Reyes (theater, Arizona State Univ.) had an atypical Latino immigrant experience that provides ample material for this entertaining and stirring memoir. He bares his soul—readers may occasionally feel they are Reyes's psychiatrist—as he tells his story of growing up in Chile, fatherless but with his father's name, and of his journey to Los Angeles, all the while coping with sexuality and body issues. But more than his own coming-of-age, this is the story of his mother, Maria, and her struggles, at times unconventionally approached, to provide a better life for her son. Reyes's recountings of his mother's and her family's adventures are the glue that holds this story together while he writes of shaping his own identity and finding his voice as a writer. Through it all, he strives to find acceptance by his family and his community. VERDICT This is a poignant and at times humorous immigrant tale that will especially appeal to those interested in Latino/a or gay and lesbian literature.—Mike Miller, Austin P.L., TX

In essence, Wilson's journey as related here is a simple one: coming-of-age, finding community and religion, and discovering the many aspects of love. But the context is not simple at all. At once introspective and impulsive, Wilson as a teen had pink hair, partied hard, and responded to the pull toward God by getting tattoos. After college and a serious illness, she took a teaching job in Egypt, where she encountered cultural confusion, complicated social and political tensions, and Omar, a thoughtful young teacher with a taste for heavy metal bands. Following her own inner compass, Wilson explored faith and a blossoming romance. She writes with sympathy and insight about cross-cultural relationships, family, and belief. VERDICT Moments of clarity and humor thread through this uplifting story of one young American seeking integrity in a fractured world. A first-rate memoir and love story that is a delight to read.—Lisa Klopfer, Eastern Michigan Univ. Lib., Ypsilanti

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), published by Dow Jones, had been family owned for over a century when Rupert Murdoch's bid split the Bancrofts. Although the family had not been actively managing Dow Jones, instead relying on advisers, many were convinced that Murdoch would sensationalize the paper. Others worried about the paper's right-wing editorial slant encroaching on its journalistic bent. Ellison, a former reporter for the WSJ, delves into extraordinary detail on the business and personal disputes that peppered the 2007 acquisition. Keeping track of all the players can be tricky, but a Cast of Characters list at the book's beginning helps. Ellison makes clear that a large reason Murdoch wanted to purchase the WSJ was a rivalry with New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. VERDICT This is an ideal read for those heavily interested in media business and tactics, but it might be too detailed for others looking for an overview (point them to the Mar. 8, 2010, New York magazine cover story on Murdoch, "The Raging Septuagenarian").—Leigh Mihlrad, Georgetown Univ. Medical Ctr. Lib., Washington, DC

Press, who hosts the liberal talk radio Bill Press Show, takes on his conservative competition in this witty rundown of the major actors and themes of right-wing political broadcasting. Individual chapters are devoted to Rush Limbaugh ("the big fat liar"), Glenn Beck ("the big crybaby"), Sean Hannity ("the party hack"), and Michael Savage ("the savage"). None emerges looking good. After trashing the top tier of conservative broadcasting, he moves on to critique conservative talk television, minor league talk radio, and selected local radio shows. One chapter is devoted to providing data on the demographics of the audiences of talk radio (mostly older white males) and analyzing why conservatives predominate in this format. Press wraps up with a peek at emerging progressive talk-show programming. VERDICT Liberals unhappy with the predominance of conservative talk radio will relish this impassioned, personal attack on the personalities of right-wing broadcasting.—Judy Solberg, Seattle Univ. Lib.

In the real world, how many new sales or job offers can you expect by attending a networking event and not speaking to anyone? How effective would it be to burst into a crowd of strangers, throw business cards at them, and abruptly disappear? Often, when individuals and businesses network via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, the results are frustrating and disappointing because the interaction with others is the online equivalent of these behaviors. Kabani (founder, Marketing Zen Group) posits that leveraging social media is not so very different from conventional marketing and networking: success is dependent first on establishing trust then cultivating the relationship. Through expert commentary and examples from her own work, Kabani effectively demonstrates that simple practices of goodwill and honesty can produce results far beyond any traditional marketing campaign, begetting a Zen-like pay-it-forward viral phenomenon that is strategically effective and financially rewarding. She provides detailed instructions for launching social media campaigns and sound guidance for fully leveraging and optimizing search engines, web sites, and blogs. VERDICT Kabani's assertion that this is "the last social media guide you'll ever need" has merit, as anyone purchasing this also has access to a continually updated online version. Highly recommended for anybody with anything to market online—including him- or herself.—Judy Brink-Drescher, Molloy Coll., Rockville Ctr., NY

Retirement is a major milestone in many individuals' lives. It can be a time of great enjoyment or fraught with headaches owing to a lack of funds associated with poor planning. Salsbury (executive vice president, Jackson Life Distributors; But What If I Live?: The American Retirement Crisis) combines psychology and finance—or behavioral economics—to address the retirement-planning process. He examines mindsets that often interfere with maximizing future incomes, identifying ten main "destructive financial behaviors." These faulty strategies include spending behaviors that differ when using credit cards and cash, dependence on home appreciations to fund retirements, ignorance about how taxes impact funds and about tax-deferred financial instruments, and procrastination and overconfident behaviors that delay the building of a nest egg. Salsbury has used his extensive communications background to conduct focus groups to collect data and clarify investors' thought patterns. VERDICT Individuals, regardless of age, should read this illuminating book because it will assist them with developing meta-cognition about life planning. Recommended.—Caroline Geck, MLS, MBA, Somerset, NJ

Sandefur (principal attorney, Pacific Legal Fdn.) carefully traces the evolution of individual economic freedom in U.S. legal and economic history. Americans have historically enjoyed the right to choose how to earn a living without excessive government interference, much as they enjoy a right to free speech or a right to religious self-determination. However, as Sandefur meticulously traces it, while the right to free speech is kept sacrosanct, individual economic freedoms have been severely eroded by the courts, largely starting in the second half of the 19th century. This book, written in a style of case law expositions and constitutional discussions, draws up a deep and broad rationale for why U.S. courts should take a stronger stance in favor of economic liberties. From the contracts clause to regulatory takings, Sandefur methodically examines the history of philosophical attitudes and court precedents in regard to the right to earn a living, as he attempts to restore respect for what he considers a crucial but mistreated economic right. VERDICT The book may not be suited for a beginning economics student because of its extensive references to case law, but anyone with interest in law and economics or in the philosophy of American political economy will benefit from Sandefur's thorough legal investigation.—Jekabs Bikis, Dallas Baptist Univ., TX

A scan of bookstore and library shelves bears out the popularity of books on doing business in and with China. Here, Sun (CEO, Executive Balance; Survival Tactics: The Top 11 Behaviors of Successful Entrepreneurs) draws on his own experience and the results of a survey of 200-plus U.S. and Chinese business leaders designed to find the respondents' identification with particular values (health, family, career, etc.) and beliefs (self-efficacy, collectivism, etc.). Sun uses these results to draw comparisons between Chinese and Western mindsets as well as among different regions in China and in the United States and between genders and generational groups. He then shows how these values and beliefs influence interactions and decision making in a business context. VERDICT Though it skews a bit to the touchy-feely (the exercises included are called "mind gems," and Sun assigns himself the title "Chief Dream Maker"), his work will be of interest to fans of titles on leadership principles and the psychology of management, as well as those exploring business relationships with China.—Sara Holder, McGill Univ. Lib., Montreal

This is part breezy overview of the American auto industry and part autobiography. Taylor (senior editor, Fortune magazine), basing his work on his own decades of pieces on the industry, provides a series of character sketches of various GM top executives, essentially personifying each era of the company. At the same time, he describes his own relationship to GM, from childhood admirer to seasoned naysayer. All of this added personality and character sketching is necessary because the line of his actual thesis is so straight. What really did in GM was not rising oil prices or the recent credit crunch, but rather a fanatical devotion to the "GM Way," which prevented the company from adapting to a changing automobile market over nearly five decades. Indeed, what seems most remarkable is that GM plodded along for as long as it did. Detours into the "palace intrigues" of Ford and a thorough examination of Saturn help keep the narrative going. VERDICT Recommended for general readers who might wonder why the fate of GM was so important during the recent government bailouts. Auto aficionados will have been down this road before.—Robert Perret, Univ. of Idaho Lib., Moscow

Educational psychologist Healy (Failure To Connect; Your Child's Growing Mind) takes on learning disabilities and tackles the nature/nurture debate by placing the blame somewhere between the two. Educators and parents, in particular, are encouraged to create the right educational environment for each child's unique brain; Healy uses the term "cerebrodiversity" to express the concept of embracing our differences rather than turning them into disabilities by forcing all kids to learn in the same way. This philosophy will likely speak to homeschoolers and other proponents of nontraditional education, although these alternative views are only briefly addressed. VERDICT Many of Healy's suggestions for successful learners will not be new to readers of her previous books, but the discussion of how our brains work is valuable to anyone wanting a summary of the latest information. Ultimately uplifting, this book will be a great resource for parents looking for practical information about their "dyssed" kid. [Ebook ISBN 978-1-4391-7020-5.]—Mindy Rhiger, St. Paul, MN

Davis (Don't Know Much About History) shifts gears slightly to identify obscure personalities and the darker side of American leaders, from Colonial America to the dawn of the 20th century. The strongest chapter begins with Aaron Burr's trial for treason and reflects on the rise of the nation. The flaws that Davis exposes include slave-owning Founding Fathers, Jackson's embracing Indian removal, and Lincoln's supporting the cause of returning slaves to Africa, then considered an enlightened solution. He also explores the wars of expansion, and, through Jessie Fremont, John Fremont's brave and capable wife, the notion of manifest destiny. Lastly, he looks at xenophobia through the Nativist riots of post-Civil War America. Davis likes comparisons: the Fort Mims massacre to 9/11, Iraq to manifest destiny. In a text that is very readable if not so tautly edited, Davis clearly enjoys his role as history teacher to nonhistorians. VERDICT Those who know their American history will find nothing new in this light and revisionist companion to standard history texts. Best for public and high school libraries.—Robert Moore, Lantheus Medical Imaging, North Billerica, MA

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hiltzik (Los Angeles Times; The Plot Against Social Security) details the creation of one of the largest public works projects in American history, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its completion in 2011. He argues that some American attributes—such as a sense of community overtaking rugged individualism (considered a postwar American phenomenon)—in fact owe their origins to the dam, not to the war; likewise, for the Southwest becoming the fastest-growing part of the country. Hoover Dam was built during the Great Depression to make the flood-prone Colorado River an irrigation and water source for the Southwest, and those who built it wrote a dark labor history. Engineering science has both advanced and struggled with expensive dam repairs ever since. In the end, perhaps, there is remorse for the dam's impact, the new growing communities utterly dependent on its finite resource, and the seismic and environmental havoc it has caused. Hiltzik wonders if the dam could be built today, given what a Pandora's box it proved to be. VERDICT Joseph E. Stevens's Hoover Dam: An American Adventure (1980) is wide-ranging but less exhaustive and perhaps too reverential. This well-written and compelling study is recommended for students and general readers, especially if they don't have access to the Stevens title.—Robert C. Moore, Parexel Corp., Waltham, MA

Hundreds and hundreds of books have been written about Winston Churchill and World War II. Yet we have never before had a complete study of the underground set of rooms in downtown London beneath the Office of Works building near Parliament where, ten feet below the streets of London, Churchill and his closest military and civilian advisers labored during the days and months of intense bombing that London suffered off and on during the war. These Cabinet War Rooms contained the famous Map Room, which daily charted the course of the war as well as eating and sleeping facilities for dozens of full-time staffers who spent weeks without seeing the sun. Holmes, who just won the National Book Critics Circle Award for The Age of Wonder: The Romantic Generation and the Discovery of the Beauty and Terror of Science, here gives us a truly remarkable story told with verve and clarity. VERDICT This fascinating tale adds another small chapter to that huge book we call World War II. All large collections actively adding World War II materials will want this.—Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames

Howard (executive editor, Bicycling magazine) tells the story of how one of the 14 original 1791 parchment manuscript copies of the Bill of Rights—one had been sent to each state then—stolen from a Confederate state capital during the last days of the Civil War was traced and returned to its original owner, the state of North Carolina. The copy was stolen by Union troops then sold for five dollars to an Indiana businessman whose family held on to the document for the next 125-plus years. When this family, with a reputable antiques dealer, attempted to sell it, questions arose about its authenticity and provenance. The questions will keep readers' interest: can the handwriting of the clerk of the First Federal Congress be verified? Why won't the holders of the document be forthcoming about how they obtained it? Does a Philadelphia museum, offering the highest price, have the right to buy it? After a sting operation by the FBI, the document began a three-year legal journey through the court system. VERDICT Highly recommended for readers of American history and those interested in antiques and old manuscripts.—Claire Franek, MSLS, Brockport, NY

King (Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival), a prolific writer of adventure and exploration stories, here transports readers to Mao Zedong's 1934–35 Long March, a trek to escape Chiang Kai-shek's superior forces. The arduous but successful march is a heroic founding myth of the People's Republic of China, perhaps comparable with Washington at Valley Forge. Some have recently challenged its truth, but most scholars accept the basic story even while doubting parts. There are many books on the subject, but King focuses on the women marchers (several other books have done the same, however). King uses English-language scholarship, translations by research assistants, interviews, and his own travels along the route to tell lively stories, but since there were comparatively few of these women, the narrative strains and jumps back and forth between their individual stories, women in China, the progress of the march, and the big picture of modern Chinese history. VERDICT This energetic book will appeal most to readers with less initial knowledge of China.—Charles Hayford, Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL

World War II was an all-encompassing global event. Lukacs (Five Days in London), the author of many books on that conflict and the Cold War, aims to address a number of issues, ranging from American war plans to the division of Europe after the war. Hitler is a recurring theme, and Lukacs largely refers to World War II as Hitler's war. While the author makes valid points and arguments, his book is a bit rambling and haphazard as he jumps among many topics without resolving any in detail. An entire chapter is devoted to meetings between scientists Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr, but he makes no direct tie between those meetings and the war's legacy. Lukacs perhaps tries to do too much in fewer than 200 pages of text, with the actual theme here not so much the war's legacy as its politics, namely, among Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt. China and Japan are mentioned only briefly. VERDICT The author's conversational style will appeal to readers who can't get enough of World War II or the Cold War, but serious scholars should seek answers elsewhere.—Matthew J. Wayman, Penn State Schuylkill Lib., Schuylkill Haven

Based primarily on manuscript sources, this quick-moving treatment by a Lincoln Prize-winning author meshes military history with political and social history, taking the reader from the battlefields to civil disorders on the home front in this third of Marvel's projected four-part study of Lincoln and the Civil War. With an eye to the role of class, gender, race, and ethnicity, Marvel (Mr. Lincoln Goes to War; Lincoln's Darkest Year: The War in 1862) notes the strong support for continuing the war in some circles, but also the impact of war weariness and outright opposition to the war and the conscription that accompanied it. The year 1863 saw the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, but the Confederacy proved it was not overcome. Marvel's interpretation of the Gettysburg Address notes Lincoln's need to convince his listeners to support the continuation of the war in spite of war weariness. VERDICT Recommended; Civil War buffs and scholars alike will enjoy this work, especially if they have already read the previous two volumes. Larger public libraries and all academic libraries should collect the series.—Theresa McDevitt, Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania

Mauro, a former editor of Spy magazine, artfully explains how a mountain of garbage in a desolate area of New York City was transformed into the site of the 1939 World's Fair in spite of the plagues of extreme weather, cost overruns, missed deadlines, labor union problems, and even sabotage, not to mention the looming threat of war. With almost 45 million visitors during its two-year duration, it lost money continually up until it closed, foreshadowing the identical fate 24 years later of the 1964 World's Fair in the same location. While much of this history is already well known, Mauro does shed light on lesser-known aspects of the fair, including Albert Einstein's involvement with it and the terrible bombing that took place there on July 4, 1940, unsolved to this day, killing two New York City police detectives. More subjectively, the author briefly ponders the rhetorical question concerning the success of a fair whose original goal of promoting scientific progress in a futuristic setting was possibly compromised by the "selling" of gadgetry and gimmickry in a tawdry carnival-like atmosphere. VERDICT Enriched by many firsthand reminiscences, this rousingly good story about the origins and aftermath of the 1939 World's Fair will delight students of American cultural history. Highly recommended.—Richard Drezen, Brooklyn, NY

Muller (history, Catholic Univ.; Adam Smith in His Time and Ours), a well-established historian of capitalism, is brave to tackle this subject, laden as much with the place of Jewish people in the markets as with the trappings and traps of anti-Semitism. Eschewing a grand narrative, Muller instead provides four essays connected by an introduction. He draws on an array of sources impressively diverse even for an intellectual historian, but the argument he works toward is difficult to discern. Two of the four essays only indirectly address Jews and capitalism as experienced by Jews in a peak epoch of capitalism, the first primarily dealing with the money-lending tradition of Jews in precapitalist Europe and the third with the high profile of Jews in Eastern European Communist parties and regimes. The second essay examines Milton Friedman's contention that Jews acted against their own self-interest when embracing socialism, and finds it unpersuasive, but the concluding section suggests that the assimilating success of European Jewish communities from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries fated the Holocaust. VERDICT Amorphous but stimulating essays only for the academically committed historian of modern European culture and thought.—Scott H. Silverman, Earlham Coll. Lib., Richmond, IN

Rosen (Justinian's Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of Europe) tackles the history of the Industrial Revolution by tracing the development of steam power. He says innovations in steam technology such as Thomas Newcomen's 1712 atmospheric engine and George Stephenson's 1829 locomotive built one upon another to create a prosperous, enduring industrial economy like none before it. He explains that though an understanding of steam had existed for some 2000 years, it was the English patent system with its inherent incentive of potential wealth that drove inventors to invest the requisite time to make and perfect technological breakthroughs. Rosen's narrative meanders between diverse subject threads from patent law through mining to physics and economics. He introduces numerous inventors and others ranging from Francis Bacon to Abraham Lincoln. His writing style is generally clear, with humorous asides, and with an overall approach reminiscent of the science historian and broadcaster James Burke. The many technical descriptions of pumps and other mechanisms would have benefited from better illustrations than the few period drawings included. VERDICT Patient readers will find thought-provoking this serious history of technological innovation and the veritable invention of our modern world.—Lawrence Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA

In October 1917, the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, promising to facilitate "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people." This document appeared only after lengthy discussions and negotiations within the government and the British and international Jewish communities. The extensive research behind this book demonstrates how the declaration emerged after four years of intricate and sometimes contradictory diplomacy in which Britain also suggested it might support control of Palestine by its French allies, Arab nationalists, or even the Ottoman Empire, which Britain was fighting at the time. Schneer (Sch. of History, Technology & Society, Georgia Tech; London 1900) has reviewed all the literature and examined government archives and personal papers to produce a thorough, detailed, accurate, and highly readable history of the complex and fluid British diplomacy focused on the Middle Eastern front in World War I. He enlivens his careful exposition of this complicated history with portraits of colorful individuals from all the competing states and concludes that the Balfour Declaration was "the highly contingent product of a tortuous process characterized as much by deceit and chance as by vision and diplomacy." VERDICT Very sound, very thorough, and highly recommended for academic readers and lovers of political, military, and diplomatic history.—Elizabeth Hayford, Evanston, IL

As in previous books, Watson (McDonald Inst. for Archaeological Research, Univ. of Cambridge; Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud) takes the reader on an entertaining tour of a daunting subject. This time it's German intellectual history since the death of Bach (1750). Watson argues that our view of Germany's history has been hijacked by Hitler's 12-year rule, slighting the vast and substantial contribution Germans made to the modern experience. He takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride across 250 years of history, discussing a host of German luminaries, some not at all famous today. Watson weakens the book by trying to include everyone: at times it leaves him without room to say enough about those who really count. And while the reliance on secondary sources may have been unavoidable, it makes his interpretations often seem thin, much like some of his choices for inclusion. Why highlight Arnold Schwarzenegger, for instance, in the section on postwar emigration to America (and he is from Austria anyway—Watson's definition of "German" is wide)? Still, the book provides an opportunity to look at the full range of German thought in modern times, allowing us to consider the output of Nazi hacks alongside that of indisputable luminaries like Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche. VERDICT Good as an introduction only. Readers familiar with the subject will be frustrated.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

Bayley (Sch. of Criminal Justice, SUNY-Albany; Changing the Guard: Developing Democratic Police Abroad) and Perito (senior program officer, U.S. Inst. of Peace; Where Is the Lone Ranger When We Need Him?: America's Search for a Postconflict Security Force) examine the role of police and police training in stabilization programs in countries that have experienced acute humanitarian crises and severe internal conflicts. Although the book pays particular attention to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, its broader focus is on problems and issues that have troubled U.S.-led interventions in such countries as Somalia, Haiti, and the Balkans. The authors examine the U.S. military's evolving counterinsurgency doctrine, which seeks to develop workable stabilization missions by training effective local governmental institutions and their coercive police entities. Of course, police-training and stabilization missions date back to the failed Vietnam-era programs, but the current police-training programs of the U.S. military are more extensive than those that existed in the 1960s and 1970s and have now been woven into peace-building missions that follow U.S. military interventions in the developing world. VERDICT The book provides practical advice on how police-training missions should be organized and how they should provide for security of individual citizens in order to sustain their long-term legitimacy. Recommended for those with this specialized interest.—Nader Entessar, Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile

Boyd (executive director, 2048 Project, Univ. of California-Berkeley Law Sch.) invites the people of the world to participate in the creation of a new international human rights declaration by using wiki technology. According to its web site, the 2048 Project aspires to draft an international framework for enforceable human rights that can be in place by the year 2048, the 100th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this eponymous book on behalf of the project, Boyd argues for the necessity of such a document and defends his efforts from critics who might argue that the goals of the project are too lofty and idealistic. However, far more space is devoted to the 2048's potential to expand the current definition of human rights than to laying out a detailed plan for its global adoption or enforcement. VERDICT Scholars and supporters of human-rights movements will be interested in this movement and its book.—April Younglove, Rochester Regional Lib. Council, NY

In this engaging text, Cobb (history, Spelman Coll.; To the Break of Dawn) examines the impact of Barack Obama's presidential candidacy and subsequent election in a way that challenges readers to rethink their ideas of race and racism, identity and citizenship, metaphor and reality. Many believe that Obama's election was the manifestation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of our getting to the Promised Land. Cobb puts forth the idea that Obama's ascendancy, 40 years in the making, is the result of a broad transformation among black voters. This sea change—having an African American in the White House—has ironically pushed the architects of the Civil Rights Movement to the margins as we question the meaning of this progress, the implications of progress on America's present and future, and whether our society has really changed with the election of the first black U.S. President. VERDICT Clear, concise writing, a conversational tone, and cogent arguments make this a compelling read, particularly for those with an interest in Obama's presidential campaign and election, but also for students of politics, history, and the Civil Rights Movement.—Eboni A. Francis, Oberlin Coll. Lib., OH

The "struggle" to limit government turns out not to have been much of a struggle at all, in the telling of Samples (director, Ctr. for Representative Government, Cato Inst.; The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform). While the "old regime" of active, paternal government erected by Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s and Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s faltered in the 1970s, giving Ronald Reagan an opening to slow the growth of government in the 1980s, by and large the political calculus for both parties has been to accept the status quo. Even Reagan was "primarily a reformer of the old regime"; the one other serious attempt to reduce the size of government, by the House Republicans elected in 1994 led by Newt Gingrich, "lost most of the major battles"; and Republicans since have been "Big Government conservatives" who "gave up on the goal of limited government in pursuit of majorities." In the end, the old regime has "done its work in corrupting the American people," but in a slightly apocalyptic conclusion, "the future may require an end to their ambivalence." VERDICT While Samples is far from a graceful writer, all too prone to repeating annoying phrases such as "the ambit of government," serious readers willing to stay with him, whether or not they agree with him, will appreciate this reasoned presentation of the libertarian case.—Bob Nardini, Nashville

Hans Selye's theory of stress as a fight-or-flight response is wrong and overrated, according to Bernstein, originator of ActivInsight, a cognitive method for identifying, understanding, and transforming stress. Bernstein asserts that stress originates in thoughts and beliefs, but he concedes that it has long-term physical and mental effects. Using the worksheet process adapted from his mentor Bryon Katie, Bernstein formulated ActivInsight, a seven-step stress-reduction program he has taught in seminars to corporations and nonprofit organizations. While acknowledging similarities to positive thinking, Bernstein envisions ActivInsight as working not just by replacing stressful ideas, but by subtracting the underlying negative beliefs. In the book's second half, Bernstein guides readers in applying ActivInsight to 12 common challenges ranging from anger, heartbreak, and money problems to fear of dying. By the end, readers should be able to apply ActivInsight to their own problems, though Bernstein admits that some issues may need more than a single work-sheet session. An online self-help platform with downloadable work sheets, tutorials, and email connections will be launched upon publication. VERDICT An easy-to-learn method for addressing issues underlying stress, best suited for the workbook crowd and believers in cognitive-behavioral therapy. [Ebook ISBN 978-1-4391-7176-9.]—Lucille M. Boone, San Jose P.L., CA

According to family physician/psychologist Sax (Boys Adrift; Why Gender Matters), when parents don't teach their daughters well, the marketplace fills the vacuum with what it thinks girls should look like, do, and be—and it's all wrong. Sax clarifies his four driving factors in this new crisis: sexual identity: the concept of lifelong commitment is almost unknown, and sexual confusion results when girls don't know what to expect from boyfriends; the cyberbubble: kids are constantly in touch via technology, and girls become microcelebrities, constantly living and acting as if in front of a crowd; obsessions: without realizing it, girls are obsessed with becoming ultra thin, perfecting their grades, and abusing "fun" (alcohol, drugs, sex); and environmental toxins: early puberty is related to chemicals in plastics and phthalates in skin creams. Sax supports single-sex high schools, gender-appropriate sports for girls, and nurturing girls' spirituality to provide orientation when a crisis occurs. VERDICT The world is way different from what it was a couple of years ago; this is essential reading for parents and teachers, and one of the most thought-provoking books on teen development available.—Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA

Abrums (nursing, Univ. of Washington), an anthropologist and registered nurse, examines the lives of African American women members of the Morning Sun Church in the Central District of Seattle. Abrums spent 18 months observing and interviewing the women of Morning Sun, and the resulting stories are deeply engaging as individual narratives and compelling when taken as a whole. The work positively sparkles with the voices of these women as they discuss their struggles, joys, beliefs, health, and families. This book is undoubtedly academic, yet there is much here for the nonacademic reader to enjoy, too. VERDICT Engaging, beautifully written, surprising, and challenging in the best way possible, this is highly recommended for its fine, compelling writing as well as for its profound subject. Scholars of women's studies, religious studies, and anthropology should take particular note of this title, but it is strongly recommended to interested general readers as well.—Rachel Bridgewater, Reed Coll. Lib., Portland, OR

With the strains placed on an all-volunteer force during an unpopular war and the shifting nature of modern warfare, women are being allowed more active roles than ever in America's armed forces. The official ban on women holding combat positions has been essentially unenforceable in Iraq and Afghanistan, where over 100 service women have been killed. Browder (English, Virginia Commonwealth Univ.; Her Best Shot: Women and Guns in America) and photographer Pflaeging here present the experiences of some of the service women returning from these combat zones by color portraits combined with their oral histories. Their project includes an exhibition of these portraits as large-scale prints, this accompanying book with 48 portraits, and a documentary film to come. Browder's introduction gives a historical and societal overview of women in combat, but the color portraits and oral histories take center stage. Initially, readers may be tempted to deify these women for their contributions to the continuing struggle for female equality, but their unflinching accounts unfold to a tangible and poignant humanity. VERDICT Recommended for adult readers, particularly those with an interest in women's studies or the history of Americans in combat.—Tessa L.H. Minchew, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Clarkston

This book is nothing short of a scathing critique of modern pornography. Dines (sociology & women's studies, Wheelock Coll.; Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality) convincingly argues that the porn industry has distorted, commercialized, and repackaged sexuality for both men and women. As a prosex, antiporn feminist, Dines is disturbed by the mainstreaming of porn into popular culture and the increasing brutality of hard-core pornography. Although her cause is honorable and her argument sound, Dines's sexually explicit descriptions of pornographic web sites (often with text quoted verbatim) and movies render this an extremely uncomfortable read. Owing to the fine line between exposing exploitation and re-exploiting victims by exposing their stories, Dines makes a valiant effort at truth telling. Yet Pornland often feels like the same slideshow of violence and sexual abuse it is trying to prevent. It's clear that Dines intends to jolt her readers out of complacency by showing the violent extremes of hard-core pornography, but this tactic is a miss. More compelling is her thoughtful analysis of pornography's infiltration into the American economy, its detrimental effects on the sexual and emotional health of women and men, and its ability to perpetuate both sexism and racism. VERDICT Although intended for a popular audience, this will appeal only to other scholars interested in the social issues surrounding pornography.—Veronica Arellano, Lexington Park, MD

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the birth control pill to the American market, May (American studies & history, Univ. of Minnesota) explores its development and its acceptance into American society, becoming a standard in contraception and women's health management. Although she includes pharmacological background on research and development, May's focus is on the political and cultural implications of the pill within American society. Using archival research and oral interviews, she shows that the pill has been used as an instrument of empowerment for women. As a tool in arguments over population control, family planning, and feminism, the pill has had unanticipated implications for gender, class, race, and economic status. Compared with several other recently published scholarly and popular works on women's menstrual management, May's is the most comprehensive regarding the birth control pill itself and contraception. It serves as a good companion to Lara Friedenfeld's The Modern Period: Menstruation in Twentieth-Century America. VERDICT Recommended for both general popular culture collections and academic libraries supporting a gender studies program.—Kate Wells, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ. Lib., Savannah, GA

As you get close to finalizing a trip, it's time to pull out Michelin's "Red Guides," in which anonymous inspectors visit restaurants and hotels to rate the quality of service and products. The guides, easy to carry and consult, include attractive photos of the establishment, an entrée, and, for hotels, the interior of a guest room. Detailed street maps accompany each inclusion. The Japanese guides (Kyoto Osaka 2010; Tokyo 2010) often include a tidbit about the chef or proprietress and mention menu changes; Hong Kong Macau 2010 is in English and Chinese. Restaurants are divided by Michelin stars, geographical location, and cuisine type. Helpfully, hours are included, and some restaurants boast about having tea or sake experts. Hotels are classified from quite comfortable to luxury, and locations are clearly described, e.g., near a metro stop or in a large building or complex. The conversational style is particularly inviting. Special notes, indicating, for example, that Mount Fuji can be seen in the distance or that shoes must be removed, add to the welcoming feel. VERDICT These new city guides from a 110-year-old giant in travel publishing are essential to round out Chinese and Japanese travel collections.—Susan G. Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., IL

When newspaper editor Steil first arrived in Yemen to teach a three-week journalism workshop at the Yemen Observer newspaper, she had no idea what she was getting herself into or how it would change her life. Here, she chronicles her adventures during what would become a yearlong stay in Sanaa, Yemen, as she learns to deal with a foreign culture in which women are seen only in burkas, her male staff is often busy chewing khat (a legal stimulant), and getting to the truth is not as simple as it would seem. Readers will enjoy Steil's wonderful attitude about trying new experiences, her joy in meeting people, and how her life totally changed when she least expected it (she fell in love with the married British ambassador). VERDICT A delightful and straight-talking story of one American woman living, working, and finding friendship and love in a Muslim country. Highly recommended for interested memoir readers as well as journalism, Middle Eastern, and women's studies students.—Melissa Aho, Univ. of Minnesota Lib., Minneapolis