American Library Association. ALA Guide to Economics & Business Reference.

ALA Guide to Reference series. American Library Association. 2011. c528p. index. ISBN 9780838910245. $65.00.

Focusing on print and electronic information resources that are fundamental to library services in economics and business, the content of this classified annotated bibliography is drawn from the American Library Association’s online Guide to Reference. Eight topical chapters showcase all types of economics and business information resources, covering Basic Industry Information, Company Information, Economic Conditions and World Trade, Functional Areas of Business, General Works, Occupations and Careers, Regional Economic Sources, and Specialized Industry Information. Each chapter is subdivided into multiple, alphabetically-arranged subcategories under which more than 690 print and electronic information resources alphabetically are presented. Entries feature abstracting services, atlases, bibliographies, databases, dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, guides, handbooks, journals, indexes, internet websites, periodicals, and other types of library reference materials. Each entry describes the resource’s contents as well as sets forth its pertinent bibliographic information, such as its author(s), title, publisher, date of publication, Library of Congress and/or Dewey Decimal Classification number(s), International Standard Book or Serial Number, and Internet website. Unfortunately, the resources’ prices or costs are not noted. Compiled in North America, for use primarily in North American libraries, this reference guide will be of considerable interest to librarians, independent researchers, publishers, book dealers, business organizations, and other entities, searching for information on accounting, advertising, banking, business law, companies, economic conditions, electronic commerce, corporate officials, entrepreneurship, finance, investments, management, management information systems, marketing, occupations, specific industries, statistics, taxation, world trade, and other topics. Useful and valuable to readers, who may read it from cover-to-cover and/or peruse it by chapter, subcategory, and/or title, this publication could be improved if its topical classification scheme were modified and/or condensed to eliminate duplicate entries. With over 690 information resources featured in 1380 entries, resource entries are duplicated on average at least twice with the median being seven times. In addition to providing a title index, this guide should include a subject index and appendices of vendors and publishers with their ordering addresses. Part of the ALA Guide to Reference series, this “usably comprehensive” but “not exhaustive” (Preface, pp. xiii-xiv), authoritative repertory of mostly, recently-published, English-language, reference works is highly recommended for large public, academic, and special libraries in North America and elsewhere. Review copy. Availability: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com

Jacobs, Lynn F. and Hyman, Jeremy S.. Professors’ Guide to Getting Good Grades in College.

Harper-Collins Publishers. 2006. 352p. index. ISBN 978-0-06-087908-2. $15.95.

Today because more people have college diplomas, obtaining a college diploma is not enough. College students face extremely competitive job markets and graduate school admissions criteria. Excellent college grades matter and are crucial. In this enjoyable, easy-to-read, first book to reveal insider secrets about how college professors grade, Jacobs (PhD, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University; Department Chair and Associate Professor, Art History, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville) and Hyman (Project Manager, Professors’ Guide LLC; www.professorsguide.com), who between them have taught over 10,000 college students at a total of eight universities, offer authoritative, practical tips, techniques, strategies, and methods for succeeding at each of the five grade-bearing moments in a college semester: the start, the class, the exam, the paper, and the last month. In fifteen chapters, organized chronologically according to the major grade-bearing moments of the semester, they discuss every aspect of college grading, not limited to common myths about grades, how professors grade, picking courses, determining an action plan for the first week, taking excellent lecture notes, preparing for, attending, and participating in class, studying for exams, going over exams, writing college papers, visiting the professor, and acing the final. Fast-paced, each chapter, which is started with an concise introduction and ended by a complete review section, is interspersed with value-added sidebars, such as top ten lists, do’s and don’ts tables, instructional boxes, professors’ perspectives, remembrances, opinions, extra pointers, case notes, and more. Serving as a significant how-to guidebook as well as a useful reference resource, this publication may be read from cover-to-cover or consulted by chapter as needed. While it may be most relevant for college students who will be taking a significant number of courses in the humanities and social sciences, this must-read by insider experts should be required reading for those aspiring to attain a college degree or degrees in any major. It also will be of interest to high school students planning to go to college and lifelong learners returning to school. Highly recommended for large, public and undergraduate, academic libraries as well as for school media center collections. Review copy. Availability: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com

Van Allen, Susan. 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go.

Travelers’ Tales Guides. Travelers’ Tales. Oct. 2009. c.448p. illus. index. ISBN 978-1932361650 (Trade Paper). $18.95.

In this trim- sized (5.5 X 7.5 in.), relatively compact, uniquely- anecdotal, informative guide book intended for women, but also appropriate for men, who are traveling to Italy for the first or twenty-first time, Van Allen (author writing about Italian travel for over twenty-five media outlets including National Public Radio, Town & Country, Student Traveler, the Chicago Daily Herald, and CNN.com; author of monthly Letters from Italy column on the Divine Caroline website; former staffer for the Emmy winning sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond; based in Los Angeles; www.susanvanallen.com), an Italian-American who has been journeying to Italy since 1976 to visit relatives and explore the country, writes about her personal experiences as well as those of her friends. With passion and humor that clearly evidence her love for Italy, its cultures, and peoples, the author culls the overwhelming amount of information on Italian travel into a reasonably- sized publication consisting of thirteen sections, one hundred chapters, and at least two appendices, covering all types of Italian adventures and experiences. With women predominately in mind, Van Allen describes and recommends museums, palaces, gardens, beaches, beauty treatments, spas, caffés, restaurants, winebars, shopping, biking, hiking, skiing, boating, yoga, cooking classes, Italian crafts, fine arts, language courses, entertainment, and more. She also provides many practical details and helpful tips in relatively short, concise chapters, each of which is supplemented by “golden days” or daily itineraries, lists of websites, and recommended readings. While this publication is not available as an ebook and lacks reference maps, photographs, an Italian-English glossary, and tear-out pages, all of which would have been helpful, value-added features, it does contain much useful, insightful, nuts-and-bolts information for women travelers and others visiting Italy. Sufficiently- documented, nicely-presented, and well- organized, this delightful, easy-to-read book is highly recommended for chick-lit readers as well as general audiences. It belongs in many public library collections as an additional travel resource. Review copy (Uncorrected galley). Availability: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com