"Food for Thought: Essays on Reading and Culture" edited by Lawrence C. Rubin, foreword by John Shelton Lawrence. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2008. 9780786435500. 307 p. $35 softcover

"Thunderstruck" by Eric Larson. Crown, 2006. 978-1400080663.
480 p. $25

This is a wonderful book. It's two true stories woven together: of Marconi, the inventor of wireless communication and Dr. H.H. Crippen who almost committed the perfect murder. I could not put it down. And did you know that Marconi and his wife were scheduled to sail on the Titanic? But they didn't. Eric Larson is a great story-teller and historian. -- Katina Strauch

"Worshipping Walt: The Whitman Disciples," by Michael Robertson. Princeton University Press, March 2008. 9780691128085 368 p. $27.95

"Worshipping Walt is the first book on the Whitman disciples--the fascinating, eclectic group of nineteenth-century men and women who regarded Walt Whitman not simply as a poet but as a religious prophet. ... Worshipping Walt presents a colorful portrait of an era of intense religious, political, and sexual passions, shedding new light on why Whitman's work continues to appeal to so many."

"Cooking with Shakespeare" (Feasting with Fiction) by Mark Norton and Andrew Coppolino. Westbury, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008.
978-0313337079. 336 p. $55.

"In addition to being fundamental to the Elizabethan world, food often appears in Shakespeare's plays. Thus by studying the role of food in Shakespeare's works, students can learn much about his era. Written for students and general readers, this book provides a valuable introduction to Shakespearean food culture." Mmm, good!

"Nelson Mandela: A Biography," by Peter Limb. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008. (Greenwood Biographies) 978031334352 (ISBN), 1540-4900 (ISSN). 144 p. $35

This is written especially for students and general readers. The author is Africana bibliographer and associate professor (adjunct) of history at Michigan State University, East Lansing.

"Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organization," by Clay Shirky. Penguin Group (USA): February 2008. 9781594201530 $25.95. 336 p.

A revelatory examination of how the wildfire-like spread of new forms of social interaction enabled by technology is changing the way humans form groups and exist within them, with profound long-term economic and social effects -- for good and for ill.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Here-Comes-Everybody/Clay-Shirky/e/9781...

"I'll Be Sober in the Morning: Great Political Comebacks, Putdowns, & Ripostes," edited by Chris Lamb, illustrated by Steve Stegelin. Charleston, SC: Frontline Press, 2007. 9780972382946. $15. 195 p.

Cris Lamb is a professor of Communication at the College of Charleston where he teaches journalism. You all know how I like quotes. Well, this is a hilariously charming book of responses to something said or done. Check it out! Here's one of my favorites: "Daniel Webster, when offered the Vice Presidency in 1828, indignantly replied: "I do not propose to be buried until I am dead."

"Fools Gold: Why the Internet is No Substitute for a Library," by Mark Y. Herring. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2007. 9780786430826. $45. 191 p.

This book is a must-read for all librarians. Is the life expectancy of libraries doubtful? And is the Web the best solution to replace libraries?

"Our New Public, A Changing Clientele: Bewildering Issues or New Challenges for Managing Libraries," edited by James R. Kennedy, Lisa Vardaman, and Gerard B. McCabe. Foreward by Henry Stewart. Preface by Bernadette Roberts Storck. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. 9781591584070. $45. 306 p.

"Scholarship in the Digital Age: Information, Infrastructure, and the Internet," by Christine L. Borgman. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2007. 9780262026192 $35 336 p.

The Internet lies at the core of an information infrastructure for distributed, data-intensive, and collaborative resources. Although much attention has been paid to the new technologies making this possible, from digitized books to sensor networks, it is the underlying social and policy changes that will have the most lasting effect on the scholarly enterprise.