ABC-CLIO
Raising thinking children and teens; guiding mental and moral development.
Written for both lay and professional people who raise and teach children, this guide offers practical advice for instilling critical thinking skills in children and teens. Browne-Miller, a noted author and expert on addiction, behavior and violence, offers tips on how to reach, help and empower children in the face of such obstacles as stress, hypochondria, abuse and even family violence. She also addresses the folklore and scientific debates about intelligence and emphasizes the need to develop morals in order to maximize human potential. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Reading Amy Tan.
For high school students and book clubs, Dong (English, U. of Illinois at Springfield) provides an overview of the life and works of writer Amy Tan. The book covers her biography, influence, writing career, how her life relates to her work, and narrative structure in her writing, and contains overviews of the novels The Joy Luck Club, The Bonesetter's Daughter, The Kitchen God's Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, and Saving Fish from Drowning. Other chapters address her relation to popular culture, the media, and current issues, and resources on the internet. Recommendations for other books and movies based on the cultural and literary characteristics of Tan's novels are given. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Reading Barbara Kingsolver.
Rather than a reader's guide that connects events in Kingsolver's life and novels, Houston (American literature, California State U., Chico) and Warren (an English master's program student at that campus) present a guide that focuses mainly on an analysis of her writings through 2009 minus poems and most nonfiction: novels, a collection of short stories, and the nonfiction Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (2007). They characterize her as a Western/ Southwestern and ecofeminist writer. The guide includes interview and critical snippets; discussion questions; and a bibliographical essay listing books that Kingsolver reads as well as works not covered in the guide and ecofeminist titles by other authors. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Reading Cormac McCarthy.
Greenwood (English, Hiram College) tackles the fictional works of Cormac McCarthy and provides readers with a thorough discourse of the common themes, writing style and recommended works from this Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and playwright. The author discusses ten of McCarthy's books, ranging from 1965's The Orchard Keeper to 2007's The Road, and provides discussion questions and factual sidebars to each title. A short biography and critical analysis of McCarthy is also included, along with discussions of his connection to pop culture, current events and the Internet. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Reading Harry Potter again; new critical essays.
Anatol (English, U. of Kansas) has collected these critical essays on the Harry Potter book series so that general readers and literature students can re-evaluate themes of religion, morality, race and magic. Expert contributors analyze the content of all 7 novels to discuss such topics as the preponderance of lies in the narrative, the questioning of free will and multiple themes of destiny. The socio-cultural impact of both the books and the film series are also addressed in respect to political resistance, militant literacy and slavery. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Real lives revealed; a guide to reading interests in biography.
This guide to approximately 600 biographical titles is designed for reader's advisors, librarians and book collectors who need a survey of genre themes, elements and critical opinions. Roche, a librarian at the Thomas Ford Memorial Library in Illinois, arranges these titles into sections such as war biographies, adventure biographies, true crime biographies and celebrity biographies and offers a definition of each genre and its appeal before making specific recommendations. Appendices include titles that have won awards, top biographers, a survey of biography series and a chronological index. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Read on...women's fiction; reading lists for every taste.
Vnuk (adult services, Glen Ellyn Public Library, Illinois) introduces readers and their advisors about what to read to a broad sampling of books available in subgenres of women's fiction. Following an introduction defining women's fiction in historical context, she lists succinctly-annotated books by categories including working women, dating, and "mommy lit." Especially engaging is the inclusion of less conventionally themed books: e.g., "never hit 'reply all,' " stories told through e-mails and other communiques. The guide's reading lists can be used to create library print materials and on library web sites. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Recommended reference books; for small and medium-sized libraries and media centers, v.29, 2009 ed.
For librarians, Hysell provides 540 abridged critical reviews of recommended reference books for small and medium-sized libraries and media centers. Drawn from American Reference Books Annual 2009, reviews are written by academic, public, and school librarians and professionals and include general reference books and dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes, directories, bibliographies, guides, atlases, gazetteers, and other books, CD-ROMs, and websites in the social sciences, humanities, science and technology published in the US and Canada from 2006-2009. Regional guides in the biological sciences and travel guides are excluded. A designation for recommended types of libraries is given for each. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Religious myths and visions of America; how minority faiths redefined America's world role.
Buck, an attorney and independent scholar who has taught at several universities, describes how minority religions have shaped America. He considers the myths and views of America in Protestantism and nine minority faiths — Native American religion (Iroquois), Catholicism, Judaism, Mormonism, Christian Identity (white nationalism), Black Muslim, Islam, Buddhism, and the Bahá'í Faith — particularly for what they have to say about America. He addresses specific myths, such as those about the "promised land," Manifest Destiny, race, and America's world role. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The right to know; your guide to using and defending freedom of information law in the United States.
Klosek, a senior counsel in a business law firm in New York, provides this guide to the Freedom of Information Act for general readers who need best practices, lessons and case studies explained in simple terms. The author provides a brief history of information laws throughout the world and then explains how the federal government has expanded exemptions from the original 1966 legislation that have led to corruption, crime and corporate waste. Klosek then outlines the steps citizens need to take in order to protect the environment, human health, safety, corruption and human rights. Appendices include a copy of the act, sample letters for FOIA requests and appeals and a list of addresses of government agencies. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Sexuality education; past, present, and future; 4v.
This four-volume set aimed at educators, students, policy makers, researchers, and general readers provides a comprehensive overview of the history, practices, and politics of sex education in the US through 66 essays. Educators, human sexuality scholars, physicians, psychologists, sex therapists, and others describe the development and approaches to sexuality education, how the abstinence-only movement arose, the role of values and religion, and government policies in the first volume. The second volume focuses on what different populations want to know, their attitudes and knowledge levels, and what health professionals need to know. The essays in the third volume address age-specific programs, various models, and teaching to populations of varied race and gender, those with special needs, and other groups, as well as issues such as sexual orientation. The final volume covers techniques for adult learners, on college campuses, through multimedia, and in venues such as sex museums and adult retail stores. This volume also contains a list of resources. Schroeder, a trainer, consultant, and author, is associated with a national organization based at Rutgers U. that is dedicated to providing and promoting sexuality education in the US. Kuriansky is a clinical psychologist, sex therapist, and educator on the faculty at Columbia U., Peking U. Health Sciences Center, and the U. of Hong Kong. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
A simple guide to retirement; how to make retirement work for you.
Calling retirement "the road less traveled" because it enables the pursuit of new paths, Glicken (Arizona State U.; Institute for Positive Growth) and Hass (an investment advisor in Arizona) cover the retirement decision process and financial, health, and social aspects for couples and singles. While acknowledging concerns about economic uncertainties and devoting a chapter to substance abuse in older adults, they present an overall upbeat outlook based on surveys about satisfaction with retirement. Chapters include an equation for calculating projected income and costs, references and resources. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The sinking of the Laconia and the U-boat war; disaster in the mid-Atlantic.
Duffy is an author and military historian, and he documents the controversial 1942 sinking of the British liner Laconia and the rescue operations that were initiated by the same German U-Boat that fired the torpedoes. Written for military and history buffs, this book details the moral and procedural complexities of confrontations between military and merchant forces, especially in regards to ships such as the Laconia that were transporting POWs and operating under the flags of the Red Cross. The consequences of the sinking, which resulted in indictments at the Nuremburg Trials, are also analyzed. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Slaves to faith; a therapist looks inside the fundamentalist mind.
Mercer (religion and biblical studies, East Carolina U.) is also a clinical psychologist, and draws on both fields to offer advice to colleagues on how to understand and deal with the particular ways of thinking that fundamentalist Christians exhibit. He covers the birth of fundamentalism, core fundamentalist beliefs, a psychological profile, and strategies for dialogue. Particular topics include the fundamentalist view of the Bible and problems with it, the Rapture, left-behind theology, the threat from rapid cultural change, and talking theology. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Story starters and science notebooking; developing student thinking through literacy and inquiry.
This book shows how to use the power of story and inquiry to promote student thinking in science in grades 3-6. Although the stories in the book are original, the instructional approach is grounded in classroom practice and educational research on activation of prior knowledge, organization of information, and metacognition. The first section of the book provides an overview of the inquiry process and the methodology of science notebooking. The main section of the book provides lab-based inquiry lessons for science concepts, with each scientific concept embedded in an appealing, often humorous, fantasy or adventure story. The activities that follow encourage students to observe, compare, gather data, organize or classify, and draw conclusions about the problem posed in the story. Students then communicate their findings in oral, written, pictorial, and/or technological form. Each inquiry lesson follows a consistent format, and includes basic background on the scientific concept, notes on materials and instruction, and extension activities. Some chapters include a demonstration or hands-on activity to spark student interest. Buczynski teaches education at the University of San Diego. Fontichiaro is an elementary library media specialist. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The terrorist list; the Middle East; 2v.
This two-volume reference for researchers and general readers contains alphabetical entries on the key names, affiliates and masterminds behind terrorist activity in the Middle East from 1950 to 2008. Mickolus, a noted author and expert on international terrorism, includes all pertinent information for each name on the list such as birthdates, documented terrorist activities, the names of notable victims of these attacks, court proceedings and outcomes and all other pertinent biographical details. While the author provides an introductory essay on developing criteria for ranking the worst offenders (Osama bin Laden is #1 on the list), he defers to the expertise of international counter-terrorism organizations and includes links and references for further research. Volume 1 covers the list from A-K, and Volume 2 covers the list from L-Z. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Term paper resource guide to colonial American history.
As a starting point for students in high school and up writing term papers about colonial history, this reference presents 100 entries on important historical events during the period. Each entry provides a brief overview of the event, followed by a list of term paper suggestions, which are research questions that students may modify. There are also alternative paper suggestions for creating iMovies, PowerPoint presentations, podcasts, and other formats. Some suggestions ask students to assume the role of an advisor to a historical person, or to make a counterhistorical argument. Primary sources are listed, focusing on sources that students can find easily in most libraries or on the Web. Secondary sources, web sites, and multimedia sources are also listed. Recognizing that not all libraries or academic institutions have subscription-based databases, these resources are avoided. Carpenter is assistant professor of history at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Term paper resource guide to African American history.
Neumann (history, Miami U. of Ohio) provides a supplemental text intended to provide high school and college students with compelling research topics for papers. It includes 100 of the most significant events in African American history, from the 16th century slave trade to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Each topic includes an overview, suggested term paper research questions, listings of primary and secondary sources, relevant Internet Web sites, and multimedia sources. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Thirteen persistent economic fallacies.
In this sequel to Twenty-One Popular Economic Fallacies (1970), Mishan (formerly, London School of Economics, UK) continues his mission of challenging incorrect economic ideas that "move in the most respectable circles," including the US congressional and executive branches and the pages of The New York Times and The Economist in a style accessible to a general audience. The ideas he seeks to debunk are: US goods cannot compete with those produced by cheap labor in countries such as China, immigrant labor confers economic benefits on the host country, globalization acts to raise living standards in the West, countries forming a common market reap economic benefits, rent controls are necessary during a housing shortage, the fact that women's earnings are significantly below those of men is evidence of discrimination, a reduction in building costs will reduce house prices, jobs are lost when a factory or business closes down and vice versa, a competitive private enterprise economy tends to produce economic efficiency, a subsidy to university education is justified since it promotes equality of opportunity and confers benefits on society as a whole, the national debt is a burden on future generations, inflation is caused by an excessive increase in the supply of money, and the rate of economic growth over time is a good index of the growth of people's satisfaction. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The three images of ethnic war.
Hanlon (international security studies, National Defense University) proposes that the sources of ethnic violence must be understood through a multilevel approach. Taking the three levels of analysis in Kenneth Waltz's Man, the State and War as a jumping off point, she identifies the causes of ethnic war at the group, state, and international levels, and employs these levels to develop eight models that explain why ethnic groups adopt violent means — four group-level models, two state-level models, and two systemic-level models. She then applies this multilevel framework to examine ethnic wars in the former Yugoslavia, the conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Nagorno- Karabakh, and the conflict between Kurds and Arabs in Iraq. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
