1 comments about Final Destinations: A Travel Guide for Remarkable Cemeteries in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

1. This is a good reference book. It lists some different cemeteries in the Texas,New Mexico,Oklahoma and Arkansas region. Some I already knew about but lot I did not. It has some historical information along with several pictures of the actual cemeteries. Would have liked more information listed about some of the cemeteries in Oklahoma. I'm sure a book on each state and its famous or interesting cemeteries could be written. I would recommend it for people doing genealogy in this region.

2 comments about Knopf Guide: Mexico (Knopf Guides).

1. Knopf has produced a series of beautifully illustrated and informative travel guides over the years, and the recent guide they have issued on Mexico lives up to the high standards they have set. This guide combines a wealth of information on history, culture, etc. with useful travel facts, and is simply a pleasure to browse, whether or not you have plans to go to Mexico soon!



2. Packed full of useful information in a small handy guide. Is also just an interesting read.

3 comments about Oasis of Stone: Visions of Baja California Sur.

1. For those who doubt it--check out "Oasis of Stone"...Every glossy page fairly bursts with color and the photos have that amazing depth that only very talented photographers can capture; where it looks as if you could step right inside and walk across a sun-washed valley or into the warm turquoise waters of the Sea. The text as well is both beautiful and deep--one of my favorite non-fiction writers, Bruce Berger, who dazzled all Baja book lovers with "Almost An Island" does it again, taking us deeper into the natural world of this unique peninsula and its inhabitants.



2. Enhanced with 160 superbly presented full color photographs by acclaimed photographer Miguel Angel de la Cueva which accompany an informative, almost lyrical text by Bruce Berger, "Oasis Of Stone: Visions Of Baja California Sur" presents a beautifully showcased survey of southern Baja California complete with its unique geology, as well as its coastal, desert and mountain ecosystems. Of special note is the succinct photo-essay on 'The Newcomers" providing a perspective on the contributions and impacts of humans that range on the positive side from cave painters to rancheros, the negative as illustrated by rivers poisoned by pollution and junked car heaps. An essential acquisition by California libraries, "Oasis Of Stone" will also have dramatic appeal for non-specialist general readers with an interest in nature and the environment, as well as armchair travelers seeking to explore the wonders and beauty of the relatively unknown and heretofore underappreciated Baja peninsula



3. This oversized table top book is simply amazing. The photographs are otherworldly yet these are the visions of Baja Califonia where desert stone meets the sand and shore. Photographer Miguel Angel de La Cueva presents pictures of Baja California that are mind blowing land and sea visons that look unreal. The photogrpahs reveal glimpses of habitats and micro-habitats that look as though they are from some alien planet. The views from above ,revealing the terrain as it meets the sea looks like molecular observations, it is as though you were looking at blood running through veins in a body;in many ways it is one and the same. The photographs of the various cacti are magnificent, the sun illuminating the spines, making the cacti look like angels with halos or at times their thorny presentation looking like a medussa of devil horns highlighted by the sun. The shots taken at night are superb revealing the austerity and serenity of the desert. The colorful flowering plants of the desert are a sight to behold whether you are a Baja traveler or an arm chair adventurer. The Sierra de La Laguna exhibits some of the most colorful depictions of the desert that defy our sterotypical thoughts regading what a desert looks like. Nature is presented in all it's beauty. Seeing a tree growing like the wild fig, on the side of a cliff, with it's roots extending the length of city blocks is a sight that goes against our normal perceptions of tree growth; the natural beauty of the landscape is impressive. The section on the creatures of the desert is interesting but the photographs of the land and sea far exceeeds those about the animals that hunt and survive. The text is lyrical and expressive of the beauty of the desert that is Baja California. This book is recommended for all Baja enthusiasts, community libraries or high schools. Unfortunately there were only 5,000 copies printed in the first printing so get yours now while you still can.

2 comments about Fly Fishing Southern Baja.

1. A Great Addition to your Baja Library. For the fly fishing angler, Baja Sur has always been a big mystery--too remote, too exotic, too many kinds of fish to try for, and not enough real information to tell you EXACTLY where to go and how to fish. Now, multiple IGFA recordholder--Gary Graham-- has solved that mystery with his expertly-written book. Gary Graham has been fishing Baja Sur for over 20 years. He's the owner of the Orvis Endorsed "Baja-On-The-Fly" a Fly Fishing Expedition Company operating in Baja. His new book tells you the best spots to cast a fly from Pacific mangroves of Baja's fabulous Mag Bay, all around the 'Los Cabos' southern tip, and on up into the Sea of Cortez as far as Santa Rosalia--the very richest saltwater fly fishing grounds in the entire world. Graham's NO NONSENSE GUIDE TO FLY FISHING SOUTHERN BAJA will show you exactly how to catch everything from roosterfish, ladyfish and jacks to offshore dorado, tuna and billfish--and dozens of species in between. Large scale maps put you directly on the best fishing beaches and specific recommendations on flies, rods, expected species and proven local techniques let you approach Baja's rich waters with confidence and finesse. NO NONSENSE GUIDE TO FLY FISHING SOUTHERN BAJA is about how and where to catch fish--plain and simple--and from a leading expert in the field. This book gives you good, solid information that works.



2. It tends to ignore important information (whats the best way to get a Mexican fishing license?)while going over info that should be a no brainer to the most novice of angler, (Sharpen your hooks? Tip your skipper?)
   Spanish fishing dictionary in the back is a nice touch. Location information is bare bones but adaquate. Maps are spare and the rest of the illustrations leave a lot to be desired. Particularly those of the fly patterns. All in all, it looks like something thrown together for a quick buck.

1 comments about Mountain Biking New Mexico, 2nd (State Mountain Biking Series).

1. This is one in the ubiquitous Falconguide series, and it has the same virtues and vices of all of them. Virtues: good info on the region, OK maps, OK trail info, good energy. Vices: the author seems to think that mountain biking is done on dirt roads. Almost all of the rides are on roads, and there seems to be a concerted effort to not talk about popular single-track rides--most of the ST's listed are out-of-the-way oddities. If you want to ride classic single-track, this book is next to useless.

3 comments about New Mexico (America Series).

1. The book is very prettily done. Lots of slick photographs of things that caught the photographers eye. But - not a lot to really give you the scope and majesty of New Mexico. I have found that other books - particularly a book of how-to's for photographers visiting the Southwest [Photographing the Southwest: Volume 2--A Guide to the Natural Landmarks of Arizona & New Mexico, by Laurent Martres] to be actually a much better travel guide.

   However, it looks nice on the coffee table... how's that?




2. I've lived in New Mexico for most of my life, and usually find photo books of the state to be pretty bland and unexciting: adobe areas of Santa Fe, red chile ristras hanging in doorways, monotonous collections of animal-shaped hot air ballons, and Socorro's Very Large Array of satellites facing the sky like sunflowers.
   This book has all those things, but it also has a good variety of weird natural formations, urban parts of Albuquerque, and even some ruins. Many of the photos are beautiful, and overall the collection is eclectic enough to give a person a good idea of many of the unique facets and areas of New Mexico.



3. I ordered 3 of these books as brand-new. I use them for customers who purchase out-of-state investment real estate from me. They enjoy getting a book of the state they purchased in. 1 of the books was used. I was in a short time frame and needed to deliver the books immediately, so I gave 2 clients a brand-new book and 1 client a used book.

1 comments about Flor Garduno: Witnesses Of Time.

1. Flor Garduno is a mystical artist. She travels about the Americas pausing to observe and conserve rituals of the sacred and profane nature as embodied in the native peoples of Mexico,
   Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. At times her photographs may seem stark or frozen in time or posed to minimize interaction with the surrounding landscape/homescape, but this technique only adds to the mystical element Garduno celebrates.
   
   There is something timeless in these moments of ancient ritual, as though Garduno wants us to revere the passage of time as reliquaries for 'lost' civilizations. Yet her subjects and objects are extant: there is no gathering of elements from museums to authenticate these images. These are people and places that time passes by with respect and with reverence.
   
   Some of the beauty of this portfolio is Garduno's concentration on the landscape as an equally important component of her travels. She captures the land of these remote regions in a manner that regards its holiness, its sanctity, its durable presence despite the shift of the winds and the ravages of weather.
   
   This is a book for contemplation. The photographs are accompanied by an illuminating essay by none other than the brilliant Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes. This is a book that is highly recommended for personal libraries as well as for deeply thoughtful gifts. Grady Harp, March 05

2 comments about New Mexico, Rio Grande, and Other Essays.

1. If you ever read books of Tony Hillerman, be sure to take a look at this book. His love of the state of New Mexico is well known by readers of the Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn Mysteries, but this book is about the overwhelming beauty of the state. The vast open spaces, the silence and the history. This collection of essays together with the outstanding photographs is a must.



2. If Only!

   If only this book had been printed by the National Geographic Society, or Arizona Highways, or somebody who specializes in scenic calendars. The fabulous photos in here deserve top quality printing, and they didn't get it.

   However, I heartily recommend this book to all my fellow Hillerman fans, *anyway*, because the essays are great, and the background information on some of the events that inspired scenes in certain of the novels is priceless. If you loved 'A Thief of Time' as much as I did, you'll very much enjoy the descriptions of the actual site that inspired it. Hillerman's 'travelogue' down the Rio Grande is also wonderful.

4 comments about A Canyon Voyage: The Narrative of the Second Powell Expedition down the Green-Colorado River from Wyoming, and the Explorations on Land, in the Years 1871 and 1872.

1. This is an exceptionally well written account of a wonderful adventure through the canyons of the Colorado River. For anyone who loves the West's wildness, and writing most sensitive and humorous, this is a "must read". This book is illustrated with many fine original photographs and etchings.



2. At the time of the 2nd voyage down the Colorado, Dellenbaugh was on about 19 years old. He didn't write the book until many years later. What a wonderful/spellbinding look at the most beautiful place in North America (The Colorado Plateau). Not only that but I found it extremely hunorous as well. Great Great book!!!



3. Love and respect for the Green and Colorado Rivers is greatly enhanced by Dellenbaugh's narritive of the 2nd Powell expadition. Well written, accurate history, and spell binding from start to finish. An adventure that can only be partially accomplished today is TOTALLY available in "A Canyon Voyage!"



4. Frederick Dellaenbaugh was a young man when John Wesley Powell tapped him to participate in Powell's second trip down the Colorado River. Powell had made the journey already a few years before, so the second voyage was less pure exploration and more science; the crew included Almon Harris Thompson (called affectionately "Prof." throughout), a professional geographer who also happened to be Powell's brother-in-law. With several boats and men of widely varying experience, the expedition sailed the Green river (thought at that time to be the upper Colorado) to its junction with the Colorado, and the Colorado itself as far as the middle of the Grand Canyon. Swirling rapids, maggotty food, blistering heat, sudden blizzards beset the adventurers, who still though it all made their geographical, geological, and ethnographical observations which resulted in (among other things) the first maps of the four corners region and the Grand Canyon (reproduced in the book).
   While wild adventure, humor, and a real sense of the Old West permeate the book, there is a certain sadness, too. The Native Americans whom Dellenbaugh encounters are people clearly already defeated -- fearful, distrusting, sad. We catch glimpses of the Navaho trying to accommodate themselves to the new reality of white (especially Mormon) settlement, creating new networks of trade focused on growing frontier towns. But the seeds of the end are planted already in the irrigated fields of the Mormon settlers, and sometimes it seems as if the natives knew this too. Also, the topography through which the explorers travelled has now partly vanished behind the dams that have ruined Glen Canyon and other stretches of white water and canyon scenery. No one can now do what Dellenbaugh and his companions did; the sense of loss hovers unintentionally about every page.
   Dellenbaugh was a keen observer (though perhaps a bit naive) with a talent for making even the monotony of running rapid after rapid spellbinding. One does feel that he may have veiled some of the conflicts that must have arisen in two (non-continuous) years of isolation, though if so this trait is refreshing in a world where we now expect everyone to tattle on everyone else. Every now and then just a shimmer of impatience with one of the crew seeps through. But the real hero who emerges from this book, somewhat surprisingly, is not the leader Powell -- the young Dellenbaugh seems never to have gotten close to him -- but rather the Prof., who rises to every challenge with decency and humaneness, and of whom Dellenbaugh seems to have been genuinely, and for good reason, in awe. Like Powell he is buried in Arlington Cemetery. He deserved that honor, but where he lives is in the pages of this book.

4 comments about Cutting for Sign.

1. In the 21st century, the United States will finally acknowledge that it's a largely spanish-speaking country. Meanwhile, Mexico remains a mystery to many of us. Not after reading this book: Without descending into a morass of facts, we learn about the essence of the place, and its relationship to the US. A well-written treatment with respect for its subject.



2. As a former City Manager of Marfa, Texas, I have observed and experienced first hand many of the incidents described in the book. For instance, the morning gathering of area ranchers at the former Thunderbird Restaurant, totally devoid of Hispanic participants; the persistent overtones of bigotry amoung many of the well established Anglo citizens;and, there are still semblances of the old "Patron" system alive and well.

   While I can't prove that my dismissal from my position as City Manager was based on the fact that I am Hispanic, I have no doubt that the racial aspect played a part in the decision to terminate my services. Many local residents have told me that the Mayor could not stand a smart well-educated Mexcican making him look bad.

   In any event, the description of Marfa and the region surrounding it are all surprising accurate. The author most certainly has a deep sense of morality, and an uncanny method of lucidly describing people, situations, and injustices.




3. I grew up on the Mexican border, and Langewiesche beautifully captures the schizophrenic love/hate relationship entangling the two sides. He writes with the clean, precise lines of the journalist, but gives the end result a spin of philosophy that could only come from really feeling the people and places he visits. Much like his second work, "Sahara Unveiled", this is much more than reportage. It's too bad not more people have read this book...I think it would greatly help Americans' understanding of border relations.



4. A very good read about the tense and diverse relations that exist at the Mexican - U.S. border. Author is a good storyteller, and offers great detail. A must for anyone seeking to understand our neighbor to the South.