September 2015 Prime Picks From Larger Presses
Biography & Autobiography
California Connections
Culinary Corner
Novels and Mysteries
Reviewer's Choice
Science Fiction and Fantasy
The Arts
Biography & Autobiography
California Connections
Culinary Corner
Novels and Mysteries
Reviewer's Choice
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Biography & Autobiography
California Connections
Culinary Corner
Novels and Mysteries
Reviewer's Choice
Science Fiction and Fantasy
The Arts
Celtic
Art
Venceslas Kruta
Phaidon
9780714845975
$89.95 www.phaidon.com
Celtic Art comes from a renowned expert on the subject, features over 250 masterpieces from Celtic productions through the ages, and is recommended for collections strong in European art in general or Celtic art and history in particular.
The survey considers the gamut of art productions from sculptures and paintings to pottery, jewelry, and more, and covers the entire Celtic world from Ireland to the rest of Europe.
Designed as a summation of the works and history of Celtic productions (not as a presentation of new research or discoveries), Celtic Art is a recommended pick for collections seeking an introductory read for newcomers to the topic.
This audience will find the extensive history provides solid background and reference material; and while the illustrations themselves lack the glitz and appeal of more lavish, full-page packed art history tomes, the purpose here isn't to amaze with glossy images, but to thoroughly represent the history and flavor of Celtic art.
In this effort, Celtic Art more than succeeds!
The
Paintings That Revolutionized Art
Claudia Stauble and Julie Kiefer
Prestel
9783791381534 $24.95
The Paintings That Revolutionized Art gathers a hundred of the world's most notable paintings and discusses the reasons why they are distinguished and famous pieces, drawing on centuries of art, critical reviews, and iconic styles to provide an art history packed with examples of exceptional works.
These discussions on the facets - both art history and general history - that make these works standouts are invaluable examples of art analysis at its best, and will reach general-interest as well as prior art enthusiasts with information that's key to understanding the art world and its influences.
Now available in affordable paperback, The Paintings That Revolutionized Art's survey includes lavish duo-page spreads of its art examples, selecting pieces that intrigued, challenged, or even enraged viewers of their times.
What
a great starting point for understanding art's history, creation and
impact!
Shoot
Like Tarantino
Christopher Kenworthy
Michael Wiese Productions
9781615932252
$15.95 www.mwp.com
Shoot Like Tarantino: The Visual Secrets of Dangerous Storytelling comes from a writer, director and producer well versed in the finer art of creating conflict in such a way as to imbed a film production with sizzling action, and offers directors, playwrights and producers top keys to creating and shooting extraordinary works.
It's all about how to maximize storytelling features, shoot scenes in such a manner as to extend drama and tension, and how to understand the basics of contrasting tension, using it to build scenes and avoid the sense of predictability that causes so many film productions to fall short of their goals.
Shoot Like Tarantino is a solid collection illustrated by black and white film stills and highly recommended for any performing arts collection.Return to Index
Reviewer's Choice
Desert
Diplomat
Robert W. Jordan with Steve Fiffer
Potomac Books
9781612346706 www.potomacbooksinc.com
Desert Diplomat: Inside Saudi Arabia Following 9/11 comes from a man selected by George W. Bush to be the ambassador to Saudi Arabia in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. What led this Dallas attorney with no prior diplomatic experience to be nominated to such a position?
While clearly it was because of his closeness to the President, in fact Jordan's background led to his hard work developing relationships that helped ensure the two countries worked smoothly together at a tumultuous time in history.
Desert Diplomat is his story of how that process happened, and provides a powerful documentation of not just how these relationships changed and grew, but of the dysfunction in American foreign policy and intelligence and the evolution of a new Middle East.
Author Jordan is still involved in diplomatic efforts in the region - and that lends a powerful long-term vision to his story of becoming a diplomat in the most trying of times and conditions.
While political science majors would seem the most likely to read Desert Diplomat, it's quite accessible to the general public and highly recommended for any interested in the internal politics behind Middle East headlines and, especially, in evolving relationships between nations.
Geology
Underfoot in Western Washington
Dave Tucker
Mountain Press Publishing
9780878426409
$24.00 www.mountain-press.com
Geology Underfoot in Western Washington will appeal to two audiences: those interested in the geological history of the Western Washington area, and those who would plan a trip to the region based on geologic points of interest.
It comes from a Washington resident and geology research associate who provides step-by-step assessments of Washington's byways and attractions, adding color illustrations and photos to his documentation of the Western region's geologic history.
Over
twenty chapters of detail provide everything needed for an appreciation
of this
region and its unique attributes, making Geology
Underfoot in Western Washington a take-along
tote for a traveler as
well as an armchair read for any with a special interest in Western
Washington's formation and the lasting evidence of its past.
In
Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way
Marcel Proust
Adaptation and Drawings by Stéphane Heuet
Liveright
9781631490354
$26.95 www.wwnorton.com
In Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way takes the unusual approach of making a full color graphic novel out of Proust's classic work, providing an adaptation designed to make accessible some of the nuances of a classic literary piece that challenges many of its readers.
This production is translated from the French by Arthur Goldhammer and captures the nuances of Odette's love affair with Charles Swann, presenting these events in vivid panels that take the story a step further by adding visual embellishments: no easy achievement given the leaps in time, space, and perception typical of Swann's Way.
It is recommended that readers have some prior familiarity with the original literary work to gain a solid appreciation for what was involved in translating its dense literary devices to a visual and verbal treat more accessible to general literature readers.
A
side benefit: some subtler nuances of the original classic come to
unexpected
life in graphic embellishment.
Motoring
West
Peter J. Blodgett, Editor
The Arthur H. Clark Co.
2800 Venture
Drive
Norman, OK 73069
9780870623837
$34.95 www.oupress.com
Motoring West V. 1: Automobile Pioneers, 1900-1909 provides a powerful history of the first years of the 20th century, when motorcar travel was a pioneering adventure.
Such early motor attempts led to greater exploration, and like many a jungle or world explorer before them, these early motorists kept records of their experiences, publishing them in articles, pamphlets, and books.
These writings come together for the first time in one place in Motoring West, which documents the very first years of automobile usage and contribute to a planned multivolume series on the subject.
While
one might initially believe this book's subject would need a scholarly
background or perspective, introductions to each piece place it in
historical
perspective, so it's not necessary to have a prior background in
transportation
history in order to appreciate why these particular writings were so
revolutionary.
Tyler
Alexander: A Life and Times with McLaren
Tyler Alexander
David Bull Publishing
9781935007210 $55.00
www.bullpublishing.com
Tyler Alexander: A Life and Times with McLaren is a top recommendation for any reader of auto racing history, and provides the autobiography of a veteran who has some fifty years invested in motor racing. Alexander's early days involved work with Revson and Penske, while his later years saw him through McLaren's recent Formula One championship with Lewis Hamilton in 2008 - and in between those decades were numerous victories at Indianapolis, experiences with major series and race tracks across the country, and work with the major racing teams in the U.S.
Tyler Alexander is, thus, no light coverage: nearly five hundred pages packed with text and full-page color photos throughout document not just Alexander's life, but his encounters with some of the major figures of auto racing and the sports world.
No car racing collection or enthusiast should miss the opportunity to learn more about Alexander's life, his extensive auto racing influences, and the world of champion auto racing; all packaged in a gorgeous oversized presentation replete with photos and action-packed scenes.
Return to Index
The Culinary Corner
Honey
& Co.: The Cookbook
Itamar Srulovich & Sarit Packer
Little, Brown
9780376284301
$35.00 www.littlebrown.com
Honey & Co.: The Cookbook provides a delicious selection of Middle Eastern recipes from a husband-and-wife team who operated as a head chef and pastry chef at a top London restaurant before opening their own establishment, Honey & Co., in 2012.
Recipes include appetizers and dips, salads, and dishes that reflect the cuisines of North Africa and many different Middle Eastern national traditions, embellishing standards with innovations. For example, the traditional tabbouleh dish can appear either as Crunchy Root Vegetable Tabbouleh for Winter (with celaric, carrots, radishes and traditional spices) or a Green Tabbouleh Salad for Spring, replete with onions, parsley, mint and cucumber.
The result is a delicious gathering recommended for any home cook with affection for Middle East cuisine; all spiced with full-page color photos of completed fare.
The New Mediterranean Table
Sameh Wadi
Page Street Publishing
9781624140952
$28.00 www.pagestreetpublishing.com
The New Mediterranean Table: Modern and Rustic Recipes Inspired by Traditions Spanning Three Continents includes recipes from the Middle East, North Africa, Persia, Greece and Southern Spain (among others), and comes from an award-winning restaurateur and spice company founder who grew up cooking and eating Mediterranean cuisine.
His cookbook doesn't focus on 'quick' cuisine or even simple dishes; but includes a host of new flavors and unfamiliar ingredients; some of which require access to a well-stocked market, as Aleppo chile, ramps, oloroso sherry or Manchego cheese is likely not easily located in every supermarket.
These notes aside, cooks seeking an enticing pairing of lovely color photos with innovative and rustic recipes that are health-oriented and require some preparation time will find The New Mediterranean Table an intriguing, different type of approach to Mediterranean fare.
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Scintillating Sci-Fi and Fantasy
The
Annihilation Score
Charles Stross
Ace
9780425281178
$26.95 www.penguin.com
It's hard to easily categorize The Annihilation Score, a 'Laundry Files' novel that skirts the line between thriller, mystery, and fantasy - but for the sake of proper placement, it's reviewed here for its fantasy elements - not to be limited to fantasy audiences, by any means.
Domonique leads a double life with her husband: while they seem like average civil servants, under the guise of ordinary workers they operate within secret circles, working with the nation's occult security service (the Laundry) to defend Britain against supernatural forces. Shades of the British sci-fi thriller Torchwood!
Only
here threats don't come from other worlds; but from within. Mo's latest
assignment involves tackling an outbreak of supernatural abilities
among the
populace. Can a dangerous supernatural instrument prove the key to
solving this
latest problem? A thriller science fiction story emerges with many
satisfying
twists and turns: perfect for all kinds of audiences.
Dark
Orbit
Carolyn Ives Gilman
TOR Books
9780765336293
$25.99 www.tor-forge.com
Dark Orbit tells of a strange new world's discovery, an exoethnologist recruited to watch over an unstable crewmate as a team of scientists journey to a strange inhabitable world, and murder and disappearance that lends more than a dose of mystery to the theme of exploration and discovery.
In such a world, Thora is lost and faces both her own demons and the planet's aliens. Under such circumstances, her team is forced to confront their own beliefs and talents; and what evolves from this effort is something that will change lives and worlds alike.
Dark Orbit blends mystery, psychological introspection, and action in a satisfying sci-fi saga that will reach beyond genre readers to provide something different with an engrossing saga of inner and outer world exploration alike.
Highly
recommended!
Faces
E. C. Blake
DAW Books
9780756409395
$19.95 www.dawbooks.com
Faces provides the third novel in The Masks of Aygrima series, set in a kingdom where magical people are forced to wear controlling masks from the age of fifteen which reveal any dangerous thoughts they might have about their ruler.
In such a world, Mara is gifted with a rare ability which only two others share - including the ruler, who is using this ability to maintain control of kingdoms.
After a deadly battle between the unMasked Army and the forces of the prince, Mara and her survivors turn to the Lady of Pain and Fire for leadership and salvation, and Mara discovers in her a mentor - and further dangers.
Familiarity
with others in the series will enhance appreciation of this third
contribution,
recommended for fantasy followers and prior fans who will find in Mara
and her
world the perfect saga of difficult choices involved in using uncommon
talents
for different purposes.
The
Long Utopia
Stephen Baxter & Terry Pratchett
HarperCollins
9780062297334
$26.99 www.harpercollins.com
The Long Utopia is especially recommended for prior fans of Baxter and Pratchett's 'Long Earth' series; and given Pratchett's recent demise, possibly concludes the series (unless Baxter can produce more on his own).
Set in the mid-21st century, humanity has been changed forever by Step Day, the ability to instantly journey into other worlds, and an AI intelligence who now lives on a distant world, adopting a human life despite his heritage, who faces strange new events that could again change history.
Lobsang, Joshua, Agnes, and all the major players are back in a vivid story that is delightfully unpredictable and which continues humanity's mind-stretching journey into the far reaches of the universe.
Return to Index
Novels and Mysteries
The
Hunters
Tom Young
Putnam
9780399166891
$26.95 www.penguin.com
The Hunters documents a dangerous aid mission into Somalia, an Arab leader determined to stop it, and an unlikely alliance between a Hollywood actress and an activist who join forces to make a documentary, in this scenario.
With so much going on it's not surprising that The Hunters promises complexity; but the true delight of its story lies in its surprising accessibility to thriller readers who want an involved, socially-charged story line that isn't at all difficult to absorb but which is hard to put down.
Such an audience will find The Hunters a compelling saga documenting the military psyche and activities, political and social ideas, and the different struggles of very different individuals with singular perspectives and goals in the region.
Gripping and absorbing, The Hunters is an action-charged read and a standout in the novel and thriller genres.
The Lemoncholy
Life of Annie Aster
Scott Wilbanks
Sourcebooks Landmark
9781492612469
$14.99 www.sourcebooks.com
The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster is a top recommendation for fans of timeslip sagas and murder mysteries and begins with the story of Annie, whose new pen pal is actually a dead person. But, to backtrack a little, Annabelle accepts the fact of an 1890s Kansas wheat field that suddenly appears in her San Francisco garden, and she also accepts Elsbeth, a pen pal who communicates via letters that span their divided worlds.
What is less acceptable is a looming disaster that connects not only their lives but the space and time of their surroundings, permeating each one's world with the certainty that unless they can solve their time-travel dilemma, one of them will be convicted of a murder that hasn't happened yet.
An engrossing, revealing saga, The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster is especially recommended for any adult who grew up with Edward Eager and other timeslip stories of young adult and children's book fame, who turned eagerly to The Time Traveler's Wife and have longed for more timeslip intrigue; especially that woven around a mystery.
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Urban Studies and Social Issues
Blending
Families Successfully
George S. Glass with David Tabatsky
Skyhorse Publishing
9781629144313
$16.95
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
Blending Families Successfully: Helping Parents and Kids Navigate the Challenges So That Everyone Ends Up Happy belongs in any collection strong in parenting, family relationships, and social issues, and comes from a board-certified psychiatrist whose book is directed to parents who want to understand how blended families work and what's involved in making adjustments.
He explores common dilemmas and challenges, discusses psychological issues that stem from divorce and remarriage, and uses his years in practice and his own experience as a member of a blended family to round out the statistics, studies, and insights on how blended families operate.
Filled
with specific advice and case histories, Blending
Families Successfully is a top recommendation
for parenting
collections.
Dying
in America
Institute
of Medicine of the
National Academies
National Academies Press
9780309303101 www.national-academies.org
Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life offers far more than the usual casual approach to strategies and care decisions, examining the latest state of health care for persons of all ages who are approaching the end of life.
Unlike many competing titles on the topic, this weighty discussion synthesizes health care issues with social, psychological and spiritual concerns, evaluating strategies for integrating care on many levels and considering team-based efforts, patient choices, and physician concerns as well. It makes recommendations based on research, scholarly studies, and recent findings and addresses the concerns of patients, policy-makers and physicians alike.
From
payment systems supporting end-of-life treatments to advance care
planning,
this analysis is packed with research and insights and is a 'must' for
any
involved in end-of-life issues.
The
Global War on Tobacco
Heather Wipfli
Johns Hopkins University Press
9781421416830
$34.95 www.press.jhu.edu
The Global War on Tobacco will appeal to a range of college-level readers seeking a broader perspective on tobacco than the usual US-only orientation, and is recommended for students of public health, social issues, and international affairs alike.
The tobacco industry has used globalization to take advantage of foreign investors, expanding communications media and global markets to move into countries that don't have tobacco control programs such as the US.
This collection documents these moves, gathering essays by public health professionals and institutions who work in areas of international law, health, and global issues, and surveys the creation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first collective global response to chronic disease to address tobacco's spread.
The result is a solid discussion of public health processes on a global scale that makes for a compelling read.
Mind
Wars
Marie D. Jones and Larry Flaxman
New Page Books
9781601633583
$15.99 www.newpagebooks.com
Mind Wars: Who's Been Watching You From the Shadows? provides a history of mind control methods, surveillance techniques, and the involvement of government, media and secret societies in private lives. As such, it's a reader for a wide circle; from those who suspect and study conspiracies to social issues students, new age readers, and beyond.
Its focus on coercive mind control methods and techniques offers up stories of the history of mind control attempts from ancient to modern times, examining cults and the methods of mental reprogramming and modern techniques that use drugs and technology.
The
result is an eye-opening account that will have readers looking over
their
shoulders with more than a new degree of awareness.
North Korea Confidential
Daniel Tudor and James Pearson
Tuttle Publishing
9780804844581
$21.95 www.tuttlepublishing.com
North Korea Confidential: Private Markets, Fashion Trends, Prison Camps, Dissenters and Defectors is especially recommended for relative newcomers to North Korean culture and politics, as it presents an overview of what life is like for ordinary North Koreans and uses interviews from diplomats, cross-border traders, and elite political party members alike in the course of tracing these lives.
It
considers common misconceptions, contrasts myths and realities, and
considers
the overall evolution of North Korean society as it focuses on
individual lives
and concerns and explains many of the country's dramatic changes in the
last
decade.
Any who would better understand North Korea will find North Korea Confidential a reference documenting the country's changes, providing more enlightenment about the people as well as the politics of the nation than is usually provided in a typical focus on politics alone.
The Permaculture
City
Toby Hemenway
Chelsea Green
9781603585262
$24.95 www.chelseagreen.com
The Permaculture City: Regenerative Design for Urban, Suburban, and Town Resilience gathers data and information key to building better urban environments, considering the special challenges that require resilience to be built into urban environments.
The Permaculture City applies basic concepts of permaculture design to urban planning concerns, moving beyond the concept of building smaller areas to focus on how cities can benefit from the applications of ideas in building a better city.
From urban home and community gardens to creating energy solutions that move beyond individual homes and into the community and managing microclimates, The Permaculture City provides a solid set of insights and inspirational ideas that any urban dweller or planner can apply to virtually any kind of urban environment, making for a top recommendation for any concerned with the process of making a greener community.
Return to Index
The California Corner
Drinking
the
Devil's Acre
Duggan McDonnell
Chronicle Books
9781452135250
$24.95 www.chroniclebooks.com
Drinking the Devil's Acre: A Love Letter from San Francisco and her Cocktails tells of the Devil's Acre, a 1870s and 80s bar-filled block in San Francisco's Barbary Coast that fostered some of most notorious saloons of its times. Only a few blocks away were drinking establishments that gave cocktails a polished, refined taste, in direct contrast to their neighbors.
Drinking the Devil's Acre isn't just a cookbook recreating recipes from yesterday; it comes from a culinary anthropologist who provides essays blending discussions of spirits and their evolution with San Francisco history and culture.
From neighborhood saloons past and present to changing influences on mixed drink contents and approaches, it's a delicious survey embellished with photos by Luke Aboil and offering up a delightful compendium of facts steeped in San Francisco history and culinary lore.
Field Guide to
the San Andreas Fault
David K. Lynch
Thule Scientific/Sunbelt
Publications
9781941384084
$39.95 www.sunbeltpublications.com
www.thulescientific.com
Field Guide to the San Andreas Fault should see renewed interest, given the popularity of the disaster film San Andreas, but is thoroughly packed with science - not speculation or science fiction - and thus makes a solid, realistic compliment to the currently-popular disaster movie.
Here is everything you need to know about the famous fault line that took out San Francisco in 1906; from GPS coordinates for hundreds of locations and road logs for visitors and fault coordinates to geological history and scientific explanations, color and full-page trip maps with sidebars of travel notes, and more.
Travel and science collections strong in California history and science will welcome a survey that avoids the usual general discussion of earthquake science and faults to hone in on this single huge fault line and how it can be observed and followed, making Field Guide to the San Andreas Fault a 'must' for any California or geology collection.
Return to Index
Biography & Autobiography
Brando's
Smile
Susan L. Mizruchi
W.W. Norton
9780393351200
$16.95 www.wwnorton.com
Brando's Smile: His Life, Thought, and Work provides a fine biographical survey of Marlon Brando's career, beginning with his 1943 arrival in Manhattan as a Nebraskan boy with a knack for mimicry, and following his transformation into not just a respected actor, but an iconic film figure.
This is no rehash of familiar material: author Mizruchi had the support of the Brando Estate and a number of private collectors in the process of examining Brando's 4,000-volume library collection and a number of private sources not available to the public.
Thus, readers can expect chapters that focus on explaining seemingly-contradictory or confusing aspects of Brando's psyche, making for an invaluable reference recommended for film, biography, and prior Brando fans alike; especially those with some casual background who seek more details supported by original research and rare collection matrial.
The
Rose Hotel
Rahimeh Andalibian
National Geographic
9781428214790
$26.00 www.nationalgeographic.com/
The Rose Hotel: A Memoir of Secrets, Loss, and Love from Iran to America tells of Rahimeh Andalibian's struggle with two violent crimes: a rape avenged by her father, and a murder of which her oldest brother is accused.
In stark contrast to the tranquil and luxurious early childhood Andalibian experienced at The Rose Hotel, owned by her father, the years after the 1979 Iranian revolution changed her family's life. Even after they fled to California, the author and her siblings struggled with American habits, perceptions, and culture.
The Rose Hotel recounts these struggles and challenges and is a powerful choice for any who would better understand the Iranian experience in general and the special concerns of Iranians who come to America in particular.