Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books

-- Library Journal, 05/15/2006

Week of May 9

Feuerstein, Michael & Findley, Patricia. The Cancer Survivor's Guide: The Essential Handbook to Life After Cancer. Marlowe: Avalon, dist. by Publishers Group West. May 2006. c.240p. index. ISBN 1-56924-332-8. pap. $15.95. HEALTH

Feuerstein is an academic clinical psychologist and a brain cancer survivor; Findley is a medical social worker and health services researcher. Together they have written a practical and sensitive book that offers hope and practical advice for the well-educated individual or family caregiver who is ready to work through the physical and psychological issues associated with living with cancer and mastering the intricacies of the healthcare system. The first-person accounts, tips, and techniques make this a title to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest. Fair warning: libraries may find their copies being marked up by readers! The combination of scholarly information interspersed with self-assessment exercises and personal anecdotes makes the book a useful choice for consumer health collections in public libraries with middle-class populations. It should also be in the collections of academic libraries whose students will be entering the helping and health service professions, as it does a good job of offering the patient's perception of the cancer experience.—Ellen Detlefsen, Ctr. for Biomedical Informatics, Univ. of Pittsburgh Sch. of Medicine

Peffer, Randall. Provincetown Follies, Bangkok Blues. Bleak House: Diversity. May 2006. c.250p. ISBN 1-932557-19-9. $24.95. M

Tuki Aparecio seems to have it all: a pretty face, a nice body, a good voice, a trunk full of stardust-covered gowns and wigs—and she can pee standing up. Tuki's a half Vietnamese, half African American transvestite who performs at the Painted Lady in picturesque Provincetown, MA. When she's arrested in an arson/murder investigation, the case is assigned to public defender Michael DeCastro. Michael's engaged to be married in a few weeks, but after a couple of pages, his course becomes as clear as the skin on display at the Painted Lady. This meld of M. Butterfly, The Crying Game, and the back pages of the Village Voice manages to suck us in before we realize what's happening. Drawing on his experience as a travel guide writer, Peffer (literature & writing, Phillips Acad., Andover, MA; Killing Neptune's Daughter) shows a keen sense of detail and piles on the atmosphere until it's as thick as Provincetown pea soup in this seductive tale that, while obviously not for everybody, will appeal to those willing to cross over to the dark side. For larger public libraries.—Bob Lunn, Kansas City P.L., MO

Podhoretz, John. Can She Be Stopped?: Hillary Clinton Will Be the Next President of the United States Unless... Crown Forum. May 2006. c.272p. index. ISBN 0-307-33730-8. $26.95. POL SCI

Ironically, the Marxist belief in the inevitability of history is alive and well in this book by New York Post columnist and Fox News commentator Podhoretz (Bush Country: How George W. Bush Became the First Great Leader of the 21st Century—While Driving Liberals Insane). Raising the specter of a second Clinton presidency, he offers conservatives hope with a ten-point plan to thwart the election of the junior senator from New York. Part of his plan calls for the G.O.P. to nominate Rudy Giuliani in 2008. Prognostication is the bread and butter of television news and op-ed pages, but at book length it quickly grows wearisome. The book format also tends to immortalize flawed forecasts. It is absurd, two years out, to be so certain of anything in politics. Did anyone see the nominations of John Kerry, Bill Clinton, or Michael Dukakis this early in their campaigns? Podhoretz's book is red meat for the Right, the people who already dislike the senator and don't need any further convincing. Libraries where patrons have demanded O'Reilly, Limbaugh, and Coulter will do well to purchase; others can safely pass.—Michael O. Eshleman, Kings Mills, OH

Sirois, Maria. Every Day Counts: Lessons in Love, Faith, and Resilience from Children Facing Illness. Walker. May 2006. c.224p. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-8027-1495-1 [ISBN 978-0-8027-1495-4]. $19.95. psych

In her first book, licensed clinical psychologist, public speaker, and writer Sirois recounts her experience interning at the pediatric oncology ward of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where she counseled children with cancer. Through that stint, Sirois came to believe that children are better equipped than adults to deal with serious illness because they retain the ability to live every day fully and honestly, despite facing serious illness and an uncertain future. She supports this argument by sharing the stories of individual children under her care. Among the many available books documenting children's experiences with cancer, this one is unusual, as it is written by a psychologist rather than a physician or a parent; it also presents the author's insights into the children's experience rather than specific coping strategies for children or their caregivers. Suitable for public and academic libraries.—Sarah Boslaugh, Washington Univ. Sch. of Medicine, St. Louis

Tiffany, Carrie. Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living. Scribner. May 2006. c.240p. ISBN 0-7432-8637-5 [ISBN 978-0-7432-8637-4]. $23. F

The Better-Farming Train travels the wheat fields of Australia in the 1930s, bringing "scientific living" to the farm families of the region. Narrator Jean Finnegan, the company's seamstress, is physically attracted to fellow train traveler Robert Pettergree, a scientist who can name a town by tasting its dirt sample. They soon marry and get off the train for good in dusty Wycheproof, where Jean helps Robert with his wheat experiments by baking loaves of bread to test the wheat's quality. But what could have been a loving joint venture is marred by Robert's obsessive use of science to order his life and block a painful childhood. Only in their sex life does Robert lose control and give himself over to passion. In the end, however, it is no match for the slow shriveling of their emotionally stunted marriage, just as Robert's dogged experiments to grow bigger and better wheat are no match for the drought-plagued land. This award-winning debut novel by Tiffany, an agricultural journalist in Australia, is an absorbing and original read. Recommended for academic and most public libraries.—Joy Humphrey, Pepperdine Univ. Law Lib., Malibu, CA

Week of May 2

Bruen, Ken & Jason Starr. Bust. Hard Case Crime. May 2006. c.254p. ISBN 0-8439-5591-0. pap. $6.99. M

It is an old story told many times in films and hard-boiled crime novels: a wealthy middle-aged businessman hires a hit man to kill his shrewish wife so he can marry his sexy secretary, but his plans soon go, well, bust. In their first joint outing, rising neonoir stars Bruen (The Guards) and Starr (Nothing Personal) refresh a tired plot line with clever twists, dark sardonic humor, and well-drawn but despicable characters who definitely deserve the fates the authors mete out to them. Fasten your seat belts, and enjoy the bumpy ride of double- and triple-crosses, blackmail, and murder. If Quentin Tarantino is looking for another movie project, this novel with its mix of shocking violence and black comedy would be the perfect candidate. Highly recommended as a terrific summer read for all mystery collections.—Wilda Williams, Library Journal

Groll, Jeremy, M.D. & Lorie Groll. Fertility Foods: Optimize Ovulation and Conception Through Food Choices. Fireside: S. & S. May 2006. c.304p. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-7432-7281-1 [ISBN 978-0-7432-7281-0]. pap. $16. HEALTH

Difficulty conceiving is one of the most heartbreaking experiences that a couple may face. This helpful book, by the husband-and-wife team of Jeremy Groll (reproductive endocrinology & fertility, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base) and freelance writer Lorie Groll, offers couples a program promising to increase the chances of conception through an improved ovulation rate in as little as two to three months. It stresses the reality that higher insulin levels, coupled with extra body weight, can hinder pregnancy and increase the likelihood of infertility and focuses on enhancing insulin metabolism via specific nutritional guidelines and a prescribed exercise routine. Citations to relevant literature for further research, provided in each chapter, are a welcome addition. This reviewer questions the appropriateness of the cover's claim that readers will "See results in 2–3 months!" as the program promises improved ovulation—not conception—in that time frame. Otherwise, this is a great resource for public and consumer health libraries.—Beth Hill, Univ. of Idaho Lib., Moscow

Prentice, Jessica. Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection. Chelsea Green. 2006. c.368p. index. ISBN 1-933392-00-2. pap. $25. COOKERY

Long on information, short on recipes, "food activist" Prentice's book takes us through her version of the 12 moons of the year. There's plenty of history and cultural information here, which makes the work interesting and enlightening; it would probably be useful to students of culinary arts. The recipes are varied and detailed, covering the mundane, like pot roast and potato-corn chowder, to a lesson in rendering lard and a recipe for "spring tonic nettle soup." Ingredients for some of the recipes might be difficult for those of us not in metropolitan areas to get our hands on; recipes are written in a rather conversational way. The tie-in between recipes and the calendar adds a nice touch that distinguishes this book from others, but there aren't really enough recipes to call this a cookbook. For large public and academic libraries.—Elizabeth Rogers, CEF Lib. Syst., Plattsburgh, NY

Reisser, Paul. The Complete Guide to Family Health, Nutrition, and Fitness. Tyndale House. 2006. c.1104p. illus. index. ISBN 0-8423-6181-2. $34.97. HEALTH

This addition to Tyndale's "Focus on the Family" series by family physician Reisser (Energy Drainers, Energy Gainers: Solutions to Chronic Fatigue) aims to provide readers with the means to evaluate their current health and lifestyle habits and conditions. Reisser highlights recommended medical screening tests and briefly describes the common health problems of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. He grants extensive coverage to diet and nutrition, exercise and physical fitness, the importance of sleep, women's and senior health, fatigue, safety, and emotional and spiritual health. The discussion of sexuality stresses marriage, monogamy, and appropriate behavior toward the opposite sex. Chapters end with "Questions To Ponder" and "Action Items." Seven appendixes include information on abortion, vitamins and minerals, common sexual dysfunctions, hormone therapy controversies, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Unfortunately, illustrations are very limited, and the reading level is too high considering the book's consumer health audience. Recommended for larger libraries with strong Christian populations only; others would be better served by a more general medical guide, e.g., The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide (4th ed., 2004).—Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans' Hosp. Lib., Tampa

Sha, Zhi Gang. Soul, Mind, Body Medicine: A Complete Soul Healing System for Optimum Health and Vitality. New World Lib., dist. by Publishers Group West. May 2006. c.356p. photogs. index. ISBN 1-57731-528-6 [ISBN 978-1-57731-528-5]. pap. $15.95. HEALTH

An ancient Chinese methodology based on maximizing the body's natural healing energies, qigong is becoming increasingly validated by scientific research. Here, Sha (Power Healing: The Four Keys to Energizing Your Body, Mind & Spirit), a medical doctor with qigong expertise, expands on the spiritual aspects of this practice. In the book's opening chapters, he outlines key aspects of the power of the soul to cure illness through such acts as meditation and service. For the vast majority of the text, he focuses on self-healing through hand positions, sound, and mind and soul power. Detailed, illustrated instructions offer protocols for health goals like weight loss and cancer recovery; techniques to combat more than 100 common ailments (e.g., diabetes, diarrhea, arthritis, and hearing loss); and preventative measures that focus on developing the body's energy centers. While written with sensitivity and compassion, the book lacks the integrative approach (with Western medicine) of Hong Liu's Mastering Miracles: The Healing Art of Qi Gong as Taught by a Master. The focus on self-healing through the intervention of "higher powers" will probably not sit well with many consumer health librarians. Recommended with strong reservations only for comprehensive complementary medicine collections or where interest warrants.—Janice Flahiff, Medical Univ. Lib. of Ohio, Toledo

Smith, Barbara. Food That Says Welcome: Simple Recipes To Spark the Spirit of Hospitality. WaterBrook: Random. 2006. 196p. index. ISBN 1-4000-7147-X. pap. $16.99. COOKERY

Smith, mother of Christian pop singer Michael W. Smith, has been welcoming family and friends into her home for many years. The Bible quotes and personal stories of welcome that precede each section of this cookbook let readers know that Smith regards acts of hospitality as a part of her Christian duty. Here, she endeavors to encourage anyone to provide a welcoming gathering and shows how easily and simply this can be accomplished. The recipes are easy to prepare, and all the ingredients are readily available at most supermarkets. Although Smith includes recipes for traditional "church" food (Southern Potato Salad; Creamed Chicken Over Biscuits), her experience as a caterer is also clear with the variety of recipes (Tomato-Pesto Tart; Citrus Crusted Fish) from which novice hosts and hostesses can choose. Smith offers a substitutions guide, an index, and a couple of pages of helpful hints. Recommended for most public libraries.—Ginny Wolter, West Toledo Branch Lib., OH

Zodkevitch, Ron, M.D. The Toughlove Prescription: How To Create and Enforce Boundaries for Your Teen. McGraw-Hill. 2006. 224p. index. ISBN 0-07-146493-X. pap. $15.95. CHILD REARING

This is a poorly substantiated defense of the policies espoused by the internationally best-selling book Toughlove® (Bantam, 1985). New problems need new solutions, claims psychiatrist Zodkevitch (medical director & cofounder, American Family Health Svcs. Group; chairman, Toughlove America), yet he applies the old Toughlove strategies to today's problems—e.g., drug use, Internet and film violence and nudity, and excessive cell phone use. His book does provide a good analysis of what's wrong with today's kids, and it's true that parents often feel totally out of control. However, the text loses focus by veering off into such social issues as divorce and its effects and blended families. Zodkevitch clearly establishes what parents should tolerate and what they shouldn't, but his solution to their difficulties—get involved, go to PTA meetings, give teachers support and tools to handle problems—is much too vague. What's more, sometimes he can be condescending, as when he advises, "Don't be fooled (by compliant children). It's sometimes the quiet ones you need to watch out for." Readers would be better advised to consult Maia Szalavitz's Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids for a strong assessment of Toughlove strategies and their offshoots.—Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA

See the May 1 Xpress Reviews