Divided America : the ferocious power struggle in American politics

 by Earl Black. Recent presidential elections clearly show that the U.S. has no national political consensus. Instead, regional politics are cobbled together to produce a tentative consensus that barely holds until the next election, leaving Democrats and Republicans locked in a power struggle. The Blacks, twin brothers and professors at Emory and Rice, examine how regional differences account for the swings in national politics. Dividing the nation into five regions--Northeast, South, Midwest, Mountains/Plains, and Pacific Coast--the Blacks explore the social and cultural trends of the past 50 years that have shaped the regions and given them their political leanings. They also explore the factors that have contributed to the dominance of Democrats in the Northeast and Pacific Coast, Republican realignment in the Mountains/Plains and the South, and the struggle for both to dominate the Midwest. The Blacks focus on the ethnic and racial, religious and ideological differences within and among the regions that partly account for their political leanings and how those differences will continue to affect national politics for the foreseeable future. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

Island of vice : Theodore Roosevelt's doomed quest to clean up sin-loving New York

 by Richard Zacks. Set in gas-lit 1890s Manhattan, Zacks' depiction of virtue versus vice pits Theodore Roosevelt against a gallery of antagonists. Some are thugs on the street, harlots in the doorway, and dram sellers on the stoop. Others are crooked police and TR's fellow commissioners on the police board, of which he was a member from 1895 to 1897. The period is integral to Roosevelt's legend as a pugnacious scourge of corruption, though Zacks' episode-by-episode narrative of his hyperactive tenure indicates that Satan's Circus (2007), as Mike Dash aptly titled his book about this era of New York City history, was only mildly interrupted by Roosevelt's exertions. Nevertheless, his fight is a fascinating story that Zacks relays with zest. His pungent vignettes of sinful establishments and the police who protected them hang on the main plot of TR's campaigns to dismiss bad cops and enforce long-dormant alcohol and prostitution laws, which often resulted in proceedings showcasing TR at his most combatively indignant. His research artfully attired in active prose, Zacks writes a winner for TR and NYC buffs. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

Reefs and shoals : an Alan Lewrie naval adventure

 by Dewey Lambdin.  In the latest Alan Lewrie adventure, set in 1805, the British naval captain is issued new orders: take his ship, HMS Reliant, to the Bahamas, there to engage French and Spanish privateers that are preying on friendly convoys. The novel, as with previous entries in the series, is a hugely entertaining naval adventure (a la Forester and O'Brian) with a different kind of protagonist. Lewrie isn't your typical career navy man but rather a bit of a gadabout, a womanizer, a lover of fine foods and warm clothes, whose naval career is based more on a love of adventure than any sense of patriotic duty to his country. The novel is written as though it were a contemporary account, with era-appropriate word spellings ( damme, fourty ), slang, and dialogue ( Cap'um's on deck! ). Not merely a worthy entry in the very popular Lewrie series but a top-of-the-line naval adventure that can be thoroughly enjoyed by readers who've never met Captain Lewrie until now. --Booklist (Check catalog)

Drift : the unmooring of American military power

 by Rachel Maddow.  The U.S. has drifted into a state of military hypervigilance that is wasting enormous sums of money and threatening our economic stability, argues Maddow, host of the MSNBC program that bears her name. She traces the historical roots of concerns about maintaining a standing army and the reliance on citizen-soldiers when needed, creating a reluctance to go to war and an eagerness to end conflicts and send soldiers home. She details how the Cold War threat justified the sanctification of defense spending and the Vietnam War pushed Congress to reassert its exclusive authority to declare war. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, presidents have gained greater latitude in going to war, with little consideration for the implications for the nation's economy or polity, even as citizens become more estranged from the military. Maddow concludes with suggestions on how to turn the trend around, including paying with specific taxes, reversing the privatization of war, and constraining the power of the president to go to war. An insightful look at the cost of military vigilance to ideals of democracy. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The host of the popular The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC has fans in both the Twitter-sphere and among TV watchers, many of whom may cross over to buy her book. --Booklist (Check catalog)

Unnatural acts : a Stone Barrington novel

 by Stuart Woods. The cover and the opening chapter of Woods' new Stone Barrington entry feature a tribute to Elaine's, the famous New York eatery that Stone and his best friend, Dino Bacchetti, have patronized since the series' inception. Their mourning for their beloved haunt and its proprietress is interrupted by the reappearance of seductive serial killer Shelley Bach, who can't seem to get Dino out of her head. The feeling, to Stone's dismay, is mutual, and Dino puts his job at risk when he gives in to his attraction to Shelley. Stone romances a ballet director with a deadly ex-beau, while lawyer Herbie Fisher tangles with the sociopathic son of a new client. Former thorn-in-Stone's-side Herbie gets the most development here. He's grown from a hapless dope into a rather sharp and savvy lawyer, wrangling an impressive promotion for himself and even fielding a competitive job offer. It's all familiar territory for Woods, but that doesn't stop the pages from flying by fast and furious as the novel builds toward several exciting and dangerous confrontations HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Woods is a perpetual reader-magnet, and his latest installment in the long-running Stone Barrington series will be supported with a national tour and ad campaign. --Booklist (Check catalog)

Wired for culture : origins of the human social mind

 by Mark D. Pagel. Herbert Spencer got it wrong. True Social Darwinism does not mean ruthlessly inhuman competition. Rather, it means the emergence of cooperation and altruism as vital parts of the astounding set of distinctively human adaptations called culture. Arguing this point, Pagel invokes Richard Dawkins' notion of memes as cultural units that compete for survival in social life in the same way genes compete for reproduction in biological life. Readers soon see how the memes that foster trust, division of labor, and intergenerational learning have flourished in small groups of related individuals. But Pagel also limns the dynamics of kin groups in incubating memes for deceit, prejudice, and violent aggression toward out-groups. Yet by ferreting out the hidden implications of game theory, sociolinguistics, and the mnemonics of music, Pagel shows that cosmopolitan civilizations can transcend such destructive impulses and so sustain very large yet harmonious societies. Some readers, to be sure, will resist the explanation of even religious worship and artistic creativity in terms of biological science. But readers of diverse perspectives will recognize the timely wisdom in Pagel's concluding reflections on the challenge humans now face in overcoming deeply ingrained ethnic jealousies by developing much more inclusive new conceptions of culture. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

The witness

 by Nora Roberts.  Elizabeth Fitch is tired of living her life by her mother's strict rules. So the minute her mother leaves for a medical conference, Elizabeth is out the door and headed to the mall. One new wardrobe, one new BFF, and two new fake IDs later, Liz finds herself at Chicago's hottest nightclub. But before the night is over, Liz will be a witness to murder, when Alex Gurevich, the nightclub owner, is eliminated by two of his business associates. Twelve years later, Liz, now living as Abigail Lowery, has built a new life for herself as a freelance computer-security programmer in Bickford, Arkansas. Abigail's first and only priority is staying one step ahead of the Russian Mob, who has never stopped trying to get rid of the one living witness to Gurevich's murder. The only problem is that Bickford's new chief of police, Brooks Gleason, simply refuses to let her live in peace, and nothing Abigail says or does seems to convince him that she doesn't need his help. When it comes to flawlessly fusing high-stakes suspense with red-hot romance, Roberts is unrivaled, and her latest addictively readable novel is guaranteed to jangle readers' nerves and keep them enthralled long past bedtime. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Witness is romance-legend Roberts' 200th published novel (her first was Irish Thoroughbred, 1981). Fifty-one of her books have held the number-one slot on the New York Times best-seller list, and it's a sure bet The Witness will be number 52. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

The wounded warrior handbook : a resource guide for returning veterans

by Janell Hill.  The typical wounded soldier must complete and file twenty-two forms after an active-duty injury. To soldiers and their families coping with the shock and reality of the injuries, figuring out what to do next--even completing tasks that seem easy like submitting paperwork--can be overwhelming and confusing. The second edition of this popular resource guide has been thoroughly revised to reflect new policies, additional benefits, updated procedures, and changes to insurance, including traumatic injury insurance and social security disability insurance. New chapters cover veterans' benefits in depth-which have seen significant changes in the last two years-and returning to active duty after an injury. As in the previous edition, this guide directs you to answers and resources for the most pressing and difficult questions that wounded veterans face, such as: -Where can I find information on symptoms and treatments of injuries? -How do I get through all this paperwork? -Where can I get legal assistance? -What can I do for employment? -How do I get back into everyday life? -How can I return to active duty? -How do I deal with insurance? -What benefits are available to me, and how do I claim them? -What about my family? How can they help me? This trusted resource is both comprehensive and easy to use, and now the most up-to-date guide for wounded veterans and their families dealing with active-duty injuries. --Summary (Check Catalog)

The beginner's goodbye : a novel

  Tyler's bright charm resides in her signature blend of the serious with the larky. Adept at dissecting family life, she is also intrigued by lonely guys, the focus in The Accidental Tourist (1985), A Patchwork Planet (1998), and Noah's Compass (2009). Her newest variation on this theme is an exceptionally lithe, sparkling, and covertly philosophical tale, set, as all her novels are, in Baltimore. Hampered with a crippled leg and arm, Aaron has always refused to be coddled, fending off his guilt-ridden mother and strong-willed sister. He married Dorothy, a doctor, because he loved her brusqueness and pragmatism. He is devastated when she dies in a freak accident that destroys their house until Dorothy begins returning from beyond. These precious, if mysterious, encounters are all that matter to Aaron. He moves in with his sister, turns his wrecked house over to Gil, a sympathetic contractor, and barricades himself in his office at his family's vanity press to avoid frilly, cookie-baking, overly helpful Peggy. The press stays afloat by selling its Beginner's series, little how-to books that Tyler astutely uses to illuminate how ill-prepared we are for life's relentless demands. As Gil restores Aaron's home, Aaron slowly rebuilds his life in this funny, sweet, and wise tale of lost and found love. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With a generous print run and ambitious national promotion, this scintillating gem of a novel will be one of Tyler's most popular hits. --Booklist (Check catalog)

The legal guide for starting & running a small business

Small business owners are regularly confronted by a bewildering array of legal questions and problems. Ignoring them can lead to disaster -- but with lawyers typically charging $200-$300 an hour, calling one to answer routine legal questions can be a fast track to the poorhouse. "Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business "clearly explains the practical and legal information. The 12th edition is revised to provide the latest regulations, tax numbers and business realities in a changing economy. It also provides a start-up checklist, an expanded discussion about choosing a business structure, updates to bankruptcy law -- and much more. --Summary (Check Catalog)

Barefoot season

 by Susan Mallery. The close childhood bond of Michelle Sanderson and Carly Williams suffered shocking blows that sent Michelle running to join the army, leaving Carly behind. After two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and her mother's death, Michelle returns to her newly inherited bed-and-breakfast on Blackberry Island in the Pacific Northwest to find a host of changes and a mountain of debt. Struggling from PTSD and a recent gunshot wound, Michelle must also deal with her feelings of guilt and distrust about Carly, a single mom who has been managing the B&B. While sunny Carly has every right to distrust the dour Michelle, they must work together to bring the inn out of financial ruin. Verdict With this debut volume in her new series, best-selling author Mallery (Already Home) skillfully reveals insights into each woman's life to create a poignant tale of forgiveness, friendship renewed, and family. For Mallery and Debbie Macomber fans. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)

The big cat nap

 by Rita Mae Brown.  Brown's 20th Mrs. Murphy mystery marks a welcome return to cozy form after the didacticism of 2011's Hiss of Death. A car accident strikes Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, the postmistress of Crozet, Va., as a little odd. Harry's suspicions grow as more accidents and a few murders occur, all involving a local auto repair shop and perhaps a nearby racetrack. Harry, whose "flaming flaw is she's much too curious," turns for help to her four-footed companions-cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter and Corgi Tee Tucker-who have their own theories about the crimes, especially after Pewter discovers a body. Harry's pets are mostly concerned that her snooping will once again land her in trouble and, of course, it does. Amusing exchanges among the cats and dog and their commentary on the humans around them will please series fans. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)

Grave mercy

 by Robin LeFevers.  In the late fifteenth century, Mortain, the god of death, has sired Ismae to be his handmaiden. She will carry out his wishes by working through the Convent, where she has found refuge from a brutal father and husband. After learning the Convent's wily warfare and womanly arts, and being apprenticed to Sister Serafina (poisons mistress and Convent healer), 17-year-old Ismae is sent to the high court of Brittany, ostensibly as the cousin (aka mistress) of the Breton noble Duval but, in truth, she is there as a spy. Her tacit assignment is to protect the young duchess by assassinating Duval if he proves to be a traitor, a charge made more difficult because of the couple's attraction to each other. LaFevers has written a dark, sophisticated novel true to the fairy-tale conventions of castles, high courts, and good versus evil, and spiced with poison potions; violent (and sometimes merciful) assassinations; subtle seductions; and gentle, perfect love. With characters that will inspire the imagination, a plot that nods to history while defying accuracy, and a love story that promises more in the second book, this is sure to attract feminist readers and romantics alike. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With a $100,000 marketing campaign, including national print, online, and social-media outreach; a video trailer; and a vintage T-shirt promotion, the publisher is pushing LaFevers' novel in a big way. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

The power of habit : why we do what we do in life and business

 by Charles Duhigg.  We all have our habits (even if we're not aware of some of them). Most of our daily decisions even the ones that don't seem like they're part of a routine could be habits. Habits are ingrained in us, the author says, because they're evolutionary: the brain is always looking for a way to be more efficient, and so it creates routines whenever it can. There's a word for this: chunking, converting a sequence of events into a routine. But other habits are the result of a feedback loop: a cue, a routine, and a reward. Advertisers rely heavily on establishing a habit loop: they create a need (the cue, the craving), explain how to incorporate a product into our daily lives (the routine), and show us how happy we'll be with the reward. Large corporations use habit to motivate their employees (Starbucks, for example, teaches its people how to turn willpower into a habit). Broad in scope and always interesting, the book should surprise and educate readers, not to mention telling them perhaps a bit more than they're comfortable knowing about the way their minds work. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

The sweet relief of missing children

 by Sarah Braunstein.  Braunstein won the 2007 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award and was named as one of the National Book Foundation's 5 under 35, which recognizes five young fiction writers chosen by National Book Award winners and finalists. Her debut novel is an unsettling read that is also strangely compelling, though the author reserves all of her compassion for her characters, sparing none for her readers. It follows the meandering, intertwining stories of three young people who go missing. Twelve-year-old Leonora is snatched from a street corner and finds that her upbringing, which has taught her to be sweet and polite, works against her. Sixteen-year-old Paul runs away from his negligent mother and abusive stepfather only to end up drifting for years on end. Teenager Judith, looking for excitement, lands in a seedy hotel room covered in cigarette burns and sadly disabused of her adventurous spirit; even when Judith placidly settles into marriage and parenthood, her dull, bright, busy life has its own kind of horror. Through random encounters and elliptical dialogue, Braunstein locates the pain in these people's lives and makes it shimmer. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

Devil's knot : the true story of the West Memphis Three

  Arkansas Times investigative reporter Leveritt explores the 1993 West Memphis Three murder convictions, which have been the subject of two HBO documentaries. The book is arranged chronologically, from the crime through the trial, and dispassionately dissects the prosecution's case against three teens who were convicted of the grisly murders of three eight-year-old boys. Leveritt interviewed the principals, reviewed the police file and trial transcripts, and leads the reader to conclude from her exhaustive research (430 footnotes) that the case was botched, improperly based on a single confession from a retarded youth and the defendants' alleged ties to satanic rituals. Well written in descriptive language, the book is an indictment of a culture and legal system that failed to protect children as defendants or victims. Highly recommended. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)

Spring wildflowers of the Northeast : a natural history

 by Carol Gracie.  This exquisitely illustrated volume provides an in-depth look at spring-blooming wildflowers of the Northeast, from old favorites to lesser-known species. Featuring more than 500 full-color photos in a stunning large-sized format, the book delves deep into the life histories, lore, and cultural uses of more than 35 plant species. The rich narrative covers topics such as the naming of wildflowers; the reasons for taxonomic changes; pollination of flowers and dispersal of seeds; uses by Native Americans; related species in other parts of the world; herbivores, plant pathogens, and pests; medicinal uses; and wildflower references in history, literature, and art. The photos capture the beauty of these plants and also illustrate the concepts discussed in the text. A book unlike any other, Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast combines the latest scientific research with an accessible, entertaining style, making it the ideal volume for readers of all levels of expertise. Showcases the Northeast's most spectacular spring-blooming wildflowers Features more than 500 full-color photos Covers the life histories, lore, and cultural uses of more than 35 species Combines the latest scientific research with an easy-to-read style Offers something new for seasoned botanists as well as armchair naturalists. --Summary (Check Catalog)

Drift : the unmooring of American military power

 by Rachel Maddow. The U.S. has drifted into a state of military hypervigilance that is wasting enormous sums of money and threatening our economic stability, argues Maddow, host of the MSNBC program that bears her name. She traces the historical roots of concerns about maintaining a standing army and the reliance on citizen-soldiers when needed, creating a reluctance to go to war and an eagerness to end conflicts and send soldiers home. She details how the Cold War threat justified the sanctification of defense spending and the Vietnam War pushed Congress to reassert its exclusive authority to declare war. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, presidents have gained greater latitude in going to war, with little consideration for the implications for the nation's economy or polity, even as citizens become more estranged from the military. Maddow concludes with suggestions on how to turn the trend around, including paying with specific taxes, reversing the privatization of war, and constraining the power of the president to go to war. An insightful look at the cost of military vigilance to ideals of democracy. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The host of the popular The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC has fans in both the Twitter-sphere and among TV watchers, many of whom may cross over to buy her book. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

The silent oligarch

 by Chris Morgan Jones. This is a happy partner to the work of Deighton, Archer, and le Carre. Mysterious men, cryptic of speech and beautifully tailored, move through glittery settings seacoasts, grand hotels, swank neighborhoods carried on craftily understated prose that approaches cold poetry. Rows of massive buildings bullied all the leaves off the bare limes and left the trees cowering in the middle of the road. Ben Webster is a snoop employed by a London corporate espionage firm. His boss' client has hired the company to bring down a Kremlin functionary, the toadlike Malin, whose manipulation of Russia's oil industry is making him a trillionaire. Webster attempts to get at the toad through his dithering money launderer, Richard Lock. Reader identification is complete. We'd like to be Webster tough, smart but we know we're really more like Lock, not as bright and strong as we wish. Men are betrayed. Drugged. Kidnapped. Tossed off buildings. Downed by snipers. If the good guys win, it's at such a cost they're left wondering if they accomplished anything. They did. They were part of a first-class novel. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

Self-compassion : stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind

 by Kristin Neff.  Through her encounters with eastern spirituality, Neff, an associate professor in human development at the University of Texas-Austin, began to understand that having compassion for oneself is as important as having compassion for others: "From the Buddhist point of view, you have to care about yourself before you can really care about other people." As Neff defines it, self-compassion has three core components: self-kindness, realizing one's common humanity, and mindfulness. Self-kindness means being gentle and understanding, rather than harshly critical of our own errors. The recognition of common humanity involves feeling connected to others rather than alienated by our suffering. Mindfulness requires "that we hold our experience in balanced awareness, rather than ignoring our pain or exaggerating it." While exploring these three components in depth, Neff weaves in events that inform her own life, such as the "precipice of despair" she felt while struggling emotionally with her son's autism. By sharing such personal anecdotes, Neff helps readers understand how self-compassion can aid them. Neff's compassionate tone makes Buddhist principles accessible, and exercises make them applicable in real life. --Publishers Weekly (Check catalog)

The good father

 by Noah Hawley.  Paul Allen, a successful Manhattan rheumatologist and the father of twin boys with his second wife, is completely stunned when two Secret Service agents show up at his front door. They inform him that his son by his first marriage, 20-year-old Daniel Allen, aka Carter Allen Cash, has killed a rising political star and presidential candidate. Suddenly, Paul's life as he knew it is over. Resistant to the idea that his son is the actual assassin, he is taken aback when Daniel pleads guilty. He then becomes obsessed with finding out how his son, once such a curious and gentle child, could commit such a barbaric act. Combing Daniel's childhood for clues to the one parental misstep that sent him down the path to becoming a killer and poring over documentation of Daniel's every move in the 18 months prior to the assassination, Paul becomes a haunted figure. The more elusive the answers are, especially because Daniel refuses to discuss it, the more humbled Paul becomes, until, in a moving and transcendent conclusion, he finds himself finally able to bear the unbearable. Hawley infuses his emotionally harrowing story with compelling questions about the age-old debate over nature-versus-nurture. Powerful reading. --Booklist (Check Catalog)