City Book Review

The Mechanical Messiah and Other Marvels of the Modern Age

Posted in Science Fiction & Fantasy by editor - May 10, 2012

Release Date: 11/28/2011

By Robert Rankin
Gollancz, $27.95, 485 pages
ISBN 9780575086357

In a world where the British Empire extends to Mars and intelligent aliens populate Venus and Jupiter, London remains a glittering jewel of civilization. There, a down-on-his-luck Martian war veteran and his talking monkey butler are performing at the Electric Alhambra Music Hall, raising funds to build a Mechanical Messiah. As headliners begin exploding and a murderer stalks Whitechapel, the colonel and his hairy companion cross paths with a lovely bird trainer and a detective of Sherlockian skill, discovering that the world is even stranger than they suspected.

This book is gleeful anarchy, plain and simple. …

The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip (2nd ed)

Posted in Sports & Outdoors by editor - May 10, 2012

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The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip (2nd ed)

Release Date: 3/27/2012

By Josh Pahigian, Kevin O’Connell
Lyons Press, $24.95, 493 pages
ISBN 9780762773404

Awakened from the cold of winter, spring comes to life in its sights and sounds. Some of my favorite springtime sounds are the crack of the bat and the ball hitting the glove. Yes, spring has arrived in all and with it another baseball season comes into full swing, and so has The ultimate baseball road trip.

Authors Josh Pahigian and Kevin O’Connell take the reader on a fun road trip. Exploring all of the major league cities, not just the parks but the surrounding areas in their “sports in and around the …

Freeing Yourself from Anxiety: The 4-Step Plan to Overcome Worry and Create the Life You Want

Posted in Self-Help by editor - May 10, 2012

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Freeing Yourself from Anxiety: The 4-Step Plan to Overcome Worry and Create the Life You Want

Release Date: 1/31/2012

By Tamar E. Chansky
Da Capo Lifelong Books, $16.00, 292 pages
ISBN 9780738214832

If you are full of anxiety for one reason or another, clinical psychologist Tamar Chansky will help you via Freeing Yourself from Anxiety: The 4-Step Plan to Overcome Worry and Create the Life You Want.

“… follow your what if with an if, then. You needn’t be left teetering at a place of uncertainty when having a backup plan would bring you peace.”

Today’s overly sensitive society creates stressed-out people from all backgrounds. If you want to learn how to react more positively to moments of anxiety, then this book is for you. Chansky …

No Jumping on the Bed!

Posted in Children's by editor - May 10, 2012

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Release Date: 4/19/2012

By Tedd Arnold
Dial Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 32 pages
ISBN 9780803735637

Walter’s room is nearly at the top of a tall apartment building. While he gets ready for bed, his father reminds him there is no jumping on the bed. He warns if Walter keeps it up, he and his bed might punch right through the floor and crash into the apartment below. Walter says good night and in his dark, quiet room, the only sound is thumping from above; his neighbor Delbert, jumping on his bed. Walter says, “If Delbert can jump on his bed, so can I!” So Walter starts …

Brave New Love

Posted in Young Adult by editor - May 10, 2012

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Release Date: 2/14/2012

By Paula Guran
Running Press Teens, $14.95, 390 pages
ISBN 9780762442201

Brave New Love is an anthology filled with fifteen stories of finding love under the duress of a dystopic environment.||Teens and adults will delight in the short fiction contributed to this title by fifteen of today’s hottest dystopian writers. While all the stories are very good, a few stand out for really making the reader think and feel. “Berserker Eyes” by Maria V. Snyder, a master of dystopia, tells the story of Kate, who lives in a compound and fears her genetics will send her into a beseecher rage. “Now Purple With Love’s Wound” by …

Zachary’s Ball: Fenway Centennial Edition

Posted in Children's by editor - May 10, 2012

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Zachary’s Ball: Fenway Centennial Edition

Release Date: 2/14/2012

By Matt Tavares
Candlewick Press, $15.99, 32 pages
ISBN 9780763650339

Zachary’s father takes him to a baseball game at Fenway Park, home of his favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. Being in the park is a dream come true. Everything seems so close, and Buck Spoonwell is the first up. Everyone is cheering for a home run, but Spoonwell pops the ball up and everyone groans. A sure out! But then the wind kicks up and sends the ball over the seats, right where Zachary and his father are sitting. When his father catches the ball and gives it to Zachary, something magical happens: …

9 Algorithms That Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today’s Computers

Posted in Technology by editor - May 10, 2012

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9 Algorithms That Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today’s Computers

Release Date: 1/15/2012

By John MacCormick
Princeton University Press, $27.95, 219 pages
ISBN 9780691147147

Mathematics never gets any love. Despite being the foundations for our understanding of just about everything, people groan audibly whenever the subject comes up for discussion. The less said about how the majority of students interact with the subject the better. John MacCormick’s 9 Algorithms that Changed the Future is just the latest in a long and venerable line of books that attempts to show the lay-person just how amazing math is and how its applied use, in this case in computer programming, makes our lives much, much easier.

“This brings us to the tricky …

The Professionals

Posted in Mystery, Crime & Thrillers by editor - May 10, 2012

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Release Date: 3/29/2012

By Owen Laukkanen
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, $25.95, 384 pages
ISBN 9780399157899

If you like thrillers, Owen Laukkanen’s thriller The Professionals is a definite must-read. In Laukkanen’s debut, he brings us into the fold of four college friends. The economy has tanked and since the four aren’t able to get work, they decide to use their skills and intelligence to start low-level kidnapping. Part of their job is to stay under the radar of the police even being involved in the kidnapping. These are quick jobs carried off as the four traverse the U.S. Meanwhile, they keep up appearances with their families that fictional, legitimate …

Rez Life: An Indian’s Journey Through Reservation Life

Posted in History by editor - May 10, 2012

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Rez Life: An Indian’s Journey Through Reservation Life

Release Date: 2/7/2012

By David Treuer
Atlantic Monthly Press, $26.00, 368 pages
ISBN 9780802119711

Over time and the course of history, there has been a grim perception of what life must be like living on the various Indian reservations in America. That’s not to say that there isn’t some truth to how the general population perceives this hard life. There is crime, alcohol and drugs, epic cases of diabetes and other health problems. There is extreme poverty. But beneath the grit and grime, there is also a staunch pride, and a powerful unflagging spirit to persevere, to survive.

Author David Treuer, a member of the Ojibwe of northern Minnesota, …

The Song of the Ape: Understanding the Languages of Chimpanzees

Posted in Science & Nature by editor - May 10, 2012

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The Song of the Ape: Understanding the Languages of Chimpanzees

Release Date: 2/28/2012

By Andrew R. Halloran
St. Martin’s Press, $25.99, 288 pages
ISBN 9780312563110

Halloran is off to a terrific start in his first book, The Song of the Ape. For years, researchers have tried to “teach” chimps our language, never paying tribute to the language chimps already possess. The author takes the first bold steps to glean a glimpse at what chimps say.

He develops the nature of chimp lingo by describing the interactions of the members of each group, both physically and linguistically. Later, he shows how chimps augment their linguistic repertoire. The author shares the joy of his fascination with how chimps conceive language elements. …