Beacon Press

High stakes; the rising cost of America's gambling addiction.

Skolnik, a journalist and gambler dealing with an addiction, examines the consequences of the surge in gambling in the past 35 years due to the increase in Internet gambling, the poker craze, and more states with casinos. Through the stories of politicians and activists, medical and mental health professionals, gambling industry professionals, and problem gamblers and the people they affect, he describes the rise in legalized gambling and the culture it is creating in various states across the US, as well as its harmful impact on Las Vegas. He also discusses gambling research and how the industry has influenced it through funding, the higher rate of addiction among Asian Americans, and the federal role in regulation and problem prevention. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Playbook for progressives; 16 qualities of the successful organizer.

Having been involved in political activism since joining the Congress of Racial Equality in 1964, Mann, now the director of the Los Angeles-based Labor Community Strategy Center, offers lessons on the techniques and skills of successful organizing. Chapters describe the "12 roles of the successful organizer" and the "16 qualities of the successful organizer." (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Remembering the music, forgetting the words; travels with Mom in the land of dementia.

In this memoir, Whouley, a writer and consultant in the book industry, describes her mother's decline from Alzheimer's disease and how their relationship changed. She details her mother's independent life before her decline, how she had to take care of her and deal with her forgotten memories, their connection through music, and how she learned to appreciate the time they spent together, rather than struggle to help her mother remember things. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)