Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Stop by and check out one of these intriguing Non-Fiction titles

American Commando by John Wukovits
Before the Green Berets...Before the Navy SEALs...Before the Army Rangers...There was the Long Patrol.

November 1942: in the hellish combat zone of Guadalcanal, one man would make history.

Lieutenant Colonel Evans Carlson was considered a maverick by many of his comrades-and seen as a traitor by some. He spent years observing guerrilla tactics all over the world, and knew that those tactics could be adapted effectively by the Marines.

Carlson and an elite fighting force-the 2nd Raider Battalion-embarked upon a thirty-day mission behind enemy lines where they disrupted Japanese supplies, inflicted a string of defeats on the enemy in open combat, and gathered invaluable intelligence on Japanese operations on Guadalcanal. And in the process they helped lay the foundation for Special Forces in the modern military.

Here for the first time is a riveting account of one man, one battalion, and one mission that would resonate through the annals of military history.

A Love That Multiplies by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar
In this second book from the Duggars, they focus on the principles that equip them to face life's challenges—drawing from their most recent challenge with the 3-month premature birth of their newest child, Josie. They also share the new challenges their older children are facing as they prepare for adult life. Central to the book is a section on the principles that the Duggars have consistently taught their children. These simply worded principles are basic to the Duggar family and are shared in a way that other parents can incorporate in their own homes. A special chapter on homeschooling gives valuable information to parents who are considering this route or are already invested in it. The world continues to be amazed by their nineteen well-groomed, well-behaved, well-schooled children and their home life, which focuses on family, financial responsibility, fun—and must importantly, faith. The Duggars show how parents can succeed whether they’re rearing a single child or several. 
Beyond Tallulah by Sam Wyly
Beyond Tallulah, the illustrated biography of Sam Wyly, the most versatile big-company entrepreneur in American history, tells one of the most compelling untold business stories of our time. Wyly has built 10 companies in nine different industries with 500 million- or billion-dollar valuations. He’s the reason that Bonanza Steakhouse, Michaels Arts & Crafts and Green Mountain Energy are household names today. And his achievements serve as a valuable point of reference for today’s generation of recession-fighting Start-up Whiz Kids.
After a mercurial rise through the early computer industry in Texas, Wyly founded a data transmission company (DATRAN) with the dream of building a network of microwave towers that would enable computers to talk to each other wirelessly—20 years before the World Wide Web existed. What happened next is a case study of high-wire business dealings that speaks to the core values of American enterprise. Wyly’s dealings with entrenched interests foreshadow the tough questions faced by today’s readership about the proper roles of government and business in rebuilding the country. As Wyly struggled to recover from disastrous setbacks, he never stopped asking, “What's next?”



Beyond the Body Farm by Bill Bass

For 37 years, forensic anthropologist Bill Bass has been presiding over the University of Tennessee's Body Farm. This ghoulish yet beneficial cadaver experiment continues to sow significant findings about victims and their killers. Though well known among his professional peers, Dr. Bass first came to wide public attention with his 2003 memoir, Death's Acres. In this stand-alone sequel, he and coauthor Jon Jefferson rejoin forces to address recent cases and cutting-edge crime-fighting technologies.

Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book by John Ettinger
If cooking healthier meals at home is your new resolution, look no further than Bob’s Red Mill’s extensive collection of high-quality grains, flours, and other mouth-watering products. The Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook will help introduce new whole-grain ingredients into all of your daily meals, without a huge investment in pricey, difficult-to-locate, limited products that do more to take up space than change nutrition habits. Whole-wheat flours, brown rice, whole beans, and legumes have become prevalent in supermarkets everywhere, but among the hundreds of products milled at the Bob’s Red Mill plant are also blue corn flour, quinoa, amaranth, teff, and all varieties of nuts and seeds, and they can be integrated seamlessly into any diet to delicious effect.
The unique, family-owned mill has been in the business of producing healthy whole-grain products for over 30 years, and they provide here more than 350 recipes for all sorts of everyday meals: morning food, snacks and sides, main courses, soups and stews, and sweets, with plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. This practical and comprehensive cookbook is an outstanding collection of reliable recipes that reflect the Bob’s Red Mill product quality, product diversity, and dedication to healthful eating. Becoming a more inventive cook is a stepping stone to a healthier outlook, incorporating better ingredients for a better life.


Cook Yourself Thin by Lifetime

LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND!
Cook Yourself Thin is a healthy, delicious way to drop a dress size without all the gimmicks. The ladies of "Cook Yourself Thin," a new Lifetime reality show, offer 80 easy, accessible recipes in this companion cookbook that teaches readers how to cut calories without compromising taste.
For some of us, losing weight has always been a struggle. The challenge: figuring out how to cook healthy, low-fat foods that won't leave you hungry, bored, or running for a gallon of ice cream! Cook Yourself Thin shows how to cut calories, change diets, and improve health without sacrificing the foods we love.
Cook Yourself Thin is not a fad diet. It gives skinny alternatives to your cravings. You can't live without your chocolate cake or mac 'n' cheese? You don't have to! There's never enough time to cook? Cook Yourself Thin keeps it simple-with easy instructions and fun recipes you'll want to make again and again.


Every Dog Has a Gift by Rachel McPherson
Inspiring stories of dogs who do good. Anyone who has ever had a relationship with a dog will tell you: They want nothing more than to give love and be loved in return. In Every Dog Has a Gift, Rachel McPherson draws on her experience as the founder and executive director of The Good Dog Foundation, the largest animal-assisted therapy organization on the East Coast, to share the amazing stories of dogs that bring hope and healing into our lives.

Much has been said about the heroic roles dogs played following September 11th and Hurricane Katrina in providing support and comfort for the families and victims of these terrible tragedies, but the truth is that millions of dogs around the world are heroes every day.


The Few by Alex Kershaw

We can now think of them as premature war heroes, but at the time, the American pilots who flew for the Royal Air Force before Pearl Harbor were ignored, dismissed as thrill-seeking Yankees, or castigated as a national nuisance. American ambassador Joseph Kennedy, viewing these mavericks as a threat to U.S. neutrality, tried to get them deported. But these "Knights of the Air" persisted, shooting down several fearsome German aces, and became national heroes in Great Britain. A rousing story for war buffs, well told by Alex Kershaw.
The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes

In The Forgotten Man, Amity Shlaes, one of the nation's most respected economic commentators, offers a striking reinterpretation of the Great Depression. Rejecting the old emphasis on the New Deal, she turns to the neglected and moving stories of individual Americans, and shows how through brave leadership they helped establish the steadfast character we developed as a nation. Some of those figures were well known, at least in their day Andrew Mellon, the Greenspan of the era; Sam Insull of Chicago, hounded as a scapegoat. But there were also unknowns: the Schechters, a family of butchers in Brooklyn who dealt a stunning blow to the New Deal; Bill W., who founded Alcoholics Anonymous in the name of showing that small communities could help themselves; and Father Divine, a black charismatic who steered his thousands of followers through the Depression by preaching a Gospel of Plenty.




Give Me Tomorrow by Patrick K O’Donnell

After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or “Bloody George” as they were known—one of the Forgotten War’s most decorated yet unrecognized companies—it was a wish that would not come true.

This is the untold story of “Bloody George,” a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation’s call to duty in 1950. This small band of men—a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood—were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America’s urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War’s bloodiest battles.

After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America’s last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn’t realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle—modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage.


Hidden in Plain Sight by Mark Buchanan

Ever feel stuck? That no matter how much you wish otherwise, how hard you try and pray and regret and resolve, you can't break certain habits? Old wounds keep reopening. Old fears keep resurfacing.
Don't you want more than that? And doesn't God want more for you? That's whatHidden in Plain Sight is about: finding and having more--more purpose, more passion, more life, more of what God intended for you. Widely acclaimed author Mark Buchanan shares with readers a treasure from scripture that the vast majority of us overlook, a treasure that has been hidden in plain sight, that can finally move us beyond our old life and into a brand new life.



The Imperial Cruise by James Bradley
On the success of his two bestselling books about World War II, James Bradley began to wonder what the real catalyst was for the Pacific War. What he discovered shocked him.
In 1905 President Teddy Roosevelt dispatched Secretary of War William Taft, his daughter Alice, and a gaggle of congressmen on a mission to Japan, the Philippines, China, and Korea with the intent of forging an agreement to divide up Asia. This clandestine pact lit the fuse that would-decades later-result in a number of devastating wars: WWII, the Korean War, and the communist revolution in China.
In 2005, James Bradley retraced that epic voyage and discovered the remarkable truth about America's vast imperial past. Full of fascinating characters brought brilliantly to life, The Imperial Cruise will powerfully revise the way we understand U.S. history.


I, Steve by George Beahm
Drawn from more than three decades of media coverage—print, electronic, and online—this book serves up the best, most thought-provoking insights ever spoken by Steve Jobs: more than 200 quotations that are essential reading for everyone who seeks innovative solutions and inspirations applicable to their business, regardless of size.

Jobs, the longtime CEO of Apple, Inc., which he co-founded in 1976, stepped down from that role in August 2011, bringing an end to one of the greatest, most transformative business careers in history. Over the years, Jobs has given countless interviews to the media, explaining what he calls “the vision thing”—his unmatched ability to envision, and successfully bring to the marketplace, consumer products that people find simply irresistible.

Jobs has made an indelible mark in multiple industries, and played an enormous role in creating others. Consider how Jobs and Apple shaped the following fields: personal computers (laptop and desktop), apps (for multiple electronic devices), computer animation (Pixar), music (iTunes), telecommunications (iPhone), personal digital devices (iPod), books (iBook), and, most recently, tablets (iPad). Jobs is the great business visionary of our era.

The Imaginations of Unreasonable Men by Bill Shore
A small cadre of scientists—collaborators and competitors—are determined to develop a vaccine for malaria—a feat most tropical disease experts have long considered impossible. Skepticism, doubt, and a host of logistical and financial obstacles dog their quest. Success may ultimately elude them. Why, and how, do they persist?
Bill Shore is a writer, philanthropist, and business leader who knows from personal experience the rare and elusive nature of transformative innovation. In this moving and inspiring book, the story of these uncompromising scientists serves as springboard for his passionate inquiry into the character and moral fabric of those who devote their lives to solving the world’s most pressing and perplexing problems. What does it take to achieve the impossible? It takes whatever it takes.


Living Organized by Sandra Felton

Everyone wants a beautiful home--one that welcomes visitors gracefully and provides a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But as we go through life we acquire all sorts of stuff that clutters up our lives and our houses. And a beautiful home is just not possible if every nook and cranny is considered fair game for storage!
Now you can win the clutter war. Sandra Felton, The Organizer Lady, shares her insight on the best ways to bring out the hidden beauty in messy houses. She makes housekeeping less overwhelming for the organizationally challenged with interior design tips, inspiring stories from the organizing trenches, advice for coping with a messy spouse or child. Don't settle for a messy house. Learn the strategies you need to get organized and stay organized. Who knows? The house of your dreams could be right under your nose.


Lost and Found by John Glatt
In August 2009, a registered sex offender named Phillip Garrido appeared on the University of California, Berkeley campus alongside two young women whose unusual behavior sparked concern among campus officials and law enforcement. That visit would pave the way for shocking discovery: that Garrido was Jaycee Lee Dugard’s kidnapper…
Jaycee’s story was revealed: For eighteen years, she had lived in an outbuilding on the Garrido property in Antioch, CA, just two hours away from her childhood home. Kept in complete isolation, she was raped by Garrido, who fathered her two daughters. When news broke of Jaycee’s discovery, there was a huge outpouring of relief across the nation. But questions remain: How did the Garridos slip past authorities? And how did Jaycee endure her captivity? This is the story of a girl-next-door who was Lost and Found.

My New Mediterranean Cookbook by Jeanette Seaver
This sumptuous new cookbook of over 200 mouth-watering recipes focuses on nutritionally proven ingredients that are as tasty as they are healthy. In this book, Jeannette Seaver, a gourmet chef and author of several cookbooks, offers a rich panoply of recipes using delicious traditional Mediterranean-diet ingredients: vegetables, legumes, fresh fruit, nuts, cereals, olive oil, and fish, with judicious amounts of red meat and poultry. Among her offerings are salmon on a bed of smoked eggplant caviar; gratin of cod and spinach; broiled marinated duck breast with grilled peaches; stuffed zucchini flowers with red pepper coulis; zucchini cakes, Greek style; Jeannette's own bouillabaisse-and hundreds more! Eating Mediterranean is not only wonderfully pleasing to the palate but may well prolong your life. 


One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp


Drawing heartbreaking beauty out of the simplest of details, Ann Voskamp invites you into her grace-bathed life of farming, parenting, and writing---and deeper still into your own life. Here you will discover a way of seeing that opens your eyes to ordinary amazing grace, a way of living that is fully alive, and a way of becoming present to God that brings you deep and lasting joy.



Sewing for Dummies by Jan Saunders
Do you love to sew—or want to learn how? Then this book will have you in stitches in no time. There’s nothing like the feeling of completing a project using beautiful fabrics and great timesaving tools and then sharing it with your family and friends. Plus, learning to sew will save you money too! Before long, you’ll be stitching your own hems, repairing split seams, sewing on buttons, and much, much more.
Sewing For Dummies is a book for both absolute beginners and experienced sewers. If you’re a stone-cold beginner, you’ll find everything you need to know to sew beginning-level projects—and the book doesn’t assume that you’ve ever even picked up a needle and thread before. If you’ve had some experience with sewing, you’ll find tips and tricks that it took author Janice Saunders Maresh, a nationally known sewing and serging instructor, years to pick up! You’ll discover how to: Master hand and machine stitches--Read a sewing pattern--Hem a variety of fabrics--Negotiate sleeves and pockets--Install zippers, buttons, and other fasteners--Shape garments with tucks and pleats--Adjust projects for better fit and function. 


Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind (translated by Jonathan Franzen)
First performed in Germany in 1906, Frank Wedekind's controversial play Spring Awakening closed after one night in New York in 1917 amid charges of obscenity and public outrage. For the better part of the twentieth century Wedekind's intense body of work was largely unpublished and rarely performed. Yet the play's subject matter--teenage desire, suicide, abortion, and homosexuality--is as explosive and important today as it was acentury ago. Spring Awakening follows the lives of three teenagers, Melchior, Moritz, and Wendl, as they navigate their entry into sexual awareness. Unlike so many works that claim to tell the truth of adolescence, Spring Awakening offers no easy answersor redemption.

Today, one hundred years after the play's first performance, a new musical version of this essential modern masterpiece is being hailed as the "best new musical . . . in a generation" (John Heilpern, The New York Observer). Franzen's version of the text--for so long poorly served in English--is unique in capturing the bizarre and inimitable comic spirit that animates almost every line of this unrelentingly tragic play. There couldn't be a better time for this thrilling, definitive new translation.