Review of the Week:

Listen to a podcast of Ted Gioia, author of The Birth (and Death) of the Cool from Book Expo America 2009 in New York City.

In Smaldone: The Untold Story of an American Crime Family, best-selling author Dick Kreck captures the complexity of Denver's Smaldone crime syndicate. Beginning in the 1920s, and flourishing well into the late twentieth century, the Smaldone family perpetuated a shadowy underworld but exhibited great generosity and commitment to their community. Through candid interviews and firsthand accounts, Kreck reveals the true sense of what it meant to be a Smaldone.

Our Wilderness is a photographic tribute that examines what wilderness really means to individual Americans and why we should remain vigilant in our protection of these lands. Our Wilderness addresses the environmental, educational, economical, and spiritual reasons why wilderness is so important to Americans, and reminds us why we need to protect our lands for future generations. Foreword by Robert Redford.

A beautiful combination of photographs, drawings, and text, Sand to Stone and Back Again illustrates the life cycle of sandstone in the landscape of the desert Southwest. Written for readers age four and up, this unique book features the many amazing forms of sand—from hoodoos to arches—revealing how change creates great beauty.