September/October 2009--Volume VIII, Issue 5 Hidden Gems The Ghosts of Harlem: Sessions with Jazz Legends The Weight of Silence Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World: A Scientifically Accurate Guide to 1200 Toxic and Intoxicating Plants Remedies June Bug All Cakes Considered: How to Keep Your Co-workers Happy, Friendly, and Fatter Than You For additional reviews of books for children and young adults, see Inside iKids. For reviews of audiobooks, visit The Heard Word section of Further Developments. The Ghosts of Harlem: Sessions with Jazz Legends by Hank O’Neal Vanderbilt University Press Harlem was once the swinging and bopping neighborhood of New York City. From the Apollo Theater to the Savoy Ballroom, jazz enthusiasts understand its significance in the development and influence on the American jazz scene. This book presents astounding portraits and extensive interviews of these moving and shaking musicians, from Doc Cheatham to Cab Calloway and Dizzy Gillespie to Buddy Tate. O’Neal personally interviewed 42 musicians, taking over 20 years to compile this astounding book. Complementing the text is an audio CD that features 11 music samples. All jazz fans will enjoy reading and listening to this definitive work which is a must have for all libraries. —Dr. William R. Taylor, Manager, Continuations, iSelectSM, and Standing Orders The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf Mira Books Two little girls disappear one morning, and while police and parents search frantically, all may not be as it seems. Told from alternating points of view of various characters, this engrossing page-turner will appeal to fans of family fiction. Readers will find it a welcome addition to the missing-child genre. —Shannan Starnes Rosa, MSLS Collection Development Librarian, Adult Materials Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World: A Scientifically Accurate Guide to 1200 Toxic and Intoxicating Plants by Michael Wink and Ben-Erik Van Wyk Timber Press First of all, let me be very clear: there is information in this book that can be dangerous or fatal. The coverage of information on toxicity, symptoms of poisoning, and first aid treatment is only briefly addressed in this book so care must be taken to be sure that such information is readily available from another source. I would use this book to identify the potentially toxic plants and understand the likelihood of harm for animals or children. While every library will need a copy, librarians should consider keeping this book in limited access reference. Plants can help us or hurt us. The ones in this book may have some beneficial properties but there is much more reason to be very aware of their toxic or poisonous properties. Animals may try to eat plants that are dangerous to them, and it would help to identify those plants and make them less likely to harm your pets. Children are also prone to try to eat things that appeal to them but may be harmful. Awareness of the toxic properties of plants that may exist in your area could be very helpful in an emergency. This is an interesting introduction to plants that can be toxic. There are definitions of the terms and abbreviations used in studying these plants and some history of how the plants have been used over the centuries. The bulk of the book consists of excellent photographs and drawings of the plants themselves with their scientific names, their common names, their characteristics, similar plants, uses, toxicity, symptoms, pharmacological effects, and some basic first aid if the plants have been ingested. Professional medical advice should be sought in most cases of accidental ingestion of any of these plants. —Norma Lilly, Collection Development Librarian, Adult Materials Remedies by Kate Ledger G.P. Putnam’s Sons Simon Bear is right about everything. He’s a doctor who created his own successful practice after former partners asked him to leave. He makes his own wine because he certainly can do as well as any French vintner as long as he has the right equipment and buys the right grapes. His wife Emily is a successful partner in a Public Relations firm. Their daughter Jamie, however, has some “issues.” This story of a family that appears to have everything is almost like watching a car crash in slow motion. The crash is inevitable; it only remains to find out who survives and how. —Norma Lilly, Collection Development Librarian, Adult Materials June Bug by Chris Fabry Tyndale House June Bug lives with her Daddy in an old RV, usually parked in a Wal-Mart parking lot. When she walks into the store one day and sees a picture of herself on a “Missing Child” poster, she learns that her name is really Natalie Anne and she was abducted from West Virginia. This is a story of surprises and twists that underline the love and forgiveness that can redeem a family. —Norma Lilly, Collection Development Librarian, Adult Materials All Cakes Considered: How to Keep Your Co-workers Happy, Friendly, and Fatter Than You by Melissa Gray Tyndale House Melissa Gray began bringing cake to work every Monday. Naturally she became very popular with her colleagues, the staff of All Things Considered on NPR. I like cake but, even more, I like to read entertaining cookbooks and this is one of the most entertaining ones I’ve ever read. The recipes are good, too. Melissa began her cake project with rules: a different recipe every Monday, no repeats, no box mixes, no canned frosting, no margarine, no low-fat sour cream, and no fake sugar. Her original three-month project turned into a year-long experiment with new recipes and ideas from friends and colleagues. The book is set up so a beginner can start with the first recipe for The Man Catcher Sour Cream Pound Cake and progress through many more cakes (Fresh Apple Cake, Triple Chocolate Orange Passion Cake, Chocolate Angel Food Cake, . . .) to the more complex and challenging Heaven and Hell cake. More experienced bakers can bake whatever appeals to them. Gray gives information about equipment needed, how to read a recipe, how to interpret recipe directions, and all the other techniques many cookbooks forget to include. There is also a bit about the different ingredients and how they affect the cake. Readers will enjoy the personal stories, the cake lore, and the mouth-watering photographs. Every library will want several copies of this book—a couple to circulate, one in Reference, at least one for the staff, and spares for when the circulation copies fail to come back. I plan to buy several copies for gifts, too, and hope the recipients bake a cake for me—Aunt Di’s Bittersweet-Chocolate Frosted Layer Cake looks pretty good. —Norma Lilly, Collection Development Librarian, Adult Materials Privacy Policy . Contact Us . ingramlibrary.com . ipage.ingrambook.com . interact . E-mail Preferences ©Copyright 2009 Ingram Book Group. All Rights Reserved.