5 comments about Canyons of the Southwest: A Tour of the Great Canyon Country from Colorado to Northern Mexico.

1. For people who love the West, especially those who seldom leave the concrete road, this book provides unbelievably beautiful pictures and stories about gorgeous places in the wilderness. -Rocky Mountain News



2. CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST by John Annerino. A stunning overview of the "inverted mountains." -Summit Magazine



3. CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST by John Annerino features the author's photographs of towering red rock and rushing waters. -Travel-Holiday Magazine



4. Best Read. John Annerino's CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST. -Tucson Weekl



5. Foremost are the photographs. I would call Annerino's canyon portraits the best of a really good lot, even over big-time large-format photographers. While the large-format works are stunning artistic studies of light and color shot with impossibly huge f-stops, Annerino's canyon photographs give expression to the phrase "wearing one's heart on the sleeve." His photos have an active passion that others lack. Anyone who knows him will say he is among the "hardmen' to tackle the Southwestern mountains and canyons, but that he is definitely the most sincere in his passion for place. Perhaps, because of this he lacks a calculated commercial view of the places he photographs. His images also record his own passion, creating compelling and unique photographs. More than any other contemporary outdoor photographer, Annerino's photos mirror his love of the land's people. In the text, Annerino portrays canyonlands people as part of what makes the places special. He has a deep affection for past and present native peoples, but unlike some Anglo North Americans, Annerino isn't a lost 20th century soul. Rather, he seems to have a straightfoward and genuine admiration for native people, and has learned a great deal about them. His research on each canyon's history is impressive. Annerino writes with an immensity commensurate with his subject. His style is old-fashioned, evoking an older, more grandiose era of writing of explorers like Powell and Pattie. While many modern writers seem bent on infusing themselves into as much of the story as possible, Annerino's style is not so full of himself as full of the intensity of his canyon experiences...Annerino is at his best when he writes about Mexico, especially the Big Bend passage where he talks about the injustices served the Mexican across the river at the hands of our national park there. An optimist who sees great things in the canyons, Annerino neither ignores nor dwells on the obvious problems facing the West like pollution and development. And fortunately, CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST is not a treasure map guidebook to these areas. -Desert Skies

No comments about Discover Native America: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.

5 comments about Soul of Nowhere: Traversing Grace in a Rugged Land.

1. Like other reviewers, my first exposure to Craig Childs was through his book The Secret Knowledge of Water, which is excellent. Soul of Nowhere doesn't move me as much as Secret Knowledge, but it's still a great read.
   
   The first book focused on his adventures looking for water sources in deserts of the southwest. In this book, the focus is more on finding archaeological relics in the deep desert. In some cases it's ruins, in others jars or petroglyphs. One can sense his desire to find evidence of and connect with long vanished people of the desert.
   
   I thought the inclusion of the other people was interesting. It places Childs in a social context - we encounter others who share his passion, and they're memorable characters. Other reviewers have said that Childs shares way too much here - it may not be to their taste, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. In any event, he shares some fascinating stories with us. I will definitely be reading more of his books.



2. Craig Childs is an excellent writer, and the prices for used books of his were great. I could buy copies for all my friends.



3. I loved this book not so much because of the difficulties and delights Childs experienced in the wild but because of the journey of his spirit as he bonded with the wild places. I've read many books of true adventure written by people who were brave and sensitive and articulate, but this book goes far beyond anything I've come across. It speaks to my soul, so evocative, so intense that I feel I have journeyed with him. It's almost frightening to be drawn so far into the mind of another human being I don't even know. He is undoubtedly brave as a lion in his explorations, but his true bravery is revealed in the opening and dissection of his own soul. His eloquent words describe the feelings I could not articulate for myself in my travels in the southwest deserts. Now I know why I went back to them time after time.



4. One reviewer cited "pseudo-intellectual mumbo-jumbo that gives the reader the impression that he is just trying too hard to write a "serious" book" regarding Childs' "Soul Of Nowhere". I must agree. I have spent a good part of my life in the deserts of the Southwest and beyond, and am a professional archaeologist, so I expected to like this work more than I did. It felt a little bit too forced, as though the author were trying to convince his readers that what he was experiencing was somehow more profound than it actually appears to be on the surface. I wasn't buying all of the forced weightiness ascribed to what amounts to rather mundane situations. I must follow up by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed "House of Rain" despite some extremely irresponsible behaviour on the part of the author. "Soul of Nowhere" was a disappointment.



5. I read this book with a highlighter pen, marking passages about the places, and comments about humans relating to their inner soul and to nature. I found it deeply personal and, therefore, may not be everyone's "cup of tea". The writing at times was amazing and then just good.
   This is a collection of the author's experiences, both interior and exterior. It is called the Soul of Nowhere! and documents his exploration of places, the soul of such places and his own soul in relation to the Soul of Nowhere.
   This is not really a travelogue or a documented adventure. It is a man's journey, spiritually and physically.

5 comments about Wired: Contemporary Zulu Telephone Wire Baskets.

1. This book documents a marvelously vital art form and is itself a beautiful work of art. It is obviously expensively produced and carefully executed. The jacket, the cover , the paper, everything about it is absolutely first rate. An informative and very entertaining documentation of this fascinating art form. The photography by Andrew Cerino and the well known interiors photographer Peter Vitale is brilliant and voluptous (the color reproduction is astonishing).
   I couldn't be happier with it and I think it will soon be a very valuable and much sought-after reference source.



2. This is a great book on the Zulu art of making baskets out of colorful telephone wire. Not only is this a fascinating collection of images that jump off the pages, but it gives this art form its due. The use of wire in sub-Saharan Africa is explained and adds some historic context to this contemporary art form. The development of this form by the pioneers of the craft - the true night watchmen, is also documented here for the first time. The book also highlights the masters of this art form, with some personal history and images of each person's work. This is a highly recommended addition to you collection of books on African Art.



3. I just got a copy of this book and it is extraordinary!!! I travel to South Africa frequently and have several telephone wire baskets. I often wondered who made these baskets, and how they were connected to traditional African baskets and crafts. Well, this book answers my questions and more. The history is well written, including a GREAT foreword by Karel Nel, THE expert on South African art. In addition, the book gives the artist's their due, highlighting 14 weavers (or should I say artists), with their personal story and images of their work. I can now identify baskets in my collection, some by these weavers. This is a book you will love.



4. This is an extremely high quality "art book" which will be at home on any coffee table or in any library of people interested in baskets, Africa or any indigenous arts and crafts. The photographs are outstanding, the paper weight feels wonderful in your hand, it's a very well produced volume. I especially enjoyed the introduction by Paul Mikula which gave a great context for how difficult the baskets are to weave and spoke to the history of the weaving from more of the standpoint of the Zulu people. I have been carrying these types of baskets for over 3 years now and there has been a big void in the world for information on these baskets. This book fills the void plus some! Thanks to the authors for a great information source!



5. Wired is a beautifully produced book from cover to cover. This extraordinary art form is depicted eloquently in text and photos and is the perfect addition to any art book collector's library. I found Mr. Arment's historic representation of the craft to be informative and the featured artisan weaver's stories to be both compelling and personal. The contemporary design, exquisite photography and high quality of production contribute to an outstanding book.

2 comments about Gateway to Alta California: The Expedition to San Diego, 1769 (Sunbelt Cultural Heritage Books) (Sunbelt Cultural Heritage Books).

1. I don't usually like History books, because they always feel like reading homework. A friend bought this book for me and I didn't think I was going to be interested--but I was! What a great adventure story--as interesting as Lewis and Clarke or Captain Cook's stories of discovery. I didn't know anything about this expedition, and I've lived in California all my life. I highly recommend this to people who like a good adventure book with some interesting history.



2. Gateway To Alta California: The Expedition To San Diego, 1769 by writer, photographer, and historian Harry W. Crosby is the story of the first land journey to San Diego undertaken by Europeans in 1769. Crosby draws upon original sources such as the journals of Padre Juan Crespi, Joseph deCanizares (Captain Rivera's official scribe), Padre Junipero Serra, and Gaspar de Portola, as well as recreating the overland trek himself (literally on foot and muleback) to map out the original and historic route that went through the then unexplored, unknown, desolate wilderness of northern Baja California to found the community of San Diego. A strongly recommended addition to California Historical Studies reference collections, Gateway To Alta California also lists the names of the Hispanic members of this historic expedition party.

No comments about Where the Old Roads Go: Southwest : Driving the First Federal Highways of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah.

3 comments about Hiking New Mexico (rev).

1. This publication was my first purchase on the subject. Laurence Parent gives you a good detailed trail description. The maps though are poor. A problem with most Falcon Guides. For the casual day hiker this book will do, for the explorer, I would look for another book.



2. I found this book to be very useful.

   I particularly liked the start of each hike information- This helps me to decide in a quick second whether I want to read the rest of the information and consider this hike or not. The information includes the level of difficulty, location, attractions, maps to get, and other important information. The maps were very useful in determining starting points and ending points for planning purposes.

   I found that the level of difficulty was accurate. This is very important to me because I'm a non hiker to very easy type of hiker.

   My only comment would be that many of the pictures didn't add to the text and could have been left out.




3. This is your typical Falcon book. It does give you a good overview of many popular (and a few obscure) hikes in the state -but with info and maps that sometimes are lacking. And of course, the size of NM and its numerous wilderness oppurtunities makes this or any hiking book attempting to cover the whole state rather ambitious. This is a general guide by neccessity.
   
   If you know what area of NM you would like to concentrate your exploring in, I would recommend one of the area specific Falcon guides (Gila, Carlsbad, Aldo Leopold, etc) or a book by a different publisher instead of this overview. These other books offer a lot more detail and don't have to skip popular and obvious localized hikes for a lack of space.

   I consider myself adept at reading maps and directions (what guy doesn't think that?) but I found some of the directions and maps in the book to be overly simplified or outdated. (As compared to "100 Hikes in New Mexico" - which is a better generalized guide). I particularly ran into this with the trails described in the White Mt. Wilderness. This also re-taught me that no guide book is no substitute for a good trail map if an extended backpacking trip is planned.

   After these critiques of the book, I do have to say it is a strong general guide in many ways that will give you a decent overview of NM hiking oppurtunities. The author's descriptions of trail difficulties are accurate and reasonable and the elevation charts in Falcon guides are very helpful. Aside from the instance mentioned above - the general descriptions of the hikes and the directions to the trailheads tend to be accurate.

No comments about Six One-Day Walks in the Pecos Wilderness.

No comments about To the Foot of the Rainbow: A Tale of Twenty-Five Hundred Miles of Wandering on Horseback Through the Southwest Enchanted Land.

4 comments about Mexico City: A Guide to Recent Architecture.

1. Mexico City is a bit small (the book format, not the metropolis) but the four-inch-square size is a virtue if you're touring the town and want a pocketful of intriguing information and bright photos of recent architecture South of the Border. For architecture students this is a boon -- coffee-table quality in text and graphics, in a reasonably-priced volume that is one of a series on recent architecture in the world's major cities. New York, London, Paris, etc. All from ...ellipsis (sic) publishers. Although I can't speak with the authority of a professional in the field, this book would also seem to be handy for architects who can't leave their desks but wish to make a quick survey of what's been done in the Distrito Federal in recent years. The text spells out problems faced by the various architects: tricky building sites, complex zoning laws, querulous clients. Opher even goes into some "do-it-yourself" sections of the city, where squatters have developed entire communities from (literally) scratch. The illustrations are small and in black-and-white, but the reproduction makes them sparkle. The text intrigues, even though the typeface is a trifle tiny for the middle-aged eye. Overall an excellent book, one that would be a blockbuster in a larger format -- and in this smaller size, makes a great Christmas stocking-stuffer for that creative friend or relative.



2. Mexico City is a bit small (the book format, not the metropolis) but the four-inch-square size is a virtue if you're touring the town and want a pocketful of intriguing information and bright photos of recent architecture South of the Border. For architecture students this is a boon -- coffee-table quality in text and graphics, in a reasonably-priced volume that is one of a series on recent architecture in the world's major cities. New York, London, Paris, etc. All from ...ellipsis (sic) publishers. Although I can't speak with the authority of a professional in the field, this book would also seem to be handy for architects who can't leave their desks but wish to make a quick survey of what's been done in the Distrito Federal in recent years. The text spells out problems faced by the various architects: tricky building sites, complex zoning laws, querulous clients. Opher even goes into some "do-it-yourself" sections of the city, where squatters have developed entire communities from (literally) scratch. The illustrations are small and in black-and-white, but the reproduction makes them sparkle. The text intrigues, even though the typeface is a trifle tiny for the middle-aged eye. Overall an excellent book, one that would be a blockbuster in a larger format -- and in this smaller size, makes a great Christmas stocking-stuffer for that creative friend or relative.



3. Mexico City is a bit small (the book format, not the metropolis) but the four-inch-square size is a virtue if you're touring the town and want a pocketful of intriguing information and bright photos of recent architecture South of the Border. For architecture students this is a boon -- coffee-table quality in text and graphics, in a reasonably-priced volume that is one of a series on recent architecture in the world's major cities. New York, London, Paris, etc. All from ...ellipsis (sic) publishers. Although I can't speak with the authority of a professional in the field, this book would also seem to be handy for architects who can't leave their desks but wish to make a quick survey of what's been done in the Distrito Federal in recent years. The text spells out problems faced by the various architects: tricky building sites, complex zoning laws, querulous clients. Opher even goes into some "do-it-yourself" sections of the city, where squatters have developed entire communities from (literally) scratch. The illustrations are small and in black-and-white, but the reproduction makes them sparkle. The text intrigues, even though the typeface is a trifle tiny for the middle-aged eye. Overall an excellent book, one that would be a blockbuster in a larger format -- and in this smaller size, makes a great Christmas stocking-stuffer for that creative friend or relative.



4. Mexico City is a bit small (the book format, not the metropolis) but the four-inch-square size is a virtue if you're touring the town and want a pocketful of intriguing information and bright photos of recent architecture South of the Border. For architecture students this is a boon -- coffee-table quality in text and graphics, in a reasonably-priced volume that is one of a series on recent architecture in the world's major cities. New York, London, Paris, etc. All from ...ellipsis (sic) publishers. Although I can't speak with the authority of a professional in the field, this book would also seem to be handy for architects who can't leave their desks but wish to make a quick survey of what's been done in the Distrito Federal in recent years. The text spells out problems faced by the various architects: tricky building sites, complex zoning laws, querulous clients. Opher even goes into some "do-it-yourself" sections of the city, where squatters have developed entire communities from (literally) scratch. The illustrations are small and in black-and-white, but the reproduction makes them sparkle. The text intrigues, even though the typeface is a trifle tiny for the middle-aged eye. Overall an excellent book, one that would be a blockbuster in a larger format -- and in this smaller size, makes a great Christmas stocking-stuffer for that creative friend or relative.