May 2007 Non-Fiction and Biography Book Reviews

The 10 Essentials of Forex Trading
by Jared Martinez

McGraw-Hill
Hardcover
ISBN# 0071476881
Suggested Retail Price: $34.95 or as low as $21.83 from Amazon.com!

Even in the post-dot-com era, we're still a country that is increasingly invested in the stock market. Between 401Ks and mutual funds, more Americans are invested in the stock market than ever before. But beyond simple stocks are various investment vehicles like foreign currencies. That's the domain of the Forex market. Author Jared Martinez gives a unique perspective on trading in this market. A quick skim shows a book that's easily digestible and filled with charts to help guide you to a better understanding of Forex trading.

Brain Gym and Me - Reclaiming the Pleasure of Learning
by Paul E. Dennison

Edu Kinesthetics
Perfect Paperback
ISBN# 0942143116
Suggested Retail Price: $19.95 or as low as $19.95 from Amazon.com!

Paul Dennison and his wife created a learning method in the 1980's that they refer to as "Educational Kineiology" which involves stimulating the brain through specialized movements in order to enhance learning. While the author claims a mainstream audience, the text and terminology is frequently technical. And while skimming the book, most of the anecdotes focus on subjects with learning impairments of one kind or another. Teachers and caregivers would certainly get a new perspective by investigating Mr. Dennison's approach, but this is beyond the scope of most parents or individuals seeking self-improvement.

Shin Hanga: The New Print Movement of Japan
by Barry Till

Pomegranate Communications
Hardcover
ISBN# 0764940392
Suggested Retail Price: $24.95 or as low as $18.96 from Amazon.com!

Pomegranate's products never cease to delight. Here we have a book abount prints in the Japanese style of 'Shin Hanga', which translates to 'new prints'. The Shim Hanga movement started in the early twentieth century, but interestingly, it was an effort by its adherents to revive an older style of woodblock called 'ukiyo-e' and merge it with more contemporary methods and imagery.

The muted colors of the Japanese art are shown here in all of their glory. They convey a sense of delicacy, and attention to detail by not letting the medium overwhelm the imagery. If you're an art history lover, or merely a fan of Japanese art, you will undoubtedly love this book. Its not only beautiful, but the publisher wisely kept the physical size in reasonable proportion so that you can comfortably study both the pictures and the eminently readable and instructive text.

Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix and Match
by Susan Briscoe

Kodansha America
Hardcover
ISBN# 1568363656
Suggested Retail Price: $26.95 or as low as $16.19 from Amazon.com!

Quilt-making has a long history in America, but an even longer one in Asia. This book tells the history of quilt-making in Japan, and teaches us how to work in this style with over 125 different designs. As we have come to expect from Kodansha, the illustrations of the designs alone are worth the price of the book. Adding the splendid advice of author Susan Briscoe, a professional textile designer, is icing on the cake.

The New Influencers: A Marketer's Guide to the New Social Media
by Paul Gillin

Quill Driver Books
Hardcover
ISBN# 1884956653
Suggested Retail Price: $25.00 or as low as $12.50 from Amazon.com!

In these heady days of You Tube and BLOGs, there's a newfound awareness in the business world about how the Internet is having a profound effect on world commerce. This book discusses how social media is impacting consumer choices and how medium-to-large businesses can take the most advantage of this cultural phenomenon. The author is unusually well-informed for a business book writer. In the not-so-distant past, by the time a book like this saw the light of day, the information in it would be largely obsolete. I have never seen an author of a mainstream business title do such comprehensive research into the Internet and World Wide Web. He found several luminaries in a particular niche of the blogosphere that I happen to follow and got their basic message right. I was amazed. You will be, too. Take the plunge. Its a new world for the brave, or something like that.

In Search of Peace
by Yousef Khanfar

Art Blanc
Hardcover
ISBN# 0974732001
Suggested Retail Price: $50.00 or as low as $41.50 from Amazon.com!

Palestinian photographer Yousef Khanfa creates a portfolio of nature photography with prose and poetry designed to evoke a sense of tranquility and harmony. The images are often blurred or slightly out of focus to imply some sense of change or motion. Its a visual treat for any art lover.