Bookshelf

(New York: Guilford, 2017)
“This valuable volume presents a synthesis of four decades of systematic work within one of the most comprehensive, profound research programs on human motivation in the history of psychology,” noted a reviewer and professor at the University of Maryland. “It is a true milestone in motivational research, as rich in conceptual insights as it is in exciting findings. The book offers a formidable set of answers as to why people do what they do, and with what consequences.” Deci is the Helen F. and Fred. H. Gowen Professor in the Social Sciences at the University of Rochester.

(Utica, N.Y.: North Country Books, 2017).
Based on a true story, the author’s first novel tells of Josephine McCarty, who in 1872 was indicted for murdering a man on a streetcar in Utica. Despite witnesses and common consensus that she would hang, officials called in a high-powered lawyer to aid the prosecution. Perhaps they realized the case was more complex than it seemed. “Compelling story which kept me intrigued to the last page,” wrote one reviewer.

(self-published: blurb.com, 2017)
A charmingly small book and simple tale of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem told through the wonder of butterfly metamorphosis.

(Wiesbaden, Germany: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2017)
This ­volume marks the 14th and final in a collection that contains over 5,000 broadsheets (a precursor to the tabloid newspaper) produced in Europe during the 17th century. With full-page illustrations and a chronological presentation, the volumes provide readers a way of understanding the political and social context in which major historical events took place. (Click title for more)

(Austin, Texas: Pandamoon Publishing, 2017)
This novel features Ezra Kaufman, a police detective, and Aisha Hassan, a reporter, who meet following an anti-Muslim protest. The author writes, “Confronting misogyny, homophobia, and the tyranny of teenage cliques, rejecting both fundamentalism and intolerance, [the characters] learn that they must chart their own paths toward spiritual meaning and personal connection.”

New York: Viking/Penguin Press, 2018)
In her second book of narrative history, the author provides a stirring history of women’s long journey to suffrage and political influence. As Publisher’s Weekly noted in giving the book a starred review: “Remarkably entertaining ... a timely examination of a shining moment in the ongoing fight to achieve a more perfect union.” The book is dedicated to the author’s beloved friend, Natalie Babbitt.

(self-published: Lulu.com, 2017)
The author sums up his collection of poems this way: “I have written for television, movies, advertising, newspapers, magazines, and, in moments of reflection, poetry. Maybe a thousand or so. These are the only ones I have kept. My other work made a lot of money. My poetry, none. But it has been valuable to me. I hope you will like a few of them.”

(Salem, Ore.: Rogue Phoenix, 2017)
Hard at work on her dissertation, the last thing on Vena Goodwin’s mind is solving a crime. But that’s where she finds herself after a man for whom she had feelings is assumed to have committed suicide. Believing it to be murder, she acts alone on her suspicions to trap the killer. Dafoe’s stories, essays, and poems have appeared in several literary publications.

(Bloomington, Ind.: LifeRich Publishing, 2016)
According to the publisher, “Holly Amidon delights in cooking for and eating with others. In this book, she weaves together the tale of her life with the foods that she enjoys preparing for the people she loves. Most of the recipes are recognizable comfort foods, but often Holly puts her own spin on them and creates dishes that become ­family and friend favorites.”

(Cooperstown, N.Y.: Bassett Healthcare ­Network, 2016)
This richly illustrated book traces the history of a small, rural hospital’s evolution into a nationally recognized, multi-county integrated network. The author is attending physician and director of medical education emeritus at Bassett, and clinical professor emeritus of medicine, College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University.