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Library Bookwatch

Volume 3, Number 7 July 2008 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Fiction Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Library CD Music Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Sports Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Literary Shelf Business Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Library Science Shelf Railroading Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Photography Shelf Education Shelf Humor Shelf
Islamic Studies Shelf Interior Design Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Anthropology Shelf
Buddhist Studies Shelf Psychology Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Art Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf
Holocaust Studies Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Nautical Shelf
Travel Shelf Women's Studies Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Computer Shelf Science Shelf Parenting Shelf
Music Shelf Genealogy Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Northern Treasure
Susan Davis Price, author
John Gregor, photographer
Afton Historical Society Press
PO Box 100, Afton, MN 55001
9781890434779, $40.00, www.aftonpress.com

It used to be thought that growing fruit trees in Minnesota was too difficult to be a successful agricultural enterprise. "Northern Treasure: The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Horticultural Research Center" by Susan Davis Price is dedicated to proving that old belief wrong, and telling the story of how Minnesota became a flourishing source of fruits, vegetables and grains that help feed the nation and the world. "Northern Treasure" is filled with John Gregor's full color photography showcasing the beautiful plants of Minnesota, as well as detailed text profiling the gardens, the effort put into them, and their histories. A historical overview that gardeners, horticulturalists, nature lovers, and Minnesota historians are sure to enjoy, "Northern Treasurer" is a superbly presented work and an essential, core addition to Minnesota history and reference collections.

The 9/11 Encyclopedia, two volume set
Stephen E. Atkins
Praeger Security International
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9780275994310, $199.95, www.prager.com/PSI

No event in the twenty first century has had anywhere near the impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. "The 9/11 Encyclopedia" is a complete and comprehensive two volume collection on the topic, covering each aspect of the tragedy and its aftermath, as thorough as can be seven years later. Remembering Flight 93, connections to the bombing in 1993, and explanations of conspiracy theories are all within volume one of the set. Volume two looks at Bin Laden's Jihad, and includes interviews with survivors of the attacks alongside people who conducted rescues. Many more issues are covered in incredible depth in this expertly compiled, scholarly reference worthy of community and college library politics and reference collections.


The Fiction Shelf

Madam President and the Admiral
Carl Nelson
New Century Press
1055 Bay Blvd Ste C, Chula Vista, CA 91911
9781890035662, $16.95, www.newcenturypress.com

Conflict is brewing on the other side of the world as China and Russia grit their teeth at one another, and President Abigail Cass Steele must decide the fate of the United States. "Madam President and the Admiral" is a delightful mix of genres, acting as both a political and a military thriller; as President Cass faces the personal element of having to send the man she loves to a potential death, an element of romance is stirred in. "Madam President and the Admiral" is highly recommended for community library romance collections and for anyone who enjoys a mix of genre.

Wild Mulberries
Iman Humaydan Younes
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
9781566567008, $13.95, www.interlinkbooks.com

With the verge of adulthood comes the pressure of being responsible for oneself and not shaming one's family. Sarah must deal with all this in "Wild Mulberries". Her Lebanese village is on the verge of collapse financially, and her life seems to be falling apart. She must confront difficult choices in this seminal picture of life in small town Lebanon. Highly recommended for community library world fiction collections.

The Front Porch Prophet
Raymond L. Atkins
Medallion Press
1020 Cedar Ave, St. Charles, IL 60174
9781933836386, $25.95, www.medallionpress.com

Sequoyah, Georgia is home to the entertaining cast of characters of "The Front Porch Prophet". A.J. Longstreet is faced with his own mortality as he's diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He contemplates the possibility of circumventing his suffering with a mercy killing. As he ponders his life and death, he runs into countless characters, all odd and unique, who teach him something about life. This leaves his question open concerning what to do with his life, or what's left of it. "The Front Porch Prophet" is an intriguing and clever tale, highly recommended for community library fiction collections.

Waiting for the Light to Change
Annette Haws
Cedar Fort
2373 West 700 South, Springville, UT, 84663
MKL Public Relations (publicity)
8 East Broadway, Suite 611, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
9781599551562, $19.99, www.cedarfort.com

Bitter feelings die hard. "Waiting for the Light to Change" follows Sarah when her hated ex-husband re-emerges into her life. It doesn't help that the students in the high school class she teaches are undermining her authority, and her daughter has problems as well. "Waiting for the Light to Change" is ultimately the charming story of a woman trying to find happiness when everything is against her, something many women will relate to. A top pick for community library fiction collections.

Powers
Deborah Lynn Jacobs
Square Fish
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
9780312377564, $6.99, www.squarefishbooks.com

What if you met someone who brought out your latent psychic powers – but you simply could not stand them? "Powers" follows Gwen and Adrian as they deal with this supernatural situation, and end up being at each other's throats, using one another and abusing one another's power. A story of destructive manipulation and control, "Powers" is intriguing from first page to last, and highly recommended for community library science fiction collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

Fast Food
Gordon Ramsey
Key-Porter Books
6 Adelaide Street East, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5C 1H6
9781554700646, $35.00, www.keyporter.com

One does not need all the time in the world to eat a healthy, delicious, and nutritious meal. Gordon Ramsey, celebrated TV cook, brings readers "Fast Food", a cookbook featuring recipes that can be prepared start to finish in about fifteen minutes (none take longer than half an hour apiece), and offering advice to make cooking these dishes even quicker. Readers who want a cookbook that doesn't take hours to use need look no further than Gordon Ramsey's "Fast Food". Recommended for community library cookbook collections.

Pink Princess Tea Parties
Barbara Beery
Gibbs Smith
PO Box 667, Layton, UT 84041
9781423604167, $14.99, www.gibbs-smith.com

A childhood tea party – all little girls have thrown a make believe one, but as adults, reality is at their fingertips. "Pink Princess Tea Parties" is a cookbook filled with simple recipes for light, sweet, and delectable 'tea party' style foods and beverages sure to please a hostess living out their childhood fantasies, as well as their guests (who may or may not be in on the fantasy). Featuring dishes such as Pink Princess Smoothies, Sweetheart Shortbread, and Confetti Meringue Cookies, and full color photos of almost every recipe, "Pink Princess Tea Parties" is highly recommended for community library cookbook collections. Also highly recommended from Gibbs Smith Press is "New West Cuisine: Fresh Recipes from the Rocky Mountains" (978142360256, $29.95), another great cookbook with a focus on mountain cookery, sure to please anyone looking for a new taste sensation.

The Soul of Southern Cooking
Kathy Starr
New South Books
PO Box 1588, Montgomery, AL 36102
1588380521, $17.95, www.newsouthbooks.com

There's more to southern cooking than a lot of deep frying – there's soul. "The Soul of Southern Cooking" offers a from-the-heart explanation of what southern cooking really is, followed by countless recipes for delicious dishes that are commonly known as soul food. Giving thorough and unique directions for soul food-style renditions of dishes such as Macaroni and Cheese, Cheeseburgers, Collard Greens, and more, "The Soul of Southern Cooking" is a top pick for anyone who wants a cookbook with heart and for community library cookbook collections.

The Farmer's Wife Cookbook
Martha Engstrom, editor
Voyageur Press
380 Jackson Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101
9780760334898, $14.95, www.mbipublishing.com 1-800-458-0454

In the late 19th to the early 20th centuries, "The Farmer's Wife" magazine was a staple in American homes, featuring timely topics of interest to rural women readers. Every issue showcased recipes and menus meant for farm kitchens, from the first issue in 1893 to the last issue in 1939. Now the best of those recipes and menus are reproduced in "The Farmer's Wife Cookbook: Over 400 Blue-Ribbon Recipes". Enhanced with clips of the magazine's original articles and artwork, "The Farmer's Wife Cookbook" also includes a guide to home canning and instructions for making jams, jellies, pickles, and relishes. Spiral bound and sturdy, "The Farmer's Wife Cookbook" has its recipes arranged in chapters dedicated to 'First Courses and Soups'; Beverages; Breads; Meats; Soups; Vegetables; 'Hot Supper Dishes'; Salads and Salad Dressings; Desserts and Candies; Cakes, Cookies, Doughnuts, Icings, Fillings and Dessert Sauces; Pastry and Pies; Jellies, Conserves and Jams; Pickles and Relishes. Offering nostalgic dining on farm family favorites, "The Farmer's Wife Cookbook" is thoroughly 'kitchen friendly' for modern cooks and a useful, entertaining and inspired addition to personal and community library cookbook collections.

The Diabetic Chef's Year-Round Cookbook
Chris Smith
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
9781580402927, $19.95 www.diabetes.org 1-800-342-2383

Just because diabetics must be careful of their diet doesn't mean they have to forego gourmet level qualities of taste, presentation, and elegance when dining at home. Chef Chris Smith has compiled a volume of outstanding recipes to grace any diabetic's meal plan in "The Diabetic Chef's Year-Round Cookbook", published by the American Diabetes Association. For the novice kitchen cook seeking to prepare 'diabetic friendly' dishes there are pragmatic tips and techniques that can accentuate the inherent tastes of healthy ingredients, advice on stocking one's kitchen to prepare such meals, tips on selecting the right kinds of ingredients or cooking foods at correct temperatures, and even how to use template cooking to make changes to one's favorite recipes. Broken down monthly throughout the spectrum of one year, each recipe showcased in "The Diabetic Chef's Year-Round Cookbook" is adjusted to the ingredients of that particular season. Enhanced with the inclusion of a sidebar identifying Exchanges/Choices and Basic Nutritional Values, the recipes include Turkey Gravy; Zucchini and Mushroom Frittatas; Baked Salmon with Mango Vinaigrette; Extra-Thick Lemon Yogurt; Roasted Corn and Red Pepper Salsa; Sweet Vadalia Onion Tart, Grilled Skirt Steak; and Tossed Mixed Greens with Grilled Chicken and Goat Cheese. A solid compendium of easy-to-prepare quality dishes that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite.


The Library CD Music Shelf

Dununya
Famoro Dioubate's Kakande
Jumbie Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
$18.99 www.rockpaperscissors.biz www.JumbieRecords.com

Famoro Dioubate is a balafon (African xylophone) master from one of the most prestigious griot (musician/storyteller) families in Guinea. With his ensemble Kakande, named for his ancestral village, Dioubate presents a new music CD album Dununya, which brings the wonders of African musical tradition to a worldwide audience. Vocals, flutes, guitars, and cellos complemented by Dioubate's heavenly touch upon the balafon coalesce into a cross-cultural masterpiece of rhythm, allegorical wisdom, and African dialogue. Highly recommended as a welcome addition to international and public library music CD collections. The tracks are Kakande, Bani, Mariama Traore, Nina Kaba, Souaresi, Paya Paya, Bouba Sylla, Dununya, Mali Sadjo, So Si Sa, and Temedi Kota.

Africa to Appalachia
Jayme Stone and Mansa Sissoko
Rock Paper Scissors (publicity)
511 West 4th Street, Suite 2, Bloomington, IN 47404
CD, $TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz www.jaymestone.com

Africa to Appalachia is a music CD collaboration between recording artist and banjo expert Jayme Stone, who traveled to the African nation of Mali in search of the aspects of African music not readily available in modern America, and Mansa Sissoko, a griot singer and kora (a 21-string African harp) player. Stone's quest resulted in a bounty of rediscovery: perpetual polyrhythms, supersonic melodies, and traditional story-songs of timeless legends. Africa to Appalachia is a wondrous rebirth of native musical traditions, flowing out of a questing artist's search for the culture, tradition, expressions, and connections that can't be found through a high-tech internet search engine. Highly recommended especially for public library music CD collections and international music shelves.

Light on the Water
Timothy Cooper
New Piano Age Music
4101 Davenport St., NW, WDC 20016
The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
CD, $15.95, www.new-piano-age.com

Light on the Water is a CD of new age piano music written and performed by artist and human rights advocate Timothy Cooper. Though strongly influenced by and created in response to the September 11th attacks, Light on the Water is musical collection promoting peace, healing, and humanity above all. The flowing melodies and quiet beauty of the music respects the suffering of the dead and the survivors, even as it kindles hope for the future and shaping a better world. A heart-touching album, highly recommended. The tracks are "Worldscapes", "Why", "Rising", Solar Nights", "Soundings", "Curve of Madness", "One Smile", "Open Soul", "A Quiet Urgency", "Autumn Tears", "Advancing Moors", "Light on the Water", "The Struggles", "Glad Sorrows", "Ribbons of Starlight", "Solstice", "Worldscapes (Reprise)", "Advancing Moors (Reprise)", and "Advent". 57 min 12 seconds.

Live!
GeminiSun Records
30765 Pacific Coast Highway #330, Malibu, CA 90265
The Creative Service Company (publicity)
4360 Emerald Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
CD, $21.98, www.GeminiSunRecords.com

Part of GeminiSun Records' Audio Visual Connect Series, Live! is a two-disc CD and DVD set celebrating the art of instrumental music. Featuring Nicholas Gunn, Johannes Linstead, Loren Gold, and David Arkenstone, Live! offers the next best thing to experiencing the vibrance of their music show in person. In addition to performing live on stage, the artists also talk about what each song means to them, and the wonder that expressing oneself through music. The tracks are "Desert Crossing" (8:20), "Falling" (2:37), "For My Baby" (4:04), "Sunnyside" (5:50), "Earth Bones" (2:03), "Elves' Chasm" (4:47), "Apasionado Uno" (4:05), "Breathe" (4:10), "New Day" (5:13), "Dance in the Desert" (7:01), "Gypsy Camp" (5:45), "Spanish Town" (4:21), "Ambrosia" (4:38), "Streets of Old San Juan" (3:26), "Djunga" (7:33). 1 CD, 73 min. 51 sec.; 1 DVD, 74 min. 30 sec.


The Audiobook Shelf

Essential Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman, author
Ed Begley, Sr., narrator
Caedmon Audio
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780061566417, $12.95, www.harpercollins.com 1-800-242-7737

An audio CD of excerpts from Walt Whitman's poetry collection "Leaves of Grass" performed by Ed Begley, Sr., Essential Walt Whitman introduces listeners to Whitman's classic verses celebrating humanity. Including the popularly beloved poems such as "O Captain! My Captain!" and Whitman's elegy about President Abraham Lincoln, Essential Walt Whitman brings the printed verses to life with Begley's strong, emotional performances. An excellent way to become acquainted with one of America's greatest poets. 1 CD, 1 hour.

Sword Song
Bernard Cornwell, author
Gerard Doyle, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781428180703, $123.75, www.recordedbooks.com 1-800-638-1304

Marked with tracks every three minutes for easy bookmarking, Sword Song is an unabridged historical fiction audiobook set in the year 885, when England was divided into the Danish northern kingdom and King Alfred's Saxon southern kingdom of Wessex. When Viking invaders seize control of the decayed Roman city of London and prepare to attack Wessex, the half-Saxon, half-Danish warlord Uhtred, sworn to King Alfred, must protect the Thames border at all costs. But the Vikings want Uhtred to fight for them, which means that Uhtred must choose who is most worthy of his loyalty! Narrated by theatrical and television performer Gerard Doyle, Sword Song is a rousing tale of battle, bloodshed, and what lurks deepest within the hearts of men. 11 CDs, 13 1/2 hours.

Won't Get Fooled Again
Joseph H. Boyett, author
Phil Gigante, narrator
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781423364214, $29.95, www.brillianceaudio.com 1-800-854-7859

Written by veteran actor, director, and producer Joseph H. Boyett, Won't Get Fooled Again is an unabridged audiobook on CD decrying horrendously incompetent leadership in America, as evidenced by debacles in Iraq and the inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina. Examining what causes ordinary people to vote for or follow bad leaders, and what can be done to stop it, Won't Get Fooled Again comes to the resounding conclusion that the American populace desperately needs to become better informed and more demanding of its representatives. Key insights include why effective leaders are necessary, how to tell if a leader is authentic or simply saying whatever the public wants to hear, the top four red flags that a candidate's vision is problematic, and why so-called "wishy-washy" or "flip-flopper" candidates can make the best leaders (for one thing, they're more flexible and more willing to consider alternative options, especially when a given situation changes). An enthusiastically recommended audiobook for all American citizens, carrying a much-needed message about the critical importance of civic responsibility. 7 CDs, 8 hours.

The Glimmer Palace
Beatrice Colin, author
Justine Eyre, narrator
Penguin Audio
c/o The Penguin Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780143143215, $39.95, http://us.penguingroup.com 1-800-847-5515

The Glimmer Palace is an unabridged audiobook on CD of Beatrice Colin's dramatic novel. Opening in the cabaret era of the 1920s Berlin with the birth of the illegitimate and soon orphaned Lilly Nelly Aphrodite, The Glimmer Palace follows Lilly as she grows up in a Catholic orphanage, finding friends even amid times of hardship. Her life journey continues from urchin to maid, teenaged war bride, tingle-tangle bar girl, model, script typist, and eventually, a leading film star of Germany. Narrated by classically trained actress Justine Eyre, The Glimmer Palace is a captivating story of a strong, capable heroine surviving and thriving in uncertain times. 12 CDs, 14 1/2 hours.

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
Mignon Fogarty
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427204349, $29.95, www.macmillanaudio.com 1-800-221-7945

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing is an unabridged audiobook rendition of Mignon Fogarty's excellent guide to improving one's grammar. Well-known for her award-winning podcast explaining some of the most common grammatical mistakes people make, Mignon Fogarty delivers the straight scoop on style, business writing examples, advice for crafting smooth prose, and even e-mail tips. Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing is enthusiastically recommended for professional writers of all walks of life, from high school students crafting essays to college students working on Ph.Ds to prospective novel writers, nonfiction writers, journalists, newspaper columnists and much more. 5 CDs, 7 hours.


The Library DVD Shelf

Armor Plated
Mark Hatmaker
Paladin Press
Gunbarrel Tech Center, 7077 Winchester Circle, Boulder, CO 80301
APDVD, $49.95, www.paladin-press.com

Defending yourself is something all too often left out in ironically named self-defense classes. "Armor Plated: The Encyclopedia of Defensive Skills for NHB and the Street" is a guide to protecting one's body in the event of being overwhelmed by an assault where the proverb 'the best defense is a good offense' is simply not plausible. Teaching how to turn a situation like that into one's favor so one can go on the offensive, "Armor Plated: The Encyclopedia of Defensive Skills for NHB and the Street" is a must for anyone looking to improve their self-defense skills, whether for the ring or just for the worst.

Wide Sargasso Sea
based on a novel by Jean Rhys
Acorn Media Group
8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 620, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3403
AMP-8077, $24.99 www.acornmedia.com

Wide Sargasso Sea is the movie adaptation of a novel written by Jean Rhys, as a deliberate prequel to Charlotte Bronte's classic tale "Jane Eyre". In the story, Rhys imagined how Mr. Rochester from "Jane Eyre" met and married his first wife, and how she became a madwoman in the attic. Set in early 1800s Jamaica, the young Englishman Edward Rochester (Rafe Spall) captivates the beautiful Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway (Rebecca Hall); yet the passionate lust of the newlyweds quickly gives way to suspicion, fear and betrayal. Originally aired in the United Kingdom, Wide Sargasso Sea is now available to American audiences on DVD with special features including a biography of Jean Rhys and cast filmographies. An absolute "must-see" for anyone who has enjoyed Charlotte Bronte's great works of literature. 84 min., color, widescreen, subtitles.

Talk Mogadishu
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
#04318, $250.00 www.bullfrogfilms.com 1-800-543-3764

Talk Mogadishu: Media Under Fire is the inspirational true story on DVD of HornAfrik, the first independent TV and radio station in war-torn Mogadishu, established by three courageous Somali-Canadians who sought to bring peace to their suffering nation through promoting freedom of expression, unbiased news, and open debate. The station's talk shows became wildly popular, and allowed Mogadishu's most marginalized residents to speak out (including humanitarian groups and those who advocated women's rights). Indeed, the station became so popular that it fell under attack more than once by warlords who were unhappy with its content. Yet HornAfrik continues, offering a voice of hope in a land that desperately needs it. A welcome addition to public library DVD shelves, ideal for showing in high school and college classrooms, Talk Mogadishu deserves the highest possible recommendation for its spotlight on how media has the potential to bring light to the most troubled of times and places. 50 min., closed captioned, color.

America's Team
Janson Media
88 Semmens Road, Harrington Park, NJ 07640
#20364, $24.95 www.janson.com

America's Team: Being a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird is an amazing documentary on DVD of what it takes to be part of the Thunderbirds, members of the U.S. Air Force with the masterful skills to pull off expert airshows. Now for the first time ever, a female pilot has joined the Thunderbirds! America's Team follows her and the entire Thunderbird squadron both at home and on the road, offering a glimpse into the rigors and rewards of aerial devotion. Bonus material includes an F-16 cockpit tour, an F-16 walkaround, and much more. Highly recommended for airplane enthusiasts everywhere! 81 min., widescreen, color.

The Four-Winged Dinosaur
WGBH Boston Video
c/o SSA Public Relations (publicity)
16027 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 206, Encino, CA 91436
9781593758226, $19.95 www.ssapr.com

The Four-Winged Dinosaur: Microraptors and the Bird Origin Debate is the DVD rendition of an episode from the public television series NOVA, detailing the discovery of and scientific experiments surrounding fossils of an amazing, recently discovered dinosaur species - microraptor, a small dinosaur with flight feathers on all four of its limbs! Microraptor might be the first known tree dweller, but even with four wings, could it fly? Or did it glide from treetop to treetop? How did it maneuver in the air with four wings? In search of answers, paleontologists conducted a number of wind tunnel experiments and carefully tabulated the data. The results offer insight into one of nature's greatest mysteries: how did winged flight really evolve? Featuring captivating computer imagery of how microraptor might once have looked and behaved in its native habitat, The Four-Winged Dinosaur is enthusiastically recommended not only for dinosaur lovers, but also for bird lovers of all ages and backgrounds. Enhancements include printable materials for educators, closed-captioning, and the option of described video for the visually impaired. 54 minutes, color.

Nana
Viz Pictures
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
DVD, $24.98, www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042

Based on the engaging manga (Japanese comics) by Ai Yazawa, Nana is a dramatic, live-action Japanese movie with English subtitles about the lives of two women, each named Nana. Nana "Hachi" Komatsu has come to Tokyo with her boyfriend in the hopes of starting afresh, while Nana Osaki has arrived in Tokyo chasing her dream to make a name for herself in rock 'n' roll as a pop music idol. Despite the women's radically different backgrounds, motives, and personalities, they become best friends as they adapt to the difficult challenges of life in a bustling, unfamiliar metropolis. An upbeat, engaging story of the supportive bond between female friends during the best of times and the worst of the times. 114 minutes, color.

Liquid Asana
Micheline Berry
Well Go USA, Inc.
990 N. Bowser Rd., Ste 700, Richardson, TX 75081
411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
DVD, $14.98, www.wellgousa.com www.411videoinfo.com

Liquid Asana: The Fluid Dance of Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Micheline Berry is a yoga instructional DVD in which host Micheline Berry introduces the viewer to her unique blend of the basics of Vinyasa Flow Yoga Alignment with four dance programs. The result is a beautiful, virtually liquid form of exercise promoting flexibility and grace as well as calorie burning. The four fluid dance movements forming the core of Liquid Asana are the circle, the wave, spiral, and undulation. Enhancing the exercise program is a Liquid Asana meditation and relaxation art track. Though Liquid Asana is designed for beginners, yoga practitioners of all skill and experience levels are sure to enjoy the creative and flowing aspects to this one-of-a-kind workout. A welcome addition to yoga DVD libraries. 75 minutes.

Rick Wakeman's Grumpy Old Picture Show
MVD Entertainment Group
H-840 North Circle Drive, Oaks, PA 19456
DVD, $19.95, www.classic-media-group.com www.rwcc.com

Rick Wakeman's Grumpy Old Picture Show is a DVD recording of veteran Rick Wakeman live on tour, as he performs his one-man "Old Picture Show". His performance includes rants about the frustrations and adversarial irritations of modern daily life, and a reprise from the hit BBC television series "Grumpy Old Men". Performance collaborations with Gordon Giltrap, Jemma Wakeman, Chris Blakey, The English Rock Ensemble and The English Chamber Choir further enhance this rousing, timeless capture of Wakeman's dry wit and laugh-out-loud funny moments. 143 minutes.

Fat Free Yoga
Ravi Singh & Ana Brett, producers
Privately Produced
c/o 411 Video Information (publicity)
PO Box 1223, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
DVD, $19.95, www.411videoinfo.com www.raviana.com

Yoga instructors Ravi Singh and Ana Brett have a client list including such celebrities as Madonna and the Red Hot Chile Peppers; now they make their expertise available to all in Fat Free Yoga, a DVD workout featuring Kundalini Yoga poses that promote flexibility and relaxation as well as fitness and conditioning. Four nineteen-minute workouts plus two meditations comprise this easy-to-follow DVD, which features a "matrix" menu option ideal for customizing one's workout. An easy-to-use exercise guide tailored to help viewers of all skill and experience levels reap the benefits of yoga in day-to-day life. 90 minutes.

All About Hair with Chris Helm
Bennet Watt HD Productions, Inc.
13021 - 244 Avenue SE, Issaquah, WA 98027
9781932978780, $24.95, www.Bennett-Watt.com

Part of "The New Hooked On Fly Tying Series", All About Hair with Chris Helm is a fly fisherman's guide to creating stunning and effective bass bugs, with particular focus on the proper use of hair. Featuring close-up camera work in high definition, All About Hair covers the right types of thread to use, tools to make tying bugs easy, how to handle hair when crafting a bug, spinning, stacking, installing gills, and much more. Award-winning fly tier Chris Helm hosts this step-by-step, in-depth guide that spares no detail in the art of making the very best fishing lures. A "must-have" DVD collections of dedicated fly fishermen, and a superb gift for anyone taking a serious interest in the sport. 83 minutes.

When I Find the Ocean
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
9781569944240, $24.95, www.montereymedia.com 1-800-424-2593

An award-winning saga inspired by a true story, When I Find the Ocean is a movie about a young girl coming to terms with the loss of her father. The ocean claimed the life of Lily Strickland's father; lacking a way to say goodbye, she leaves her grandparents and mother to confront her own fears amid the challenges of the wilderness. A deeply emotional, family-friendly movie unfolds, shot against breathtaking seacoast, river, and forest natural scenery. Highly recommended. PG, 104 min., closed captioned (but not subtitled).

Firestorm
Michael Kloft
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
DVD, $24.95, www.firstrunfeatures.com

A new film by Michael Kloft, writer of "The Goebbels Experiment", Firestorm is a documentary about the lethal bombing campaigns that the Allies carried out against Nazi Germany. Winston Churchill specifically ordered cities to be targeted after attacks on German factories resulted in heavy aircraft losses; the objective was to crush German morale and reduce the number of workers that could power the Nazi efforts to make war. Civilian casualties were devastating. Firestorm includes rare, historic film footage, (much of it in color), along with interviews of historians, former bomber pilots, and survivors of the relentless assault. Bonus features include amateur film footage of Germany in ruins, and a filmmaker biography. An uncompromising look at the full might of the allied air campaign against Nazi Germany, and an oft-overlooked perspective of the Allies' brutality in war, which leaves the viewer to decide whether or not the extreme measures were necessary. 93 minutes, black-and-white and color.

The Return of the Cuyahoga
Produced and Directed by Lawrence R. Hott & Diane Garey
Bullfrog Films, Inc.
PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547
1594587590, $250.00, www.bullfrogfilms.com 1-800-543-3764

Recommended for adults and young viewers in grades 7-12 alike, The Return of the Cuyahoga is an educational documentary about the Cuyahoga River in the United States, which flows directly through Cleveland. Once, it formed the border of the western frontier; by the 1870s, pollution from industrial factories along its banks turned it into a literal channel of sludge. Its surface became so oily that it would frequently catch fire. The Cuyahoga became a symbol for environmental degradation in America, and its difficult redemption had to balance efforts to clean it with the needs of the city of Cleveland. The return of the Cuyahoga is ultimately an uplifting story of hope, that it is in fact possible for large populations of humans to coexist with natural waterways. An excellent addition to public and school library environmental DVD collections. 57 minutes.


The Sports Shelf

The Detroit Tigers, fourth edition
William M. Anderson
Wayne State University Press
Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
9780814334140, $37.95, www.wayne.edu

The Detroit Tigers are the pride of Detroit baseball fans. Now in an updated fourth edition, "The Detroit Tigers: A Pictorial Celebration of the Greatest Players and Moments in Tigers History" is a complete and comprehensive guide to the team's roots and history, from their formation in 1881 through the 2007 season. Enhanced with hundreds of black and white photographs and notable player statistics, "The Detroit Tigers" is an ideal gift for any Tigers fan, and highly recommended for community library sports collections.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

From Crime to Crime
Dennis Palumbo
Tallfellow Press
9454 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 550, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
9781931290609, $24.95, www.tallfellow.com

The appeal of the mystery novel has always been their built-in game – figuring out who the culprit is before the protagonist does. "From Crime to Crime: Mind-Boggling Tales of Mystery and Murder" invites readers to play that game once more with an anthology of short mystery stories following love-starved husbands, deadly psychotherapy sessions, and the gritty world at the turn of the century. All of the tales are as intriguing as they are entertaining, making "From Crime to Crime: Mind-Boggling Tales of Mystery and Murder" highly recommended for community library mystery collections.

Murder in A-Major
Morley Torgov
Rendezvous Crime
c/o Napoleon and Company
178 Willowdale Avenue, Suite 201, Toronto, ON, Canada, M2N 4Y8
9781894917650, $20.95, www.napoleonandcompany.com

While skill at music is truly a magnificent thing, there are downsides to everything. "Murder in A-Major" is a story about a musical genius, blessed with great talent and cursed with jealous rivals who lust after his wife. When the musician is murdered well before his time, Inspector Hermann Priess is charged with finding out exactly who is responsible for this heinous crime, in this riveting mystery set in 1800's Germany. A top pick for mystery collections.

Tree Huggers
Judy Nichols
Zumaya Publications
Camden Briar Oaks, 3209 S. IH35, #1086, Austin, TX 78741-6905
9781934135235, $15.99, www.zumayapublications.com

Not all tree huggers fit into the stereotype of the peaceful environmentalist. "Tree Huggers" follows Kate, a fresh reporter who follows the story of an environmental terrorist group and their alleged arson. She covers the trial of the man who is directly charged, but soon finds that what the public believes may not be the truth, and that the truth is far more deadly than the accepted fiction. A gripping mystery and thriller, "Tree Huggers" is a must for mystery fans everywhere and libraries catering to them.


The Self-Help Shelf

Your Perfect Right, ninth edition
Robert Alberti & Michael Emmons
Impact Publishers
PO Box 6016, Atascadero, CA 93423-6016
9781886230859, $17.95, www.impactpublishers.com

Assertiveness means a lot in life, and can be the line between happiness and misery for many people. Now in its ninth edition, "Your Perfect Right: Assertiveness and Equality In Your Life and Relationships" gives advice to readers that can help them improve their attitude and personality, and indirectly help them deal with life's many challenges. A seminal guide to those who have let themselves be trod upon for too long, "Your Perfect Right: Assertiveness and Equality In Your Life and Relationships" is a must have for community library collections dedicated to self-help.

Find a Great Guy
Kristin Kuhns Alexandre
Arbor Books Inc.
19 Spear Road, Suite 301, Ramsey, NJ 07446
9780977668717, $19.99, www.thenewgentleman.com

Are all men pigs? It's something many women may say after a long string of failed relationships. "Find a Great Guy: Now & Forever" encourages women not to give up; good men are out there, and with the advice given, women may be able to find the right one for themselves. Author Kristin Kuhns Alexandre is a veteran of two failed marriages and has done her research on which men truly are pigs, and which are the right types to spend one's life with. "Find a Great Guy: Now & Forever" is a must for any woman sick of being burned, and for community library relationship collections.


The Literary Shelf

The Magical Campus
Thomas Wolfe
The University of South Carolina Press
1600 Hampton Street, 5th Floor, Columbia, South Carolina, 29208
9781570037344, $22.50, www.sc.edu/uscpress

Few people are ever masters of their craft straight from the get go. "The Magical Campus: University of North Carolina Writings 1917-1920" is a compilation of the early writings of acclaimed author Thomas Wolfe. Even the best practitioners of the craft of writing bumbled many an attempt in their young age; these early works are a good sign of what's to come and an optimistic view for young writers to keep trying even if told they're not very good now. Highly recommended for community library literary collections.

The Secret of Fame
Gabriel Zaid
Paul Dry Books
1616 Walnut Street, Suite 808, Philadelphia, PA 19103
9781589880382, $14.95, www.pauldrybooks.com

Fame – to be known, and not just be another face in the crowd. "The Secret of Fame: The Literary Encounter in an Age of Distraction" is an examination of fame in the literary world through the ages, from Homer to Stephen King. Written in a mocking, sarcastic, critical tone, "The Secret of Fame" is not merely a tabloid for the writing world; it attacks many of the conventions that just seem questionable in today's world of books. A top pick for community library literary studies collections.

Travel Pictures
Heinrich Heine, author
Peter Wortsman, translator
Archipelago Books
232 Third Street, Suite A111, Brooklyn, NY 11215
9780979333033, $17.00, www.archipelagobooks.com

The works of one of Germany's most revered poets are now collected in "Travel Pictures". Excellently translated by Peter Wortsman, this excellent anthology of prose and poetry is now available to English speakers. Credited with bringing the German language into the modern mindset and style, Heinrich Heine's work is excellent reading throughout. Highly recommended for community library literature collections.


The Business Shelf

High Performance with High Integrity
Ben W. Heineman Jr.
Harvard Business Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
9781422122952, $18.00, www.harvardbusiness.org/press

Integrity is not something that has to be sacrificed for success. "High Performance with High Integrity" is a guide for business owners who want to be successful, but don't want to be a cutthroat at the same time. Advice on structuring a business to meet this level of morality while maintaining success, and how to keep one's employees going with the same beliefs and values, makes "High Performance with High Integrity" a seminal guide to the honest businessman. A must for any community library business collection.

The Principles of Project Management
Meri Williams
Sitepoint
9780980285864, $39.95, www.sitepoint.com

Any project one can undertake is not necessarily going to be like all the others. "The Principles of Project Management: Run Projects on Time and To Budget Using This Simple Step-by-Step Guide" is an informed and informative handbook for managers in charge of making their projects the best they can be with proper planning, strategy, and beginnings. With advice on warning signals to help people stay on the right track, "The Principles of Project Management: Run Projects on Time and To Budget Using This Simple Step-by-Step Guide" is a top pick for community library business collections and any would be project leader.

Love 'Em or Lose 'Em
Berverly Kaye & Sharon Jordan-Evans
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781576755570, $24.95, www.bkconnection.com

Every company has those take-them-or-leave-them dead end employees – but then there are those employees who are truly special, and who make the company run as it should. "Love 'Em Or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay" is a guide for managers to making sure they keep these star employees happy and productive, so one's company can stay happy and productive. With countless tips to keeping the cream of the crop producing for your crop, "Love 'Em Or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay" is an essential read for any manager and for community library business collections.

Excellence Every Day
Lior Arussy
CyberAge Books
c/o Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055
9780910965798, $24.95, www.infotoday.com

The employees are what pushes a company forward; if they aren't motivated, nobody is motivated. "Excellence Every Day: Make the Daily Choice – Inspire Your Employees, And Amaze Your Customers" is a guide for managers seeking to get the most out of their employees in the day to day life in running a business. A seminal guide for managers, "Excellence Every Day: Make the Daily Choice – Inspire Your Employees and Amaze Your Customers" is highly recommended for community library business collections.

Open Space Technology, third edition
Harrison Owen
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
9781576754764, $29.95, www.bkconnection.com

Organizing meetings can be a bit of an arduous task when the amount of participants reaches nearly two thousand. "Open Space Technology: A User's Guide" introduces a new concept for businesses to follow known as open space technology, where groups can self-organize in a short amount of time. To implement the technique into one's business, "Open Space Technology" lays out a step by step guide including all the resources one needs to get ideas off the ground. The third edition features a survey of open space technology's current usage around the world and an updated list of resources. A highly recommended book for both personal and community library business collections.

Pricing Strategies for Small Business
Andrew Gregson
Self Counsel Press
1704 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
9781551807973, $16.95, www.self-counsel.com

For small businesses, pricing services properly is essential; the value of one's name won't induce people buy one's product regardless of cost. "Pricing Strategies for Small Business" is a guide for small time business proprietors dealing start-up pricing for their goods and services, arguing that effective pricing can be the difference between instant success and miserable failure. There is no easy solution to the dilemma, and "Pricing Strategies for Small Business" is an ideal acquisition for fledgling business owners and for community library business collections.

Awake at the Wheel
Mitchell Lewis Ditkoff
Morgan James
1225 Franlin Avenue, Suite 32, Garden City, NY 11530-1693
Idea Champions (publicity)
7 Wiley Lane, Woodstock, NY 12498
9781600372957, $13.95, www.morganjamespublishing.com

The next big idea – being the mastermind behind it is the key to success. "Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an Uphill World)" is an informed and informative business guide for those who are searching for that one big idea that will take them right to the top – or just the idea they need to keep their jobs. Creatively written following the story of a caveman called Og, fictionally credited with inventing the wheel, "Awake at the Wheel" will resonate with modern man's quest to think of something new. As entertaining as it is educational, "Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an Uphill World)" is a top pick for community library business collections.

The Truth About Thriving in Change
William S. Kane
FT Press
1 Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
9780132354622, $18.99, www.ftpress.com

The world is always changing – a revolution can occur in a single day. "The Truth About Thriving in Change" is a guide for those in management who want to survive this spastic environment known as the business world. With tips on changing organizations, maintaining morale, facing when one is wrong, and how to plan for the future, "The Truth About Thriving in Change" states a solid forty-nine proven management techniques. Highly recommended for community library business collections.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

A Writer's Space
Eric Maisel
Adams Media
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322
9781598694604, $12.95, www.adamsmedia.com

Writing is an art form, and all artists need a place to brainstorm and ponder their ideas – both mentally and physically. "A Writer's Space: Make a Room to Dream, to Work, to Write" recognizes this fact and gives advice for writers on how to create this space. Finding one's inner muse, optimizing one's time with the pen or keyboard, and creating both an office and ritual are all topics covered in this fine guide for any artist, whether with literary goals or not. "A Writer's Space: Make a Room to Dream, to Work, to Write" is highly recommended for community library writing and publishing collections.

The Soul of Creative Writing
Richard Goodman
Transaction Publishers
300 McGaw Drive-Raritan Center, Edison, NJ 08837
1412807468, $34.95, www.transactionpub.com

Language is one concept that unites the entire human species as a whole – and working with it can be one of its greatest art forms. "The Soul of Creative Writing" is an in-depth guide to better understanding language as a whole, created to help aspiring writers use the knowledge they gain to create great and marvelous writing of their own. A first rate handbook for aspiring authors of any type of creative writing, be it short stories, novels, or poetry, "The Soul of Creative Writing" is a must for any community library collections gathering books on writing.

Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing
Wendy Despain, editor
A K Peters, Ltd.
888 Worcester Street, Suite 230, Wellesley, MA 02482
9781568814162, $39.00 www.akpeters.com

Written and edited by members of the International Game Developers Association, Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing is a no-nonsense guide to the professional craft of writing the story, narrative, dialogue, tutorials, manuals, strategy guides, and anything else that needs to be written for modern-day video games. All contributors are themselves seasoned video game writers; they give the down and dirty on how to break into the business, what it means to be part of a writing team, principles of narrative design, and much, much more. Script samples offer illuminating examples that enhance this absolute "must-have" for anyone contemplating or pursuing a career in video game writing or technical writing, even (or especially) if they already have experience in crafting standard prose.

The Author's Guide To Building An Online Platform
Stephanie Chandler
Quill Driver Books
1254 Commerce Avenue, Sanger, CA 93657
9781884956829, $14.95, www.quilldriverbooks.com, 1-800-497-4909

Many a novice author often fails to realize that when their book is published the responsibility for publicizing, promoting, marketing, and selling that book is mostly (if not entirely!) going to be on their shoulders. The good news is that the art and science of successfully selling a book in today's volatile and competitive marketplace can be done on as small a budget as $20 for the template of a website or blog. For those who don't know how to accomplish such a feat, book marketing expert Stephanie Chandler has written "The Author's Guide To Building An Onlkine Platform: Leveraging The Internet To Sell More Books", a step-by-step, articulate and practical compendium of instructions and advice. Chapters cover how to go about launching a website or blog; how to determine the target audience for a book; what kind of information will be needed to interest the intended readership of a book; how to optimize a website with search engines; the principles and techniques of publishing a monthly electronic newsletter and building a mailing list; and keeping up the struggle to bring a book to the attention of those most likely to be persuaded to buy it! Simply stated, "The Author's Guide To Building An Online Platform" is an ideal instruction manual that will materially assist any writer seeking to build a long-term career for themselves as published authors.

Compositions: Notes on the Written Word
Naomi Beth Wakan
Wolsak and Wynn Publishers
69 Hughson Street North, Ste. 102, Hamilton, ON Canada L8R 1G5
9781894987257, $19.00, www.wolsakandwynn.ca

Writing can be an adventure within itself. "Compositions: Notes on the Written Word" collects author and poet Naomi Beth Wakan's journeys through the struggles and agony that is the writing process. Offering advice as well as reflections, her stories all have something within that any writers can relate to. An in-depth look into the mind of a poet, "Compositions: Notes on the Written Word" is highly recommended for community library writing and publishing collections.

The Journey from the Center to the Page, Revise and Updated
Jeff Davis
Monkfish
27 Lamoree Road, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
9780976684381, $16.00, www.monkfishpublishing.com

Writing and Yoga are two concepts alien from one another, or so one would think. "The Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Philosophies and Practices as Muse for Authentic Writings" is author and Yoga enthusiast Jeff Davis' guide to combining these two loves. Advising readers to channel their spirit to enhance their writing and immerse themselves in their work, his tips and suggestions are as sound as his soul. "The Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Philosophies and Practices as Muse for Authentic Writings" is highly recommended to any writer looking to unleash the best of themselves and for community library Spirituality and Writing collections.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Enlightenment Process, revised edition
Judith Blackstone
Paragon House
1925 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 7, St. Paul, MN 55113-2619
9781557788733, $14.95, www.paragonhouse.com

Happiness is being at peace with oneself. "The Enlightenment Process: A Guide to Embodied Spiritual Awakening" is now in a newly revised edition to help those who are lost in the world to find themselves. With methods to help readers discover enlightenment and get in touch with their consciousness, "The Enlightenment Process" is the ideal guide for those seeking to reach the ultimate goal of spiritual oneness. Highly recommended for community library spirituality collections.

The Way It Is
Chuck Hilling
Sentient Publications
1113 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
9781591810711, $14.95, www.sentinentpublications.com

Improvement comes with understanding. "The Way It Is: Realizing the Truth About Everything" is a guide to using that piece of wisdom in almost every aspect of life. Combining aspects of self-discovery, eastern religion, philosophy and modern psychology, "The Way It Is" seeks to answer questions such as the existence of free will, good and evil, and how one improves themselves. An ideal book of spirituality and philosophy, highly recommended for community library spirituality collections. Also of interest from Sentient Publications is "Unplugged: How to Disconnect form the Rat Race, Have an Existential Crisis, and Find Meaning and Fulfillment" (9781591810704, $16.95), another guide to those seeking enlightenment in their lives.

Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim
Edward Hays
Forest of Peace
c/o Ave Maria Press, Inc.
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
9780939516803, $19.95, www.forestofpeace.com

Prayer is an act that can be selfish or charitable. "Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim: A Personal Manual for Prayer and Ritual" is an anthology of prayers and other spiritual rituals not specific to any one religion, focusing solely on the spiritual aspects of all religions and how their followers connect with them. Suggesting that readers pray for all people instead of solely for themselves and their family, "Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim" is an ideal gift for anyone cultivating their spiritual side. Highly recommended for community library spirituality collections.

The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita
Swami Kriyananda
Crystal Clarity Publishers
14618 Tyler Foote Road, Nevada City, CA 95959
9781565892262, $14.00, www.crystalclarity.com

Remembering the teachings of one's master and then explaining them to the world is the harrowing task undertaken by Swami Kriyananda in "The Essence of Bhagavad Gita", a book of 649 pages dedicated to the mindset of Yoga and its use in the modern world. Focusing on things even people who aren't followers of Yoga can appreciate, such as bringing one's soul to unite with the divine while still living life, preparing for life's final exams, and overcoming pain and suffering, "The Essence of Bhagavad Gita" is highly recommended for community library spirituality collections.

Jesus the Wicked Priest
Marvin Vining
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions
1 Park Street, Rochester, Vermont 05767
9781591430810, $16.00, www.bearandcompanybooks.com

Is Jesus nothing more than a radical and charlatan from two thousand years ago? "Jesus the Wicked Priest: How Christianity Was Born of an Essene Schism" takes a hard look at the historical Jesus, referencing the dead sea scrolls that were found in 1947. Evaluating an argument that is heresy to many Christians, and seeking to reinforce it with a study of the immaculate conception and the resurrection, "Jesus the Wicked Priest: How Christianity Was Born of an Essene Schism" is a startling new look at Christianity.


The Library Science Shelf

Librarians as Learning Specialists
Allison Zmuda & Violet H. Harada
Libraries Unlimited
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
9781591586791, $40.00, www.lu.com

Is a librarian all that stands between people and all the knowledge they seek to learn? "Librarians as Learning Specialists: Meeting the Learning Imperative for the 21st Century" is a scholarly guide for librarians to not become obstacles in quenching the thirst for knowledge, but instead facilitate their patrons' search. Helping Librarians put on the teaching hat, "Librarians as Learning Specialists: Meeting the Learning Imperative for the 21st Century" is highly recommended for community library science collections.

Books About the Middle East
Tami Craft Al-Hazza and Katherine Toth Butcher
Linworth Books
3650 Olentangy River Road, Suite 250, Columbus, OH 43214
1586832859, $39.95, www.linworth.com

In these times of touchy cultural boundaries, educating children is the best way to support the future. "Books about the Middle East: Selecting and Using them with Children and Adolescents" is a guide for libraries to help children learn about cultural diversity through their school and public libraries, discussing books that help teachers deal with the cultural differences that may arise when they speak with their students. Sure to fill in educators and librarians on everything they need to know to enhance their curriculum with tolerance and diversity, "Books about the Middle East: Selecting and Using them with Children and Adolescents" is highly recommended for community libraries.

The Librarian's Guide to Graphic Novels for Children and Tweens
David S. Serchay
Neal-Schuman Publishing
100 William Street, Suite 2004, New York, NY 10038
9781555706265, $55.00, www.neal-schuman.com

Graphics Novels are rising in popularity in recent years and have become the long fiction of choice for children and tweens. "The Librarian's Guide to Graphic Novels for Children and Tweens" is a complete and comprehensive guide for library administrators seeking to build an attractive collection for this pivotal age group. Recognizing that the trend is not one followed by older types, "The Librarian's Guide to Graphic Novels for Children and Tweens" gives solid advice for picking what's cool and hip for today's children. An expertly composed resource, highly recommended for professional, academic and community library science reference collections.


The Railroading Shelf

The Model Railroader's Guide to Industries Along the Tracks 3
Jeff Wilson
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, PO Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
9780890247013, $19.95, www.kalmbach.com

Part of the appeal to model railroading is creating model towns, villages and industries. "The Model Railroader's Guide to Industries Along the Tracks 3" is a guide for model railroad enthusiasts who want to make their models as authentic as possible by adding replicas of industries that railroads deliver their shipments to. With well over one hundred photographs and diagrams to help modelers make the best possible replicas, "The Model Railroader's Guide to Industries Along the Tracks 3" is highly recommended for community library railroading collections.


The Language Studies Shelf

Ovid
Caroline Perkins & Denis Davis-Henry
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.
1000 Brown St., Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084
9780865166042, $34.00, www.bolchazy.com

There's a gap between reading authentic Latin texts and a class that teaches Latin as a spoken language. "Ovid: A Legamus Transitional Reader" seeks to bridge that gap with material to help students understand the grammar and language used in these ancient texts, complete with a vocabulary practice and assistance. The ideal tool for any Latin student looking to practice their skills with the ancient language, "Ovid: A Legamus Transitional Reader" is highly recommended for community library collections dedicated to assisting in learning foreign languages.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Quondam
Jayel Gibson
Synergy Books
PO Box 80107, Austin, TX 78758
Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists (publicity)
2100 Kramer Lane, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78758
9781933538839, $14.95, www.synergybooks.net

The fourth and final installment of the "Ancient Mirrors" fantasy series has arrived with "Quondam". The "Ancient Mirrors" series is a line of stories where women do not submit helplessly before men; "Quondam" is no different, following Cwen as she finds herself in another world whose problems will engulf her own world unless she does something to stop it. She must overthrow a Queen to save both worlds in this riveting fantasy. A must for community library collections dedicated to the genre.


The Money/Finance Shelf

On the Money Journal
C. Stephen Guyer
AtlasBooks
c/o BookMasters, Inc.
30 Amberwood Parkway, Ashland, OH 44805
9780977940509, $18.95 www.atlasbooks.com

On the Money Journal collects the newspaper column "On the Money" (which is now in its fifth year of syndication), a financial writing intended especially for C-level executives and published monthly by American Cities Business Journals. Written by veteran entrepreneurial executive Stephen Guyer, the "On the Money" column addresses surprisingly in-depth money matters in plain talk with a dash of humor. Readers will learn about the ins and outs of investing whether on a small or large scale, and how to balance business or corporate needs, risks, and rewards in fluctuating economic times. Recommended for those responsible for running all manners and sizes of businesses, and an absolute "must-have" for corporate executives responsible for big financial decisions.


The Photography Shelf

Uncovered: Photographs by Thomas Allen
Thomas Allen, photographer
Aperture
547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10001
9781597110532, $24.95 www.aperture.org

The debut monograph of photography artist Thomas Allen, Uncovered: Photographs by Thomas Allen presents surprisingly lascivious images from pulp paperbacks of bygone decades, constructed into humorous and witty scenes (utilizing no digital aftereffects at all!). For example, in "Thirst" a sexy woman reaches her hand toward a man with a bottle on an adjacent volume, while in "Teeter" a man losing his balance is about to hit a precariously stacked set of paperbacks. A board book with a die-cut cover, Uncovered lets its twenty-seven four-color images speak largely for themselves. A treat for anyone who fondly remembers the trashy novel covers of yesteryear, featuring a wealth of creativity and re-imagining of bygone themes.

New Georgia, Bougainville, and Cape Gloucester
Eric Hammel
Zenith Press
400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401
9780760332962, $34.95, www.zenithpress.com

Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor – everyone knows of those battles, but there was much more to World War II in the Pacific. "New Georgia, Bougainville, and Cape Gloucester: The U.S. Marines in World War II" is a pictorial history of these forgotten battles and the men who fought and died, only to be lost in the sands of time. Filled cover to cover with countless black and white photos and accompanying explanations, "New Georgia, Bougainville, and Cape Gloucester: The U.S. Marines in World War II" is a top pick for community library photography and history collections.


The Education Shelf

Shaping the Reading Field
Susan E. Israel & E. Jennifer Monaghan, editors
International Reading Association
PO Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714-8139
9780872075986, $42.95 www.reading.org 1-800-336-7323

Shaping the Reading Field is a thoughtful collection of scholarly essays by various learned authors, documenting the lives of sixteen different reading researchers, reading practitioners, and specialists in both children's literature and adult reading. Biographical sketches cover the lives of noteworthy professionals such as James McKeen Cattell, Charles Hubbard Judd, Elizabeth Leary, and more. Relying on historical research, Shaping the Reading Field scrutinizes how the work of each pioneer has impacted the educational field for successive generations. A "Lessons for the Future" section speculated on possible future implications for reading instruction based on the pioneers' work and theories. An excellent resource especially recommended for reading instructors and educational professionals.

Safe & Caring Schools
Katia S. Petersen
Free Spirit Publishing
217 Fifth Avenue North, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1299
9781575422893, $39.95, www.freespirit.com

In order to maximize the educational experience, a student must feel safe and worthwhile. "Safe and Caring Schools" is a complete and comprehensive guide for educators on creating an ideal environment for children to learn. With advice on mixing in social and emotional education alongside academic curriculum, "Safe and Caring Schools" is an ideal guide to helping students make the most of themselves, both now and later in life. A top pick for any educator and for community library education collections.

Spectacular Things Happen Along The Way
Brian D. Schulutz
Teacher's College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
9780807748572, $19.95, www.tcpress.com

School is for more than English, Math, and Science – it's for the intangibles too. "Spectacular Things Happen Along the Way: Lessons From an Urban Classroom" follows Brian Schultz as he teaches an inner city class something far more valuable than academics – determination and a feeling of self worth. An inspired and inspiring tale sure to give hope in the next generation ensues. "Spectacular Things Happen Along the Way: Lessons From an Urban Classroom" is highly recommended for community library education collections.

Becoming a Professional Reading Teacher
P.G. Aaron, R. Malatesha Joshi, & Diana Quatroche
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
Maple Press Distribution Center (distributor)
I-83 Industrial Park, 60 Grumbacher Road, York, PA 17406
9781557668295, $59.95, www.brookespublishing.com

Literacy is one of the most essential skills in the modern era. "Becoming a Professional Reading Teacher: What to Teach, How to Teach, Why it Matters" is a handbook for educators, giving tips and advice on how to improve their skill in teaching literacy. The techniques are backed by scientific research, and cover how to deal with extraordinary cases when a student doesn't seem to be grasping the concepts taught, and how to assess a student's skills in the best way possible. "Becoming a Professional Reading Teacher: What to Teach, How to Teach, Why it Matters" is highly recommended for community library education collections and to any educator faced with the task of teaching literacy.

Spatial Reasoning
Dana T. Johnson
Prufrock Press Inc.
5926 Balcones Drive, Suite 220, Austin, TX 78731
9781593633264, $39.95, www.prufrock.com

Math skills are invaluable for young children, and even complex concepts can be taught to children if done in the right way. "Spatial Reasoning: A Mathematics Unit for High Ability Learners in Grades 2-4" is a guide for educators to help their students understand the concepts of spatial reasoning in the fields of one, two, and three dimensional tasks. With advice on teaching gifted learners, "Spatial Reasoning: A Mathematics Unit for High Ability Learners in Grades 2-4" is highly recommended for community library mathematics collections. Also from Prufrock and Dana T. Johnson of mathematical and educational interest is "Beyond Base Ten: A Mathematics Unit for High Ability Learners in Grades 3-6" (9781593633295, $39.95), a guide to teaching different bases of numerics to children.


The Humor Shelf

1001 Insults, Put-Downs & Comebacks
Steven D. Price
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
9781599210735, $9.95 www.lyonspress.com 1-800-836-0510

1001 Insults, Put-Downs & Comebacks lives up to its title; herein are some of the nastiest, most creative, and effective character attacks and snappy retorts, gathered from a smorgasbord of sources in literature, entertainment, and politics. Compiled by Steven D. Price, a native of New York City (a land of the cutting-edge insult if ever there was), 1001 Insults, Put-Downs & Comebacks makes a great gag gift and is sure to bring smiles and chuckles aplenty. Just remember that its sharp-tongued digs should not be repeated aloud unless one is ready for the repercussions of an all-out insult war!

Mutts Shelter Stories
Patrick McDonnell
Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111-7701
9780740771156, $16.99, www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Pet lovers and those who enjoy the Sunday funny pages have a treasure indeed in "Mutts Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed.", a compilation of over one hundred of McDonnell's Mutts comic strips; on the opposite page of each strip are full color photos of pets found in animal shelters and their heartwarming success stories. A perfect gift for the dog or cat lover, "Mutts Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed." is highly recommended for community library pet and humor collections.

I'm Not Crazy
Charles Marshall
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2607
9780825434198, $12.99, www.kregel.com

Casual Dress Friday does not mean to show up to work in a casual dress, one of the many lessons taught by Charles Marshall in "I'm Not Crazy: But I Might be a Carrier". Taking on society as a whole and mocking it (and himself) as he encounters it all, "I'm Not Crazy" is a laugh riot from the first page to the last, sure to infect Marshall's brand of insanity upon his readers so they may spread it as well. "I'm Not Crazy: But I Might be a Carrier" is a top pick for community library humor shelves and for anyone who just needs a good joke.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

The Sacred Foundations of Justice in Islam
M. Ali Lakhani, editor
World Wisdom
1501 East Hillside Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401
1933316268, $21.95 www.worldwisdom.com

The Sacred Foundations of Justice in Islam: The Teachings of Ali ibn Abi Talib is an anthology of scholarly essays by learned authors (including two by prize-winning scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr) discussing the teachings of the first Shia Imam (the fourth Caliph of Sunni Islam, and one of the forefathers of Sufism) that contemplate those foundations of human governance that transcend the mundane realities of life. Issues discussed include the metaphysical questions "What is meant by Justice?", "What does it mean to be Just?" and "How is Justice related to Truth and the very structure of Reality?" The next best thing to studying Ali's writings in their original language, The Sacred Foundations of Justice in Islam is a welcome addition to philosophical discussion shelves as well as Sufi studies shelves.


The Interior Design Shelf

The House Of Leleu
Francoise Siriex
Hudson Hills Press
PO Box 205
3556 Main Street, Manchester, VT 05254
National Book Network (distributor)
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com 1-800-462-6420
9781555952860, $160.00, www.hudsonhills.com

Just as there are specific interior designers who have achieved international acclaim for their work, so there are interior decorating firms that have achieved world wide reputations for the enduring quality of their accomplishments. Such a company was the family firm of Leleu who first came to prominence for their Art Deco style in Paris, France during the 1920s and maintained a world-wide reputation second to none until they finally closed their doors in 1973. In the 1950s they were acclaimed for the luxury and refinement of the Villa Medy Roc in Cap d'Antibes, the grand salons of the Geneva, Switzerland based League of Nations, to their many projects throughout New York City. Of special note was their work with interior design of the elegant French passenger ships of the 1920s and 1930s such as the 'Ile-de'France' and the 'Normandie', and in 1962, the 'France' -- last of the great French ships. Now a compendium of the best of their work with respect to decorating private homes, embassies, offices, public institutions, furniture, textiles, carpets, wall paper and more are showcased in "The House Of Leleu: Classic French Style for A Modern World 1920-1973". Profusely enhanced with both black & white as well as color illustrations, " The House Of Leleu" was prepared under the direction of Francoise Siriex and ably translated into English by Eric A. Bye. This 480-page compendium is informed and informative, a veritable showcase of more than fifty years of Leleu's distinctive interior designs, and a critically important addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library 20th Century Interior Design reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Social Inclusion At Work
Janis Chadsey
AAIDD
444 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 846, Washington, DC 20001-1512
#621, $14.95, www.aaidd.org

AAIDD stand for the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. "Social Inclusion At Work" by Janis Chadsey is the latest addition to the AAIDD 'Research to Practice' series of instruction booklets called 'Innovations' under the co-editorship of Martin Agran and Michael Wehmeyer. a 56-page booklet, "Social Inclusion At Work" focuses on helping teachers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, transitional specialists, job coaches, and other service providers to integrate their clients with developmental disabilities into both sheltered and unsheltered employment settings. Of special interest are the assessment procedures and intervention strategies specifically designed to promote and insure a successful social inclusion within a work environment. Practical, informative, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in form and format, "Social Inclusion At Work" is a very highly recommended resource that would also be of benefit to concerned parents and employers of the developmentally disabled as well.

Courting Your Career
Shawn Graham
Jist Works
7321 Shadeland Station, Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN, 46256-3923
9781593575120, $12.95, www.jist.com

The perfect job is never going to simply fall into one's lap. "Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job" is a guide for the ambitious to find the job they so desire – and how to find out if that career they desire is truly right for them. Taking a satirical outlook which makes an analogy between finding the perfect job and finding the perfect mate, "Courting Your Career" blends equal parts of wisdom and laughter. Highly recommended for community library career collections and to anyone looking for their perfect job.


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Trouble With Girls
Tim Hamilton & Dave Garcia
Checker Book Publishing Group
2044-A South Alex Road, West Carrollton, OH 45449
www.checkerbpg.com
Volume 1: 1933160454, $17.95
Volume 2: 1933160462, $17.95

In the latter years of the 1980s a series of comics from Malibu Comics did something now other comic book publisher was able to accomplish to such critically acclaimed success -- lampoon the well established international action/adventure characters as represented by the likes of James Bond and other extraordinary spies, CIA operatives, FBI agents, and government sanctioned hit men. Now all of these long out of print and unavailable issues have been collected together into two graphic novel anthologies. Volume 1 comprises the first seven issues of this remarkable series beginning with its debut in 1987. Volume 2 offers issues 8 through 14. Together they present the story of Lester Girls, a man who must suffer the attentions of countless beautiful women, have fancy cars, palatial estates, and overwhelming wealth imposed upon him. All Lester wants is a simple life with a loving wife and a small town in which to enjoy them both. Alas, no matter his desires, he and his sidekick and friend Apache Dick (plus Lester's mischievous two nephews) are constantly attacked by every manner of villain and villainess. Then there is 'Scoops', a determined young lady reporter seeking to uncover Lester's personal story. A masterpiece of satire from beginning to end, "The Trouble With Girls" is intended for and enthusiastically recommended to a mature readership who appreciates the well crafted and thoroughly entertaining lampooning of countless literary sacred cows arising from the hero and villain stereotypes that at the core of contemporary comics and movies.

Street Fighter II, volume 3
Masaomi Kanzaki
Udon Entertainment
PO Box 32662, PO Village Gate, Richmond Hill, Ontario L4X 0A2, Canada
9780978138639, $12.95 www.udoncomics.com

The third graphic novel of Japanese author and artist Masaomi Kanzaki's Street Fighter II manga has never before seen publication in North America. Picking up after the conclusion of the epic saga in the first two volumes, Street Fighter II volume 3 brings the World Warriors Guile, Ken, and the beautiful (but fierce!) Chun-Li together again. Following rumors of the resurrection of the evil organization Shadaloo, they come up against the most intractable foes of all - themselves! Even Ryu and M. Bison must test their ultimate strength against their own mysterious doppelgangers, in this action-packed martial arts saga based on the wildly popular Street Fighter II video game. Street Fighter II, volume 3 is in black-and-white, enhanced with a handful of color plates, and "unflipped"; the graphic novel is presented and read right-to-left, just as Masaomi Kanzaki originally drew it. A bonus afterword by Masaomi Kanzaki and a preview of the manga "1520" round out this absolute "must-have" for Street Fighter II fans!

Sakura Taisen Volume 7
Ohji Hiroi, author; Ikku Masa, artist; Kosuke Fujishima, characters
Tokyopop
c/o Viz Communications Inc.
295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
9781427810342, $9.99 www.viz.com 1-800-394-3042

The seventh graphic novel of the Sakura Taisen series (loosely based on a Japanese video game) continues the adventures of the mostly female Imperial Fighting Troupe, who control giant robots in their efforts to defend their home city from invaders! But two of the flower troupe, the high-class lady Sumire and the tough fighting woman Kanna, have quarrelsome personalities. In a last-ditch effort to get the two to work together, captain Ogami feigns a stomach illness, prompting the two to investigate mysterious happenings in a haunted house. A hostile ghost lurking in the mansion turns out to be the least of the threats in wait - a powerful female sorceress has made the area her base of operations in her plan to engulf the Imperial City in a sea of flames! Presented in original right-to-left format so that readers can enjoy the creators' artwork as it was originally drawn, Sakura Taisen volume 7 lives up to the series' fine blend of action, fantasy, and heart. Highly recommended.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Bowhunting Tactics That Deliver Trophies
Steve Bartylla
Stoeger Publishing
17603 Indian Head Highway, Suite 200, Accokeek, MD 20607-2501
9780883173633, $19.95 www.stoegerpublishing.com

Written by expert trophy bowhunter Steve Bartylla, Bowhunting Tactics That Deliver Trophies lives up to its title with its singularly impressive collection of whitetail bowhunting strategies. From how to read aerial photos and contour maps to figure out where mature bucks hide, to maximizing one's time while hunting on public land, to weather scent tactics, and much more, Bowhunting Tactics That Deliver Trophies is a thoroughly accessible reference and resource for bowhunters of all skill and experience levels. In an era when most hunters kill with guns, Bowhunting Tactics That Deliver Trophies is a welcome guide to help hunters connect with the weaponry of an earlier age.


The Anthropology Shelf

Ethnographica Moralia
Neni Panourgia and George E. Marcus, editors
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823228874, $25.00 www.fordhampress.com 1-800-247-6553

Ethnographica Moralia: Experiments in Interpretive Anthropology is a scholarly anthology of essays written by anthropologists studying human cultures around the world (Greece, Bali, Taiwan, and the United States) with input from classicists, historians, and scholars in cultural studies. The common theme binding individual essays is tracing the cross-pollination among disciplines in the humanities and social sciences that have evolved from anthropologist Clifford Geertz's concept of "interpretive anthropology" emphasizing meaning over form when constructing a meticulous social analysis. Writings present in Ethnographica Moralia include "'Real Anthropology' and Other Nostalgias", "Cannonical and Anticannonical Histories", "Text and Transnational Subjectification: Media's Challenge to Anthropology", and many more. "Interpretive anthropology involves visual practices as both a source domain (seeing) and a target domain (objects to be seen). What are the preconditions of the anthropologist's interactive gaze? To what extent is anthropology's self-critique based on forms of self-observation? In what ways, then, could interpretive anthropology benefit from a theory of visuality that would transgress the observer-observed divide or the real-virtual dichotomy?" Extensive notes and an index round out this worthy commentary on the modern study of human beings, which takes into account such up-to-date global realities as the September 11th attacks and the commencement of the Cypriot Green Line.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Lion of Siddhas
Translated by David Molk with Lama Tsering Wangdu Rinpoche
Snow Lion Publications
PO Box 6483, Ithaca, NY 14851
9781559392990, $18.95 www.SnowLionPub.com 1-800-950-0313

Lion of Siddhas: The Life and Teachings of Padampa Sangye collects two venerable texts in one volume, both skillfully translated into English for the first time by expert and practicing Buddhist David Molk with Lama Tsering Wangdu Rinpoche. The first text of Lion of Siddhas is a biography of East Indian Mahasiddha Padampa Sangye, well known as a lineage guru to all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He brought the lineage of Chod to Tibet, spread the Buddha's teachings in China, and the Tibetan tradition names him to be the Bodhidharma. His teaching methods could be extreme; he was known to tell his disciples (many of whom were women) to ignore social conventions, eschew social contacts, and transcend their cultural conditioning. The second text within Lion of Siddhas compiles Padampa Sangye's verbal and nonverbal teachings, known as "Mahamudra in Symbols", as recorded by his primary Tibetan disciple nearly one thousand years in the past. An invaluable reference for Buddhist studies shelves and reference collections, highly recommended.


The Psychology Shelf

See Sam Run
Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe
Univerisity of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton, TX 76203-1336
9781574412444, $22.95, www.unt.edu/untpress

How do you raise a child diagnosed with autism? "See Sam Run: A Mother's Story of Autism" is Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe's story of dealing with it. Look at the growing number of autism spectrum diagnoses, she wonders - is the diagnosis system improving, or is there something wrong with modern health? The numbers, while important, speak of nothing of the daily troubles parents must face. As she began to come to terms with her autistic son, she wrote her story down in "See Sam Run: A Mother's Story of Autism", highly recommended for community library collections.

Bipolar Disorder, second edition
David J. Milkowitz
The Guilford Press
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
9781593856557, $38.00, www.guilford.com

Emotional disorders such as bipolar disorder are never the private inner conflict of one person – they affect the families of the bipolar individual a great deal as well. "Bipolar Disorder: A Family-Focused Treatment Approach" examines the disorder as a problem that the afflicted and his or her family must face together, touching on emotional resistance to treatment, distinguishing to the disorder from the person, and the importance of communication. The enhanced second edition includes a study on new treatments for the ailment, and new case studies. "Bipolar Disorder: A Family-Focused Treatment Approach" is highly recommended for community library health collections and for anyone afflicted or related to the afflicted.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Soul of a Horse
Joe Camp
Harmony Books
c/o The Crown Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
9780307406859, $24.95, www.randomhouse.com

When Joe and Kathleen Camp began to live with horses they were completely clueless, but they carried a strong desire to learn. "The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons From the Herd" is the story of their journey with and education about the hoofed species. Joe Camp (the creator of the fictional canine Benji) writes how his experiences with canines helped him learn about equines. He tells of how modern horses should be kept and cared for while trying to make "The Soul of a Horse" more than simply another horse book, an act which he executes successfully. "The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons From the Herd" is highly recommended for community library pet and wildlife collections, and to horse loves everywhere.

Best Hikes with Dogs
Linda Mullally & David Mullally
The Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134
9781594850493, $16.95, www.mountaineersbooks.org

Hiking can be a fine pastime, and it can be even more so when done with man's best friend. "Best Hikes with Dogs: Central California" is a complete and comprehensive guide to fifty-five hiking trails throughout the central area of California. The hikes outlined are dog friendly, and give plenty of tips on caring for the pooch and preparing for the hikes so they are safe and therefore fun for both dog and master. A great gift for Californian dog lovers, "Best Hikes with Dogs: Central California" would do well to find itself in Californian community library pet collections.

Beyond the Track
Anna Morgan Ford
Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053
9781570764028, $29.95, www.horseandriderbooks.com

A race horse cannot be a race horse throughout its entire existence – age catches up with us all, even horses. "Beyond the Track: Retraining the Thoroughbred from Racehorse to Riding Horse" is a guide for those who want to train a former racing horse to adapt to a more leisurely career as it passes its prime. With tips on purchasing from the track, the adoption process, health issues of race horses, and general tips on retraining, "Beyond the Track" is a comprehensive guide for anyone in this situation. Highly recommended for community library pet and wildlife collections.

Call of the Northwoods
David C. Evers & Kate M. Taylor
Willow Creek Press
PO Box 147, Minocqua, WI 54548
9781595436146, $19.95, www.willowcreekpress.com

If one wants to experience the other species of nature, one doesn't have to go far - "Call of the Northwoods" is a look at the forests that surround much of the northern United States and the lush and flourishing wildlife found within. Covering 106 different species that one can find in these areas including birds, wolves, turtles, bears, and others, "Call of the Nothwoods" is the ideal guide for any nature lover. "Call of the Northwoods" is enhanced with a CD featuring the sounds of the woods, making it highly recommended for community library wildlife collections.


The Art Shelf

Miss Ann's Art
Ann Barnes
Winepress Publishing
PO Box 428, Enumclaw, WA 98022
1579218253, $29.95, www.winepresspub.com

Art is not just paintings – beautiful imagery and thought can be woven with my different mediums. "Miss Ann's Art" is a collection of Ann Barnes' artistic endeavors, choosing to focus on a very patriotic and Christian outlook through the poems, prose, and reflections, and oil paintings throughout this beautifully compiled coffee table book. "Miss Ann's Art" is highly recommended for community library art and Christian collections.

Folk Art in Maine
Kevin D. Murphy (editor)
Down East
P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
9780892727667, $35.00, www.downeast.com

Folk art can be a window into the soul of the past and the people who lived there. "Folk Art in Maine: Uncommon Treasures 1750-1925" is a look at the folk art of Maine from countless artists both those intentional and unintentional throughout history. Full of brightly colored metaphorical snapshots of history, "Folk Art in Maine" is enlightening and educating to view. A top pick for community library art collections.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

The Dirty Dozen
Robert A. Levy & William Mellor
Sentinel
c/o Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
Cato Institute (publicity)
1000 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20001
9781595230508, $25.95, www.penguin.com

The Supreme Court is governed by humans, and humans do make errors."The Dirty Dozen: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom" is an examination of these mistakes that have cost America dearly. Pointing out cases in which the Supreme Court has bumbled and allowed the federal government to interfere with private contracts or political support, detain prisoners charge, wrongfully seize property, and other misdeeds of the court, "The Dirty Dozen" is an expertly crafted and harsh criticism of the courts. Highly recommended for community library law collections.

Rights in the Balance
Mark R. Scherer
Plains Histories
c/o Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896726260, $40.00, www.ttup.ttu.edu

The first amendment clashes with the sixth amendment more often than one would think. "Rights in the Balance: Free Press, Fair Trial, & Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart" is an examination of the modern media and its interference with the court system as people attempt to get a fair trial in today's society. A deft examination that hopes to find the fine line that can lie between the two peacefully, "Rights in the Balance: Free Press, Fair Trial, & Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart" is a top pick for community library law collections.

Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court
Ralph Warner
Nolo
950 Parker St., Berkeley, CA 94710
9781413307627, $29.99, www.nolo.com

Most law books simply cover bigger lawsuits and pay no mind to the littler conflicts. "Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court" is a thoroughly researched and deftly written handbook for those who are facing the need to appear in small claims court. Outlining countless strategies and advice for those who need it, "Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court" can be the difference between receiving or paying money when called out. Highly recommended for community library law collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

No Other Gods
Kelly Minter
David C. Cook
4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
9780781448970, $13.99, www.davidccook.com

Idol worship is not strictly the territory of ancient pagan villages. "No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern Day Idols" is a look at the human over-pursuit – where the desire becomes too great and rolls over into the arena of worship. A look into a woman's mind who was affected by this frenzy of materialism, "No Other Gods" is a spiritual guide about setting one's life's priorities in the right order. Highly recommended for community library Christian studies collections.

Prophetic Fishing
Jean Krisle Blasi
Chosen
c/o Baker Publishing Group
11400 Hampshire Avenue, South Bloomington, MN 55438
9780800794439, $12.99, www.chosenbooks.com

Anyone can be a messenger of God; one doesn't have to be a pastor or a priest. "Prophetic Fishing: Evangelism in the Power of the Spirit" is a guide to those who want to speak the word of Christ to their peers and anyone who needs it. With tips on overcoming one's under-confidence, "Prophetic Fishing" covers the challenges of evangelism thoroughly and completely. Highly recommended for community library Christian studies collections.

Finding Our Way Again
Brian McLaren
Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
Helmers Literacy Agency (publicity)
PO Box 50737, Colorado Springs, CO 80949-0737
9780849901140, $17.99, www.thomasnelson.com 1-800-251-4000

Very few people are devout Christians in the modern era; modernity erodes faith. "Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices" is a guide to finding one's faith through looking to the past and the older methods of faith. With advice on following ancient practices of early Christians to restore one's faith in today's world, suggesting disciplines such as fixed hour prayer, sacred meals, pilgrimage, fasting and other concepts, "Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices" is highly recommended for community library Christian studies collections.

Conviction without Compromise
Norman Geisler & Ron Rhodes
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
9780736922203, $14.99, www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Unitarian – so many denominations, how could Christianity be really united? "Conviction without Compromise: Standing Strong in the Core Beliefs of the Christian Faith" is a guide to unify Christianity as a whole through the essential beliefs of the religion, striving to cut down on the squabbles between people who all hold that Jesus is the son of God. Outlining the essential and nonessential teachings of the religion, "Conviction without Compromise: Standing Strong in the Core Beliefs of the Christian Faith" is highly recommended for community library Christian collections.

Lost Women of the Bible
Carolyn Custis James
Zondervan
5300 Patterson Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
9780310285250, $14.99, www.zondervan.com

The Bible's words in the realm of feminism are not one of strict antagonism; there are positive messages as well. "Lost Women of the Bible: The Women We Thought We Knew" is a look at the iconic women of the Bible and their message to the women of today. A book of solid encouragement for women who still hold their faith dear, "Lost Women of the Bible: The Women We Thought We Knew" is a top pick for both Christian and women's studies community library collections.


The Social Issues Shelf

Deconstructing the Republic
Anthony A. Peacock
American Enterprise Institute
1150 Seventeenth Street, NW, Washington DC 20036
9780844742632, $25.00, www.aei.org/books

How does America stay true to its constitution in a rapidly changing world? "Deconstructing the Republic: Voting Rights, The Supreme Court, and the Founders' Republicanism Reconsidered" is a scholarly look at topics of seminal importance for modern political discussions. Written by educated professor Anthony A. Peacock, "Deconstructing the Republic" is grounded in sound arguments, and is of importance to any modern day political discussion. Highly recommended for community library social issues collections.

The Political Economy of Media
Robert W. McChesney
Monthly Review Press
146 West 29th Street, Suite 6W, New York, NY 10001
9781583671610, $19.95, www.monthlyreview.org

When news reporters ask what the candidates are wearing, or how George W. Bush spends his spare time, is it a sign of the media's declining quality in its quest to gain ratings? "The Political Economy of the Media: Enduring Issues, Enduring Dilemmas" is a brutal and harsh critique of the current state of the media and all that impacts it such as the internet, the growing infusion of commercialism in culture, and other factors. With the pen of Professor Robert W. McChesney behind it, "The Political Economy of the Media: Enduring Issues, Enduring Dilemmas" is a top pick for community library collections dedicated to social issues and for any who wants a harsher look at the modern media.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

The Changing Christian World
Leonard A. Schoolman
Jewish Lights Publishing
PO Box 237, Sunset Farm Offices, Rt. 4, Woodstock, Vermont 05091
9781580233446, $16.99, www.jewishlights.com

You all look the same to me – a common racist joke saying that all people of a single ethnic group are exactly alike. Only, as most people know, it is completely untrue. "The Changing Christian World: A Brief Introduction for Jews" is a guide for those in the Judaic community looking to understand and comprehend the massive and confusing force that engulfs the western world known as Christianity. Seeking a complete and non-generalizing understanding for amateur Jewish theologians, "The Changing Christian World: A Brief Introduction for Jews" is highly recommended for community library Judaic and Christian Studies collections.


The Poetry Shelf

Azores
David Yezzi
A Shallow Press Book
c/o Ohio University Press
19 Circle Drive, The Ridges, Athens, Ohio 45701
9780804011136, $24.95, www.ohioswallow.com

Experienced poet David Yezzi returns with his third anthology of poetry in "Azores". Well-written throughout, touching on the humor and somberness found in everyday life with an intellectual tint, "Azores" is an ideal pick for poetry fans and community library collections. "Tritina for Susannah": The water off these rocks is green and cold./ The sandless coast takes the tide in its mouth,/ as a wolf brings down a deer or lifts its child.// I walked this bay before you were my child./ Your fingers stinging brightly in the cold,/ I take each one and warm it in my mouth.//Though I've known this shore for years, my mouth/ holds no charms of use to you, my child./ You will have to learn the words to ward off cold// and know them cold, child, in your open mouth.


The Holocaust Studies Shelf

Inherited Enemies
Faith Feldman
Lighthouse Books
PO Box 223419, Princeville, HI 96722
9780980165111, $13.95

Forgiveness is not forgetting what has happened – to do so would be idiotic. "Inherited Enemies: Through my Father's Eyes" is the tale of Faith Feldman, daughter of a Holocaust survivor as she reflects on her father's suffering decades ago in Europe. She meets eye to eye with the son of a Nazi during World War II, and writes about her feelings and conflicts between hatred and the need to forgive to make the world a better place. "Inherited Enemies: Through my Father's Eyes" is highly recommended for community library Holocaust studies collections.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Unknown Universe
Richard Hammond
New Page Books
3 Tice Road, PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
9781601630032, $21.99, www.newpagebooks.com

What in the Universe is going on with our universe? "The Unknown Universe: The Origin of the Universe, Quantum Gravity, Wormholes, and Other Things Science Still Can't Explain" looks at these baffling questions that humanity doesn't have the answer to and potentially never will. With a focus on the enigma of dark matter, and a sudden challenge to the almost-accepted-as-fact theory of gravity, "The Unknown Universe" is a thought provoking look at little pieces of information that completely turn everything humanity knows upside down. Highly recommended for community library metaphysical studies collections.


The Nautical Shelf

The Book of Sailing Knots
Peter Owen
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
9781599213484, $14.95, www.lyonspress.com

Tying a solid knot is a skill that will be needed even as technology continues to advance. "The Book of Sailing Knots: How to Tie and Correctly Use Over 50 Essential Knots" is a complete and comprehensive guide to sailing knots and, as the title says, how to correctly use them. Going over each knot step by step and outlining when each knot is appropriate, there is no book more in depth on the subject. "The Book of Sailing Knots: How to Tie and Correctly Use Over 50 Essential Knots" is a top pick for sailors and community library nautical collections.


The Travel Shelf

Lake Michigan Travel Guide
Nina Gadomski
Trails Books
c/o Big Earth Publishing
923 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703
9781934553091, $19.95, www.bigearthpublishing.com

The relaxing beaches and the bustle of Chicago's lake front – Lake Michigan has much to offer as a vacation destination. "Lake Michigan Travel Guide" is a complete and comprehensive tourist guide to the area surrounding Lake Michigan, granting readers everything they need to know. Pointing out countless attractions as well as good stops for food and rest, and enhanced with detailed black and white photos throughout, "Lake Michigan Travel Guide" is an essential read for anyone heading into the area and for community library travel collections.

Particular Places
Orange Frazer Roadbooks
Orange Frazer Press
PO Box 214, 37 1/2 West Main Street, Wilmington, OH 45177
9781933197449, $16.95, www.orangefrazer.com

Unspoiled by an overwhelming burst of tourism, Ohio can be an ideal destination for one seeking a relaxing vacation. "Particular Places: A Guide to Ohio's Best Road Trips" is a complete and comprehensive guide to travelers who want to go on a vacation to the road less traveled, with fifteen destinations lied out with plenty of suggested activities, accommodations, and great food to be found. Ranging from the world's largest collection of historic lunch boxes to perambulator museums, Ohio has much to offer travelers, and "Particular Places; A Guide to Ohio's Best Road Trips" is the guide to get for it – highly recommended for community library travel collections.


The Women's Studies Shelf

For the Record
Joan Grierson
Dundurn Group
2250 Military Road, Tonawanda, NY 14150
9781550028201, $28.99, www.dundurn.com

Women through history have had to break various gender barriers, and the world of architecture is no different. "For the Record: The First Women in Canadian Architecture" is a look at the early days of the first female architects in Canada, who started to slowly break through and established themselves around the year 1920. Following the line until women in Canadian architecture started to become the norm around the 1970s, "For the Record" is a complete history, sure to inspire girls everywhere. Highly recommended for community library women's studies collections.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine
Mayo Clinic
Time Inc. Home Entertainment Books
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
9781933405926, $24.95, www.mayoclinic.com

It is never wise to completely shun a proven method, and it's never wise to shun all alternatives as well. "Book of Alternative Medicine: The New Approach to Using The Best of Natural Therapies and Conventional Medicine" is a scholarly written and researched guidebook to alternative medicine, combining natural therapies and the conventional wisdom of modern science to find solutions when the common method fails alone. A seminal piece that should be read by all who want to keep their health up to snuff, "Book of Alternative Medicine: The New Approach to Using The Best of Natural Therapies and Conventional Medicine" is highly recommended for community library medicine collections.


The Computer Shelf

Building a Server with FreeBSD7
Bryan J. Hong
No Starch Press
555 De Haro St., Suite 250, San Francisco, CA 94107
9781593271459, $34.95, www.nostarch.com

It may be a hard start, but the ultimate product will be worth it. "Building a Server with FreeBSD7: A Modular Approach" is a complete and comprehensive guide to building a web server with the free operating system known as FreeBSD. A step by step guide sure to educate even the most clueless technophobes, "Building a Server with FreeBSD7" covers simply everything that anyone needs to know to get the service up and running. An essential read for any open source fan who needs a server, and for community library computer collections.

Programming Groovy
Venkat Subramaniam
Pragmatic Bookshelf
P.O. Box 293325, Lewisville, TX 75029-3325
O'Reilly Media, Inc. (distrubutor)
1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472
9781934356098, $34.95, www.pragprog.com

Groovy – it's not the philosophy of the 1960s, it's a programming language, and a good one too. "Programming Groovy: Dynamic Productivity for the Java Developer" is a thorough and educational guide to this programming language, which can bring developers many things they need and want to do in their programs. With tips on how to effectively mix both Java and Groovy, and with plenty of advanced programming techniques, "Programming Groovy: Dynamic Productivity for the Java Developer" is a top pick for community library computer collections and for any Java programmer.


The Science Shelf

Cosmology
Steven Weinberg
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
9780198526827, $90.00, www.oup.com

How do modern scientists form a basis for their research? "Cosmology" is a complete and comprehensive manual to anyone who is curious about he functions of this science and wants to learn more. Covering countless topics in nearly six hundred pages, such as microwave background polarization, leptogenesis, multifield inflation, and others, "Cosmology" is an ideal text for students. Enhanced with appendices containing formulas, glossaries, and more, "Cosmology" is almost a science college course on its own. A top pick for college library science collections.

Food Biodeterioration and Preservation
Gary S. Tucker (editor)
Blackwell Publishing
2121 State Avenue, Ames, Iowa, 50014-8300
9781405154178, $184.99, www.blackwellfood.com

All living things decompose – and the mastery of food science is measuring and using this effectively. "Food Biodeterioration and Preservation" is a scholarly look at this science down to an almost molecular level, and how these microbiological agents affect food and food's shelf life. In depth looks at many a food's staying life, and how various preservatives affect and change them, "Food Biodeterioration and Preservation" is a far reaching survey that should be read by every step of the food manufacturing industry, from agriculture to factories. A top pick for community library science collections.


The Parenting Shelf

Where Do Babies Come From? Updated & Revised
Learning About Sex for the Christian Family
Concordia Publishing House
3558 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, MO 63118-3968
9780758614100, $12.99, www.cph.org

Where Do Babies Come From? It's a question no parent is eager to hear. "Where Do Babies Come From: Learning About Sex for the Christian Family" is a guide for Christian parents on how to tackle this difficult question with regard to a young child's innocence. With a focus on boys between the ages of seven and nine, the information provided is specialized and in depth, sure to help parents out of this difficult situation. "Where Do Babies Come From: Learning About Sex for the Christian Family" is a top pick for community library parenting collections. Also from Concordia Publishing House for parents confused with these tough questions from young children is "Why Boys & Girls Are Different: Learning About Sex for the Christian Family" (9780758614155, $12.99), a focus on teaching pre-school age girls about human sexuality in terms they can understand.


The Music Shelf

Bob Dylan, second edition
John Nogowski
McFarland
PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640
9780786435180, $39.95, www.mcfarlandpub.com

Bob Dylan is argued by some to be the most influential American musician of the twentieth century. Now in a thoroughly updated and significantly expanded second edition, "Bob Dylan: A Descriptive, Critical Discography and Filmography 1961-2007" is a biography of Dylan through his art and contributions. Covering Dylan's long career of over fifty years as well as discussing each of his songs and films with a high degree of description, "Bob Dylan: A Descriptive, Critical Discography and Filmography 1961-2007" is deftly composed, and a top pick for community library music collections.


The Genealogy Shelf

Genealogy of a Rebel
E. Maxine Edwards
Maverick Publications
PO Box 5007, Bend, Oregon 97708
096687790X, $14.95, www.homeinreach.com

At some point in everyone's lives they are left asking who they are and where they came from. "Genealogy of a Rebel" is the story of the author's quest to find out who her family was and to trace her roots through history, all the way back to the medieval era. In the process she discovered her own descent from nobility. A memoir of her research and a motivating story to anyone else hunting down their family history, "Genealogy of a Rebel" is a top pick for community library memoir and genealogy collections.


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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