Virginia Tech Magazine is pleased to note books by faculty, staff, and alumni or books about Virginia Tech. Review copies should be mailed to Book Notes, Virginia Tech Magazine, 105 Media Building (0109), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061.

BY FACULTY and STAFF

Treating Explosive Kids: The Collaborative Problem-Solving Approach by Ross W. Greene (M.S. psychology '86; Ph.D. '89) and J. Stuart Ablon provides a clinical framework and procedures for interpreting and managing children's noncompliant behaviors.

The publisher is The Guilford Press (72 Spring St., New York, NY 100120); www.guilford.com.

Foundations of Crystallography with Computer Applications by Maureen M. Julian, professor of materials science and engineering, describes how the study of symmetry in crystallography contributes to an understanding of the arrangement of atoms in crystals.

The publisher is CRC Press (600 Broken Sound Hwy. NW, Ste. 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487); www.crcpress.com.

Tools for Matching Readers to Texts: Research-Based Practices by Assistant Professor of Education Heidi Anne E. Mesmer offers a comprehensive review of text-analysis tools, guidelines for their use, and detailed vignettes of classroom application.

The publisher is The Guilford Press (72 Spring St., New York, NY 100120); www.guilford.com.

Memory and Stillness by University Relations staff member Phyllis Olinger was written to bring a realistic and often painful awareness to the realities of care-giving for an ill, elderly parent.

The book is self-published with PublishAmerica (P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705 ); www.publishamerica.com.

John Washington's Civil War: A Slave Narrative, edited and with notes by Crandall Shifflett, professor of history, is the 1872 autobiographical account of 34-year-old former slave John Washington.

The publisher is Louisiana State University Press (3990 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808); www.lsu.edu/lsupress.

BY ALUMNI

Rugby, post-traumatic stress disorder, romance, and blind ambition are among the subjects interwoven in The Touch of Life: An American Rugby Novel by Ike Andrews (chemistry '78).

The book is self-published with BookSurge LLC (7290-B Investment Dr., Charleston, SC 29418); www.booksurge.com.

WDBJ Radio, Roanoke's Premier Station 1924-1969 by James E. Dalmas (electrical engineering '60) charts the history of WDBJ Radio in Roanoke, Va.

The publisher is the Historical Society of Western Virginia (1 Market Square, Third Floor, Roanoke, VA 24011); www.history-museum.org.

To Be in on the Seeing of Things, a collection of poetry by the late Richard Gillman, edited by Karen Gillman (M.S. management, housing, and family development '74), chronicles the poet's feelings, thoughts, and experiences on living with Alzheimer's disease.

The publisher is Wyndham Hall Press (5050 Kerr Rd., Lima, OH 45806); www.wyndhamhallpress.com.

Poems: One Way to Enter Myself Singing by Karen Gillman (M.S. management, housing, and family development '74) offers poetry that is a tribute to the aging body and to lovers and friends, and is a celebration of life and its lessons.

The publisher is Wyndham Hall Press (5050 Kerr Rd., Lima, OH 45806); www.wyndhamhallpress.com.

Transition by Karen Gillman (M.S. management, housing, and family development '74) is a poetic chronicle of life after her husband's death, her relationships with family, and day-to-day life.

The publisher is Wyndham Hall Press (5050 Kerr Rd., Lima, OH 45806); www.wyndhamhallpress.com.

In War Times: An Alternate-Universe Novel of a Different Present, the sixth novel by Kathleen Ann Goonan (English '75), tells the story of Sam Dance, a World War II soldier whose studies in physics and engineering lead to the development of a device that allows anyone exposed to it to move through realities and time.

The publisher is Tor (175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010); www.tor.com.

From Home Sister to Second Lieutenant: Army Dietitians in World Wars I and II by Patricia A. M. Hodges (food and nutrition '59) charts the evolution of military dietetics from 1916 through World War II.

The book is self-published with Catawba Publishing Company (5945 Orr Rd., Ste. F, Charlotte, NC 28213); www.catawbapublishing.com.

In Beyond the Clouds: The Lifetime Trek of Walter "Matt" Jefferies, Artist and Visionary, Richard L. Jefferies (mechanical engineering '44) recounts the life of his brother Matt, who was the art director of the original "Star Trek" series, as well as an aviation artist and historian.

The book is self-published with Brown Books (16200 North Dallas Parkway, Suite 170, Dallas, TX 75248); www.brownbooks.com.

Opus and the Red Chair, written by Alice Howard Koesterich (family and child development '86) and illustrated by Sara Kahn, is a children's book about a dog's anxiety during a family move.

The publisher is Foggy Dog Books (2436 Clay St., San Francisco, CA 94115); www.opusandtheredchair.com. All profits from the book's sale will benefit the Animal Cancer Foundation; go to www.acfoundation.org.

It's a Dog’s Life ... But It's Your Carpet: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Your Four-legged Friend by veterinary board-certified critical-care specialist Justine Lee (animal science '94) answers such questions as "Is one dog year really equivalent to seven human years?" and "Is a dog's nose a good indicator of his health?"

The publisher is Three Rivers Press (1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019); www.randomhouse.com/crown/trp/html.

Cumberland Blood: Champ Ferguson's Civil War by Thomas D. Mays (M.A. history '92) gives an account of the notorious guerilla fighter and criminal Champ Ferguson, who acted independently of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

The publisher is Southern Illinois University Press (1915 University Press Dr., Carbondale, IL, 62901); www.siu.edu/~siupress/.

Written by Lynn Morris (biology '84) and illustrated by Joe Mettler, Don't Eat Your Broccoli! is the charming story of a little girl and her older sister's solemn advice.

The publisher is Log Cabin Books (6607 Craine Lake Rd., Hamilton, NY 13346); www.logcabinbooks.us.

In Sliver: A Sliver of Many Topics, A Decade of Free Verse Poetry and Prose, Seth W. Pesek (accounting and information systems '05) delivers a collection of poetry that examines such topics as America, Virginia Tech, faith, and war.

The book is self-published with iUniverse (1663 Liberty Dr., Bloomington, IN 47403); www.iuniverse.com.

Designing for Designers: Lessons Learned from Schools of Architecture by Jack L. Nasar, Wolfgang F.E. Preiser (M.A. architecture '69), and Thomas Fisher examines the designs of 17 architecture and design schools.

The publisher is Fairchild Publications Inc. (New York, NY 10012); www.fairchildbooks.com.

Amanda by Patricia H. Quinlan (home economics '58) narrates a young woman's journey to finding a family she never had.

The book is self-published with Publish America LLLP (P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705); www.publishamerica.com.

The Sound of Freedom: Naval Weapons Technology at Dahlgren, Virginia, 1918-2006 by James P. Rife (M.A. history '99) and Rodney P. Carlisle recounts the evolution of the Dahlgren Laboratory into a modern research and development center crucial to the U.S. Navy.

The publisher is the U.S. Government Printing Office (732 N. Capitol St. NW, Washington, DC 20401); www.gpo.gov.

Cricket's Child, 1945-1955, How I Never Learned to Love the Bomb by Janice Saunders (Ph.D. sociology '81) explores the impact of such social events as the development of the A-bomb and the emergence of the Cold War on a young girl growing up in Appalachia.

The publisher is Hamilton Books (4501 Forbes Blvd., Ste. 200, Lanham, MD 20706); www.hamilton-books.com.

Coalwood: A History of the West Virginia Mining Communities of Coalwood, Caretta, and Six, co-authored by Alex Schust (aerospace engineering '67), traces the development of coal mining, labor legislation, and unionism from 1903 through 1986.

The publisher is Two Mule Publishing (286 Princes Ln., Harwood, MD 20776).

Benchmarking for Hospitals: Achieving Best-in-Class Performance Without Having to Reinvent the Wheel by Victor E. Sower (chemistry '68), Jo Ann Duffy, and Gerald Kohers (MBA '89, Ph.D. business management science '93), helps readers to identify and learn how best-in-class hospitals achieve excellence.

The publisher is the American Society for Quality's Quality Press (600 N. Plankinton Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53203); www.asq.org/quality-press.

I Know How Hard You Work: A Journey Through Stroke Recovery by Paul Sybert (electrical engineering '65) provides encouragement and guided workbook exercises for those who've suffered a stroke.

The book is self-published with iUniverse (2021 Pine Lake Rd., Ste. 100, Lincoln, NE 68512); www.iUniverse.com.

Civil War Cavalry and Artillery Sabers: A Study of United States Cavalry and Artillery Sabers, 1833-1865 by John H. Thillmann (M.A. urban affairs '78) examines the most popular of all antique American swords.

The publisher is Andrew Mowbary Publishers (P.O. Box 460, Lincoln, RI 02895); www.manatarmsbooks.com.

Visual Performances by David K. Wagner (architecture '74) examines architectural firm Wagner Murray's history and its design motivations and beliefs.

The publisher is John F. Blair (1406 Plaza Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27103); www.blairpub.com.

Defending Our National Treasure: A Department of Defense Chesapeake Bay Restoration Partnership 1998-2004 by Heather Lane, William Dennison, Joanna Woerner, Carolyn Neill, Charles Wilson (forestry '82), Martin Elliott, Mary Shively, Janmichael Graine, and Reed Jeavons provides an overview of major issues impacting the Chesapeake Bay and the restoration efforts of the Department of Defense.

The publisher is the Integration and Application Network Press (P.O. Box 775, Cambridge, MD 21613); http://ian.umces.edu.

The publisher is University Press of America Inc. (4501 Forbes Blvd., Ste. 200, Lanham, MD 20706); www.univpress.com.