Preview Shelf -- New Reference Books

The Crawfordsville District Public Library gathers helpful references that also offer enjoyment. "VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever" is the complete guide to movies on videocassettes and DVDs. As the introduction says it's "a great way to waste time" maybe using the alternate titles index (for variant and foreign titles for movies with more than one name), a category list with all sorts of classifications, a series list, awards' lists, and a cast index. There's more, and you can see how much fun you could have.(REF 791.4375.) New non fiction is of a wide scope. First comes some powerful history. Thomas Cahill, author of "The Gifts of the Jews" and "How the Irish Saved Civilization" now offers "Desire of the Everlasting Hills" about the world just before and after Jesus, introducing us to the people Jesus knew, describing the Roman presence, Greek influence, and giving a new interpretation of the New Testament, based on material translated by the author himself. "Mysteries of the Middle Ages" is also Thomas Cahill's work; this tells about the rise of feminism, science, and art from the cults of Catholic Europe."Revolution in Mind" is George Makari's tome about the creation of psychoanalysis, going beyond myth to tell about one of the most controversial intellectual endeavors of the 20th century."Charlatan" is American social history about John Brinkley, a brazen young man who began a medical practice in 1917, and was later involved in lots of projects like running for governor of Kansas, "the most creative criminal this country has ever produced"."Trespass" is Amy Irvine's adventure as an activist and "Jack" Mormon concerned with the damage being done to the dessert landscape, as a 6th-generation "Utahn" working for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.." Chris Hunter's "Eight Lives Down" is the story of the world's most dangerous job in the world's most dangerous place (Iraq). "Down the Nile" is Rosemary Mahoney's recent report "alone on a fisherman's skiff" to fulfill her curiosity 200 years after Napoleon invaded Egypt. "The Bitter Sea" is Charles Li's story of about coming of age in a China before Mao, and seeing his family's fortunes dashed when Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists came to power in 1945. Here are some more "philosophies". "The Wisdom of Donkeys" by Andy Merrifield shows how to find tranquility in a chaotic world. Jim Cramer's "Stay Mad for Life" says "Get rich, stay rich (make your kids even richer)." In "Eat This Not That!" David Zinczenko lists simple food swaps that save calories at restaurants. Muhammad Yunus' "Creating a World Without Poverty" tackles social business and the future of capitalism. "The Age of Abundance" is Brink Lindsey's essay about how prosperity transformed America's politics and culture and why the culture wars made us more libertarian. In "The Small-Mart Revolution" Michael Shuman tells how local businesses are beating the global competition.Requested books include "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook" with 175 recipes, "Indivisible By Two" Nancy Segal's study of extraordinary twins, saying, "Maybe it's the unplanned joining of humanity and science that makes twins alluring". "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" is the title of essays by Sloane Crosley, who's described as a mercurial wit, telling truths in funny ways. "Gusher of Lies" is Robert Bryce's essays claiming that energy independence is neither desirable nor doable. He also says that renewable technologies like wind and solar cannot supply enough energy to meet America's demand.