September 2016 Prime Picks
Spiritual Matters
Lightness
of Body and Mind
Sarah Hays Coomer
Rowman & Littlefield
9781442255081 $35.00
www.rowman.com
Lightness of Body and Mind: A Radical Approach to Weight and Wellness comes from a personal trainer who maintains that real body sculpting and weight management can only come through doing activities that are loved, rather than through rigorous exercises that are followed by deprivation and limitations.
The real path to lasting weight loss and wellness lies in identifying personal activities and eating habits that tie into what is desirable and enjoyable, and Coomer's blend of memoir and discussion of this process offers important keys to better lifestyle choices based not so much on a program as an attitude towards life.
Chapters go beyond discussions of theory, providing specific tools readers can use to get a handle on their own unique perceptions and inclinations. This approach crafts a wide-ranging discussion with opportunities to reach all kinds of audiences.
Red
Wheel Weiser/Hampton Roads
www.redwheelwiser.com
Three new releases are powerful new age discussions recommended as top picks for any serious metaphysical library.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama's The Dalai Lama's Big Book of Happiness (9781571747396, $16.95) is edited by Renuka Singh and considers the foundations of modern happiness and joy, which stem from a sense of purpose.
The Dalai Lama contends that each individual is responsible for both their personal capacity for joy and health and for imparting this feel for the greater good of society, and his anthology of directives speaks about this process and how it can grow to embrace world ideas, issues, and pursuits.
The result may sound daunting, but it's easy to read and considers the comforts and perils of material values, providing a message perfect for modern thinkers.
Eleanor Harris's Ancient Egyptian Magic (9781578635917, $18.95) is a new edition of a classic step-by-step survey of Egyptian religions and magical techniques which explores amulets, ceremonies and spells, and their evocations and applications.
Chapters contain all the background history, metaphysical logic, and tools needed for interested readers to practice many of these techniques, from shape-shifting and casting spells for healing or love to understanding Egyptian magical script.
The Big Book of Practical Spells: Everyday Magic That Works by Judika Illes (9781578635979, $18.95) gives a detailed spell book to novices and experienced magical practitioners alike. This is no easy task, given that the two levels of experience usually require different approaches to explaining and exploring the subject.
Topics range from how to enhance psychic powers and how to learn from animals to understanding and creating spells for marriage, health enhancement, healing, and more.
Before these formulas and recipes are presented, introductory chapters explain the basics of how a spell works in the world and reviews metaphysical stories about and ideas on magic and how it works.
This spell book recommended for newcomers and prior practitioners alike.
Seeking
Jordan
Matthew McKay, PhD
New World Library
9781608683734 $20.00
www.newworldlibrary.com
Seeking Jordan: How I Learned the Truth About Death and the Invisible Universe begins with a murder: the murder of the author's son, to be specific. But it doesn't end there; it evolves into a message of hope that many will want to consider as it pairs Matthew McKay's pain and journey with insights that he learned in his probe of life, death, and their boundaries.
McKay wasn't a new age believer in mysticism, a psychic, or anything but a rational psychologist who loves science. Contemplating the afterlife and death's meaning was the last thing on his mind before his son's death; but it became a driving force afterwards, as he struggled to connect with Jordan using channeled writing and past life regressions.
The first four chapters explain these efforts; the next nine were co-written with Jordan through channeled writing sessions.
Whether you believe in such matters or not, McKay's journey is captivating and intriguing, and deserves a prominent place in any metaphysical collection.
Swami
in a Strange Land
Joshua M. Greene
Mandala Publications
9781608876440 $29.99
www.mandalaeartheditions.com
Swami in a Strange Land: How Krishna Came to the West is a powerful and in-depth biography of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. If the name sounds familiar even to those who normally don't read new age or Eastern literature, that's because the Swami is best known as the founder of the Krishna movement, credited with bringing the teachings of bhakti yoga to the West; perhaps best known for his friendship with Beatles musician George Harrison.
Chapters not only follow his life and his instigation of a spiritual path that was to spread around the world, but they examine the evolution of Krishna Consciousness, its influences on major world leaders and cultural figures, and the amazing story of how this movement broke out of the East to enter Western hearts and minds.
The story of how this young Bengali boy whose life was buffeted by Hindu-Muslim strife evolved to become a follower of Gandhi (and then a spiritual leader who left political concerns to foster a new movement) is covered in chapters that assume no prior knowledge of new age belief systems or Eastern cultures.
Events that at times read with the drama and captivating flavor of fiction create an approach that will prove easy reading for newcomers, packed with revelations that may be new even to those already familiar with Sami Prabhupada's background.
Transformative
Imagery
Leslie Davenport, Editor
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
9781849057424 $29.95
www.jkp.com
Transformative Imagery: Cultivating the Imagination for Healing, Change, and Growth outlines an imagery-based practice tailored to the goals of reducing stress, healing the mind and body, and promoting overall wellness, and covers a range of applications for imagery which hold potential for physical and mental changes.
Competing titles on imagery's applications usually hold a specific focus on either mind or body, tend to offer cursory coverage of Daoist imagery, and don't often link the latest neuroscientific studies and findings to Mussar's Jewish traditions, shamanic processes, or the challenges of addressing PTSD in military veterans.
By adapting different religions, new age approaches, and neuroscientific applications to handle a wide range of conditions, Transformative Imagery offers a uniquely well-rounded discussion that will interest any concerned with wellness theories and their specific applications.
Brilliance
Audio
www.BrillianceAudio.com
Ridley Pearson's White Bone (9781480533554, $29.99) receives a solid performance by Todd Haberkorn, who adds a gripping facet to the story of ex-military man John Knox's efforts to save his partner Grace when her cover is blown in Kenya.
First he must locate her; then he must save her - and then he must follow in her footsteps, encountering a heist, poachers, and special interests, including militant operations. Any one of these would seem different: together, they represent an impossible mission as John struggles to save the life and work of a woman who is in danger.
All this comes to life in an audio is replete in high action and drama.
Linda Kohanov's The Five Roles of a Master Herder (9781522690108, $29.99) receives an excellent performance by Teri Schnaubelt as it explores the "master herders" of nomadic cultures who developed new forms of leadership based on different rules in their societies.
These roles allowed for very different community interactions than today, promoted a flexibility that allowed them to handle changing environments around them with ease, and fostered cooperation over territorial establishment, and this audio imparts lively discussions about this process.
Listeners who learn the basics of these nomadic herder ways receive many tips on how to apply them to modern dilemmas, all wrapped in a vivid audio rendition.
Amy Gentry's Good as Gone (9781522650409, $29.99) is performed by Karen Peakes, who lends a clear and vivid voice to the story of an abducted daughter who suddenly re-appears after eight years, keeping secrets that cause even her mother to wonder what's going on.
Julie apparently is safe and home again - but as her mother Anna finds their relationship distant and newly challenging, she begins to suspect that Julie's experience doesn't reflect the real truth - and she decides to conduct an investigation of her own. What she discovers will change her family and how she feels about her daughter in a powerful saga which comes to new life in audio format.
John Verdon's Wolf Lake (9781522638489, $29.99) is performed by Christopher Lane, whose excellent narrative style enhances the dramatic story of a NYPD homicide detective who is called upon to solve a puzzle revolving around people in different parts of the country who are experiencing the same violent dream before they are eventually found with their wrists slashed: apparent suicides.
Police converge upon a psychologist who specializes in hypnotism and a spooky inn called Wolf Lake Lodge which is the sole connection between the victims, but there's more at play than suicide, and this engrossing saga's gripping story comes to life especially well in an audio.
Highbridge
Audio
www.highbridgeaudio.com
Juliana Buhring's This Road I Ride (9781681681728, $29.99) is narrated by Henrietta Meire and documents the author's struggle with depression following the death of the man she loved. When a suggestion was made to honor his memory by biking across Canada, she went a step further and added the rest of the world into her effort.
This Road I Ride is a vivid story of achievement, devestation, and, ultimately, recovery. When Juliana left Naples, Italy, she dreamed of becoming the first female biker to round the world. 152 days later she'd covered four continents and over 18,000 miles, with new experiences she'd never expected.
Her narrative is a powerfully gripping and inspirational story that lends particularly well to audio narration.
Before the Wind by Jim Lynch (9781681681443, $34.99) is read by Roger Wayne, whose presentation captures the story of Joshua, who has been obsessed by sailboats all of his life, strengthened by his love of the sea and his family circle. His world revolves around boats, so when his family begins to fall apart, it makes sense that he would turn to the sea and sailing for answers.
An appreciation for sailing and lively stories of family connections will lend listener enjoyment to this rich story of how Joshua finds answers in familiar yet untested waters.
Jen A. Miller's Running: A Love Story (9781622318995, $29.99) benefits from an excellent, smooth narrative style by Randye Kaye, whose voice deftly captures this story of Miller's growing obsession with running when the 2008 recession changes her life.
As she focused her negative energy and efforts into the art of running, she gained new discipline and focus which gave her not only hope, but pathways leading to different ways of finding happiness.
Listeners who enjoy running and stories of enlightenment will find hers a captivating and inspirational saga which is totally engrossing in audio.
Education
How to Develop Your Healthcare Career
Lisa Taylor, Editor
Wiley Blackwell
9781118910832 $39.99
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
How to Develop Your Healthcare Career: A Guide to Employability and Professional Development is written for health professionals facing the special challenges and pitfalls of the healthcare community, and comes from a UK professor who specializes and lectures in Occupational Therapy and Employability.
Her perspective teaches healthcare providers and students how to take charge of their own professional development process throughout the healthcare system and working environment, offering strategies for helping healthcare provides become leaders, undertake continuing education, improve services, and apply basic business and customer relations skills to the healthcare environment.
From assessments of actions that result in specific improvements to understanding the nature of professionalism, How to Develop Your Healthcare Career should be on the reading lists of any college student entering the health system in any country, as well as professionals seeking to get ahead.
Opening
Doors
Trudy T. Arriaga and Randall B. Lindsey
Corwin
9781483388793 $31.95
www.corwin.com
Opening Doors: An Implementation Template for Cultural Proficiency comes from the experiences of the Ventura Unified School District, and shows how that district successfully implemented a cultural proficiency program that ultimately resulted in measurable gains and results for all its students.
Embedded in the story of this district's success are action plans and templates that other schools can follow, a step-by-step three-year implementation program, and illustrations of mindsets and goals which leaders can employ in the course of changing an institution's approaches.
From inclusive core values and behavioral observation processes to belief statements that encourage educators to delve deeper into the questions of cultural proficiency, Opening Doors is a 'must' for any school leader interested in tested, applied school cultural changes.
Stenhouse
Publishers
www.stenhouse.com
Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris's Who's Doing the Work? How to Say less So Readers Can Do More (9781625310750, $30.67) is a follow-up to Reading Wellness, offering the surprising contention that traditional teaching practices can actually detract from student learning opportunities.
After making such a case, Who's Doing the Work? makes a case for adjusting educator approaches on how much reading support they provide students struggling with complex texts and advanced reading strategies.
Chapters demonstrate how teachers can better respond to student struggles by adding reading strategies that don't rely on instructor interventions. Using such a formula, teachers can encourage better independent reading and student problem-solving techniques.
This collection of guided reading strategies for next generation learners should be carefully considered by any educator who wants to foster a better sense of independence in students.
Good Thinking by Erik Palmer (9781625310644, $24.00) gives teachers a different approach based on using existing activities to build better student thinking processes, and continues the theme presented in Palmer's prior books Well Spoken and Digitally Speaking.
Theory and applied classroom techniques blend in a discussion of various classroom lessons which can be changed by the inclusion of better communication approaches to conversation, debate, and thinking.
From listening lessons and reading applications that cause students to develop more critical eye to cross-disciplinary lessons in social studies, literature, and language, Good Thinking promotes the kind of critical attention to detail that promises to make for better-rounded students and adult thinkers.
The
Culinary Corner
Can
It!
Gary Allen
Reaktion Books Ltd.
9781780235721
www.reaktionbooks.co.uk
Can It! The Perils and Pleasures of Preserving Foods at first glance might seem to repeat the contents of numerous 'how to can' books on the market; but any foodie making such a hasty evaluation would be doing a disservice to themselves by passing on this book with the presumption that its information mirrors others on the market.
It's not a recipe or 'how to can' guide, but a history and scientific coverage of the changing world of food preservation which surveys all major canning techniques including salting and fermentation, pairing historic with modern recipes and examining different cuisines and approaches from around the world.
From the Jewish method of pickling beef (perfect advice for a hot country or arduous journeys) to making a dry mushroom powder, or a 4th-5th century method for preserving quinces, blackberries or mulberries; sample ads, sidebars of information, and facts about canning's lively history cover a host of fun details about Underwood Devilled Ham and many other products.
Any cook interested in not just recipes but the wider-reaching history of food preservation will find Can It! The Perils and Pleasures of Preserving Foods an unexpectedly lively, fun read.
The
Experiment
www.theexperimentpublishing.
Two excellent vegetarian cookbooks are special recommendations for collections catering to this audience, using different approaches to veggie fare that will surprise many newcomers and please those seeking more tools and recipes to add to their veggie reference holdings.
Lukas Volger's Veggie Burgers Every Which Way: Fresh, Flavorful & Healthy Vegan & Vegetarian Burgers profiles burgers made with whole grains and beans, fresh produce and spices, and a wide variety of flavors.
By combining different beans and cheeses with spices, these burgers go beyond the usual veggie focus on meat-like substitutes and instead offer a concentration on getting the most flavor for the patty on a bun.
Curried Eggplant and Tomato Burgers, Cashew-Leek Burgers with Bulger and Lentils, and Sweet Potato Burgers with Lentils and Kale are just a few examples of dishes which are easy to produce, require a minimum of specialty ingredients, and which are often accompanied by color photos.
Lee Watson's Peace & Parsnips: Adventurous Vegan Cooking for Everyone (9781615193219, $25.00) contains some 200 plant-based recipes inspired by the chef author's travels around the world, and gathers dishes from Mexico, the Middle East, Europe, and other countries.
All the recipes are meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free, and all have an international touch that lends a different feel to the 'vegan' definition.
Color photos pepper a collection that includes such dishes as Kasha with Rosemary, Apricots & Walnuts, Turnip & Spinach Kashmiri Curry with Beet Raita, and Charred Pumpkin with Salsa Verde, Butter Beans & Piquillo Peppers.
Any vegan cook interested in fresh new flavors and international influences will find Peace & Parsnips bursting with creative new ideas.
The
Hattie's Restaurant Cookbook
Jasper Alexander
Countryman Press
9781581573466 $29.95
www.countrymanpress.com
The Hattie's Restaurant Cookbook: Classic Southern and Louisiana Recipes pairs lovely color photos by Heather Bohm-Tallman with classic Southern and Louisiana dishes, from Andouille and Pimento Cheese Sliders to Hattie's Meat Loaf, a concoction made with ground pork and veal, chopped vegetables, and Louisiana hot sauce and finished with a glaze of chilli sauce, pepper jelly, and vinegar and brown sugar.
Each picture accompanies discussions of the food's relevance to either Southern cooking in general or Hattie's Restaurant in particular, with many offering overall insights into Southern cuisine and culture that make for enlightening reading.
Most of all, readers will find these dishes easy to reproduce at home with a minimum of specialty ingredients, and mouth-watering to read about.
Mastering
Basic Cheesemaking
Gianaclis Caldwell
New Society Publishers
9780865718180 $29.95
www.newsociety.com
Mastering Basic Cheesemaking: The Fun and Fundamentals of Making Cheese at Home is a cheese maker's basic guide to adapting professional techniques to a home kitchen, with a series of recipes which are actually lessons in disguise.
Cheese making basics are imparted in a progressive approach that encourages newcomers, especially, to understand the processes involved, from choosing between different kinds of milk from diverse animals to troubleshooting less than perfect results.
Overviews of ingredients and the process receive step-by-step directions that leave no puzzles, while tips and recap sections assure either complete success or a better understanding what could have gone wrong during the process.
Small color photos pepper an excellent gathering particularly recommended for novices to cheese making.
Naturally
Lean
Allyson Kramer
DeCapo
9780738218564 $22.99
www.dacapopress.com
Naturally Lean: 125 Nourishing Gluten-Free, Plant-Based Recipes - All Under 300 Calories is based on whole food ingredients, and features dishes that contain no added or refined sugars, no fillers, and no processed foods.
Some fifty color photos illustrate the finished results of dishes that range from Minted Watermelon Salad and Tempeh and Snow Peas to a kasha-quinoa-millet based Three-Grain Breakfast Medley or a sweet Cherry Almond Millet.
Chapters divided by Greens, Hearty Grains, Fabulous Fruits, Nuts & Seeds, and Legumes (among others) make it easy to locate and focus on the types of ingredients central to any given diet, making Naturally Lean a top pick for health-minded readers.
Protein
Ninja
Terry Hope Romero
DaCapo Lifelong Books
9780738218496 $22.99
www.dacapopress.com
Protein Ninja: Power Through Your Day with 100 Hearty Plant-Based Recipes That Pack a Protein Punch is for any vegan or would-be vegan concerned about getting the most protein from their vegan diet, and concentrates on how to get more of such protein into the typical vegan recipe.
Chapters provide recipes for each meal of the day but assure that each recipe comes packed with beans, pea and hemp-based protein powders, and seitan, among others.
Access to a good health food market will enhance and simplify a vegan cook's attention to adding more proteins to the typical vegan diet.
Reviewer's Choice
An
Equation for Every Occasion
John M. Henshaw
Johns Hopkins
University Press
9781421419831
$27.95
www.press.jhu.edu
An Equation for Every Occasion: Fifty-Two Formulas and Why They Matter creates a series of fun math stories inspired by different equations, making these accounts diverse enough to apply to sports, history, the arts, and more.
The intent of these essays is to draw connections between math and daily living and to present these discussions using a lively manner that makes them accessible even to non-math audiences.
From the links between music and math and the importance of the concept of friction to either the success or failure of athletes to estimating the size of a crowd by understanding principles of density, these applications are not only lively discussions of daily living, but require no prior math knowledge from their readers, making An Equation for Every Occasion a recommended pick for lay audiences interested in math's intersections with real-world concerns.
The
Cave Paintings of Baja California
Harry W. Crosby
Sunbelt
Publications
0932653235 $39.95
www.sunbeltbooks.com
The Cave Paintings of Baja California: Discovering the Great Murals of an Unknown People is presented in an oversized format that packs in color photos of cave paintings as it discusses Harry W. Crosby's 600-mile journey in the late 1960s (via mule) to remote areas of Baja California, investigating cave paintings.
Crosby is an authority on his subject and has produced many such studies and writings, but The Cave Paintings of Baja California represents his research on some 200 previously undiscovered rock art works and discusses the hints, clues, and efforts that led to his discoveries.
Expect a blend of travelogue, science coverage, and research piece as readers follow Crosby's journey and the clues that led him to uncover these murals.
Black and white and color photos of the pieces liberally pepper an account that includes many full-page color maps, photos of artifacts, and interpretations of the drawings.
It's a powerful survey that should be a 'must' for any archaeology collection or reader of early Baja history; but which shouldn't be neglected by travelers who enjoy both topics, who will find The Cave Paintings of Baja California to be a lively armchair read entirely accessible to non-scientists.
Getting
to Grey Owl
Kurt Caswell
Trinity
University Press
9781595342614 $18.95
www.tupress.org
Kurt Caswell spent a lifetime in the outdoors as a teacher and explorer, traveling through different countries from Morocco to China and hiking and backpacking through Iceland and the U.K., among many other countries.
Getting to Grey Owl: Journeys on Four Continents is more than just travelogue, however: it's a story of living the nomadic life, encountering wildlife and humans along the way, and understanding the ways in which travel defines a traveler's life and experiences.
From buying and selling rugs in Morocco and how dealers and purchasers view transactions differently to sensuality in Scotland and a wilderness paddle in Saskatchewan, Kurt Caswell's reflective journeys bring readers along for a series of encounters with nature and human alike, creating important contrasts between observation, experience, and different cultures.
Readers excited about thought-provoking travel pieces will relish the immediacy and diversity of Caswell's experiences.
Mastering
Composition for Photographers
Mark Chen
Amherst Media
9781608959815 $37.95
www.amherstmedia.com
Mastering Composition for Photographers: Create Images With Impact gives practicing photographers a set of tested compositional strategies to create images with maximum visual impact, and shows how to make the most of negative space and different perspectives.
Composing an image is like setting a stage for a performance; but key to the props of the photographer's stage are choices in framing, distance and field of view, repetition, stacking, and much more.
Color photos throughout accompany and contrast usage examples and also include charts, diagrams, and 'Analyze a Masterpiece' details from different photographers.
The result is a well-rounded discussion that breaks up different composition concerns and treats each segment to an in-depth, well-detailed analysis.
Old
Beijing
Felicitas Titus
Tuttle Publishing
9780804847339 $19.95
www.tuttlepublishing.com
Old Beijing: Postcards from the Imperial City is a gorgeous color display of postcards and history covering Beijing from the 1890s to the 1930s: a period of time in which postcards and tourism flourished. The cards were intended as souvenirs for tourists, but when gathered under one cover and paired with history, they become an even more important document of the sights and scenery of Beijing's bygone era.
A good-sized presentation allows for plenty of room to juxtapose text and color reproductions throughout, while an attention to city history from an author who grew up in China (and was educated there) provides an insider's perspective containing many unique cultural observations.
More than an arts presentation or collector's gathering (although Old Beijing will certainly appeal to these audiences), this book is highly recommended for any collection strong in Chinese history and culture.
Paris
Nights
Cliff Simon with Loren Stephens
Waldorf Publishing
9781943848928 $24.95
www.waldorfpublishing.com
Paris Nights: My Year at the Moulin Rouge is a memoir by actor Cliff Simon, who outlines his transformation from a soldier to an entertainer when a one-way ticket to Paris changed his life.
A vivid account of this process follows Simon from South Africa to Paris to Hollywood; but the focus is as much upon the sights, sounds, and experience of Paris and the culture of the Moulin Rouge as it is upon Cliff Simon's evolutionary process, adding the feel of a thriller piece into the story of one man's amazing life.
From chorus lines and dancing challenges to sinister notes as Simon encounters big entertainers, big money, and love challenges, Paris Nights doesn't just capture the feel of the Moulin atmosphere and French culture; it's steeped in it. Cliff Simon's insider experiences with the fabled Moulin Rouge makes for an engrossing, candid tale of a vivid life and crafts a world of excitement.
Smart
Mom Rich Mom
Kimberly Palmer
Amacom
9780814436806 $14.95
www.amacombooks.org
Smart Mom Rich Mom: How to Build Wealth While Raising a Family is a different kind of parenting and business guide blend and comes from the mother of two who was the senior money editor at US News and World Report.
Her book addresses different sides of the money question for mothers faced with making choices between financial security and a better lifestyle, and it includes interviews with dozens of moms (married and single; young and old) who have managed money and family successfully.
Most titles on wealth-building are directed to males. A growing number are addressed to women; but fewer consider wealth-building strategies for moms. That's why Smart Mom Rich Mom is such an important approach: its blend of lifestyle, work, and financial analysis explores how moms can better make decisions to enrich all areas of their lives.
The result is not another general financial guide for women, but a specific set of insights on the special challenges that face mothers who want to build wealth without sacrificing family.
Trekonomics
Manu Saadia
Pipertext/Inkshares
9781941758755 $22.99
www.pipertext.com
www.inkshares.com
While Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek would seem to hold a singular appeal to "Trekkies", it's important to note that this is actually a solid economics guide also recommended for readers outside of the Star Trek culture.
Trekonomics' publication was timed to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the show's first appearance, and comes from an academic who is both an avid Star Trek fan and a student of science and economic history. No author has gone where Manu Saadia heads in his book, which analyzes many economic scenarios portrayed by Star Trek and considers how modern economics can work towards some of these goals.
Some examples include the science involved in the 'replicator' and the economics of living more electronically-enhanced lifestyles; the Klingon Empire and Federation's artificial limits on warp drive in the name of curbing the inherent risks and impact of space travel; and the future meaning of work opportunities which are free of economic or social restrictions.
A prior knowledge of the Star Trek universe (ideally, the various 'generations' of the series) will lend to an understanding of and appreciation for the many social, economic and political impacts examined in Trekonomics which, though rooted in academic inquiry, is thoroughly accessible to lay readers outside of university circles.
Novels and Mysteries
After
Alice
Gregory Maguire
William Morrow
9780060859749 $15.99
www.harpercollins.com
When Louis Carroll's famous Alice fell into the rabbit-hole over a hundred years ago, she discovered a strange new world whose rules defied everything she'd been taught. After Alice takes her experiences a step further with the story of Ada, Alice's friend, who also fell down the same hole, with slightly different results.
Ada wants to find her friend Alice, but in the world of Mad Hatters and Cheshire Cats, that endeavor is subject to conditions she may not be able to meet.
Black children, white talking rabbits, Alice's lingering spirit, and social cautions and conundrums along the way all create to quite a different perspective on the original Alice, taking the trappings of Carroll's world and turning them upside down.
Entertaining and thought-provoking, this different vision is highly recommended.
The
Book That Matters Most
Ann Hood
W.W. Norton
9780393241655 $25.95
www.wwnorton.com
The Book That Matters Most is a powerful novel about Ava, who joins a book club to find new friends after she separates from her cheating husband. It turns out that each member of the club is recovering from their own losses and life pains, and the club's reading theme this year is "The Book That Matters Most", prompting the discussion group to read classics and modern writings alike in their individual searches for answers.
As each monthly meeting introduces Ava to not just different books but different ways of looking at the world and, ultimately, healing from its blows, she begins to question her own perceptions about happiness and family ties.
When she shares a book with the club which helped her at a pivotal point in her own past, she finds herself on an unexpected literary and personal journey that promises to change everything she believes about the world. The Book That Matters Most is a powerful read recommended for prior fans of Ann Hood's writings and newcomers who relish books, bibliophiles, and psychological insights.
Boston
Darkens
Michael Kravitz
Xlibris
9781514422519 $15.99
www.xlibris.com
What would happen if a city's power grid was attacked and a major urban area fell into darkness? How would Americans and the government react?
Boston Darkens is about this process of survival and centers around Ben, who is leading a typical life until the grid falls, cars stop, and all power vanishes in an instant.
Before this happened, Ben and his wife and daughter were typical Americans leading good lives. When the power goes out, not only the values but the skill sets everyone has cultivated will have to change with it, if any are to survive.
With a teenage girl's struggles, the changes neighbors and families face as they suddenly find themselves without support or social structures, and a quickly-evolving new set of rules as its subject, readers will find that the fast-paced Boston Darkens is a compelling survival story that's hard to put down.
The
Feathered Bone
Julie Cantrell
Thomas Nelson
9780716037628 $15.99
www.thomasnelson.com
The Feathered Bone opens in pre-Katrina Ne Orleans where Amanda is concerned with her daughter's sixth-grade field trip on Halloween, which she is to chaperone. It's a lot of responsibility to guarantee the safety of a group of children, but when her daughter's best friend vanishes and Amanda's family begins to fall apart, Amanda's search for Sarah becomes something more than a bid for personal redemption.
Rural Louisiana comes to life under Julie Cantrell's hand, as do the changed concerns brought about by tragedy in Amanda's world, influenced by her own hand.
As much as The Feathered Bone is a story of struggle and loss, it also is a masterpiece that testifies about the power of faith in a world gone mad. Readers who enjoy ultimately-uplifting stories of struggle, faith, and change will relish this delicate exploration of the lines connecting all three forces.
History
The Dream of Enlightenment
Anthony Gottlieb
Liveright Publishing
9780871404435 $27.95
www.wwnorton.com
The Dream of Enlightenment: The Rise of Modern Philosophy comes from a scholar who began his history of Western philosophy more than two decades ago.
You'd think this kind of history would have been done long ago; but even though Western philosophy is quite old, much of it was formulated in two relatively short bursts of time.
It's the second burst of growth that interests Anthony Gottlieb, here, as he provides chapters in The Dream of Enlightenment that examine revolutionary thoughts of the 1640s to the French Revolution: a period of time in which Spinoza and others took the course of philosophy in a different direction than Plato and the first thinkers had envisioned.
From religious and social influences of the times to the applications of these philosophies today, The Dream of Enlightenment is a powerful discussion highly recommended for any college-level collection and for modern thinkers seeking a definitive history and philosophical examination.
Social Issues
The
Gender Creative Child The
Gender Creative Child: Pathways for
Nurturing and Supporting Children Who Live Outside Gender Boxes
is a unique resource for families and professionals
interested in gender development, the social issues revolving around
gender
identity, and ways of supporting kids who don't neatly fit into either
gender,
and provides guidelines difficult to find elsewhere. Parents
receive keys to helping their kids adapt to the world
around them through discussions of how gender creativity influences a
sense of
self, relationships between gender questioning and those diagnosed on
the
autism spectrum, and how gender-affirming medical interventions affect
the
developing child both physically and mentally. At
each step of the process, case histories from Diane
Ehrensaft's own experiences support the idea that at some point, it's
detrimental to leave a transgender teen in an open state where they
aren't able
identify with either sex. Points
of contention in the medical and psychology
disciplines are outlined along with insights into the feelings and
thoughts of
these children and how different approaches influence their lives,
creating a
powerful survey that's directed to parents but which is also highly
recommended
for educators and any interested in the many social issues that revolve
around
gender identity.
Diane Ehrensaft, PhD
The Experiment
9781615193066 $15.95
www.theexperimentpublishing.
Happy
Anyway: A Flint Anthology Happy
Anyway: A Flint Anthology
gathers stories, essays and autobiographies that capture the
people and culture of Flint, Michigan, and is especially recommended
for any
reader with a special interest in the region. Those
familiar with newspaper headlines might envision Flint
as a casualty of a big company's exit from town, or as the focal point
for a
public health crisis that informed and horrified the nation, but
Flint's people
have more concerns than just these reports and experiences. This
anthology is designed to probe the lives and stories of
citizens from all walks of life in Flint, all ages, and all ethnic
groups.
Stories thus provide multi-faceted views of the Flint experience from
different
angles which strive for a well-rounded representation of Flint's
politics and
peoples. Anyone
who would read more than newspaper headlines will find
this anthology offers a captivating series of diverse stories that each
offers
a different vision of Flint.
Scott Atkinson, Editor
Belt Publishing
9780996836715 $19.99
www.beltmag.com
Head
in the Cloud Head
in the Cloud: Why Knowing Things Still
Matters When Facts Are So Easy to Look Up
is a powerful testimony to the value of the thinking reader,
and makes a case for acquiring knowledge that is part of one's memory
despite
the fact that the Internet would seemingly replace human memory as it
provides
instant look-ups and almost unlimited information. William
Poundstone's case for intrinsic knowledge argues that
even a Google search is useless if the computer user isn't clear on how
to form
a proper, well-reasoned inquiry. Google is also useless for developing
personal
perspective, which is a skill that's up to individuals to
hone. Factual
knowledge is actually one of the foundations of a
quality life well lived, and Head in the
Cloud covers a range of topics in its
discussions of the social and
cultural challenges involved in staying informed and making reasoned
judgments
based on knowledge. This discourse should be not just be a part of any
general-interest or school library; but should be on the radar of
classroom discussions
and debates among all; especially Millennials immersed in the computer
information world.
William Poundstone
Little, Brown
9780316256544
$26.00
www.littlebrown.com
Meeting
China Halfway Meeting
China Halfway: How to Defuse the
Emerging US-China Rivalry
documents the ongoing escalation of tensions in the Pacific
arena between the U.S. and China, and goes beyond most similar-sounding
discussions of the subject because it focuses on contrasting US and
Chinese
perspectives at exactly where their interests collide. From
social and political conundrums to political history, Meeting China Halfway
juxtaposes past and
present halfway points, clearly outlines bones of contention, and
pinpoints
places where cooperative policies and perspectives can be employed to
effect
positive change. With
an approach based not just on Western scholarship but
studies of hundreds of Chinese-language resources, including military
publications, Meeting
China Halfway
offers a powerful focus no study of Chinese/US relations should be
without.
Lyle J. Goldstein
Georgetown
University Press
9781626161603 $29.95
www.press.georgetown.edu
Candlewick
Press
Three new arrivals from Candlewick Press provide young readers with delightfully powerful stories which are highly recommended for collections seeking superior works.
Advanced elementary to middle grade readers will appreciate Helen Frost's Applesauce Winter (9780763675769, $14.99, which tells of siblings Faith and Peter's annual experiences making applesauce with their uncle.
Something is different this year, though: Aunt Lucy is gone, and so is Uncle Arthur's spirit. Can Faith and Peter get through to him and help him?
While black and white drawings by Amy June Bates pepper the story line, the real surprise lies in how it's presented: through a series of poems that juxtapose Uncle Arthur's feelings with those of Faith and Peter, centering upon different themes commonly encountered in the process of recovery.
Sean Taylor and Kate Hindley's Don't Call Me Choochie Pooh! (9780763681197, $16.99) tells of a little dog who doesn't want to be carried in a handbag or called cute names. It's too bad that his owner doesn't understand these needs, and the dog's determination to not be seen as silly. How can he get through to her?
The little dog is very embarrassed, especially around peers who don't go into the world in handbags, and he thinks nobody will be his friend, until a friendly big dog invites him to try something daring.
An excellent story of a dog who wants to rise above his appearance makes for an inviting tale.
Aaron Becker's Return (9780763677305, $15.99) is about a lonely girl whose father is too busy to play with her, so she retreats into a fantasy realm of kings and odd creatures where nobody is too busy, and where adventure occupies her time.
A wordless picture book format captures her adventures in a fun story which translates well to this format despite its seeming complexity.
Crow
Smarts
Pamela S. Turner
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
9780544416192 $18.99
www.hmhco.com
Crow Smarts: Inside the Brain of the World's Brightest Bird features photos by Andy Comins and art by Guido de Filippo as it adds to the 'Scientists in the Field' series, examining the nature of crows on one Pacific setting where the crows are quite intelligent. Good reading skills will lend appreciation to this in-depth survey, which follows selected crows in New Caledonia.
From how crows are guilty of wrecking havoc on crops to Gavin the scientist's study of crows and a series of tests that measure crow intelligence, Crow Smarts is recommended not just for advanced picture book readers, but for many an adult who will find the experiments and natural history fascinating testimonies to the nature and depth of crow intelligence.
Gabe
and Goon
Iza Trapani
Charlesbridge
9781580806405 $16.95
www.charlesbridge.com
Gabe and Goon tells of a monster-loving kid and a kid-fearing monster that, at first glance, seem to have real obstacles to developing a friendship.
Iza Trapani's satisfyingly different take on the typical story of a child afraid of monsters helps kids identify with the monster's perspective as the closet monster quakes at the thought of an encounter with a child who is actually quite excited to see it.
Told in a rollicking rhyme with colorful large images, Gabe and Goon is a hilariously fun tale.
Holiday
House
www.holidayhouse.com
Patricia Reilly Giff's Hunter Moran Saves the Universe (9780823419494, $16.95) presents Hunter and his twin brother, who discover that the dentist has a scheme to blow up the town. The clues point to the town's eminent demise, but Hunter and Zack aren't just involved in saving their home: they have personal problems to tackle, as well.
A hilarious series of escapades take place that involve cops, the threat of prison, maniacs and spies, and more. Add federal agents and crafty parents to the mix for a fun, entertaining middle-grade series of escapades.
Tedd Arnold, Martha Hamilton, and Mitch Weiss' Noodlehead Nightmares (9780823435661, $15.95) is a cartoon book packed with large-size color drawings by Tedd Arnold and tells of two elbow-macaroni 'noodleheads' who get into jams, from sleeping outside to consuming pies.
Early chapter book readers receive different chapter adventures; but with large-size, full-color drawings to ease them into the chapter book format.
David Catrow's Fun in the Sun (9780823429455, $16.95) is about a dog who is ready to have summer fun with his tube, kite, and pet goldfish. He's bringing everything he needs - but has he forgotten something important?
Side-splitting drawings of a variety of madcap creatures who define the concept of 'fun in the sun' create a whimsical production which is light-hearted and just zany enough to prove a different kind of beach read for the young.
The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons (9780823420018) outlines three of eight groups of vegetables, showing young readers how they are planted, harvest, sold, and brought to the table.
Images of bulbs, roots, tubers and seeds accompany discussions of annuals, perennials, and other details on vegetables.
Kids receive education not just about different types of vegetables and their groupings, but how to select them in a supermarket.
The bright, realistic color illustrations make these vegetable facts fun.
I
Wish My Teacher Knew
Kyle Schwartz
DaCapo Press
9780738218141 $19.99
www.dacapopress.com
I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything for Our Kids comes from a teacher who invited her third-graders to anonymously complete the question "I wish my teacher knew ________". Their answers shocked her because they indicated levels of angst and desire that seemed to indicate comprehension and dilemmas beyond their age group.
The exercise remained limited to Schwartz's classroom until one night a simple answer ("I wish my teacher knew I don't have pencils at home to do my homework.") prompted a Twitter posting and a national discussion of educational quality and poverty.
How schools and parents can learn important lessons on the educational process through better dialogues with kids and a better understanding of their concerns makes for a powerful, true story for any interested in K-12 education and what issues affect students across the nation.
Magical
Animal Adoption Agency 3: The Missing Magic
Kallie George
Disney/Hyperion
9781423183846 $14.99
www.DisneyBooks.com
Magical Animal Adoption Agency 3: The Missing Magic adds to a growing series for advanced elementary to middle grade readers as it tells of the addition of one Oliver to the agency; an expert on magical animals despite his young age.
Clover doesn't think Oliver knows much, but when their leader is called away, Clover must share responsibilities with Oliver - and all kinds of trouble ensues as magical animals begin to transform into ordinary beasts.
If magic can't cure them, what can?
A puzzling conundrum makes for a powerful and fun story perfect for middle grade leisure readers of fantasy.
Reference Shelf
Addison-Wesley Two
new releases are strong reference recommendations for
libraries strong in computer books, presenting titles that promise
lasting
value and interest. Key
information for any software designer and many a
professional user is contained in Vinod Sankaranarayanan's Software Ownership Transfer (9780134181011,
$39.99), the first practical guide to how to legally transfer software
systems
and proprietary knowledge in agile environments. With
so many collaborative environments currently being built
by businesses seeking to customize software and transfer the results to
other
organizations, having a guide like Software
Ownership Transfer can work better than legal
advice; especially in
the initial stages of planning software transitions. Chapters
use real-world case studies and examples and come
from the Project Management Consultant of ThoughtWorks, who has advised
many
businesses and been involved in transitioning numerous software
projects
between users. From
what a new team needs to know when handling functional
projects to different business cultures and processes, program
planning, and
team transition points, Software
Ownership
Transfer is the place to begin for logical
advance planning. G.
Blake Meike's Android
Concurrency (9780134177434, $39.99) is
recommended for collections
already strong in Android programming references, and tackles the
specific
issue of concurrency in the Android programming platform. The
author is an Android developer and consultant who reviews
concurrent programming processes and how they offer different kinds of
network
and programming solutions. Sample
code accompanies discussions of tasks, service basics
and communication processes, analytical tools and approaches, and the
overall
Android process. The
result clarifies Android concurrency processes and
concerns and is recommended for any computer collection strong in
Android
basics.
www.informit.com/aw
Beat
By Beat Beat
By Beat: A Cheat Sheet for
Screenwriters
belongs in any film and video or screenwriter's reference collection,
with its
very specific, step-by-step keys to producing stories that translate
well on
screen or stage. There's
a 'secret recipe' involved in 'cooking' a story to
make it a winner: one which is given in-depth attention in this title,
which
needs to be carefully digested on a minute-by-minute scale in order to
prove
most effective. Unlike
most 'how to' guides, however, there's no single
method of effectively using Beat by Beat:
this entirely depends on the style of writers who consult its pages.
Writers
utilize different processes to produce stories and books; so it makes
sense
that no single path will fit everyone. Beat
by Beat thus can be used as a set of
inspirational ideas for
boosting creativity and story lines. A
blockbuster movie from each top-selling genre (six in all)
had to meet stringent criteria in order to be included here, while
references
to the 'minute-by-minute beats' were taken not from original
screenplays and
scripts, but from the final stories after they were filtered through a
studio process. The
result is a top recommendation that's unexpectedly
versatile in its approach yet specific in tools which writers may
employ to get
the most out of their story-to-screen translation process.
Todd Klick
Michael Wiese Productions
9781615932467 $28.l95
www.mwp.com
Crow
& Walshaw's Manual of Clinical Procedures in Dogs,
Cats, Rabbits & Rodents, 4th Edition The
fourth updated edition of
Crow & Walshaw's Manual of Clinical Procedures in Dogs, Cats,
Rabbits &
Rodents makes for a key veterinary reference for
both practicing
clinicians and veterinary techs and students, and imparts the latest
information, drawings, and color photos about new procedures used on
dogs,
cats, rabbits and rodents. It's
designed for two purposes: to be used as an at-a-glance
refresher or reference manual on the go, or for students seeking a
clinical
manual containing the latest common veterinary procedures. A
companion website provides images from the text in
PowerPoint format, while the visuals of anatomical relationships and
discussions of procedures from preparatory to operative phases contain
clear
advice on technical procedures and tips for making them
easier.
Jennifer E. Boyle
Wiley Blackwell
9781118985700 $69.99
www.wiley.com/go/veterinary
The
Minimalist Woodworker The
Minimalist Woodworker: Essential Tools
& Smart Shop Ideas for Building With Less
receives a different approach to woodworking than the usual
guide which assumes a tool bench filled with special equipment, and is
recommended for novices just getting involved in woodworking projects
as well
as more experienced woodworkers who would streamline operations or work
in a
smaller space. Chapters
discuss space limitations and tool size or necessity
before outlining six woodworking projects that teach sets of specific
skills
such as making a workbench or a hanging shelf for one's shop. The
Minimalist Woodworker
considers all aspects of organizing the smaller shop, from
flooring and heating and air conditioning to creating an effective
woodworking
space in a small apartment or living room. Color
photos abound, projects come with diagrams and tips on
using woodworking equipment, and tools and materials lists for each
project
result in a specific treasure trove of information especially
recommended for
novices short on budget or space.
Vic Tesolin
Spring House Press
9781940611358 $24.95
www.springhousepress.com
Murach's
SQL Server 2016 for Developers Murach's
SQL Server 2016 for Developers
appears in a new, updated 2016 guide with the basics on how
to create SQL queries and how to apply those using best practices in
everyday
situations. Chapters
cover the fundamentals of SQL processes and
applications, from how the server operates to how to write SQL
statements that
can update a database, designing a database using SQL
statements, and
applying SQL's different features to more advanced pursuits. Code
and self-study exercises supporting the book's examples
may be downloaded, allowing the book to be used as either as a
self-study
textbook or a reference to accompany a SQL Service 2016 developer's
course. Either
way, tables of examples, code, and visuals make it
easy for relative newcomers to SQL with some developer background to
get up and
running quickly.
Bryan Syverson and Joel Murach
Murach & Associates
9781890774967 $57.50
www.murach.com
Reinventing
Green Building Reinventing
Green Building: Why
Certification Systems Aren't Working and What We Can Do About It
should be in the collections of anyone working in the
architecture or green building industries, as it covers some
eye-opening,
critical perspectives about the much-lauded green building revolution
in
America. Jerry
Udelson points out how and where certification systems
have failed, taking the latest certification information and combining
it with
his professional engineering background to consider how many
green
building systems are failing to meet their low-emissions
goals. From
data analytics and cloud-based technologies that can be
used in building assessment processes to what green building
certifications
should cost, the book closely examines problems in idealism versus
realism, and
provides short lists of retail, software, and building goals that
contribute to
real green building construction, maintenance, and assessment. No
architect or builder concerned with green technology
should be without this well-reasoned assessment.
Jerry Udelson
New Society Publishers
9780865718159 $24.95
www.newsociety.com