ABC-CLIO

Advertising 2.0; social media marketing in a web 2.0 world.

Traditional advertising methods often fail in electronic media, and this guide shows marketers and business executives how to use new theories to create sales in a Web 2.0 world. Tuten (Longwood U.) examines such online advertising phenomenons such as "word-of-mouse," social networking and blogging, offering fresh perspectives on how to limit costly marketing mistakes while trying to tap new customer bases. New advertising strategies deal with such unique concepts as "brand folklore," branding with alternative reality gaming and "vlobalization." (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Advice from the presidents; the student's guide to reaching the top in business and politics.

Business journalist Thomas gives advice on how to pursue organizational success by exploring the experiences of American presidential candidates. He organizes his advice according to the following seven-steps for upward mobility: deciding upon your long- term goal, developing your skills and interests, polishing your image and your people skills, organizing a network of mentors and helpers, controlling yourself and your opponents, maneuvering to improve your position, and succeeding with grace and serenity. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Aging with attitude; growing older with dignity and vitality. (reprint, 2004)

This is a paperbound reprint of a 2004 book. The cover photo of older persons enjoying a ride in a convertible reinforces the message of Levine (Yale U. School of Medicine) that, despite illness and ageism, one can grow older gracefully. Following an overview of theories of ageing and associated disorders and losses, the neurologist presents physical, emotional, cognitive, and financial strategies for successful aging. Included are sayings of the "Growing old ain't for sissies" variety, discussion of future trends in assistive technologies, and annotated references. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

All things Austen; an encyclopedia of Austen's world.

This Concise encyclopedia is an abbreviated version of a two-volume work published in 2005. The current work, in one volume and paperbound, has about half the number of pages and is priced at about one-fifth of the original reference, so it's suitable and accessible for the personal libraries of students and aficionados. Eighty entries selected from the original 150 are arranged alphabetically; they vary in length from a page or so for specific items (e.g. carts and wagons) to a dozen or more pages for general topics such as cards, food, and education. Coverage includes a wide range of areas pertaining to late 18th- and early-19th-century life including business, clothing, intellectual activities, entertainment, and the military, among other topics. Entries include specific references to Austen's writings, and an index to these writings points to the entries where they're treated; an extensive bibligraphy arranged by topic and a thorough index complete the work. Olsen is an independent scholar and reference book writer. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Alma Flor Ada and you; v.2.

Designed to support teachers as well as teach and attract children to reading, this title in the series focuses on the popular writer describes how she gets her ideas, how she works alone or with others to develop her stories, how she works with illustrators and even songwriters on projects, and why she works in both English and Spanish. Ada describes how she became an author, why she loves sharing creating ideas, and how she works in multiple genres, including plays, poetry, memoir and non-fiction. The section on readers' opinions is particularly useful for teachers, as it gives starting-off questions, ideas for activities, and a list of resources for the author. The accessible, first-person narrative is punctuated by materials from Ada's projects. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Anti-semitism; a history and psychoanalysis of contemporary hatred.

Israeli psychoanalyst and independent scholar Falk presents a wide- ranging discussion of anti-Semitism in history that strongly reflects his interests in the fields of psychohistory and political psychology. He looks at cases of anti-Semitism from antiquity, through the German reformation and the Holocaust, and up to contemporary American anti-Semitism. He also addresses cases of anti- Semitism in the field of pschoanalysis, psychoanalytic studies of Nazism, and literature and anti-Semitism, among other topics. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Barack Obama; a biography.

With all the hoopla about Barak Obama's history-making campaign for president, Price (a writing coach/author of Martha Stewart: A Biography, Greenwood, 2007) provides a refreshingly balanced account of his upbringing, influences, struggles, hopes, and achievements. As part of a series specifically designed for high school students and general readers, the biography includes a timeline of events significant to his life (starting with the Emancipation Proclamation), photographs, and references. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Battleground; schools; 2v.

Part of a series, this two-volume reference is made up of thought- provoking chapters that describe and problematize current issues and controversies concerning schools and education in the US and Canada. Among the topics are assessment, compulsory schooling, homework, leadership, literacy education, science education, and tracking. Each chapter delves into the purpose and history of the discipline or issue, problematizes current trends and practices, and offers a list of further reading. Many of the chapters also include lists of issues and examples within the text. Written by academic specialists in education in the US and Canada, the chapters deliberately focus on the problematic aspects of the topics, in keeping with the series' theme. This will be an excellent reference for students as well as teachers, administrators, and policy makers. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Battleground; the media; 2v.

Part of a series, this excellent two-volume work presents current issues and events concerning the media in thought-provoking chapters that will be of interest to high school and undergraduate students as well as the general reader. As the series' name implies, the focus is on controversies, and the authors do not shy away from critically engaging with current media trends and practices, such as, for example, embedded journalists and their tendency to offer a one-sided view of war that's centered on the military, omitting the impact upon the civilians around them. Other topics include independent cinema, media watch groups, satire, online publishing, and paparazzi and photographic ethics. The editors teach communication and media studies at Fordham U. The authors are academics in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Beating the odds; superstars who overcame adversity.

In this volume aimed at teens, Snodgrass shares the stories of 75 celebrities who faced and overcame adversity, in athletics, business, child advocacy, the arts, law, medicine, politics, religion, science, and as royalty. Organized alphabetically by topic, stories include Stephen King's accident, Hilary Clinton's struggle with her husband's adultery, Lou Ferrigno's deafness, Colin Powell's upbringing, Anita Hill's sexual harassment, Angela Davis's activism, how Greg Louganis dealt with AIDS, and Elie Wiesel's experience during the Holocaust. Snodgrass is the author of many reference works. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Best new media, K-12; a guide to movies, subscription web sites, and educational software and games.

For librarians and media specialists, Barr presents a guide to movies, subscription web sites, and educational software and games that are aimed at students in grades K-12. She lists about 1,300 entries (most published after 2000), arranged by materials for younger and older readers, then by subject. Each entry includes a description, grade level, rating, awards, price (except for computer games and websites), bibliographic information, and reference to reviews in library-related journals. Barr is an editor and author of many guides to children's and young adult literature. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Beyond pacifism; why Japan must become a "normal" nation.

Now a manager at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the US Department of the Treasury, Middlebrooks has also served stints in the Central Intelligence Agency and the Marine Corps. He warns the Japanese people that if they persist in renouncing force as a means of settling in international disputes, they will be unable to protect their territory or interests. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Black America, body beautiful; how the African American image is changing fashion, fitness, and other industries.

Bailey (anthropology and family medicine, East Carolina U.) discusses the culture of body self-acceptance in African American women and examines how that self-acceptance and positive body image has affected the fashion, fitness, and advertising industries. In addition to the above topics the book also explores the impact and importance of body image and body type, race and body image, body image preferences among African Americans, cultural historical review of preferred body images and body types, the African American image in television and movie industries, the African American image and politics, and the image of African Americans in other countries. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Born, not made; the entrepreneurial personality.

Are successful entrepreneurs made not born? Fisher and Koch report findings from a recent study of 234 CEOs, funded by the Kauffman Foundation, which suggests that a substantial proportion of entrepreneurial behavior is genetically determined — that entrepreneurs are usually born, not made. They consider various aspects of the characteristics of entrepreneurs — their roles as risk-takers and change agents, internationalists and novelty seekers; entrepreneurial management and leadership style; relationships with their boards — and then discuss how the information might be used by organizations, corporations, and individuals to get the right people into jobs requiring an entrepreneurial bent. Fisher is the author of numerous journal articles and author or editor of ten books, including The Power of the Presidency which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; Koch (Old Dominion U.) has published numerous articles and nine books. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Breaking free, starting over; parenting in the aftermath of family violence. (reprint, 2004)

This volume, a paperback reprint of a work published in 2004, outlines ways that adults can help children who have witnessed or been victims of family violence. Dalpiaz shares her personal stories and professional experiences to show how parents can help children heal by putting boundaries in place. She discusses the process of abuse, coping mechanisms children use, how to communicate with them and change their thinking, self-image, and behavior, and other topics. Dalpiaz, an abuse survivor, is a certified victims' advocate and family therapist. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Building high-performance people and organizations; 3v.

Finney is a veteran business journalist and consultant specializing in employee engagement and career management. She offers a three- volume set, comprised of 53 chapters by 60-plus contributors, exploring the insights and tools that managers, leaders, and HR people need in order to fully engage an impassioned workforce where employees share in their leaders' objectives for achieving organizational success. Volume 1, The New Employer-Employee Relationship, examines the theory underlying all approaches to employee engagement. Volume 2, The Engaged Workplace: Organizational Strategies, explores the tools available to leaders for transforming their organizations into high-performing companies that attract, keep, and inspire their employees. Volume 3, Case Studies and Conversations, contains a selection of case studies, primarily of small- to medium-sized American businesses and how they have successfully applied the high-level engagement concepts in their own workplaces. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The business of sports; 3v.

Humphreys (economics, U. of Alberta), Howard (business, U. of Oregon) and their contributors take a close look at what the industry does, costs, and produces, with articles on the scope of the industry, its international profitability, and the state of the industry in China, the US, college campuses and PC screens. Articles focus exclusively on such financial aspects as team ownership, distribution of awards, competition, government subsidies, pay and performance of players and the valuation of non-market aspects of sports, and others focus on the financial end with such topics as models of worker productivity, statistical analysis in sport, urban redevelopment to support sport, efficiency in sports organizations, the college post-season, player drafts and the globalization of labor markets and the industry itself. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Campaign and election reform; a reference handbook, 2d ed.

Political scientists Utter (Lamar U.) and Strickland (Appalachian State U.) set out the history of controversy about elections in the US and the problems and solutions being articulated in its current manifestation. They also compare democracies in Western Europe (of which Poland now seems to be a member) and provide a chronology, biographical sketches, date and documents, a directory of organizations, and print and non-print resources. The series is designed to provide background material for high school debates and for general readers interested in particular political issues. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Cataloging of audiovisual materials and other special materials: a manual based on AACR2 and MARC 21, 5th ed.

This guide to the cataloging of audiovisual and other special materials covers older and newer items and addresses each media, with references to Anglo American Cataloging Rules (2002, and updates through 2005) and Library of Congress rule interpretations. Olson also describes the MARC format. In this edition, updates to chapters on cartographic materials, sound and video recordings, graphic materials, three-dimensional artifacts and realia, and kits are included, as are rewritten sections on electronic resources and serials. New examples are included. Filmstrips, slides, film loops, and other obsolete materials have been omitted. Olson is retired as a cataloger from Mankato State U. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Censorship.

As part of the Historical Guides to Controversial Issues in America series from Greenwood Press, this book addresses the history of censorship in America by tackling the more definitive instances with a broad perspective. Paxton (Missouri State U.) begins with the Sedition Act of 1798, and then groups the various types of censorship into categories such as media practices during wartime, political dissent and the handling of sexually explicit material in the public eye. A timeline of censorship issues in America is also included in this volume, which is aimed at students of political science, civics and mass media. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The Central Intelligence Agency; a documentary history.

The idea of writing a documentary history of the CIA for general audiences is certainly a novel concept, especially since so little objective data has been available on the origins and day-to-day operations. Monje, who has previously taught political science at Rutgers U. New York U. and SUNY, is a leading scholar when it comes to the agency in question. He has taken advantage of the recent flood of information on the history of the CIA and has painstakingly constructed this account, which includes newly-revealed policies toward Korea, Cuba, Watergate and even 9/11. A special section is devoted to the CIA's alleged "domestic" activities, including the Family Jewels file which reveals an internal investigation of the agency as a whole. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)