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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 1, Number 2 November 2006 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Business Shelf Music Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf International Studies Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Fiction Shelf Art Shelf
World History Shelf Sports Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Poetry Shelf Education Shelf Automotive Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Military Shelf American History Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Literary Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Christmas Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf Gardening Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Travel Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Psychology Shelf Economic Studies Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Political Science Shelf Science Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf
Biography Shelf Holocaust Studies Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Badger Sports
Jerry Minnich
Trails Books
923 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703
1931599742 $16.95 www.trailsbooks.com

Written by Wisconsin Almanac author and sports buff Jerry Minnich, Badger Sports: Trivia Teasers presents more than six hundred trivia questions about the athletics tradition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Covering hockey, football, men's and women's basketball, and almost every sport from rowing to wrestling, Badger Sports offers its golden nuggets in straight question-and-answer format. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this great collection of the highs, lows, scores, and star players of UW-Madison sports, ideal for hardcore trivia contests and enthusiasts.

The Lake Geneva Chronicles
Beverly Horvath DiMare
Blue Dolphin Publishing
PO Box 8, Nevada City, CA 95959-0008
1577331206 $27.95 www.bluedolphinpublishing.com 1-800-643-0765

Based on the life story of author Beverly DiMare's paternal grandparents who immigrated to America from Central Europe during the early part of the 20th century, "The Lake Geneva Chronicles" tells the story of their settling down in the small Wisconsin farming community of Lake Geneva. DiMare weaves into her superbly crafted narrative universal concepts that include the sacredness of family, the value of friendship, the utter baseness of child abuse, as well as the importance of music, art and literature in daily life. "The Lake Geneva Chronicles" engagingly underscores the family as the foundation of a strong and healthy community, including the necessity of parents teaching their children this critically important truth – so that those children will grow up and teach their own families the values they themselves were schooled in. Entertaining, deftly written, and highly recommended reading, "The Lake Geneva Chronicles" wonderfully illustrates the creative power and enduring influence of simple kindness to make the world we live in a better place – generation by generation.

Log Cabin Pioneers
Wayne Erbsen
Native Ground Books & Music
109 Bell Road, Asheville, NC 28805-1521
1883206367, $14.95, www.nativeground.com 1-800-752-2656

Compiled by Wayne Erbsen, "Log Cabin Pioneers" is an impressively entertaining compilation of stories, songs, sayings, advice, recipes, and folklore commonly held by folk who, quite literally, lived in log cabins on the every expanding American frontier. These yesteryear entertainments and activities offer a kind of "window in time" for contemporary readers that is as informative as it is entertaining. Illustrated throughout with period photography, readers will learn how log cabins were sited and built; the kinds of music that entertained, inspired, celebrated and consoled; the art and craft of making moonshine whiskey; how log cabin kids entertained themselves; cooking; the beauty secrets and practices of log cabin women; even accounts of log cabin hauntings and legends. "Log Cabin Pioneers" belongs in the public library collections of every village, town and city that had their beginnings as communities of log cabin pioneers!

A Place Called Bla-Bla Cafe
Sandy Ross
SLR Productions
18375 Ventura Boulevard, #217, Tarzana, CA 91356
0977722708 $16.00 www.bla-bla-cafe.com

Former Bla-Bla Cafe talent co-booker Sandy Ross presents A Place Called Bla-Bla Cafe, the true story of an out-of-the-way club that showcased performers of budding talent as they struggled for their first big break. Guest chapters by such noteworthy talents as Jelsa Palao, Julio Martinez, Maxine Sellers and more bring these true stories of cafe comedians and performers engaged in the quest for success to vibrant life. A witty, vivacious, and exciting behind-the-scenes glimpse of stars on the rise in Hollywood entertainment. An extensive addendum of tables chronicles and credits Bla-Bla Cafe performers from 1971 to 1980.

B Is For Baby
Suzonne Stirling
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
1561588547 $16.95 www.taunton.com 1-800-477-8727

In a rather engaging A to Z format, Suzonne Stirling presents twenty-six crafts oriented projects that mixes vintage traditional with modern-style contemporary activities suitable for even the most novice crafter. These 'budget friendly' crafts projects range from 'A is for Announcement'; to 'D is for Decoupage'; to 'K is for Keepsake Box'; to 'Q is for Quilt'; to 'Z is for Zoo Animal Storybook'. Each individual project comes with a 'Tools & Materials' list; step-by-step project instructions; and a color photograph of the finished project. Whether it's 'J is for Journal' or 'W is for Wall Frieze', this superbly presented and enthusiastically recommended project book is particularly suited for the novice crafter and will hold immense interest for the experienced crafter as well.


The Business Shelf

The Rental Property Manager's Toolbox
Jamaine Burrell
Atlantic Publishing
1405 Sw 6th Avenue, Ocala, Fl 34474
0910627711 $29.95 www.atlantic-pub.com

The Rental Property Manager's Toolbox is a straightforward guide to avoiding problems or lawsuits and minimizing risks while smoothly running rental property. Chapters walk the reader through landlord and tenant legal rights, how to screen and manage tenants, dealing with drugs, gangs and security issues, liability concerns, security deposits, maintenance, recordkeeping, taxes and much more. An accompanying CD-ROM contains dozens of useful forms, sample contracts, letters, notices, rental applications, agreements, and checklists. A highly readable, easy-to-use, absolute "must-have" for any rental property owners, especially those who are new to the business.

Juicing The Orange
Pat Fallon & Fred Senn
Harvard Business Press
300 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA 02472
1591399270 $26.95 www.harvardbusinessonline.com

Written by Pat Fallon (co-founder and chairman of Fallon Worldwide, a subsidiary of one of the world's largest advertising and media conglomerates) and Fred Senn (co-founder and partner with Fallon Worldwide), Juicing The Orange: How To Turn Creativity Into A Powerful Business Advantage is a no-nonsense guide to applying creativity to move the business market in one's favor. Chapters discuss tips, tricks and techniques for outpacing the commoditization of one's brand, fighting for the voice of one's brand, establishing a category advantage, overcoming branding problems, reviving a mature consumer brand that may have receded from public consciousness, marketing a network of businesses under one brand, and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this solid and viable selection of experienced advice, enthusiastically recommended especially for marketing students and professionals.


The Music Shelf

The Complete Guitar Course
Tom Fleming
Reader's Digest Press
260 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
076210662X $30.00 www.rd.com

"The Complete Guitar Course" is a single, comprehensive, step-by-step instruction book that will teach the reader all of the basics required for playing the guitar. Comprised of twenty 'user friendly" lessons that are profusely illustrated, easy-to-follow, and progressively skill-building, "The Complete Guitar Course" will help even the most novice aspiring guitarist to select the guitar that is the right kind for them; build chords and master simple melodies on the guitar; choose among rock, blues, folk, and classical guitar music styles; tune, change strings, and otherwise keep a guitar in top shape; achieve special effects on the guitar ranging from 'finger picking' to 'arpeggios'; practice playing the guitar using real songs (with scores of well-known and popular hit tunes); be introduced to inspiring and legendary players in all the guitar music genres from Andres Sergovia's classical acoustic guitar stylings to Clapton's electric guitar masterpieces. Offering the perfect approach to learning to play the guitar and a core addition to personal, music school, and community library Music Instruction reference collections, "The Complete Guitar Course" will enable any guitar student to perform beautiful music, have fun with their chosen instrument, and even embark upon a professional music career.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

The Landscapes of Hollywood Westerns
Edited by Deborah A. Carmichael
The University of Utah Press
1795 East South Campus Drive, #101, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9402
0874808669 $21.95 www.uofupress.com

Edited by film exhibition history expert Deborah A. Carmichael, The Landscapes of Hollywood Westerns: Ecocriticism in an American Film Genre is an anthology of essays by learned authors concerning the role of nature and landscape in American Western movies, including silent, documentary, and feature-length films. From "Hydraulic Mining Then and Now: The Case of Pale Rider" to "Cinematic Conquest: Breaking the Mexican American Connection to the Land in the Movies" to "Landscapes of Failure in John Ford's Grapes of Wrath" and much more, each essay explores a different connection between land and American cultural mythmaking on the silver screen. Especially recommended for college library and cinematic studies reference shelves.

The Alchemy Of Theatre
Robert Viagas, editor
Applause Theatre Books
c/o Hal Leonard Corporation
19 West 21st Street, Suite 201, New York, NY 10010
1557836981 $29.95 www.halleonard.com 1-800-637-2852

Productions of theatrical plays are collaborative efforts involving large numbers of people the include not only the actors and their director, but the expertise of playwrights, producers, stage hands, craftspeople, choreographers, musicians, publicists, make-up artists, costumers, and so many others. In "The alchemy Of Theatre: The Divine Science", New York theatre journalist and author Robert Viagas has compiled and edited a number of informed and informative essays on the phenomena of the theatre. The essayists range from the late playwright Wendy Wasserstein and the late composer Cy Coleman, to director/producer Harold Prince and director/choreographer Susan Stroman, to playwrights Edward Albee and Terrence McNally, to lyricists and composers Lynn Ahrens and Stepyhen Flaherty, to theatre owner Gerald Schoenfeld, to producer Rocco Landesman, and others representing every aspect of those professionals who must work together to create the theatrical experience for appreciative audiences. A welcome and highly engaging read, "The Alchemy of Theatre" is a core addition to professional, academic, and community library Theatre Arts reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Body Foods For Busy People
Jane Clarke
McBooks Press, Inc.
520 North Meadow Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
1590131347 $24.95 www.mcbooks.com 1-888-266-5711

Nutritionist and Cordon Bleu trained chef Jane Clarke uses a particularly 'reader friendly' approach to providing information for the time stressed as to what they can eat to best fuel their bodies to life a hectic lifestyle. Included are savory recommendations for 10-minute emergency suppers and energy-boosting snacks; instructions on the healthiest ways to eat out in upscale, family, and fast-food restaurants; effective travel snacks; ideal lunches; and even 'late-night soothers'. "Best Foods For Busy People" also addresses such issues as using food to treat ailments ranging from head aches, hangovers, fatigue, bad complexions, and weight problems. Enhanced with "kitchen cook friendly" recipes, color photography, and such specialized advice as 'Bodyfoods Solutions for Preventing Cancer', 'Combating the Symptoms of Stress', and 'Bodyfoods Solutions for Mothers-To-Be', "Body Foods For Busy People' is highly informative and strongly recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in creating and maintaining good health for themselves and their loved ones.


The International Studies Shelf

Love and War in Afghanistan
Alex Klaits & Gulchin Gulmamadova-Klaits
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
158322727X $17.95 www.sevenstories.com 212-226-8760

Collected by newly wed couple Alex Klaits and Gulchin Gulmamadova-Klaits, Love and War in Afghanistan is an anthology of true stories about fourteen ordinary women and men living in northeastern Afghanistan. The tales range from narratives of feuding wives to a Ukrainian defector from the Soviet army struggling to survive, eloped lovers, and much more. An inset selection of black-and-white photographic plates illustrates this highly recommended collection of glimpses into modern-day life in Afghanistan. A portion of the proceeds from Love and War in Afghanistan will be donated to support educational programs in the nation.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Turning Life into Fiction
Robin Hemley
Graywolf Press
2402 University Avenue, Suite 203, St. Paul, MN 55114
1555974449 $16.00 www.graywolfpress.com 651-641-0077

Updated and expanded by Robin Hemley (Director of the Nonfiction Writing Program as Iowa University), Turning Life into Fiction is a newly updated and expanded how-to manual for skillfully converting real life experiences into exciting storytelling. Packed with writing exercises, techniques for recording and generating ideas from day-to-day experience, and advice for dealing with the potentially thorny ethical issue of borrowing experiences from the lives of strangers and loved ones, Turning Life into Fiction is a "must-read" for practicing and aspiring fiction writers everywhere. Highly recommended.

The Complete Idiot's Guide To Getting Published
Sheree Bykofsky & Jennifer Basye Sander
Alpha Books
c/o New American Library
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
1592575188 $19.95 1-800-847-5515 www.penguin.com

Now in a completely updated and significantly expanded fourth edition, "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Getting Published" provides the aspiring author and the novice publisher with step-by-step instructions on turning a manuscript into a published book. Enhanced with an accompanying CD-Rom enriched with dozens of document templates, lists of agents, lists of writers' conference, and publisher resources of all kinds and categories, "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Getting Published" is one of the most "user friendly" how-to books on the subject of publishing available to the general public today. Along with a methodical explanatory presentation of the book publishing process, readers will learn just how to best get their particular manuscript ready for publication; how to keep track of publishing industry trends as part of determining the suitability and viability of their publishing project; effective, innovative, and tested marketing strategies, and so much more. "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Getting Published" will also enable novice writers to avoid common mistakes, understand publisher contracts, and consider the pros and cons with respect to literary agents. If you have aspirations to having your manuscript published, then do yourself the tremendous favor of giving "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Getting Published" a careful reading.


The Fiction Shelf

The Bracelet
Maureen Kahl
Tate Publishing
127 East Trade Center Terrace, Mustang, OK 73064-4421
1598863487 $14.95 www.tatepublishing.com 405-376-4900

The debut novel of Maureen Kahl, The Bracelet is a spiritual novel about the power of music to awaken hearts and souls. A female journalist avoids the song "Unchained Melody" because of its connection to the most painful part of her life - until she hears it beautifully sung by a pop-music reality show superstar. Her faith in God rekindled, she sets out to thank the singer with a handmade charm bracelet, unknowing of how her journey will forever transform lives around them. A tender tale of awakening faith and wonder.


The Art Shelf

The Indiana Dunes Revealed
James R. Dabbert, et al.
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6975
0252073789 $29.95 www.press.uillinois.edu 1-800-545-4703

The Indian Dunes Revealed: The Art Of Frank V. Dudley is written and edited by James R. Dabbert (Senior Lecturer in English, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago) with the assistance of J. Ronald Engle (Professor of Social Ethics, Meadville Theological School of Lombard College), Joan Gibb Engel (an activist and writer on Dunes ecology), i9ndependent art historian Wendy Grennhouse , and William H. Gerdts (Professor Emeritus of Art History at the Graduate School of the City University of New York). Frank V. Dudley (1868-1957) was a native of Wisconsin who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and eventually established a long exhibition record while dedicated more than forty years of his professional life as a landscape painter to the promotion and preservation of the Indiana Dunes – a unique geographical region enjoying state and federal protection while providing ecologists with a unique and truly 'living laboratory' for their studies. "The Indiana Dunes" is a team project that superbly showcases Dudley's life and work including 150 color reproductions of his paintings and another 70 black-and-white images. Because of the continual conflict between development and preservation over the decades, some of Dudley's paintings are the only record we have left of lost dunescapes. Also available in a hardcover edition (0252031393, $60.00), "The Indiana Dunes Revealed" is a splendid addition to academic library American Art History collections, and particularly recommended for supplemental reading lists in the areas of environmental studies and American Midwestern history.


The World History Shelf

The Great Stink of Paris and The 19th Century Struggle Against Filth and Germs
David S. Barnes
Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218-4363
0801883490 $35.00 www.press.jhu.edu

In late summer of 1880 odors began drenching Paris from its sewers, and residents feared an epidemic would follow. Fifteen years later another Great Stink occurred – this time with little fear of resulting disease. Historian Barnes considers the evolving science of public health in Paris between the 1880s and 1890s, blending history, culture, science and medicine with a review of how public health policies changed during the era. A work of impeccable scholarship, The Great Stink of Paris and The 19th Century Struggle Against Filth and Germs is highly recommended and informative reading for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the history of modern medicine, as well as 19th century French history.

Moscow Stories
Loren R. Graham
Indiana University Press
601 N. Morton St., Bloomington IN 47404-3797
0253347165 $29.95 www.iupress.indiana.edu

Historian Loren R. Graham was present during many important landmark events in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia between 1960 and 2005: his reflections on these events doesn't come from the usual reporter's viewpoint, but from that of an ordinary American living amongst the Russians. Individual chapters recalling the episodes and social turmoil also comment on the human aspects, on personalities and events in America, and on friendships amongst some of the leading scientists and politicians in Russia. Erudite and exceptionally well written, Moscow Stories is very highly recommended as an informed and informative addition to academic and community library Russian Studies and European History collections.


The Sports Shelf

Barrel Racing 101
Marlene McRae
Lyons Press
The Lyons Press
246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437
1592287964 $22.95 www.lyonspress.com 1-800-836-0510

Barrel racing is one of the equestrian sports which lends to an exciting competition both for spectator and competitor, but few books cover barrel racing. Instructor and champion racer Marlene McRae has developed an entire program for the barrel racer and shares her arena tips for this audience; from selecting a champion barrel-racing horse to using equipment, beginning barrel racing patterns, and competing. A 'must' for all equestrian sports enthusiasts, Barrel Racing 101is as entertaining as it is informative and highly recommended for school and community library Sports & Athletics collections.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

To Save The World
Heather Hayashi
Synergy Books
2100 Kramer Lane, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78758
193353835X $21.95 512-478-2028 www.bookpros.com www.dragonwriter.com

Volume One of The Arhka Chronicles, To Save The World is the story of three people from present-day Earth suddenly cast into the magical world of Arhka, where both humanoids and dragons wield a mysterious energy as raw power. A brewing war with an alien race from a distant world threatens total destruction; the ordinary people from Earth are catapulted amid catastrophic events and must decide their loyalties quickly. A sweeping saga of life-or-death struggle on global scale, written with a flair for high drama and highly recommended.


The Poetry Shelf

Chaotic Angels
Gwyneth Lewis
Bloodaxe Books Ltd./Dufour Editions Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
1852247231 $24.95 610-458-5005

Written by Gwyneth Lewis (made National Poet of Wales in 2005), Chaotic Angels is a free-verse anthology of sharply honest and creative poems collected from her three English collections, "Parables & Faxes" (1995), "Zero Gravity" (1998) and "Keeping Mum" (2003). A diverse spread of ultimately human topics, from the disillusionment of a decaying marriage to a prayer for a deceased canine companion to the visceral appearance of a panic attack. A fresh experience on every page. "Drought": It needs torching, all that boring moor / above the village. I planted seeds / in several places till the spindly gorse // bore crimson flowers all around its own / in yellow, then collapsed in black. / Borders I planted with exotic blooms // then I watched as arson laid a smoky lawn / as far as the tree line. Beneath its grass / grew a snowdrop season of broken glass.

Teahouse of the Almighty
Patricia Smith
Coffee House Press
27 North 4th Street, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401
1566891930 $15.00 www.cofeehousepress.org 1-800-283-3572

Four-time poetry slam champion Patricia Smith presents Teahouse of the Almighty, an anthology of dynamic, free-verse poetry that sublimely captures the thrills and dilemmas of the human experience. From the sad denouement of the end of a marriage, to the numb shock surrounding a mother of soldiers losing her loved ones to war, to a visualization of Dexter King meeting James Earl Ray, each poem conceptualizes amorphous instants into heavy, tangible feeling. "Down 4 the Up Stroke": But you have poetry, you say. / And if you can tell me what poetry is, / where the line is drawn / between the beauty and the breathing / of breath into something to make it beautiful, / I will claim poetry as my own.

Hitch
Matthew Holmes
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC VON 2H0
088971214X $16.95 www.nightwoodeditions.com

Hitch is an anthology of poetry by Matthew Holmes, publisher of the zine "Modomnoc." Featuring both free-verse stanzas on a wide variety of subjects and a handful of stream-of-consciousness introspections upon universal laws, Hitch ties together rhythm, nuance and precision with the exquisite accuracy of a sailor's knot. At times mournful and introspective, at times bold and outspoken, Hitch flows with original talent in its interfolding of concept, description, and verbal patterns. "The Reliquaries of Trees": The reliquaries of trees / are sapling bone chainlink suspended, / lawn stump rooting pipe dry, / avenues tuning-forked to power lines, / patchwork arcanum of mountainside / (when seen from above) / and the sawdust cenotaphs of lumberyards- // where the woods mob in unruly, / try to see past the wind's shoulders / to where the kill site was, / crowd at the edge of roads laid to tell them / there's nothing to see here, nothing to see, / rub rooftops for a blessing pray, / and queue for the time of their own haunting.

Selected Poetry and Drama
Lea Goldberg, author
Rachel Tzvia Back & T. Carmi, translators
The Toby Press LLC
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
1592641113 $14.95 www.tobypress.com

Written by Lea Goldberg (1911-1970), establisher of the Hebrew University's Department of Comparative Literature and recipient of the Israel Prize, Selected Poetry and Drama presents Rachel Tzvia Back's fresh translation of a broad cross-section of Goldberg's poetry, as well as T. Carmi's classic translation of Goldberg's only theatrical play, "Lady of the Castle". Goldberg's sharply honest and insightful verse strips away all illusions masking the true appearance of both physical and mental realities. Notes on the poems explain in-depth nuances of certain translation issues, and an index of poems by first line allows for quick lookup of favorite verses. A seminal contribution to classic women's and Judaic poetry collections. "On the Mount of Olives": A landscape like this has no answers / when aging people / stand on the road / and a summer day passes them by / by the broken stones / in this place.

Vision Mixer
Duncan Forbes
Enitharmon Press
c/o Dufour Editions
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425
190463415X $22.95 www.dufoureditions.com 1-800-869-5677

The fifty poetry collection by Duncan Forbes, Vision Mixer is a compilation of free-verse expressions and seekings written in search of understanding, from the contemplation of small creatures such as toads to meditations in quest of enlightenment to struggling to comprehend the supreme force that is God. A search for depth beyond readily apparent signs, Vision Mixer highly thought-provoking and well worth close study. "Theory": In our Greco-Roman youth / We believed in love and truth. / In post-modernist decline / Signifier questions sign.


The Education Shelf

School-Community Relations
Douglas J. Fiore
Eye On Education
6 Depot Way West, Larchmont, NY 10538
1596670223 $74.95 www.eyeoneducation.com

Written by former teacher, principal, and college professor Douglas J. Fiore, School-Community Relations is now in an updated second edition. School-Community Relations offers the basic building blocks of a successful school-community relations plan, from how to read the pulse of the community to improving media relations, taking advantage of the electronic era of communication, making plans to cope with crisis situations, and much more. A practical-minded guide based heavily on experience, School-Community Relations is one text no high-ranking school administrator should be without.


The Automotive Shelf

American Hot Rod
William Scheller
Hugh Lauter Levin Associates
9 Burr Road, Westport, CT 06880
0883631199 $50.00 www.hlla.com

Based upon the Discovery Channel's popular weekly show 'American Hot Road', author and automotive expert William Scheller's "American Hot Rod: The Fine Art Of The Custom Hot Rod" is an informed and informative introduction to the history of hot rods, street rods and custom cars that were painstakingly created and crafted to express both cutting edge automotive development technical skills and expressive artistic and cultural imagination as expressed in design and performance. Profusely illustrated throughout, "American Hot Rod" showcases twelve of the best American hot rod cars, as well as fourteen Boyd Coddington Garage Cars as revealed on the popular TV show and held in fabulous privately owned hot rod collections. "American Hot Rod" will prove a welcome and popular addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Automotive History reference collections.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Seeking The Sacred Raven
Mark Jerome Walters
Island Press
1718 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 200009
1559630906 $24.95 www.islandpress.org 202-232-7933 ext. 24

Written by Mark Jerome Walters (Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of South Florida), Seeking The Sacred Raven: Politics and Extinction on a Hawaiian Island is the true story of the ill-fated effort to preserve the wild alala, a type of raven indigenous to Hawaii and venerated as sacred by the native populace - the alala is thought to be a guide that aids the souls of the dead in their journey to the hereafter. Yet as environmental pressures, diseases, and non-native predators decimated the alala population, the most valiant efforts of captive breeding and release programs were insufficient to halt its slow extinction. The problem was not simply population and genetic diversity of the alala, but that there was no safe habitat to release them into - cats, mongoose and hawks would eat them, among other mortal perils. With the deaths and protective recapturing of the last wild alala, the species forever lost the survival knowledge that parent birds had been passing to their chicks, and though approximately fifty captive alala remain, their breeding to survive in captivity rather than survive in the wild is sure to forever change the ecological signature of the species. A disturbing look at shortsighted species conservation efforts, the dire need to protect species by preserving their habitat, and human hubris as it trifles with the sacred. Highly recommended.


The Military Shelf

82nd Airborne Division 1917-2005
Dominique Francois
Heimdal
c/o Casemate
2114 Darby Road, 2nd Floor, Havertown, PA 19083
2840482150, $65.00, www.casematepublishing.com 1-610-853-9131

Profusely illustrated throughout with b/w and color photography, "82nd Airborne Division 1917-2005" is a 400-page history of one of the most prestigious and battle experienced military units in the American Army. This is the history of thousands of American soldiers trained and ready to parachute into extreme battlefield situations and to achieve their military objectives on the ground no matter the conditions. "82nd Airborne Division 1917-2005" ranges from the trenches of the World War I battlefield of the Somme to the desert engagements of our war with Iraqi, and from the snow-covered forests of the Belgian Ardness to the jungles of Vietnam. Here revealed are almost 90 years of specialized military history drawn from private archives and division military files. "82nd Airborne Division 1917-2005 " is a seminal and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library "Military History" reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Complete Guide To United States Marine Corps Medals, Badges And Insignia World War II To Present
James G. Thompson
Medals of America Press
114 Southchase Boulevard, Fountain Inn, SC 29644
www.usmedals.com 1-800-308-0849
1884452426 $29.95 plus $4.00 shipping/handling

With "Complete Guide To United States Marine Corps Medals, Badges And Insignia World War II To Present", military medal expert James Thompson has created a comprehensive and methodically presented encyclopedic reference to all of the Marine Corps decorations, medals, ribbons, badges, and military insignia commissioned and awarded during the Second World War. This unique and outstanding military reference features color plates of all Marine Corps medals and ribbons; their history and award criteria; foreign awards and UN meals given to American Marines; a complete set of Marine ribbons in their correct order with all attachments and devices; all Marine insignia (including officer and enlisted rank insignia 1944 to the present day); World War II shoulder patches; descriptions of service ID badges, aiguillettes, should cords, etc.; detailed information on marksmanship and trophy badges; a guide to the correct wearing of medals, ribbons, insignia and badges by active duty Marines and veterans; displaying awards and insignia, even instructions on how to claim a medal by a qualified serving Marine or veteran. Also available in a hardcover edition (1-884452434, $29.95), "Complete Guide To United States Marine Corps Medals, Badges And Insignia World War II To Present" is a strongly recommended, thoroughly 'user friendly', informative and core addition to personal, professional, military, and academic library Military History reference collections.


The American History Shelf

Benedict Arnold's Navy
James L. Nelson
The McGraw Hill Companies
Two Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10121-2298
0071468064 $24.95 www.books.mcgraw-hill.com 1-877-833-5524

Written by award-winning historian and rig ship sailor James L. Nelson, Benedict Arnold's Navy: The Ragtag Fleet that Lost the Battle of Lake Champlain but Won the American Revolution is the true story of the Battle of Valcour Island, in which a hastily comprised American fleet led by Benedict Arnold stood against the superior numbers and power of the British navy during the War for Independence. Though the fleet was overwhelmed, the delay it engendered proved vital in enabling the first American triumph in the subsequent Battle of Saratoga, which in turn convinced France to ally with America and shifted the tide of war. Though Benedict Arnold is remembered today as a traitor, in the Battle of Valcour Island his charismatic and strategic leadership played and indispensable role in preventing America's defeat. Benedict Arnold's Navy spares no detail in its reconstruction of pivotal events in America's struggle to become its own nation, and is enthusiastically recommended for library and history shelves.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Women and Deafness
Edited by Brenda Jo Brueggemann & Susan Burch
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington DC 20002-3695
1563682931 $38.00 gupress.gallaudet.edu

Edited by professors Brenda Jo Brueggemann and Susan Burch, Women and Deafness: Double Visions is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing deafness and deaf identity in the context of women's studies, and vice versa. Pieces contemplate why Hellen Keller, perhaps the most famous deaf woman of all, is remembered primarily as a champion specifically of the blind; the issue of mothers raising their children according to oralist dictates "like ordinary hearing children"; the significance and impact of the Deaf American Beauty Pageant, and much more. A welcome and much-needed contribution addressing serious gaps in both women's studies and deaf studies reference shelves.


The Literary Shelf

The Force Of Vocation
Ruth Panofsky
University Of Manitoba Press
310 St. John's College, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2M5
0887556892 $22.95 www.umanitoba.ca/uofmpress 204-474-9495

Written by Ruth Panofsky (teaches English at Ryerson University), The Force Of Vocation: The Literary Career of Adele Wiseman is the first literary study of the written works of Canadian author Adele Wiseman, whose career began with her internationally acclaimed first novel "The Sacrifice", and included drama and nonfiction as well as years of service mentoring other writers. Extensively researched, and drawing upon previously unpublished archival material and personal interviews with publishers, editors, and writers, The Force of Vocation is a revealing life story about a literary professional who absolutely refused to compromise her work for marketability in the slightest.

Carlos Fuentes' The Death of Artemio Cruz
Harold Bloom, editor
Chelsea House
132 West 31st Street 17th floor New York, NY 10001
0791085872 $45.00 www.chelseahouse.com

The latest in the extensive Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations series, Carlos Fuentes' The Death of Artemio Cruz is an anthology of essays by learned scholars discussing the finer points of the novel "The Death of Artemio Cruz" (1962) by contemporary Mexican author Carlos Fuentes. This novel about the legacy of the Mexican Revolution, as told from the perspective of Artemio Cruz on his deathbed, expresses a core search for Mexican identity in the wake of promises, failures, and hopes following the Revolution. Essays address issues of fathers and sons, comparisons between The Death of Artemio Cruz and Citizen Kane, the expression of memory and time, and much more. A scholarly and diverse analysis of a Mexican literary classic, recommended for college library and international literary studies shelves.

Asinaria
Plautus, author
John Henderson, translation and commentary
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, 3rd floor, Madison Wisconsin 53711-2059
0299219941 $19.95 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress

Written by Plautus and translated with commentary by John Henderson (Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge, Kings College), Asinaria: The One about the Asses provides the Latin text of Plautus' ancient and humorous Roman play, an English translation that superbly captures the raunchy and droll wit of the original, and an in-depth explanatory commentary that entertains with aplomb as surely as it enlightens in a scholarly context. Asinaria reveals Roman social relations of thousands of years ago a s revolving around many types of slavery: to sex, money, family structure, social standing, masculinity, partying, lies and idiocy. The razor wit of Plautus himself shines through in this enthusiastically recommended text for classical Latin and historical Roman studies and college library shelves.

The Golden Way
Dvora Bregman
ACMRS
PO Box 874402, Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
0866983481 $45.00 1-480-727-6503

Written by Professor Dvora Bregman, The Golden Way: The Hebrew Sonnet During the Renaissance and the Baroque examines the history of the Hebrew sonnet from its inception circa the year 1300 in Italy, almost parallel to the first Italian sonnets, to its spread and metamorphosis throughout Europe and the Turkish Empire. Chapters scrutinize the Hebrew sonnet's syntax, rhetoric, meter, rhyme, structure, approach toward different subjects and much more. A highly scholarly dissection of a classical poetry format for advanced literary historians, written with a keen eye toward linguistics, nuances of composition, and the Hebrew sonnet's role in facilitating human expression. Recommended for graduate school libraries and professional literary scholars.

Howl on Trial
Bill Morgan and Nancy J. Peters, editors
City Lights Publishers
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
0872864790 $14.95 www.citylights.com

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the publication of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl and Other Poems", Howl on Trial: The Battle for Free Expression presents the inside story of editing, publishing, and defending the poem Howl in the context of censorship of literary works, and the 1957 obscenity trial in San Francisco that supposedly represented "the people" versus City Lights, the bookshop that published and sold "Howl and Other Poems." Howl on Trial includes correspondence between Allen Ginsberg and numerous others concerning the poem and efforts to censor it; a selection of newspaper reportage, magazine essays, cartoons, photographs, and letters to the editor that reveal the cultural climate of the mid-1950s; excerpts from the trial transcript; ACLU defense counsel Albert Bendich's reflections on the Howl case; and much more. A fascinating examination of the battle for free speech in microcosm, offering insights into the ongoing struggle for the right to express ideas without fear or harassment.


The Social Issues Shelf

No One Is Illegal
Justin Akers Chacon & Mike Davis
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
1931859353 $14.00 www.haymarketbooks.org 773-583-7884

Written by Justin Akers Chacon (professor of US History and Chicano Studies in San Diego) and Mike Davis (teaches in the Department of History at the University of California at Irvine), No One Is Illegal: Fighting Racism and State Violence on the US-Mexico Border is a sharp rebuke against anti-immigration vigilantism, denouncing the often violent right-wing backlash against immigrants and striving to put a human face upon the men and women who cross America's borders. Chapters survey white, anti-immigrant violence in California history from the inception of the Ku Klux Klan, the "Yellow Peril", and anti-Filipino riots to modern times, with an especially critical eye turned toward the Minutemen. Also scrutinized is the history of how dominant corporate interests and the wealthiest members of America have used immigration policy to control labor - such as the bracero program, an individualized contract that subjects a guest worker to deportation at the employer's relative discretion; such "guest worker" programs actually give agribusiness employers more control over their workers than they would have over undocumented workers, who can migrate to construction other fields and thus place some pressure upon agribusiness to raise its poverty-level wages. A scholarly, heavily researched yet harsh wake-up call to American immigration policy injustice.

The Way of Ignorance
Wendell Berry with Daniel Kemmis and Courtney White
Shoemaker & Hoard Publishers
c/o Avalon Publishing Group
245 West 17th Street, 11th floor, New York, NY 10011-5300
1593760779 $24.00 www.shoemakerhoard.com 1-800-788-3123

The Way of Ignorance and Other Essays is an anthology of writings by cultural critic Wendell Berry - one of Smithsonian magazine's 35 People Who Made a Difference - about topics ranging from what freedom is really being discussed when one speaks of "free market" or "free enterprise", to the costs of so-called rugged individualism in a democratic commonwealth, to sharp-laced observations on the Kerry campaign, and much more. Written in plain terms, The Way of Ignorance takes a cold, hard look at the doubletalk and doublethink that saturates modern American airwaves, stripping them down to bare conundrums, all with a heavy dose of the author's practical evaluation. An enthusiastically recommended, thought-provoking cross-examination of modern society.


The Christmas Shelf

A Glorious Angel Show
Dandi Daley Mackall & Susan Mitchell
Integrity Publishers
660 Bakers Bridge Avenue, Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37067
1591454360, $14.99, www.integritypublishers.com

Written with an elegant originality by Dandi Daley Mackall and beautifully illustrated by Susan Mitchell, "A Glorious Angel Show" is the tender 'pop-up' picturebook story of the Christmas nativity recounted with rhyme and repetitive phrases ideal for preschool and kindergarten children. The rather spectacular pop-up spread in the center of the picture reveals the heavenly proclamation by the angels that the savior has been born. Wonderfully 'child friendly' and a welcome addition to personal and family Christmas book collections, "A Glorious Angel Show" is highly recommended for family story hour celebration of Christmas and all that it means.

A Simply Wonderful Christmas
Silke Leffler
North-South Books Inc.
PMB 248, 455 Sam Ridley Parkway West, Smyrna, TN 37167
0735821003, $25.00, www.northsouth.com

Compiled and organized by Silke Leffler, "A Simply Wonderful Christmas: A Literary Adventure Calendar" offers children of elementary school age a wonderful and enthusiastically recommended collection of twenty-four seasonally appropriate stories meant to be read one at a time for each day in December leading up to Christmas. The stories are enhanced with Leffler's lovely and whimsical illustrations reflecting the enchantment and magic of the three weeks leading up to Christmas Day. There are even pages set aside where young readers (and their parents) can record personal holiday memories making "A Simply Wonderful Christmas" a truly enduring family legacy and keepsake.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Buddhism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives
Stephen C. Berkwitz, Editor
ABC-CLIO
Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
1851097821 $85.00 www.abc-clio.com

Joining others in the 'Religion in Contemporary Cultures' set is a survey of Buddhist belief in cultures around the world, offering fascinating comparisons in how Buddhism is perceived and recognized differently around the world. Both high school and college-level readers will enjoy a discussion that surveys how local cultures change religion, with different stages of adaptation and practice contrasted throughout. Buddhism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives is very highly recommended as a welcome and informative addition to academic and community library Buddhist Studies reference collections.


The Gardening Shelf

Essential Plant Pathology
Gail L. Schumann & Cleora J. D'Arcy
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097
0890543429 $79.95 www.shopapspress.org 1-800-328-7560

The collaborative effort of plant pathology experts and academicians Gail Schuman (Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and Cleora D'Arcy (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Essential Plant Pathology is a thoroughly 'student friendly' introduction to plant diseases, their diagnoses, prevention, and treatment. After an informative preface explaining why the study of plant pathology is important and how to use both this introductory textbook and its accompanying CD-Rom, the first chapter provides and explanation of how plant diseases are diagnosed, the 'plant disease triangle', how to determine the cause of a specific disease, what 'biotrophs' and necrotrophs are, disease cycles and they can be utilized. Specific chapters then go on to address plant diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, nematodes, viruses, parasitic flowering plants, abiotic factors, pathogens, how people influence plant disease epidemics, the prevention or management of plant disease epidemics, and more. Enhanced with appendices on 'Disease Classics', 'Example Diseases', and 'Rapid Assays for Pathogens', along with 'Figure Credits' and a comprehensive Index, "Essential plant Pathology" is a core addition to academic library Agricultural Studies collections and an especially appropriate acquisition for community libraries for their patrons with an interest in gardening, landscaping, and general horticulture.

Treasures Of The Conservatory Of Flowers
Nina Sazevich & Kevin J. Frest
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
1597140317 $8.95 www.heydaybooks.com 1-510-549-3564

Nina Sazevich's informative text is beautifully enhanced with the full color photography of Kevin J. Rest in "Treasures Of The Conservatory Of Flowers", a showcase compilation of diverse flowering plants carefully cultivated at San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers. This is the oldest surviving municipal wood and glass greenhouse in the United States having been founded in 1879. "Treasures Of The Conservatory Of Flowers" is nicely organized into four sections: lowland tropics; highland tropics; acquatic plants; and potted plants. Each entry reveals details on that particular flower and taken altogether represents a kind of descriptive tour of the Conservatory's main sections. Of special note is an illustration of the overall structure of this enduring and impressive example of Victorian architecture. "Treasures Of The Conservatory Of Flowers" is an excellent and recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic Gardening Studies and Floral Studies reference collection.

Lessons in Nature
Malcolm Beck
Acres USA
PO Box 91299, Austin, TX 78709-1299
0911311807 $25.00 www.acresusa.com

Lifelong organic farmer Malcolm Beck presents Lessons in Nature: 50 Years of Organic Advice from the Southwest's Foremost Composter, Gardener, Farmer, now in a new and expanded edition. Lessons in Nature walks the reader through the numerous details, tips, tricks, and techniques to pursuing successful organic gardening. Chapters address everything from organic insecticides to tree and lawn care, fertilization, organic weed control, how to rejuvenate a worn-out farm, and much more. A valuable "how-to" guide for hobbyist gardeners and serious organic farmers alike, illustrated with black-and-white photographs, Lessons in Nature enthusiastically recommended for its firsthand wisdom.


The Cookbook Shelf

Best Of The Best From Iowa Cookbook
Gwen McKee & Barabara Moseley, editors
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
www.quailridge.com
0937552828 $16.95 1-800-343-1283

Best Of The Best From Iowa Cookbook: Selected Recipes From Iowa's Favorite Cookbooks is a spiral-bound collection of approximately 400 crowd-pleasing recipes chosen for their long-lasting appeal among Iowans. From Peach Pudding Coffee Cakes to Velvety Almond Cream Soup and much more, these sumptuous delicacies are sure to please one's palate with their down-home style. A note next to each of the recipes tells which classic cookbook it was originally from. Recommended for anyone intrigued by a taste of the "land between two rivers".

Everyone Can Cook Appetizers
Eric Akis
Whitecap Books, Ltd.
351 Lynn Avenue, North Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7J 2C4
155285793X $22.95 www.whitecap.ca 1-888-980-9852

Occasionally illustrated with full color photography showcasing completed recipes, Eric Akis (culinary expert, food writer for the Victoria 'Times Colonist' and formerly a professional chef for fifteen years) draws upon his considerable expertise and experience to compile the recipes and preparation instructions for more than one hundred superbly conceived appetizers in "Everyone Can Cook Appetizers". From Green Peppercorn Pate Canapes with Orange Liqueur; Mini Shrimp Cakes with Chili Cumin Mayo; Fennel, Pepper and Sesame Flatbread; and Corn-Crusted Chicken Strips with honey Mustard Sauce; to Savoury Asian-Style Vegetarian Pancakes; Curry-Spiced Lamb Chops with Mint Yogurt; Lemmon and Sweet Pepper Clams; and Chocolate Truffle-Stuffed Dates with Mango Sauce, "Every Can Cook Appetizers" is an ideal and enthusiastically recommended addition to any kitchen cookbook collection and will enable even the most novice cook to provide appetizers that would be on par with anything served in even the finest restaurants by professional chefs!

Chicken Soup For The Soul: Recipes For Busy Moms
Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, 'Mr. Food'
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
0757304044 $19.95 1-800-441-5569

Especially compiled for kitchen cooks who are pressed for time but still want to prepare family meals that are tasty and nutritious, snacks their kids won't trade with other kids during school lunch periods, side dishes that aren't just popped out of a can or heated up from a frozen foods box, want their kids to kid involved and help out with meal planning and kitchen cooking, and even prepare 'guest worth' dishes for special occasions but without the necessity of elaborate ingredients or extended cooking instructions, "Chicken Soup For The Soul: Recipes For Busy Moms" offers a culinary wealth of simple but delicious recipes suitable for any and all occasions. Enhanced with real-live stories illustrating the importance of sharing time with loved ones, building family traditions, and hints for stretching food budgets and utilizing left overs, "Chicken Soup For The Soul: Recipes For Busy Moms" showcases easy-to-make recipes that range from Mexican Tortilla Soup; to Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzels; to Restaurant-Style Shrimp Scampi; to Vegetable Stir-Fry. Profusely illustrated with full color images of finished dishes, "Chicken Soup For The Soul: Recipes For Busy Moms" is a welcome, popular, and strongly recommended addition to personal and community library cookbook collections.

Matt Braun's Western Cooking
Matt Braun
Caxton Press
312 Main Street, Caldwell, ID 83605-3299
0870043749 $17.95 www.caxtonpress.com 1-800-657-6465

Known and respected for his western novels, Matt Braun is also a master of America's western frontier cuisine and documents his expertise with more than a hundred wonderfully flavorful recipes that showcase the hearty flavors, culinary traditions, and special lore of cooking and dining in the American West. Complete lists of ingredients are followed by methodical preparation instructions and an estimate of serving amounts. A popular and 'user friendly' addition to any kitchen cookbook collection, this spiral bound compilation of recipes ranges from Ranch-Fried Potatoes; Sourdough Biscuits; and Spicy Barbecue Sauce; to Enchiladas de Carne; Fried Rabbit; and Spotted Pup Pudding. If you only have room on your kitchen shelf for one more specialty cookbook, then you couldn't do better than "Matt Braun's Western Cooking".

Up A Country Lane
Evelyn Birkby
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
0877457433 $18.95 www.uiowa.edu/uiowapress 1-800-621-2736

"Up A Country Lane" by wife, mother, homemaker, newspaper columnist, author, and one-time radio personality Evelyn Birkby is more than just another country cookbook. It is a compendium of anecdotal stories of friends and family, useful household tips, tales of rural farm life in Mill Creek Valley, Iowa during the 1940s and 50s, and Evelyn's own philosophy – all liberally sprinkled with recipes for the kinds of dishes so familiar to Midwestern American farm wives ranging from Stockyard Stew; Shepherd's Pie; and Pudding Mix Sweet Rolls; to Fried Apples; Tuna Crunch Salad; and Snickerdoodles. Highly recommended and rewarding reading, "Up A Country Lane" is as entertaining and thoughtful as it is homespun and 'kitchen cook friend'.

Wilderness Cuisine
Carole Latimer
Wilderness Press
1200 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0899971148 $13.95 www.wildernesspress.com

Author Carole Latimer shares her twelve years of experience cooking for clients on wilderness trips in Wilderness Cuisine, a cookbook that proves enjoying the backcountry outdoors doesn't require giving up delectable gourmet food! Chapters address how to pack food and keep it fresh, how to equip a wilderness kitchen, how to set up camp and cook with minimal repercussions to the environment, how to keep food safe from animals, and much more. A wealth of wilderness-friendly recipies from Camper's Classic Jerky Marinade to Pear Torte, Corn Oatcakes, French Onion Soup Base and much more round out this superb "how-to" manual for outdoorsmen and women with a refined palate.

The Culinary Institute Of America One Dish Meals
Lynne Gigliotti
Lebhar-Friedman
Lisa Ekus Public Relations (publicity)
425 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022
0867309083, $35.00, www.lfbooks.com

Compiled, edited and organized by Lynn Gigliotti (a lecturing instructor in Culinary Arts at The Culinary Institute of America), "The Culinary Institute Of America One Dish Meals: Flavorful Single-Dish Meals From The World's Premier Culinary College" offers the kitchen chef an impressive collection of recipes for upscale cuisines that would grace any dining occasion from informal family meals to ultra-formal celebratory or business dinners. Enhanced with full color photographs of finished dishes, this cornucopia of more than 150 kitchen-tested, "kitchen cook friendly", step-by-step, single-dish recipes range from Chicken Vegetable Soup Azteca; Green Chile and Pork Stew with Potatoes; and Braised Lamb Shanks; to Vegetarian Moussaka; Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage; and Barbecued Chicken Pizza. "The Culinary Institute Of America One Dish Meals" is an elegant and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections!


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Public Health
Bernard J. Turnock M.D., MPH
Jones and Bartlett Publishers
40 Tall Pine Drive, Sunbury, MA 01776
0763737909 $39.95 www.jbpub.com

Written by medical doctor Bernard J. Turnock, Public Health: Career Choices That Make a Difference is a career guide written especially for anyone considering work in the field of public health. Chapters describe the requirements and expectations of those who pursue a career in nursing, epidemology and disease control, public health education, or other similar choices. From describing the typical day of a given public health worker, to meticulously listing the expected knowledge and skills, to practical advice for being successful in the requisite training, Public Health is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to devote themselves to serving and protecting the health needs of the people at large.


The Travel Shelf

A Travel Guide to Basque America
Nancy Zubiri
University of Nevada Press
MS 166, Reno, NV 89557-0076
0874176328 $24.95 www.unpress.nevada.edu $24.95

Written by journalist Nancy Zubiri, the newly updated second edition of A Travel Guide to Basque America: Families, Feasts, and Festivals is an amazing guide to Basque-American communities, particularly the ones found in California, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Montana. From a brief history of Basque immigration and culture, to traditional Basque recipes, customs and polite rules of etiquette to abide by in Basque communities, and more, A Travel Guide to Basque America is the "must-have" reference for anyone interested in experiencing this unique and proud culture. A conversational narrative style spells out the locations of restaurants and popular festivals, while black-and-white maps and photographs serve as visual aids.

Hammond International France Road Atlas
Langenscheidt Publishing Group
c/o Lande Communications
PO Box 979, Spring House, PA 19477
0843709367, $19.95, www.langenscheidt.com 1-888-773-7979

Hammond has long been an established name for the publication of maps, atlases, and travel guides. The "Hammond International France Road Atlas" is specifically designed for drivers needing to traverse the streets, roads and highways of France. Travelers are provided with easy to read and clearly detailed road maps for autoroute driving; precise road maps of all major metropolitan areas for getting off the highways and into the cities; vicinity maps of Paris which also show significant points of interest outside the city and how to get to them; city street maps drawn large scale; and a comprehensive index for easy access to desired map page information. If you are planning road trips anywhere in France, then secure yourself a copy of the "Hammond International France Road Atlas" – it will prove to be an invaluable and indispensable resource whether you are driving across France for pleasure or business.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Securing a Retirement Income for Life
Bill Griffith, Jr., CFP
W. E. Griffith Publications
1150 Washington Road, Suite 200, Washington, PA 15301
0978550609 $29.95 www.wegriffith.com

Written by Bill Griffith Jr. (principal of W.E. Griffith & Associates, a fee-based wealth management firm), Securing a Retirement Income for Life is a no-nonsense guide to what, in today's era of long life spans, is becoming an increasingly lengthy stage of adult life. Securing a Retirement Income for Life addresses how much to accumulate to provide a stable retirement income and fully address one's quality of life needs, how to prepare for uncertainties most effectively when confronted with unknown future variables, addressing healthcare risks, choosing the right financial advisor for one's needs, and much more. Written in plain terms for the lay reader, Securing a Retirement Income for Life features a wealth of easy-to-use tables for quickly estimating relevant figures, as well as an index for cross-reference, and is especially recommended for anyone confused by myriad options for retirement planning.


The Psychology Shelf

Imitation and the Social Mind
Edited by Sally J. Rogers & Justin H.G. Williams
Guilford Publications
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
1593853114 $65.00 www.guilford.com

Edited by psychiatry experts Sally J. Rogers and Justin H.G. Williams, Imitation and the Social Mind: Autism and Typical Development is an anthology of essays by learned authors concerning the process of imitation as a building block of social development, and the interference that autism brings to the process of imitation. Essays ponder such topics as "Does Imitation Matter to Children with Autism?", "A Cognitive Neuroscience View of Imitation", "Longitudinal Research on Motor Imitation in Autism", and much more. A highly scholarly and technological collection of the latest up-to-date research, especially recommended for field scientists and professionals.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Railroading Economics
Michael Perelman
Monthly Review Press
122 West 27th Street, New York, NY 10001
1583671358 $20.00 www.monthlyreview.com

Written by Michael Perelman (Professor of Economics, California State University), Railroad Economics is an openly critical denouncement of the weaknesses in modern economic theory. Denying the prevailing belief in "pure capitalism" or "perfect competition", Railroading Economics explores how the so-called free market is always subject to numerous constraints, even in the United States. Chapters discuss the historic increase of fixed capital, the role of finance, the long-term effects of the railroad industry, the rise of "welfare capitalism" in which consolidated enterprises dared to adopt a relatively progressive attitude toward labor, the impact and legacy of the Great Depression, the Golden Age of industrial dependence, and much more. Part history lesson, part cautionary tale, and part scholarly dissection of the nuances of labor, capital, and changing perspectives within the discipline of economics, Railroading Economics is a welcome contribution to economics studies shelves.


The Self-Help Shelf

31 Words To Create A Guilt Free Life
Editor Karen Bouris
Inner Ocean Publishing
PO Box 1239, Makawao, Maui, HI 96768
1930722591 $9.95 www.innerocean.com 1-808-573-8000

31 Words To Create A Guilt Free Life: Finding The Freedom To Be Your Most Powerful Self is a self-help guide to coping with and overcominig all harmful forms of guilt, from learning honesty to acknowledge and release one's guilt to forming connections in opposition to shame in silence. Each passage describes the helpful meaning within a single word, from "Forgiveness" and "Integrity" to "Responsibility", "Poise", and "Freedom". An uplifting, gentle, and helpful collection especially recommended for sufferers of self-inflicted mental misery.

Sharing
Patricia Barber
Langmarc Publishing
PO Box 90488, Austin, TX 78709-0488
1880292890 $17.95 www.langmarc.com

"Sharing: A Practice For Family Connection"by Patricia Barber is written specifically to benefit ordinary families who have settled into superficial modes and habits of communication. Often these routine communicative habits result in familial disconnection and mis-communication. Barber shows the non-specialist general reader how to get started with effective family communication including the creation of a 'sacred space', 'guided meditation', 'family spiritual conversations', and so much more. Drawing upon personal experience and example to illustrate her concepts, "Sharing" is informative, practical, reader friendly, accessible, and invaluable reading which is especially recommended to the attention of men and women who are seeking to strengthen their familial bonds and enhance their family's cohesion and spiritual sensitivity.

Take Your Time
Eknath Easwaran
Nilgiri Press
PO Box 256, 3600 Tomales Road, Tomales, CA 94971
1586380184 $15.00 www.nilgiripress.org 1-800-475-2369

Take Your Time: How To Find Patience, Peace & Meaning is the second edition of a classic self-help text by spiritual teacher Eknath Easwaran (1910-1999), originally published in 1994. Written for readers of all religious and spiritual traditions, as well as those of no religious affiliation, Take Your Time is not about any form of dogma, but rather a blend of insights drawn from Eastern and Western spirituality, to apply to the problems of modern life. Chapters mull the importance of focusing on one thing at a time, balancing work, play, relationships, duties, and spirituality, setting aside time for meaningful relationships, and discovering our own real nature within - "We are not imperfect physical creatures. Our essence is spiritual, and our greatest need is simply to discover our real nature." Easwaran's eight fold path of Meditation, Mantram, Slowing Down, One-Pointed Attention, Training the Senses, Putting Others First, Spiritual Companionship, and Reading the Mystics (the writings of great spiritual figures and the scriptures of all religions) is an uplifting and enlightening guide to higher spiritual awareness and the pursuit of contentment in daily life.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Sacred Unions
Thomas E. Breidenthal
Cowley Publications
4 Brattle Street, Suite 309, Cambridge, MA 02138
1561012491 $18.95 www.cowley.org

University Chapel pastor and Dean of Religious Life at Princeton University Thomas E. Breidenthal presents Sacred Unions: A New Guide to Lifelong Commitment, a reflection of faith addressed to all lovers engaged in lifelong commitment, be they straight or gay. Breidenthal asserts that lifelong unions have great value and are a viable option for all individuals, regardless of their background and nature. Chapters address the qualities innate to any enduring relationship of love, including the act of self-giving, the discipline of fidelity, and the ability to adapt and cooperate when confronted with the demands of being parents. Of especial note are the insights into how to cope when love turns painful, and couples hurt one another, intentionally or unintentionally. A sentimental, devoted, and ultimately uplifting celebration of the joys, virtues, and sacrifices of true love.

How To Pray For Your Wife
Mark A. Weathers
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
1581347863 $9.99 www.crossway.com 1-800-323-3890

Written by married Presbyterian co-pastor and missionary Mark A. Weathers, How To Pray For Your Wife: A 31-Day Guide is an interactive prayer journal, designed to be consumable if the user wishes to write in it, offering daily entries specifically to pray for one's wife, or wife-to-be if one is single. Each day extols a different virtue to respect and encourage in one's better half through faith in God, from Trust and Creativity to Multitasking, Hospitality, and Grace. A simple yet highly effective focus tool for personal devotion.

Leading the Small Church
Glenn C. Daman
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501
082542447X $15.99 www.kregelpublications.com 1-800-733-2607

Written by Pastor Glenn C. Daman, Leading the Small Church: How to Develop A Transformational Ministry is both a helpful guide and an outspoken call for modern pastors to serve God's word by setting a positive example. Daman stresses that the pastor's role is not to be a visionary or organizational leader, but rather to tend to the spiritual activities of preaching and discipleship, and helping people connect with God. Leading the Small Church covers the biblical, theological, relevant and relational aspects, among others of effective preaching in a small church; the importance of demonstrating Godly character in one's relationships; the qualities embraced by a leader who successfully implements a "family model"; and much more. A solid inspirational guide filled cover to cover with the author's experience-based wisdom. Also highly recommended is Daman's previous guidebook, "Shepherding the Small Church."


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

The Blood Horse Authoritative Guide to Breeding Thoroughbreds
The Staff and Correspondents of Blood-Horse Publications
Eclipse Press
3101 Beaumont Centre Circle, PO Box 919003, Lexington, KY 40591-9003
1581501382 $16.95 www.eclipsepress.com

Written by The Staff and Correspondents of Blood-Horse Publications, The Blood Horse Authoritative Guide to Breeding Thoroughbreds is a solid guide for novice and experienced thoroughbred racehorse breeders alike. Chapters explain how to choose a broodmare and stallion, how to maintain optimum breeding health, the steps to take for pedigree and confirmation analysis, market trends to watch out for, what to look for in a breeding contract, case studies and examples, expected stud fees, and much more. Written in plain terms, The Blood Horse Authoritative Guide to Breeding Thoroughbreds demystifies the process of breeding champions with sound advise borne of professional experience. A "must-have" resource and quick reference for thoroughbred readers; also highly recommended is "The Blood-Horse Authoritative Guide to Auctions".

The Dog Owners Handbook
Annette Conn
Trafalgar Square Publishing
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road, North Pomfret, VT 05053
1844422089 $16.95 www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com

Written by Annette Conn, a professional dog behavior consultant and training instructor of 29 years' experience, The Dog Owners Handbook is a serious-minded guide about training and caring for one's beloved canine pet. Full-color photographs on almost every page illustrate tips, tricks, and techniques for housebreaking, training techniques, the best toys and treats, grooming, healthcare issues, and much more. A thorough, practical and highly accessible guide, enthusiastically recommended to current and would-be dog owners alike.


The Political Science Shelf

Naked Imperialism
John Bellamy Foster
Monthly Review Press
122 West 27th Street New York, NY 10001
1583671315 $15.95 www.monthlyreview.org

Written by John Bellamy Foster (Professor of Sociology at the University of Oregon), Naked Imperialism: The U.S. Pursuit Of Global Domination is a scathing criticism of American foreign policy since the cold war years. In particular, it frames American wars in the latter half of the twentieth century, and especially the Iraq War of the twenty-first century, as instruments of imperialism - in particular, suggesting that the current administrations insistence in committing to a conflict in Iraq with no clear end can only be explained as an expression from the ruling class' desire for imperialism, as it defies other logical justification. A sharply left-wing manifesto, nevertheless thought-provoking in its meticulous analysis.

The Marketplace Democracy
Edited by Michael P. McDonald & John Samples
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20036-2103
0815755791 $22.95 www.cato.org

Edited by Michael P. McDonald (an assistant Professor as George Mason University and a visiting fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings institution) and John Samples (Director of the Center for Representative Government at the Cato Institute), The Marketplace Democracy: Electoral Competition and American Politics is an anthology of essays by political experts concerning the stagnancy of modern American democracy. Since 1998, US House incumbents have won 98% of the reelection races, and electoral competition is on the decline in most state and primary elections. The resources of two respected organizations, the Brookings Institution and the Cato Institute, pool their talents to investigate the historical background, legal development, and political nuances of a system that is supposed to be responsible and adaptable, yet is effectively self-perpetuating and anti-dynamic. Presenting a wealth of policy options to help revitalize American democratic politics, The Marketplace Democracy is a desperately needed and strongly recommended contribution to modern political debate.


The Science Shelf

Science, Society and the Search for Life in the Universe
Bruce Jakosky
The University of Arizona Press
355 South Eulcid Avenue, Suite 103 Tucson, AZ 85719
0816526133 $17.95 www.uapress.arizona.edu

Written by Professor Bruce Jakosky, who has been involved in several space missions including the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory rover, Science, Society and the Search for Life in the Universe introduces readers to the field of astrobiology - the fairly new but rapidly growing discipline of striving to understand the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. Chapters address the questions of "Is there life elsewhere?" "What is life?" and "Why do we do science?" as well as the intersection between issues of astrobiology, science, and religion. Accessible to lay readers and scholars alike, Science, Society and the Search for Life in the Universe stresses the importance of adherence to the highest-level quality scientific principles above all, in the quest for greater understanding. Highly recommended for anyone genuinely interested in a serious, scholarly, non-metaphysical discussion of life in outer space.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Adventures In Oz
Eric Shanower
IDW Publishing
4477 Morena Boulevard, Suite 106, San Diego, CA 92117
1933239611 $39.99 www.idwpublishing.com

L. Frank Baum's delightful Oz books have entertained every generation of readers, young and old alike, since they first appeared more than half a century ago. Indeed, so popular was the world of Oz and its myriad of colorful characters, that after his death other writers took up the task of creating more stories set in that colorful land over the rainbow. Now Eric Shanower has imaginatively written and beautifully illustrated five more stories that are combined in a large format graphic novel called "Adventures In Oz". The stories include 'The Enchanted Apples of Oz', 'The Secret Island of Oz', 'The Ice King of Oz', 'The forgotten Forest of Oz', and 'The Blue Witch of Oz'. Carrying and expanding the mythology, legendary, and fairy-tale fantasy first established by Frank Baum and enthusiastically recommended reading for ages 8 to 80, "Adventures In Oz" does full homage and credit to the growing library of Oz books, – and this time with the added visual and storytelling benefits of the graphic novel format. For school and community libraries (and dedicated Oz fans) it should be noted that IDW Publishing plans to release a hardcover edition (1600100716, $75.00) next year that will have 70 additional pages of behind-the-scenes materials, including material from Eric Shanower's sketchbook, character designs, an essay by Eric about his experiences creating Oz comic stories, a variety of illustrations he has created for other Oz publications, short Oz comic stories, and more.

Captain Gravity And The Power Of The Vril
Stephen Vrattos 7 Joshua Dysart
Penny Farthing Press
10370 Richmond avenue, Suite 980, Houston, TX 77042
0971901287 $19.95 www.pfpress.com

Created by Stephen Vrattos, written by Joshua Dysart, "Captain Gravity And The Power Of The Vril" is an outstanding science fiction adventure graphic novel penciled by Sal Velluto, inked by Bob Almond, Joe Rubenstein and sal Velluto, colored by Mike Garcia, lettered by Richard Starkings and Albert Deschsne, and featuring a dramatic cover by Sal Velluto and Mike Garcia. It's the Golden Age of 1930s movie-making and a young man working for one of the Hollywood studios finds his destiny amid B-movie sets, involved in a pre-war international intrigue, compounded by an archaeological discovery – all of which combine to compel a re-examination of accepted human history. An enthusiastically recommended and wonderfully entertaining read, "Captain Gravity And The Power Of The Vril" most closely resemblances one of those thrilling Saturday matinee movie serials of yesteryear with its cliff-hanging scenarios of seemingly inescapable dangers, clever plot twists, heroism and villainy!


The Biography Shelf

The Yogurt Man Cometh
Kevin Revolinski
Citlembik Publications
17 Sherman Terrace, #4, Madison, WI 53704 (author)
9944424013 $15.95 www.nettleberry.com www.amazon.com

"The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales Of An American Teacher In Turkey" is Kevin Revolinski's memoir of what he saw and did as a faculty member of a private school In Ankara, Turkey, where he taught English to classroom students from 1997 to 1998. Kevin combines and chronicles his many adventures traveling as well as his memorable teaching experiences. Writing with an impressive candor about encountering Turkish culture, having cope with a new language, explorations of seeming timeless and surreal landscapes, making lasting friendships, even his attempts at cross-cultural flirtation and acquiring a taste for 'raki', "The Yogurt Man Cometh" is an entertaining as it is informative – as well as being especially recommended reading for anyone considering embarking upon their own business or recreational trip to Turkey.

Clandestines
Ramor Ryan
AK Press
647-A 23rd Street, Oakland, CA 94612
1904859550 $15.95 www.akpress.org

Written by diehard anti-capitalist Ramor Ryan, Clandestines: The Pirate Journals Of An Irish Exile gathers memories of an anarchist's travels and exploits across the world during the 1980's and 1990's. From the hovels of Berlin during the fall of the wall, to a mystery in the Zapatista Autonomous Zone, to a Croatian Rainbow Gathering following G8 protests in Genoa, to a Kurdish guerilla camp, Clandestines tracks the struggles of a world in flux, on the cusp of transforming into a post-Cold War society. A sharp-eyed perspective from an author who despises all forms of imperialism and is utterly unafraid to declare it.


The Holocaust Studies Shelf

Between Home and Homeland
Brian Amkraut
The University of Alabama Press
PO Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
0817315136 $37.50 www.wapress.edu

Associate Professor of Jewish History at the Laura and Alvin Siegal College of Judaic Studies Brian Amkraut presents Between Home and Homeland: Youth Aliyah from Nazi Germany is the true story of the organization "Youth Aliyah" ("aliyah" referring to the Zionist goal of a homecoming for Jews in historic Israel) that strived to facilitate the emigration of Jews from Germany in the years leading up to World War II and the Holocaust. Between Home and Homeland provides a detailed history of Youth Aliyah's origins, its philosophies, its alliances and its detractors - thought it saved several thousand youth from the Holocaust, the movement's greatest obstacle may well have been simple human optimism that things would get better, even as Hitler consolidated power. A scholarly, sober, and in-depth historical chronicle.

Wolf Trapped
Robert Follett, author
As told by Peter Natan
Alpine Guild Inc.
PO Box 4848, Dillon, CO 80435
0931712297 $29.95 www.alpineguild.com

Wolf Trapped: The Life and Death of a Young Artist in Hitler's Europe is the true story of Wolfgang Hamburger, a brilliant artist and cartoonist prodigy trapped in Europe during the advance of the Nazis. He was sent to a detention camp in 1939, and though released in 1940, he had to confront a terrible decision with his beloved wife - her failing health all but guaranteed that she would not survive escape from the relentless Nazi advance, no matter where they tried to go. Author Robert Follett relates Wolf's sad tale as told by Wolf's brother, Peter Natan, and illustrated by Wolf's own art and cartoons. A tragic story of genius cut short, and a microcosm of the waste, murder, and inhumanity perpetrated by the Holocaust.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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