Two ASTA publications I ordered arrived today:

Basic Principles of Violin Playing by Paul Rolland

A Violinists Guide for Exquisite Intonation by Barry Ross

and at least at first glance I am pleased with its contents.  The Rolland book is both elemental and contains sophisticated instruction on the mechanics of bowing especially.  Much more detailed than Galamian despite no photographs which i find refreshing.  For example, he states that increased bow pressure has much more effect on timbre than dynamics.  This is the most physics oriented book I have found as it replaces those useless photographs with drawings that illustrate non-obvious flaws:  for example,  instead of hair 90 degrees to the string, beginners typically bow an outward arc.  He then prescribes a counter example bowing an inward arc and notated exercises to correct this problem.  Even the vibrato section is enlightening, much less academic and again sophisticated in detailing the physics of what exactly goes wrong.  The book is short (48 pages) and compact (not much bigger than Readers Digest).  It appears to be very practical for the complete beginner.

The Ross book is for the extreme confusion surrounding exactly what is playing in tune anyhow for a string instrument?  Again, very simple exercises and not just melodic tuning but harmonic as well.

Stoeving really hates vibrato:  "The use of the vibrato invites loud, noisy playing.  He, who is once seized with the vibrato mania is not happy unless he can play forte, with plenty of feeling"

"Passage work for bow and fingers should never be INVADED by any suspicion of a vibrato, and many times a mezza voce cantilena will gain poetical charm and beauty by its absence."

Three pages (in 184 total) of total vibrato hatred.  And this was published in 1920.  This book is a godsend.