Blue Cats and Chartreuse Kittens: How Synthesthetes Color Their World (By Patricia Lynne Duffy, W.H. Freeman/Times Books/Henry Holt & Co., 185 pages, paperback, $14) Synesthesia is the blending of two or more sense perceptions where the person experiences music or letters as having color, for example, or taste as having shapes. Several researchers have noted […]

The Complete Guide to a Creative Retirement (By Rob Kelley, TurnKey Press, paperback, 316 pages, $17.95) The average age of retirement is 57, with half of the U.S. population retiring almost a decade earlier than their parents. Retired teacher and consultant Rob Kelley, who retired at 50, wrote this book out of self preservation. Instead […]

Adoption for Dummies (By Tracy Barr and Katrina Carlisle, Wiley Press, 358 pages, paperback, $21.99) Conceiving and bearing children is one way to build a family; adoption is merely another way to accomplish the same goal. When it comes to creating and building a parent-child bond, love, trust and commitment are far more important than […]

Snowshoeing: From Novice to Master, 5th Edition (By Gene Prater, The Mountaineers Books, 208 pages, paperback, $16.95) Snowshoes don’t have to be the giant wood and leather affairs you see in the movies. In recent years they’ve become smaller, lighter, less cumbersome and easier to use and maintain. In fact, snowshoeing seems to be the […]

Do it Yourself TILE (By Hank Visser, VHS and DVD, www.hankthetiledoctor.com, $14.95 plus shipping) In today’s incredible world of tile, countless advancements in styles, materials, colors, installation, tools and techniques have opened the door wide for the do-it-yourselfer to succeed in tile projects for the home. This 90 minute video is the tool to give […]

Dinosaur Mummies: Beyond Bar-Bone Fossils (By Kelly Milner Halls, Darby Creek Publishing, ages 10 and up, hardcover w/ jacket, $17.95) In the summer of 2000, a most remarkable thing happened: A group of scientists on a dinosaur dig in Montana found the most complete dinosaur mummy ever. “Leonardo” eventually emerged with more than 70 percent […]

Sacagawea (By Lise Erdrich, artwork by Julie Buffalohead, Carolrhoda Books, Lerner Publishing, ages 6-12, hardcover w/jacket, $16.95) The tale of Sacagawea (sa-KA-ga-WEE-ah) is true. As a child, she was captured by an enemy tribe and taken from her Shoshone people. She soon married and gave birth to a baby boy, but when her son was […]

When the holidays roll around, it seems like you always must have some dish on hand. Maybe its munchies for your little nephews, a snack for the office party or a dish for a New Year’s Eve soiree. You like to cook, but you – and the people you are cooking for – are a […]

(ARA) Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry and pumpkin pie will be on the menus at a lot of holiday parties this year, but not everyone will be able to enjoy these traditional holiday treats. People who have diabetes — a disorder of the metabolism, in which their body has trouble converting food into energy — must […]

Chanukah celebrates the victory of a small band of Jewish patriots against the Syrian king who outlawed their religion in the second century B.C. Today, lighted menorahs add warmth to the homes of Jews throughout the eight day celebration, while children play “Spin the Dreidel” and share gifts. For many, the crowning glory of these […]