Reviewer's Choice

Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy
Albert N. Link, author
Martijn van Hasselt, author
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781802205589, $105.00, HC, 156pp

https://www.amazon.com/Small-Firms-U-S-Technology-Policy/dp/1802205586

Synopsis: While much has been written about the U.S. Small Business Innovat= ion Research (SBIR) program from both an institutional and a policy perspec= tive, there remains a conspicuous void of general information about firms a=
nd research projects that are funded through the program. Providing a multi= -dimensional picture of such firms and their projects, this incisive book i=
s designed to help the reader understand in more depth the social benefits = associated with the SBIR program.

With the publication of "Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy: Social Ben= efits of the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research Program", academics an=
d co-authors Albert N. Link and Martijn van Hasselt discuss the U.S. SBIR p= rogram from an institutional, empirical, and policy perspective, examining = the policy transfer of the program to other countries, the transfer of tech= nical knowledge through patents and scientific publications, and the techno= logy transfer of commercialised research outputs. Exploring new program and=
project relationships, "Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy" could well=
serve as a springboard for future in-depth analyses about the SBIR program=
and its impact on economic and social matters.

Forward-thinking in approach, "Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy" prov= ides a useful roadmap for future academic and policy research into the SBIR=
program, making it a valuable read for scholars and students of business a=
nd management studies. U.S. and international policymakers and business own= ers will also benefit from its discerning look into the SBIR program.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of numer= ous figures, tables, a listing of abbreviations, a six page bibliography of=
References, and a five page Index, "Small Firms and U.S. Technology Policy=
" is a seminal work of meticulously researched study and unreservedly recom= mended for personal, professional, corporate, governmental, and academic li= brary Contemporary Economics and Private/Public Business Research collectio=
ns and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Albert N. Link is the Virginia Batte Phillips Distinguis= hed Professor, Department of Economics.

Editorial Note #2: Martijn van Hasselt is an Associate Professor of Economi= cs, Department of Economics, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, US=
..

Jean-Luc Godard: The Permanent Revolutionary
Bert Rebhandl, author
Edward Maltby, translator
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299341800, $29.95, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Jean-Luc-Godard-Permanent-Revolutionary-Wisconsin/dp= /0299341801

Synopsis: "Jean-Luc Godard: The Permanent Revolutionary" biographer Bert Re= bhandl (and now translated into English for an American readership by Edwar=
d Maltby) provides a balanced evaluation of the work of one of the most ori= ginal and influential film directors of all time: Jean-Luc Godard (3 Decemb=
er 1930 - 13 September 2022). In this sympathetic yet critical overview, Re= bhandle persuasively argues that Godard's work captured the revolutionary s= pirit of Paris in the late 1960s as no other filmmaker has dared, and in fa=
ct reinvented the medium.

Rebhandl skillfully weaves together biographical details; information about=
the cultural, intellectual, and cinematic milieu over the decades; and des= criptions of Godard's most significant films to support his assertion that = the director was a permanent revolutionary -- always seeking new ways to cr= eate, understand, and comment on film within a larger context. Godard is pr= esented as an artist consistently true to himself while never ceasing to ch= ange and evolve, often in unexpected, radical, and controversial ways.

Critique: As a journalist and biographer, with the publication of "Jean-Luc=
Godard: The Permanent Revolutionary" Bert Rebhandl is able to draw upon a = wealth of material to descriptively analyze and provide comment upon such s= ensitive topics as the long-standing charges of antisemitism against Godard=
and his oeuvre. This comprehensive and seminal biography is an especially = recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic lib= rary Cinematic History/Biography collections.

Editorial Note #1: Bert Rebhandl (https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/6058.htm) =
is a freelance journalist whose writings have appeared in such venues as Fr= ankfurter Allgemeine and tipBerlin. He is the author of several previous bo= oks written in German.

Editorial Note #2: Edward Maltby (https://www.maltbytranslation.com) is a U= K-based translator. He holds a degree in modern and medieval languages from=
Cambridge University.

The Bookseller at the End of the World
Ruth Shaw
A&U New Zealand
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en.html
9781988547756, $18.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bookseller-at-End-World/dp/198854775X

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Bookseller at the End of the World",=
Ruth Shaw (who runs two wee bookshops in remote Manapouri in the far south=
of New Zealand) weaves together stories of the characters who visit her bo= okshops, musings about favorite books, and bittersweet stories from her ful=
l and varied life.

Ruth has sailed through the Pacific for years, been held up by pirates, wor= ked at Sydney's Kings Cross with drug addicts and prostitutes, campaigned o=
n numerous environmental issues, and worked the yacht Breaksea Girl with he=
r husband, Lance.

Underlining all her wanderings and adventures are some very deep losses and=
long-held pain. Balancing that out is her beautiful love story with Lance,=
and her delightful sense of humor.

"The Bookseller at the End of the World" will provoke the reader to sorrow = and laughter -- and motivated to want to read more books.

And there is a standing invitation for visitors to New Zealand to visit Rut=
h and her three wee bookshops!

Critique: A deftly presented and informative memoir certain to delight the = hard core bibliophile and of compelling interest to anyone who has ever con= templated operating a bookstore of their own, "The Bookseller at the End of=
the World" is a an inherently fascinating read and a truly exceptional and=
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, co= llege, and university library Writing/Bookseller Biography/Memoir collectio= ns. It should be noted that "The Bookseller at the End of the World" is als=
o readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Twice arrested and married four times, now at age 75, Ruth = Shaw has led a colorful life crammed with incredible adventure, and at time=
s damned by terrible tragedy. There have been pirates and prostitutes, prot= ests, and pig farming; gold mining, gambling, and grief. (https://www.nzedg= e.com/news/fiordland-bookseller-ruth-shaws-extraordinary-life)

Avocado Anxiety
Louise Gray
Bloomsbury
www.bloomsbury.com
9781472969637, $24.00

https://www.amazon.com/Avocado-Anxiety-Other-Stories-About/dp/1472969634

Avocado Anxiety and Other Stories About Where Your Food Comes From comes fr=
om the author of the best-selling The Ethical Carnivore, and continues the = dialogue surrounding food choices and making mindful decisions about eating=
.. This survey presents stories of how fruits and vegetables are grown, mark= eted, and how they affect both humans and the land, considering wide-rangin=
g questions from how food is foraged and whether it's more nutritious than = farmed food to whether plant protein is as good as meat. Expanding many of = the concepts presented in The Ethical Carnivore, Avocado Anxiety imbibes it=
s approach and subjects with dialogues supported by facts, encouraging read= ers to both learn more about food options and consider their planetary impa=
ct in making these choices.

My Two Centuries In Africa
Carl William Henn
CWH Publishing
9781088123805, $24.99, PB, 200pp

https://www.amazon.com/Two-Centuries-Africa-Book-One/dp/1088123805

Synopsis: "My Two Centuries in Africa (Book One): Epic fights. Long flights=
.. Mosquito Bites" by Carl William Henn is a humorous, affectionate, intimat=
e book about Africa. It's a personal memoir about how a guy from Indiana ac= cidentally spent almost 40 years working in (or on) public health in Africa=
and lived to tell about it.

In "My Two Centuries in Africa", Henn covers the 20th Century from 1980 to = 2000. The countries where he worked and visited are primarily in North Afri=
ca (Morocco) and in West Africa (Burkina Faso, as well as Benin, Ghana, Ivo=
ry Coast, Mali, Niger, and Togo)

On a deeper level, "My Two Centuries in Africa" is a call to action urging = Americans and other Westerners to recognize and reject outdated, negative s= tereotypes often seen in the media and in Hollywood movies about Africa and=
African people.

Is Africa really all poverty, war, disease, and corruption, as Western news=
media tends to portray it? No. Or is it just a big wildlife safari as the = travel industry would have you believe? No. It is a lot more!

"My Two Centuries in Africa" is a combination travel book and a memoir that=
offers insights into the daily lives, struggles, and successes of over a b= illion African people living on the second-largest continent.

It also reveals the emotional roller-coaster life of one lost and lonely ma=
n who found love, experienced loss, overcame adversity, and gained a measur=
e of wisdom in the process.

Critique: "My Two Centuries in Africa (Book One): Epic fights. Long flights=
.. Mosquito Bites" is a large-format book (8" X 10" or 20 x 25 cm.) that is = enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of more than 100 color pictures =
of 27 African countries in which Carl William Henn has lived and worked. As=
a bonus, he has also included five extensive Spotify playlists of music fr=
om different regions of Africa. As fascinating as it is informative, "My Tw=
o Centuries in Africa" will hold a special value for readers with an intere=
st in the history, culture, and music of contemporary African nations (espe= cially Zimbabwe) and is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional=
, community, college, and university library Biography/Memoir collections a=
nd supplemental curriculum African Studies lists.

Editorial Note: Carol William Henn (https://www.carlhenn.org) began his Afr= ican sojourn as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, and later worked in Wes=
t, Southern, and East Africa as a staffer for NGOs and USAID, fighting the = HIV/AIDS epidemic, malaria, and Ebola, and on famine and drought relief as = well as children's education and agricultural productivity. In my spare tim=
e. He also: Kissed a man with a knife in Morocco to protect two defenseless=
women; Learned how to grill sheep's heads on the Muslim holiday; Witnessed=
many chickens falling from the sky in Burkino Faso; Found a lizard in my u= nderwear (hiding in them, not wearing them), and so much more!

The Kitchen and the Studio: A Memoir of Food and Art
Mallory M. O'Connor and John A. O'Connor
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9781639887965, $56.95 Hardcover/$45.95 paper

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Studio-Memoir-Food-Art/dp/1639887768

The Kitchen and the Studio: A Memoir of Food and Art is a rare combination =
of art book, memoir, and culinary exploration highly recommended for reader=
s interested in successful intersections of the arts.

Co-authors Mallory M. O'Connor and John A. O'Connor chronicle their lives t= ogether, their community involvements, and their shared passion for art and=
food in a love story about many subjects. Their effort is illustrated with=
John's original paintings that accompany photographs of celebrations. The = celebration of love, food, and nature assumes an uplifting tone from the st= art, rich in the color images that liberally accent the authors' memories, = insights, and even historical reflections on the history of classic culinar=
y dishes such as Beef Wellington.

It's rare to see all these elements under one cover, but the O'Connors achi= eve this special blend through shared memories, reflections, and artistic e= yes. These are transmitted to readers via visual and written vehicles that = supersede the linear approaches of most recipe books, memoirs, or culinary = histories.

The food illustrations often include a touch of whimsy, as in the pastel fo=
r 'Country-Style Green Beans' which features an uncommon observer in the ba= ckground of the dish. Think of the richness of James Beard's classic Deligh=
ts and Prejudices, which surveys food and life from more than a singular vi= sion, for a sense of the multifaceted attraction that is The Kitchen and th=
e Studio.

Libraries, cooks, and readers who love uplifting blends of life experience = will find the art and culinary insights equally powerful and attractive her=
e, and well worthy of repeat reading.

Execution Island
Janice Boekhoff
Lost Canyon Press LLC
9781948003117, $16.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Execution-Island-Janice-Boekhoff/dp/1948003112

Fans of Jurassic Park and Janice Boekhoff's 'Jurassic Judgment' series rece= ive a dinosaur/genetic engineering adventure firmly ensconced in the trappi= ngs of surprise and thriller tension. Although Execution Island is the thir=
d book in the series, it stands nicely alone for newcomers, including a bas=
ic introduction that sets the premise of a futuristic justice system involv= ing an island of dinosaurs where "...death row inmates are given a choice: = immediate execution or exile to Extinction Island." When reptile expert Oak= ley Laveau is wrongly convicted of a murder and sent to said island, her st= ory appears to be at an end. In fact, it's only beginning as she discovers = the truth about her own genetic manipulation and situations which evolve ne=
w mysteries in Execution Island. Oakley may be trapped on the island, but t=
he truth isn't about to set her free anytime soon.

Acknowledging what she is and what she was created for is just part of the = challenge of employing her enhanced genetics in a venture that goes above a=
nd beyond her assassin skills. As she faces an adversary accomplished in 'u= ndetectable murder' and realizes that there are no good choices in her ques=
t, Oakley discovers that her fight to live free is only one motivation for = solving the mysteries of her life purpose and origins. Fated to team up wit=
h her sibling (who is also genetically enhanced and has been her adversary)=
Oakley discovers that her quest for the truth and her pursuit of who she r= eally is powers an underlying horror that will not only change her life and=
cement its likely demise, but will alter the game plans of those connected=
to her. Janice Boekhoff's satisfyingly complex cat-and-mouse game features=
major players who must delve into their own psyches and origins in order t=
o emerge victorious on a playing field controlled by forces they are ill eq= uipped to handle.

The characters of Oakley, Lumas, Auburn, and others come to life, swirling = and dancing around each other as unexpected events keep outcomes mercurial = and characters guessing about their next moves. This salsa creates a thrill=
er that is heavy in surprises (including a glimpse of faith), thought-provo= king in its considerations of power plays and their abuses, and thoroughly = involving. Thriller libraries and readers will find Execution Island rich i=
n action-packed confrontations designed to keep them guessing to the end.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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