Visit Bookviews by Alan Caruba, November 2003

Books for review should be sent to Alan Caruba, Bookviews.Com, 9 Brookside Road, Maplewood, NJ 07040. Do not send galleys or bound proofs. Bookviews.Com accepts only the finished book. Thank you.

My Picks of the Month

With Christmas around the corner, those who are interested in the history of Christianity will find Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths we Never Knew by Bart D. Ehrmann ($30.00, Oxford University Press) will prove fascinating as this Chairman of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, an authority on the early Church and the life of Jesus, provides an astonishing account of the clash of politics, power, and ideas that occurred in the decades that led to the establishment of an Christian orthodoxy. Based on meticulous research by many theological scholars, Ehrman discusses how differing versions of Christianity fought for the right to be the one accepted today in the New Testament scriptures. Other writings, however, were mercilessly attacked and suppressed, and they reveal major disagreements as well as the developments that led to modern Christianity. Disagreements would later lead to the Reformation and the many different churches that gather under the banner of Christianity. Prepare yourself for some surprises.

There is something so inherently satisfying about a good book of history that one almost feels as if they had lived through it themselves. In the case of Stephen C. Schlesinger’s Act of Creation: The Foundingof the United Nations ($27.00, Westview Press, Perseus Books Group) I am old enough to have been a youngster when the UN was brought into being as the dream of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He did not live to see it happen, but he was the guiding hand, seeking a way, along with Harry Truman who followed him, to avert World War III. Both men had lived through two world wars and both passionately believed that an international institution had to replace the failed League of Nations. Schlesinger tells the story in sometimes excruciating detail, almost day to day from FDR’s death to the signing of the Charter, but the fact is, the making of the UN was a daily struggle to which a relative handful of Americans devoted their best efforts. The author tells the story through their lives and one comes away with as complete an understanding of those times, as World War II wound to an end, as if one had lived them. My only caveat is that the author, an advocate of the UN, largely ignores the more than fifty years of the UN’s failure to fulfill its lofty goals and its transformation into an institution openly seeking to be a global government superceding the sovereignty of all nations. To many, the UN has outlived its usefulness in a changed world where the struggle is now against the borderless terrorism of Islamic fanaticism.

War is the way much of history is decided and Americans can be justly proud of the young men and women who liberated Iraq from a vicious despot. United States Army at War: 9-11 through Iraq by F. Clifton Berry Jr. features the photography of Dennis Steele and has a forward by General Tommy R. Franks ($34.95, Naval Institute Press). It is a fitting tribute and reminder of the courage of our fighting forces. The author takes the reader through the events that followed 9-11 as the Army mobilized to defend the homeland and took the fight to Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom, ending the reign of the Taliban and putting al Qaeda on the run. Then, in a military operation future generations will study, they blazed into Iraq with lightning speed. Now they are tending to the difficult job of creating a new nation with representative government, free of the oppression the Iraqis have known for over three decades. A US Army veteran myself, I found this book a faithful look at the dangerous job of defending and extending freedom, and the sweet taste of victory.

A book that has captured a lot of attention and deservedly so is Mexifornia: A State of Becoming ($21.95, Encounter Books) by Victor Davis Hanson. A lifelong resident of Selma, California, educated in its schools in the 1950s, a local farmer as well as a professor of the classics at California State University, Fresno, Hanson discusses how the out of control immigration from Mexico has transformed his community, the State, and by extension, the Southwest and other areas of the nation. Here is a true intellect at work on complex issues such as assimilation, education, and the social impact of the entire process. Though it may seem this book would only be of interest to Californians most affected by it, the fact is all Americans are affected by the issues analyzed and discussed with a clarity one often doesn’t find in someone from the world of academia. This new wave of immigration is quite different in many striking ways from those that preceded it. You need to know why and what it may portend.

An issue that at some point catches everyone’s attention is the erosion of free speech in America. You Can’t Say That! The Growing Threat to Civil Liberties from Antidiscrimination Laws by David E. Bernstein ($20.00, Cato Institute) takes a look at the way political correctness and the effort to rid society of every real or perceived "discrimination" is eating away at freedom of speech, association, artistic endeavors, and others Americans have long taken as their birthright. A professor of law at George Mason University, the author makes a powerful case for the need to repeal these laws and rules used by activists and the courts to stifle open discussion of issues that affect our society. They affect what one can say or do in the workplace, teach in a college classroom, who can legitimately be rejected for employment, and countless other instances. Anyone interested in the legal issues involved and their affect on society will find this book of great interest.

With an eye toward Christmas next month, there are a number of coffee table books that will make excellent gifts. The Firefly Atlas of the Universe by Sir Patrick Moore ($45.00, Firefly Books Ltd.) will delight anyone with an interest in the stars, planets, and the vast universe. It is densely detailed with information from the latest space probes and features extraordinary images from the Hubble Space Station, as well as ground-based telescopes. It has up-to-date star and planetary maps. You don’t have to be a scientist to enjoy this book, but it may inspire younger readers to become one. And you don’t have to be an astronomer to be mesmerized by Hubble: The Mirror on the Universe by Robin Kerrod ($35.00, Firefly Books Ltd.) The space telescope let scientists discover galaxies billions of light years away or see the swirling clouds of gas and dust in the Tarantula Nebula, a stellar nursery that continues to collapse and spawn thousands of new stars. There’s the Great Red Spot on Jupiter and just so much more to recommend this remarkable book, enhanced by 250 mind-boggling photos.

On December 7 next month, we will mark the centenary of the first heavier-than-air flight by the Wright brothers. Think how far we have come in a mere century. The story of that journey is marvelously captured in Aviation Century: The Early Years by Air-Vice Marshal Ron Dick (RAF retired) and Dan Patterson, an aviation photographer. Together, they relate the years from 1903 to 1939. ($39.95, Boston Mills Press/Firefly Books). Ironically, the Wright brothers thought their invention would make wars impossible. Instead, the airplane became the deciding factor in waging modern warfare. Splendidly written and beautifully illustrated, this book will please anyone interested in aviation history. Around the world, there are many unique tribes and peoples whose religions, beliefs, and traditions are being altered by a modern world. Living Tribes: The World’s Endangered Peoples by Colin Prior ($35.00, Firefly Books) tells the story in words and photos of fifteen tribes from Africa, Australia, Asia and, in North America, the Inuits. This is a fascinating look into the past as these societies give way to new ways of living. Each of these books provides real value and will become treasured parts of any personal library.

I happen to love poetry, but I rarely read the new work these days because so many of the so-called "modern" poets are just awful. They don’t rhyme, their work looks and reads like prose, and, in general, is not as satisfying as past generations of poets. So, when I received an advance copy of Poetry Daily, due out in December ($14.95, Sourcebooks, Inc.) I was prepared to be disappointed. Instead, I was astounded to find one poem after another that just knocked me socks off. The 366 (one for leap year) poems offered are chosen from "the world’s most popular poetry website," www.poems.com, that receives more than 88 million hits per year, as many as 30,000 readers on a single day. Do not tell me people do not crave poetry! And if you, like I, are one of them, you must pick up a copy of this wonderful collection by some of the best, modern poets of our times.

If you love art and New Orleans, the perfect combination can be found in New Orleans en Plain Air ($35.00, Pelican Publishing Company) written and illustrated by Phil Sandusky whose work is devoted to the streets, landscapes and architecture of New Orleans. From Uptown to City Park, the Crescent City comes alive on the canvasses of this talented artist. His commentary on the artistic process and the paintings shown in beautiful full color allow the city and its environs come to life in this gorgeous book and it would make a great gift for anyone who lives there or who, like myself, has visited the city and fallen in love with it. Truly a feast for the eye and an excellent book for those interested in the way an artist selects his sites and portrays them. Sandusky currently teaches at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts.

In an increasingly dangerous world, The Personal Travel Safety Manual: Security for Business People Traveling Overseas ($18.95, Tally Ho Consulting, Nicasio, CA) by Christopher P.P. Barnes is a very good investment. Along with the potential for terrorist attacks, business and other travelers face the threat of infectious diseases, and other risks. This manual details the research needed to assess the risks of travel in any foreign nation and the preparations needed to enhance your personal safety. These include State Department travel advisories, learning about relevant local laws, why non-stop flights are best, and much more. This is a very good review of all the factors one should consider from selecting a secure hotel, how to insure secure communications, dealing with banks, et cetera, with special advice for women and those traveling with children. A new member, a grand niece, was added to my family tree in mid-September and, serendipitously, The Post-Pregnancy Handbook by Sylvia Brown ($14.95, Griffin trade softcover) arrived shortly after. It filled with invaluable advice for the new mother in terms of her personal health care, as well as their emotional and sexual healing following a birth. It is detailed in a way that all good references and guides are. Medications are named. Useful resources for the new mother are identified. Even my fairly casual perusal of the book convinced me it was the idea gift for the new mother and, judging by her response, I was right.

For anyone scouting out colleges and universities to attend, I heartily recommend the 2004 edition of The Unofficial Biased Guide to the 328 Most Interesting Colleges by Trent Anderson and Seppy Basili ($20.00, Simon & Schuster) that looks at these institutions of higher learning and cuts through the hype to provide the real scoop on campus environment, student life, what its curriculum and faculty provide. Plus there’s plenty of hard data on costs, institutional aid, admissions requirements, blah, blah, blah. Get this one and get the inside track on, well, what the title is all about.

This being football season, if you are a dedicated fan of the Oakland Raiders, you will surely enjoy Craig Parker’s Football’s Blackest Hole: A Fan’s Perspective ($16.95, Frog, Ltd., distributed by North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA). Written against the backdrop of the nearly triumphant 2002 season, Parker lets you share all the joy of victory and agony of defeat as he recounts the wars between the end zones. As Boston Herald sportswriter, George Kimball, says, "Parker, in any case, writes very well, has a sharp eye for detail, and remembers more than just about any sportswriter I could name." Of course, for Parker, it’s not just a game, but also a way of life. Anyone who loves football like Parker does will thoroughly enjoy this book. And you will learn more about the Raiders than you ever thought possible!

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Real People, Real Lives

With the California recall election behind us and the 2004 elections heating up, this is the right time to read Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power by Lou Cannon ($30.00, Public Affairs/Perseus Books). Written by a veteran journalist, it is a classic study of Reagan’s evolution from retired movie actor to conservative spokesman, to a national figure who historians are already reevaluating for his impact on this nation and the world. He launched his candidacy for governor of California on January 4, 1966 with a call for reform of the state’s tax system and, to a lot of people’s surprise, was elected. Initially he suffered from political amateurism, an inexperienced staff, and ideological blind spots, but he proved a quick study. His two terms set the stage for his bid for the presidency. Cannon, who covered Reagan for 36 years, has written an interesting study that will please those who follow politics and those interested in Reagan, the man.

For those political junkies out there, W: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty, is out in paperback ($7.99, Berkeley Publishing). In truth, Elizabeth Mitchell has produced a book that drew high praise from people like historians Steven Ambrose and Douglas Brinkley. It is a thorough and even-handed biography that traces his life from Andover to Yale to oil and to politics. In short, the same path his father took. With a new chapter on the 2000 election, this is a good book to read as the 2004 elections begin to heat up.

Several ladies are the subjects of autobiographies and biographies. I Put a Spell on You ($17.00, Da Capo Press/Perseus Books) is the autobiography of the late, great jazz singer, Nina Simone, written with Stephen Cleary, and enhanced with an introduction by Dave March. From her humble beginning in North Carolina to her eventual rise to fame, she made her way in the world with her unmistakable voice and songs that often mirrored her times. She was truly one of a kind and lovers of jazz will love her story. Also from Da Capo Press comes Rough Magic ($18.00), a biography of the poetess Sylvia Plath by Paul Alexander. A new film, "Sylvia", starring Gwyneth Paltrow is making its way into theatres as this softcover is reissued. Hers was a short life because she committed suicide at age thirty, but she left behind a body of work that is likely to keep her in the top ranks of poets for some time to come. Madame de Pompadour: A Life by Evelyne Lever ($16.95, St. Martin’s Press softcover) tells the interesting story of girl who became the famous and influential mistress of Louis XV. She was a talented singer and actress, a patron of the arts, and devoted to the king. Her intelligence served her well in her friendships with many of the leading philosophers and writers of the 18^th century. History buffs will enjoy this excellent biography and so will royalty watchers, as she was the subject of endless court gossip and intrigues.

Some of my fondest memories growing up include watching "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar’s Hour", starring Sid Caesar. He was the absolute master of comedy during what is now referred to as the golden age of television. Naturally, I was delighted to receive Caesar’s Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter ($26.00, Public Affairs) written by Sid Caesar with Eddy Friedfelt, an entertainment journalist and film critic. If you belong to my generation, a fan of Sid Caesar, or are interested in learning about the talented team that wrote and performed from 1950 to 1957, then this book will surely please you. The names of the men who contributed, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, and Woody Allen are well known know in their own right, but back then they were the largely unknown comedy writers who produced magic every week. Caesar inspired a whole new generation of comedians. You will enjoy this memoir.

An interesting memoir of growing up in Nigeria in the 1950s is told in Elaine Neil Orr’s Gods of Noonday: A White Girl’s African Life ($27.95, University of Virginia Press). The daughter of medical missionaries, Orr was born in 1954 when the national movement that would lead to independence was beginning to heat up. She grew up half American and half Nigerian, and when she was sent alone to the United States for high school, it would be many years before she discovered how much Africa had shaped her life. These competing cultures are the subject of her story as she relates what it was like to grow up in Ogbomocho in the land of the Yoruba people. Another culture and land is captured in Rory & Ita by Roddy Doyle ($14.00, Penguin Books softcover), a bestselling Irish novelist. In this portrait of his parents, he tells the story of two Irish lives spanning much of the last century when Ireland was transformed and they experienced dramatic changes. Born in the 1920’s, they were both involved in the politics of their times. For those of Irish descent, this will prove an interesting memoir.

Carl Gustav Jung is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the modern era. Though Sigmund Freud is considered the father of psychoanalysis, Jung was his crown prince, but Jung would abandon Freud’s theories to establish analytical psychology. It would be Jung’s theories of dream interpretation, the integration of the psyche as the goal of personal development, and the common roots of all human mythologies that would gain ascendancy. Deirdre Blair, a biographer of considerable skill, has written Jung: A Biography ($35.00, Little, Brown), beginning with Jung’s birth in 1875 through his long career in which his pioneering theories would add words to our vocabulary such as introvert and extrovert, the archetype, and synchronicity, among others. And, to be sure, Jung was a complex man who has long been the subject of much dispute and conjecture. Blair nimbly picks her way through the complex life of a controversial genius. This is bound to be considered one of the best biographies of the year.

Two softcover memoirs are well worth reading and totally different from one another. The first is just drop-dead entertaining. Baghdad Express by Joel Turnipseed ($13.00, Penguin Books) is subtitled "A Gulf War Memoir" and tells of what it was like for a philosophy student and reserve Marine to get called up and sent halfway around the world to drive trucks full of the things needed to win the first confrontation with the Iraqis. For anyone who has been in the military, this memoir resonates with all the experiences common to wearing a uniform. Moreover, you get a first-hand look at the1991 war with all its connotations for the invasion of Iraq earlier this year. The author has a felicity of language and a grasp of the absurd that reminds one, in some ways, of Catch 22. The story he tells is a real one and, in the author’s hands, an excellent look at both the mystique and reality of being a Marine. The other memoir is Elise Edelson Katch’s The Get: A Spiritual Memoir of Divorce ($10.95, Simcha Press). With extraordinary insight, the author tells the story of how her orthodox Jewish marriage fell apart when her husband fell in love with another woman. What makes this book special is that the author is a practicing therapist who has specialized in the fields of trauma and high-conflict divorce, so she brings to her story important insights and, perhaps just as importantly, a gift for revealing the universal feelings any woman would encounter in such an event. Thus, for a woman going through a divorce or recovering from one, I would surely recommend this book.

A memoir by Chalmers Dale, A Life Full of Days, (23.50, 1^st Books Library) tells the story of a man much admired for his work as a CBS producer involved with more than 300 drama, art, music and documentary programs. He worked with many of the most famous names in television, but this is really the story of a man who wrestled with his sexual identity at a time when homosexuality was taboo. Indeed, after serving two years in the Navy during World War II, he married and fathered two sons, denying his true feelings about himself. In 1951 he joined CBS and retired forty years later. He would, however, in 1958, find his life's companion and, after divorce, enter on a relationship of forty-five years. Today, homosexuality is "out of the closet" and seeking an equal legal footing. This memoir provides an insight to what it was like to live through the long period of changing cultural attitudes. It was in many ways a difficult life for Dale, but also one filled with success. It is told with honesty and humor.

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The Business of Business

There has been such an avalanche of books on all aspects of the world of business and finance in recent weeks, trying to cover them all will mean barely noting them in passing, but each has a lot to offer. Take a deep breath. Here goes!

There is endless talk of jobs disappearing as if this was something the White House was manipulating when, in fact, this is the result of the impact on new technologies in the same way air and auto travel has left train travel gasping for breath. So today’s job seeker needs new skills. To Find a Job…Start a New Career by Marvin Rafal, Ph.D, ($16.95, Andrews McMeel) addresses the way many people are dissatisfied in their current occupations are worried by seemingly non-existent job security. His book focuses on how to find the right job whether one is jobless or seeking a new position. It’s filled with good, useful advice and information, including fifteen occupational career charts. Want to really make a big change? How to Get a Job in Europe ($22.95, Planning Communications, Forest River, IL) is now in its completely revised and updated fifth edition. It is, without doubt, the best book on this subject and a real bargain for the tons of advice and information it provides on how to get a job in England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland, and twenty other nations. It tells you who the major employers are, the top employment agencies, and so much more.

It was, of course, the computer that transformed the way we do business these days. An interesting book, Who Invented the Computer? The Legal Battle that Changed Computing History ($35.00, Prometheus Books) by Alice Rowe Burks, tells the little known story of a 1973 legal battle between Sperry Rand Corporation and an unknown professor of physics and mathematics at Iowa State University named John V. Atanasoff. The latter won and the rest is history. Testimony of the transforming impact of computers and wireless communications are two books from Amacom, Wireless Networking Made Easy ($27.95) by Russell Shaw and The Web Conferencing Book ($24.95) by Sue Spielman and Liz Winfeld. The former is a how-to regarding the installation, monitoring and use the latest wireless systems. The latter is an excellent guide on the way to save tons of money with web-based conferencing systems that let large companies manage more effectively and small companies grow more swiftly.

The bottom line in every business is not just a good product or service, but the ability to communicate effectively with everyone inside and outside the company to achieve sales. Corporate Conversations: A Guide to Crafting Effective and Appropriate Internal Communications by Shel Holtz ($27.95, Amacom) addresses the way everything an organization does sends a message to its employees. By controlling that message, says the author, companies can improve their bottom line while increasing employee morale, productivity, performance and retention. This book makes a lot of good sense! Terry R. Bacon and David G. Pugh argue that great products and services are no longer the sole answer to success. They are now quickly imitated, so the most successful companies differentiate themselves by how they behave toward customers at every touch point. Their book, Winning Behavior ($29.95, Amacom) addresses the ways the smartest, most successful companies to this. The "in" term for this is "behavioral differentiation."

How to make it happen can be found between the covers of this interesting book. Another look at this for service industries is found in S-Business: Reinventing the Services Organization by James A. Alexander and Mark W. Hordes ($24.95, Select Books). The book provides the readers with a comprehensive blueprint to implement "best practices" to insure bigger profits and annual growth. Today’s consumer wants more and better services. The businesses that provide are the one’s that will succeed.

In a comparable fashion, Trust or Consequences: Build Trust Today or Lose Your Market Tomorrow by Al Golin ($24.00, Amacom) addresses the question of how a company can convince its customers, investors and other constituencies that it is trustworthy in an era of ethical lapses and corporate scandals. This public relations veteran reveals how he has helped high-profile companies like McDonald’s, Gerber and others achieve and maintain trust. Being a PR Counselor myself, I can tell you that this book’s message is pure gold!

Several softcover books address the nitty-gritty of good management techniques. I enjoyed Peanut Butter and Jelly Management: Tales from Parenthood & Lessons for Managers by Chris and Reina Komisarjevsky ($12.95, Amacom) reflects on the ways the skills of a good manager are the same as those of a good parent. Translating those skills from the home to the office are worth contemplating. The Teamwork Chronicles by Steven J. Carney ($12.95, Greenleaf Book Company) draws on the author’s experience with various teams and companies. He has written a book on how to avoid a workplace culture defined by too much conflict, devaluation and abuse. This is a book about problem solving and problem avoidance. It is filled with excellent advice and insights. Another book that will greatly improve any workplace is We’ve Got to Start Meeting Like This! How to Get Better Results with Fewer Meetings by Robert C. Kausen ($16.95, Life Education, Inc., Trinity Center, CA). Studies have revealed that 70% of a manager’s time is spent in meetings. That’s nearly three days a week. The can too often add up to 50,000 unproductive hours in a typical manager’s career. Measured in average dollars per salary, it’s close to a million dollars. People have forgotten (or never learned) to listen to one another. How to cut through the wasted time is the heart of this book. It can be done! And then there’s Generating Buy-In: Mastering the Language of Leadership by Mark S. Walton ($19.95, Amacom) that addresses how to generate action and commitment to the goals necessary for a team or organization to work together. Walton is the former chief White House correspondent for CNN and he brings three decades of experience around the upper-echelons of the media, business and government. He not only understands the dynamics of leadership, he shares this battle-tested advice on effective communication with you. It’s a bargain at any price!

One of the best books on marketing I have seen in a long time is Eric Gagnon’s The Marketing Manager’s Handbook ($39.95, Internet Media, Warrenton, VA), a thick compendium of practical, real world strategies for boosting sales in all markets, industries and business conditions. It runs just short of 500 pages so you are surely getting your money’s worth with fact-filled chapters on every aspect of marketing comparable to getting a college degree in the subject. As a professor of mine once told me, "Nothing happens until someone sells something to someone else." Whether you’re running a huge corporation or a small business, this book has lots of valuable information to share with you; the kind that makes the difference between success and failure.

There are a number of recently published business books that don’t fall into any particular category, but are worth recommending. The Girl’s Guide to Power and Success by SusanWilson Solovic ($14.00, Amacom softcover) addresses the fact that gender bias exists in the workplace. Barely 3.1% of senior executives at Fortune 500 companies are women. The author looks at today’s narrow stereotypes and women’s own self-defeating behaviors, sharing savvy advice and dynamic strategies to achieve personal success. Just like she did. Learn how men use assertiveness and directness without sacrificing feminine strength. This book is filled with practical tips and strategies.

Negotiate This! By Caring, But Not T-H-A-T Much (24.95, Warner Business Books) by famed negotiator and author, Herb Cohen, can turn you into a first class negotiator too. All of life is a series of negotiations and this practical guide, filled with interesting stories, will give you a sense of power you never thought you could achieve. Taking Stock: A Spiritual Guide to Rising Above Life’s Financial Ups and Downs by Rabbi Benjamin Blech with a forward by Monsignor James P. Lisante ($17.95, Amacom) looks to the Bible as a fount of excellent fiscal guidance, as useful today as when the Bible was first written. It discusses how stores and verses from the Scripture can inspire anyone to reflect on concepts that could have saved them a fortune in the past and still protect them in the future. Countless people have seen their savings lost in the roller coaster of recent years as the stock market moved up and down, and some companies failed amidst great scandal. If you are one of them or know someone who is, this is a remarkable and excellent book to read.

Trying to make sense of what is more and more a global stock market and economy? Then read The Equity Culture: The Story of the Global Stock Market by B. Mark Smith ($25.00, Farrar, Straus & Giroux). Tracing the global stock market from its origins in ancient Rome to the present day, the author focuses on ideas rather than institutions to show how the worldwide stock market has become a powerful, almost irresistible force, requiring governments to modify economic policies, reshaping social compacts in many country, and substantially altering the lives of tens of millions of people. It is a tribute to democratic capitalism, a force in the world being fought by socialists, environmentalists, and others who advocate collectivism and top-down controls. You will gain insights that explain much of what is happening in the world today and how it will affect the future.

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Books for Children & Younger Readers

Advertisers have been targeting young people for a long time now, recognizing what a large market they represent. There’s a book I think every parent should give their pre-teen, age 8 and up. It’s Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know by Shari Graydon ($24.95, Annick Press). Today’s young person is bombarded with advertisements. Did you know that more than 12,000 US schools have agreed to show commercials in their classrooms? Studies show that the typical American kid views a staggering 40,000 ads every year on TV alone. This book gives a young person an explanation of the way advertising works and the tools to distinguish hype from the facts.

Barnyard Books of Sergeantsville, NJ has been publishing a series of books with stories about Ernest, a miniature donkey and his larger horse friends, all written by Laura T. Barnes and delightfully illustrated by Carol A. Camburn. The latest is Ernest’s Special Christmas ($17.95). Ernest is a totally endearing donkey. It’s Christmas Eve and he notices that Chester, a big white draft horse isn’t around. He finds him lying in a field in need of help. Of course there’s a happy ending, but a child being read this story or reading it himself will be eager to arrive at it. This series has received the Teacher’s Choice Award for 2003. It includes Earnest and the BIG Itch, Twist and Ernest, and Teeny Tiny Ernest. Ideal for ages four through eight.

One of my favorite publishers of children’s books is Illumination Arts of Bellevue, Washington. Their books are of consistent high quality in both text and artwork. So, naturally, I was pleased to see one of their latest titles, The Errant Knight, with a story by Ann Tompert and illustrated by Doug Keith ($15.95). It is a wonderful story of a young knight who sets out to serve his king, but along the way he helps many strangers, delaying him from reaching the castle for many years. Thinking he has failed in his duty, he finally reaches the castle on foot, having sold almost all his belongings to help others. Only then does he learn that he has not been an "errant" knight seeking fame fighting dragons and giants, but one who has fulfilled his king’s highest aspirations by helping his subjects by following his heart and conscience.

Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company of Anchorage, Alaska is another one of my favorite publishers. And why not? Their books are always unique, well written and beautifully illustrated. Big-Enough Anna: The Little Sled Dog Who Braved the Arctic ($15.95) by Pam Flowers with Ann Dixon, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth, is a great story of courage. Big-Enough Anna is the smallest sled dog on a team selected for a 2,500-mile expedition across the top of the world. When the lead dog chases a caribou herd and gets lost, it’s up to her to fill in. Great story for ages 5 and up with the lesson that it’s heart that matters, not size. Groucho’s Eyebrows by Tricia Brown and illustrated by Barbara Levalee ($15.95) is not about Groucho Marx, but a white cat with black eyebrows. This one is a stray adopted by a young girl, Kristie, and becomes her best playmate. When Groucho slips outside and gets lost, Kristie has to use your savvy and tracking skills to find the cat, encountering a bunch of Northland critters along the way. Anyone who owns a cat and has a child will love this story, ideal for ages 6-10.

Two new books from Farrar, Straus and Giroux are sure to please children and younger readers. The first, for the very youngest, is Father Fox’s Christmas Rhymes by Clyde Watson, illustrated by Wendy Watson ($16.00) portrays the way Christmas is celebrated by old and young as a family of foxes rhyme their way through preparations for Santa to arrive and the big Christmas dinner. For an older reader, age 10 and up, there’s The Tree of Life by Peter Sis ($18.00) that celebrates one of the great original thinkers, Charles Darwin whose ideas about the origins of life and natural selection has shaped our understanding. This is a richly illustrated, layered book about his life, the times in which he lived, and, of course, his discoveries and the theory he developed. This book not only opens young minds to the world around them, it will serve them well in their studies as well.

Soccer has become a popular game among girls and Soccer Dreams by Leah Lauber ($19.99, WCI Press, order from 888-SOCCER3) tells her story as a fan and 12-year-old junior reporter for the St. Petersburg Times as she followed the US Women’s National Soccer Team during its history making 1999 victory in FIFA Women’s World Cup. Leah’s big softcover book will please every young lady who loves the game. Filled with photos, the book reveals a real talent for good writing that immediately conveys her own enthusiasm for the game and the way the players befriended and encouraged her. This is the story of a true sports adventure. If you have a future Mia Hamm or Shannon MacMillan in your family or know one, this book will be a Christmas gift wish come true. Another book girls aged eight to eleven will enjoy is a novel by Janet Muirhead Hill, Miranda and Starlight ($9.00, Raven Publishing, Norris, MT). This is its second edition of what is the first in a series based on a young girl and her horse. I have noted this series before. It includes Starlight’s courage, Starlight, Star Bright, and Starlight’s Shooting Star. The latter two of these titles will be published in 2004. The books are both entertaining and educational, touching on topics that include being the new girl at school, bullies and cliques, racism, and what happens when one lies. There’s even a movie in the making based on this series and, it should be said, even boys will enjoy this series. The other novel, Frosty: The Adventures of a Morgan Horse ($9.95, Willow Bend Publishing) is by Ellen F. Feld. It is a sequel to her previous book, Blackjack, and continues the adventures of Heather Richardson, introducing a new horse, a rare gray Morgan named Frosty. This is the story of how Heather copes with Blackjack becoming ill while training Frosty. Plenty of good reading here.

From Mondo Publishing, New York comes America’s Mountains by Frank Staub ($16.95). Beautifully illustrated with numerous full color photos, the book tells how mountains are formed and introduces readers 7 to 12 to the various mountain ranges of America in a way that will inspire an appreciation for Nature. For younger readers, ages 3 to 7, there’s Jeffrey Fulmer’s My Imagination Kit, illustrated by Jimmy Pickering ($15.95) that tells the story of a little boy who receives a box of crayons from his mother and banishes his boredom by tapping his imagination. Boredom is the great enemy of children, young people and older ones as well. For information about how to overcome and avoid boredom, visit www.boringinstitute.com. Of course, the best way is to read, read, read!

That’s it for November! Christmas and Hanukah are around the corner, so join me next month for some great book gift ideas. Happy Thanksgiving!

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