No comments about Western America in 1846-1847. the Original Travel Diary of Lieutenant J. E. Albert Who Mapped New Mexico for the United States Army.

2 comments about Desert Awakenings.

1. Jeff Gnass and John Murray have managed to convey with in the pages of this wonderful book the incredibly diverse and colorful landscapes that makeup the desert regions of the south western United States. Their photographic images are with out a doubt some of the best ever put to film. Tne text is entertaining as well with personal insights relating to visiting a particular area photographed. I never grow tired of looking at the images- they are as close as you can get without actually being there. Highly recommended for lovers of the desert regions or for those that would like to experience them but cannot get there.



2. Well,I had heard of this book before I saw it in a local bookstore,but I thought it wouldn`t be good,as the desert book "Western Horizon" was said to be better.
   But I was wrong at this time. Already when I first looked inside it,I knew it would be amazingly suggestive for me. And I bought it. It was rather cheap for beeing such a book.
   It features all kinds of deserted landscape from the US.
   Some times,it doesn`t look much like desert,mostly in the Mojave,which the first chapter is about. Deserts are not at all lifeless places - in fact,it is full of wild palms,beautifull flowers and cacti with artistic shapes.
   The second chapter treats the Sonoran Desert,and it,too,contains more of the diverse flora,especially the red cactus flowers.
   In the third chapter,called Colorado Desert - Life on the Rocks,there are lots of such pictures too,but there is one special image that catches your attention immidiatley - pressure ridges in a salt pan,which looks like the finest crystals ever found!
   The fourth chapter shows other kinds of desert. For you who like rocky deserts,this is something. It has fantastic sceneries from hundreds of feet high rocks,as well as a picture of dunes with white sand. That is the most lifeless of all deserts and the quietness is sometimes even frightening.
   The fifth chapter is about The Great Basin Desert,and that is the largest desert of North America. Many pics in this chapter contains really fantastic views,and you`ll even find SNOW here!In a desert!Just amazin,isn`t it?Some of the most inspiring pictures are found here,and therefore,this is my favorite chapter. The special with those pictures are the mud formations at dusk.
   The sixth chapter is "Painted Desert",which is also very inspiring,and here there are some pictures of the Colorado Plateau,which is fantastic rock formations where fossils of my favorite animals can be found (dinosaurs!). Many of the formations here are well-known from Western Movies. In this chapter,amazing pictures of Grand Canyon can be found as well.
   I have now realized that this is my No.1 inspiration source for my animal stories. When I am drawing them,I am always looking at pictures of this book to find a suitable background for my dinosaurs. I am combining the best pictures. And then it is just to add the dinos. When I read this book,I pretend that I am trying to create a good dinosaur movie when looking at the pictures. It is incredibly inspiring,and ABSOLUTELY something for anyone who likes painting or look at landscapes.
   You could spend (money) for "The Western Horizon" or (less) for this one. The choice is up to you. But I have made mine. Get inspired and save a lot of money by buying this one!

3 comments about Desert Light: A Photographer's Journey through America's Desert Southwest.

1. Desert Light, A Photographer's Journey through America's Desert Southwest by photojournalist author John Annerino is his finest work to date. He has captured through his photographs and essays America's Outback - the unseen, mysterious, remote and breathtakingly beautiful country of the Southwest Desert land. To photograph these scenes he climbed to the top of this world where he discovered it's majesty and secrets. The light of the desert illuminates the photos portraying the landscape in grandeaur and awe. The Southwest has always called to Annerino to be it's messenger of hidden places and stories as in his work on The Grand Canyon but in Desert Light he has taken risks higher than ever before and been rewarded with a vision that is spellbindngly gorgeous. We can only be thankful that he dared to venture to these uninhabited vistas to portray this majestic no-man's land.



2. (This is a combined review of John Annerino's three photo essay books: *Grand Canyon Wild*, *Desert Light*, and *Canyon Country*)
   
   John Annerino knows the desert southwest well and his writing about it is enjoyable and informative; and, this holds true with *Grand Canyon Wild: A Photographic Journey*, *Desert Light: a Photographer's Journey Through America's Desert Southwest*, and *Canyon Country: A Photographic Journey*. In addition to his nature writing on the topic, he has also published a couple of useful guides to photographing in the Southwest.
   
   But, even with pretty text, I can't recommend any of these three books. Why? Because the photography is just not that good. This may not be a critic on Annerino's photography...but, at the same time it might. He has a good eye for composition, but what you can't tell is whether he has a good eye for color reproduction or a good eye for light in general. I want to believe that the less than stellar - less than average actually - photographic reproductions in two of these books (*Grand Canyon Wild* and *Desert Light*) is down right horrible! In *Canyon Country*, it is better than the other two, but definitely not great.
   
   So, why is that? Is it just plain bad printing in China? Is it bad design work by the publisher? Is it just average photographic skills of the author? Probably, a combination of all three. Even just the covers of *Grand Canyon Wild* and *Desert Light* are enough to question the capabilities of the designer for these books - they are weak images with average lighting and no pop whatsoever. The cover of *Canyon Country* is muxh better than the other two - so much so, that it must have been designed by a different person. The fact that *Canyon Country* is better on the inside and outside says that it was better produced altogether.
   
   Since I live in the landscape that is the subject of these three books and I am a photographer myself, I can tell you that some of the scenes photographed in these books look better to the naked eye...in the middle of the day when the light is washed out and flat.
   
   If you just want to read the good text, then find them at your local bookstore and enjoy with a cup of coffee while sitting in the store's comfortable seating. But, definitely pass on purchasing, especially if you are looking for great photography from the Colorado Plateau.
   
   >>>>>>><<<<<<<
   
   A Guide to my Book Rating System:
   
   1 star = The wood pulp would have been better utilized as toilet paper.
   2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
   3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
   4 stars = Good book, but not life altering.
   5 stars = This book changed my world in at least some small way.



3. "I've lived in the Southwest most of my life, and I have never seen collections of photographs of this area before that are as beautiful and vividly alive as those shared by John Annerino in his latest book, Desert Light: A Photographer's Journey through America's Desert Southwest."
   
   "As in his many other books of photographs over the last twenty years, Annerino keeps on finding those perfect moments to snap the shutter - moments when the clouds are stiller than still, the sand dunes can actually be perceived to be moving, the rock formations are hanging there wonderously living on and on, and the faces of those few humans one encounters out there seem to come out of past millennia. I've been watching this same desert country during countless hikes and climbs, yet Annerino's work always wakes me up, makes me come to from my reveries, and makes me feel like I've never quite seen all this beauty before. It's like glimpses of a parallel universe where the suchness of it all is greater than can usually be seen and known in the ordinary world of our perceptions."
   
   "With heartfelt gratitude for John Annerino's artistry."
   - John Bilby, Mindfulness
   
   "Desert Light, and John Annerino's other books, represent an amazing life's work. With all the trekking the author does in these pursuits, there still resonates a `yin' side to the work - it shows in the photographs." - A.L. Hartford
   
   "Just when you think you've seen every possible photo of every southwestern place, John Annerino brings us a delightfully fresh look..Willing to escape the beaten paths and comfortable camps, Annerino shows each location from a new angle and in new light. He totes his camera to Bisti Badlands, Monument Valley, the summit of Picacho del Diablo, the shores of the Sea of Cortez, the depths of the Grand Canyon, and vivid points in between. Desert Light evokes the mysteries and beauties that are the Southwest, blending art, humanity, and adventure."
   - Bill Broyles, Southwest Books of the Year
   
   "Desert Light is just stunning! The Images are incredible. And the printing is absolutely first rate. I will treasure it!" - HSC, San Francisco.

No comments about Romantic Days and Nights in Santa Fe, 2nd: Romantic Diversions in and around the City (Romantic Days and Nights Series).

1 comments about Spirit of Chiapas: The Expressive Art of the Roof Cross Tradition.

1. Spirit of Chiapas, a handsomely illustrated new book by Virginia and Robert Guess, is a fascinating study of the roof crosses of Chiapas, a folk art unique to this Maya region of southern Mexico.
   This authoritative account, the product of many years of research, details the rich social and religious history, variety and iconography associated with this disappearing folk tradition.
   
   After a discussion of the role and symbolism of the cross in Christian and Maya tradition, Spirit of Chiapas continues with a full description and stylistic analysis of the different cross forms, based in part on the noted Frans Blom collection of metal crosses in San Cristóbal de Las Casas. There is also a comprehensive street by street guide to the roof crosses of San Cristóbal, the old colonial capital.
   Robert Guess' fine color pictures complement the authoritative text and add special distinction to the book.
   
   This timely volume - the only published study of this unique folk art - not only serves to publicly document this dying tradition but, it is hoped, may lead to its authentic revival. Guaranteed to appeal to lovers of hispanic folk art and folk traditions as well as travelers to Mexico.
   
   (from the author of guides to colonial Mexico)

No comments about Santa Fe on Foot: Walking Running and Bicycling Routes in the City Different.

No comments about New Mexico State Monuments: Fort Selden.

No comments about Fodor's See It Mexico, 1st Edition (Fodor's See It).

5 comments about Away Games: The Life and Times of a Latin Baseball Player.

1. Being a baseball fan since Orlando Cepeda led the Cardinals over Yaz's 1967 Red Sox, I thought I was well versed about the history of minorities in major league baseball. (The Jackie Robinson story became gospel in my house.) After reading "Away Games," I had to eat some humble pie. The sports pages, which I read cover-to-cover as a youth, never made mention on how the Clementes, Tiants, and Marchials made it to the majors. Authors Marcos Breton and Jose Luis Villegas provide that missing story. "Away Games" is about how major baseball exploits young Latino men in the same way that the film "Hoop Dreams" documented basketball's exploitation of inner city black youth. Breton and Villegas elaborate on how the baseball establishment entices Dominicans into their camps and then uses them like throw away parts. I only wish the authors would have kept their focus on Miguel Tejada- "the star" of the book- rather than flip-flopping between his "life and times" with the history of Latino baseball players. (Actually, there are two books in one here- Tejada's baseball journey and the history of major league baseball in the Caribbean.) Far from being an enjoyable book, "Away Games" is often painful to read especially for gung-ho baseball fans; however, it should be included right next to the censored sports page as we're implored to "root, root for the home team."



2. Breton and Villegas make the case that Latin ballplayers are exploited and then, in the overwhelming majority of cases, tossed away by major league teams. Miguel Tejada was one of those who, it turned out, wasn't just cheap filler for an organization's minor league chain, but instead broke through to the majors. This surprised the A's organization which originally ranked him below other Dominicans who have since faded and returned to island obscurity or the life of an undocumented alien in New York City. Unfortunately, the author's case is buried by some truly stilted prose in a narrative that wanders all over the map without giving Tejada himself much more life in the book than as a paradigm for the author's argument. I happen to know already a fair amount about Latin ballplayers so this book brought me neither increased insight into them as a group or to Tejada as an individual.



3. THIS BOOK IS A REAL "SLEEPER". BRETON TAKES THE EVENTFUL LIFE OF ONE LATIN BALLPLAYER AND INTERTWINES THIS WITH THE HISTORY OF THE STRUGGLE OF ALL LATIN BALLPLAYERS. THE STORY OF SOME OF THE LATIN PIONEERS IS AN UNEXPLORED TERRITORY IN BASEBALL HISTORY. BRETON BRINGS THESE STORIES OF PREJUDICE, TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY TO THE SURFACE. I LEARNED ALOT FROM THIS BOOK, AND WAS WELL ENTERTAINED IN THE PROCESS.



4. I was a fan of shortstop Miguel Tejada before I read this book and was overjoyed when he won the AL MVP honors this past year. The book opened my eyes to the incredible struggle and long odds that Dominican players - or any Latin players - face to make it in the major leagues. It makes Tejada's accomplishment seem that much more amazing and important to me. His story is interwoven with a lot of baseball history that I would not have otherwise known, and it is one that kids my age and up (8th grade) would enjoy because it makes you think.



5. This book is awesome, one of my favorites. I have read it more than once it is so good. What makes it so great is it tells the story of the latin baseball player that happens so often these days. From step to step, the book shows the reader how Miguel Tejada got from the barrios to America, to MLB star. What makes this bok so special is what a great story Miguel Tejada is. In his town, he was not regarded as a great player. But as soon as he was in a league there, he was great and never stopped. Now he has an MVP. A great job by Marcos Breton for the book and Jose Luis Villegas for the great pictures.

3 comments about Best Easy Day Hikes Santa Fe.

1. This book is quite disappointing in its selection and description of hikes. I also purchased Martin's 100 hikes in New Mexico for our upcoming trip there, and would recommend Martin's book much more highly over this one.



2. This hiking guide was all we needed for my family and I to enjoy lovely and easy day hikes in the Santa fe area. The book contained great descriptions of the areas covered, including Bandoleer national Monument and Los Alamos. This guide helped us to get into nature without overwhelming us with complicated directions to reach our destinations. The hikes included in this book were excellent selections of the various choices available to the santa fe day explorer. Thank you Linda and Katherine for such good information and suggestions!



3. We've taken several hikes in the Santa Fe area using the Regnier book as our guide. It is excellent and we can recommend it to anyone hiking in and around Santa Fe. We understand she is updating the book at this time. Beginning hikers need the help of this book.