BOOKS FOR WOMEN

It should come as no surprise to learn that men and women are different--physiologically, biologically, psychologically different. We want different things, we react in different ways, and we look for different qualities in our mates. Three books from independent publishers are here to satisfy women’s cravings for relationship advice, empowerment, and understanding.

The World’s Best Advice from the World’s Wisest Women (Insight Editions, 978-1-60109-033-1) by BJ Gallagher is a gift book with sage advice from women including Willa Cather, Anna Nicole Smith, and Helen Keller.

"Can you imagine a world without men?" cartoonist Nicole Hollander said. "No crime and lots of happy fat women." Short introductions to topics like men, work life, and empowerment are written by the author, but the majority of the book is composed of old-fashioned black and white photographs and quotations. The whole book is designed in artistic, retro mix of pinks and grays.

While many of the book’s quotes are funny, others are thought-provoking and even inspiring. "No one can arrive from being talented alone. God gives talent; work transforms talent into genius," ballerina Anna Pavlova said. In the chapter, Creativity & Self Expression, career development expert is quoted as saying, "Your passion is waiting for your courage to catch up."

For women with an interest in the spiritual who are hoping to find a good man or keep the one they have, The Woman of Mystery (Tyndale House, 978-1-4143-2468-5) by Hayley DiMarco may help. DiMarco, whose previous books include Dateable and Marriable, explains that true romance can be found by first finding a love of Christ and accepting the romance that God created on Earth (natural sounds, the trees, clean air filling your lungs) and then bringing out the feminine and mystery within ourselves. "True romance is the result of a hearth that is open to the voice and hand of our loving God, which in turn affects our essence," she writes.

The Woman of Mystery is not only confident in herself, but confident in God; she is hopeful and forgiving; she is modest and humble; and she is kind and understanding. DiMarco doesn’t want readers to become someone they aren’t, but to use their faith to find these aspects within themselves. The author has worked for companies including Nike and Thomas Nelson Publishers. She says that she used to believe she had to be shocking in order to be listened to, but now she tries to use her own advice to be more of a Woman of Mystery.

Each chapter discusses how women can use mystery in different aspects of their lives to attract and keep a good man. In the chapter, Her Lips, which discusses the importance of talking, DiMarco acknowledges that talking can be an aphrodisiac for some women, but not always for her. She writes, "Mystery requires that a woman serve a man just enough water to quench but not enough to drown his love. The right words spoken at the right time are pure perfection."

For readers of either gender who really want to understand what makes members of the opposite sex tick, Richard Driscoll, Ph.D., and Nancy Ann Davis, Ph.D., present a scientific look at the differences between men and women in You Still Don’t Understand (Westside Psychology, 978-0-9634126-5-2). The book, which uses evolutionary psychology to explain behavior, is both informative and disheartening. Take the study that showed that, "Men who stray often do so for the thrill of the sex and for the pleasure, but mainly because the opportunity presents itself--and not because their marriages are empty or sexually unsatisfying."

The studies are fascinating and provide insight into relationships. For example, in an experiment that studied stress and heart rate during arguments between couples, it was found that women most often dominate arguments and that, "men are markedly more intimidated by angry women than women are by angry men." Men often respond by withdrawing and becoming quiet. The authors write that this is merely a "masquerade," and the silence helps men cope with the stress of the situation.

Pieces of advice marked with gender symbols break up the text. In a chapter that discusses why men remain silent on some issues, even though women may prefer them to speak, the authors recommend, "Try to understand the problems instead of being upset about them. Your otherwise reserved husband will be more willing to open up." While the book may not have all the answers to the problems in a relationship, it will certainly help readers understand their partner’s perspective on many issues.

by Whitney Hallberg, Managing Editor

BOOK REVIEW

Confessions of a Bi-Polar Mardi-Gras Queen
by Marie Etienne
(Alluvium Books, 978-0-9748474-1-2)

In her second memoir, Confessions of a Bi-Polar Mardi-Gras Queen, Marie Etienne tells the chilling story of mental illness inherited by generations of her family. Her grandmother spent more than thirty years in a mental facility, a brother committed suicide, and another died under questionable circumstances. Her parents, both on medication for mental illness, were emotionally unavailable during her childhood, and in her forties, Marie herself was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The author tells stories of feeling unworthy and unloved, of discovering dark secrets in her family’s past, and of times when she suspected that she, like her parents and many of her eight siblings, could be affected by mental illness. But she also tells stories of finding strength, coming to terms, and overcoming her past.

After a divorce and the death of her parents, Etienne discovered that she could temper her dramatic mood swings and grief with art classes, then a writing class. With writing, she found the outlet that would prove most meaningful for her. Etienne’s story is touching. "In conjunction with therapy, writing about my personal struggles helped me to unclog the pipes and flush all the bad stuff away," she writes. Confessions, written in short essays which provide glimpses into the author’s life, is revealing and enjoyable. (February)

Reviewed by Whitney Hallberg

Read more reviews at www.forewordmagazine.com.

AUTHOR PAGES: STUART TWEMLOW

The Author Pages feature nearly 100 interviews with authors whose work has been reviewed in ForeWord magazine. Stuart W. Twemlow co-author (with Frank Sacco), author of Why School Anti-Bullying Programs Don't Work: Positive Vibrations (978-0-7657-0475-7) writes:

"I don’t remember my house being full of books but my foster parent was a writer and I grew up to the smell of smoking and an old Remington typewriter tapping in the early hours of the morning. It was intriguing that she only smoked when typing her books. She wrote detective novels and books about young people and farm life. She was self educated and was so interested in what she was doing and thoughtful about it that she would discuss her novels with me and we both would get caught up in a deep imaginary world. "

Visit ForeWord’s Author Pages to read more about the authors reviewed in the pages of ForeWord.

This week at Publishing Insider, Joanna Campbell Slan discusses the tight-knit communities that make cozy mysteries distinct.

At Editor’s Notes, Editor-in-Chief Heather Shaw presents the speech given at BookExpo America, announcing the ForeWord's Independent Publisher of the Year.

At Shelf Space, Carlie Webber pens a column titled "They're evil! They're brilliant! They're reviewers!"

At Publishing Matters, Eugene Schwartz Eugene Schwartz discusses lessons learned from librarians at an AAP panel.

Visit www.forewordmagazine.com for publishing news, book reviews, and the ForeWord Book Club.

FOREWORD BOOK CLUB: FORGETTING ENGLISH

This week the ForeWord Book Club features "The Ecstatic Cry," a story from Midge Raymond’s collection, Forgetting English (Eastern Washington University Press, 978-1-59766-046-4).

"Like many of the stories in Forgetting English," writes Raymond, "‘The Ecstatic Cry’ addresses the themes of loneliness and isolation--and it does so almost to an extreme because the story is set way down at the bottom of the world. And it’s perhaps because of this--the extremity of the setting, the nearly complete desolation--that the story’s narrator is able to forge a connection that in more ordinary circumstances would have been difficult, if not impossible, for her to make."

Read the whole story this week only at the ForeWord's Book Club.

FOREWORD FOOTNOTES

Audio Nonfiction. EVERYDAY MEDITATION: A MINI-RETREAT TO CALM THE MIND & NOURISH THE SOUL by KRS Edstrom (Softstone, 40 minutes, 1 CD, $16.95, 978-8-86198-19-7): stress and wellness expert presents distinctive meditation skills that improve awareness and enhance experience; examples include "noting" sensations, scanning for energy blocks, and breath awareness, a calming technique where observation of inhalations and exhalations takes place.

Biography & Autobiography. MARTHA HILL: & THE MAKING OF AMERICAN DANCE by Janet Mansfield Soares (Wesleyan University Press, 60 b/w photographs, 400 pages, hardcover, $35.00, 978-0-8195-6899-1): Julliard School graduate and professor of dance emerita from Barnard College presents the life (1900-1995) of one of "the most influential figures" of twentieth-century dance, whose leadership established dance as a serious art form; among the references are the diaphanous gowns of Isadora Duncan, modern dance of Martha Graham, and Hill’s "variations with lifts and turns, rhythmic changes and exploratory things."

Biography & Autobiography. STOWE IN HER OWN TIME: A BIOGRAPHICAL CHRONICLE OF HER LIFE, DRAWN FROM RECOLLECTIONS, INTERVIEWS AND MEMORIES edited by Susan Belasco (University of Iowa Press, b/w photographs, 330 pages, softcover, $27.95, 978-1-58729-782-3): professor of English at the University of Nebraska presents thirty-eight narratives concerning the life (1811-1896) of the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), part of the "Writers in Their Own Time" series; among the mentions are Elizabeth Barret Browning, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Abraham Lincoln’s comment when he met Harriet Beecher: "So you’re the little woman who wrote a book that made this great war!"

Business & Economics. CHAOTICS: THE BUSINESS OF MANAGING AND MARKETING IN THE AGE OF TURBULENCE by Philip Kotler and John A. Caslione (AMACOM, 208 pages, hardcover, $25.00, 978-0-8144-1521-4): S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and guest lecturer on global business at the Kellogg School of Management believe that these "troubled times" are the "new face of normal"; among the topics are resource allocation, price discounting, and human resources activities in a downturn: "it is a perfect opportunity to reset the processes and fix what’s broken."

Business & Economics. TAMING THE E-MAIL BEAST: 45 KEY STRATEGIES FOR BETTER MANAGING YOUR E-MAIL OVERLOAD by Randall Dean (Sortis Publishing, b/w illustrations, 262 pages, softcover, $17.95, 978-0-9772025-3): time management consultant suggests productive methods for managing a "beast of monstrous proportions"; topics include "clutter busting," excessive e-mail carbon copies, unproductive e-mail loops, checking incoming e-mails on a regulated basis, creation of an efficient filing system, and receiving an "e-mail firebomb"--potentially explosive content that is often met with panic.

Family & Relationships. THE POSTPARTUM SURVIVAL GUIDE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION by Paul Meier, Todd Clements, and Lynne Johnson (Tyndale House Publishers, 177 pages, softcover, $14.99, 978-1-4141-1283-5): psychiatrist, medical director, and psychiatric nurse offer solutions "written from a Christian perspective" along with helpful case stories; among the topics are restoring the body’s chemistry, confronting the "worst-case scenario," and the father’s possible depression from "the life changes that come with a newborn," which can result in "conflicts, hostility, alienation, and even divorce."

History. THE CIVIL WAR BATHROOM READER: HISTORIC READING FOR YOUR PRIVATE MOMENTS (Sweet Water Press, 512 pages, softcover, $16.95, 978-1-58173-737-0): compilation of divergent facts concerning the War Between the States; among the items are Clara Barton as "Angel of the Battlefield," Confederate General Jeb Stuart wearing a red-lined cape while in the saddle, nicknames such as stickler Winfield Scott as "Old Fuss and Feathers," and military "dog tents" with just enough room for two soldiers plus a dog, forerunner of the "pup" tent.

History. THE DEATH OF MERIWETHER LEWIS: A HISTORIC CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION by James E. Starrs and Kira Gale (River Junction Press, 42 b/w photographs, 5 maps, 366 pages, softcover, $16.95, 978-0-9649315-4-1): emeritus professor of law and forensic sciences at George Washington University, and author of Lewis and Clark Road Trips investigate whether the famous explorer (1774-1809) died of suicide or assassination; the book’s three parts are "Coroner’s Inquest," "The Evidence: Documents and Photos," and "The Case for Murder," which includes, "General James Wilkinson as being associated with the forgery of the November 26,1811 document, which is often cited as proof of Meriwether Lewis’s suicidal intentions."

History. THE FLAGS OF CIVIL WAR MISSOURI by Glenn Dedmondt (Pelican Publishing, 8 x 11, 1 color map, 70 color illustrations, 14 b/w illustrations, 144 pages, softcover, $22.00, 978-1-58980-662-7): veteran and author of Flags of Civil War North Carolina unfurls more than fifty flags along with a history of their origins and the units they represented; among the ensigns are Artillery, Confederate Service, and State Guard such as the 1st Infantry Regiment, 4th Division with three wide bars, two of which were red and the middle white, plus "seven bright silver stars" on a field of blue.

History. THE SHILOH CAMPAIGN edited by Steven E. Woodworth (Southern Illinois University Press, maps, 192 pages, hardcover, $24.95, 978-0-8093-2892-5): professor of history at Texas Christian University presents eight essays by different historians that analyze the 1862 battle of Shiloh, where nearly 20,000 men were killed or wounded -- first volume in the "Civil War Campaigns in the Heartland" series; battle areas include Hornets’ Nest, "carnage" near the Hamburg-Savannah road, and Union gunboats on the Tennessee River with their "big naval guns and the terror they wrought."

Literary Criticism. THE PROGRAM ERA: POSTWAR FICTION AND THE RISE OF CREATIVE WRITING by Mark McGurl (Harvard University Press, b/w photographs, 466 pages, hardcover, $35.00, 978-0-674-03319-1): associate professor of English at UCLA and author of The Novel Art: Elevations of American Fiction after Henry James offers a "fundamental reinterpretation" of recent fiction along with discussions of current writing programs; topics include "autobardolatry," "social construction of unreality," and "hidden injuries of craft" such as the term "prolific" currently meaning large numbers of books that suggest "a bending of literary labor to the model of assembly-line production."

Literary Criticism. THE PROSE OF LIFE: RUSSIAN WOMEN WRITERS FROM KHRUSHCHEV TO PUTIN by Benjamin M. Sutcliffe (University of Wisconsin Press, 224 pages, softcover, $26.95, 978-0-299-23204-7): assistant professor of Russian at Miami University examines how six female authors used images of daily life through the "prism of literature"--first title in the Mellon Slavic Initiative; writers include Tat’iana Tolstaia, Natal’ia Baranskaia, and Liudmila Ulitskaia whose narrator in Medea and Her Children filters Sandra’s observations through "diction and syntax stressing the stylistics of representation more than content itself."

Social Science. THE SLAVE NEXT DOOR: HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SLAVERY IN AMERICA TODAY by Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter (University of California Press, 288 pages, hardcover, $24.95, 978-0-520-25515-9): author of Understanding Global Slavery and author of Hanging Captain Gordon: The Life and Trial of an American Slave Trader combine to expose current servitude; the three categories are agricultural labor, forced prostitution, and domestic servitude such as twelve-year-old Maria from Mexico being employed as a "maid" by Texan Sandra Bearden, who is now serving life in prison in part for chaining little Maria to a pole when she wasn’t working.

Religion. SO LONG, STATUS QUO: WHAT I LEARNED FROM WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD by Susy Flory (Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 160 pages, softcover, $13.99, 978-0-8341-2438-7): journalist and author of Fear Not Da Vinci: How to Use the Best-selling Novel to Share Your Faith shares how the "powerful" stories of nine women inspired a suburban mother to new actions; among the women are Jane Austin, Mary Magdalene, and the generous Harriet Tubman who inspired Flory to sell her jewelry to help drill fresh water wells for African villages.

by Alex Moore, Book Review Editor

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