Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books

-- Library Journal, 3/25/2008 12:31:00 PM

Week of March 25, 2008

Nonfiction

Anderson, Winifred & others. Negotiating the Special Education Maze: A Guide for Parents and Teachers. 4th ed. Woodbine. Apr. 2008. c.275p. index. ISBN 978-1-890627-46-1. pap. $21.95. CHILD REARING
Verdict: This classic's hallmarks remain: a thorough, comprehensible explanation of the educational and legal processes involved; listings of concise and manageable steps; and a myriad of useful definitions and references have been its hallmarks. Those features as well as new information mean it shouldn't be passed over. Highly recommended for all public libraries and academic libraries with educational programs.
Background: First published more than 25 years ago, this book has served as a lifeline for parents and educators who have found it difficult to advocate for their children and students in need of special educational services. In this fourth edition, educators Anderson, Stephen Chitwood, and Deidre Hayden continue in these traditions and provide valuable updates to the many recent changes in educational law, including the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2004. Cherie Takemoto, executive director of the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center and a parent of a child with disabilities, adds additional insights. Of particular interest in this edition will be the information that promotes understanding of the many issues relating to the transitioning process from public school to adult living, including self-advocacy.—Steve Dixon, Mildred & Louis Resnick Lib., SUNY Delhi

Chez, Michael G., M.D. Autism and Its Medical Management: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. Jessica Kingsley. Apr. 2008. c.224p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-84310-834-4. $29.95. MED
Verdict: Chez's measured and thorough approach results in a welcome addition to the literature, especially since there is bound to be demand for more information on autism. Highly recommended without reservation for all libraries.
Background: Before the mid-1990s, approximately one in 10,000 people was diagnosed with autism. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in 155 children are being diagnosed with autism. With such a dramatic rise in cases, there is a concomitant need for clear information on the subject. Chez (director, pediactric neurology, Sutter Neuroscience Inst. & Sutter Memorial Hosp.) has been practicing with a special interest in the clinical aspects of autistic spectrum disorders for over 16 years. His book is written for parents, therapists, physicians, and interested lay people. In clear language and an easy-to-read format, he starts with an overview of autism and definitions before going on to cover theories, treatment, and medication options, taking special care to warn readers about quack doctors and holistic treatment centers that do not accept medical literature.—Mary Grace Flaherty, Sidney Memorial P.L., NY

Cowan, Ruth Schwartz. Heredity and Hope: The Case for Genetic Screening. Harvard Univ. May 2008. c.270p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-674-02424-3. $27.95. MED
Verdict: Cowan openly admits that she thinks genetic screening is positive and covers only briefly the critical viewpoints of genetic screening. Despite the author’s obvious bias, this scholarly, readable book provides new insights and is highly recommended for all biomedical ethics collections.
Background: Genetic screening is a standard option for prenatal care in America, and much has been written about issues surrounding reproductive ethics. Virtually all of these works describe the history of eugenics; however, Cowan (history & sociology of science, Univ. of Pennsylvania) goes beyond the basics to include the history of medical genetics and fetal testing. She analyzes why the PKU and Tay-Sachs screening programs were very successful yet the campaign for sickle-cell anemia generally failed. Cyprus’s b-thalassemia program—which impressively illustrates a population’s acceptance of mandated genetic screening leading to significant reductions in the number of afflicted infants—gets an entire chapter. A recurring theme throughout is that medical genetics is both pronatal and antieugenic—screening encourages at-risk parents who might otherwise avoid pregnancy to have children.—Tina Neville, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib.

Damon, William. The Path to Purpose: Helping Our Children Find Their Calling in Life. Free Pr: S. & S. Apr. 2008. c.203p. ISBN 978-1-4165-3723-6. $25. CHILD REARING
Verdict: This brilliant, involving investigation of the "failure to launch" phenomenon is essential reading for anyone involved in educating, counseling, and directing today's youth.
Background: World-renowned researcher Damon (director, Ctr. on Adolescence at Stanford Univ.; Greater Expectations) synthesizes research on adolescent development to describe how current youth fit into one of four categories: the disengaged, the dreamers, the dabblers, and the purposeful. Alarmingly, he notes that very few present-day adolescent populations fall into the desired purposeful category. Media messages and political snafus, coupled with parenting and educational trends, are instead fostering more teens to fall into the disengaged category or, even worse, those who purse negative purposes such as in the Columbine massacre. Damon explains the reasons why it is important for youth to identify a calling and goes on to provide tactics such as active listening, mentoring, nurturing, and positive guidance that parents, mentors, and educators can implement to help teens develop that healthy sense of purpose and meaning to benefit both them and society.—Susan E. Thomas, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend

Frost, Jo. Jo Frost’s Confident Baby Care: What You Need To Know for the First Year from America’s Most Trusted Nanny. Hyperion. May 2008. c.256p. illus. ISBN 978-1-4013-0906-0. pap. $15.95. CHILD REARING
Verdict: Name recognition and Frost's comforting tone set her latest book apart from such standards as William Sears’s The Baby Book: Everything You Need To Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Your Baby’s First Year, and Heidi Murkoff’s What To Expect the First Year, although Frost’s book lacks their depth. Sure to generate interest and be a fabulous baby-shower gift, this stellar book is an essential purchase for public library parenting collections.
Background: After two best sellers, television’s popular "Supernanny" returns to hold the hands of new parents with thoughtful and practical guidance, reassuringly covering all aspects of newborns, from preparing to go to the hospital to the first birthday. Self-possessed in her approach to common decisions and fears new parents face, Frost may occasionally step on some toes, e.g., in insisting on immunizations. Empowerment and confidence building are stressed in all baby-care tasks, from clipping fingernails to feeding. Helpful recommendations for baby equipment, a resource guide (not all seen) with first-aid tips and an immunization schedule, and cartoon illustrations (not all seen) are included.—Shawna Thorup, Fayetteville P.L., AR

Gavigan, Christopher. Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home. Dutton. Apr. 2008. c.304p. index. ISBN 978-0-525-95047-9. $24.95. HEALTH
Verdict: This excellent green-living guide contains simple solutions and daily steps for changing the way we live through its mission of "prevention through education." Public libraries should purchase given the surge in popularity of all things "green."
Background: Gavigan, CEO of the nonprofit Healthy Child, Healthy World, holds degrees in environmental science and geography and has taught ecology and sciences. His accessible book is aimed at parents who are looking to create safe, environmentally friendly homes free of chemical threats to a child's health. Celebrities and child experts, including Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Michelle Obama, and Dr. Harvey Karp, offer essays and inspiration. There are also recipes for chemical-free living and quick guides for making better choices regarding food, cleaning products, toys, clothing and gear, and other household products. Including healthy resources lists, tip sheets, web sites, and book listings.—Sarah E. Myers, Red Feather Lakes Comm. Lib., CO

The Gardener’s Bedside Reader. Voyageur. Mar. 2008. c.256p. ed. by Kari Cornell. illus. ISBN 978-0-7603-2657-2. $27.95. GARDENING
Verdict: Illustrated with lovely color photographs, botanical drawings, and vintage seed catalogs, packet art, and other garden memorabilia, this charming book is highly recommended for public and horticultural libraries.
Background: In this beautifully illustrated anthology, editor Cornell gathers a delightful mix of 24 essays and book excerpts that are the perfect antidote for those times when we can’t actually be in our gardens. Suzy Bales describes the delights of weeding, while William Alexander calculates how much each of his luscious tomatoes really costs him to grow. Ann Lovejoy tells us how to rid our gardens of slugs. Anna Pavord’s excerpt details the history of the tulip, and Susan Orlean shares the obsessions of those who collect the sometimes rare and always fascinating orchid. (Some collectors put their orchids in "orchid kennels" between blossoming times!) Tovah Martin writes of Tasha Tudor and her well-known garden, and Dayle Allen Shockley shares the healing power of the garden. Diane Ackerman, Henry Mitchell, Jamaica Kincaid, Michael Pollan, and Vita Sackville-West are among the other well-known writers whose pieces are included.—Sue O’Brien, Downers Grove P.L., IL

Mathews, Ellie. The Ungarnished Truth: A Cooking Contest Memoir. Berkley: Penguin Group (USA). Mar. 2008. 288p. ISBN 978-0-425-21945-4. $23.95. COOKERY
Verdict: The world of cooking contests isn’t as simple as just inventing a recipe: garnishes, recipe names, and presentation can make or break the competition. Mathews has a writing style that entertains, informs, and brings us along to the ultimate cooking prize. For popular collections.
Background: There’s a recipe for chicken worth a million dollars in this look at what it’s like to win the famous Pillsbury Bake-Off contest. Mathews (Ambassador to the Penguins) didn’t expect to win with her simple "Quick and Easy" Salsa and Couscous Chicken; she entered the contest because she’s competitive, and her hope was that she "wouldn’t fall on my face." From tens of thousands of entries, Pillsbury selects 100 recipes, all of which must use at least one Pillsbury product. The author’s description of the Bake-Off as an event reads almost like fiction—Was the bunch of parsley her neighbor kept placing on Mathews’s fourth burner a deliberate attempt at sabotage? Beyond Pillsbury’s rules and details of the contest, we get a behind-the-scenes look from a contestant’s point of view.—Elizabeth Rogers, CEF Lib. Syst., Plattsburgh, NY

Milio, Jim & Melissa Jo Peltier. Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: The Ultimate Episode Guide. Fireside: S. & S. Apr. 2008. c.320p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-4165-6143-9. pap. $18. PETS
Verdict: These brief episode overviews do not include enough information on training technique to be useful even as refreshers for people who might have viewed the episodes. Dog owners interested in learning more about Millan’s specific techniques are best served by the two books that he authored—Cesar’s Way and Be the Pack Leader. Not recommended.
Background: Readers need to be cautioned straightaway that this is not a book written by celebrity dog trainer Cesar Millan. Rather, it is a compilation of stories from the individual episodes aired during the first three seasons of National Geographic’s Dog Whisperer television series. There is a brief, one-page introduction by Millan that glosses over the uniqueness, in his assessment, of his approach to dog training followed by a four-page overview of how the series was conceived. The book is arranged by season and within that by the training or behavior topic covered, such as aggression toward people, fears and phobias, obsessions, and dominance. Each of the show’s episodes is summarized and complemented by a photo, training tip, behind-the-scenes comment, or follow-up.—Edell M. Schaefer, Brookfield P.L., WI

Seidel, Bridgette. Picture Yourself Playing Violin: Step-by-Step Instruction for Proper Fingering and Bowing Techniques, Reading Sheet Music, and More. Course Technology: Cengage Learning. 2008. 198p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-59863-448-8. pap. $34.99 with DVD. MUSIC
Verdict: The inevitable shortcomings of all self-study courses are present: lack of instructor feedback and a necessary one-size-fits-all approach. That said, this book is no worse than any other self-study course in this respect, and it is a solid option for would-be musicians exploring the possibility of the violin.
Background: Seidel owns and runs www.videoviolinlessons.com as well as the Texas-based Academy of Music Performance. Here, she distills a series of beginner lessons on bowing, fingering, and playing techniques into book form, with an accompanying DVD (Seidel has published lessons on DVD before). The main target audience is young players; the presentation is accordingly fairly simple, particularly on the DVD, though very young players would need help from a parent to make sense of some of the content. Older beginners will likely find the book useful, too, with its emphasis on establishing proper playing technique from the outset and building on prior lessons with specialized bowing, vibrato, and sound effects.—Genevieve Williams, Pacific Lutheran Univ. Lib., Tacoma, WA

Tiger, Caroline. Town & Country Wedding Speeches & Toasts: And Other Words for Family and Friends. ISBN 978-1-58816-622-7.
Tiger, Caroline. Town & Country Wedding Vows & Promises: And Other Words for the Bride and Groom. ISBN 978-1-58816-618-0.
ea. vol: Hearst: Sterling. 2008. 144p. index. pap. $12.95. HOME ECON
Verdict: These companion books are recommended for core wedding-planning collections for libraries, regardless of size.
Background: Words almost always matter, but they do especially at weddings, occasions which demand eloquence in both the spoken and written word. In these two succinct volumes, freelance magazine writer and modern manners expert Tiger (How To Behave: A Guide to Manners for the Socially Challenged), writing for Town & Country—the final authority on flawless style and social grace—distills the basics of wedding language, along with the fundamentals of wedding etiquette and protocol. Her savvy guides, brimming with concrete examples as well as pertinent literary passages and charming quotations on love and marriage, are intended to assist the wedding party with finding the perfect words for every aspect of the wedding, from the official engagement and save-the-date announcements through the marriage vows, ceremony programs, reception toasts, and thank-you notes. And if all this weren’t enough, Tiger’s thoughtful advice on the use of email—both appropriate and inappropriate—is a timely inclusion for a world obsessed with electronic communication.—Deborah Ebster, Orlando, FL

Williams, Lisa. Life Among the Dead. Simon Spotlight Entertainment: S. & S. Apr. 2008. c.256p. photogs. ISBN 978-1-4169-5415-6. $24. PARAPSYCH
Verdict: Remarkably, for this type of book, Williams doesn’t put on airs, and she doesn’t presume to give advice. So it’s not that this book is bad, it’s just that it is so, well, mundane. However, Williams has her fans, and many will look for her book at public libraries.
Background: British clairvoyant medium Williams delivers her first, mostly autobiographical book, with the same name and friendly "come sit down, dear, and 'ave a cup o’ tea" tone as her television show. The text marches us (in what seems like real time) through her childhood, teen years, first marriage, first child, first divorce (complete with rebound kicky hairdo), bad job, and new husband; all of these episodes are interspersed with moments of how she realized an inherited talent for speaking to the dead, after which she began to give readings, was subsequently "discovered" by Merv Griffith, moved to the States, and given her own TV show. She seems like a very nice, likable woman with a real gift for communicating with those on the other side.—Janet Tapper, Western States Chiropractic Coll., Portland, OR