New Books

September 2006

NONFICTION

The German Invasion of Western North Carolina - Painter, Jacqueline Burgin

This is a generously illustrated history of the little-known German internment camp located in the southern Appalachian village of Hot Springs during World War I. It is also the story of the relationship between the mountain villagers and the German prisoners in their midst, including the crew of the world's largest ship, the " Vateri and." in May 1917 fear and dread followed the realization that an alien 'city' would be dropped into the tiny village of 650." Thus began the saga in the United States Government took over the Mountain Park Hotel and grounds and turned it into an interment camp to house 2200 German prisoners. (This would be the largest World War I prison camp in the United States at the time.) The first evidence of the German "invasion" was that all the guests of the hotel were asked to leave and work was begun to transform the grounds of this beautiful resort into barracks, guard houses, and other facilities. The majority of the "prisoners" (most of whom were civilians) were officers and crew of German and Austrian commercial ships seized by the U.S. Government on April 6th. Therefore, they could not be called "prisoners of-war" but were named "enemy aliens" by the Department of Immigration. The proximity of so many Germans in the small village led to numerous personal contacts between them and the villagers. Local people opened their homes to relatives of the internees. Guards took prisoners home for dinner. The Germans taught crafts to the townspeople and entertained them with band music. This thoroughly researched book contains 140 photographs, 18 maps and illustrations, and 25 government documents that help tell the story of how the citizens of this community and the prisoners became entwined. – from the publisher

Asphalt Nation: How the Automobile Took Over America , and How We Can Take It Back - Kay, Jane Holtz

Commuters, here's some food for thought: collectively, Americans spend more than 8 billion hours each year stuck in traffic. This is just one of the horrifying statistics mentioned in Jane Holtz Kay's Asphalt Nation , an eye-opening look at the relationship between Americans and their cars. Kay asserts that the automobile is destroying our communities, our environment, and our economic competitiveness, and her supporting arguments are pretty persuasive. In addition to the billions of hours wasted in gridlock, Kay notes that our daily drives are becoming longer and more frequent, and that increased mileage has nullified any advances in emission controls. Asphalt Nation is comprised of three parts: the first, "Car Glut: A Nation in Lifelock ," examines the impact of the automobile culture on life in the United States today. "Car Tracks: The Machine That Made the Land" traces the history of cars from Henry Ford to the present, while "Car Free: From Dead End to Exit" imagines a happier future without automobile dependency. What makes Asphalt Nation far more interesting than the typical anti-auto diatribe is Kay's discussion of the cultural mores that helped create America 's current car glut--namely, our attitudes toward land use and growth management; her comparisons between American and European practices in these areas are particularly interesting. Others have written about the American love affair with the automobile, but Holtz revisits the discussion with lively writing and a dramatic narrative. - Amazon.com

Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America 's Independence - Berkin , Carol

Confronting "the gender amnesia that surrounds the American Revolution," historian Berkin ( A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution ) offers a lively account of women's various roles in the long, bloody conflict. Early forms of resistance included boycotting British cloth--and thus dusting off retired spinning wheels--and tea as women used "their purchasing power as a political weapon." As the conflict became a war in city streets and the neighboring countryside, houses became war zones; ordinary women often served as spies, saboteurs and couriers. Camp followers (often soldiers' wives) provided logistical support (cooking, washing, sewing, nursing, finding supplies) and occasionally even fought; prostitutes kept up soldiers' sexual (and social) morale. Generals' wives, "admired while the ordinary camp followers were often scorned," accompanied their husbands in different style; they boosted morale with dinner parties and dancing. Berkin reaches beyond white "American" women to chart the experiences of Loyalist women ("targets of Revolutionary governments eager to confiscate the property of... traitors"), Native American women (for whom "an American victory would have... tragic consequences") and African-American women (whose "loyalties were to their own future, not to Congress or to king"). First-person accounts lend immediacy and freshness to a lucidly written, well-researched account that is neither a romantic version of "a quaint and harmless war" nor "an effort to stand traditional history on its head." - Publisher's Weekly

Contents: Clio's daughters, lost and found -- "The easy task of obeying" -- "They say it is tea that caused it" -- "You can form no idea of the horrors" -- "Such a sordid set of creatures in human figure" -- "How unhappy is war to domestic happiness" -- "A journey a crosse ye wilderness" -- "The women must hear our words" -- "The day of jubilee is come" -- "It was I wo did it" -- "There is no sex in soul."

Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America - Chasteen , John Charles

In a history that is concise yet satisfying, Chasteen , a historian at UNC-Chapel Hill, looks at critical Latin American events ranging from the original encounter of Europeans with the indigenous peoples of Latin America to the present day destruction of the Amazonian rain forest. He offers portraits of such well-known figures as Simon Bol¡var , Jose‚ de San Mart¡n and August¡n Iturbide, as well as lesser-known ones such as Canek , a Yucatec Maya who led a short but important revolt against Spanish rule in Mexico in 1761. Chasteen focuses on major political, social and economic topics and trends that helped shape Latin America, including liberalism, the caste system, the mixing of races, nationalism and the Western notion of "Progress"; he also examines the role that Europe and the United States played in the development of these phenomena. Also refreshing is Chasteen's examination of the periods he covers from the perspective of women; he refers to many who played a central role, such as the celebrated Sister Juana Inez de la Cruz and Juana Azurduy , as well as less popular Gertrudis Bocanegra , a Mexican woman who was executed for carrying messages to the Patriots. From the glorious and bloody battles for independence, through the trying periods of post- and neocolonialism, the finding of "national" identity and the more recent anti-Communist dictatorships from the 1960s to the 1980, to hope for a future of true democracy, this is a comprehensive and illuminating history. Includes a glossary and a timeline by country. - Publisher's Weekly

265 Troubleshooting Strategies for Writing Nonfiction - Clouse, Barbara Fine

Get it written right now with this unique guide to solving the most common problems of crafting nonfiction writing. Contrary to popular belief, good writers are made, not just born. You don't have to be the child of literary geniuses to write powerfully--you only need to learn the right strategies. Seasoned writing instructor Barbara Fine Clouse shows you how. Clouse breaks down the process of writing any piece of nonfiction--from the creative personal essay to the business letter--into four tasks: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. With her friendly style, she leads you through each step, providing you with surefire problem-solving strategies and time-savers. Loaded with proven techniques for breaking through writer's block, powerful strategies for generating fresh ideas, and abundant tips and tricks, this guide will help you: Uncover five myths about writing that are probably holding you back, break through writer's block, discover ideas for your writing, organize your ideas effectively, express yourself with precision and style, polish your editing skills to clean up common style and grammar errors, and discover your own personal writing process. Pinpointing the challenges that arise at every stage of writing, this book gives you the tools you need to tackle any problem--from the blank page all the way to the finished product. – from the publisher

Advanced Spanish Grammar: A Self-Teaching Guide - Prado , Marcial

Unsure about conjugating irregular Spanish verbs? Using the subjunctive? Determining the appropriate definite article? This complete, accessible guide clarifies grammatical structure and explains vocabulary usage to help you master Spanish. – from the publisher

Casebook of Forensic Detection: How Science Solved 100 of the World's Most Baffling Crimes - Evans, Colin

This fascinating book describes the development of forensics from the nineteenth century to the present. Cases are classified by 15 forensic types then arranged chronologically. Features riveting stories of how forensic experts were able to identify a person with only one one thousandth of her body parts, the dramatic tale of how a psychological profile helped catch a dangerous criminal who drank his victim's blood, and numerous more narratives of how science triumphed to bring the guilty to justice and free the innocent. – from the publisher

Children at War - Singer, Peter Warren

Foreign affairs expert Singer (Corporate Warriors) offers an illuminating work on the use of child soldiers in conflicts across the globe. This endemic problem involving some 300,000 child combatants is attributable to a tangle of factors including extreme poverty, AIDS, a worldwide glut of light automatic weapons, and a lack of political will to enforce laws. Unscrupulous leaders see children as inexpensive, malleable, and easily replaceable fighters who can be used to plunder villages, traffic drugs, and seize control of resources. Children are abducted sometimes as young as age six and desensitized to acts of violence. The impact on child survivors is traumatic: devoid of education and unfamiliar with normal patterns of social behavior, they are not easily rehabilitated and reintegrated into their families. Singer outlines a cogent program for thwarting the use of child soldiers and argues passionately that the U.S. military and other armed forces should develop training and doctrine to cope effectively with child combatants. – Library Journal

Class Matters - The New York Times

The topography of class in America has shifted over the past twenty years, blurring the lines between upper, middle and lower classes; some have argued that the concept of class is irrelevant in today's society. While the 14 pieces in this volume (all originally printed as part of a New York Times series) shed light on a different aspect of class, they all agree that it remains an important facet of contemporary American culture and draw their strength by examining class less through argument than through storytelling. The reader, by following three heart attack victims through very different recoveries, by witnessing the divergent immigrant experiences of a Greek diner owner and his Mexican line cook, by tracing the life path of an Appalachian foster child turned lawyer and a single welfare mother turned registered nurse, or by seeing the world from the perspective of the wife of a " relo " (a six-figure executive who relocates every few years to climb the corporate ladder), quickly realizes class is defined by much more than income. The collection has the power of a great documentary film: it captures the lives and ideas of its subjects in lively, articulate prose that, while grounded in statistics and research, remains engaging and readable throughout. The result is neither an attack on the rich nor a lecture to the poor, but a thoughtful consideration of class dynamics. Its empathetic take on this divisive subject and straightforward prose style will make the book of interest to a wide range of readers. - Publishers Weekly

Electric Universe: How Electricity Switched on the Modern World - Bodanis , David

Despite the fact that our lives are powered by electricity to an astonishing degree, most of us have little or no understanding of how or why it works. Instead, we rely on a blurry notion that it flows--like water--through wires to turn on our appliances. In Electric Universe , David Bodanis fools readers, by keeping them entertained and intrigued, into learning the science behind electricity. He does this by telling a series of stories, starting with how a backwoods American really invented the telegraph and how Samuel Morse stole the credit for it. From there, he works through the lives of Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Michael Faraday, and other pioneers. He shows how their experiments affected their lives--never more poignantly than with the tragic story of Alan Turing, whose early work designing computers wasn't enough to prevent him from being driven to suicide. It's surprisingly easy to identify with some of these brilliant scientists, because Bodanis relates their failures as well as their successes. In the end, although we may continue using words such as "current" to describe the "flow" of electrons, Bodanis makes certain that we see electrical energy for what it really is, at a subatomic, quantum level. Even so, there's not a single boring bit in the book. Electric Universe is an excellent scientific history, one that reveals both the progress of knowledge and the strange science of the wiggling electrons that run our lives. – Amazon.com

How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook - Matlins , Stuart M.

Guests at religious celebrations of faiths other than their own are often unaware of customs and rituals, appropriate dress, or gift-giving practices. The guidelines to religious etiquette in this book were developed to answer common questions asked by guests seeking to participate in the event yet attempting to avoid violating religious principles. Topics are addressed in a straightforward and nonjudgmental manner. Each of the 20 chapters is devoted to a particular religion. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction to the history and beliefs of the faith, followed by a series of standard questions that detail the basic service (appropriate dress, behavior during the service); holy days and festivals; life cycle events (birth, initiation, marriage, and funerals); and home celebrations. They answer such questions as Where do I sit? Are there any parts of the service in which a guest should participate? Is there a reception after the service? What does the ritual mean? Is it OK to leave early? Is flash photography or videotaping permitted? Will contributions be collected at the ceremony? Will the casket be open?

Contents: Introduction -- African American Methodist Churches -- Assemblies of God - - Bahaí -- Baptist -- Buddhist -- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) -- Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) -- Churches of Christ -- Episcopalian and Anglican -- Hindu -- Islam -- Jehovah's Witnesses -- Jewish -- Lutheran -- Mennonite/Amish -- Methodist -- Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) -- Native American/First Nations -- Orthodox Churches -- Pentecostal Church of God -- Presbyterian -- Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) -- Reformed Church in America/Canada -- Roman Catholic -- Seventh-day Adventist -- Sikh -- Unitarian Universalist -- United Church of Canada -- United Church of Christ -- Religious glossary -- Religious symbols -- Calendar of religious holidays and festivals -- Forms of address.

The Meat You Eat: How Corporate Farming Has Endangered America 's Food Supply - Midkiff , Ken

In this eye-opening book, Sierra Club Director Ken Midkiff exposes the dangers posed by corporate control of agriculture (agribusiness)--to our health, and to the health of the nation's economy, security, and the environment. The Meat You Eat explores the current practices of the corporations taking over the raising and slaughtering of farm animals (and farmed fish, such as salmon). These companies use a model that has transformed livestock farming from quality-driven family-owned operations into big businesses concerned with volume, efficiency, uniformity, and profits above all. Midkiff reveals the true cost of agribusiness on all levels-environmental, financial, moral, legal, and medical-balancing startling truths with practical solutions. Rather than advocate a vegan or vegetarian diet, Midkiff argues that using and supporting local farmers will improve the quality of life for us all, as well as for the animals whose meat we eat. – from the publisher

Contents: Introduction -- Get big or get out -- Gig pig -- Big chicken and big egg -- Big milk -- Big beef -- Big fish.

Physics Demystified - Gibilisco , Stan

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand physics! Now anyone with an interest in the physical sciences can master physics -- without formal training or drowning in a sea of complicated formulas and equations. Author Stan Gibilisco offers a fun, effective, and totally painless way to learn the fundamentals and general concepts of physics. Master the subject one simple step at a time - at your own speed. Unlike most books on physics, general principles are presented first - and the details follow. In order to make the learning process as clear and simple as possible, heavy-duty math, formulas, and equations are kept to a minimum. This unique self-teaching guide offers questions at the end of each chapter and section to pinpoint weaknesses, and a 100-question final exam to reinforce the entire book. Simple enough for a beginner but challenging enough for an advanced student, Physics Demystified is your direct route to learning or brushing up on physics. HERE'S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO: * Understand the math used in physical science * Solve mass/force/acceleration problems * Create mathematical models of physical phenomena * Perform distance vs. time calculations * Determine potential and kinetic energy * Calculate the wavelength of sounds and radio signals * Understand visible light interference patterns * Calculate the energy and frequency of a moving particle * Understand atomic structure * Learn about electric current, voltage, resistance, power, and energy. – from the publisher

Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class - Douthat , Ross Gregory

Part memoir, part social critique, Privilege is an absorbing assessment of one of the world's most celebrated universities: Harvard. In this sharp, insightful account, Douthat evaluates his social and academic education — most notably, his frustrations with pre-established social hierarchies and the trumping of intellectual rigor by political correctness and personal ambition. The book addresses the spectacles of his time there, such as the embezzlement scandal at the Hasty Pudding Theatricals and Professor Cornel West's defection to Princeton . He also chronicles the more commonplace but equally revealing experiences, including social climbing, sexual relations, and job hunting. While the book's narrative centers on Harvard, its main arguments have a much broader concern: the state of the American college experience. Privilege is a pointed reflection on students, parents, and even administrators and professors who perceive specific schools merely as stepping-stones to high salaries and elite social networks rather than as institutions entrusted with academic excellence. A book full of insightful perceptions and illuminating detail, Privilege is sure to spark endless debates inside and outside the ivied walls. – from the publisher

Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut - Mullane , Mike

One of the first astronaut memoirs from the space-shuttle era tells a thoroughly absorbing story. Mullane , an Air Force brat, flew 134 missions in Vietnam . In the late 1970s, he volunteered for the shuttle program, was accepted, and flew three orbital missions before retiring. His accounts of those missions are gripping. They leave one in no doubt that the shuttle was a somewhat imperfect instrument that somehow still performed marvels. Mullane also pays tribute to his fellow astronauts, a small community that suffered with every death or other loss to the "family" it constituted, and to his wife, who endured 40 years of the stresses of being a pilot's partner. And while this isn't an expose, Mullane makes it clear that NASA's corporate culture wasn't optimal for getting the results it sought. Despite the shuttle's apparent failures, the era when it was America 's mainstay in space laid groundwork for the future, and further shuttle chronicles are needed and deserved. A strong addition to science and space collections of any size. - Booklist

Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown - Shermer , Michael

The author of several books and a columnist for Scientific American , Shermer here gathers a dozen of his articles from other sources, such as Skeptic , the magazine he founded. Eclectic in range, the pieces can be personal (an account of his mother's death), formidably theoretical (a deep dive into historical causation), or playful (an essay about top-10-type lists of great persons, events, or inventions). The predominant subject, though, is the one that has garnered Shermer such a loyal readership: confronting unscientific thought. Shermer delights in debunking superstition and ignorance about science and considers it a worthy vocation since 45 percent of Americans, according to a 2001 Gallup survey Shermer cites, believe that God created humans a few thousand years ago. In one piece, the author illustrates how easily a poseur--himself--can give convincing psychic readings, and another exposition disputes so-called intelligent design theory, a species of creationism. Homages to his heroes, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and the late paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, conclude the collection and indicate its variety. – Booklist

Voices of a People's History of the United States - Zinn , Howard

Here in their own words are Frederick Douglass, George Jackson, Chief Joseph, Martin Luther King Jr., Plough Jogger, Sacco and Vanzetti, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Mark Twain, and Malcolm X, to name just a few of the hundreds appearing in Voices of a People's History of the United States , edited by Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove . Paralleling the 24 chapters of Zinn's A People's History of the United States , Voices of a People's History is the long-awaited companion volume to the national bestseller. For Voices , Zinn and Arnove have selected testimonies to living history-speeches, letters, poems , songs-left by the people who make history happen, but who usually are underrepresented or misrepresented in history books: women, Native Americans, workers, blacks and Latinos. Zinn has written short introductions to the texts, which themselves range in length from letters or poems of less than a page to entire speeches and essays that run several pages and longer. Voices of a People's History is a symphony of our nation's original voices, rich in ideas and actions, an embodiment of the power of civil disobedience and dissent, wherein lies our nation's true spirit of defiance and resilience. – from the publisher

Instability Rules: The Ten Most Amazing Ideas of Modern Science - Flowers, Charles

A remarkably informative and engaging look at ten milestone discoveries and their discoverers-a wide range of very human personalities whose insights have dramatically altered our most basic assumptions about human existence during the last century. The stories include Edwin Hubble and the expanding universe, Alfred Wegener and continental drift, Neils Bohr and quantum mechanics, Alan Turing and artificial intelligence, and James Watson and Francis Crick and DNA. Also covering discoveries of the twenty-first century that are already refining these and other ideas, Instability Rules is an exhilarating, sometimes amusing encounter with the defining scientific discoveries of our age. – from the publisher

Contents: Hubble and the expanding universe -- Einstein and the wonder of light -- Bohr and the puzzles of the quantum world -- Wegener and the dance of the continents -- Big bang, big crunch, and big bore -- Fermat, Godel , and fuzzy math -- Mendel, Watson, Crick, and the human genome -- Hominids, humans, and the search for origins -- Turing and the brain as computer, and vice versa -- Freud, the unconscious, and other views.

Read and Think Spanish: Learn the Language and Discover the Culture of the Spanish-speaking World through Reading - Editors of Think Spanish! Magazine

A fun, fascinating way to expand your knowledge of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures Read and Think Spanish offers an innovative, non-intimidating approach to learning Spanish language basics. Compiled by the expert editors of Think Spanish! magazine, this book brings together 75 engaging, fully illustrated readings and articles about the life and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries organized around topics such as famous people, festivals, traditions, food, history, geography, art, sports, and music. Key grammar points and fundamentals are highlighted, comprehension questions help reinforce new Spanish vocabulary, and an extensive bilingual glossary on each page allows you to read and learn without having to stop to look up words in a dictionary. – from the publisher

The Little Green Handbook: Seven Trends Shaping the future of Our Planet - Nielsen, Ron

Just how serious are our environmental problems? Are we doing enough to deal with them? How many people can the planet sustain? What are the long-term effects of continued environmental damage? How fast is the process of global warming? What are the implications of our continued dependence on fossil fuels? The Little Green Handbook has the answers. Based on extensive research, this user-friendly sourcebook is filled with up-to-date facts and figures about the most serious trends facing the planet and makes complex but vitally important ideas simple. A few shocking facts from The Little Green Handbook: On the population explosion: At present, the global population increases by 80 million people each year, adding the equivalent of the population of Germany to the global community each year. On land: The arable land area per person is steadily decreasing, not just because global population is increasing but also because we are losing valuable land through mismanagement. On the atmosphere: For the first time, our influence on the atmosphere is so great that we are changing substantially and critically its composition and function. On energy crisis: In 2000, [the national energy consumption of the United States ] accounted for a quarter of the global total. On social decline: An annual contribution of only 1 percent of [the globes richest individuals] assets could pay for the primary education of all the children in the world.... In the first half of this century, the number of people living in rich countries will change very little [while] the number of people living in developing countries will [nearly double]. On conflicts and living in a fortress world: Almost half of the global military budget is shared by the US and Japan . The number of conflicts is steadily increasing, 300,000 children are serving as soldiers in 30 countries. – from the publisher

Master Class in Fiction Writing: from Austen, Hemingway, and Other Greats - Sexton, Adam

What aspiring writers can learn from the world's masters of fiction- ;a truly novel approach to storytelling. Master Class in Fiction Writing lets you learn the craft of writing from the best storytellers of the past two centuries. Under the direction of renowned creative writing coach Adam Sexton, they'll learn point of view from Toni Morrison, description from Vladimir Nabokov, characterization from Jane Austen, and plot construction from Joseph Conrad, to name just a few. Over the course of just ten chapters you can master all the components of great short story and novel writing. – from the publisher

People's History of the United States - Zinn , Howard

According to this classic of revisionist American history, narratives of national unity and progress are a smoke screen disguising the ceaseless conflict between elites and the masses whom they oppress and exploit. Historian Zinn sides with the latter group in chronicling Indians' struggle against Europeans, blacks' struggle against racism, women's struggle against patriarchy, and workers' struggle against capitalists. First published in 1980, this updated volume sums up decades of post-war scholarship into a definitive statement of leftist, multicultural, anti-imperialist historiography. – Publishers Weekly

How to Write in Spanish - Ochoa, Ligia

Emphasizing the challenges faced by nonnative Spanish speakers, How to Write in Spanish instructs Spanish learners—from advanced beginners to fluent speakers—in the conventions used in writing common Spanish-language documents, including resumes and curricula vitae; official forms and documents; college, job, and housing applications; business correspondence; personal letters; E-mail; and even greeting cards and postcards. – from the publisher

The Globalization Myth: Why the Protestors Have Got it Wrong - Shipman, Alan

Globalization -- scourge of indigenous peoples, arch-enemy of protesters from Seattle to Genoa , crusade of the Orwellian IMF, WTO and G8: the new evil stalking the globe. Right? Wrong. In this radical new book Alan Shipman turns the myths about globalization upside down. The protesters are right to see globalization as important and potentially dangerous -- but almost always wrong in their diagnosis of the problems and their prescriptions to solve them. Globalization is a potential force for good -- and for the benefit of all. – from the publisher

Fat Girl: A True Story - Moore, Judith

Moore 's memoir focuses on the "curse" of obesity that has plagued her throughout her life. Given a father who overate and deserted her when she was four and a mother who regularly beat her, one finds no surprise when Moore turns to food for comfort and as a way to sublimate other appetites. Of course, as her vivid writing reveals, obsessions with food and angst over excess avoirdupois are too complex to yield a deterministic answer. Moore's characters stick in readers' minds: a talented mother whose own mother never failed to criticize; an absent, food-obsessed father too guilty to contact his daughter till she was married and pregnant; a generous, nonjudgmental upstairs neighbor who let Moore devour her larder while the neighbor went on an extended trip; and a gay music-teacher uncle who gave Moore the most normal, loving home she knew. Moore struggles with her weight and her barren relationships, never coming to terms with her body image. Poignant, deeply felt, remarkably funny, Moore 's memoir will resonate with anyone who's ever lived with self-hatred. – Booklist

A Short History of Communism - Harvey, Robert

The emergence of global Islamic militancy and terrorism dominates our daily news and perhaps the thoughts of our strategic planners. But several decades ago, the ideology of dogmatic communism seemed ascendant and was regarded as a model for economic development by many in Third World nations. Harvey, a journalist and a member of the British Parliament, has written a concise, sharply focused account of the rise and fall of a pseudoreligion that alternatively seduced, inspired, and stifled millions of people. Harvey is a superb writer who clarifies (as much as possible) the often confusing and contradictory strains of so-called Marxist-Leninist thought. His assertion that a supposedly internationalist doctrine morphed into a form of nationalism is excellently illustrated. In fact, he suggests that a prime factor in the spread of communism was its apparent ability to meet the challenges presented to societies entering the industrial age while striving to simultaneously satisfy huge rural populations. Finally, this outstanding survey illustrates how intelligent people can distort or even invent alternative realities to conform to a dogma. – Booklist

Darwin in the Genome: Molecular Strategies in Biological Evolution - Caporale , Lynn

Written by a molecular biologist at the forefront of genomics research, Darwin in the Genome is an exciting account of one of the hottest new theories in biology today: evolution by natural selection inevitably leads to strategic mutations. In the struggle for survival, from pathogens to flowers, birds to orangutans, baker's yeast to people, the fittest genomes are those that evolve effective molecular strategies that respond to, and in fact anticipate, challenges and opportunities in their environments. Writing in a clear, accessible style, Lynn Caporale describes the emergence of genomic mutation strategies, which researchers are just beginning to uncover. She also spells out some of the more profound implications of these findings, including the importance of biodiversity, indeed human diversity, for survival, the possibility of bold new directions for medical research, and the inherent dangers of attempting to fix perceived "errors" in a human genome. – from the publisher

Human Cargo: A Journey Among Refugees - Moorehead , Caroline

The intractable, multifaceted problem of people driven from their homes by poverty, violence or persecution is given a human face in this moving survey of the refugee experience. Moorehead , a human rights journalist, refugee aid worker and biographer of Martha Gellhorn , tours a number of refugee milieus, visiting, among others, Liberian refugees in Cairo, Mexican migrants waiting to cross into the United States, Mideastern refugees detained in Australian internment camps and Palestinian refugees still nursing hopes of returning to a homeland they have never seen. She finds that refugees who remain in the Third World —the majority—are preoccupied with the struggle for survival. Those who make it to Western countries face an equally daunting task, caught in a legal limbo between asylum and deportation, forbidden to work, grappling with a strange language, loneliness and a society that views them as alien interlopers. Moorehead draws sympathetic portraits of individual refugees, replete with horror stories of the travails they fled and their precarious but hopeful efforts to build new lives, but also pulls back to examine what she says are the sometimes counterproductive policies of aid organizations and the indifference of Western governments. – Publishers Weekly

The Great Improvisation: Franklin , France , and the Birth of America - Schiff, Stacy

Benjamin Franklin, often regarded as a supreme expression of the innovative and dynamic spirit of the New World, actually spent a large chunk of his later life in Europe . First he served as the agent and liaison with Parliament for several colonies in London . Then from 1776 to 1783 he represented the rebellious American colonies in France , where he successfully forged an alliance that engendered American independence. Schiff, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, has recounted Franklin 's diplomatic efforts in a brilliant, absorbing, and frequently funny book. Franklin, who was 70 years old and spoke minimal French when his mission began, is revealed here as manipulative, occasionally devious, but consistently dedicated to the cause of American liberty. His task was formidable, since he had to overcome the reluctance of French monarchists to support a republican revolution. Even those French eager to bloody the British nose doubted the viability of the American military effort. Franklin also had to fight a rear-guard action against rivals on the American diplomatic team. Yet, as Schiff illustrates, Franklin marshaled his immense personal charm and his intuitive political skills to navigate treacherous waters again and again. This is an outstanding chronicle of an American icon performing perhaps his greatest service to his country. Booklist

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Encyclopedia - Ripley's Believe It or Not

Believe it! Or not.

United States of Appalachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence , Culture, and Enlightenment to America - Biggers , Jeff

In this pleasing study, Biggers argues that the roots of American politics and culture are found not in Philadelphia or New York , but in Appalachia . The North Carolina Patriots, who declared themselves free of British rule long before Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, anticipated America 's revolutionary, republican spirit. And if you thought the antislavery movement was born in Boston , think again. In the early 19th century, Appalachians John Rankin and Benjamin Lundy advocated emancipation; indeed, Lundy was largely responsible for winning William Lloyd Garrison to the cause. Finally, noting the importance of the Highlander Folk School in training civil rights activists, Biggers credits Appalachia with significantly advancing the cause of school desegregation. – Publishers Weekly

Binocular Stargazing - Reynolds, Mike D.

Many people assume that amateur stargazers must invest hundreds or even thousands of dollars in equipment before they can enjoy the wonders of the night sky. The truth is, though, that all you need is a simple pair of binoculars. This handy, easy-to-follow guide explains how to observe everything from the moon to meteor showers with binoculars and provides safety tips for viewing eclipses. It also includes separate sections for winter, spring, summer, and fall that give advice on what to look for and how to optimize your viewing. Ideal for budding astronomers of all ages, Binocular Stargazing is the perfect way to see the night sky through new eyes. – from the publisher

How to Read a North Carolina Beach : Bubble Holes, Barking Sands, and Rippled Runnels - Pilkey , Orrin H.

Take a walk on the beach with three coastal experts who reveal the secrets and the science of the North Carolina shoreline. What makes sea foam? What are those tiny sand volcanoes along the waterline? You'll find the answers to these questions and dozens more in this comprehensive field guide to the state's beaches, which shows visitors how to decipher the mysteries of the beach and interpret clues to an ever-changing geological story. The authors explore large-scale processes, such as the composition and interaction of wind, waves, and sand, as well as smaller features, such as bubble holes, drift lines, and black sands. In addition, coastal life forms large and small--from crabs and turtles to microscopic animals--are all discussed here. The concluding chapter contemplates the future of North Carolina beaches, considering the threats to their survival and assessing strategies for conservation. This indispensable beach book offers vacationers and naturalists a single source for learning to appreciate and preserve the natural features of a genuine state treasure. – from the publisher

The Medieval Machine: The Industrial Revolution of the Middle Ages - Gimpel , Jean

The Middle Ages, writes French scholar Jean Gimpel , saw an extraordinary flourishing of technological development throughout Europe . With the era came waterwheels and clock towers, nearly uniform machine parts and improvements in public hygiene, vaulting cathedrals and towering city walls, and a notion of spiritual and earthly progress that promised better things to come. In analyzing the growth of precision in measurement and of the experimental sciences, and in considering the careers of medieval geniuses such as the architect-inventor Villard de Honnecourt , Gimpel clearly conveys the intellectual excitement of the time. Sadly, it was undone by religious intolerance, brutal warfare, and the arrival of the plague as quickly as it rose. – Amazon.com

Sculpted Stones - Montejo , Victor

"Poems written between 1982-92 by the Guatemalan folklorist after leaving his country for the US . Themes include violence of war, exile, continuity with the past, and love for homeland. Lyrical, direct voice captured skillfully and movingly by translations. En face; no supporting material beyond short biographical paragraph and a few notes" - Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.

The Good Red Road : Passages into Native America - Lincoln, Kenneth

Co-author Al Logan Slagle is a graduate of Asheville Country Day School . "For those curious about what it means to be American and to be Indian in the United States , The Good Red Road is essential."— Los Angeles Times. In 1975 Kenneth Lincoln went on the road with his small daughter and four students, traveling from Los Angeles through Arizona , New Mexico , Nebraska , and the Dakotas, searching for the essence of the Indian experience in modern America . His gritty but poetic account of this trip explores the challenges facing native peoples. The Good Red Road captures the tension between Indians and whites, reveals the continuing importance of religion among the Lakotas , and depicts the differences among Indians. Finally, the book is a journey of self-discovery by Lincoln and his students, one of them coauthor Al Logan Slagle, a Cherokee Indian and later an advocate for Indian rights.

The European Dream: How Europe 's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream - Rifkin, Jeremy

The American Dream is not dead, says Rifkin, but it's showing its years. Contrasting definitively American fantasies of individual autonomy, material wealth, and cultural assimilation with an emerging European vision of community relationships, quality of life, and cultural diversity, Rifkin argues that the great bloodshed of the twentieth century liberated Europeans from their past, better preparing them for global citizenship in the twenty-first century. Rifkin paints this contrast with grandiose, if sometimes messy, strokes, blending an intellectual history of the Enlightenment into an informed discussion of modern European political infrastructure. Rifkin is an American who has spent much of his life doing business in Europe , and his reasoned arguments are likewise often accompanied by personal anecdotes; it's clear on which continent his heart lies. But those who would dismiss Rifkin's polemics as rewarmed socialism miss the author's core argument. It is not a clash-of-civilizations diatribe but rather an appeal to Europeans to back their emergent vision with (American) courage and to Americans to temper their intemperate optimism with (European) moral perspective. The point is conversation, not competition. – Booklist

The Best American Nonrequired Reading , 2003 - Eggers, Dave, editor

In his deliciously kooky foreword, Eggers (You Shall Know Our Velocity) describes this excellent literary compilation as a gathering of "good writing from contemporary writers," but it's much more than that. The 25 pieces, previously published in glossies (the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Harper's) and smaller outlets (Tin House, Alaska Quarterly Review, Nerve.com) were selected by San Francisco high schoolers , and all are worthy of the reprint they get here. The eclectic assemblage of fiction, nonfiction, humor and comics alternates between serious articles, such as Mark Bowden's elaborate, exhaustive examination of Saddam Hussein ("Tales of the Tyrant"), and the comic brilliance of illustrator Lynda Barry, the charmingly goofy sentimentality of David Sedaris and the flippancy of the Onion's "I'll Try Anything with a Detached Air of Superiority." Last year's collection was aimed at young adults, and several selections here address themes of peer pressure and children's cruelty: Ryan Boudinot's Halloween-themed "The Littlest Hitler," David Drury's story of suburban misfits in "Things We Knew When the House Caught Fire" and Judy Budnitz's disturbing family tale "Visiting Hours." The street-smart spunk of J.T. Leroy's "Stuff" and K. Kvashay -Boyle's "Saint Chola " combine with Daniel Voll's unflinching view of life in South Central Los Angeles to give the collection a dash of grit. Readers of all ages should be delighted with this literary smorgasbord. Eggers deserves credit for another first-rate collection. - Publisher's Weekly

Contents: What Sacagawea means to me / Sherman Alexie -- Common scents / Lynda Barry -- Littlest Hitler / Ryan Boudinot -- Tales of the tyrant / Mark Bowden -- Meticulous grove of black and green / Michael Buckley -- Visiting hours / Judy Budnitz -- Things we knew when the house caught fire / David Drury -- Primer for the punctuation of heart disease / Jonathan Safran Foer -- Guide to being a groupie / Lisa Gabriele -- Love and other catastrophes: a mix tape / Amanda Holzer -- Pretenders / Chuck Klosterman -- Saint Chola / K. Kvashay -Boyle -- Rana Fegrina / Dylan Landis -- Golden chariot / Andrea Lee -- Stuff / J. T. Leroy -- Three days, a month, more / Douglas Light -- Touching him / Nasdijj -- I'll try anything with a detached air of superiority / from the Onion -- How Susie Bayer's T-shirt ended up on Yusuf Mama's back / George Packer -- The ant of the shelf / ZZ Packer -- How to write suspense / James Pinkerton -- Rooster at the hitchin ' post / David Sedaris -- Astroturf: How manufactured "Grassroots" movements are subverting democracy -- Lost boys / John Verbos -- Riot baby (life in South Central Los Angeles / Daniel Voll .

Bodies: The Exhibition

Catalogue of an exhibition of polymer-preserved human bodies and body parts.

How to Reach & Teach Children & Teens with Dyslexia - Stowe, Cynthia M.

This comprehensive, practical resource gives educators at all levels essential information, techniques, and tools for understanding dyslexia and adapting teaching methods in all subject areas to meet the learning style, social, and emotional needs of students who have dyslexia. Special features include over 50 full-page activity sheets that can be photocopied for immediate use and interviews with students and adults who have had personal experience with dyslexia. Organized into twenty sections, information covers everything from ten principles of instruction to teaching reading, handwriting, spelling, writing, math, everyday skills, and even covers the adult with dyslexia. - from the publisher

Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility in American History - Friedman, Lawrence J., and Mark D. McGarvie , editors

Winner of the 2004 Association for Fundraising Professionals Skystone Ryan Research Prize; second place for the 2003 Virgina A Hodgkinson Research Prize. " As a volume offering a view of the current 'state of the field', this work is arguably the most important historical study of philanthropy to be published in recent years. It should certainly inspire future historians to tackle the topic and, perhaps more important, it will provide practitioners and nonhistorians with a deeper understanding of the roots of American philanthropy." - Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly

Kickstart Your Motivation: The Complete guide to Challenging Yourself to Win - Stockdale, Sue

Motivation is a topic that affects everyone throughout their working lives. Sometimes you may feel brimming with energy, confidence and enthusiasm. At other times you feel jaded, unfocused and demotivated . What is needed is a way of tapping into that resource of positive energy on a more regular basis. Sue Stockdale's upbeat guide will enhance your understanding of the way motivation works, as well as provide invaluable practical lessons. It will be a source of both inspiration and easy-to-follow hints and tips on how to foster a go-getting attitude both within yourself and those around you. It will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and really challenge yourself to win. The lessons of the book are provided by someone who has found themselves in some of the most challenging situations life can throw at an individual, and still come out on top. Experiences are drawn from adventures around the world in Kenya , the former Yugoslavia , Chile as well as both the North and South polar regions . - from the publisher

Contents: Where Does Motivation Come From? -- Testing Your Capabilities? -- Building on Success? -- The Ultimate Challenge -- Stepping into the Unknown -- Reaching the Pole -- Been There, Done That, Now What? -- Winning -- References -- Recommended Reading -- Useful Contacts -- Index.

Aké : The Years of Childhood - Soyinka, Wole

An extraordinarily vivid recreation of a happy, middle-class, quintessentially African childhood. This autobiography of Nigeria 's Nobel laureate in literature, Wole Soyinka, describes the subject in intimate and humorous detail from a very early age to age eleven. Soyinka delights us with a remarkable memoir of his growing up in the urban Christian, Yoruba home of his parents in western Nigeria during the 1930s and 1940s. This book will be a classic in its genre and gives insight into life in contemporary Nigeria . It gives readers a sense of rural community life. Soyinka brings to life his adventures and delights as a three year old, the vitality and busy life of the compound of a school headmaster. This very Nigerian autobiography provides memories so that readers can identify with the universal childhood experience.

MEDIA

The Blue Planet: Seas of Life - DVD, 4 discs, 98 minutes each

Extraordinary footage and eloquent narration by David Attenborough highlight the BBC's remarkable wildlife series The Blue Planet: Seas of Life . One of the finest wildlife programs you're ever likely to see, The Blue Planet: Seas of Life provides the privilege of visiting a truly alien world teeming with the rarest wonders of nature. - Amazon.com

Volume I : Ocean World "Experience the power of the Blue Whale - the largest mammal to ever grace our planet. Learn how the sun and moon help control and tame the ocean. Travel far and wide - from the Eastern Pacific to Alaska , from the Bering Sea to the shores of Southern California - and begin to understand the complexity and power of our oceans."
Frozen Seas "An environment where only the toughest survive, the Arctic and Antarctic are unrelenting habitats. Only in the spring does life begin again. Plankton blooms and feeds vast hordes of migrating fish, walruses rake the seabed for clams, and minke and humpback whales gorge themselves on gigantic swarms of krill. But it is a brief spring feast - the ice soon returns and pushes life back into the ocean."

Volume II : Open Ocean "In the immense space of the open ocean the sea bed is a staggering five miles below the surface and the nearest island is over 300 miles away. Yet here live many of the most spectacular predators in the ocean. Marvel as you experience ruthless and beautiful battles between hunter and prey."
The Deep A place of mountain ranges, perpetual night, pressure extremes and cold...and the weirdest life forms on our planet. Dive to the depths of the ocean, an eerie world where predators with teeth so large they can't even close their mouths, chase bioluminescent creatures of the deep. Discover the spectacular smoking chimneys of the hydrothermal vents. Go deeper down than you have ever been...see bizarre creatures such as the fangtooth , bioluminescent jellies, transparent squid, the giant-mouthed gulper eel, and the never-before-seen hairy angler fish. "

Volume III : Seasonal Seas "As the days grow longer, billions of microscopic plankton bloom under the blazing sun. Here in the temperate seas, three-ton basking sharks graze among forests of giant kelp - the fastest growing plant in the world. The forests harbor thousands of other animals, including sea otters, brilliantly colored anemones, squid, and exquisite leafy dragons. But as the year wears on, storms rage in the icy sea...a desperate challenge for the animals that remain."
Coral Seas "Bathed in bright sunlight and warm, clear water, the coral reef is a rich oasis of life - the rainforest of the sea. Bizarrely adorned harlequin shrimp carry off a starfish several times their size, while haunting songs reverberate around the reef, heralding the arrival of humpback whales. Shimmering schools of brightly colored fish battle for territory in this competitive world where you have to stand out to survive."

Volume IV : Tidal Seas "The sun and moon move billions of tons of water with every turn of the tide. The strongest tides empty entire bays, smash trees on riverbanks, and strand sea creatures on suddenly dry land. Weaker tides control the movements of huge numbers of fish, coaxing schools of giant stingrays through astounding underwater arches. And as the water recedes, the tide can create unbelievable landscapes - like a sparkling world of salt crystals inhabited only by tiny shrimp and bright pink flamingos."

Coasts "From rocky cliffs to gentle dunes, the coasts are always changing. Day in and day out, they are battered by crashing waves. Seabirds come here by the thousands to nest, while baby turtles hatch and race to the sea, pursued by hungry predators. Young sea lion pups are born and play on the sand-until a killer whale attacks, crashing in on the surf. But when breeding season is over, life returns to the sea and the shores are empty once again."

REFERENCE

Rules of the Game: The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of all the Major Sports of the World

Encompasses over 150 sports (including 400 events within these sports), describes the rules, procedures, equipment, and scoring in concise text, with over 2,500 detailed drawins in full color. From jai alai to darts--it's all here! - from the publisher

U. S. Legal System , 2 volumes

This concise overview of legal concepts and procedures takes a complex subject and makes it understandable for students. The more than 250 clearly written, signed essays include definitions of positions and occupations (public defender, bailiff), concepts (due process, perjury), actions (summons, torts), and courts and systems (federal judicial systems, court of appeals). Most of the essays run one to three pages, but a number are much longer. Many conclude with a narrative of suggested resources and generous see-also references. Sidebars contain definitions, outline issues, or provide bulleted lists of such items as contract elements and matters handled by family law specialists. Average-quality, black-and-white photos are scattered throughout. A helpful glossary, an extensive topical bibliography, and lists of legal-assistance organizations and legal resources (including Web sites) round out the set. A basic resource that will be of value to most library collections. – School Library Journal

MAPS

Europe / Europe in Transition - National Geographic

" Europe " map includes text, notes, geographic equivalents table, and four ancillary maps: Number crunch -- Mother tongues -- Buying power -- Keeping faith. Transition map shows three time periods, and thus three maps, which are "1920 Post World War I, empires to nations," "1960 Post World War II, Europe divided" and "2005 Post-Cold War, Toward one Europe" and includes text, historical notes, ancillary map entitled "Destination Europe" and three charts: Baby bust -- A graying land -- Migration roller coaster.

FICTION

Ya-Yas in Bloom - Wells, Rebecca

Ya-Ya sisters, rejoice: your long wait for the sequel to Wells' divine best-seller, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (1996), is over. Vivi , Teensy, Necie , and Caro , those spirited Ya- Ya sisters, are back with even more raucous tales of their lifelong friendship. Bursting with details of the sisterhood's origins, the sequel also introduces the next generation, aka the Petites Ya-Yas , and even their offspring's offspring, the Tres Petites Ya-Yas . Every bit as joyful as the original, Ya-Yas in Bloom exposes the irrepressible Ya-Yas ' formidable impact on their staid Louisiana bayou town of Thornton . From the beginning, the Ya-Yas ' earthy blend of Cajun mysticism and Catholic catechism put them at odds with the town's more conservative citizens, a fact they found infinitely more amusing than annoying. But when old wrongs come home to haunt the sisterhood, the next generations of Ya-Yas are threatened in profound and frightening ways. Armed with their irreverent philosophy, infectious humor, and implacable loyalty, the sisterhood proves that true friendship will always prevail. And just as it does among the best of friends, the conversation in Wells' second Ya-Ya saga picks right up where the first left off, without missing a beat. Uplifting, uproarious, saucy and smart. – Booklist

Europe Central - Vollmann , William T.

"We have a Motherland and they have a Fatherland. Their child is Europe Central," muses one of the many sly narrators in this grand matrix of paired stories about moments of truth during the most brutal conflict of World War II, the war between Russia and Germany . Vollmann , a master of synthesis and an intense and compassionate writer, presents an epic inquiry into the nature of conscience and survival in catastrophic times. His guiding light is the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who managed to create works of profound elegiac beauty under the murderous censorship of Stalin's regime, and not only does Vollmann empathetically portray this controversial figure, he also emulates the rich drama of his music. In spite of the massiveness of this zealously researched creation (replete with 50 pages of notes), Europe Central is a work of compelling intimacy as Vollmann imagines the inner lives of individuals caught up in an orgy of hate, fear, and apocalyptic violence. Here are provocative portraits of the German artist Kathe Kollwitz; the revered Russian poet Anna Akhmatova ; translator Elena Konstantinovskaya , whom Vollmann casts as the love of Shostakovich's tormented life; and the "spy for God," Kurt Gerstein, an SS officer who tries to tell the disbelieving world the truth about the Holocaust. Working, as is his wont, on a monumental scale that embodies the full complexity of the dilemmas and horrors he grapples with, Vollmann opens new portals onto a genocidal war never to be forgotten, and illuminates both the misery and beauty human beings engender. – Booklist

Sign of the Raven - Hearn, Julie

Twelve-year-old Tom is determined to make the best of a visit to his grandmother's townhouse in a seedy area of London . From his childhood visits there, he remembers a "gap" in her basement, and when Tom leaps over, he finds himself in Bartholomew Fair-an early 18th-century "freak" show featuring human "monsters." They are the target of a doctor who will stop at nothing to "anatomize" such creatures in the interests of science. Astra, a "Changeling Child," commandeers Tom to help foil the doctor's schemes. His ability to move between time periods may be just what she and her friends need. Hearn (The Minister's Daughter) vividly portrays the main characters-Tom, his mother and Astra. The compassion Tom feels and the fears he harbors for both of the other characters drive the plot, and Tom's ingenuity and humor lead to many entertaining episodes. The lucid prose allows readers to almost smell the dankness of Tom's grandmother's basement and to feel the "cobwebby nub" of a doorhandle or the "blistered surface of the basement door," leading down to the "gap," and the dated speech of the "freaks" is easily comprehensible through the lively dialogue. An absorbing book with a valuable lesson. - Publisher's Weekly

Bee Season - Goldberg, Myla

Saul Naumann and his wife, Miriam, appear to have an unremarkable marriage. He works in the temple, and she is a compulsive lawyer. Of their two children, Aaron seems destined to become a rabbi, while Eliza is an underachiever. Suddenly, Eliza demonstrates a talent for spelling, and everyone's life is transformed. After finishing second in a national spelling bee, she becomes her father's pet project. Convinced that she has a gift that will allow her to receive shefa , a concept developed by a Jewish mystic named Abraham Abulafia in 1280, he begins daily study sessions with her that eclipse everything else in their lives. Saul fails to notice Aaron's growing disaffection and clandestine immersion in Hare Krishna. Miriam's behavior also becomes more distant and aberrant. Eventually, a family crisis ensues. First novelist Goldberg's story is one of personal voyages. As each character embarks on an individual quest for personal meaning and fulfillment, the family spirals into chaos. – Library Journal

Screenplays:

Good Night and Good Luck - Clooney, George and Grant Heslov

The Constant Gardener - Caine , Jeffrey

Almost Famous - Crowe, Cameron

Hidden Tiger, Crouching Dragon - Ling, Wang

O Brother, Where Art Thou? -

Syriana