NEW YORK (June 1, 2009) _ The 2009 New York Book Festival has chosen Eric Greitens' “Strength and Compassion: Photographs and Essays,” as the grand prize winner of its annual competition honoring books that deserve greater recognition in the world' s publishing capital.

Greitens' book offers photos and commentary on the human side of suffering in Rwanda, Cambodia, Albania, Mexico and other areas. Though the photographs were taken in different countries amid different struggles, a common theme emerges: even in times of great hardship and in the face of great evil, people with strength and compassion can live with courage.

The book' s message of hope in a troubled world won unanimous praise from the judges and was awarded the competition' s top prize of $1500. Greteins, along with other competition winners, will be honored in an awards ceremony on June 5 in Manhattan in a ceremony at the Algonquin Hotel.

Other winners in the competition:

GENERAL NON-FICTION
Winner: Work The System – Sam Carpenter

Runners-Up:

• Luggage By Kroger – Gary Taylor
• What If Your Prince Falls Off His Horse? Jody Cohan

Honorable Mentions:

• Quiet Mind, Warrior Spirit – Lila Reyna
• Life' s Ride or Fall…You Make The Call – Gary Greenfield
• Outdoor Kitchen Design Workbook – Scott Cohen
• Why? Mandeep Khera

FICTION:
Winner: The Spirit of Antoinette – Michael Ramseur

Runners-Up:

• An Unfinished House – K. Patrick Malone
• Sardinian Silver – A. Colin Wright

Honorable Mentions:

• Sparrow' s Revenge: A Novel of Postwar Tuscany – Paul Salsini
• What Is Hers? Ron Janson
• The Color of Hate – Wilma Blair-Reed
• The Misadventures of Oliver Booth – David Desmond
• Sheepeater: To Cry For A Vision – Joseph Dorris
• Par For The Curse – Toyi Ward
• Dusty Waters – Laura J. Ryan
• Hunter – Campbell Jeffreys
• Last Call – JD Seamus
• The Wheel of Nuldoid – Russ Woody
• The Rain Climber – Susan Anders
• The Alpha Promise – Hayat Ali
• From Where The Rivers Come – Terin Tashi Miller
• Last Laugh – Mo Campbell
• Sohebel – Christiane Shumake

PHOTOGRAPHY/ART
Winner: Strength and Compassion – Eric Greitens

Runner-Ups:

• The Art of Everyday Joe – Michael K. Corbin
• InsideOut – Barbara Benjamin Marcus

Honorable Mentions:

• The Letters: Portrait of An Artist Jim Houser – Connie Houser
• The Lewis & Clark Trail: American Landscapes – Richard Mack
• Universes Beyond The Visible: Elements of Dream – Joseph Sherman

SPIRITUAL
Winner: From The Stage To The Prayer Mat – Rabia Christine Brodbeck

Honorable Mentions:

• Your Essential Self – James Looram, Ph.D
• The Lobster and the Chicken – Herb Palmer Jr

CHILDREN' S BOOKS
Winner: Nico & Lola – Meggan Hill, photography by Susan M. Graunke

Runner-Up: Dogs Move Too! From Max' s Point of View – Anthony M.T. Majewski

Honorable Mentions:

• A Valuable Lesson – Jason A. Spencer-Edwards
• ow We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate – Lynne Cherry/Gary Braasch
• Standing On My Own Two Feet – Tamara Schmitz
• Dear Jesus – Emmazina Day
• The Legend of Barknight – The McConnell Family
• Goblins! An Underearth Adventure – Royce Buckingham
• Demon Keeper – Royce Buckingham
• Mia' s Gift: A Muzzles The Manatee Story – Victoria/Craig Weeden, illustrations by Del Hopewell
• Veronica and the Magic Fountain – Sandi Bloomberg, illustrations by Kevin Scott Collier
• The Dirty Old Hat – Molly A. Jelic
• Tales of the Tree People – Lori E. Mazzola
• Santa' s Hat – Mollie Wilson, illustrated by Toby Mikle
• I Love The World Because… - By M. Judith da Rocha, illustrated by Julia da Rocha
• How A Real Locomotive Works – William Trombello
• Just Like Brothers In The Beginning – Rudell D. Kopp, illustrations by James Lynch
• Baron Thinks Dogs Are People Too! Laurie Dean, illustrated by Kevin Collier
• One – Kathryn Otoshi

TEENAGE
Winner: Butterflies – Susanne Gervay

Runner-Ups:

• Stone Voice Rising – C. Lee Tocci
• Listen To Me – Shared Secrets From WriteGirl – Edited by Keren Taylor

Honorable Mentions:

• A Clean Street' s A Happy Street – James McSherry
• Blame It On Barbara – CB Lilley
• Unlock Your Educational Potential – Dr. Brian Haig and Jeffrey Haig
  

COOKBOOKS:
Winner: Creating Empty Bottle Moments – Clive Berkman


HOW-TO
Winner: The Moose With Loose Poops – Charlotte Cowan, M.D.

Honorable Mentions:

• Not Intuitively Obvious – J.A. Rodriguez, Jr.
• Travel To China With My Pocket Book – Wang-Ching Liu

WILD CARD
Winner: Predators and Child Molesters – Robin Sax

Runner-Up: The Tao of Show Business – Dallas Travers

Honorable Mentions:

• Pirate Queen – The Curse – R. Allen Downey
• No Customer Service – Jill Carey
• Lose The Diet – Kathy Balland
• That' s What It Means! Peter Woan

ROMANCE
Winner: Where Rivers Meet – Barbara MacKinnon

Honorable Mentions:

• Through Hazel Eyes – Heather Hummel
• ust The Sexiest Man Alive – Julie James

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Winner: The Upside of Fear – Weldon Long

Runner-Up: I' ll Never Be French (No Matter What I Do) – Mark Greenside

Honorable Mentions:

• Against The Tide: A True Story of Survival – Shoshanah Simon
• The Side-Yard Superhero – Rick D. Niece
• The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez: The Voice of Santa Anita – Rudolph Alvarado
• Gittin' Western – Duane Wiltse
• Ladybug – Melanie L. Marshall
• White Pearl & I – Svetlana Kim
• From Tajikstan To The Moon – Robert Frimtzis

POETRY
Winner: Dark Card – Rebecca Foust

Honorable Mentions:

• Do You? Michelle Reynoso
• Poetic Voices Without Borders – edited by Robert L. Giron
• I Shot An Arrow Into The Star – Eva Tabaosares Kohr

SCIENCE FICTION
Winner: Rise of the Anakim: Tablets of Destiny – Adin Kachisi

Honorable Mentions:

• The Grandmaster – Peter Balaskas
• Defenders of the Scroll - Shiraz

UNPUBLISHED:
Winner: The Willow Falls Christmas Train – William Trombello

E-BOOKS
Winner: Bee Balms and Burgundy – Nelson Pahl

HISTORY
Winner: Brothers In Arms: The Kennedys, The Castros and the Politics of Murder - Gus Russo/Stephen Molton

Honorable Mention:

• Tibet’s War of Peace - Dennis Cusack