Baywood Publishing Co.

Beyond child's play; sustainable product design in the global doll-making industry.

This is a comparative study of the production and consumption of three doll lines (all of which represent alternatives to mainstream Barbie-type fashion dolls): American Girl dolls produced in China; Käthe Kruse dolls produced in Germany and Latvia; and the dolls of the Q'ewar Project of Peru, which is a social development initiative that has undertaken doll making. Edwards (Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, U. of Massachusetts) assesses the production and the consumption of the dolls against a standard of sustainability that takes into account whether the product is healthy for consumers, economically viable, environmentally sound, safe for workers, and beneficial for local communities. (Annotation ©2010 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Shoes, glues, and homework; dangerous work in the global footwear industry.

Markkanen (work environment, U. of Massachusetts Lowell) examines the working conditions for shoemaking in Indonesia and the Philippines' informal sector, as well as related gender dimensions and national and international policy implications. She conducted interviews and worksite visits in the two countries in 2002 for the International Labor Organization's project on the Elimination of Child Labor, and describes the structure of the shoemaking industry in these countries, hazardous conditions at sites where homes have become factories, and aspects relating to gender, arguing for the need for safe and healthy chemical alternatives to organic solvents. The book is intended for occupation and environmental health policy makers, practitioners, researchers, work environment and chemical safety specialists, footwear industry representatives, and trade unions. (Annotation ©2010 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Train your brain; how to maximize memory ability in older adulthood.

Maintaining good memory and cognitive abilities relies on a holistic approach rather than any single factor or type of intervention, says Winningham (psychology, Western Oregon U.). He admits that many elements are outside the control of individuals — such as genetics, age, and life history — but he focuses on those that people can change. His topics include how memory works, how the brain works, the survival of the busiest minds, nutrition, physical exercise, mood and social support, stress, sleep, improving the ability to make new memories, dementia, and other topics. (Annotation ©2010 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)