launched a new and inherently entertaining series. While enthusiastically and unreservedly
recommended for community library collections where it will prove to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to their collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of all dedicated mystery buffs and the growing legion of David Rosenfelt fans that "The K Team"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Macmillan Audio, 9781250260819, $29.99, CD).
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Castaway Resolution
Ryk E. Spoor
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
www.baen.com
9781982124410, $25.00, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The Kimei family and the second group of castaways, led by Sergeant Campbell, had
finally joined forces after both had been forced to land on the bizarre planet Lincoln, whose
"continents" were huge floating coral colonies, inhabited by even stranger lifeforms. They had
survived crash-landings and venom-filled bites and disease, their own despair, and even the
destruction (and consumption!) of one of their floating islands, and had learned to live, even
prosper, in their strange new home.
Far away, Lieutenant Susan Fisher slowly pieces together the mystery of what happened to the
starship Outward Initiative and begins to believe that, just possibly, some of the survivors might
have escaped to a mysteriously unsuspected star system.
But even her preparations and the resourcefulness of the castaways may not be enough -- for
Lincoln has far worse in store!
Critique: Another superbly crafted science fiction novel by an author with a very special flair for
originality and the kind of narrative storytelling style that holds the reader's rapt attention from
beginning to end, "Castaway Resolution" by Ryk E. Spoor will prove to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated SciFi fans that "Castaway
Resolution" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Glass Magician
Caroline Stevermer
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
120 Broadway, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10271
www.tor-forge.com
9780765335043, $26.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In 1905 New York City the Vanderbilts, the Astors, and the Morgans are the cream of
society -- and collectively they pretty much own the nation on the cusp of a new century.
Thalia Cutler doesn't have any of those family connections. What she does know is stage magic
and she dazzles audiences with an act that takes your breath away. That is, until one night when a
trick goes horribly awry. In surviving she discovers that she can shapeshift, and has the potential
to take her place among the rich and powerful.
But first, she'll have to learn to control that power -- before the real monsters descend to
feast!
Critique: A superbly crafted and thoroughly entertaining fantasy with many an unexpected plot
twist and turn, "The Glass Magician" showcases author Caroline Stevermer's remarkable
originality and storytelling skills as a novelist able to blend magic and romance. While very
highly recommended, especially for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Glass Magician" is readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Ray Milland: The Films 1929-1984
James McKay
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476678870, $49.95, PB, 337pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With no formal training as an actor, Welsh-born Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald
Jones; 3 January 1907 - 10 March 1986), was a former trooper in the British Army's Household
Cavalry, and enjoyed a half-century career working alongside some of the great directors and
stars from the Golden Age of cinema.
He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as the alcoholic writer in The
Lost Weekend (1945), a defining moment that enabled him to break free from romantic leads and
explore darker shades of his debonair demeanor, such as the veiled menace of his scheming
husband in Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder (1954).
A consummate professional with wide range, Milland took the directorial reins in several of his
starring vehicles in the 1950s, most notably in the intelligent Western film A Man Alone (1955).
He comfortably slipped into most genres, from romantic comedy to adventure to film noir. Later
he turned to science fiction and horror movies, including two with cult filmmaker Roger
Corman.
Critique: Compiled and edited by film buff James McKay, "Ray Milland: The Films 1929-1984"
is first complete filmography covers the actor's screen career, and features a concise introductory
biography, as well as an appendix listing his extensive radio and television credits -- making it an
especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library
Cinematic History collections in general, and Ray Milland supplemental studies reading lists in
particular.
Cinematography for Directors
Jacqueline B. Frost
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932740, $35.95, PB, 300pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Through interviews with current ASC cinematographers, and a balance between technical, aesthetic, and historical content, "Cinematography for Directors: A Guide for Creative
Collaboration" by Jacqueline Frost guides the director into a powerful collaboration with their
closest on-set ally. Topics include selecting a cinematographer, collectively discussing the script,
choosing an appropriate visual style for a film, color palette, film and digital formats, lenses,
camera movement, genres, and postproduction processes - including the digital intermediate (DI).
Interwoven are quotes from working ASC cinematographers.
Critique: Impressively informed and informative, expertly written, organized and presented,
"Cinematography for Directors: A Guide for Creative Collaboration" is ideal as a DIY
cinematography curriculum textbook and instructional reference resource. Essential reading for
anyone seeking to create a work of film regardless of the technology or format to be utilized,
"Cinematography for Directors: A Guide for Creative Collaboration" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library
Theatre/Cinema/TV collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Jacqueline Frost has been teaching the language of motion pictures (production,
history, and cinematography) for thirty years at various universities. Currently a full professor at
California State University, Fullerton, she is also an Adjunct Professor at Farleigh Dickinson
University in Madison, NJ. She has taught Cinematography for Directors at the UCLA extension
program, and for three lucky summers taught documentary production in Florence, Italy, as part
of the CSUF study-abroad program. Additionally, Jacqueline has been the cinematographer or
producer on numerous short films, independent features, and documentaries that have screened at
festivals around the world. She is a partner and freelance cinematographer at Corazon
Pictures.
The Military Shelf
Designing the T-34
Peter Samsonov
Gallantry Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
c/o Casemate
www.casematepublishers.com
9781911658306, $19.99, PB, 90pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When the German army launched Operation Barbarossa (the invasion of the Soviet
Union) on June 22, 1941, it was expecting to face and easily defeat Russia's outdated and
obsolete tanks -- and for the most part it did. But it also received a nasty shock when it came up
against the T-34.
With its powerful gun and sloped armour, the T-34 was more than a match for the best German
tanks at that time and the Germans regarded it with awe. German Field Marshal von Kleist, who
commanded the latter stages of Barbarossa, called it 'the finest tank in the world'. Using original
wartime documents in "Designing the T-34: Genesis of the Revolutionary Soviet Tank" author
and military historian Peter Samsonov, (who is the creator of the Tank Archives blog at
https://www.tankarchives.ca/) expertly explains how the Soviets came to develop what was
arguably the war's most revolutionary tank design.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout, "Designing the T-34: Genesis of the Revolutionary
Soviet Tank" is impressively and comprehensively informative -- making it an ideal and
unreservedly recommended addition to the personal reading lists of dedicated military buffs, as
well as to community and academic library World War II military history and armaments
collections and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists.
Infantry Small Arms of the 21st Century
Leigh Nevill
Pen & Sword Books
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
9781473896130, $42.95, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Soldiers in today's modern armies have access to ever more advanced infantry
weapons; lighter, more compact and more accurate than anything seen in the last century. These
new battlefield weapons include combat pistols, personal assault rifles, submachine guns, sniper
rifles, shotguns, light machine guns and squad automatic weapons.
"Infantry Small Arms of the 21st Century: Guns of the World's Armies" by Leigh Nevill features
all these weapons and more in exhaustive detail. "Infantry Small Arms of the 21st Century"
features information drawn from the operational combat experience of the users in war zones
such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. As well as assessing and comparing the potency of
different nations weapon systems, "Infantry Small Arms of the 21st Century" also looks to the
future demands of the infantry man.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout, "Infantry Small Arms of the 21st Century: Guns of the
World's Armies" is an extraordinarily detailed and impressively informative study that is an
especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library
Contemporary Military History & Armaments collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and dedicated
military buffs that "Infantry Small Arms of the 21st Century: Guns of the World's Armies" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Leigh Nevill is an Australian national who has written over a dozen titles on
modern special operations forces, small arms, sniping, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He
has also professionally consulted on military topics for several wargame companies and
television documentary makers. He maintains an informative website at
www.leighneville.com
When The Tempest Gathers
Andrew Milburn
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526750556, $32.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "When the Tempest Gathers: From Mogadishu to the Fight Against ISIS, a Marine
Special Operations Commander at War" is an account of the combat experiences of the first
Marine to command a special operations task force, recounted against a backdrop of his journey
from raw Second Lieutenant to seasoned Colonel and Task Force Commander; from leading
Marines through the streets of Mogadishu, Baghdad, Fallujah and Mosul to directing
multi-national special operations forces in a dauntingly complex fight against a formidable
foe.
The journey culminates in the story's centerpiece: the fight against ISIS, in which the author is
able to use the lessons of his harsh apprenticeship to lead the SOF task force under his command
to hasten the Caliphate's eventual demise.
Milburn has an unusual background for a US Marine, and this is no ordinary war memoir. Very
few personal accounts of war cover such a wide breadth of experience, or with so discerning a
perspective. As Bing West comments: "His exceptional skill is telling each story of battle and
then knitting them into a coherent whole. By the end of the book, the reader understands what
happened on the ground in the wars against terrorists over the past twenty years."
Milburn tells his extraordinary story with self-effacing candor, describing openly his personal
struggles with the isolation of command, post-combat trauma and family tragedy. And with the
skill and insight of a natural story teller, he makes the reader experience what it's like to lead
those who fight America's wars.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "When the Tempest Gathers:
From Mogadishu to the Fight Against ISIS, a Marine Special Operations Commander at War" is
a unique and especially recommended addition to the personal reading lists of all dedicated
military history buffs and a core addition to community, college, and university library American
Military History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Col. Andrew Milburn was born in Hong Kong and grew up in the United
Kingdom where he attended St Paul's School and University College London. After graduating
from law school, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps as a private. He was commissioned from
the ranks, and as a Marine infantry and special operations officer, has commanded in combat at
every grade. As the commanding officer of the Marine Corps' special operations regiment, he
was selected to lead a multi-national task force given the mission of defeating ISIS in Iraq. He
retired in 2019 as the Chief of Staff of Special Operations Command, Central (SOCCENT), the
headquarters responsible for the conduct of all US special operations throughout the Middle East.
He and his wife Jessica live in Tampa, Florida with their two children and a coterie of rescued
dogs.
Mortar Gunner on the Eastern Front: Volume II
Hans Heinz Rehfeldt
Greenhill Books
Pen & Sword Books
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
c/o Casemate
www.casematepublishers.com
9781784383657, $32.95, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Returning to his old unit, the grenade launcher, in May 1944, Hans Heinz Rehfeldt
experienced the heavy defensive battles in Romania as a German army platoon commander and
from August 1944 in East Prussia and Lithuania. After being transferred by ship from Memel to
K"nigsberg in late 1944, he took part in the battles for Ostprussen in the winter of
1944/1945.
Constantly exposed to the attacks of Russian bombers and fighter planes and severely wounded
by shrapnel on the leg, he manages, with the help of a Russian volunteer and a horse-drawn
vehicle from Balga to Rosenberg, from there by ship transport via Pillau to Swinoujscie and by
train to Schwerin.
Fleeing the impending Russian imprisonment to the west, he falls into American captivity on 3
May 1945 and is released in July 1945 in the home.
Critique: "Mortar Gunner on the Eastern Front: Russia, Hungary, Lithuania, and the Battle for
East Prussia" is the second volume of Hans Heinz Rehfeldt's World War II military memoirs.
Ably translated into English by Geoffrey Brooks and featuring an informative Foreword by
Gilberto Villahemosa and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
World War II History & Biography collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
all dedicated military buffs that it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Also
very highly recommended is "Mortar Gunner on the Eastern Front: The Memoir of Dr Hans
Rehfeldt. Volume 1: From the Moscow Winter Offensive to Operation Zitadelle"
(9781784383619, $32.95 HC, $15.82 Kindle, 352pp).
Editorial Note: Dr Hans Heinz Rehfeldt was born on 21 April 1923 in Hagen/Westphalia. He left
for the Front on 27 October 1941, at which point his story begins. He went on to receive several
awards for valor in the face of extreme adversity. He went on to become a veterinarian following
his studies of veterinary medicine. He died in 2017.
Special Forces Berlin
James Stejskal
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612004440, $32.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Highly classified until only recently, two U.S. Army Special Forces detachments were
stationed far behind the Iron Curtain in West Berlin during the Cold War. The units' existence
and missions were protected by cover stories, their operations were secret.
The massive armies of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies posed a huge threat to the
nations of Western Europe. US military planners decided they needed a plan to slow the
juggernaut they expected when and if a war began. The plan was Special Forces Berlin. The first
40 men who came to Berlin in mid-1956 were soon reinforced by 60 more and these 100 soldiers
(and their successors) would stand ready to go to war at only two hours' notice, in a hostile area
occupied by nearly one million Warsaw Pact forces, until 1990.
Their mission should hostilities commence was to wreak havoc behind enemy lines, and buy time
for vastly outnumbered NATO forces to conduct a breakout from the city. In reality it was an
ambitious and extremely dangerous mission, even suicidal. Highly trained and fluent in German,
each man was allocated a specific area. They were skilled in clandestine operations, sabotage,
intelligence tradecraft and able to act as independent operators, blending into the local population
and working unseen in a city awash with spies looking for information on their every move.
Special Forces Berlin was a one of a kind unit that had no parallel. It left a legacy of a new type
of soldier expert in unconventional warfare, one that was sought after for missions such as the
attempted rescue of American hostages from Tehran in 1979. With the U.S. government
officially acknowledging their existence in 2014, their incredible story is now being told in
"Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army's Elite, 1956 - 1990"
by James Stejskal.
Critique: An extraordinary and seminal study, "Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War
Operations of the US Army's Elite, 1956 - 1990" is impressively informative, expertly organized
and presented, making it a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to community,
college, and university library Cold War era Intelligence & Espionage History collections. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War
Operations of the US Army's Elite, 1956 - 1990" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781612008431, $22.95), in a digital book format ($11.99), and as a complete and unabridged
audio book (Tantor Audio, 9781541458192, $29.99, CD).
Editorial Note: James Stejskal is an author, military historian, and conflict archaeologist. To gain
inspiration and research his writings, he spent 35 years serving with the US Army Special Forces
and the Central Intelligence Agency in such interesting places as Africa, Europe, the Balkans, the
Near and Far East. He is also the author of numerous articles and the well-received book "The
Horns of the Beast: The Swakop River Campaign and World War I in South-West Africa,
1914-15".
Taking Fire!
David L. Porter
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476680514, $29.95, PB, 182pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As a first lieutenant in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army pilot David
Porter was section leader in an Aerial Scout platoon in Vietnam. Their mission was to conduct
reconnaissance in OH-6 aircraft (a.k.a. Light Observation Helicopter or "Loach") near the
Cambodian border. Finding and engaging the enemy at low altitude in coordination with an
AH-1 Cobra gunship circling above, these units developed a remarkable method of fighting the
Viet Cong: Hunter-Killer Operations.
The tactic had great local success but died with the war. Few today are aware of the hazards these
pilots faced during times of intense combat. Porter's vivid memoir recounts the internal workings
of a legendary air cavalry troop, in-the-cockpit combat actions, and the men who were key
players on this perilous battleground.
Critique: "Taking Fire! Memoir of an Aerial Scout in Vietnam" is an impressively informative,
vividly written, inherently fascinating read from cover to cover -- making it an ideal and
unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library 20th Century
American Military History collections in general, and Vietnam War supplemental studies lists in
particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, military history
buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Taking Fire! Memoir
of an Aerial Scout in Vietnam" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$15.99).
Editorial Note: David L. Porter is a retired Regular Army Colonel with twenty-seven years'
service as an Army Combat Arms officer. In addition to his year in Vietnam, he served multiple
tours in the inter-zonal border between East and West Germany during the cold war. He also
served tours in combat divisions, the Armor School, and various staff positions including the
Pentagon. Upon retirement, he became the Director of Admissions at Colorado Technical
University, in Colorado Springs, Colorado followed by a nineteen year career as a Government
contractor. His contractor responsibilities focused on training American Soldiers at various
locations throughout the United States and Germany.
Japan's Spy at Pearl Harbor
Taken Yoshikawa, author
Andrew Mitchell, translator
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476676999, $35.00, PB, 308pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Takeo Yoshikawa (1912-1993) was an ensign in the Imperial Japanese Navy and a
naval intelligence officer assigned the task of spying on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl
Harbor.
Assuming the alias "Morimura" and the role of secretary at the Japanese Consulate-General in
Honolulu in March of 1941, Yoshikawa was able to travel all over the Hawaiian Islands to gather
intelligence. His reporting during the nine months preceding the outbreak of the Pacific War
would help pave the way for Japan's surprise attack at Pearl Harbor.
Yoshikawa's memoirs (published here in Andrew Mitchell's English translation for the first time)
offer a gripping spy story, personal confessions, and a Japanese eyewitness view of the war in the
Pacific.
Critique: A unique and unreservedly recommended addition to the growing library of World War
II biographies and memoirs, "Japan's Spy at Pearl Harbor: Memoir of an Imperial Navy Secret
Agent" is an important acquisition for community, college, and university library collections, and
a 'must read' choice for the personal reading lists of all dedicated military history buffs.
Editorial Note: Takeo Yoshikawa was born in Matsuyama, Japan, in 1912 and was trained at the
prestigious Etajima Naval Academy in the early 1930s.
From Omaha Beach to Nuremberg
Daniel Altman & Fawn Zwickel
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476679235, $29.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Sgt. Daniel Altman grew up in the Bronx, New York. He enlisted in the Army at 21
and served in the ETO. When he came state-side he integrated back into civilian life and
repressed his memories of the war. "From Omaha Beach to Nuremberg: A Memoir of World War
II Combat and the International Military Tribunal" is his personal memoir and history of what he
experienced, what he saw, and what he now remembers with the assistance of his granddaughter
Fawn Zwickel.
A tough Jewish kid from the Bronx, Dan Altman enlisted in the Army when the U.S. entered
World War II. Adapting street smarts to soldiering, he became a skilled sharpshooter and attained
the rank of sergeant in the 1st Infantry Division. On D-Day, Altman's unit was among the second
wave to assault the German defenses at Normandy. Surviving the invasion, the fighting in the
lethal hedgerow country, the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge, he was later assigned to
gather information on the Nazi atrocities performed at the concentration camps for the trials at
Nuremburg.
Critique: A simply riveting read from first page to last, "From Omaha Beach to Nuremberg: A
Memoir of World War II Combat and the International Military Tribunal" is an invaluable and
enduringly appreciated contribution to the every growing library of World War II Histories &
Biographies. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, military buffs,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "From Omaha Beach to
Nuremberg: A Memoir of World War II Combat and the International Military Tribunal" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.59).
Attack at Chosin
Xiaobing Li
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806164991, $29.95, PB, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For members of the U.S. Army's "Task Force Faith" and the First Marine Division, the
Battle of Chosin Reservoir is an epic story of survival, courage, and ingenuity. Their exploits are
well known and woven into the storied histories of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Now, for
the first time, "Attack at Chosin: The Chinese Second Offensive in Korea" recounts this battle
from the Chinese perspective, describing the advance that forced General MacArthur to reorient
his strategy, which not only marked a turning point in the Korean War but impacted events in
Asia in ways that still resonate today.
The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, as the Chinese commanders foretold, determined the fate and
length of the Korean War. Author Xiaobing Li describes the fighting that began on November
27, 1950, when 150,000 soldiers from the Chinese Ninth Army Group attacked the First Marines
and elements of the 7th Infantry Division in the remote mountains of North Korea. It was a
calculated attempt to repel MacArthur's "home-by-Christmas" offensive and to deter UN forces
from further advances toward the Chinese border.
The fierce fighting that followed, combined with the bitter cold, made Chosin one of the
deadliest battles of the war. By December 17, after suffering more than 40,000 casualties and
failing to achieve their campaign objectives to destroy the American divisions, the Ninth Army
Group was forced to withdraw. One day later, on December 18, 1950, the remaining survivors
were recalled to China.
As the first book to explore the role of command and control, technology, and combat
effectiveness from the point of view of the Chinese, and to examine cooperation and friction
between Beijing and Pyongyang, "Attack at Chosin: The Chinese Second Offensive in Korea"
sheds new light on the ultimate military success of the UN forces during the Korean conflict. Li
also provides invaluable insights into Chinese military doctrine, strategy, and tactics that
continue to influence foreign policy and American military institutions today.
Critique: Offering a unique perspective on a key battle of the Korean War, "Attack at Chosin:
The Chinese Second Offensive in Korea" is an impressively informative contribution that is
unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college, and university library American
Military History collections in general, and Korean War supplemental studies lists in particular.
Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of an eighteen page Selected Bibliography, a fourteen
page Glossary of Names and Terms, fifty pages of Notes, and an Index, it should be noted for
students, military historians, and non-specialist general readers that "Attack at Chosin" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.95).
Editorial Note: Xiaobing Li is the Professor of History and Director of the Western Pacific
Institute at the University of Central Oklahoma. He is the executive editor of the Chinese
Historical Review and the author or coauthor of numerous books, including China's Battle for
Korea: The 1951 Spring Offensive and The Cold War in East Asia.
The Art Shelf
Degas at the Opera
Henri Loyrett
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500023396, $60.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Edgar Degas (19 July 1834 - 27 September 1917) was a French artist famous for his
pastel drawings and oil paintings of ballerinas. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints,
and drawings. Degas is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his
works depict dancers.
From his debut in the 1860s up to his final works after 1900, the Paris Opera formed a focal point
of Edgar Degas's paintings. He explored the theater's various spaces (auditorium and stage,
private boxes, foyers, and dance studios) and painted those who frequented them: dancers,
singers, orchestral musicians, audience members, and subscribers watching from the wings. This
theater presented a microcosm of infinite possibilities, allowing him to experiment with multiple
points of view, contrasting lighting, motion, and the precision of movement.
A magnificently produced catalog "Degas at the Opera" by Henri Loyrette was created in concert
with an exhibition at the Muse e d'Orsay in Paris, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington,
DC, to consider the Paris Opera's influence on Degas as a whole by examining not only his
passionate relationship with the house and his musical tastes, but also the infinite resources of the
opera's marvelous toolbox.
Critique: Showcasing some 300 full color reproductions of Degas's work, and enhanced with the
inclusion of insightful essays by leading curators and scholars Kimberly A. Jones, Leila Jarbouai,
and Marine Kisiel, "Degas at the Opera" by Henri Loyrette (who is the former director of the
Louvre Museum and former curator and director of the Muse e d'Orsay) is certain to be a much
appreciated and enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library Art
History collections in general, and Edgar Degas supplemental studies lists in particular.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: A Guide to the Collections
Maureen Melton
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
www.mfa-publications.org
9780878468621, $24.95, PB, 440pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in a newly updated and expanded edition, "Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: A
Guide to the Collections" by Maureen Melton is the definitive guide to the Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston's most enduring masterpieces and provides an enticing, informative, beautifully
illustrated introduction to a collection that circles the globe and spans thousands of years.
Featuring more than 500 works of art ranging from Native American ceramics to European
silver, Egyptian funerary arts to Warhol silkscreens, and alongside world-renowned paintings and
sculpture (all reproduced in vibrant color) "Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: A Guide to the
Collections" is substantial guide that invites readers and visitors alike to experience the surprise,
delight and inspiration offered by the collections of a major museum.
Critique: A beautifully composed and impressively informative guide to one of the nation's
premier museum collections, "Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: A Guide to the Collections" is a
pleasure to simply browse through and an essential, practical, and thoroughly 'user friendly'
reference for getting the most out of a trip to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
The Art of Spiral Drawing
Jonathan Stephen Harris
Walter Foster
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781633228221, $19.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Written and illustrated by Jonathan Stephen Harris, "The Art of Spiral Drawing" opens
with helpful sections on tools and materials, perspective, and shading, ensuring that beginning
artists know the basics before getting started on the step-by-step projects that follow. Instructions
for creating basic shapes, including a triangle, a circle, and a square, progress into more detailed
patterns. Instructions are also included for creating a variety of subjects, from flowers to animals,
all featuring a spiral pattern as their framework. Artists can even add color to their spiral artwork
using the tips featured in the book.
Critique: Specifically and effectively created for beginning and intermediate artists, doodlers,
optical illusionists, and anyone else who would enjoy creating their own spiral and geometric art
works, "The Art of Spiral Drawing: Learn to create spiral art and geometric drawings using
pencil, pen, and more" is impressively 'user friendly' in commentary, organization and
presentation. An ideal instructional guide and manual, "The Art of Spiral Drawing" will prove to
be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library
Pen/Pencil Drawing instructional collections.
Editorial Note: Jonathan Stephen Harris started his freelance artist career drawing portraits of
people and pets, and then moved on to creating tattoo flash (tattoo designs) for studios all over
the world. For 10 years he worked online creating custom tattoo designs. Now he spends most of
his time painting and creating fonts and typefaces for both personal and commercial use. He has
a successful YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/TattooWoo) showing how-to-draw
videos and the processes he takes when creating art and designs. He also maintains an
informative website at www.jonathanstephenharris.com.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity
Sandra Postel
Island Press
2000 M Street NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781610917902, $35.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: We have disrupted the natural water cycle for centuries in an effort to control water for
our own prosperity. Yet every year, recovery from droughts and floods costs billions of dollars,
and we spend billions more on dams, diversions, levees, and other feats of engineering. These
massive projects not only are risky financially and environmentally, they often threaten social
and political stability. What if the answer was not further control of the water cycle, but repair
and replenishment?
In "Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity", Sandra Postel takes her readers
around the world to explore water projects that work with, rather than against, nature's rhythms.
In New Mexico, forest rehabilitation is safeguarding drinking water; along the Mississippi River,
farmers are planting cover crops to reduce polluted runoff; and in China, "sponge cities" are
capturing rainwater to curb urban flooding.
Efforts like these will be essential as climate change disrupts both weather patterns and the
models on which we base our infrastructure. We will be forced to adapt. The question is whether
we will continue to fight the water cycle or recognize our place in it and take advantage of the
inherent services nature offers. Water, Postel writes, is a gift, the source of life itself. How will
we use this greatest of gifts?
Critique: An impressively informative and timely contribution to our national dialogue over
water use and dealing with the stresses on our water systems because of Climate Change,
"Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity" is an extraordinary and unreservedly
recommended addition to both community and academic library Hydrology & Water
Environmental Issues collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, governmental policy makers, environmental activists, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and
Prosperity" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781642830101, $26.00) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $16.49).
Editorial Note: Sandra Postel is the director of the Global Water Policy Project and co-creator of
Change the Course, the national water stewardship initiative awarded the 2017 US Water Prize
for restoring billions of gallons of water to depleted rivers and wetlands. From 2009-2015, she
served as Freshwater Fellow of the National Geographic Society. Postel is author of Pillar of
Sand: Can the Irrigation Miracle Last? and Last Oasis: Facing Water Scarcity, the basis for a PBS
documentary. Her work has appeared in Science, Natural History, and Best American Science
and Nature Writing.
The American History Shelf
Kingdom of Nauvoo
Benjamin E. Park
Liveright
c/o W. W. Norton
www.wwnorton.com
9781631494864, $28.95
Kingdom of Nauvoo: The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier makes a
case for the importance of Mormons in American history, reexamining the story of Nauvoo,
Illinois, as documented by records from the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. Nauvoo
was the community Joseph Smith and his Mormon followers created: a bustling collection of
some twelve thousand inhabitants which served as a home for Smith's church, a testing ground
for its new directions, and a community that threatened to become independently operated from
the rest of America with its own laws, militia, and anti-democratic structure. From Illinois
delegation influences on surrounding states' politics to racial tensions that drove Mormons to
reach out to other disenfranchised parties, Kingdom of Nauvoo creates an engrossing inspection
of an American frontier controversy that, until now, has received relatively little inspection.
Thanks to newly released Mormon church records and Benjamin E. Park, this has been remedied
and returns an important segment of Mormon American history to modern history shelves.
Radical Seattle: The General Strike of 1919
Cal Winslow
Monthly Review Press
134 W. 29th Street, Suite 706, New York, NY 10001
www.monthlyreview.org
9781583678534, $95.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: On a grey winter morning in Seattle, in February 1919, 110 local unions shut down the
entire city. Shut it down and took it over, rendering the authorities helpless. For five days,
workers from all trades and sectors ranging from streetcar drivers, telephone operators, and
musicians, to miners, loggers, shipyard workers, fed the people, ensured that babies had milk,
that the sick were cared for. They did this with without the police -- and they kept the peace
themselves.
This had never happened before in the United States and has not happened since. Those five days
became known as the General Strike of Seattle. Chances are most Americans have never heard of
it. In "Radical Seattle: The General Strike of 1919", author and social/political/labor activist Cal
Winslow explains why.
Winslow describes how Seattle's General Strike was actually the high point in a long process of
early twentieth century socialist and working-class organization, when everyday people built a
viable political infrastructure that seemed, to governments and corporate bosses, radical - even
"Bolshevik."
Drawing from original research, Winslow depicts a process that, in struggle, fused the celebrated
itinerants of the West with the workers of a modern industrial city. But "Radical Seattle: The
General Strike of 1919" is not only an account of the heady days of February 1919; it is also
about the making of a class capable of launching one of America's most gripping strikes - what
E.P. Thompson once referred to as "the long tenacious revolutionary tradition of the common
people."
In these especially troubled and troubling times, reading "Radical Seattle: The General Strike of
1919" might increase the chance that something like this could happen again anywhere in
America!
Critique: A meticulously researched and detailed study, "Radical Seattle: The General Strike of
1919" is impressively informative, expertly written, and unreservedly recommended for
community and academic library 20th Century American Labor History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Radical Seattle:
The General Strike of 1919" is also available from the Monthly Review Press in a paperback
edition (9781583678527, $26.00).
Editorial Note: Cal Winslow is a longtime labor activist and educator, the Director of the
Mendocino Institute, and a retired fellow in environmental history at UC Berkeley. Among his
several books are Labor's Civil War in California and Rebel Rank and File. He also edited E.P.
Thompson and the Making of the New Left.
Enterprising Waters
Brad L. Utter
Excelsior Editions
c/o State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
www.sunypress.edu
9781438478265, $39.95, PB, 432pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: One of the largest public works projects in American history, the Erie Canal inspired a
nationwide transportation revolution and directed the course of New York and American history.
When completed in 1825, the engineering marvel unlocked the Western interior for trade and
settlement, boomtowns sprang up along the canal's path, and New York City grew to be the
nation's most powerful center of international trade. Millions of people poured into New York
(and some through it) to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities provided by the canal,
influencing settlement and the social, political, and commercial landscapes of America.
Produced in honor of the bicentennial of the beginning of construction of the canal, "Enterprising
Waters: The History and Art of New York's Erie Canal" by Brad L. Utter (who is a Senior
Historians and Curator at the New York State Museum) is a companion catalog to the New York
State Museum's exhibition of the same name and includes reproductions of objects and images
from the collections of more than thirty-five different institutions and individual lenders. It also
contains reproductions of fifty-nine works of art used in the companion exhibition "Art of the
Erie Canal." Themes of politics, engineering, commerce, life on the canal, and more are paired
with full color images of artifacts, documents, and images to bring this unique American story to
life, from its inception to today.
Critique: Profusely illustrated with captioned period photography throughout, "Enterprising
Waters: The History and Art of New York's Erie Canal" is enhanced for academia with the
inclusion of a two page Bibliography, two pages of Notes, and a fourteen page Index, making it
an exceptional work that is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university
library American Transportation History collections in general, and Erie Canal history
supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Enterprising Waters: The History
and Art of New York's Erie Canal" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$36.22).
The Old West's First Power Couples
William R. Nester
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
www.rionuevo.com
9781940322445, $24.95, PB, 344pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A century and a half before the Kennedys and the Clintons, the Fremonts and the
Custers were American power couples. John and Jessie Fremont and George and Libbie Custer
pioneered that American cultural phenomenon. -- So what made the Fremonts and the Custers so
famous?
Fremont mapped swaths of the West in five expeditions and helped lead America's conquest of
California. He was nominated as the newborn Republican Party's presidential candidate in the
1856 election. During the Civil War, Custer was the boy-general who led cavalry charges that
routed rebel forces in a score or more combats. He achieved immortality for his last stand with
262 of his men against thousands of Indian warriors during the battle of the Little Bighorn. But
above all he and his wife helped spearhead Manifest Destiny, the belief that Americans have a
God-given right to expand their nation across the continent and beyond to the ends of the
earth.
Although little known today, their wives, Jessie and Libbie, were nearly as famous as their
husbands. Each served as her husband's political muse, offering candid advice and spurring him
to higher ambitions. They were vivacious women who loved entertaining and being the center of
attention. They were also courageous and followed their husbands into the dangers of war, the
frontier, and the wilderness.
Proudly backed by their wives, Fremont and Custer committed epic acts in epic times that
brought them enormous fame. Yet eventually each self-destructed. The reason was simple but
serious character flaws and hubris that made each man his own worst enemy. Becoming adored
heroes at an early age warped each to believe that he could get away with anything. Once
extolled as symbolizing America's greatest traits of courage, decisiveness, and ingenuity, with
time John Fremont, George Custer, and, by extension their wives, have increasingly been reviled
in later generations for representing imperialism, racism, and genocide.
"The Old West's First Power Couples: The Fremonts, the Custers, and Their Epic Quest for
Manifest Destiny" by William Nester (who is a professor at St. John's University in New York
and the author of numerous books on American national security, global politics, military history,
and the nature of power) neither celebrates nor demonizes the Fremonts and the Custers. Instead
each couple is explored as an extraordinary, gifted, flawed, unique individuals who were half of a
unique matrimonial pair that made history and advanced America's Manifest Destiny -- for better
or worse.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and absorbing read throughout, "The Old West's First Power
Couples: The Fremonts, the Custers, and Their Epic Quest for Manifest Destiny" is an
impressively well written work of meticulous scholarship, making it a unique and truly
extraordinary contribution to personal, community, and academic library Western American
History and 19th Century American Biography collections.
Cranky Uncle vs. Climate Change
Dr. John Cook
Citadel Press
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9780806540276, $16.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When it comes to climate change, this truly is a golden age -- of fake news, post-truths,
pluralistic ignorance, conspiracy theories, a willfully ignorant administration, and the Cranky
Uncle. You know him. We all have one or know of one. That exasperating blusterer who digs in
his heels even as the foundation of his denial thaws faster than the Arctic ice caps.
Written and illustrated by Dr. John Cook, a cognitive psychologist and founder of the
award-winning website Skeptical Science, "Cranky Uncle vs. Climate Change" combines humor
and science to make clear, calm, and winnable arguments in the public controversy of climate
change.
Can we change our Cranky Uncle's mind? Probably, regrettably, not. But Dr. Cook makes it
easier for us to understand him. And armed with this knowledge, prevent climate misinformation
from spreading further.
Critique: Simply stated, "Cranky Uncle vs. Climate Change: How to Understand and Respond to
Climate Science Deniers" should be a part of every persona, professional, K-12 school,
community, college, and university library Environmental Studies collection. It should be noted
for the personal reading lists of non-specialist general readers who are trying to educated their
misinformed friends, family members and colleagues about the global dangers that human
created and enhanced environmental degradations are causing (including the 6th Great Extinction
event that we are all currently living through) with respect to predicted world wide environmental
disasters ranging from rising sea levels to increasing catastrophic weather events. It should be
also be noted for personal reading lists that "Cranky Uncle vs. Climate Change" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The World History Shelf
God's Viking: Harald Hardrada
Nic Fields
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473823426, $44.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Harald Hardrada (c. 1015 - 25 September 1066) is perhaps best known as the inheritor
of 'seven feet of English soil' in that year of fateful change, 1066, when he was defeated by the
invading Normans under the leadership of William the Conqueror. But Stamford Bridge was just
the terminal point of a warring career that spanned decades and continents.
Prior to forcibly occupying the Norwegian throne, Harald had an interesting (and lucrative)
career in the Varangian Guard, and he remains unquestionably the most notable of all the
Varangians who served the Byzantine emperors. In the latter employment he saw active service
in the Aegean, Sicily, Italy, Anatolia, Syria, Palestine and Bulgaria, while in Constantinople he
was the hired muscle behind a palace revolution.
A man of war, his reign in Norway was to be taken up with a wasteful, vicious and ultimately
futile conflict against Denmark, a kingdom (like England) he believed was his to rule. "God's
Viking" also follow Harald's life from Stiklestad, where aged fifteen he fought alongside his
half-brother king Olaf, through his years as a mercenary in Russia and Byzantium, then back to
Norway, ending with his death in battle in England.
Critique: An extraordinary and inherently interesting historical study of meticulously detailed and
deftly written scholarship that is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of three Appendices
(Skald, Saga, Serpent Slayer, Son of Odinn; Mosfell Archaeological Project; He, Her, Hero,
Heroine); a two page listing of Abbreviations; an eighteen page Bibliography; and a fourteen
page Index, "God's Viking: Harald Hardrada" will prove to be a welcome addition to both
community and academic library Medieval History collections in general, and Harald Hardrada
supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, medieval
history buffs, Viking history fans, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "God's Viking: Harald Hardrada" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Nic Fields started his career as a biochemist before joining the Royal Marines.
Having left the military, he went back to university and completed his doctorate in Ancient
History at the University of Newcastle. He was Assistant Director of the British School at
Athens, then a lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Edinburgh. He is now a freelance
author and researcher based in southwest France, specializing in ancient military history.
The Civil War Shelf
Emotional Gettysburg: Paintings & Essays
Bruce E. Mowday, essayist
Karl J. Kuerner, artist
Regent Press
2747 Regent St., Berkeley, CA 94705
www.regentpress.net
9781587904820, $34.99, HC, 98pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In a series of historic vignettes that deftly combine the contemporary paintings of artist
Karl J. Kuerner and the essays of Bruce E. Mowday explore the Civil War battlefield of
Gettysburg in a way never before depicted in the pages of "Emotional Gettysburg: Paintings &
Essays".
For Karl, the spirit of art has spurred him to create a series of paintings that are peaceful and
tranquil despite the death and destruction that took place here. Also, there are tears for those who
sacrificed so much.
For Bruce, he calls upon his years of Civil War historical research to recount some of the heroic
deeds of the conflict that threatened the very existence of the United States of America.
Ten of thousands of soldiers.... Ten of thousands of emotional stories each with a life of its own.
So many stories will never be told, lost along with those who sacrificed their lives at Gettysburg
during three days of July in 1863. What took place in Gettysburg, documented or not, forever
will have profound meaning for Americans, a soul and a spirit.
Critique: A thoughtful, informative, beautifully enhanced, and moving volume, "Emotional
Gettysburg: Paintings & Essays" is an extraordinary, unique, inherently fascinating, and
unreservedly recommended contribution to personal, community, college, and university library
American Civil War collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Bruce Mowday is an award-winning journalist who was given the Local Author
Hero Award by the West Chester, Pennsylvania, library during its 2008 Literacy Heroes event at
Longwood Gardens. Bruce is also listed on the author's mural at the Chester County Library,
Exton. Bruce has authored books on history, true crime, sports and business. Mowday gives talks
on his books and also offers help to other authors on publishing issues, and maintains a web site
at www.mowday.com
Karl Kuerner's artwork has been exhibited in Belgium, Nigeria, and Togo through the "Arts in
Embassies" program, as well as at the Brandywine River Museum and Berman Museum at
Ursinus College. Karl exhibited his Places to Go, Things to See series at West Chester University
where he received an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service. Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian
Art, Nebraska, plans to feature Karl's creations in 2020. Karl has been featured in many books
and publications, recently appearing in PBS's American Masters Series documentary Wyeth. A
well respected teacher of 38 years, Karl has carried the "Art Spirit" throughout his time. Those
interested can visit the web site at www.karljkuerner.com to explore Karl's paintings, books,
news and more.
The Literary Studies Shelf
All of the Belles
F. Scott Fitzgerald
NewSouth Books
105 South Court Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
www.newsouthbooks.com
9781588384232, $23.95, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: During his Roaring Twenties heyday, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote three stories about the
belles of Tarleton, Georgia, a setting readers recognized as a thinly veiled version of his wife
Zelda's hometown of Montgomery, Alabama.
Inspired by Fitzgerald's own belle, Zelda Sayre, whom he met in Montgomery while stationed at
Camp Sheridan training for the Great War, these stories are minor masterpieces long regarded as
the very best of the 160-plus short stories the writer published during his short life.
"All of the Belles: The Montgomery Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald" collects these stories("The Ice
Palace," "The Jelly-Bean," and "The Last of the Belles") in a single volume for the very first
time. This very special book is being released to commemorate the centennial anniversary of
Scott and Zelda's marriage and in recognition of the many hundredth anniversaries of Fitzgerald's
work which will be celebrated starting in 2020.
The heroines of these still remarkable tales rebel against Southern expectations of women, revel
in the newfound freedoms young people enjoyed at the outset of the modern age, and ultimately
discover that home is far harder to run away from than they ever expected. The stories capture all
the winsome qualities that readers love about F. Scott's writing: the keen observation of manners,
the comic insights, the lyricism, and the poignant, powerful sense of loss. The Jazz Age may
have begun a century ago, but Fitzgerald's works remain among American literature's most
powerful writing, as will become clear with a reading of "All of the Belles".
Critique: Simply stated, every personal, community, highschool, college and university library in
the country should have a copy of "All of the Belles: The Montgomery Stories of F. Scott
Fitzgerald" in their American Literature collections in general, and F. Scott Fitzgerald literary
curriculum studies reading lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1896, F. Scott Fitzgerald first came to Alabama in
the summer of 1918 as an Army lieutenant stationed at Camp Sheridan while training for the
Great War. According to legend, that's where he met Montgomery belle Zelda Sayre at a
country-club dance. The pair married on April 3, 1920 and, thanks to the success of Fitzgerald's
debut novel (published eight days before the wedding) instantly became symbols of the Roaring
Twenties. Over the next two decades, Fitzgerald published three more novels (including his
masterpiece, The Great Gatsby) and 160-plus short stories. He died in 1940, having fallen out of
public favor. Within a decade, however, readers and academia rediscovered his brilliance and he
continues to be celebrated as one of America's greatest authors today.
Affect and Literature
Alex Houen, editor
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781108424516, $120.00, HC, 470pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Expertly and knowledgeably compiled and edited by Alex Houen, the twenty three
articles and essays comprising "Affect and Literature" collectively considers how 'affect', the
experience of feeling or emotion, has developed as a critical concept within literary studies in
different periods and through a range of approaches.
Stretching from the classical to the contemporary, the first section of the book, 'Origins',
considers the importance of particular areas of philosophy, theory, and criticism that have been
important for conceptualizing affect and its relation to literature. "Affect and Literature" also
includes ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, eighteenth-century aesthetics, Marxist theory,
psychoanalysis, queer theory, and post-colonial theory.
The chapters of the second section, 'Developments', correspond to those of the previous section
and build on their insights through readings of particular texts. The final 'Applications' section is
focused on contemporary and future lines of enquiry, and revolves around a particular set of
concerns: media and communications, capitalism, and an environment of affective relations that
extend to ecology, social crisis, and war.
Critique: A seminal body of meticulous, informative, and deftly presented scholarship, "Affect
and Literature" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community and
academic library Literary Criticism & Theory collections and supplemental curriculum reading
lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject that "Affect and Literature" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $96.00).
Editorial Note: Alex Houen is author of Terrorism and Modern Literature (2002), and Powers of
Possibility: Experimental American Writing since the 1960s (2012). His edited publications
include: a special issue on 'Affects, Text, and Performativity' of Textual Practice (March/April
2011); and (with Jan-Melissa Schramm), Sacrifice and Modern War Literature: Battle of
Waterloo to the War on Terror (2018). He also co-edits the international journal of poetry,
Blackbox Manifold.
The Computer Shelf
A First Course in Network Science
Filippo Menczer, Santo Fortunato, Clayton A. Davis
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781108471138, $44.99, HC, 300pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Networks are everywhere: networks of friends, transportation networks and the Web.
Neurons in our brains and proteins within our bodies form networks that determine our
intelligence and survival. "A First Course in Network Science" by the team of Filippo Menczer,
Santo Fortunato, Clayton A. Davis (all from Indiana University, Bloomington) is modern,
accessible textbook introduces the basics of network science for a wide range of job sectors from
management to marketing, from biology to engineering, and from neuroscience to the social
sciences.
Students will develop important, practical skills and learn to write code for using networks in
their areas of interest - even as they are just learning to program with Python. Extensive sets of
tutorials and homework problems provide plenty of hands-on practice and longer programming
tutorials online further enhance students' programming skills. This intuitive and direct approach
makes the book ideal for a first course, aimed at a wide audience without a strong background in
mathematics or computing but with a desire to learn the fundamentals and applications of
network science.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with two appendices (Python Tutorial & NetLogo Models), a
ten page listing of References, and a two page Index, "A First Course in Network Science" is an
impressively informative and expertly presented introduction to Network Science and an original,
highly recommended addition to both college and university library Physics collections in
general, and Mathematical Physics collections in particular. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "A First Course in Network Science" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $21.99).
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Older Dog? No Worries!
Sian Ryan
Hubble & Hattie
www.hubbleandhattie.com
9781787113664, $17.99, PB, 72pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As they grow older, what dogs need will change, -- and they may not be as mentally,
physically, or emotionally robust as they once were. But as a canine companion, older dogs are a
joy and a privilege to care for, with opportunities to further strengthen a relationship with them as
we adapt to their changing needs. "Older Dog? No Worries!", part of the No Worries! series by
Sian Ryan and encourages dog owners to consider their dog's individuality, and adapt or
introduce activities that help maintain their mental agility, emotional resilience, and physical
health. Drawing upon the latest research to provide ideas for maximizing an aging dog's
well-being, the individual chapters allow the development of a personalized care plan for a dog,
that incorporates new or amended ideas into their daily routine, and to make simple changes to a
home, garden, car, and walks, to ensure that an older dog is happy, safe, and invigorated.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography, "Older Dog? No Worries!:
Maintaining Physical, Mental and Emotional Well-being in Your Golden Oldie" is a thoroughly
'user friendly' instructional guide and reference. Expert advice expertly provided, "Older Dog?
No Worries!" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, and community library Pets/Wildlife collections. It should be noted for anyone with
an aging canine companion that "Older Dog? No Worries!" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Butterflies: Their Natural History and Diversity
Ronald Orenstein, author
Thomas Marent, photographer
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9780228102496, $24.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Butterflies: Their Natural History and Diversity" is a visual feast that informatively
showcases a multitude of butterfly and moth species from around the globe. Here featured are
some of the most colorful, spectacular and sometimes weird examples of the world's butterflies
and moths. Vibrant color photographs and macro images by Thomas Marent complement the
enlightening text written by zoologist Ronald Orenstein, who explains the scientific curiosities of
these amazing insects. "Butterflies: Their Natural History and Diversity" makes clear how to
differentiate between butterflies and moths; how caterpillars camouflage themselves; and how
their feeding strategies and evolutionary adaptations help them prevail in the wild.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with truly stunning photography, "Butterflies:
Their Natural History and Diversity" is an impressively written, organized and presented natural
history of the butterfly and their role in the ecosystems of earth. This coffee-table style volume
(8.9 x 0.7 x 10.9 inches) is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
school and community library Pets/Wildlife collections in general, and supplemental Lepidoptera
curriculum studies lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Ronald Orenstein is a zoologist, lawyer and wildlife conservationist who has
written extensively on natural history issues. His most recent books are Ivory, Horn and Blood
and Hummingbirds.
Thomas Marent is a wildlife photographer based in Switzerland. His previous books include
Frog, Rainforest and Life in the Wild.
The Agriculture Shelf
Cucumber Mosaic Virus
Peter Palukaitis & Fernando Garcia-Arenal, editors
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
www.shopapspress.org
9780890546093, $255.89, HC, 380pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) has the broadest host range of any virus, and
among the 1,000-plus host plants it affects are economically important food crops such as
tomato, pepper, and lettuce. New species of host plants are being identified every year, mostly
among weeds and ornamental plants as the latter become more popular. This is especially true in
the developing world, where many plant species have not yet been surveyed.
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Peter Palukaitis and Fernando Garcia-Arenal,
"Cucumber Mosaic Virus" is the first collective study on the pathology and molecular biology of
the virus, as well as CMV's exceptional ability to override host defense mechanisms (referred to as
'RNA silencing suppression') and evaluations of disease detection methods and management of
strategies.
Critique: Drawing upon contributions from an international group of 29 experts that are
exceptionally well organized and informatively presented, "Cucumber Mosaic Virus" is an ideal
and authoritative reference that is unreservedly recommended for college and university library
Gardening/Horticultural collections, as well as the supplemental curriculum studies reading lists
for students, academia, and plant disease researchers.
The Technology Shelf
Parameter Extraction and Complex Nonlinear Transistor Models
Gunter Kompa
Artech House
www.artechhouse.com
1630817449, $169.00
Parameter Extraction and Complex Nonlinear Transistor Models adds to Artech House's
microwave references and is a pick for college-level collections strong in modeling
semiconductor device parameters. The Shockley model is used to explore semiconductor
transistor device physics and device performance, with chapters considering models and
measurement setups for different simulations and calculations. Engineering and microwave
libraries strong in semiconductor FET device modeling will find this reference essential for
in-depth study and understanding.
Structural Steel Design, third edition
Abi O. Aghayere & Jason Vigil
Mercury Learning
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781683923671, $99.95, HC, 900pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded third edition, "Structural Steel
Design" by Abi O. Aghayere (who is a licensed professional engineer and a professor of
structural engineering at Drexel University) and Jason Vigil (who is a consultant in Rochester,
New York, and an adjunct professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology), is a simple,
practical, and concise guide to structural steel design using the Load and Resistance Factor
Design (LRFD) and the Allowable Strength Design (ASD) methods -- that equips engineering
and architectural students with the necessary skills for designing real-world structures.
Civil, structural, and architectural engineering students intending to pursue careers in structural
design and consulting engineering, and practicing structural engineers will find the text useful
because of the holistic, project-based learning approach that bridges the gap between engineering
education and professional practice. The design of each building component is presented in a
way such that the reader can see how each element fits into the entire building design and
construction process. Structural details and practical example exercises that realistically mirror
what obtains in professional design practice are presented.
Critique: This new third edition of "Structural Steel Design" is comprised of updated
content/example exercises that conform to the current codes (ASCE 7, ANSI/AISC 360-16, and
IBC); Additional coverage to ASD and examples with ASD to parallel those that are done LRFD;
Follows a holistic approach to structural steel design that considers the design of individual steel
framing members in the context of a complete structure. Expertly written, organized and
presented, "Structural Steel Design" is an ideal textbook for Architectural Materials, Metallurgy
Materials Engineering, and Cvil Engineering curriculums, and an unreservedly recommended
addition to college and university library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students and academia that "Structural Steel Design" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $49.95).
Telecommunication Electronics
Dante Del Corso, et al.
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630817367, $179.00, HC, 260pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: All model parameters are fundamentally coupled together, so that directly measured
individual parameters, although widely used and accepted, may initially only serve as good
estimates. "Telecommunication Electronics" by the team of by Dante Del Corso, Vittorio
Camarchia, Robert Quaglia, and Paolo Bardella is comprehensive resource presents all aspects
concerning the modeling of semiconductor field-effect device parameters based on
gallium-arsenide (GaAs) and generative adversarial network (GaN) technology.
Metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs), high electron mobility transistors
(HEMTs) and heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), their structures and functions, and
existing transistor models are also classified. The Shockley model is presented in order to give
insight into semiconductor field-effect transistor (FET) device physics and explain the
relationship between geometric and material parameters and device performance. Extraction of
trapping and thermal time constants is discussed.
Of special note is a section that is specifically devoted to standard nonlinear FET models applied
to large-signal measurements, including static-/pulsed-DC and single-/two-tone stimulation. High
power measurement setups for signal waveform measurement, wideband source-/load-pull
measurement (including envelope source-/load pull) are also included, along with high-power
intermodulation distortion (IMD) measurement setup (including envelope load-pull).
"Telecommunication Electronics" is the publication to cover of all aspects of semiconductor FET
device modeling in a single volume.
Critique: Expertly written, organization and presented, "Telecommunication Electronics" is an
ideal textbook for curriculum courses and unreservedly recommended for college, university
library Telecommunications Technology collections and supplemental studies lists.
Editorial Note: Artech House provides today's professionals and students with books and
software from the world's authorities in RF/microwave design, wireless communications, radar
engineering, and electronic defense, GPS/GNSS, power engineering, computer security, and
building technology. Artech House is a subsidiary of Horizon House Publications, Inc., publisher
of Microwave Journal.
The Political Science Shelf
The Hidden History of the War on Voting
Thom Hartmann
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
1333 Broadway, Suite 1000, Oakland CA, 94612
www.bkconnection.com
9781523087785, $15.99, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In today's America, only a slim majority of people register to vote, and a large
percentage of registered voters don't bother to show up: Donald Trump was elected by only 26
percent of eligible voters. Unfortunately, this is not a bug in our system, it's a feature.
In "The Hidden History of the War on Voting: Who Stole Your Vote and How to Get It Back",
Thom Hartmann unveils the strategies and tactics that conservative elites in this country have
used, from the foundation of the Electoral College to the latest voter ID laws, to protect their
interests by preventing "the wrong people" (such as the poor, women, and people of color) from
voting while making it more convenient for the wealthy and white. But he also lays out a wide
variety of simple, commonsense ways that we the people can fight back and reclaim our right to
rule through the ballot box.
Critique: A timely and much needed contribution to our on-going national dialogue concerning
voter suppression efforts by conservative right-wing political establishments, "The Hidden
History of the War on Voting: Who Stole Your Vote and How to Get It Back" should be a part of
every community, college, and university library collection in the country. It should be noted for
the personal reading lists of students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "The Hidden History of the War on Voting: Who Stole
Your Vote and How to Get It Back" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note: Thom Hartmann is a progressive national and internationally syndicated talk
show host. Talkers Magazine named him America's #1 most important progressive host and the
host of one of the top 10 talk radio shows in the country every year for over a decade. A
four-time recipient of the Project Censored Award, Hartmann is also a New York Times
bestselling author of thirty-two books, translated into multiple languages.
A Short History of Presidential Election Crises
Alan Hirsch
City Lights Publishers
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
www.citylights.com
9780872868298, $16.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In 2000, the American public learned that an exceptionally close presidential election
can produce chaos, because we have no reliable Constitutional mechanism for resolving
disputes.
Since 2016, we have learned that foreign countries such as Russia and North Korea (and perhaps
other malevolent actors) have been covertly attacking U.S. election systems. In the age of
hacking, our elections are more vulnerable than ever, and yet we have failed to adequately
prepare for all possible scenarios. It is time for us to think about how we can prevent and/or deal
with disaster before it strikes.
In "A Short History of Presidential Election Crises: And How to Prevent the Next One",
constitutional scholar Alan Hirsch addresses these issues with urgency and precision. He presents
a concise history of presidential elections that resulted in crises and advocates clear,
common-sense solutions, including abolishing the Electoral College and the creation of a
permanent, non-partisan Presidential Election Review Board to prevent or remedy future
crises.
Critique: In our present era of social media based misinformation, Russian troll bots, and a
president who is an infamously compulsive, pathological liar of things both significant and
insignificant, "A Short History of Presidential Election Crises: And How to Prevent the Next
One" is an impressively timely (given the 2020 Presidential election cycle) and seminal work of
meticulous and informative scholarship that should be considered as an essential and
unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary
Political Science collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"A Short History of Presidential Election Crises" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Alan Hirsch, is the Instructor in the Humanities and Chair of the Justice and Law
Studies program at Williams College, is the author of a number of books including Impeaching
the President: Past, Present, and Future (City Lights) and For the People: What the Constitution
Really Says About Your Rights (Free Press) (coauthored with Akhil Amar). He received a J.D.
from Yale Law School and B.A. from Amherst College. His work has appeared in the
Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Newsday, and the Village Voice.
Hirsch also serves as a trial consultant and expert witness on interrogations and criminal
confessions, testifying around the nation.
Beyond Populism
Jeff Maskovsky & Sophie Bjork-James
West Virginia University Press
1535 Mileground, Morgantown, WV 26506
www.wvupressonline.com
9781949199451, $99.99, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Across the world, politics is lurching to the right, ethnic nationalism is on the rise, and
people are furious. In "Beyond Populism: Angry Politics and the Twilight of Neoliberalism", the
team of Jeff Maskovsky (Professor of Anthropology and Professor of Urban Studies at Queens
College, City University of New York) and Sophie Bjork-James (Assistant Professor of
Anthropology, Vanderbilt University) collaborate to compile and edited a number of essays that
collectively examine the new destructive projects of resentment that have surfaced in the political
spaces opened by neoliberalism's failures, particularly since the financial collapse of 2008.
"Beyond Populism" contextualizes the recent history of the Global North (notably Brexit and the
Trump election) among wider comparative politics, with chapters on India, Colombia, Eastern
Europe, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and other parts of the globe marked by populist
insurgencies.
The essays collected here explore how global, regional, national, and local structures of power
produce angry politics. They go beyond conventional academic debates about populism to
explore the different kinds of anger that shape politics today and to make legible the multiplicity
of forces, antagonisms, conflicts, and emergent political forms that mark the present.
By examining the politics of anger, "Beyond Populism" also considers what is needed to
transform anger from a reactionary to an emancipatory force.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials,
and a seven page Index, "Beyond Populism: Angry Politics and the Twilight of Neoliberalism" is
an extraordinary and timely contribution to both community and academic library Contemporary
International Political Science collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be
noted for students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Beyond Populism" is also readily available in a paperback edition,
(9781949199468,$26.99).
The Biography Shelf
Lost in Ghost Town
Carder Stout
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
www.hcibooks.com
9780757323546, $16.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Lost in Ghost Town" by psychologist to the Hollywood elite Dr. Carder Stout is a
page-turning memoir about his fall from grace into the gritty underbelly of crack addiction,
running drugs for the Shoreline Crips, surviving homelessness, escaping a murder plot, and
finding redemption in the most unlikely of places.
Dr. Carder Stout's clientele includes Oscar-, Golden Globe-, Emmy-, Tony- and Grammy
winners, bestselling authors, and billionaires. He may not be able to share their dark secrets, but
for the first time, everyone will know his.
At the age of thirty-four, Carder would have gladly pawned the silver spoon he was born choking
on for a rock of crack. His downfall was as swift as his privilege was vast -- or had he been
falling all along?
Raised in a Georgetown mansion and educated at exclusive institutions, Carder ran with a crowd
of movers, shakers, and future Oscar-winners in New York City. But words like "promise" and
"potential" are meaningless in the face of serious addiction. Lost years and a stint in rehab later,
when Carder was a dirty, broke, soon-to-be-homeless crackhead wandering the streets of Venice,
California. His lucky break came thanks to his old Ford Taurus: he lands a job of driving for a
philosophical drug czar with whom he finds friendship and self-worth as he helps deliver quality
product to LA's drug enthusiasts, from trust-fund kids, gang affiliates, trophy wives, hip-hop
producers, and Russian pimps. But even his loyalty and protection can't save Carder from the
peril of the streets--or the eventual contract on his life.
From a youth of affluence to the hit the Shoreline Crips put on his life, Carder delves deep into
life on the streets.
Critique: Incredibly candid, impressively well written, inherently fascinating, "Lost in Ghost
Town: A Memoir of Addiction, Redemption, and Hope in Unlikely Places" is an insightfully
informative study of "the power of addiction, the beauty of redemption, and finding truth
somewhere in between". An extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to both
community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Lost in Ghost Town" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Mountain Climber: A Memoir
Bill Katra
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476679631, $25.00, PB, 258pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Nearing his sixth decade as a dedicated climber, William "Bill" Katra describes
himself as "not a great climber, but a persistent one." In his memoir, "Mountain Climber" he
describes his climbs in vivid detail, and features some of the world's most popular routes while
emphasizing that scenic beauty is as important to a hike as technical difficulty.
From his early partner-belayed adventures to his more recent unassisted solo "scamper-climbs,"
Bill's techniques have evolved, but his love for the experience remains steadfast. Within recent
years, Bill has again summited a few climbs from his younger days, often reflecting on where
senior climbers fit in the sport's changing social (and environmental) landscape.
"Mountain Climber" is memoir that presents the reader with a relatable and nostalgic account of
a life well-spent in nature, as Bill Katra muses on his long-past adventures enriched and nurtured
by the wisdom of the present.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and absorbing read from beginning to end, "Mountain
Climber: A Memoir" is an extraordinary account of an extraordinary life and one that is
unabashedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary American
Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated
mountaineering enthusiasts that "Mountain Climber: A Memoir" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Every Little Scrap and Wonder
Carla Funk
Greystone Books
www.greystonebooks.com
9781771644662, $24.95, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Essayist and poet Carla Funk grew up in a place of logging trucks and God, pellet guns
and parables. Every Sunday, she sat with her mother and brother in the same pew at the
Mennonite church while her dad stayed home with his cigarettes and a fridge full of
whiskey.
"Every Little Scrap and Wonder: A Small-Town Childhood" is her compendium of tender,
humorous stories in which she stitches together the wondrous and the mundane ranging from
making snow angels and carrying sacks of potatoes, to tossing pig bladders like footballs, and
vying for the Christmas pageant spotlight.
Part ode to childhood, part love letter to rural life, "Every Little Scrap and Wonder" offers an
original take on the memories, stories, and traditions we all carry within ourselves, whether we
planned to or not.
Critique: An inherently interesting and entertaining memoir from first page to last, "Every Little
Scrap and Wonder: A Small-Town Childhood" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly
popular addition to community library Contemporary Biography collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Every Little Scrap and Wonder: A Small-Town Childhood" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.88).
Editorial Note: Carla Funk was born and raised in one of the earliest Mennonite settlements in
Vanderhoof, British Columbia, Canada. She is the author of five books of poetry, the former poet
laureate for the City of Victoria, and a recipient of the Malahat Review's Constance Rooke
Nonfiction Prize.
The Third Gift
J. D. McCabe & Kenny Intheam
Mascot Publishing
620 Herndon Parkway, #320, Herndon, VA 20170
http://mascotbooks.com
9781643073835, $25.95, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: J.D. Danny McCabe maintained a loving relationship with his wife for nearly twenty
years before the underpinnings of their marriage, family, and world began to crumble. Their
foundation had always been rooted in the mantra that trust is the bedrock of a healthy
relationship. Indeed, Erin had always claimed that things would not, could not work without
trust. But one day, for reasons Danny could not fathom, Erin became suspicious of his every
move. Phone calls, text messages, and work emails were manufactured into proof of infidelity,
drug addiction, and a network of lies.
Erin enlisted her mother in her efforts, and together they forged the words of family, trust and
honesty into a metaphorical hammer and beat him into the ground. Their accusations
accumulated, twisting reality and eventually resulting in Danny's involuntary hospitalization.
Danny was pushed to the edge, and was damn near ready to jump. Then, God intervened. Erin's
shocking revelation, her Third Gift, lit the blind spots in his marriage that Danny had never
before been able to reconcile.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and absorbing account, "The Third Gift: My Dance With The
Devil (And Her Mother)" is a vividly rendered and singularly remarkable memoir -- and one that
will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon
the shelf. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary
American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Third
Gift" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Travel Shelf
Lonely Planet: Chicago
Ali Lemer, et al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com
9781787013476, $21.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Lonely Planet's "Chicago" is a succinct compendium of the most relevant and
up-to-date advice on what to see and what to skip when visiting one of America's premier
cities.
This compact edition of Lonely Planet's "Chicago" includes: a new pull-out, passport-size 'Just
Landed' card with wi-fi, ATM and transportation info - all you need for a smooth journey from
airport to hotel; Full Color maps and images throughout; Highlights and itineraries to help you
tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests; Insider tips to save time and money and get
around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots; Essential phone numbers, websites,
transit tips, prices; Honest reviews for all budgets for eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out,
shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss; Cultural insights give you a richer, more
rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics.
Lonely Planet's "Chicago" also covers The Loop, Near North, Gold Coast, Old Town, Boystown,
Wrigleyville, Andersonville, Uptown, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Ukrainian Village, Logan Square,
Humboldt Park, West Loop, Pilsen, South Side, and more
Critique: Whether a native resident or just visiting for business or pleasure, this profusely
informative and exceptionally 'user friendly' edition of Lonely Planet's "Chicago" is especially
and unreservedly recommended for planning itineraries and getting the most out of your Chicago
experience. It should be noted that Lonely Planet's "Chicago" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $13.19).
Iran, sixth edition
Bradt Guides
www.bradtguides.com
9781784775773, $26.99, PB, 392pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: This newly updated and expanded sixth edition of Bradt's Iran travel guide continues to
provide the most detailed background, history and cultural information available when visiting
this 'Jewel of Central Asia'. Thoroughly reviewed to provide all the latest information, including
security and language, this new edition includes expanded information on travel to western Iran,
namely Khorasan Province, which remains largely unexplored, with an emphasis on the
uniqueness of Iranian cultural heritage combined with stunning landscapes.
Also featured are new are maps of Sadosaltaheh Caravanserai, Tabriz, Kerman and Shiraz and
Tehran city centres. Travel through Iranian Kurdistan is included, as well as hiking routes in the
Alborz and Zagros Mountains and expanded practical information for independent
travellers.
Food and arts, rugs and handicrafts are all covered, plus details of recommended Iranian movies.
For outdoor enthusiasts, there are details of swimming, skiing, and desert and eco-tours.
First-hand descriptions of attractions range from the exquisite mosques of Esfahan and the
museums and palaces of Tehran to caravanserai, Nishapur, Qaleh Rudkhan and Kurdish villages
on the Silk Road Trail. Up-to-date information on all the basics - hotels, restaurants, businesses
and shops - help you to uncover the mysteries of ancient Persepolis, to enjoy a soak and scrub in
a local hamam, or to pick up a pair of giveh slippers or a Persian rug in Kirman's baazar.
Critique: Profusely illustrated, expertly written, organized and presented, "Iran" is the ideal travel
guide for getting the most out a visit to Iran whether it be for a business trip or a vacation. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Travel Guide
collections in general, and Iranian destination travel in particular, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Iran" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note: Maria Oleynik is a Middle East expert and freelance translator fluent in ten
languages, including Persian and Arabic. Since her first trip to the Middle East in 2003, she has
studied in Yemen, Lebanon and Egypt. Since 2013 Iran has become her main professional and
academic interest and she has studied Persian at the University of Esfahan, completed a Persian
language teacher training course in Saadi Foundation in Tehran, studied Persian in Dekhoda
Institute in the University of Tehran and is currently undertaking a degree in Middle Eastern
Language (Persian) and Society in the University of Copenhagen. Describing Iran as the love of
her life, she endlessly researches and merges into the culture and history of this magnificent
land.
Discovering Denver Parks: A Local's Guide
Chris Englert
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134-1161
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680512489, $18.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Compact and easy-to-use, "Discovering Denver Parks: A Local's Guide" is an
informative, and fun guidebook that covers the range of what the city of Denver, Colorado has to
offer ranging from tiny pocket parks to expansive open space, classic park facilities to
conservation zones.
"Discovering Denver Parks" even explores destination parks in the foothills just beyond the city.
Each park's listing includes: Icons for key features: accessibility, kid-friendly, dog-friendly,
views, historic significance, public art, gardens, unpaved trails, paved trails, lakefront, riverfront,
spray park/wading pool, horseback riding and--because it's Denver--winter sports; Notes for
other major amenities, such as restrooms, shelters, playgrounds, and more; Public transportation,
driving, and parking directions; Details on each park's history and size; History and descriptive
highlights such as sledding hills, water features, mountain biking paths, and more; Ways to
extend your park visit with easy add-on walks or bike rides to other nearby parks or
attractions/
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Discovering Denver Parks: A Local's
Guide" showcases a wealth of practical and useful information that will provide locals and
visitors with a wealth of options to explore and enjoy the many and varied parks of Denver.
While very highly recommended for community library Travel Guide collections, it should be
noted for personal reading and reference lists that "Discovering Denver Parks: A Local's Guide"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.61).
Editorial Note: Chris Englert moved to Denver in 2013 and decided to walk all of Denver's trails
and neighborhoods. Walking raised questions for her: why were parks named the way they were,
where could she find a good place for kids to play, and what made each park special? She has
since become the authority on Denver's parks and trails. She is also the author of Best Urban
Hikes: Denver (Colorado Mountain Club Press, 2020). Chris maintains a website at
DenverByFoot.com and can be visited on her on Instragram, Facebook and Twitter
@denverbyfoot.
Hike the Parks: Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks
Scott Turner
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134-1161
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680511543, $16.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Whether you're visiting for a day or exploring for a week, "Hike the Parks:
Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks - Best Day Hikes, Walks, and Sights" is a compact and
easily transported travel guide that provides practical and useful information on the best hikes
and walks in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks, as well as providing views, giant trees,
camping, and more to help visitors make the most of there outdoor experiences.
All of the featured attractions are easily accessible from the parks' main roads, and the 40
carefully selected day hikes range from easy to challenging. Other features include: Park basics:
visitor centers, permits and fees, info on gateway towns, fun facts; "Must-see" sights within the
park; Overview of the parks' flora and fauna; Brief tips and advice for non-hiking activities;
Overview of park campgrounds and lodging; Park and hiking safety.
Critique: Nicely illustrated, accessibly organized and presented, "Hike the Parks: Sequoia-Kings
Canyon National Parks - Best Day Hikes, Walks, and Sights" is an ideal and unreservedly
recommended travel guide. "Hike the Parks: Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks - Best Day
Hikes, Walks, and Sights" is very highly recommended for both personal and community library
Travel Guide collections.
Editorial Note: Scott Turner is also the author of Hike the Parks: Joshua Tree National Park and
Hike the Parks: Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, both published by Mountaineers Books.
He has also contributed over 250 trail descriptions across Southern California, the Sierra Nevada,
Hawaii, Utah, Arizona, and Montana for ModernHiker.com, the West Coast's most widely read
hiking website. Scott maintains the www.OneThousandMilesBlog.wordpress.com and can be
followed on Instagram @scottturnerhikes.
The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad
Emily Thomas
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780198835400, $18.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: How can we think more deeply about our travels? This was the question that inspired
Emily Thomas' journey into the philosophy of travel.
Part philosophical ramble, part travelogue, "The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad"
begins in the Age of Discovery, when philosophers first started taking travel seriously. It
meanders forward to consider Montaigne on otherness, John Locke on cannibals, and Henry
Thoreau on wilderness.
On our armchair travels with Emily Thomas as we page through "The Meaning of Travel", we
discover the dark side of maps, how the philosophy of space fuelled mountain tourism, and why
you should wash underwear in woodland cabins. We also confront profound issues, such as the
ethics of 'doom tourism' (travel to 'doomed' glaciers and coral reefs), and the effect of space
travel on human significance in a leviathan universe.
The first ever exploration of the places where history and philosophy meet, "The Meaning of
Travel" will reshape our understanding of travel in unexpected and often surprising ways.
Critique: A kind of 'philosophy meets travelogue' study, "The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers
Abroad" is a unique and extraordinary read that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful
and thought-provoking. Enhanced with occasional illustrations, "The Meaning of Travel" is a
meticulous work of engaging scholarship that is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a
twelve page Bibliography, fourteen pages of Notes, and an eight page Index. While an especially
and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library Travel &
Philosophy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Meaning of Travel" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
The Family Travel Handbook
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com
9781788689151, $17.99, PB, 168pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Full of practical advice, ideas and inspiration from Lonely Planet's parents to you, "The
Family Travel Handbook" is an essential guide offers a wealth of amazing travel experiences
around the world, as well as cogent advice and commentary on how to plan and enjoy them with
the family.
Also included is a section of recommendations on the best places to go, whatever sort of trip is
being planned for the family ranging from the top five places for infants, toddlers, tweens and
teenagers, and the top five budget destinations, to favorite family-friendly cruises,
wildlife-spotting adventures and beach holidays.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout, expertly organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' in
presentation, "The Family Travel Handbook" is certain to be an immediate and invaluable
addition to family and community library Contemporary Travel Guide collections. It should be
noted for personal use that "The Family Travel Handbook" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.82).
The Parenting Shelf
Parenting Made Simple
Dr. Sarah Huges
EK Books
c/o Exisle Publishing
www.exislepublishing.com.au
c/o The Quarto Group (dist.)
www.quartoknows.com
9781925820324, $19.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Parenting Made Simple: Straightforward, Practical Strategies for Common Childhood
Challenges" is a practical, easy-to-implement guide in which specialist child psychologist Sarah
Hughes gives parents the tools they will need for every age and stage of their child's
development.
"Parenting Made Simple" focuses on six key areas that include: Challenging behavior; Emotions
and tantrums; Confidence; Social skills and friendships; Anxiety; Parenting well through
separation and divorce.
Parents will learn all the do's and don'ts, and discover effective techniques for raising
well-adjusted children because Dr Hughes uses real-world examples and scenarios to delve deep
into the emotional and behavioural development of children, including rooting out just why kids
can't always behave well (hint: because their brains haven't finished developing yet).
Critique: A thoroughly 'user friendly' compendium showcasing a commonsense and effective
approach that all parents can benefit from, "Parenting Made Simple: Straightforward, Practical
Strategies for Common Childhood Challenges" fully lives up to the promise of its title and is an
especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
academic library Contemporary Parenting instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: Sarah Hughes is a clinical psychologist and the founder and director of Think
Clinical Psychologists. She completed her clinical training at the University of Sydney and holds
a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a PhD in child and adolescent anxiety disorders. She has
a decade's worth of experience working with kids, teens, adults, and families experiencing a wide
range of difficulties, including: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and relationship issues.
Sarah is also the author of the successful self-help guides, Skip the Drama: Practical, Get-Ahead
Strategies to Survive Your Daughter's Teenage Years (Exisle) and Parenting Made Simple
(Exisle), and regularly appears on Channel 7's The Morning Show as their parenting expert.
The Library Science Shelf
Cultivating Civility
Jo Henry, Joe Eshleman, Richard Moniz
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838947166, $59.99, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Like other workplaces, libraries can sometimes be stressful, with library workers
bearing the brunt of such problems as uncivil patrons, poor communication, inadequate
leadership, and toxic behaviors by fellow employees. In "Cultivating Civility: Practical Ways to
Improve a Dysfunctional Library, librarians Jo Henry, Joe Eshleman, and Richard Moniz present
proactive solutions and guidance culled from their own research, including interviews with
library administrators and staff. Sharing their valuable insights that will stimulate thought and
discussion towards the goal of a healthier and more harmonious workplace.
"Cultivating Civility": Addresses the subject from four viewpoints (individual, team, leader, and
organization) focusing on solutions and practical steps in each area; Shows how self-reflection
and self-awareness can be key starting points for exploring workplace issues; Offers numerous
suggestions for wellness and self-care; Provides tips for improving interpersonal communication
and conversations in ways that prevent silos and span boundaries; Sheds light on forming and
sustaining cohesive library teams, then provides solutions for misaligned teams and dissenters;
Discusses why effectively conveying vision, role modeling, and demonstrating empathy are all
crucial behaviors of library leaders; Shares actions library leaders can take to engage employees
in the change process; Examines how organizational structures can either detract or contribute to
a library's success; Details types of training that can be utilized to minimize dysfunction,
including training for bias, empathy, conflict management, and diversity.
Critique: An expertly organized and presented compendium of beneficial and 'real world
practical' advice, "Cultivating Civility: Practical Ways to Improve a Dysfunctional Library" is
very strongly recommended resource that will help public, academic, corporate, and
governmental libraries to be better workplaces for library staff, administrators, and ultimately the
library patrons. Simply stated, "Cultivating Civility: Practical Ways to Improve a Dysfunctional
Library" should be considered mandatory reading by all librarians, an ideal textbook for Library
Science curriculums and in-service training programs, as well as a core addition to college and
university library collections.
Editorial Note: Jo Henry is reference and instruction librarian at the Horry- Georgetown
Technical College Library (Georgetown Campus), South Carolina. Previously she was a librarian
at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the information services librarian at South Piedmont
Community College. She obtained her MLIS from the University of North Carolina Greensboro
and a master's degree in public administration from Georgia Southern University. She has
coauthored four books: Fundamentals for the Academic Liaison (2014), The Personal Librarian:
Enhancing the Student Experience (2014), The Mindful Librarian (2016), and The Dysfunctional
Library: Challenges and Solutions to Workplace Relationships (2017). Henry has presented at
numerous library conferences and has co-facilitated library workshops (alongside Richard Moniz
and Joe Eshleman) both online and in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Joe Eshleman is senior librarian at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North
Carolina. He was previously the instruction librarian at the Johnson & Wales University Library -
Charlotte from 2008 to 2015 and was head librarian for two years at the JWU Providence library.
He received his MLIS degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2007. He
has completed the Association of College & Research Libraries' Immersion Program, an
intensive program of training and education for instruction librarians. Eshleman is a coauthor of
Fundamentals for the Academic Liaison (2014), The Mindful Librarian (2016), and The
Dysfunctional Library: Challenges and Solutions to Workplace Relationships (2017). He is also a
coauthor of Librarians and Instructional Designers: Innovation and Collaboration (2016) and a
contributor to The Personal Librarian: Enhancing the Student Experience (2014). He has
presented at numerous conferences on instructional librarianship and other topics.
Dr. Richard Moniz is the director of library services at the Horry-Georgetown Technical College,
which has campuses in Conway, Georgetown, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He previously
served as the director of library services for Johnson & Wales University's North Miami campus
from 1997 to 2004 and was director of library services for Johnson & Wales University's
Charlotte campus from 2004 to 2018. He is also an adjunct instructor for the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro's LIS program. In addition to publishing numerous articles, Moniz is the
sole author of the textbook Practical and Effective Management of Libraries (2010) and the
coauthor or coeditor of six other books: Fundamentals for the Academic Liaison (2014), The
Personal Librarian: Enhancing the Student Experience (2014), The Mindful Librarian (2016),
Librarians and Instructional Designers: Innovation and Collaboration (2016), The Dysfunctional
Library: Challenges and Solutions to Workplace Relationships (2017), and Recipes for
Mindfulness in Your Library (2019).
The Money/Finance Shelf
Find More Money
Art Rainer
B&H Publishing Group
1 LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234
www.bhpublishinggroup.com
9781535971072, $17.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: What do you do when cutting your budget is no longer effective in managing your
expenses? From pastors in the pulpit to people in the pews, many people have cut and cut, but
still find themselves struggling to pay the bills. Their full-time job is giving them barely enough
to get by; how could they even begin to think about eliminating debt, saving, and living
generously?
In "Find More Money: Increase Your Income to Tackle Debt, Save Wisely, and Live
Generously", financial expert and author Art Rainer helps answer these questions by pointing
readers to the reality of the gig economy. When a full-time job doesn't provide what you need,
finding a "gig" may be the answer to your problems.
"Find More Money" is not just about financial stewardship, but about stewarding your talents,
time, and abilities -- not so you can get rich, but so you can live generously on mission for the
kingdom.
Critique: Taking a Christian and professional perspective to money management, dealing with
debt, and effectively handling financial issues, "Find More Money: Increase Your Income to
Tackle Debt, Save Wisely, and Live Generously" is impressively 'user friendly' in organization
and presentation. While very highly recommended for community and academic library Money
Management & Finance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that Find More
Money: Increase Your Income to Tackle Debt, Save Wisely, and Live Generously" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.55).
Editorial Note: Art Rainer is the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Southeastern
Baptist Theological Seminary. He holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Nova
Southeastern University and an MBA from the University of Kentucky. He writes widely about
issues related to finance, wealth, and generosity, and is the author of The Money Challenge: 30
Days of Discovering God's Design for You and Your Money, and The Marriage Challenge: A
Finance Guide for Married Couples.
Women With Money
Jean Chatzky
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9781538745380, $28.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Ask successful women what they want from their money and they'll tell you:
independence, security, choices, a better world, and way less stress -- not just for themselves but
for their kids, partners, parents, and friends. Through a series of HerMoney Happy Hour
discussions (when money is the topic, wine helps) and one-on-one conversations, Jean Chatzky
gets women to open up about the one topic we still never talk about. Then she flips the script and
charts a pathway to this joyful, purpose-filled life that today's women not only want, but also,
finally, have the resources to afford.
Through Chatzky's candid three-part plan was formed through detailed reporting with the world's
top economists, psychiatrists, behaviorists, financial planners, and attorneys, as well as her own
two decades of experience in the field, In "Women with Money" her readers will learn to:
Explore their relationships with money; Take control of their money; Use their money to create
the lives they want.
"Women With Money" shows readers how to wrap their hands around tactical solutions to get
paid what they deserve, become inspired to start businesses, invest for tomorrow, make their
money last, and then use that money to foster secure relationships, raise independent and
confident children, send those kids to college, care for their aging parents, leave a legacy, and
bring them joy!
Critique: A complete, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction guide and
manual for women with respect to managing their finances, "Women with Money: The
Judgment-Free Guide to Creating the Joyful, Less Stressed, Purposeful (and, Yes, Rich) Life You
Deserve" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and
academic library Money/Finance budgeting and investment collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Women with Money" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781538745397, $17.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (9781478995913, $35.00, CD).
Editorial Note: Jean Chatzky launched HerMoney Media and HerMoney.com in 2018 to provide
women with information about money they can actually trust. The award-winning financial editor
of NBC Today, Jean has also appeared on shows including Oprah, MSNBC, CNN, The View,
The Talk and many others. Millions have tuned into her podcast, HerMoney with Jean Chatzky
which has received shoutouts from The New York Times, Yahoo Finance and Refinery29. The
best-selling author of 11 books and an in-demand motivational speaker, Jean is also AARP's
Financial Ambassador and a fierce advocate for financial literacy. In 2015, she partnered with the
PwC Charitable Foundation and Time for Kids to launch Your $, an in-school magazine that
reaches 2 million schoolchildren each month.
The Anthropology Shelf
Anthropology and Radical Humanism
Jack Glazier
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
http://msupress.org
9781611863505, $45.95, HC, 260pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Paul Radin, famed ethnographer of the Winnebago, joined Fisk University in the late
1920s. During his three-year appointment, he and graduate student Andrew Polk atson collected autobiographies and religious conversion narratives from elderly African
Americans. Their texts represent the first systematic record of slavery as told by former slaves.
That innovative, subject-centered research complemented like-minded scholarship by African
American historians reacting against the disparaging portrayals of black people by white
historians. Radin's manuscript focusing on this research was never published.
Utilizing the Fisk archives, the unpublished manuscript, and other archival and published
sources, "Anthropology and Radical Humanism" revisits the Radin-Watson collection and allied
research at Fisk. Radin regarded each narrative as the unimpeachable self-representation of a
unique, thoughtful individual, precisely the perspective marking his earlier Winnebago
work.
As a radical humanist within Boasian anthropology, Radin was an outspoken critic of racial
explanations of human affairs then pervading not only popular thinking but also historical and
sociological scholarship. His research among African Americans and Native Americans thus
places him in the vanguard of the anti-racist scholarship marking American anthropology.
In "Anthropology and Radical Humanism: Native and African American Narratives and the Myth
of Race", Jack Glazier (Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Oberlin College) sets Paul Radin's
findings within the broader context of his discipline, African American culture, and his
career-defining work among the Winnebago.
Critique: A meticulous work of detailed scholarship, "Anthropology and Radical Humanism:
Native and African American Narratives and the Myth of Race" by Professor Jack Glazier is an
extraordinary and seminal work that is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a fourteen
page Bibliography, thirty pages of Notes, and a six page Index. While an exceptional and
unreservedly recommended addition to college and university library Contemporary Cultural
Anthropology collections in general, and Racial Discrimination supplemental curriculum studies
reading lists in particular, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers that "Anthropology and Radical Humanism: Native and African American Narratives and
the Myth of Race" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.78).
The Gardening Shelf
Indoor Green: Living with Plants
Bree Flaffey, author
Lauren Bamford, photographer
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500500538, $39.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For centuries, plants have transformed interiors. Today the plant-filled home is an
inspiration to every avid shelter-blog reader or expert Pinterest-board maker. In "Indoor Green:
Living with Plants", Bree Claffey journeys into the interior worlds of fellow plant lovers to
explore the enduring attraction of houseplants. From the ever-reliable peace lily and beguiling
fiddle leaf fig to the elusive Chinese money plant, "Indoor Green" makes it obvious that even the
humblest greenery can transform a home.
Houseplants encompass the art of decorative arrangement and add romance to any room. Within
the pages of "Indoor Green", Lauren Bamford's gorgeous full color photographs of interiors from
across the globe enhanced chapters such as "Plant Music," "How to Grow Fresh Air," "Plant
Portraits," and more, making the magic easy to replicate in the reader's own home.
Interviews of indoor green enthusiasts appear alongside the images, as well as tips on caring for
plants and an index of plant varieties. More than good-looking props, plants are living, growing,
joyful things rooted in community and creativity, and are easy to introduce into any home and
lifestyle.
Critique: Thoroughly inspiring and 'user friendly' in commentary, organization and presentation,
"Indoor Green: Living with Plants" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition
to community and academic library Gardening & Horticulture collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Indoor Green: Living with Plants" is also readily available in a
paperback edition (9780500501061, $29.95).
Editorial Note: Bree Claffey is the owner of Mr. Kitly, an emporium of carefully curated
ceramics, housewares, and indoor plants.
Lauren Bamford is a Melbourne-based lifestyle photographer. She regularly contributes to
national and international publications including Vogue Living Australia, Kinfolk, and the Wall
Street Journal.
Gardening Your Front Yard
Tara Nolan
Cool Springs Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9780760364864, $30.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With her unique combination of DIY/building savvy and gardening expertise, in
"Gardening Your Front Yard: Projects and Ideas for Big and Small Spaces" author and gardener
Tara Nolan takes aspiring yard gardeners past the main pitfalls they may encounter when trying
to fit a garden or gardens between their home and the street.
Beautifully illustrated and informationally comprehensive instructional guide and manual,
"Gardening Your Front Yard" shows how to accomplish several hardscape projects including
building front patios, borders, edging, and walkways, as well as making raised beds, planting
containers, trellises, rose arbors, privacy screens, and more -- all custom-designed for the rigors
of front-yard gardening.
"Gardening Your Front Yard" also covers choosing the right plants when dealing with a small,
highly visible area with less than ideal growing conditions -- a common trait of most front
yards!
There is also practical advice on training vines up brickwork and planting around foundation
walls, planting boulevards/hell strips. Shade gardens, privacy screening, and security dos and
don'ts are covered, as well as how to intermingle edibles and landscape plants, cactus and
succulent gardens, birdbaths, and so much more.
With the sage advice and step-by-step projects of this comprehensive guide, even the most
novice of yard gardeners can successfully convert the front yard from a bland grasscape to a vital
living space.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Gardening Your Front Yard: Projects and Ideas for Big and Small Spaces" is an
especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library
Gardening & Horticulture collections.
Editorial Note: Tara Nolan, author of Raised Bed Revolution, is a garden writer and editor with a
diverse background in publishing. Her work has appeared in the Toronto Star, as well as in
magazines, including Reader's Digest and Canadian Living, and on websites, like
Design*Sponge. Tara is a co-founder, with three other garden writers, of Savvy Gardening
(www.savvygardening.com) and was the award-winning web editor of Canadian Gardening
magazine's website (CanadianGardening.com) for six years. Tara does work for the Toronto
Botanical Garden and the Canadian Garden Council, and volunteers for the Royal Botanical
Garden. She is also a member of GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators.
Mastering the Art of Flower Gardening
Matt Mattus
Cool Springs Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9780760366271, $30.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Mastering the Art of Flower Gardening: A Gardener's Guide to Growing Flowers,
from Today's Favorites to Unusual Varieties" is gorgeously illustrated instructional gardening
book by Matt Mattus that is based on decades of first-hand experience in his own garden and
greenhouse that was made popular on his blog 'Growing with Plants'.
Every variety or species presented is one that he has personally trialed and grown. Mattus sets
you up for success by providing everything you need to know about starting seeds, soil, sowing,
hardening off, to transplanting, and growing on. Then, in the following chapters, you'll find tips
for growing over 100 different annuals from seed and many summer bulbs, vines like wisteria
and even blooming shrubs like lilacs. Every flower includes detailed information based on his
hands-on experience, going beyond the information typically available on the seed packet or a
nursery tag.
Aspiring flower gardeners can now learn useful, practical details and cultural facts that will help
them to grow better flowers while introducing them to many more they may not be familiar with.
This is a profusely illustrated compendium of tips for topics like how to grow challenging annual
poppies and biennials from seedand forcing flowers for winter blooms. Just a small selection of
the flowers covered: heirloom and exhibition chrysanthemums, larkspurs and annual poppies,
delphiniums, peonies, lilacs and wisteria. Bulbs include spring and summer bulbs such as
anemone, ranunculus, tulips, lilies, gladiolus, and cut flower dahlias, while winter indoor bulbs
cover every aspect of forcing bulbs indoors like narcissus, amaryllis, South African bulbs -- and
even how to force Lily of the Valley.
Critique: Expertly organized and presented for maximum instructional value, "Mastering the Art
of Flower Gardening: A Gardener's Guide to Growing Flowers, from Today's Favorites to
Unusual Varieties" is an extraordinary and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide and
manual that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional,
community, and academic library Gardening & Horticulture collections and supplemental studies
reading lists.
The Blue Garden
Arleyn Levee
Giles
c/o Giles D. Limited
www.gilesltd.com
9781911282594, $49.95, HC, 212pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "The Blue Garden: Recapturing an Iconic Newport Landscape" by landscape historian
Arleyn A. Levee is the compelling story about the decline and rebirth of a 100 year old garden.
Until recently, the Blue Garden, an icon of Gilded Age splendor in Newport, Rhode Island, was
known only from hand-tinted slides dating from 1917.
Originally designed in collaboration with the garden's original owner by Frederick Law Olmsted,
Jr, and the Olmsted firm (founded by his father, the great landscape architect responsible for
Central Park, New York City) it has now been brought back to life.
"The Blue Garden" skillfully interweaves the garden's design and social history, and stories of its
founders and the Olmsted firm, with historical photos, original drawings and sketches, and
images of the restored garden from 2015. "The Blue Garden" is a timeless and inspiring account
of the devoted patrons, skilled artisans and great designers behind the creation and revival of a
masterpiece, made possible by the vision of a devoted patron, and the relevance of historic
preservation of gardens in the 21st century.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout, "The Blue Garden: Recapturing an Iconic Newport
Landscape" is an inherently fascinating, impressively informative, and exceptionally well written,
organized and presented study, making it especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Gardening & Horticultural Studies
collections.
The Architecture Shelf
Cairo Since 1900: An Architectural Guide
Mohamed Elshahed
www.Cairobserver.com
American University in Cairo Press
200 Park Avenue, Suite 1700, New York, NY 10166
www.aucpress.com
9789774168697, $39.95, PB, 407pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The city of a thousand minarets, Cairo is also the city of eclectic modern constructions,
turn-of-the-century revivalism and romanticism, concrete expressionism, and modernist design.
Yet while much has been published on Cairo's ancient, medieval, and early-modern architectural
heritage, the city's modern architecture has to date not received the attention it deserves. "Cairo
Since 1900: An Architectural Guide" is the first comprehensive architectural guide to the
constructions that have shaped and continue to shape the Egyptian capital since the early
twentieth century.
From the sleek apartment tower for Inji Zada in Ghamra designed by Antoine Selim Nahas in
1937, to the city's many examples of experimental church architecture, and visible landmarks
such as the Mugamma and Arab League buildings, Cairo is home to a rich store of modernist
building styles. Arranged by geographical area, the guide includes entries for more than 220
buildings and sites of note, each entry consisting of concise, explanatory text describing the
building and its significance accompanied by photographs, drawings, and maps.
This significant compendium is an ideal companion for the city's visitors and residents as well as
an invaluable resource for scholars and students of Cairo's architecture and urban history.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with black-and-white photography and maps, "Cairo
Since 1900: An Architectural Guide" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a ten page
Glossary, two pages of Notes, a four page Bibliography, and a two page Index of Architects. A
unique, seminal and detailed study, "Cairo Since 1900: An Architectural Guide" is an
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, professional, and academic
library Architecture collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Mohamed Elshahed is a researcher, curator, and specialist on architecture, design,
and material culture in Egypt. He holds a PhD from New York University and an MA from MIT.
He is the curator of the Modern Egypt Project at the British Museum and founder of the website
www.Cairobserver.com.
The Music Shelf
Mutations
Sam McPheeters
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
https://rarebirdlit.com
9781947856981, $18.00, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: How can so many people pledge allegiance to punk, something with no fixed identity?
Depending on who and where you are, punk can be an outlet, excuse, lifestyle, escapism,
conversation, community, ideology, sales category, social movement, punishable offense, badge
of authenticity, reason to drink beer forever, or an aesthetic of belligerent incompetence. And if
someone has a strong belief about what punk is, odds are they have even stronger feelings about
what punk is not.
Sam McPheeters championed many different versions. Over the course of two decades, he
fronted Born Against, released dozens of records and fanzines, and toured seventeen times across
the northern hemisphere. In this collection of essays, profiles, criticism, and personal history, he
examines the diverse realms he intersected (New York hardcore, Riot Grrrl, Gilman street, the
hidden enclaves of Olympia, and New England, and downtown Los Angeles) and the forces of
mental illness and creative inspiration that drove him, and others, in the first place.
Critique: An absolutely essential study for students and fans of the Punk Rock movement in
music, "Mutations: The Many Strange Faces of Hardcore Punk" is an extraordinary and pitch-
perfect history that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to both
community and academic library American Music History in general, and Punk Rock music
history in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, punk
rock enthusiasts, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Mutations: The Many Strange Faces of Hardcore Punk" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $10.49).
Editorial Note: In 1981, at age twelve, Sam McPheeters co-authored Travelers Tales: Rumors
and Legends of the Albany-Saratoga Region. Starting in 1989, he sang for Born Against, Men's
Recovery Project, and Wrangler Brutes, touring seventeen times across North America, Europe,
and Japan. Since 2009, he has written for Criterion, Vice, and The Village Voice, among
others.
Raising Hell
Jon Wiederhorn
Diversion Books
443 Park Avenue South, Suite #1004, New York, NY 10016
www.diversionbooks.com
9781635766493, $30.00, HC, 480pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In his song "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll" Ozzy Osbourne sings, "Rock and roll is my
religion and my law." This is the mantra of the metal legends who populate Raising Hell - artists
from Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Slipknot, Slayer, and Lamb of God to Twisted Sister, Quiet
Riot, Disturbed, Megadeth, and many more! It's also the guiding principle for underground
voices like Misery Index, Gorgoroth, Municipal Waste, and Throwdown.
Through the decades, the metal scene has been populated by colorful individuals who have
thwarted convention and lived by their own rules. For many, vice has been virtue, and the
opportunity to record albums and tour has been an invitation to push boundaries and blow the lid
off a Pandora's box of riotous experiences: thievery, vandalism, hedonism, the occult, stage
mishaps, mosh pit atrocities, and general insanity.
To the figures showcased in "Raising Hell: Backstage Tales from the Lives of Metal Legends" by
Jon Wiederhorn, metal is a means of banding together to stick a big middle finger to a society
that had already decided they didn't belong. Whether they were oddballs who didn't fit in or angry
kids from troubled backgrounds, metal gave them a sense of identity.
Drawing from 150-plus first-hand interviews with vocalists, guitarists, bassists, keyboardists, and
drummers, music journalist Wiederhorn offers this collection of wild shenanigans from metal's
heaviest and most iconic acts -- including the parties, the tours, the mosh pits, the rage, the joy,
the sex, the drugs that made up the heavy metal life!
Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Raising
Hell: Backstage Tales from the Lives of Metal Legends" is an extraordinary read from cover to
cover. While especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic
library American Music History collections in general, and Heavy Metal supplemental studies
lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated heavy metal
fans that "Raising Hell" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Jon Wiederhorn is the author of Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of
Metal (with Katherine Turman) and the co-author of My Riot: Agnostic Front, Grit, Guts &
Glory (with Roger Miret), Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen (with Al
Jourgensen) and I'm the Man: The Story of That Guy from Anthrax (with Scott Ian). He has
written for Rolling Stone, SPIN, MTV, Guitar World, and Revolver, among others.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Faschion Empire: Motel Universe 2
Joakim Drescher
Secret Acres
www.secretacres.com
9780999193570, $23.95, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: After the Skins' slave rebellion and assassination of tycoon dictator, Barton Flump, a
lone bounty hunter, Clara Constellation, searches for Captain Littlehead and the ghost of
Caligula. From Planet Pear, where screentime is all the time, to the Adonis Nebula, an empire
where the Fashion Police rule with an actual iron fist, the adventure never ends!
Critique: In "Faschion Empire: Motel Universe 2" readers will once again return to the Motel
Universe of author and illustrator Joakim Drescher. Presented in a unique and inherently
fascinating graphic novel format, "Faschion Empire: Motel Universe 2" is unreservedly
recommended for those who appreciate an avant garde approach to science fiction and will prove
to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library collections.
The Audiobook Shelf
Most Likely
Sarah Watson, author
Read by Christie Moreau
Hachette Audio
www.HachetteAudio.com
9781549184499 $25.00 amazon.com
Synopsis: Ava, CJ, Jordan, and Martha (listed in alphabetical order out of fairness) have been
friends since kindergarten. Now they're in their senior year, facing their biggest fears about
growing up and growing apart. But there's more than just college on the horizon. One of these
girls is destined to become the president of the United States. The mystery, of course, is which
girl gets the gig.
Is it Ava, the picture-perfect artist who's secretly struggling to figure out where she belongs? Or
could it be CJ, the one who's got everything figured out...except how to fix her terrible SAT
scores? Maybe it's Jordan, the group's resident journalist, who knows she's ready for more than
their small Ohio suburb can offer. And don't overlook Martha, who will have to overcome all the
obstacles that stand in the way of her dreams.
This is the story of four best friends who have one another's backs through every new love,
breakup, stumble, and success--proving that great friendships can help young women achieve
anything...even a seat in the Oval Office.
Critique: The debut novel of Sarah Watson, an accomplished scriptwriter and creator of the TV
series "The Bold Type", Most Likely is the story of four women who are best friends - and one of
whom is destined to be the future president of America. A dramatic, insightful, and witty that
keeps the reader guessing in its engaging tour of life's challenges great and small, Most Likely is
available as in an unabridged audiobook rendition, brought to life with the superb narration of
Christie Moreau. Highly recommended! 7 CDs, 9 hours.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
Read by Jason Reynolds
Hachette Audio
www.HachetteAudio.com
9781549184482 $25.00
Synopsis: The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics
that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book
Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and
inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you
why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist
ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.
Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason
Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas--and on ways
readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.
Critique: Now available as an unabridged audiobook, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
explores the history of racism in America's past, and how racist ideas have started, been spread,
or been successfully confronted. Yet Stamped is not primarily a history book; instead, it is a book
about making America a better place. Authors Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi discuss how
racist ideas can be identifies and shut down, paving the way toward a more equal and just future,
a future that better lives up to America's most noble ideals. Stamped is highly recommended for
both personal and public library audiobook collections. 4 CDs, 4 hours.
The Book of Delights: Essays
Ross Gay
Recorded Books
www.recordedbooks.com
9781501977534 $TBA
Synopsis: The winner of the NBCC Award for Poetry offers up a spirited collection of short lyric
essays, written daily over a tumultuous year, reminding us of the purpose and pleasure of
praising, extolling, and celebrating ordinary wonders. Ross Gay's The Book of Delights is a
genre-defying book of essays- some as short as a paragraph; some as long as five pages-that
record the small joys that occurred in one year, from birthday to birthday, and that we often
overlook in our busy lives. His is a meditation on delight that takes a clear-eyed view of the
complexities, even the terrors, in his life, including living in America as a black man; the
ecological and psychic violence of our consumer culture; the loss of those he loves.
Critique: Read by the award-winning author, The Book of Delights: Essays is the unabridged
audiobook rendition of author Ross Gay's collection of essays about making space in life for joys
great and small, and a wide variety of other reminiscences, observations, and insight. From the
dark side of consumer-driven culture, to the everyday realities of life as an African-American
man, to the difficulty of coping with loss, The Book of Delights: Essays covers topics that are
thought-provoking and insightful. Highly recommended. 4 CDs, 5 hours.
Pearls of Wisdom
First Lady Barbara Bush
Read by Susan Larkin, et. al.
Hachette Audio
www.HachetteAudio.com
9781549129476 $25.00
Synopsis: First Lady Barbara Bush was famous for handing out advice. From friends and family
to heads of state and Supreme Court justices, and certainly to her staff, her advice ranged from
what to wear, what to say or not say, and how to live your life.
She especially loved visiting with students of all ages, from kindergartners to college graduates.
When she turned 80, she owned up to all her advice-giving and explained it this way: After all, in
80 years of living, I have survived 6 children, 17 grandchildren, 6 wars, a book by Kitty Kelly,
two presidents, two governors, big Election Day wins and big Election Day losses, and 61 years
of marriage to a husband who keeps jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. So, it's just possible
that along the way I've learned a thing or two.
At the end of the day, she taught all of us some valuable lessons. As First Lady, she made a point
of cuddling a baby with AIDS and hugging a young man who was HIV positive and whose
family had rejected him, showing us by example the importance of compassion and the myth of
fear. As a mother, she made sure we all knew that your children must come first, and one of the
most important things you can do is to read to them. As a friend and mentor, she showed that you
had to be true to yourself, and even at the end of her life, she taught us how to die with
grace.
Full of Barbara Bush's trademark wit and thoughtfulness, Pearls of Wisdom is a poignant
reflection on life, love, family, and the world by one of America's most iconic -- and beloved --
public figures.
Critique: Pearls of Wisdom is the unabridged audiobook rendition of First Lady Barbara Bush's
insights and inspirations. Here is the wisdom of a mother and matriarch, a woman of dignity and
boundless compassion. Read aloud by a wide diversity of performers, and enhanced with a PDF
of supplemental materials, Pearls of Wisdom is a motivational listening experience and highly
recommended especially for public library audiobook collections. 4 CDs, 4 hours.
The Mirror & the Light
Hilary Mantel, author
Read by Ben Miles
Macmillan Audio
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781427289513 $59.99
Synopsis: With The Mirror & the Light, Hilary Mantel brings to a triumphant close the trilogy
she began with her peerless, Booker Prize-winning novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.
She traces the final years of Thomas Cromwell, the boy from nowhere who climbs to the heights
of power, offering a defining portrait of predator and prey, of a ferocious contest between present
and past, between royal will and a common man's vision: of a modern nation making itself
through conflict, passion and courage.
The story begins in May 1536: Anne Boleyn is dead, decapitated in the space of a heartbeat by a
hired French executioner. As her remains are bundled into oblivion, Cromwell breakfasts with
the victors. The blacksmith's son from Putney emerges from the spring's bloodbath to continue
his climb to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry VIII, settles to short-lived
happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour.
Cromwell, a man with only his wits to rely on, has no great family to back him, no private army.
Despite rebellion at home, traitors plotting abroad and the threat of invasion testing Henry's
regime to the breaking point, Cromwell's robust imagination sees a new country in the mirror of
the future. All of England lies at his feet, ripe for innovation and religious reform. But as
fortune's wheel turns, Cromwell's enemies are gathering in the shadows. The inevitable question
remains: how long can anyone survive under Henry's cruel and capricious gaze?
Eagerly awaited and eight years in the making, The Mirror & the Light completes Cromwell's
journey from self-made man to one of the most feared, influential figures of his time. Portrayed
by Mantel with pathos and terrific energy, Cromwell is as complex as he is unforgettable: a
politician and a fixer, a husband and a father, a man who both defied and defined his age.
Critique: The Mirror & the Light is the complete and unabridged audiobook rendition of a
sweeping historical novel, concluding a trilogy about Thomas Cromwell, a consummately skilled
and powerful politician of 16th century England. A vivid, engaging, and powerful portrait of a
complex individual, brought to life with a masterful performance by Ben Miles, The Mirror &
the Light is highly recommended. Bonus materials include a conversation between the author and
narrator, and a PDF featuring the cast of characters and two family trees. 30 CDs, 39 hours.
Hachette Audio
www.hachetteaudio.com
James Patterson and James O. Born's Blindside (9781549118906, $35.00) receives a fine
narration by Danny Mastrogiorgio, who brings this Detective Michael Bennett thriller to life.
Michael and the town mayor become connected when the mayor's daughter goes missing in New
York, requiring a discrete investigative process that belays publicity and attention. The detective
follows the clues to a Bronx homicide and a serial killer, and then it becomes difficult to keep
under wraps. As national security enters the picture and is threatened, Bennett finds himself in
the middle of a dangerous game that threatens his honor and career. Walter Mosley's Trouble Is
What I Do (9781549121296, $30.00) is narrated by Dion Graham, who adds life and vigor to the
story of Leonid McGill, a New York P.I. who is hired by a Mississippi bluesman to deliver a
dangerous letter. When a hit man comes gunning for his client, McGill is drawn into a dangerous
confrontation between past and present, and finds himself leading a team of investigators in a
desperate attempt to uncover the truth before it's too late.
The Library CD Shelf
Blue Landscapes III: Frontiers
Robert Thies and Damjan Krajacic
Real Music
www.bluelandscapesmusic.com
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Pianist Robert Thies and flutist Damjan Krajacic form the musical duo Blue Landscapes. Their
combined talent captivates the ears and the mind in Blue Landscapes III: Frontiers, a harmonious
and relaxing original album. A sumptuous listening experience that also makes an excellent gift,
Blue Landscapes III: Frontiers is highly recommended for connoisseurs of music ideal for
relaxation, meditation, or fostering creativity. The tracks are "Drifting", "Forest Path", "The
Abandoned Monastery", "Le Musicien", "The Lighthouse", "Goodbye", "Frontiers",
"Tranquility", "Take My Hand", "Infinity", "Distant Waterfall", "Waves on a Moonlit Sea", "The
Valley of Echoes", "Forgotten Memories", and "Letting Go". 74 min. 55 sec.
Rune
David Helpling
Spotted Peccary Music
www.SpottedPeccary.com
$16.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Masterful music artist David Helpling presents Rune, an album of original, ambient electric
guitar songs. Although Helpling is also a virtuoso of synth-laden music, Rune is specifically
devoted exclusively to electric guitar - no keyboards, synthesizers, or computer-based sound
generation were involved in its creation. An extraordinary listening experience, heavily inspired
by the majesty of the sea, Rune is a treasure for ambient music connoisseurs and highly
recommended. The tracks are "Free Dive", "Glass", "Ascension of the Whales", "The Black
Rock", "Be", "Under Shallow Seas", "Isle in Half Light", and "The Heart of Us".
Celtic Women
Putumayo
www.putumayo.com
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
Celtic Women is a music album anthology of contemporary songs inspired by Irish and Scottish
traditions, performed by a variety of female singers. Some songs showcase the beauty of the
Gaelic language. Celtic Women is a treasure for connoisseurs of Gaelic music, a choice pick for
public library collections, and also makes an excellent gift. Highly recommended!
The Long Road
Monica Logani
www.monicalogani.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
The Long Road an original, new age, solo piano album that music artist Monica Logani crafted in
tribute to the all too brief yet thoroughly vibrant life of a dear friend. Wistful and wonderous, The
Long Road is a welcome contribution to both personal and public library collections. The tracks
are "Birds", "Daybreak", "Juliette", "Poette", "Temporality", "Mantra", "The Long Road",
"Storyteller", "Space", "Dreamer", "Valencia", "Devotion", "Savior", "Summer's End", and "The
Last Embrace". 35 min.
A Classical Meditation
Gary Schmidt
www.apianist.com
Privatetly Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com
A Classical Meditation is a new age, solo piano album of performances selected from the works
of timeless masters including Bach, Beethoven, Dvorak, and more. These songs were chosen
especially to draw upon the intrinsic, mind-expanding beauty of classical style music to promote
meditation and relaxation. A Classical Meditation is a welcome addition to personal and public
library solo piano music collections, and also makes an excellent gift. Highly recommended. 1
hour.
The DVD Shelf
Midsomer Murders, series 21
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$49.99 www.acornonline.com
Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Midsomer Murders, series 21 is the latest collection
of the internationally beloved, long-running British murder mystery series. This volume features
four feature-length episodes, each a self-contained mystery. In "The Point of Balance" the arrival
of the annual 'Paramount Dance Extravaganza' has a hidden darkness. In "The Miniature
Murders", a real estate agent is killed before a crowd at the unveiling of a doll house collection.
In "The Sting of Death", a powerful family controlling a lucrative beekeeping business will go to
the most ruthless lengths to ensure their dominance. In "With Baited Breath", there is a clash in
values between fishermen and women in search of a giant fish said to lurk in a remote village
lake, and a rush of lycra-clad sporting enthusiasts eager to participate in the 'Psycho Mud Run'.
Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes featurette. Midsomer Murders, series 21 lives up to
the quality of a top-notch, enduring favorite mystery series, and is highly recommended
especially for connoisseurs of the genre. 2 CDs, 4 episodes, 371 min., SDH subtitles.
The Martial Arts Shelf
The Art and Science of Stick Fighting
Joe Varady
YMAA Publications
www.ymaa.com
9781594397332 $22.95 amazon.com
Synopsis: The Art and Science of Stick Fighting is a unique, non-style specific, approach to
fighting with the short stick. Its curriculum is streamlined and divided into nine logical stages of
training that allow the reader to quickly and methodically learn and develop the skills needed for
fighting with the stick. Whether you are just starting out, or have been practicing stick fighting
for years, there is something for everyone in this book. Also included are systematic workouts
and descriptions of how to make and use specific training equipment as you learn and master The
Art and Science of Stick Fighting.
This book stands apart from other stick fighting training manuals because it emphasizes the
dynamics of combat. Many other books focus on forms and twirling. The author draws on thirty
years of martial experience, presenting the best of both Eastern and Western traditions.
Whether you already study the stick or are just starting out, if you want to learn how to get an
edge, The Art and Science of Stick Fighting is for you!
Critique: Black-and-white photographs on nearly every page illustrate The Art and Science of
Stick Fighting, an in-depth, instructional guide to stick fighting. Chapters cover all aspects of this
martial art, and offer recommendations for developing one's own stick fighting skills. A top-
notch reference and resource for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of or
personally practicing stick fighting, The Art and Science of Stick Fighting is highly
recommended and a welcome addition to personal and public library Martial Arts
collections.
The Business Shelf
Secrets to a Successful Startup
Trevor Blake
New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608686667, $16.95
Secrets to a Successful Startup: A Recession-Proof Guide to Starting, Surviving, & Thriving in
Your Own Venture comes from a successful serial entrepreneur who excels in startup businesses
and the process of making them profitable successes. His book uses his own experiences and
those of other business owners to examine all angles of this process, from rethinking a company's
structure for a virtual business approach to making a pitch to investors, managing capital, and
gathering customer information appropriate for gaining the most attention and sales results. No
startup entrepreneur should be without this specific approach to crafting success with a new
business, product, or market venture.
Essentials of Thought Leadership and Content Marketing
Paul M. Kaplan
Quill Driver Books
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721
www.quilldriverbooks.com
9781610353168, $18.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: What's the connection between thought leadership and increased sales? Consistent
strategy. Thought leadership and content marketing can be powerful tools for your business, but
to use them to their fullest potential, you need to have a plan. "Essentials of Thought Leadership
and Content Marketing: Boost Your Brand, Increase Your Market Share, and Generate Qualified
Leads" by Paul M. Kaplan helps businessmen and entrepreneurs to create a comprehensive and
rigorous content marketing strategy in which every piece works together to meet their business
goals.
Comprehensive, results-oriented, and practical, "Essentials of Thought Leadership and Content
Marketing" covers every aspect of content marketing: researching customer needs; identifying
your company's areas of expertise; generating thought leadership articles and other content;
communicating content through email, social media, web marketing, and traditional media;
evaluating response; generating sales leads; and measuring results.
Even more important, "Essentials of Thought Leadership and Content Marketing" shows how to
coordinate these strategic elements to an overall plan. Interviews with business leaders and case
studies show how content marketing concepts work in the real world.
Critique: Impressively informative, expertly written, organized and presented, "Essentials of
Thought Leadership and Content Marketing: Boost Your Brand, Increase Your Market Share,
and Generate Qualified Leads" is especially recommended reading for marketers, advertising
professionals, entrepreneurs, and those who work in some capacity with content marketing
whether in B2B or B2C business, for-profit or nonprofit. While unreservedly recommended for
community, corporate, and academic library Business Management & Internet Marketing
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Essentials of Thought Leadership
and Content Marketing" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.69).
Editorial Note: Paul M. Kaplan has worked in marketing for over fifteen years, focusing on
content marketing and thought leadership, digital media, and product strategy for
industry-leading companies, including Barnes & Noble, Inc., American Express, Broadridge
Financial Solutions, and McGraw-Hill. Kaplan earned a BA from Yale College and an MBA
from Yale School of Management.
Context Marketing Revolution
Mathew Sweezey
mathewsweezey.com
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781633694026, $32.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: We are in the midst of a massive media revolution. For the first time in history,
ordinary people around the world have the ability to create, distribute, and consume content
instantly, from anywhere, using connected devices. The massive increase in media "noise"
created by these consumers and devices creates an entirely new situation that makes conventional
marketing models obsolete. And yet countless companies and marketing organizations continue
to rely on traditional models, assuming that their "campaigns" will sway customers. They
couldn't be more wrong.
"Context Marketing Revolution: How to Motivate Buyers in the Age of Infinite Media" offers an
informative, provocative and practical instructional guide and manual in which salesforce
marketing maven Mathew Sweezey boldly outlines this new "infinite media" environment and
poses a profound question: In a transformed world where customers shape their own experience,
what is the key to breaking through and motivating them to buy? It is context--the close linkage
between an individual's immediate desires and the experiences a brand creates to fulfill
them.
Drawing on new research and new insights into current consumer psychology, Sweezey defines
the five key elements of context. Customer experiences must be: Available: Helping people
achieve the value they seek in the moment; Permissioned: Giving people what they've asked for,
on their terms; Personal: Going beyond how personal it is to how personally you can deliver it;
Authentic: Combining voice, empathy, and brand congruence simultaneously; Purposeful:
Creating a deeper connection to the brand, beyond the product.
Sweezey uses vivid examples to highlight a new marketing model used by high-performing
brands big and small. The final part of "Context Marketing Revolution" shifts to execution,
providing a new rule book for context-based marketing.
Critique: Exceptionally and impressively 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and
presentation, "Context Marketing Revolution: How to Motivate Buyers in the Age of Infinite
Media" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, community,
corporate, college, and university library Business Management & Media Marketing collections
and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
entrepreneurs, corporate executives, marketing managers, MBA students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Context Marketing Revolution:
How to Motivate Buyers in the Age of Infinite Media" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $18.49).
Editorial Note: A researcher, thinker, award-winning marketer, and writer who his work has
appeared in leading publications such as AdAge, Forbes, Brand Quarterly, The Economist, and
The Observer, Mathew Sweezey is the Principal of Marketing Insights for Salesforce. He is the
also author of Marketing Automation for Dummies. He keynotes at conferences around the world
and routinely works with the world's largest and most well-respected brands, including UPS,
Home Depot, AT&T, and Dell.
The Blueprint
Douglas Conant & Amy Federman
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781119560029, $28.00, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In 1984, Doug Conant was fired without warning and with barely an explanation. He
felt hopeless and stuck but, surprisingly, this defeating turn of events turned out to be the best
thing that ever happened to him. Doug began to consider what might be holding him back from
realizing his potential, fulfilling his dreams, and making a bigger impact on the world around
him.
Embarking on a journey of self-reflection and discovery, he forged a path to revolutionize his
leadership and transform his career trajectory. Ultimately, Doug was able to condense his
remarkable leadership story into six practical steps. It wasn't until Doug worked through these six
steps that he was able to lift his leadership to heights that ultimately brought him career success,
joy, and fulfillment. Those steps were: Reach High - Envision; Dig Deep - Reflect; Lay the
Groundwork - Study; Design - Plan; Build - Practice; Reinforce - Improve.
Part leadership manifesto, part practical manual, in "The Blueprint: 6 Practical Steps to Lift Your
Leadership to New Heights" Doug teaches leaders how to work through the same six steps that
he used to transform his journey. The six steps are manageable and incremental, designed to fit
practically within the pace of busy modern life. Knowing how daunting the prospect of change
can be, Doug arms readers with exercises and practices to realistically bring their foundation to
life in every situation. Now, today's leaders who feel stuck and overwhelmed finally have a
blueprint for lifting their leadership to make meaningful change in their organizations and in the
world.
Critique: Expertly and effectively written, organized and presented, "The Blueprint: 6 Practical
Steps to Lift Your Leadership to New Heights" is an extraordinary and thoroughly 'user friendly'
instructional guide and manual that is especially and unreservedly recommended for community,
corporate, and academic library Business/Entrepreneurial Development & Management
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, academia,
entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Blueprint: 6 Practical Steps to Lift Your Leadership to New Heights" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Doug Conant is the Founder of ConantLeadership, a former CEO of Campbell
Soup Company, and former President of Nabisco Foods, shares transformational insights in his
new book, The Blueprint. Conant is the only former Fortune 500 CEO who is a New York Times
bestselling author, a top 50 Leadership Innovator, a Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and a Top 100
Most Influential Author in the World.
Leading with Gratitude
Adrian Gostick & Chester Elton
Harper Business
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway, New York, New York 10007
www.harpercollins.com
9780062965783, $29.99, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Workers want and need to know their work is appreciated. Showing gratitude to
employees is the easiest, fastest, most inexpensive way to boost performance. New research
shows that gratitude boosts employee engagement, reduces turnover, and leads team members to
express more gratitude to one another -- strengthening team bonds. Studies have also shown that
gratitude is beneficial for those expressing it and is one of the most powerful variables in
predicting a person's overall well-being -- above money, health, and optimism. The WD-40
Company knows this firsthand. When the leadership gave thousands of managers training in
expressing gratitude to their employees, the company saw record increases in revenue.
In "Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results"
Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton introduce eight simple ways managers can show employees
they are valued. They supplement their insights and advice with stories of how many of today's
most successful leaders (such as Alan Mulally of Ford and Hubert Joly of Best Buy) successfully
incorporated gratitude into their leadership styles.
Showing gratitude isn't just about being nice, it's about being smart and successful. With
"Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results" it is a
skill that everyone can easily learn and apply.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Leading with Gratitude: Eight
Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results" should be considered essential reading
for anyone charged with a management responsibility on any level. While unreservedly
recommended for community, corporate, and academic library Business Management
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Leading with Gratitude: Eight
Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio,
9781094115337, $29.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Adrian Gostick is the coauthor of The Carrot Principle and The Orange
Revolution, a guide on workplace strategy and employee engagement. His research has been
featured in numerous national publications and endorsed by Larry King of CNN. In addition to
writing and teaching, he is a founder of the training and consulting firm The Culture Works.
Chester Elton is vice president of performance at the O. C. Tanner Company and a popular
public speaker. He has been the subject of feature articles in the New York Times and Wall
Street Journal, and he has spoken on the subject of employee recognition and motivation on
ABC, CNBC, and NPR. He is coauthor, with Adrian Gostick, of A Carrot a Day and The
24-Carrot Manager.
The Christian Studies Shelf
Character Still Counts
James Merritt
Harvest House Publishers
PO Box 41210, Eugene, OR 97404-0322
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736969444, $16.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: How often are we as Christians are more concerned with our outward image than with
our inner qualities? Our reputation is what others think is true about us, but our character is who
we are on the inside. And in the end, it's our character that counts.
If we long to invest our life in what matters most (the content of our character), author and pastor
James Merritt examines 12 traits that are an essential part of godly living as a Christian. As we
discover from role models in the Bible, good character is built brick by brick, thought by thought,
action by action, and habit by habit on a daily basis. In "Character Still Counts: It Is Time to
Restore Our Lasting Values" we will find the keys to growing in integrity, humility, respect,
forgiveness, perseverance, self-control, honesty, loyalty, authenticity, courage, generosity, and
faithfulness.
"Character Still Counts" shows how to build up God's kind of character qualities and live a life of
authenticity. Let the past examples in Scripture inspire you today as you live out this truth:
Character still counts, and it always will.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Character Still Counts: It Is Time
to Restore Our Lasting Values" is the kind of inspired and inspiring reading that is unreservedly
recommended for all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational
affiliations, While very highly recommended for community, church, and seminary collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Character Still Counts" is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: James Merritt is a pastor, author, past president of the Southern Baptist
Convention, and host of the Touching Lives television program, seen nationwide and in 122
countries. As a national voice on faith and leadership, Merritt has been interviewed by Time, Fox
News, MSNBC, and 60 Minutes.
An Ecological Theology of Liberation
Daniel P. Castillo
Marketing Department
Orbis Books
Price Building, Box 302, Maryknoll NY 10545-0302
www.orbisbooks.com
9781626983212, $40.00, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: What is the relationship between salvation, human liberation, and care for creation? To
answer this question Daniel Castillo in "An Ecological Theology of Liberation: Salvation and
Political Ecology" expands on the ideas presented in Gustavo Gutierrez's classic work A
Theology of Liberation and proposes a novel concept: green liberation theology.
In this compelling and original work Castillo places Gutierrez in dialogue with a diverse array of
theological, ecological, and socio-scientific discourses, drawing upon the work of Jon Sobrino,
Willie James Jennings, Walter Brueggemann, Ellen Davis, and others, paying special attention to
Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si'.
Critique: An erudite, thoughtful and thought-provoking work of original and meticulous
theological scholarship from a Roman Catholic perspective, "An Ecological Theology of
Liberation: Salvation and Political Ecology" is an especially recommended addition to seminary,
college, and university library Contemporary Christian Liberation Theology collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
seminary students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "An Ecological Theology of Liberation: Salvation and Political Ecology" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.88).
Editorial Note: Daniel P. Castillo is an assistant professor of theology at Loyola University
Maryland. His work, which focuses on the confluence of liberation theology and ecological
theology, has appeared in a number of journals including Theological Studies, Political
Theology, and Scriptura.
The Unknown God
Mathew P. John
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.davidccook.org
9780830780747, $17.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "The Unknown God: A Journey with Jesus from East to West", author Mathew P.
John explores the redemptive revelations lurking in the darkness outside the boundaries of
Christian tradition. In this spiritual journey through six major world religions, readers encounter
a variety of symbols that point to the Jesus of the Bible. From Hindu avatars and Buddhist
bodhisattvas, to Sikh gurus and Muslim prophets, and the Jewish messiah, "The Unknown God"
consider how different religions attempt to answer the deep longing for a savior ingrained in the
collective conscience of humanity.
Critique: An inherently interesting and exceptionally well written, organized and presented study,
"The Unknown God: A Journey with Jesus from East to West" is an extraordinary study that is
unreservedly recommended for community, church, seminary, college, and university library
Christian Theology, Evangelical, and Christian Apologetics collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of seminary students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "The Unknown God: A Journey with Jesus from East to West"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Originally an electrical engineer from India, Mathew P. John transitioned from
technology to theology with a master's degree in theological studies from the University of
Toronto (Canada) and a PhD in intercultural studies from Fuller Theological Seminary (USA).
He has acquired over two decades of teaching experience in academic as well as ecclesiastical
platforms, and has written extensively in the areas of theology, anthropology, and world
religions.
Discerning Ethics
Hak Joon Lee & Tim Dearborn, editors
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com
9780830852727, $32.00, HC, 344pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Racism. Immigration. Gun violence. Sexuality. Health care. The number of ethical
issues that demand a response from Christians today is sometimes overwhelming. How can
Christians navigate such matters? What are faithful responses to these questions? Edited by Hak
Joon Lee and Tim Dearborn, two theologians with pastoral experience, "Discerning Ethics:
Diverse Christian Responses to Divisive Moral Issues" invites engagement with these issues and
more by drawing on real-life experiences and offering a range of responses to some of the most
challenging moral questions confronting the church today. With an unflinching yet irenic
approach, this resource can help Christians as they seek to act justly, love mercy, and walk
humbly with God.
Critique: An absorbing, thoughtful and thought-provoking read throughout, "Discerning Ethics:
Diverse Christian Responses to Divisive Moral Issues" is an extraordinary and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, church, seminary, college, and university library
Contemporary Christian Ethics, Morality, and Theology collections and supplemental studies
lists. It should be noted for seminary students, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Discerning Ethics: Diverse Christian Responses to Divisive Moral
Issues" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.27).
Editorial Note: Hak Joon Lee is the Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics at Fuller
Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of several books, including Intersecting
Realities: Race, Identity, and Culture in the Spiritual-Moral Life of Young Asian Americans, The
Great World House: Martin Luther King Jr. and Global Ethics, We Will Get to the Promised
Land: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Communal-Political Spirituality, and Covenant and
Communication: A Christian Moral Conversation with Jurgen Habermas.
Tim Dearborn is the former director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute of Preaching at Fuller
Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Short-Term Missions
Workbook, Business as a Holy Calling?, and Beyond Duty: A Passion for Christ, a Heart for
Mission.
This Life We Share
Maggie Wallem Rowe
www.MaggieRowe.com
NavPress
www.navpress.com
c/o Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781641580076, $17.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "This Life We Share: 52 Reflections on Journeying Well with God and Others" is a
woman's guide to living well -- from the inner journey of dealing with anxiety and insecurity to
the everyday moments of waiting and distraction to practical principles for parenting,
grandparenting, and aging.
Jesus once said of the woman who anointed his feet, "She did what she could" (Mark 14:8, NIV)
-- and that is Maggie's goal for "This Life We Share" -- to provide insights and wisdom for
walking through life with the confidence that you're doing "what you can" to live well for God,
love others, and take care of yourself.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "This Life We Share: 52
Reflections on Journeying Well with God and Others" is as thoughtful and thought-provoking as
it is inspired and inspiring. While especially recommended for personal, community and church
library collections, it should be noted that "This Life We Share" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Maggie Wallem Rowe is a national speaker, dramatist, blogger, and writer. She
performs original one-woman dramas and is passionate about connecting people to God and each
other. Maggie maintains a website at www.MaggieRowe.com
The Time Has Come
Ionut-Alexandru Tudorie
SVS Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707
www.svspress.com
9780881416558, $40.00, HC, 450pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "The Time Has Come" has now brought back into print by SVS Press as a hardback
commemorative volume, compiled in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the autocephaly of
the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
Edited by St Vladimir's Academic Dean, Ionut-Alexandru Tudorie, "The Time Has Come"
contains a collection of debates over the OCA Autocephaly reflected in St Vladimir's Quarterly
(now known as the St Vladimir's Theological Journal). The various articles were written in the
years leading up to and following the Russian Orthodox Church granting the Tomos of
Autocephaly to the OCA (then known as the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of
America) in 1970.
Critique: An impressively informative and landmark volume, "The Time Has Come" is an
unreservedly recommended celebration of Orthodox Christianity and will prove to be an
enduringly welcome and appreciated addition to personal, church, seminary, and academic
library Christian Orthodox Theology & History collections. It should be noted for seminary
students, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Time
Has Come" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Encountering Jesus: A Holy Land Experience
Vincenzo Peroni
Franciscan Media
28 West Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
https://info.franciscanmedia.org
9781632533159, $18.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Whether you have made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or have always wanted to walk
where Jesus walked, "Encountering Jesus: A Holy Land Experience" offers a rich experience of
the many sites associated with Gospel events. In "Encountering Jesus: A Holy Land Experience"
Monsignor Vincenzo Peroni takes pilgrims on an unforgettable tour of the most important sites
in the Holy Land through beautiful guided meditations, probing questions, and sensitive prayerful
reflections. Eighteen original watercolor drawings by Alessandro Alghisi capture the beauty and
sacredness of these places. Each individual chapter also contains Scripture texts that set the
scene.
Critique: Ideal for the armchair traveler and highly recommended reading for anyone planning on
a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, "Encountering Jesus: A Holy Land Experience" is an
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended resource. While especially appropriate for church,
seminary, and academic library Christian Studies collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Encountering Jesus: A Holy Land Experience" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Vincenso Peroni is a priest of the Diocese of Brescia, Italy, and since 1994 he has
served pastorally in the parishes of Sarezzo and Manerbio and in various diocesan assignments.
In 2012 he obtained a License in Spiritual Theology (at the Faculty of Theology at Triveneto).
Since 2010 he has served at the Holy See in the Office for Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations and
as a Papal Master of Ceremonies since 2012. He has led numerous pilgrimages in the Holy
Land.
Evangelism and Politics
John C. Barrett
www.professorbarrett.com
Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401-2960
http://wipfandstock.com
9781725263659, $32.00, HC, 68pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "Evangelism and Politics: A Christian Perspective on the Church and the State",
Professor John C. Barrett argues that Christians should participate in politics and government but
their ultimate goal in doing so is evangelism, not political change. The way Christians participate
in politics is therefore generally more important than the specific policies they advocate for. In
short, Christian participation in politics should be marked by the fruit of the spirit.
At the same time, Christians should not be naive in thinking godly engagement in politics
guarantees political success. Ungodly tactics are effective and Christians will be at a political
disadvantage when they refuse to use such methods. Nevertheless, Christians should refuse to use
them because they see God, not the government, as their ultimate protector and provider and
godly engagement in politics as a way of providing an evangelistic witness to society that fulfills
the Great Commission.
Critique: An impressive and timely contribution to our national dialogue regarding the
phenomena of fundamentalist Christians supporting the immoral and ethically corrupt
administration and person of Donald J. Trump for the purpose of insuring the appointments of
conservative judges in the hopes of overthrowing Roe v. Wade and other legislature they deem
hostile to their best political and commercial interests, "Evangelism and Politics: A Christian
Perspective on the Church and the State" is especially and unreservedly recommended reading by
all members of the Christian community. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Evangelism and Politics" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781725263741,
$12.00).
Editorial Note: John C. Barrett is an assistant professor of political science at LeTourneau
University, a private, interdenominational Christian university in Longview, Texas. He holds a
BS in international relations from Georgetown University, an MA in international relations from
the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Relations, and a PhD in religion, politics,
and society from Baylor University. Professor Barrett also maintains a web site at
www.professorbarrett.com.
History and Eschatology
N. T. Wright
Baylor University Press
One Bear Place, #97363, Waco, TX 76798-7363
www.baylorpress.com
9781481309622, $34.95, HC, 365pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: How can we know about God? That question increasingly bothered scientists and
philosophers in the modern period as they chipped away at previously imagined "certainties."
They refused to take on trust the "special revelation" of the Christian Bible, trying instead to
argue up to God from the "natural" world. That is the theme of the Gifford Lectures, inaugurated
more than 130 years ago.
This natural theology has usually bracketed out the Bible and Jesus -- and with them, usually, the
scholars who study them.
"History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology" by Professor N. T. Wright
represents the first Gifford delivered by a New Testament scholar since Rudolf Bultmann in
1955. Against Bultmann's dehistoricized approach, Professor Wright argues that, since the
philosophical and cultural movements that generated the natural theology debates also treated
Jesus as a genuine human being (part of the "natural world") there is no reason the historical
Jesus should be off-limits. What would happen if we brought him back into the discussion?
What, in particular, might "history" and "eschatology" really mean? And what might that say
about "knowledge" itself?
"History and Eschatology:" is a lively and wide-ranging discussion that invites us to see Jesus
himself in a different light by better acquainting ourselves with the first-century Jewish world.
Genuine historical study challenges not only what we thought we knew but how we know it. The
crucifixion of the subsequently resurrected Jesus, as solid an event as any in the "natural" world,
turns out to meet, in unexpected and suggestive ways, the puzzles of the ultimate questions asked
by every culture. At the same time, these events open up vistas of the eschatological promise held
out to the entire natural order. The result is a larger vision, both of "natural theology" and of
Jesus himself, than either the academy or the church has normally expected.
Critique: Impressively thoughtful and thought-provoking, "History and Eschatology: Jesus and
the Promise of Natural Theology" is a singularly impressive work of Christian scholarship that is
enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a fourteen page Bibliography, forty pages of Notes,
a four page Index of Modern Authors, and a six page Index of Passages. While especially and
unreservedly recommended for community, church, seminary, college, and university library
Christian Theology & Philosophy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology" is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $29.92).
Editorial Note: N. T. Wright is the former Bishop of Durham and is Research Professor of New
Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews. He is the author of more than
eighty books, including The Paul Debate: Critical Questions for Understanding the Apostle.
One Small Step
Matthew Barnett
Chosen Books
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780800799571, $22.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Can ordinary people make a lasting impact on the world around them? Matthew
Barnett's answer is an emphatic Yes! In "One Small Step: The Life-Changing Adventure of
Following God's Nudges", he shows that it is not as daunting as one might think. It all starts with
a heart that is open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and a willingness to do as he leads. These
small steps (most often very simple acts that can be done on a daily basis) require only our
obedience and follow-through.
With inspiring stories and biblical takeaways, Barnett calls readers to set aside their fears and
boldly embrace the life-changing adventure of becoming the hands and feet of Jesus to the
broken people right outside their front doors. His readers will soon discover that "random acts of
kindness" are not so random after all!
Critique: As thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is inspired and inspiring, "One Small Step:
The Life-Changing Adventure of Following God's Nudges" is a life-enhancing, spiritually
nourishing read and one that is unreservedly recommended for all members of the Christian
community regardless of denominational affiliations. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that "One Small Step: The Life-Changing Adventure of Following God's Nudges" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Matthew Barnett is senior pastor of the Los Angeles Dream Center and son of
legendary pastor Tommy Barnett. Presently, 120 Dream Centers are located across the country.
Presidents, religious leaders and many celebrities have referred to the Dream Center as a model
of community transformation and renewal.
Defeating Sin, second edition
Fr. Joseph David Huneycutt
SVS Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707
www.svspress.com
9780881416091, $23.00, PB, 180pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Now in an newly expanded second edition that provides both the diagnosis and a
course of spiritual therapy, "Defeating Sin: Overcoming Our Passions and Changing Forever"
investigates the nature of the passions and the saving grace of the virtues.
Many fundamental questions are explored including: What led to the fall of the devil and his
angels?; What led to the fall of Adam and Eve, our first parents?; What causes our own falls?;
How can we identify the deceptions and temptations of the enemy?; How do we get up when we
fall?; How can we struggle toward God-pleasing solutions to our problems?
Critique: Written from an Orthodox Christian perspective, "Defeating Sin: Overcoming Our
Passions and Changing Forever" is an extraordinarily informative, thoughtful and thought-
provoking read throughout. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community,
church, seminary, and academic library Orthodox Christian Theology collections and
supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for seminary students, academia, clergy, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Defeating Sin: Overcoming Our
Passions and Changing Forever" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$13.99).
Editorial Note: The pastor of St Joseph Orthodox Church in Houston, Texas, and is well-known
for his blog and podcast, both called Orthodixie, the Very Rev. Joseph David Huneycutt is also
the author of One Flew Over the Onion Dome (SVS Press), and leads retreats on the passions,
the virtues, and confession across the country.
The God Who Acts in History
Craig G. Bartholomew
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
4035 Park East Court SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
www.eerdmans.com
9780802874672, $29.99, PB, 265pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Did the decisive event in the history of Israel known as the Exodus out of Egypt even
happen?
The Bible presents a living God who speaks and acts, and whose speaking and acting is
fundamental to his revelation of himself. God's action in history may seem obvious to many
Christians, but modern philosophy has problematized the idea. Today, many theologians often
use the Bible to speak of God while, at best, remaining agnostic about whether he has in fact
acted in history.
Historical revelation is central to both Jewish and Christian theology. Two major events in the
Bible showcase divine agency: the revelation at Sinai in Exodus and the incarnation of Jesus in
the gospels. Surprisingly, there is a lack of serious theological reflection on Sinai by both Jewish
and Christian scholars, and those who do engage the subject often oscillate about the historicity
of what occurred there.
In "The God Who Acts in History: The Significance of Sinai", Craig Bartholomew (who is the
Director of the Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics, Tyndale House, Cambridge, UK)
explores how the early church understood divine action, looks at the philosophers who derided
the idea, and finally shows that the reasons for doubting the historicity of Sinai are not
persuasive. "The God Who Acts in History" provides compelling reasons for affirming that God
has acted and continues to act in history.
Critique: A masterpiece of biblical history combined with Christian theology and tradition, "The
God Who Acts in History: The Significance of Sinai" is an extraordinarily informed and
meticulously presented work of scholarship that is unreservedly recommended for church,
seminary, community, and academic library Old Testament Criticism & Interpretation collections
and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of seminary
students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Old Testament Criticism & Interpretation" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$24.92).
Seasons of Amish Life: Rhythms of the Year
Danny Graber, photographer
Herald Press
P.O. Box 866, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
www.heraldpress.com
9781513806556, $19.99, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: An inherently fascinating project by photographer Danny Graber, "Seasons of Amish
Life: Rhythms of the Year, is a memorably vibrant photographic collection of an Amish
community through the year. Through remarkable photographs and sensitive prose, "Seasons of
Amish Life" visually showcases a snow-covered pond at dawn, when men and boys cut blocks of
ice and load them onto wagons, Amish women planting gardens in spring, and children helping
their fathers thresh oats in high summer. Then Autumn brings together the whole Amish
community to raise a barn in two days.
Critique: A beautiful book to simply browse through one charming page and image at a time,
"Seasons of Amish Life: Rhythms of the Year" is an extraordinary and highly recommended
addition to personal, community, church, and academic library Contemporary American
Photography collections in general, and Amish cultural and history reading lists in
particular.
Acres of Diamonds
Jentezen Franklin
Chosen Books
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780800798673, $22.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Acres of Diamonds: Discovering God's Best Right Where You Are" by Jentezen
Franklin was written specifically for the benefit of those members of the Christian community
who are in a season of their lives where every search for direction, encouragement, or fulfillment
seems to come up empty. For those who thought God had them in a place to thrive and grow, but
who, because of their life experiences and stresses, are ready to call it quits. For those who feel
that there has to be something better.
The message embedded within the pages of "Acres of Diamonds" is that we don't need a new
garden; we just need to learn how to dig! "Acres of Diamonds" helps us to discover the
unfathomable riches Jesus Christ has for us. Rather than chase after a better life, we can celebrate
the untold spiritual provision to be found even in the midst of spiritual deprivation. Readers will
learn to cherish where God has placed them as they uncover the hidden potential within their
families, jobs, ministries, and communities -- right where they are.
Critique: As thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is inspired and inspiring, "Acres of
Diamonds: Discovering God's Best Right Where You Are" is an extraordinary and exceptionally
well written, organized and presented contribution to the growing library of Christian Spiritual
Growth books. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and church
library Contemporary Christian Studies collections, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of seminary students, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Acres of Diamonds: Discovering God's Best Right Where You Are" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Jentezen Franklin is the Senior Pastor of Free Chapel, a multi-campus church.
Each week his television program Kingdom Connection is broadcast on major networks all over
the world. Jentezen has written eight books including the groundbreaking Fasting and Right
People-Right Place-Right Plan.
Giving Thanks and Letting Go
Danielle Bean
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.avemariapress.com
9781594719455, $14.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Comforting, relatable, and practical, "Giving Thanks and Letting Go: Reflections on
the Gift of Motherhood" shares Danielle Bean's personal experience of launching her children
into their adult lives. From this crucial moment in her motherhood, she offers sage advice as she
reflects on the precious years she spent raising children and learning to trust in God's
providence.
"Giving Thanks and Letting Go" reveals the freedom Danielle discovered as she tossed out old
trophies and Nordic Ware; the release she feels when she lets herself sob with abandon; the
pleasant satisfaction of extra space in her home and in her marriage; and the happy recognition of
God's abiding presence through all the years of family life.
"Giving Thanks and Letting Go" will help women to deal with: Letting yourself grieve;
Acknowledging that being a mom has never been easy; Turning to your husband; Giving up
control; Accepting the suffering with grace; Trusting in God to have the best plans; Sparking joy,
give thanks, and move on; Nourishing the soul, body, and mind.
Critique: Candid, realistic, practical, and absolute fascinating, "Giving Thanks and Letting Go:
Reflections on the Gift of Motherhood" is an extraordinary and inspiring read -- and unreservedly
recommended to the attention of all members of the Christian community. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Giving Thanks and Letting Go" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Danielle Bean is the brand manager at www.CatholicMom.com, an apostolate of
Holy Cross Family Ministries. A Catholic podcaster and cohost of The Gist on CatholicTV, she
also has served as publisher and editor-in-chief of Catholic Digest. Bean is also the author of
several books, including Small Steps for Catholic Moms, Momnipotent, and You Are Enough.
She is a retreat leader and a popular speaker on a variety of subjects related to Catholic family
life, education, marriage, and motherhood.
Post-Christian
Gene Edward Veith, Jr.
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
www.crossway.org
9781433565786, $24.99, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: We live in a post-Christian world. Contemporary thought (claiming to be "progressive"
and "liberating") attempts to place human beings in God's role as creator, lawgiver, and savior.
But these post-Christian ways of thinking and living are running into dead ends and fatal
contradictions.
"Post-Christian: A Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture" by Professor Gene Edward
Veith is a timely book that demonstrates how the Christian world view stands firm in a secular
world dedicated to constructing its own knowledge, morality, and truth. Professor Veith points
out the problems with how today's culture views humanity, God, and even reality itself. He also
offers hope-filled, practical ways believers can live out their faith in a secularist society as a way
to recover reality, rebuild culture, and revive faith.
Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally thought-provoking, erudite in commentary,
thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Post-Christian: A Guide to
Contemporary Thought and Culture" is an extraordinary study and one that is unreservedly
recommended for church, seminary, college, and university library Contemporary Christian
Theology & Apologetics collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of seminary
students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Post-Christian: A Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $16.80).
Editorial Note: Gene Edward Veith is a Provost and Professor of Literature Emeritus at Patrick
Henry College. He previously worked as the culture editor of World magazine. and is the author
of Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature.
The Judaic Studies Shelf
Ani Maamin
Joshua Berman
Maggid Books
c/o Toby Press/Koren Publishers
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.korenpub.com
9781592645381, $29.95, HC, 334pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For the last two centuries the academic study of the Bible has confronted the believing
Jew with the most challenging of questions: Are the accounts of the Tanakh historically
accurate? Was there an Exodus? Why does the Torah provide multiple versions of its law and its
stories? What are the warrants for believing the Torah is a divine text? Can a Jew seeking
intellectual honesty maintain fidelity to the Thirteen Principles of Faith?
The credentials Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman brings to address these issues are unparalleled. An
internationally acclaimed speaker, writer and educator, Rabbi Berman is also a professor of
Tanakh at Bar-Ilan University and the author of two books published by Oxford University Press
on the five books of the Torah.
"Ani Maamin: Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth, and the Thirteen Principles of Faith" is a
landmark work and the first full-length treatment of these charged issues by an Orthodox thinker,
offering the believing Jew an academically and traditionally based approach of spiritual and
intellectual integrity.
Critique: An inherently interesting, impressively informative, exceptionally well organized,
thoughtful and thought-provoking read, "Ani Maamin: Biblical Criticism, Historical Truth, and
the Thirteen Principles of Faith" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, synagogue, community, college, and university library Contemporary Judaic Studies
collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists.
Remix Judaism
Roberta Rosenthal Kwall
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781538129555, $30.00, HC, 266pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Remix Judaism: Preserving Tradition in a Diverse World" by Roberta Rosenthal
Kwall offers an eloquent and thoughtful new vision for all Jews seeking a sense of belonging in a
changing world, regardless of their current level of observance. Kwall sets out a process of
selection, rejection, and modification of rituals that allow for a focus on Jewish tradition rather
than on the technicalities of Jewish law.
Roberta's goal is not to sell her own religious practices to readers but, rather, to encourage them
to find their own personal meaning in Judaism outside the dictates of Commandment by
broadening their understanding of how law, culture and tradition fit together. In "Remix
Judaism", she inspires her audience to be intentional and mindful about the space they allocate
for these elements in defining their individual Jewish journeys and identities.
Critique: As thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is inspired and inspiring, "Remix Judaism:
Preserving Tradition in a Diverse World" is an exceptionally well written, organized and
presented study that will prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated contribution to the
growing body of Contemporary Judaic Studies literature. While highly recommended for
community, synagogue, and academic library Judaic Studies collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Remix Judaism" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $27.09).
Editorial Note: Roberta Rosenthal Kwall is the Raymond P. Niro Professor at DePaul University
College of Law. She earned her undergraduate degree in Religious Studies and American
Civilization from Brown University and received her law degree from the University of
Pennsylvania Law School, where she was on the Editorial Board of the Law Review and sang
with the school's light opera company. She also has a Master's Degree in Jewish Studies.
Professor Kwall is a prolific writer and lecturer whose work focuses on a wide array of topics
including Jewish tradition and American Judaism, author's rights, creativity theory, and cultural
analysis. In 2006, she was designated as one of the Ten Best Law Professors in Illinois by
Chicago Lawyer Magazine. She can be followed on twitter at @robertakwall.
To This Very Day
Amnon Bazak
Maggid Books
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.korenpub.com
9781592645152, $34.95, HC, 492pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In recent generations, there has been a renaissance of Tanakh study among Jewry in
general, and in the study halls of the Religious-Zionist community in particular. This return to
in-depth study of the plain text has brought with it new challenges. How should one respond to
the complex questions raised by close textual reading, by new methodology, and by recent
discoveries?
"To This Very Day: Fundamental Questions in the Bible Study" by Rabbi Amnon Bazak (an
instructor at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel and a lectuerer in Bible and Oral Law at Herzog
Collge) offers a unique approach that has arisen in the current generation of Bible scholars, who
come to Tanakh study with deep, serious belief in the holiness and divine nature of the books, on
the one hand, and on the other, the understanding that new discoveries in the scholarly world
need neither be rejected out of hand nor adopted in their entirety.
Critique: An impressively written, exceptionally informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking
study, "To This Very Day: Fundamental Questions in the Bible Study" is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, rabbinical, synagogue, and academic library
Contemporary Judaic Studies collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists.
Jewish Mysticism: From Ancient Times through Today
Marvin A. Sweeney
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
4035 Park East Court SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
www.eerdmans.com
9780802864031, $60.00, HC, 500pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Questions of how the divine presence is understood and interacts within the world
have been around since the time of the biblical prophets. The Jewish mystical tradition conceives
God as active, just, powerful, and present while allowing for divine limitation so as to understand
the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people in their history.
In "Jewish Mysticism: From Ancient Times through Today" Professor Marvin Sweeney surveys
Jewish visionary and mystical experience from biblical and ancient Near Eastern times through
the modern period and the emergence of modern Hasidism. Professor Sweeney also provides a
comprehensive treatment of one of the most dynamic fields of Jewish studies in the twenty-first
century, providing an accessible overview of texts and interpretative issues.
Professor Sweeney begins with the biblical period, which most treatments of Jewish mysticism
avoid, and includes chapters on the ancient Near East, the Pentateuch, the Former Prophets and
Psalms, the Latter Prophets, Jewish Apocalyptic, the Heikhalot Literature, the Sefer Yetzirah and
early Kabbalistic Literature, the Zohar, Lurianic Kabbalah and the Shabbetean Movement, and
the Hasidic Movement.
Placing Jewish apocalyptic literature into the larger development of ancient Jewish visionary and
mystical experience, Professor Sweeney fills gaps left by the important but outdated work of
others in the field. Ideal for the scholar, student, or general reader, "Jewish Mysticism" provides
readers with a fresh understanding of the particular challenges, problems, needs, and perspectives
of Judaism throughout its history.
Critique: An impressively informative and meticulously documented work of exceptional
scholarship, "Jewish Mysticism: From Ancient Times through Today" is enhanced for academia
with the inclusion of a twelve page Bibliography, a three page Index of Authors, a two page
Index of Subjects, and an eight page Index. Simply stated, "Jewish Mysticism: From Ancient
Times through Today" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
community, college, and university library Contemporary Judaic History collections in general,
and Jewish Mysticism/Kabbalah supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Marvin A. Sweeney is the Professor of Hebrew Bible at the Claremont School of
Theology, where he teaches in the areas of Hebrew Bible studies and the history of Judaism and
Jewish thought. He is a specialist in Jewish biblical theology, prophetic literature, narrative
literature, and Jewish mysticism and visionary texts.
The Islamic Studies Shelf
The Many Faces of Political Islam, second edition
Mohammed Ayoob & Danielle N. Lussier
University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
www.press.umich.edu
9780472037650, $29.95, PB, 258pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Analysts and pundits from across the American political spectrum describe Islamic
fundamentalism as one of the greatest threats to modern, Western-style democracy. Yet very few
non-Muslims would be able to venture an accurate definition of political Islam.
Now in a fully revised and updated second edition, "The Many Faces of Political Islam: Religion
and Politics in Muslim Societies" by the team of Danielle N. Lussier (who is an Associate
Professor of Political Science at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa) and Mohammed Ayoob (who
is the University Distinguished Emeritus Professor of International Relations at Michigan State
University, and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Policy, in Washington,
DC) thoroughly analyzes the many facets of this political ideology and shows its impact on
global relations.
Critique: An ideal introduction to the subject of Islamic political systems, "The Many Faces of
Political Islam: Religion and Politics in Muslim Societies" is enhanced for academia with the
inclusion of a sixteen page Bibliography, twenty-six pages of Notes, a four page Glossary, and a
fifteen page Index. While an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community,
college, and university library Contemporary Islamic Studies & Political Science collections, it
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, governmental policy makers,
corporate executives seeking to do business in or with an Islamic country, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Many Faces of Political Islam" is also
readily available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $29.95).
The Photography Shelf
Tulips
Peter Arnold
teNeues Publishing
350 Seventh Avenue, Suite 301, New York, NY, 10011
www.teneues.com
9783961712656, $24.95, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: No flower, whether in a garden or as a cut flower in a vase, is as well-known and as
varied in shape and color as the tulip. Once the most expensive flower bulb in the world, this
ever-cheerful member of the Lily family is defined by its vibrant hues and simple sophistication
of form.
"Tulip" is a newly-designed classic of floral photography in which Peter Arnold fully captures
the tulip in all its beauty and diversity. From familiar to exotic tulip varieties, his exquisite tulip
pictures are supplemented with new texts -- including a Foreword by Sir Elton John.
Critique: A 'must' for all gardeners, flower lovers, and fans of art and flower photography,
browsing through the pages of "Tulips" is the next best thing to personally walking through the
tulip fields of Holland. A simply gorgeous photographic compendium, "Tulips" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community and academic library collections.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Sunny Days
Jan Patek
Martingale & Company
www.shopmartingale.com
9781683560487, $18.99
Sunny Days: A Summertime Quilt Full of Folk-Art Fun shows quilters how to make fourteen
block designs inspired by summer themes, from trees and flowers to birds and bees, and provides
a template for a queen-size production that can be used for beds or display purposes. Patek's
needle-turn technique is taught and can be used (or any other applique method) to craft these
blocks, which can also be used for other non-quilt projects. Full-sized patterns are a bonus, here,
accompanying wealth of color photos.
Cute Crocheted Wild Animals
Emma Varnam
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784945480, $19.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Inspired by the imagination of children, needlecraft expert Emma Varnam likes to
make items that bring a smile. She has written a number of popular crochet books that include
Granny Squares Home, Crocheted Keyrings & Charms, Cute Crocheted Animals and How to
Crochet, all published by GMC Publications. Now with "Cute Crocheted Wild Animals" she
draws upon her years of experience and expertise to create a DIY instruction manual and guide
for creating ten adorable crocheted chums that have enviable wardrobes to mix and match. The
five pairs of animals (pandas, lions, zebras, elephants and monkeys) all have distinctive
personalities and gorgeous outfits. All the clothes can fit all of the animals, so there is lots of fun
to be had dressing them up. Each individual project comprising "Cute Crocheted Wild Animals"
is beautifully photographed and includes clear patterns and guidance. Of special note is a
techniques section that gives clear instructions on all the skills needed and necessary to
successfully make the animals and their outfits.
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Cute Crocheted Wild
Animals" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and
community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections.
The Poetry Shelf
A Nail the Evening Hangs On
Monica Sok
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
www.coppercanyonpress.org
9781556595608, $16.99, PB, 88pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Monica Sok uses poetry to reshape a family's memory (memories that iare both real
and imagined) about the Khmer Rouge regime according to a child of refugees. Driven by
myth-making and fables, the poems examine the inheritance of the genocide and the profound
struggles of searing grief and PTSD.
Though the landscape of Cambodia is always present, it is the liminal space, the in-betweenness
of diaspora, in which younger generations must reconcile their history and create new rituals. "A
Nail the Evening Hangs On" seeks to reclaim the Cambodian narrative with tenderness and an
imagination that moves towards wholeness and possibility.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "A Nail the Evening Hangs On" is
Monica Sok's debut collection of her poetry, this deftly penned anthology is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college, and university library
Contemporary Poetry collections.
Editorial Note: Monica Sok is a Cambodian American poet and the daughter of former refugees.
She is the author of Year Zero winner of a Poetry Society of America Chapbook Fellowship. Her
work has been recognized with a "Discovery" / Boston Review Poetry Prize. Currently, Sok is a
2018-2020 Stegner Fellow in Poetry at Stanford University. Residing in Oakland, California,
Monica teaches poetry to youths at Banteay Srei and the Center for Empowering Refugees and
Immigrants.
The Self-Help Shelf
How to Age Joyfully
Maggy Pigott
Vie
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781786859686, $16.99
How to Age Joyfully: Eight Steps to a Happier, Fuller Life offers eight easy, key strategies for
enjoying life to its fullest, from eating better and being more physically active to cultivating a life
purpose, staying better connected with the world, and becoming a more positive, giving person.
Each goal is accompanied by tips and quotes from those who succeeded in each objective,
making it easy to absorb the lessons and apply them to daily life. This succinct synthesis of
wisdom creates an especially simple, action-oriented set of admonitions perfect for those looking
to improve their aging process.
How Not to Be a Hot Mess
Craig Hase & Devon Hase
www.devonandcraighase.com
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
www.shambhala.com
9781611807981, $18.95, HC, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It may seem like the world is going to hell in a hand basket right now. Whether it's big
stuff like politics and climate change, or just the daily spin of paying your bills, getting to work
on time, and fending off social media trolls, we can all admit, modern life ain't easy. "How Not to
Be a Hot Mess: A Survival Guide for Modern Life" presents six really good guiding principles to
keep you anchored and steady amidst the chaos and that are inspired from the ancient wisdom of
Buddhism and mindfulness practice.
Critique: As thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is inspired and inspiring, "How Not to Be a
Hot Mess: A Survival Guide for Modern Life" fully lives up to the promise of its title.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Survival
Guide for Modern Life" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
community, college, and university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of anyone interested in a Buddhist perspective and approach
to dealing with the stresses of life that "How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Survival Guide for
Modern Life" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Craig and Devon Hase mentor dharma practitioners online, teach meditation on
the Simple Habit app, and lead meditation retreats throughout North America and Europe. Devon
teaches at the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock and mentors mindfulness teachers for
Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. Craig
spent six years in a Zen monastery and then completed a PhD in counseling psychology before
making his topsy-turvy transition into teaching mindfulness, meditation, and dharma full time.
They maintain a web site at www.devonandcraighase.com
Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in Life
Kelley Earnhardt Miller
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.thomasnelson.com
9780785229308, $26.99, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Just like a race car as it takes to the track, each of us needs a certain amount of
fine-tuning for our journey through life according to Kelley Earnhardt Miller, daughter of Dale
Earnhardt Sr. and sister to Dale Jr., and grew up in the world of NASCAR. In "Drive: 9 Lessons
to Win in Business and in Life" she shares the lessons she learned about being a successful
business leader and what she discovered, often the hard way, about winning in life.
Kelley never felt she was winning at anything until she began to deal with the thoughts and
feelings that were driving her decisions and taking her in the wrong direction. Her journey of
transformation is what empowered her to run the family business in an entirely different way than
she had previously and to lead people not only with her head but also with her heart.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and as thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is
impressively insightful and ultimately inspiring, "Drive: 9 Lessons to Win in Business and in
Life" by Kelly Earnhardt Miller is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, community, college 'Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Drive" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781799732013, $26.99,
CD).
The Cookbook Shelf
Ultimate Soup Maker
Joy Skipper
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780600636510, $14.99
Ultimate Soup Maker: More than 100 Simple, Nutritious Recipes promotes time-saving soup
makers as a new opportunity for versatile, quick cooking, and is a basic primer for any new
owner of a soup maker. Each recipe serves four, can be made in the single soup maker pan, and
offers tips on how to use its various functions. Recipes are divided into chapters by preparation,
dietary focus, and classic fare, and come from a nutritionist who offers such healthy specialties as
Butternut and Cumin Soup, Stilton, Potato and Leek, and Red Chicken and Coconut Broth. The
inclusion of color photos throughout and an index to speed location of a particular soup recipe
contribute to an outstanding production.
Real Bento
Kanae Inoue
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805315774, $16.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Bento is a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal common in Japanese,
Taiwanese, and Chinese cuisines and other Asian cultures where rice is the main staple food. A
traditional bento holds rice or noodles, fish or meat, with pickled and cooked vegetables, in a
box. Containers range from mass-produced disposables to hand-crafted lacquerware. Bento are
readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops,
railway stations, and department stores. However, Japanese homemakers often spend time and
energy on carefully prepared lunch boxes for their spouses, children, or themselves. Bentos can
be elaborately arranged in a style called "kyaraben" ("character bento"). Kyaraben are typically
decorated to look like popular characters from Japanese animation (anime), comic books
(manga), or video games. Another popular bento style is "oekakiben" or "picture bento". This is
decorated to look like people, animals, buildings and monuments, or items such as flowers and
plants. Contests are often held where bento arrangers compete for the most aesthetically pleasing
arrangements. (Wikipedia)
"Real Bento: Fresh and Easy Lunchbox Recipes from a Japanese Working Mom" by Japanese
housewife Kanae Inoue is packed from cover to cover with the time-saving tricks that allow even
the most novice of kitchen cooks to make bento box lunches each morning in just 10 minutes,
using ingredients and recipes that will satisfy the whole family! The recipes are presented by
flavor type and key ingredient, so it's easy for parents to find dishes their kids will love.
In "Real Bento", Inoue presents 200 recipes, divided into "main dishes" and "sides" for 22
completed bento boxes. The colorful photos and step-by-step instructions make this an incredibly
practical and easy-to-use resource for busy households! In her recipes, Inoue places great
emphasis on healthy, fresh and colorful foods that look and taste great when presented
together.
Her recipes include Japanese favorites and original recipes like: Teriyaki Chicken; Stuffed Bell
Peppers; Ginger Salmon; Broccoli and Pasta Salad; Beef and Egg Stir Fry.
Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, "Real Bento: Fresh and Easy Lunchbox
Recipes from a Japanese Working Mom"is the ideal beginning bento book for American family
cooks and is a perfect instructional guide and manual for this distinctive approach to a distinctive
form of Japanese cuisine. While especially recommended for community library cookbook
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Real Bento" is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Kanae Inoue is a wife, mother of three teenagers, a well-known author of bento
cookbooks and a popular food blogger and personality in her home country of Japan. Her
delicious, economical, and family-friendly recipes for bentos have garnered her a huge
following.
Chetna's Healthy Indian Vegetarian
Chetna Makan
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784726621, $29.99, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Chetna's Healthy Indian Vegetarian" by Chetna Makan is a celebration of Indian food
at its fresh, vibrant and supremely delicious best! Showcasing more than 80 delicious and
thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes that vegetarian (and even the most dedicated of meat
eaters!) will enjoy, Chetna shows just how creative you can be with even the most humble
vegetable.
"Chetna's Healthy Indian Vegetarian" is packed with flavorful and innovative menu with dishes
such as: Samphire and carom seeds pakoras; Red lentils and roasted cauliflower soup; Whole
green chilli curry in a gram flour yogurt sauce; Zucchini kofta curry; Coconut and chana dal
stuffed parathas; Cashew nut paneer rice; Chocolate coconut laddos; and Cardamom and almond
bake.
Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated with full color photography throughout, "Chetna's
Healthy Indian Vegetarian" is an ideal resource for vegetarian menu development and certain to
be an enduringly favorite addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook
collections. It be noted that "Chetna's Healthy Indian Vegetarian" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Chetna Makan was born in Jabalpur, an ancient city in central India. Chetna
reached the semi-final of The Great British Baking Show in 2014, and her first book, The
Cardamom Trail, is a celebration of baking with Indian flavors. She also has a very popular
YouTube channel 'Food with Chetna' where she shares her creative flair for food.
The Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook
Ralph Nader
Akashic Books
232 Third Street, #A115, Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.akashicbooks.com
9781617757945, $24.95, HC, 104pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Nowadays, the Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest on the planet, but
in the 1930s and '40s of Nader's youth it was considered by many Americans as simply strange.
Luckily for Ralph Nader and his siblings, this didn't prevent their mother, Rose, from serving the
family homemade, healthy meals -- dishes from her homeland of Lebanon. Rose didn't simply
encourage her children to eat well, she took time to discuss and explain her approach to food; she
used the family meals to connect all of her children to the traditions of their ancestors.
"The Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook: Classic Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond" shares the
cuisine of Nader's upbringing, presenting Lebanese dishes inspired by Rose's recipes that will be
both known to many, including hummus and baba ghanoush, as well as others that may be lesser
known, such as kibbe, the extremely versatile national dish of Lebanon, and sheikh al-mahshi --
"the 'king' of stuffed foods."
The cookbook also includes an introduction by Nader and anecdotes throughout. "The Ralph
Nader and Family Cookbook" will entice one's taste buds, while sharing a side of Ralph Nader
that may not be commonly known, though will not surprise anyone familiar with his decades of
activism and involvement in consumer protection.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography, "The
Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook: Classic Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond" is an
extraordinary and inspirational resource for planning palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying, kitchen
cook friendly dishes that will make for truly memorable meals. While unreservedly
recommended for family, professional and community library cookbook collections, it should be
noted for the personal reading lists that "The Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.49).
Editorial Note: Ralph Nader is best-known for his social critiques and his efforts to increase
government and corporate accountability, but what some might not know about him is his
lifelong commitment to healthy eating. Born in Connecticut to Lebanese parents, Nader's
appreciation of food began at an early age, when his parents, Rose and Nathra, owned an eatery,
bakery, and delicatessen called the Highland Arms Restaurant. The family eschewed processed
foods and ate only a moderate amount of lean red meat.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Magdalene Mysteries
Seren Bertrand & Azra Bertrand, M.D.
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591433460, $30.00, PB, 560pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A sacred priestess of the ancient Womb Rites, Mary Magdalene was at the center of a
great and enduring Mystery tradition, one that touched on a stream of perennial spiritual wisdom
as old as humanity. Worshiped as the human embodiment of the Goddess, the earthly Sophia, her
womb was the spiritual luminatrix that anointed and empowered Jesus, transforming him into the
Christ. As a priestess of the Goddess, Mary Magdalene knew how to embody the light and the
dark, how to harness the magic potency of sacred sexual energy, and how to cleanse, awaken, and
resurrect the soul. Yet, even though she sparked the creation of a worldwide religion, her story
and teachings have been forgotten because of the suppression efforts of the Roman Catholic
church.
Unveiling the lost left-hand path of the Magdalene, the Feminine Christ, authors Seren and Azra
Bertrand explore how this underground stream of knowledge has been carried forward over the
millennia through an unbroken lineage of Womb Shamans, Priestesses, Oracles, and Medicine
Women. They explain how the Magdalene Mysteries, symbolized by the Rose, have been
encoded in Gnostic codices and gospels and in the highest art, literature, and architecture of
many ages, including most significantly the Ghent Altarpiece. They examine Mary Magdalene's
connection to moon wisdom, sacred harlot archetypes, and goddesses in many traditions,
including Isis, Inanna, Asherah, Lilith, and Jezebel, and look at shamanic, tantric, and Cathar
expressions of sacred feminine mysteries as well as the Witch and Templar roots of Robin Hood
and Maid Marian.
"Magdalene Mysteries: The Left-Hand Path of the Feminine Christ" is a revelatory and magical
study showcasing the lost feminine mystery traditions of Mary Magdalene and the lineage of
Sophia. "Magdalene Mysteries" also presents an encompassing theological, historical,
mythological, and archetypal wisdom, with rituals and practices to initiate the reader into the
Womb magic of the ancient priestesses and the path of the wild feminine.
Critique: A unique, iconoclastic, inherently fascinating, exceptionally well written and
informatively detailed study from cover to cover, "Magdalene Mysteries: The Left-Hand Path of
the Feminine Christ" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library New
Age & Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Magdalene Mysteries" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).
Editorial Note: Seren Bertrand is a visionary creatrix and spirit keeper with a degree in English
literature and modern philosophy who is dedicated to restoring the lost global feminine wisdom
traditions. Azra Bertrand, M.D., has a degree in biochemistry and studied at Duke University
School of Medicine, with research at the NIH. He has been a pioneering doctor and mystic for
over two decades, following the feminine pathway of alchemy. Seren Bertrand and Azra Bertrand
are also the co-authors of Womb Awakening.
The Magic of Marie Laveau
Denise Alvarado
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578636730, $16.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Marie Catherine Laveau (September 10, 1801 - June 15, 1881) may be the most
influential 19th Century American practitioner of the magical arts; certainly, she is among the
most famous. She is the subject of songs, films, and legends and the star of New Orleans ghost
tours. Her grave in New Orleans ranks among the most popular spiritual pilgrimages in the US.
Devotees venerate votive images of Laveau, who proclaimed herself the "Pope of Voodoo." She
is the subject of respected historical biographies and the inspiration for novels by Francine Prose
and Jewell Parker Rhodes. She even appears in Marvel Comics and on the television show
American Horror Story: Coven, where she was portrayed by Angela Bassett.
In "The Magic of Marie Laveau: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of the Voodoo Queen of New
Orleans", author Denise Alvarado explores Marie Laveau's life and work as a fascinating history
and mystery. "The Magic of Marie Laveau" also gives an overview of New Orleans Voodoo, its
origins, history, and practices. It contains spells, prayers, rituals, recipes, and instructions for
constructing New Orleans voodoo-style altars and crafting a voodoo amulet known as a
gris-gris.
Critique: Exceptionally informative and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in commentary, organization
and presentation, "The Magic of Marie Laveau: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of the Voodoo
Queen of New Orleans" is an inherently fascinating and thought-provoking read from beginning
to end. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to both community and
academic library 19th Century American Metaphysical History collections in general, and Mary
Laveau supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for students, academia,
metaphysical practitioners, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"The Magic of Marie Laveau: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of the Voodoo Queen of New
Orleans" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Denise Alvarado was born and raised in the rich Creole culture of New Orleans,
Louisiana. She has studied indigenous healing traditions from a personal and academic
perspective for over 4 decades and is the author of numerous books about Southern folk
traditions. She is a rootworker in the Louisiana folk magic tradition, a spiritual artist, and a
teacher of Southern conjure at Crossroads University.
Faery
John T. Kruse
Llewellyn Publications
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
www.llewellyn.com
9780738761893, $21.99, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Faery: A Guide to the Lore, Magic & World of the Good Folk" by John T. Kruse is an
impressive source of both a folkloric resource and informational guide to living and working
with our magical neighbors. Featuring an expansive look at the world of Faery and the history,
behavior, and appearance of the Good Folk, "Faery" provides detailed and practical advice based
on local legends and real encounters.
In "Faery", Kruse dives deep into the rich cultural traditions of the British Isles, revealing the
symbiotic relationship between humans and faeries. Readers can explore the magic, habits, and
culture of the Good Folk, discover the different types of faeries and how to find them, as well as
what precautions should be taken when working with them.
Respectful and thorough, "Faery" will enrich our lives as it teaches us how to truly feel the
presence of the Good Folk.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative study from cover to cover,
"Faery: A Guide to the Lore, Magic & World of the Good Folk" will prove to be an immediate
and enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library Metaphysical
Studies collections in general, and the Faery Folk supplemental studies lists in particular.
Expertly organized and presented, it should be noted that "Faery: A Guide to the Lore, Magic &
World of the Good Folk" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: John T. Kruse (London, UK) has lectured on British fairy tradition at London's
metaphysical bookstore Treadwells and is the author of British Fairies (Green Magic
Publications, 2017). He has also written for Magical Times and Witches & Pagans.
Ancient Egyptian Magic: A Hands-On Guide
Christina Riggs
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500052129, $24.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In ancient Egypt, if you needed a love charm, wanted to contact your dead wife, or
needed the ability to fly like a bird, the magicians and priests of Egypt were the ones who could
make it happen.
In "Ancient Egyptian Magic: A Hands-On Guide", Christina Riggs explores how the Egyptians
thought about magic, who performed it and why, and also helps readers understand why we have
come to think of ancient Egypt in such a mystical way.
In the pages of "Ancient Egyptian Magic: A Hands-On Guide" readers will learn how to cure
scorpion bites, discover why you might want to break the legs off your stuffed hippopotamus toy,
and uncover whether mummies really can come back to life. Readers can also learn how to save a
fortune on pregnancy tests (urinating on barley grains will answer that question) as well as how
to use the next street parade to predict the future or ensure that an annoying neighbor gets his
comeuppance.
Was magic harmless fun, heartfelt hope, or something darker? Featuring demons, dream
interpreters, the Book of the Dead, and illustrations from tomb paintings and papyrus scrolls,
"Ancient Egyptian Magic: A Hands-On Guide" breathes new life into ancient magic and uses
early texts and images to illuminate the distinctions between magic, religion, and medicine.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of 95 illustrations, "Ancient Egyptian
Magic: A Hands-On Guide" is an inherently fascinating and impressively informative read that
will prove especially interesting to students of Egyptology and the Metaphysical Arts. Christina
Riggs' "Ancient Egyptian Magic: A Hands-On Guide" will prove to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library
collections.
Editorial Note: Christina Riggs is a fellow of All Souls College, University of Oxford, and chair
in the history of art and archaeology, University of East Anglia. She is the author of six books,
including Ancient Egyptian Art and Architecture: A Very Short Introduction. She writes for a
range of newspapers and magazines and has appeared in radio and TV shows for the BBC,
National Geographic, and the History Channel.
The Fishing Shelf
The Angler's Book of Favorite Fishing Quotations
Jackie Corley
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578268351, $12.50, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Fishing is a pastime as old as humanity itself, and while the process and techniques
have changed and evolved with new technology and strategies, the simple goal of catching a fish
is timeless. Whether by yourself on a tiny boat in the middle of a lake or with a group of people
on the edge of a winding river, one only needs a simple rod, line, and bait -- as well
patience!
Expertly compiled by Jackie Corley, "The Angler's Book of Favorite Fishing Quotations: An
Inspired Collection of Wit and Wisdom for Those Who Love to Fish" captures this unique and
joyful experience with words and wisdom from writers, thinkers, and of course, anglers!
Critique: Entertaining and inspiring, and a simply pleasure to simply browse through, "The
Angler's Book of Favorite Fishing Quotations: An Inspired Collection of Wit and Wisdom for
Those Who Love to Fish" is a perfect gift for anyone who loves fishing. "The Angler's Book of
Favorite Fishing Quotations" is unreservedly recommended and will prove to be an immediate
and enduringly popular addition to any and all community library collections.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Power Divine and Human
Lucinda Mosher and David Marshall, editors
Georgetown University Press
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781589016774, $29.95
Power Divine and Human: Christian and Muslim Perspectives is recommended for both
Christian and Islamic studies collections, and provides a series of dialogues between the two that
encourages interactions between both based on issues of concern to each group. Essays by
Christians and Muslims are intended for both study and discussion, and provides materials that
not only contrast different points of view, but offer materials and pointers for crafting one's own
discussions. From Islamic texts on ideals and realities to community dialogues on broader issues,
this is an encouraging primer that advocates better communication and connections between the
two groups.
The Terrorism Studies Shelf
Operation Jihadi Bride
John Carney with Clifford Thurlow
Monoray
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781913184059, $16.99
Operation Jihadi Bride: My Covert Mission to Rescue Young Women From ISIS provides the
true story of the ex-British Army soldier/author's journey into Syria to save the lives of over a
hundred women and children, giving them a second chance. He was actually charged with
protecting oil executives in Iraq when he was contacted by the desperate family of a young Dutch
woman who begged him to save her from ISIS in Syria. Educated about the many young girls
who had been enslaved by ISIS in that country, he embarked on a single-handled mission to
rescue them, documenting these events in a powerful story of military encounters, social
inspection, and courage which will prove enlightening and hard to put down.
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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