My First Discoveries: In the Sky
By Claude Delafosse and Gallimard Jeunesse
Illustrated by Donald Grant
Moonlight Publishing. $12.99
A novel education series, “My First Discoveries” employs transparent pages to teach young readers about everything from farm animals, polar bears and the human body to birds, airplanes and now the heavens.
The book also employs a special “torch” that can be found on the inside of the back cover that allows the reader to reveal special details hidden on the book’s pages.
As you read this book, you’ll discover fascinating things about the sky. You’ll use your magic torch to discover all kinds of machines that were especially invented to fly in the sky. You’ll also learn about the solar system as well as the people who have explored space. There are also hundreds of satellites in the sky and you’ll find out why they are up there.
If you need a little help identifying the stars and groups of stars named after animals, you’ll find help in this handy little book. And finally, there is even a section about some of the popular space creatures that have appeared in novels and Sci-Fi movies.
Youngsters five and older will have fun exploring the sky in this unusual activity book that invites the reader to lend a hand in uncovering the secrets of the heavens.
Ivar’s Seafood Cookbook
The O-fish-al Guide to Cooking the Northwest Catch
By the Crew at Ivar’s
Sasquatch Books. $29.95
If you have visited Seattle and not eaten at Ivar’s you have missed one of the mouthwatering culinary treats this northwest city proudly offers. Now, as the famed seafood restaurant celebrates its 75th anniversary, this first- ever cookbook presents not only some of the recipes that have made Ivar’s a favorite stop for locals and tourists alike but also some of quirky stories about the eatery’s illustrious history.
Salmon, crab, oysters, clams and halibut are just some of the seafood that Ivar’s staff prepares for its patrons. You’ll find quick and easy ways of preparing these tasty delicacies as well as mussels, trout and shrimp. Whether it is Dungeness Crab Cakes, Ivar’s Famous Puget Sound White Clam Chowder, Griller Halibut Cheeks with Sherry Chutney, Blackened Lingcod with Onion Remoulade or Ivar’s Famous Tartar Sauce, the recipes in this book will dazzle both your family and friends.
For those who wish to top a memorable meal off with something equally delicious and mind boggling, try the Four-Berry Crisp, Pecan Praline Bread Pudding with Bourbon Crème Anglaise or the Stehekin Apple Cobbler.
Cartoons, vintage photos and fun facts accompany the recipes and make this a cookbook that is as entertaining as it is practical. You probably didn’t know that if all the cups of clam chowder Ivar’s sold in 2012 were stacked up, it would be the equivalent of 3,199 Space Needles high. That speaks volumes about how good the chowder is!
The Victory Lab
The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns
By Sasha Issenberg
Broadway Books. $15.00
For those not totally fed up with politicians and reading anything that has to do with how these individuals manage to get elected to public office, this book might be of interest.
It seems that each new national election ushers in new changes due to technology that turns topsy-turvy the entire process of managing a winning campaign. The postmortem of the past campaign provides ample proof that the entire election process is still in flux. The next go-around, the mid-term elections, will not only apply what was learned in the past Obama-Romney election but, no doubt, will utilize a net set of techniques which will purport to predict how the voter will cast his or her ballot.
Sasha Issenberg’s account of how a group of academic and maverick political operatives reengineered the high-stakes campaign industry is both interesting and, for some, perhaps a bit disturbing. With volumes of behavioral psychology research in their possession, these folks, who remain largely out of the public eye, believe they can tell you how you will vote even before you have made that determination.
The author tracks and explains what these fascinating techniques are and shows how they have been put to use. First published in 2012, this trade paperback edition also carries a new afterword that examines the results of the 2012 campaign.
If you have the stomach for delving into the modern political process, this is a book you’ll certainly want to read. It’s a pity we haven’t found an algorithm yet that will force these individuals, once elected, to do their jobs in Washington or Sacramento. Hopefully someone is working on it!
Skyscrapers: Investigating Feats of Engineering
By Donna Latham
Illustrated by Andrew Christensen
Nomad Press. $16.95
A companion book to ”Bridges and Tunnels” and “Canals and Dams”, this activity book invites readers nine years of age and older to explore the fascinating world of towering structures and buildings found around the world.
From the ancient pyramids and the Eiffel Tower to Dubai’s towering Burj Khalifa and the Willis Tower in Chicago, the reader will discover how these breathtaking structures were created. You’ll look at the engineering boundaries that have been stretched to construct taller and taller skyscrapers and the new technology, building techniques and materials that have virtually made the sky the limit.
The 25 hands-on projects found in this book, illustrated with line drawings, will explore the reader’s own engineering and building skills. The youngster will experiment with gravity, inertia, oscillation and static electricity as he or she tests different materials and constructs and tests his/her own structures to determine if they will withstand horizontal and vertical forces.
There are also plenty of interesting facts about skyscrapers that will hopefully pique the reader’s interest and curiosity so that he/she will want to do further reading and research. There’s a helpful resources list at the back of the book that will show the youngster where to begin.
How to Lose a War at Sea
Foolish Plans and Great Naval Blunders
Edited by Bill Fawcett
William Morrow. $13.99
This collection of essays highlights the catastrophic missteps and blunders that enable a number of naval commanders to snatch defeat from what well might have been a smashing victory.
Over thirty short essays describe the circumstances, miscues and ultimate results of these naval encounters that span two centuries from the 1780s to the 1980s.
From the shores of Tripoli and the Spanish American War to both World Wars and the Cold War, these naval campaigns illustrate how a combination of bad luck, misguided bravado, inadequate intelligence and staggering incompetence led to some embarrassing and conflict altering defeats.
Not only is this a very entertaining collection of essays but it also shows that as much can be learned from military disasters as from battlefield victories. You’ll see that not everyone goes home a winner and some crushing defeats were not only definitely earned but also well deserved!