Reader’s Roundup: Monographic Musings & Reference Reviews

Column Editor: Corey Seeman (Director, Kresge Library Services, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan) <cseeman@umich.edu> Twitter @cseeman

Column Editor’s Note: “The horror! The horror!”

In many ways, this is an awful way to start a book review column. All things considered, there is nothing in this column that is truly a horror that librarians should avoid at all costs. But this famous quote from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness certainly pulled double meaning for me — especially during the week we had in Michigan recently.

An ice storm came through Southeastern Michigan (where I live in Ypsilanti) on Wednesday February 22nd. The steady freezing rain in a relatively small band just north of the Michigan-Ohio border took a damp day and turned it into a dangerous one. Over the course of the day, the trees developed a coat of ice on them, bringing down limbs, and with it, both steady power and Internet. Many people in the area (including a number of colleagues) lost power on Wednesday and it did not return until Sunday. We actually made it through the initial storm, only to lose power on Saturday when a transformer blew up. And amid these power outages, WiFi, especially via Xfinity, was in short supply. Without power and without Internet … truly, we were thrust into a “heart of darkness.”

Both the power outage and the fact that we have a review for Critical Insights: Heart of Darkness has me thinking about the new world of work and the new world of libraries. It has nothing to do with the quote I shared above, but instead on the reliance and need of electricity to do our work in and using the modern library.

I remember when I was a manager at the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh many years ago. We were located in two buildings: one in the Oakland neighborhood, near the University of Pittsburgh, and the other in the Strip District, the site of the current Heinz History Center. I cannot remember exactly when it happened, but there was a power outage in our Oakland building where the library and archives were located. It was Winter, so we knew at best, we could only work as long as the heat was working and the light was shining through the windows. Since we worked with archival and print collections, we had access to the tools of our trade. But around 2 pm, I sent everyone home. The light was not great and it was getting cool in the building. I had later heard that some people (or maybe one person) from the building that did not lose power were not happy that we got extra time off in our building. If this happened today, I would have sent everyone home to login from there. But alas, that was not the world of the mid 1990s.

The modern library practically does not exist without electricity and access to the Internet. We are so dependent on access to our library collections from wherever we are that any interruption is one that you cannot easily manage. It is not just about missing an episode of The Mandalorian (guilty Baby Yoda fan here), it is about connecting to news, articles, reports, books, and everything. And if you are an electronic only collection such as mine at Kresge Library Services, you are doubly impacted by any outage.

This brings up an important issue about the other major role of a library. The library continues to be critical as a community center and place where we can study. Many administrators have viewed the books on our shelves as storage. That is partly true, but unfairly stigmatizes the value of shelf browsing for our patrons. The real value of libraries, as many have said more eloquently than I am, is that of a “third place.” The first place is your home, and the second place is your work. The third place is where you can be outside in your community. This is a critical role for a library of every type.

In fact, during the recent ice storm last week, the Ann Arbor District Library stayed open on the first day, providing residents with an overnight warming center for those without power.1 I am so thrilled to live in a community that made their library available as a warming center to those who needed it. In many ways, the Ann Arbor District Library showcased heart during darkness.

We need to remember this is an important part of our role, in addition to making available reputable works for our community. And periodically, you can make lemonade out of lemons. So when we lost Internet and had power, I was able to get a good jump on this and the next column. I guess this is what’s possible when you are not searching for Baby Yoda and squirrels on the web all day. Speaking of which….

The works in this issue are mostly reference in nature and cover the academic needs of students as well as the health needs of community members. There also is a work focused on teaching banned books, something of critical value to public and school librarians everywhere. I very much appreciate the work of the reviewers who really dig into the work and provide context that may be missing elsewhere. Thank you to my reviewers for this issue: Kelly Denzer (Davidson College); Carolyn Filippelli (University of Arkansas – Fort Smith); Peter Hesseldenz (University of Kentucky); Susan E. Montgomery (Rollins College); Mechele Romanchock (Alfred University); and Katherine Swart (Calvin University). As always, thank you very much for your work in bringing this column together.

If you would like to be a reviewer for Against the Grain, please write me at <cseeman@umich.edu>. If you are a publisher and have a book you would like to see reviewed in a future column, please also write me directly. You can also find out more about the Reader’s Roundup here (new site name) — https://www. squirreldude.com/atg-readers-roundup

Happy reading and be nutty! — Corey

Evans, Robert C., editor. Critical Insights: Heart of Darkness. Ipswich, Massachusetts: Salem Press, 2019. 9781642652734, 308 pages. $105.00

Reviewed by Kelly Denzer (Collections Strategist and Discovery Librarian, Davidson College, Davidson, NC.) <kedenzer@davidson.edu>

The Critical Insights from Salem Press series explores popular and often complex works of literature providing students new ways of approaching the subject matter. Point in case, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1902), a central work in many high school and undergraduate courses on literature. Conrad’s novella is fraught with difficult themes, symbolism, and imagery of nineteenth century imperialism. The story centers on Charlie Marlow’s experience as a steamboat skipper for a Belgium trading company as he describes his encounters with other European colonizers and native African people during an expedition through the Congo. The story is based on Conrad’s own experience as a riverboat captain for a similar Belgium company in Africa in 1890.

In this Critical Insights volume, editor Robert C. Evans compiles a host of relevant essays addressing not only the themes of Conrad’s novella but also the criticism it has received over the twentieth and into the twenty-first century. Evans is a Distinguished Teaching Professor at Auburn University at Montgomery and editor of numerous volumes in the Critical Insights series. He authored many essays in this edition including a biography of Conrad that provides insight into Conrad’s early years living under the Russian Empire with his Polish nationalist parents in Eastern Europe. A time that was perhaps formative to his thoughts on imperialism, a main topic in Heart of Darkness.

This volume opens with an essay on the Heart of Darkness by University of North Texas Distinguished Research Professor, John Peters. Peters has written extensively on Conrad, serving as past President of the Joseph Conrad Society of America and current General Editor of Conradiana , the oldest journal in Conrad studies. Peters’ essay provides insights on the novella’s journey of self-discovery for Marlow’s character, the use of language and meaning, and the aspect of memory and experience which he notes is unusual for late nineteenth century literature. His essay serves as a good introduction to the novella and its unusual narrative style, as Marlow is both a character in a specific time and place, and a narrator recalling an event.

Each Critical Insights volume includes a Critical Contexts section and a Critical Readings section. The contextual essays explore the historical context broadly then drills down to more focused themes, such as light and dark in Heart of Darkness The Critical Readings section is the longest and covers diverse topics in the novella. Here, the first essay is an interesting comparison of the original manuscript draft to that of the final publication. Written by David Mulry, a professor of English and webmaster for the Joseph Conrad Society of America. Mulry discusses a significant revision of Mr. Kurtz, the ivory trader and head of a trading station believed to be dead, thus the reason for Marlow’s expedition. Kurtz is a controversial character of the story who did more harm than good in his intended mission by selfishly retrieving ivory from Africa and taking advantage of the native people.

The final entry in the Critical Readings section provides context around the milieu in which Conrad was writing through images of the Congo region instead of a written narrative. These were hand drawn by British artist Herbert Ward, French artist Victor Perard, and illustrator W. B. Davis during their time in the Congo region in the 1880’s. Evans notes these images are unique for Heart of Darkness scholarship and offer details about the interactions of the native African people and Western European colonizers at the time. In an earlier essay in this section, Evans provides a textual analysis of Herbert Ward’s 1891 book, Five Years with the Congo Cannibals where the illustrations were originally published.

In addition to students of Conrad’s novella, film students will also appreciate the references to Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” (1979) depicting the Vietnam War. Heart of Darkness is acknowledged by Coppola as the inspiration for the film and among other mentions in this reference volume, Gene M. Moore writes an essay discussing the issue of closure that both the author of the novella, and the writer of the script had in common. In the earlier mentioned essay by Mulry comparing the original manuscript and the final publication, he recounts Conrad’s anxiety over completing the manuscript on time and within the original size limit, growing from 30,000 words to closer to 40,000 as a novella.

The issues of European imperialism, slavery in Africa, colonialism, and ethics brought forward in Conrad’s novella carry with them a complexity, especially to today’s undergraduate or high school student. While it is not a summary of the novella, students assigned the work and looking for a better understanding of these complex topics will appreciate the many perspectives represented in this volume. The diverse viewpoints taken up in the essays makes it an important addition to a high school or undergraduate library in particular, but this would be a welcome volume in any academic research library.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

Evans, Robert C., editor, Critical Insights: Invisible Man. Ipswich, Massachusetts: Salem Press, a division of EBSCO Information Services, Inc.; Amenia, NY: Grey House Publishing, 2018. 9781682179192, 264 pages. $105.00

Reviewed by Peter Hesseldenz (Academic Liaison for Literature and Humanities, University of Kentucky Libraries, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky) <phessel@uky.edu>

Over the years, there have been numerous volumes intended to introduce college students to Ralph Ellison’s sole novel, Invisible Man. The latest in this group is Critical Insights: Invisible Man from Salem Press’ series edited by Robert C. Evans. Like other books of this type, this volume contains a mix of critical essays, biographical material on the author, and other resources such as a chronology and a bibliography. This particular example is made worthwhile because of its many high-quality entries including some on subjects that are seldom explored, such as efforts to ban Invisible Man and critical responses to both Invisible Man the play and the film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this work for today’s student, however, is its dedication to pointing out Invisible Man’s continued relevance though its connection to contemporary issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement and systemic racism.

This book, like others in the Critical Insights series, begins with a short introductory section before moving into the main body which is broken into three parts — Critical Contexts, Critical Readings, and Resources. One highlight of the opening section is an essay from Classics scholar Patrice Rankine (University of Chicago) in which he not only provides a useful introduction to the main themes of Ellison’s masterpiece, but also helps to make Invisible Man relatable for students. Rankine does this by describing the difficulty he had getting himself to begin this long and challenging novel, much less stick it out to the end. Even a great scholar can find literature challenging to get through, and important lesson for everyone, especially students.

The aim of the next section, Critical Contexts, is to introduce readers to the novel in four different contexts. In addition to the aforementioned article on attempts to ban Invisible Man by Phil Johnson, this section also includes the first of two essays by editor Evans covering the early critical response to Invisible Man. In it, Evans introduces quotes from representative critical works, both positive and negative, and notes trends and highlights. The next two essays in this section are more traditional literary criticism in that they examine specific themes in the novel. In an interesting piece, Nicholas Tredell looks at the way that Ellison uses sensory imagery, such as hearing and seeing, to describe and represent the protagonist in the novel. The last essay in this section, by Steven D. Ealy, focuses on Biblical allusions in Invisible Man

The heart of this volume is the Critical Readings section, which consists of eleven pieces that cover several different types of writing. This first article, by Ellison biographer Arnold Rampersad, is an insightful look at how Ellison’s life is reflected in his work. As the transcript of a lecture Rampersad gave, this selection has an engaging and lively conversational feel. Another article by Evans summarizes several of Ellison’s early interviews about Invisible Man, including a few that have been difficult to find in the United States. Nicolas Tredell, in a second essay, looks at the role anger plays in the novel. Antonio Byrd’s piece explores Ellison’s thoughts on the craft of writing, while Lucas E. Morel adds two essays, one on individualism and another on the political implications of Invisible Man. Two additional works — Michael Germana’s “On Invisible Man: Past, Present, and Present Past” and Grant Shreve’s “Invisible Man’s Relationship with the Reconstruction Era” — look at how history and the past inform the novel. The Critical Readings section is rounded out by Evans’ second article on the critical responses to Invisible Man, this time covering the 1970s to the early 21st century, as well as the overviews of past reviews of the Invisible Man play and the documentary film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey. These last three entries will be helpful for students since they conveniently bring together material that would be difficult and time-consuming for them to find on their own.

Despite the plethora of information already available about Ellison’s great work, this volume will be a welcome edition for students. Its formula, which includes covering many aspects of Invisible Man using various writing styles, embodies Rankin’s characterization of the novel having “universal appeal.” This approach will help to provide a new generation of readers with tools for connecting with Ellison’s unnamed protagonist. To paraphrase the novel’s famous last line, this book speaks to us on many different frequencies.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

Mercadal, Trudy, Ph.D., editor. Great Lives from History: Latinos, 2nd Edition. Hackensack, NJ: Salem Press. 9781642656794, 3 volumes, 1100 pages. $395.

Reviewed by Susan E. Montgomery (Research & Instruction Librarian/Professor, Olin Library, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL) <smontgomery@rollins.edu>.

In this three-volume reference work, updated and enhanced from the 2012 edition, Trudy Mercadal presents a collection of informative essays on 565 different individuals of diverse heritage. All the individuals included in this work have contributed to United States history, culture, and society. Part of the “Great Lives” series published by Salem Press, Great Lives from History: Latinos is an easy-to-use reference resource that will appeal to high-school readers and up. Each entry provides a good overview of the individual along with an annotated list of suggested readings that the reader can consult for further information.

Trudy Mercadal, Ph.D., a professor at Florida Atlantic University, is the editor of this comprehensive work. Mercadal has authored chapters in scholarly books on cultural studies and women in combat. The contributors to this volume represent a wide range of institutions and professional organizations and the entries are well-researched and written.

The volumes are organized alphabetically by the individual’s last name, with biographical data at the beginning of each entry, along with highlights of the person’s notable achievement to warrant inclusion in this work. The essay body, between 1,0002,000 words, is structured in the same format throughout all three of the volumes: early life, life’s work, and significance. The entry also provides the Latino heritage for each person.

As I browsed through the pdf version of this text, which would have benefited from hyperlinks, I appreciated the diverse representation of individuals such as politicians, authors, celebrities, etc. as well as the combination of contemporary and historical figures who have made contributions worldwide. Most of the individuals included in the text had lineage to countries in Latin America. However, I found some entries in the volume quite surprising. One was the entry on the Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was born in the British West Indies, on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean. The entry points out that the island where Hamilton was born was originally named “Nuestra Señora de las Nieves” (Our Lady of the Snows) by Spanish conquistadores and later was renamed to Nevis by the British. The other unique entry was singer Julio Iglesias whose indicated heritage is Spanish (as in the country Spain). Iglesias’s music has earned him recognition in the United States, as he was awarded several Latin Grammys. The entry also highlights his humanitarian projects worldwide. I question including these two individuals in this volume. I was not convinced that either Hamilton or Iglesias could be identified as Latino when comparing them to other individuals in this volume or how the Latino identity is defined today.

These two entries highlight a potential shortcoming of the work. The recent discussions about diversity and inclusion in the United States have prompted a great deal of questions about identity. Identity is an intensely personal decision, and the choices people make as to how they identify cannot be presumed or generalized based on a single factor. A discussion about this aspect of identity and how heritage can inform a person’s identity would have enhanced the content presented in this work.

Thus, although this work is well-organized and detailed, it lacks a more formal discussion of the question of identity. How do you do define Latino and what aspects about a person’s lineage or heritage form who is Latino? Regardless, the depth and breadth of these three volumes offer readers a great jumping off point for their research.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this available somewhere in my shared network. (I probably do not need this book, but it would be nice to get it within three to five days via my network catalog.)

Nutrition, Obesity, & Eating Disorders Handbook & Resource Guide. Amenia, NY: Grey House Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781-63700-063-2, 400 Pages. $165 Print.

Reviewed by Carolyn Filippelli (Reference Librarian, Boreham Library, University of Arkansas — Fort Smith) <Carolyn.Filippelli@uafs.edu>

Nutrition, Obesity, & Eating Disorders Handbook & Resource Guide is one of the volumes in the Grey House Health & Wellness Guides. With its extensive content and its impressive listings of agencies, support groups, statistics, and web sites, it is a consumer health resource not to be missed.

This volume is conveniently arranged into four logical divisions: Section One: Studies & Statistics About Nutrition,

Obesity, & Eating Disorders; Section Two: Conditions Related to Nutrition; Section Three: Conditions Indirectly Related to Nutrition; and Section Four: Appendix & Indexes.

Section One provides an extensive explanation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 2020-2025 from the USDA 2 These guidelines suggest dietary recommendations over the lifespan and contain practical and realistic recommendations for improving the nutrition and eating plans for persons of all ages.

Also included in this section are profiles for two eating plans that have been extensively researched and are currently of interest to many consumers. These are the DASH Eating Plan and the Mediterranean Diet. DASH standard for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” Practical applications of the DASH Eating Plan are shown through inclusion of suggested weekly menus. For the Mediterranean Diet, colorful illustrations are used to show examples of foods recommended by this diet.

As you might imagine, the section focuses on nutrient dense foods as the gold standard in one’s ideal diet. Eating plans should focus on incorporating these foods and minimizing saturated fats, sodium, and sugar. Instead of just basic guidelines urging the need for better nutrition, specific attention is given to actual plans such as “MyPlate Plans,” “Making Nutrient Dense Choices,” “Making Healthy Choices: One Day at a Time,” and examples of “GO, SLOW, and WHOA Foods” (from the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). The use of realistic examples and detailed plans for showing how improvements in eating plans can be made practically and easily in everyday meals is a signal accomplishment. Practices that actually work are very useful to persons attempting to improve nutritional practices. Concluding Section One is extensive information on conditions such as Eating Disorders, diabetes, CKS (Chronic Kidney Disease), bone health, and Obesity.

Section Two addresses eleven medical conditions that are directly related to nutrition (or the lack therein). Among these are allergies, diabetes, eating disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, skin disorders & conditions, heart disease, hypertension, kidney and liver disease, obesity, osteoarthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Each condition includes both print and nonprint resources in sections titled: Agencies & Associations, Foundations & Research Centers, Support Groups & Hotlines, Journals, Web Sites, and Digital Resources. The unique connection made between specific medical conditions and nutritional influences is an important one. This connection is often overlooked and should be emphasized more often.

Section Three focuses on conditions indirectly related to nutrition continued with detailed resources on cancer, chronic pain, mental illness, substance abuse, stroke, and thyroid conditions.

This volume would make an excellent addition to consumer health collections in both public and academic libraries. It is a comprehensive “one stop” guide. College and university students would find it to be an excellent background resource for information on medical conditions and nutrition as well as a springboard to additional sources for research. The book is well written for a general audience with little jargon. The focus is on the average citizen who can take the recommendations and examples provided and act on them to promote a healthier lifestyle.

Although this guide does not focus on social determinants of health issues such as access to and affordability of health, it provides many practical and affordable suggestions for making eating and dietary improvements that are within the reach of most people. How far would a lifestyle based on a healthy eating plan diet and good nutrition go in reducing the national rates of such medical conditions as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease? What would be the effect of good nutritional practices combined with exercise on insurance costs, reducing the incidence of common medical conditions, and in creating a healthier populace? Healthy America 2030 presents some aspirational guidelines for public health improvement. The nutritional advice and encouragement in this volume provide a guide that would help in improving national health indicators and the incidence of many common medical conditions.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

Scales, Pat R. Teaching Banned Books: 32 Guides for Children and Teens, 2nd edition. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2020. 978-08389-4638 paper. 176 pp. $44.99.

Reviewed by Mechele Romanchock (Director of Libraries, Alfred University, Alfred, NY) <romanchockm@alfred.edu>

Addressing controversial issues has always been a formidable task for teachers and librarians. As book and curricular challenges hit the headlines with alarming regularity, it has only gotten harder. Many educators and librarians can be certain their every book choice will be scrutinized by a wide variety of community members, administrators, parents, or other stakeholders.

Pat R. Scales is a well-known and respected secondary school educator and former chair of the ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee, past president of the Association of Library Services to Children, and past chair of the Newbery Committee, Caldecott Committee, and Laura Ingalls Wilder Committee. This expanded second edition contains resources for teaching thirty-two books “appropriate for readers ages 9-18.” Included are 9 of the original titles from the first edition and twenty-three new titles grouped according to themes of bullying, racism, bigotry, what Scales calls “tough choices,” other cultures, the past and future and, “This Was My Life,” that features two memoirs.

Each guide includes a short synopsis of the work, a suggested activity “before reading,” “group discussion” questions, “writing prompts and activities” as well as “read-a-likes” with a note indicating the connecting theme. The open-ended questions included in each guide are thoughtful discussion starters that use the plot points and themes of the title in question as context for broaching the controversial topics that sparked a ban or challenge.

Though most of the prompts and activities are title specific, many are adaptable and could provide inspiration for teaching read-a-likes, giving this volume more use beyond the 32 featured guides. This is a key factor to consider, as the majority of the titles are not what has populated ALA’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books list in recent years. While that is the case, these works may be found on the more extended lists of reported challenges to libraries across the United States. The author states in the preface, “I have chosen novels that because of their literary merit are most likely to be taught, or used in books clubs in public libraries.”

The selections are indeed of literary merit as Scales states, with many Michael J. Printz and Newbery medalists and honor titles included.

These 32 guides will be useful for teachers or librarians who wish to address censorship, the first amendment, and introduce young readers to the crucial societal practice of civilly discussing potentially polarizing themes by rooting that conversation in well-known modern classics. However, given the title is Teaching Banned Books, some readers may expect more titles currently making headlines for bans or challenges. Considering the frequency of bans and challenges to books with LGBTQ or racial themes, some readers may be left wanting for even more titles addressing these topics. Additionally, as with some other ALA Editions publications, it appears to be more expensive than it should be for a paperback of its length.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this available somewhere in my shared network. (I probably do not need this book, but it would be nice to get it within three to five days via my network catalog.)

Wilner, Lindsey L. and Megan E. Shaal (Eds.). Principles of Health: Anxiety and Stress. Ipswich, MA: Salem Press, 2020. 9781642656992, 400 pages. $165.00.

Reviewed by Katherine Swart (Collection Development Librarian, Hekman Library, Calvin University) <kswart20@calvin.edu>

Principles of Health: Anxiety and Stress is the fourth book to be released in Salem Press’s Principles of Health reference book series. Available in print and as an ebook, this volume provides an overview of the types, sources, and treatments of common anxiety disorders, as well as several in-depth essays on specific conditions. With relatively easy-to-understand language, Anxiety and Stress is intended for upper high schoolers, undergraduates, and researchers. Editors Lindsey L. Wilner, Psy.D. and Megan E. Shaal, Psy.D. are independent scholars who coordinated a team of over 90 authors to produce this work. Though many of the contributors are also listed as independent scholars, the majority hail from well-known universities and colleges in the United States.

The 169 entries are arranged within seven sections. “Types of Anxiety and Stress” offers three to four-page overviews of the most common types of anxiety, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobias, and postpartum psychosis. Most entries include an introduction, a brief look at historical and theoretical perspectives, and a discussion of causes and treatments.

“Sources of Anxiety and Stress” continues with articles about common stressors that often lead to anxiety disorders. These include bullying, family dynamics, minority stress, and poor body image among others. The topic of separation and divorce is nicely divided into two entries: one for adult issues and one for children’s issues. As in the previous section, an introduction, a brief look at the literature on the topic, and discussions of diagnosis and treatment are usually covered.

The “Assessing Anxiety and Stress” section covers common anxiety assessment tests such as The Beck Anxiety Inventory. Following this is a section of “Related Conditions,” including depression, eating disorders, and insomnia. Each three-to-four-page overview includes explanations of the types of conditions, historical perspectives, and treatment methods.

“Treatment, Therapy, and Coping” discusses traditional ways of dealing with anxiety that professionals might use, such as Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT), medications, and resiliency. “Complementary and Alternative Therapies” delves into nontraditional treatments like light therapy and herbal supplements.

Lastly, the “Conditions In-Depth” section highlights seven disorders and gives practical advice for how to receive a diagnosis, recognize symptoms, and seek treatment. For example, the generalized anxiety disorder portion includes information on screening, diagnosis, symptoms, risk factors, medications, other treatments, tips for talking with one’s doctor, and additional resources.

The volume includes occasional black-and-white photos, a glossary, bibliography, and index. While the index is extensive, I quickly found errors in it. For example, look up OCD in the index and it completely omits the Conditions In-Depth: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder section on pages 318-323.

Somewhat unevenly, the 169 entries either have a list of books and articles for further reading or simply have a list in the citations. For example, some web references give an “accessed on” date, while others do not. The entry on “Ending Unhealthy Relationships” even contains three URLs and no other bibliographic data.

Aside from the typos and relatively minor problems, the work provides a useful overview of the common types of anxiety and stress, as well as current treatments and further reading. It is a good fit for an undergraduate library reference collection.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

Endnotes

1. Booth, Dejanay. City of Ann Arbor opens 2 overnight warming centers following ice storm (February 23, 2023) — https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/overnightwarming-centers-open-in-ann-arbor/ (accessed March 2, 2023).

2. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/ default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_ Americans_2020-2025.pdf

Guide to the ATG Reviewer Ratings

The ATG Reviewer Rating is being included for each book reviewed. Corey came up with this rating to reflect our collaborative collections and resource sharing means and thinks it will help to classify the importance of these books.

• I need this book on my nightstand. (This book is so good, that I want a copy close at hand when I am in bed.)

• I need this on my desk. (This book is so valuable, that I want my own copy at my desk that I will share with no one.)

• I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

• I need this available somewhere in my shared network. (I probably do not need this book, but it would be nice to get it within three to five days via my network catalog.)

• I’ll use my money elsewhere. (Just not sure this is a useful book for my library or my network.)