Donovan's Bookshelf

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DONOVAN'S BOOKSHELF

Diance C. Donovan
Reviewer

Quicker Than the Eye
Ray Bradbury
Avon Books
0-380-97380-4 $22.00

This first new collection in nearly a decade features Bradbury's vast
array of characters, settings, and approaches to science fiction worlds.
Bradbury's lost none of his touch: his tales range from the ironies of
cause and effect settings to encounters with mortality. The result is a
satisfying collection packed with twists and turns which defy prediction.

Avon Books

Two fine titles explore the basics of getting started in careers which
have excellent projected long-term rewards. Mike Powers' How To Start A
Mail Order Business (0-380-78446-7 $12.50) tells how to field test a
product, save on shipping costs, and create a mail order business which
works. From the importance of keying ads to understanding mail order
special challenges, this is an essential title. Jacqueline Powers' How To
Start A Retirement Business (78447-5 $12.50) examines various retirement
businesses but uses a general approach to research and defining target
audiences. This holds many unusual ideas with retirees in mind; from
conducting a 'gypsy' retail business which moves around and has vaguely
defined business hours to mail order. Both are packed with excellent,
practical suggestions and some unusual tips.

Avon Books

Five years of planning have gone into Bobby's scheme to avoid authorities
and a crackdown through feigning death - an elaborate hoax only his
beautiful wife is privy to. There's only one problem - Bobby doesn't trust
his own best friend, but his wife's the real issue. All it takes to
enhance Michael Kimball's Undone (0-380-97305-7, $23.00) is to add a
greedy undertaker and a cast of money-hungry hopefuls and you have a tense
thriller from the first page onward. John Maxim's The Shadowbox
(0-380-97300-6, $23.00) also provides a tense story which opens with a
murder and quickly progresses to the apparently unrelated murders and
disasters affecting a formerly happy man. When Michael's life is destroyed
in a matter of weeks, he flees the dangerous New York only to suspect that
the danger is following. Gregg Kleiner's Where River Turns To Sky
(07347-2, $23.00) presents many twists and turns of character but rests
solidly upon its foundation of charting the course of old peoples' lives.
When his good friend dies, alone, in a nursing home, George makes a
promise to himself which will involve him in furthering the lives of other
aging people. His decisions bring together the elderly in an odd communal
setting in this engrossing story of creating community among strangers.

Handmade for Profit
Barbara Brabec
M. Evans & Company
0-87131-800-8 $21.95

Hundreds of secrets to success in selling arts and crafts will appeal to a
wide range of artists; from hobbyists to dedicated art students seeking
introductions on how to sell. From insider's tips on being wary of certain
types of display shows to personal biographical insights on how a crafts
person succeeded, this is essential reading for any involving in selling
homemade productions.

Halfway to Anywhere
G. Harry Stine
M. Evans & Company
0-87131-805-9 $21.95

Space investment could become a profitable business opportunity and the
science is currently in our hands. This goes beyond most 'space books' to
survey the commercial potentials for space; from consumer participation in
space flights to manufacturing under weightless conditions. Reviewed here
under 'science', this also deserves a recommendation for business
students.

Duchamp
Calvin Tomkins
Henry Holt
0-8050-0823-3 $35.00

Duchamp is one of the world's foremost artists: his biography focuses as
much upon his life as upon his artistic contributions, bringing together
insights into both and considering the historic art movements which helped
foster his growth and productions. More well-rounded than any other
sketch, this provides the definitive examination of Duchamp, his art, and
his times.

World Mythology
Roy Willis, General Editor
Henry Holt
0-8050-4913-4 $22.50

The appearance of this mythology title in paper assures that the
encyclopedia of facts will reach new audiences, providing maps, charts,
family trees and selected mythological episode retellings. The further
organization of the myths by country assures students and adults instant
access to specific world regions.

Henry Holt

A possibly priceless painting is only worth half as much because only half
of it is offered to an art scout. It's up to Fred and his lover Molly to
recover the remaining half; in the process encountering some strange
characters and some threats which could lead to murder. Nicholas Kilmer's
tense thriller Man With A Squirrel (0-8050-3666-0, $22.50)'s involvement
in the antiques and art world is well done under Kilmer's hand. W.L.
Ripley's Electric Country Roulette (3792-6, $25.00) provides an unusual
blend of humor and mystery, some unusual protagonists, and the murder of a
young woman who has accused a celebrity of rape. A conspiracy is revealed
in this fast-paced, hard-hitting story. Speaking of fast paced, don't miss
Eddy Harris' Still Life In Harlem (4951-0, $20.00). This memoir reads like
a novel and charts observations of and the changes affecting Harlem,
presenting a black man's love/hate relationship with the area.

Dover Publications

Any unused to the concept of Dover "Thrift Editions" will find that these
are exceptional bargains: oversized paperbacks gathering classics in
affordable editions which especially lend to replacement of aging
hardcovers with more appealing, affordable circulating copies. New
additions to appear in this series include Mary Wollstonecraft's A
Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman (0-486-29036-0, $2.00), presenting the
feminist's 1792 treatise; Gistave Flaubert's Madame Bovary (29257-6,
$2.00), an excellent little haiku collection Classic Tradition Of Haiku
(29274-6, $1.50) edited by Faubion Bowers; Andre Gide's The Immoralist
(29237-1, $1.50), Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders (29093-X, $2.00), Helen
Keller's classic Story Of My Life (29249-5, $1.00), Emily Bronte's classic
romance Wuthering Heights (29256-8, $2.00), H.G. Wells' science fiction
horror Island Of Dr. Moreau (29027-1, $1.00), Mark Twain's Humorous
Stories And Sketches (29279-7, $1.00) and F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side
Of Paradise (28999-0, $2.00). Solid choices paired with outstanding value.

Boot
William Dunn
William Morrow
0-688-14713-5 $23.00

This blends autobiography, covering rookie L.A.P.D. officer Dunn's year in
the police department, with insights into police work, choices and actions
and provides a strong view of conflicts between race, law enforcement and
social issues in the process. Dunn's title probes the heart of inside and
outside controversies affecting department routines and newspaper
headlines alike.

William Morrow

Kelsey has little choice than to become a wealthy man's mistress when her
relatives' actions leave her penniless and responsible for younger
siblings; but it's unexpected romance she eventually finds in a strange
bargain which leaves her privy to closely held family secrets. Johanna
Lindsey's story Say You Love Me (0-688-14287-7, $22.00) blends romance,
eroticism, and intrigue in a fine leisure read. Bartholomew Gill's The
Death Of An Irish Sea Wolf (14183-8, $23.00) is set on the tiny Irish
ireland of Clare and tells of a mysterious foreigner's confrontation with
his past. A dangerous man has been seeking his missing fortune for
decades: finding his prey, he begins a murderous rampage which threatens
the entire island and provokes Superintendent Peter McGarr's
investigation. Solid tension throughout.

In Hope of Liberty
James and Lois Horton
Oxford University Press
0-19-504732-X $35.00

The lives of men and women who fought for liberty during the times of
1700-1860 are charted in a powerful historical account which uses
biographical sketches to enhance surveys of anti-slavery movements of the
times. The Hortons pay particular attention to smooth interplays between
biography and history: the result is an especially involving survey of
racist networks and struggles.

Oxford University Press

Classic detective stories are compiled in Donald Westlake's Murderous
Schemes (0-19-510321-1, $25.00), a fine anthology which gathers the best
of crime fiction written over the last hundred plus years. A wide range of
styles and approaches to crime writing are illustrated here, making this
particularly recommended for newcomers to the genre who want higher
quality than the usual collection provides. E.W. Hornung's The Collected
Raffles Stories (282324-8, $11.95) gathers under one cover the unusual
character of one Raffles, gentleman and thief. Here are all adventures
contained in three previous collections, coupled with a new introduction
by Clive Bloom and a map of London settings. Recommended for any
enthusiast of British detective fiction.

Oxford University Press

Contemporary writing from around the world are profiled in almost thirty
chapters charting the best of modern literatures in John Sturrock's Oxford
Guide To Contemporary Writing (0-19-818262-7, $35.00). Discussions of
noteworthy publishing events, literary influences on different cultures,
and insights into the talents of individual artists make for a fine
college-level assessment of the state of contemporary language and
literature. Tom McArthur's Companion To The English Language (863136-7,
$25.00) provides a fine concise volume updating a 1992 classic. This is a
shorter volume than the original, concentrating on central themes of
grammar, usage, dialect, and the history of English and using these themes
as frameworks for covering key topics. Don't miss the new 'Oxford Poets'
series: it uses a most affordable paperback format to profile both new and
upcoming poets and provides some excellent contemporary collections.
Penelope Shuttle's Building A City For Jaimie (282517-8) provides the
author's sixth collection of poems charting her journey into middle age:
the free verse is revealing and refreshing. Alice Oswald's The Thing In
The Gap-Stone Stile (282513-5) presents her first book of poems on nature
and love, including a healthy dose of myth and folklore in a vivid series
of impressions. Moniza Alvi's A Bowl Of Warm Air (282520-8) features a
second collection of poems by an author who reflects on India and Pakistan
as well as world cultural interactions. Oxford's also produced an A-Z
series of references on key writers which should be included in any
college-level collection of literary study. Mark Hussey's Virginia Woolf
(511027-7, $19.95) includes plenty of biographical background as well as
numerous literary insights in over 1,300 entries which include synopses of
every major and most minor productions. A. Nicholas Fargnoli & Michael P.
Gillespie's James Joyce (511029-3, $19.95) analyzes all major characters,
terms, concepts and places in Joyce's fiction, including a chronology of
his works and profiles of Joyce and family and friends. R. Kent
Rasmussen's Mark Twain (511028-5, $21.50) is an even weightier
presentation analyzing Twain's life and works. Absolutely essential for
any high school or college-level student.

Knopf

Tim Owens had dropped out of college and turned his back on his pregnant
girlfriend - now his daughter has showed up out of the blue - young and
needy. Is it enough to change Tim's life again, or has he already made his
decision about ignoring long-time relationships? Mona Simpson's A Regular
Guy (0-679-45091-2, $25.00) provides a fine novel which focuses on a
family's uncertain relationships. Richard Adams returns with Tales From
Watership Down (45125-0, $23.00), a sequel to the novel which requires no
prior familiarity in order to prove satisfactory. Folk stories of the
rabbit characters which made Watership Down so endearing provide some
exchanging, appealing moments. Alice Munro's Selected Stories (44627-3,
$30.00) provides slice-of-life vignettes which should not be missed. This
collection is gathered from seven collections of Munro's stories so avid
followers may find little new: it's the newcomer who will best appreciate
this culmination of almost thirty years of literary achievement. Louis
Begley's About Schmidt (45033-5, $23.00) tells of the shambles made of an
old-school lawyer's life as he faces an early enforced retirement, the
death of a beloved wife, and alienation with his only child of an issue of
racism. Social and personal changes blend in a poignant story.

Evil
Roy F. Baumeister
W.H. Freeman
0-7167-2902-4 $24.95

Evidence from the disciplines of psychology, criminology, sociology,
history and others is used to examine the roots of cruelty and violence,
with historical and modern examples used to illustrate how modern people
fall into patterns of violence. Recommended for a wide audience; from
philosophers and college-level psychology courses to the general reader.

Images from the Holocaust
Jean E. Brown, et.al.
NTC Publishing
0-8442-5920-9 $23.95

This comprehensive anthology of Holocaust experiences and hatred uses
poetry, fiction, nonfiction and drama to bring alive the images and
experiences of the event. Courage as well as cruelty are forces explored
through this collection of literature from victims, witnesses and
descendants: the result blends historical insights with first-person
meaning and will prove especially important to future generations.

Water
Alice Outwater
Basic Books
0-465-03779-8 $23.00

This provides a natural and human history of water use; from early
patterns in American settlements to modern times. From changing patterns
of human usage and storage to water's essential links with environmental
health and nature, this provides a wide-ranging view of water's importance
in the world.

Drug Warriors & Their Prey
Richard Lawrence Miller
Praeger Publishing
0-275-95042-5 $24.95

The war on drugs is a war against ordinary people: starting from this
premise Miller analyzes America's drug war in all its social implications,
from examples of enforcement strategies which don't work to court systems
which threaten victims. The idea is that civil liberties are being eroded
in the process of conducting a war against drugs: many examples
demonstrate this loss.

MIT Press

Robert L. Solso's Cognition And The Visual Arts (0-262-69186-8, $17.50)
provides the first systematic study of the connection between new
cognitive psychology and art. This college-level survey links art to
feelings, visual interpretation, and the evolution of form and artistic
perception, and will prove especially revealing to students of art who
want to consider new advances in psychological thinking as part of their
study. Rudolf Kuenzli edits Dada And Surrealist Film (61121-X, $15.00),
gathering thirteen original essays analyzing connections between film and
20th century movements. Essays comment on film evolution and Dada concepts
alike, providing a scholarly perspective. Peter Walker and Melanie Simo's
Invisible Gardens (73116-9, $25.00) examine modernism's relationship to
landscape architecture in America from 1925 to 1975. Individuals and firms
which influenced and defined landscape architecture during this time
receive mention and embellishment in a history and review which examines
both completed and unbuilt projects.

Behind the Crystal Ball
Anthony Aveni
Times Books
0-8129-2415-0 $28.00

The history and connections between science and magic are reviewed in an
intriguing title which argues that modern interests in magic indicate a
desire to make sense of a chaotic world. From dark occult days when
magicians assumed the role of scientific inquirers to modern connections
between perceptions of reality and science, this draws some interesting
parallels between social change and the process of investigation.

The Ultimate Book of Cross-Sections
DK Publishing
0-7894-1195-4 $29.95

While this title was intended for a young adult audience, it's reviewed
here because many an adult will find it fascinating. This vehicle-oriented
survey provides cross section illustrations of all kinds of vehicles,
examining the inner workings of cars, trains, bulldozers, and dozens more.
Machines are sliced and shown in cross-sections with accompanying
technical detail. The gorgeous illustrations and detail makes this highly
notable for adult as well as young audiences.

Tile
Jill Herbers
Artisan
1-885183-29-1 $35.00

A renewed modern interest in tile contributes to a fine celebration of
ceramics and tile patterns around the world. This combines interior design
suggestions with basics on tile use and choices, focussing on home
applications for tile and revealing the range of tiles available for
different projects. An important survey, this will especially appeal to
interior designers studying tile applications and trends.

Simon & Schuster

The apparent suicide of a medical research involves others in a
closely-held secret involving a deadly course of medical investigation
which could reveal a dangerous plot of biological infection. Tension
builds slowly but surely in the story line of Patrick Reinken's Judgment
Day (0-684-80762-9, $2300), which eventually rivals Robin Cook classics,
although it doesn't hold as much attention to using various protagonists'
lives as the draw. John Wessel's This Far No Further (81463-3, $23.00)
provides a fine crime novel set in Chicago and revolving around a P.I.'s
probe of a seemingly simple case. A missing daughter has made Harding an
ex-con: now a new case turns on him, too. Ernest Hill's Satisfied With
Nothin (82259-8, $22.00) presents a tense, riveting story of a young black
man's ticket out of a repressive Southern town - his ball-playing skills -
and his struggles with prejudice in a slowly-changing South. Jamie learns
the limits of white tolerance in a hard world where friends are still hung
for insolence but where white fathers will barely tolerate a black boy in
the name of 'equality'. Emotionally charged and glaringly realistic.

The Gates of November
Chaim Potok
Knopf
0-394-58867-3 $25.00

This is both a work of nonfiction - Potok's departure from his fictional
Jewish worlds - and a literary achievement and is thus reviewed here for
its potential value in both genres. Potok chronicles the Slepak family,
whose changing beliefs and lives mirror their Russian homeland's
transitions. The family sketch lends insights into both home and homeland
in Potok's fine account.

Hunter Publishing

Eight audio cassettes plus two books are packed into two fine home-study
courses which are produced with the student in mind. This is no quickie
memorization set, but a course which moves from introductory to advanced
lessons. Spanish (0-85285-286-X $54.95) and German (285-1 $54.95) each
provide guidelines on pronunciation and grammar, with supportive
conversation practices, exercises, and both written and oral instruction
and advice providing much detail. Highly recommended for in-depth study.

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Midwest Book Review
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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