ABC-CLIO

Japan.

Intended for students and general readers, this introduction to Japan combines narrative chapters on history, geography, politics, economics, and culture with reference tools including a glossary, a chronology of key historical developments up to the present, appendices of facts and figures, a list of holidays, and an annotated bibliography of recommended works on Japan. An annotated list of Japan and American organizations encompasses business and economic organizations, culture, education, government, consulates, and tourism organizations. The book is illustrated with mainly contemporary b&w photos, illustrations, and political cartoons. Ellington is co-director of the Asia Program and professor of education at the University of Tennessee. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Jazz age; people and perspectives.

Editor Newton-Matza and seven co-contributors examine the era of America's Jazz Age, that sometimes boisterous and perplexing period tucked between the end of World War I and the beginning of the Depression. The authors note that the era was not just about the music (though it obviously played a significant role), fashion, and social behavior. It also was about accomplishments in art, literature, economics, and fevered political battles. The Jazz Age also was a time when American culture was evolving rapidly along with the increasing popularity of jazz music, and a time in which the country was developing a new social code for itself following a devastating war. The book provides an interesting and informative view of one of the most singular periods in American history and goes well beyond the flappers and speakeasies so commonly associated with the era. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Kanye West; a biography.

Unlike many hip-hop stars affiliated with gangs, Kanye West was raised by parents who were university professors; at the age of 10, he spent a school year in China on a trip with his Fulbright Scholar mother. Written for general readers in high school and up and illustrated with b&w photos, this biography of West describes his early life, his education, his personal and professional influences, and his struggles and accomplishments, including an MTV award in 2008 as the #1 MC. Reference features include a timeline, an annotated list of awards and songs, and a bibliography of magazine stories, books, newspaper and news service articles, web publications, radio interviews, TV and internet broadcasts, and public relations web sites. While emphasis is on facts, the books in the series are intended to be entertaining. Schaller teaches college writing at Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The Koreas.

Scholars of history, literature, music, business, art, and language team up to introduce North Korea and South Korea to general readers, especially young readers, and provide a reference for people planning to travel to Asia or to help teachers incorporate the countries into their curriculum. They examine the geography from prehistory time to the present, contemporary government and politics, the economy, and contemporary issues such as the younger generation and the information age. Sections on society and culture also consider such dimensions as social classes and ethnicity, women and marriage, etiquette, literature, food, and leisure and sport. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The Ku Klux Klan; a guide to an American subculture.

Ohio-based journalist Gitlin chronicles the history and philosophy of the Ku Klux Klan, which was founded in 1865 and today maintains a presence in pockets around the US. A timeline opens the text, followed by six loosely chronological chapters covering the following themes: origin of the Klan, its growth after the release of the 1915 film Birth of a Nation, Klan terrorism during the Civil Rights era, attempts to depict a "cleaner" clan after 1970, the Klan philosophy, and the demographics and motivations of members. Following are a glossary of terms used within the KKK and biographical sketches of major leaders. Finally, 20 excerpts of primary press documents with reflections from the author are provided, including notes from Stetson Kennedy's undercover infiltration of the Klan that resulted in the group's secret codes being broadcast on the Superman radio show. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Latino literature; a guide to reading interests.

Martinez (Hispanic library resources, Oklahoma) and four other librarians collaborated to select the 775 titles described here, sampling the best of Latino literature published between 1995 and 2008. Every title has an English version, and the authors range from US Latinos to writers from Spain, Latin America, and Portugal. The lists also include books by non-Latinos who address related subject matter. Each entry contains bibliographic information, a brief plot summary, a subject list, award information, a quote from the book, and recommendations for similar reads. The entries are organized into the following themes: general fiction, historical fiction, Women's fiction, Latina romance and love stories, mysteries and suspense, fantastic fiction (encompassing science fiction, paranormal, and magical realism), young adult fiction, life stories, and narrative nonfiction. Additional chapters discuss the work of librarians in multicultural settings. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Literacy development in the storytelling classroom.

For teachers of primary, elementary, and middle school grades, teachers and storytellers Norfolk et al. present 64 essays, lesson plans, and activities designed to enhance literacy development using storytelling. The contributing teachers and storytellers, who are mostly from the US, also discuss key aspects of speaking and listening, reading and writing, visual literacy, and information literacy, and provide plans that address national standards, assessment, using puppets, ESL classes, integrating art, rhythm, and movement, vocabulary, using picture books, and other ideas. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Love is not enough; what it takes to make it work.

With minimal jargon, a psychologist/psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City gives practical advice on intimate relationships. With case examples, he explains what each individual's personality contributes to the drama and which emotional styles (of 20 described) promote or hinder compatibility. Self-assessments help readers identify what they are doing to help or hurt a relationship. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Materials, methods, and masterpieces of medieval art.

Derived from a series of lectures given at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a delight to read, this volume offers a thorough yet accessible description of the way medieval art was made and the materials used to make it. The 12 chapters each treat a different material or art, including manuscript illuminations, painting on wood panel, fresco, mosaic, ivory, enamel, stained glass, armor, and various types of textiles. The method of production for each is described in detail. Examples from over the centuries are included in the text, and the various uses and contexts are discussed. The chapter on wood, metal, and stone, for example, examines reliquaries as well as full-size sculpture, with examples from the Carolingian period through the work of Nichola Pisano in the 13th century. The works are depicted in b&w plates in the text; a group of color plates is also included. The volume concludes with a helpful bibliography. This will be an inspiring resource for students and the interested general reader. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Memory is another country; women of the Vietnamese diaspora.

Nguyen (history, University of Melbourne) sought out women of the Vietnamese diaspora to record the memories of their lives and the experience of war and exile. The interviewees all currently live in Australia but Nguyen augments the accounts with quotations from the memoirs of those who went to other countries. She also sets the context for the memories, starting with those of her own family. One of the strengths of this collection is that the women all had different experiences that they reacted to differently. Therefore, while loss, devastation and grief can't be escaped as a common theme, the women do not blend into archetypes. The chapters begin with loss, symbolized by the family photographs that were lost or destroyed. The difference in the recollections of two sisters who shared the same traumas is particularly interesting. Other chapters focus on female soldiers, war memories, intermarriage outside the culture, both before and after leaving Viet Nam and the reactions of those who returned to visit as well as those who refused to do so. The "living history" that this book represents is a beautifully realized portrait of ordinary women who were forced into extraordinary lives. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Menus from history; historic meals and recipes for every day of the year; 2v.

What did Jane Austen and Abraham Lincoln have for supper? What do menus teach us about people and the societies in which they lived? This work compiles 365 menus from 35 countries and from all sorts of historic occasions. Ranging from a Roman banquet in A.D. 70, to spaceship meals, to Elvis and Priscilla's wedding celebration, the menus offer students and general readers a fun way to learn about significant events and cultures. Each menu includes a brief description of the original historic occasion, plus notes on the dishes and preparations, and instructions from period cookbooks. The book includes a glossary of food terms and names of dishes. To aid in finding specific items, menus are listed chronologically, by country, and by occasion. Clarkson is a culinary historian. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The Montgomery Bus boycott; a history and reference guide.

Drawing on firsthand news reports, editorials, and eyewitness accounts, this detailed account of the 1957 Bus Boycott in Alabama, which became the catalyst for the civil rights movement, chronicles Southern society from the post-World War II era to the early 1960s, then focuses on the people behind the protest. Original documents, interviews, letters to the editor, and transcripts of court testimony shed light on the roles of less-known figures, including the mainly black, uneducated female protestors, and the ordinary members of white society desperate to maintain the status quo, in addition to more well-known personalities such as activist Rosa Parks and leader Dr. Martin Luther King. Numerous b&w historical photos of meetings, boycott leaders, mug shots, and courtroom scenes give a visual portrait of the era. Other features include a chronology of civil rights events from the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation to the outcome of the boycott, biographies of eight key figures, and a glossary of legal terms and federal amendments of the era. Phibbs is a freelance writer. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The new Nicaragua; lessons in development, democracy, and nation-building for the United States.

In the spring of 2005, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) asked its erstwhile agent Hendrex (law, DePaul U., Chicago) to go to the Central American country to spearhead the US government's democracy building. Here he recounts his two years in Managua, of which he is very proud. Among his topics are jumpstarting the rule of law in August 2005, international collaboration and turkeys in November, the Atlantic Coast regional election in March 2006, the Organization of American States engages in August, the election and its aftermath in November, the new Ortega administration begins to show its stripes in February 2007, and toward sustainability in counterweights and democracy in June. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Notes for serials cataloging, 3d ed.

Designed to aid novice and experienced serials catalogers, this resource compiles selected notes to be used as examples in constructing notes for serial bibliographic records. Notes have been selected to describe a range of situations, from simple to complex, and are arranged in MARC tag order and by topical subdivision. This third edition reflects the past decade of changes to serials and to scholarly communication as a whole. It adds hundreds of new examples, updates the definitions and scope notes taken from OCLC Bibliographic Formats and Standards, fourth edition and the CONSER Editing Guide, 1994 edition, and introduces information from the recently developed CONSER Standard Record Documentation, November 4, 2008 edition. Genereux is the series and electronic resources cataloging coordinator at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Moeller is the serials cataloger and bibliographer for religious studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Organizational power politics; tactics in organizational leadership, 2d ed.

Not all uses of office politics are ethically out of bounds; in fact, the smart use of interpersonal power in group situations is a key to success for the individual and the organization. In this guide to understanding and using personal power in organizational settings, Fairholm (professor emeritus, leadership, Virginia Commonwealth University) outlines 22 power tactics that leaders can use in work, social, recreational, religious, military, and other organizations. This second edition offers more details on applying the 22 tactics, an updated analysis of the theory behind the tactics, and new chapters on the use of power in multinational work groups and the use of power by middle managers. The tactics comes with activities, self-evaluations, and discussion questions. Visual learners are aided by 20 summary tables, and two diagrams of the power-use process. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Paper action figures of the imagination; clip, color and create.

This volume brings together edited portions of articles originally published in Crinkles magazine (vol. 1-9) with activities and lesson plans on how children in grades K-6 can use paper action figures or paper dolls to learn about a culture, story, era, or other topic. Sample lesson plans and activities are accompanied by descriptions of topics — from dinosaurs to Santa Claus to trolls and other storybook characters — and linked to content areas and library media skills, with lengthy annotated bibliographies by theme. Paper dolls and figures and clothing are included. Montgomery is the founding editor of School Library Media Activities Monthly and Crinkles magazines. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Peyton Manning; a biography.

Chicago based sportswriter Freedman offers readers in high school and above 12 chapters describing the life and career of the noted NFL quarterback Payton Manning. The Louisiana native and his brother Eli learned the game watching their father play with the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings. Ten years into his NFL career, Peyton became the second player to win three NFL Most Valuable Player awards. A timeline and a list of Manning's career statistics are included. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The Praeger handbook of play across the life cycle; fun from infancy to old age.

For psychologists, psychiatrists, other mental health practitioners, play therapists, leisure time and recreation specialists, and scholars of development and personality, L'Abate (clinical psychology, Georgia State U., Atlanta) examines the history of play, details how it affects people from infancy to old age, and argues for its importance to physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual well-being. He illustrates how people play at different stages of the life cycle and how it is part of development and socialization, as well as the consequences of its changes today. He also discusses its benefits and applications in therapy and rehabilitation and controversies over play, including technology, the media, and education. He excludes discussion of animal play, advocacy and theory, and neurological and cerebral functioning. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The Praeger handbook of victimology.

Wilson (sociology, University of Arkansas, Conway, AR) and ninety five other experts have put together this handbook intended both for a general audience and college students but which could also be used as a handy reference by law enforcement officers and social workers. The entries explain different forms of being victimized. Violent crimes are discussed as well as crimes of intimidation, such as cross-burning or threats from corrupt officials. There is a list of important dates in victimology as well as references and websites to help victims find support. Also included are theories as to why some people become criminals or abusers. The entries all emphasize advocacy for and support of victims, who still are often believed to have done something to invite the crime inflicted upon them. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Protecting airline passengers in the age of terrorism.

This collection considers economic analysis techniques that may help in the formulation of airline security policy and efficient management applications. The 13 papers separately examine issues associated with the preboarding stage of the security process, the in-flight layer, new technologies, and policy options. An appendix introduces a novel wireless local positioning system for indoor airport security. The editor is a professor of economics at Temple University and most of the contributors are professors. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Prudent decision making in an imprudent world; better decisions at home and work.

Gould is a retired US Marine officer and former educational researcher at the U. of Wisconsin, and he employs historical examples, research-based principles and practical advice to help general readers identify and avoid bad decision-making skills. The author uses examples such as Napoleon's winter attack on Russia and the 1929 stock market crash to explain how qualities such as humility, self-discipline and critical analysis are instrumental to effective decision-making skills. Each chapter defines prudent decision-making skills in such specific realms as education, security and creativity. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)