Racing Toward Armegaddon
by Michael Baigent
Non-Fiction
Book 90

From Publishers Weekly
As in his previous books (Holy Blood, Holy Grail; The Jesus Papers), Baigent tries to uncover the dark forceshiding in the shadows of religion and ferret out fundamentalists whose dogmatism often turns to violence. Focusing on the end times, he warns that powerful fundamentalist sects in Christianity, Judaism and Islam are working to bring about the battle of Armageddon, when the forces of darkness will be destroyed by the Messiah, who will then bring about a new reign. All three groups want Jerusalem, where each lays claim to a physical spot, the Dome of the Rock, as a sacred place in its history; all three want a state in which politics are subservient to religion. Baigent makes the same mistake that the fundamentalists make when reading the book of Revelation. It is not a book of prophecy and manual for frightening sinners back into the fold; it is apocalyptic literature that uses symbols as secret codes for the state of affairs in the lives of first- and second-century Christians, offering them hope for escaping from their plights. Regrettably, Baigent's well-intentioned expose turns out to be little more than a screed against fundamentalism that is based on a misreading of his central text.

About Michael Baigent
Michael Baigent was born in New Zealand in 1948. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Canterbury University, Christchurch, and a master's degree in mysticism and religious experience from the University of Kent, England. Since 1976 he has lived in England with his wife and children. Published in 35 languages, he is the author of From the Omens of Babylon, Ancient Traces, and the New York Times bestseller The Jesus Papers; the co-author of the international bestsellers Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Messianic Legacy (with Henry Lincoln and Richard Leigh); and the co-author of The Temples and the Lodge, The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception, Secret Germany, The Elixir and the Stone, and The Inquisition (with Richard Leigh).

The Island of Whispers
by Brendan Gisby
Fiction
Book 89

Book Description
Set on a rocky islet lying in the shadow of the Forth Railway Bridge, this superbly written tale centres on the creatures who inhabit it - a huge colony of rats who have made their home beneath the crumbling ruins of the monastery. 'Home' is hardly the word for the native black creatures however, who live under the cruel dictatorship of the larger brown rats who took over the colony when they first arrived in their masses from a passing foreign ship. Of the original black rats "Twisted Foot" is a rodent on a mission, and one cannot help but feel compassion for our protagonist as he carries us along with him through his trials and tribulations, until finally deciding to take matters into his own hands and make a bid for freedom. This is a delightful and cleverly constructed story. With his excellent powers of description Brendan Gisby has produced an enthralling and utterly fascinating book - and one which is an absolute 'must' for anyone who has ever read and enjoyed "Watership Down".

Create Your Own Economy: The Path to Prosperity in a Disordered World
by Tyler Cowen
Non-Fiction
Book 88

From Publishers Weekly
In this provocative study of behavioral economics, Cowen (Discover Your Inner Economist) reveals that autistic tendencies toward classification, categorization and specialization can be used as a vehicle for understanding how people use information. Cowen spends a great deal of time dispelling autism's societal stigma, arguing that mainstream society is reaping benefits from mimicking autistic cognitive strengths. As stimulating as is the premise, the book often feels like its own long exercise in categorization, with each chapter an analysis of the human mania for classification (e.g., the obsession with ranking achievements and endeavors). According to Cowen, human brains are constantly absorbing bits of information that get smaller and are delivered faster as technology advances. The more information people receive, the more they crave - this shorter attention span is far from a flaw to the author, but a liberating mechanism that allows humans time to contemplate more ambitious, long-range pursuits. The relentless analysis is occasionally overwhelming, but Cowen's illustration of our neurological filing system may help readers understand the mass consumption of information and just about everything else.

Book Reviews
"Only a mind like Tyler Cowen's could weave Facebook, Zen Buddhism, Sherlock Holmes, and so much more into a coherent and compelling argument. Create Your Own Economy will change the way you think about thinking."
· Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind

"Create Your Own Economy will open your mind to thinking differently. The unique thought processes of individuals on the autism spectrum provide a great value to our world. This book will help you to be smart and successful in your own way."
· Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures

"If you're curious about where society and the economy are headed, you'll search in vain for anyone with more interesting insights than Tyler Cowen. He's a genuine visionary and Create Your Own Economy is a tour de force."
· Robert H. Frank, author of The Economic Naturalist and Professor of Economics at Cornell University

"The modern world bombards us with data just begging to be organized, from iPod playlists to digital vacation photos. Tyler Cowen offers an entertaining tour of our information age, pondering implications for how creative we are, how long our attention span is, how our politics work, and the future of our economy."
· Samuel R. Sommers, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Tufts University

A Lesser Pain
by Mr. Henry Davis
Non-Fiction
Book 87

Book Description
A Lesser Pain is an eye opening portrait of a child who survived a dysfunctional and abusive home, a young man who lived on the streets and in foster homes and an adult dealing with the effects of anxiety and depression. From selling drugs to using them Henry Davis went from county jail to prison and his demons chased him the entire way.

Author Biography
Do you know what it feels like to live in fear or to suffer pain without empathy? For 15 years I lived with a man who found it impossible to love or even smile with any sincerity. My father lived by his archaic views and fixed beliefs and he ruled over his household with physical punishment and verbal terrorism. From depression to anxiety and from failed relationships to drug abuse and prison you will see the length that one man will go to in order to lessen his pain.

Read an excerpt of A Lesser Pain

The Good Guys Wear Black : The True-Life Heroes of Britain's Armed Police
by Steve Collins
Non-Fiction
Book 86

Book Description
In his four years with S019, the Metropolitan Police Special Firearms Wing, Steve Collins has been in over a thousand contacts: that is gun battles, with Yardies; IRA gunmen; East End gangsters, such as the notorious Arifs and their hitmen; drug smugglers from South America and elsewhere; and lone gunmen who have simply gone berserk. A judge commending the bravery of Steve's team said, "If only the public knew the calibre of the men that protect them". S019 protects us from chaos and violence London. These groups are expert in firearms operations in an urban environment - the SAS come to them for training. Collins gives the inside story of these operations, which we might otherwise only get to hear about when they make the headlines.

The Glory Boys: True-life Adventures of Scotland Yard's SWAT, the Last Line of Defence in the War Against International Crime
by Steve Collins
Non-Fiction
Book 85

Book Description
In graphic detail, former SO19 Black Team leader, Steve Collins follows the Metropolitan Police Specialist firearms unit, "The Glory Boys", on a trail that leads from shoot-outs with dealers in Britain, to the capture of "Mr Big", a notorious Columbian drugs dealer.

Hot Issues, Cool Choices: Facing Bullies, Peer Pressure, Popularity, and Put-downs
by Sandra McLeod Humphrey
Non-Fiction, Childrens
Book 84

Book Description
Did you know that there are kids out there who don't even want to get out of bed in the morning because they know what going to school means for them?

-being teased and taunted ...

-being excluded and rejected ...

-being afraid that you re going to be assaulted and possibly hurt...

-Sometimes it can even mean that you just can t hang in there any longer, so you give up and take your own life.

If you are one of the cool kids at school, this book is for you.

But if you're not one of the cool kids, this book is especially for you.

Emerson Elementary isn't a real school, but it could be your elementary school. And the students at Emerson aren't real kids, but the problems they face are real, and so are the choices they make.

The Golden Rule is an old rule, but it's still a good rule to live by, and after reading this book, you may just possibly become a kinder, more compassionate human being, someone who treats others the way you want them to treat you.

So come along and join the students at Emerson Elementary and help them make some cool choices!

Dare To Dream!: 25 Extraordinary Lives
by Sandra McLeod Humphrey
Non-Fiction, Childrens
Book 83

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7-A collection of biographical sketches of famous 20th-century individuals, from Albert Einstein to Sammy Sosa. Although the group is eclectic, the individuals all have one thing in common: they became successful in the face of adversity and therefore are great candidates to become heroes for today's youth. In approximately four pages, Humphrey discusses each subject's childhood, education, and family life. Then the individual's adult life is discussed, as well as how that person's success may be attributed to hard work and courage. Each sketch ends with a quote from the subject. This book is good for reluctant readers as each biography can be read independently. However, information is brief, and major sections of each individual's life are omitted; e.g., Abraham Lincoln's entry jumps from his being elected to Congress to becoming President of the United States. Whether this title can inspire children to be courageous is uncertain, but it can introduce them to some very interesting people.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. "They all had courage . . . they all had obstacles to overcome." Following a brief, inspirational introduction, the author presents 25 biographical sketches about individuals who made their dreams come true. Each four-page profile comprises one section on childhood, one on the hero's adult life, and a small black-and-white photo. The appeal is in the astonishing facts; the clear, direct style; and the diversity of individuals across history, race, class, and profession, including famous political leaders (Lincoln, King, and Eleanor Roosevelt) as well as athletes, artists, scientists, preachers, and writers. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, NBA star Michael Jordan, and Heather Whitestone, profoundly deaf, who was crowned Miss America in 1995, are among the subjects. Forget documentation. Other than a lengthy bibliography, there are no sources, even for direct quotes.

More If You Had to Choose What Would You Do?
by Sandra McLeod Humphrey
Non-Fiction, Childrens
Book 82

Book Description
How important is winning, and does it really matter how we win? What do you think determines a person's "worth" -- how much money he or she has? Can you have lots of friends and still be lonely? When other people are telling you what to do, how do you decide what is right for you?

In this sequel to her popular first book, IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?, psychologist Sandra McLeod Humphrey encourages parents and teachers to talk to children about values and to help them formulate their own personal value system in the face of peer pressure, even when following their own conscience means going it alone. Children can easily identify with the twenty-six scenarios presented, and the questions at the end of each chapter encourage productive, in-depth discussions about the moral choices suggested by each story. Kids will enjoy reading through each short situation and then deciding what they would do.

The Shimmer
by David Morrell
Fiction
Book 81

From Publishers Weekly
The unexplained real-life phenomenon of the Marfa, Tex., lights in the sky provides the inspiration for this patchwork thriller from bestseller Morrell (First Blood), who plays with possible theories to account for the mysterious lights - the shimmer of the title - as well as the various reactions people have had to them since as far back as WWI. When Tori Page, wife of Santa Fe cop Dan Page, unexpectedly turns up in the small west Texas town of Rostov, the book's stand-in for Marfa, Dan flies to Rostov, where he winds up trying to understand the lights' powerful effects. Some can't see the lights, some feel they can produce miracles and some viewers turn homicidal. Still others hope to harness the power of the lights for military uses. A massacre, secret government installations and experiments and Page's investigative efforts fail to coalesce into the kind of riveting suspense that has been Morrell's hallmark.

Book Description
When a high-speed chase goes terribly wrong, Santa Fe police officer Dan Page watches in horror as a car and gas tanker explode into flames. Torn with guilt that he may be responsible, Page returns home to discover that his wife, Tori, has disappeared.

Frantic, Page follows her trail to Rostov, a remote town in Texas famous for a massive astronomical observatory, a long-abandoned military base, and unexplained nighttime phenomena that draw onlookers from every corner of the globe. Many of these gawkers - Tori among them - are compelled to visit this tiny community to witness the mysterious Rostov Lights.

Without warning, a gunman begins firing on the lights, screaming "Go back to hell where you came from," then turns his rifle on the bystanders. A bloodbath ensues, and events quickly spiral out of control, setting the stage for even greater violence and death.

Page must solve the mystery of the Rostov Lights to save his wife. In the process, he learns that the decaying military base may not be abandoned at all, and that the government may have known about the lights for decades. Could these phenomena be more dangerous than anyone could have possibly imagined?

About David Morrell
David Morrell is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine books, including his award-winning Creepers, Scavenger, and The Spy Who Came for Christmas. Co president of the International Thrillers Writers Organization, he is considered by many to be the father of the modern action novel. He currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico.