Of all the books written about the Lost Dutchman's mine, this book offers a believable tale to the possibilities of the existance of Jacob's gold mine in the Superstition Mountains.

As novice birdwatchers, this book was indispensable for planning our birdwatching trip to SE Arizona. It gave specific locations to visit for birds that you could expect to see there. Directions were clear and concise. With help from this book, we saw nearly every bird species we had hoped to see. This book is a must for this region!

This book is filled with great suggestions of places to go and things to see/do. It's extremely well organized and filled our week in Tucson with adventure and fun. We hardly ever even traveled the same road twice, there were so many listings. We'd tried the "standards" and found them lacking. There were so many areas around the city of Tucson we'd never heard of, and this book helped us organize our time and travel, although some of the day trips are truly impossible to complete in a day. In fact, we spent most of our time in Tucson outside of Tucson (if that makes any sense). A truly fantastic area guided by a truly fantastic book. If this author has written more books of the same ilk, I'll gladly buy them and enjoy.

Large, crisp, vivid photos presented by Arizona Highways. Each wildflower includes information such as: region, elevation, blooming season, relatives and more. As an avid Arizona hiker I get excited when I am able to spot these beauties on the trail. The format is magazine size. All pages are thick and glossy Arizona Highways quality. - Beautiful!

...lays out new directions for the most pressing problem of our time: How we live. The basic premise is that the physical design of homes, buildings and streets helps or hurts the people who live there and that we cannot continue to use the land to build the kind of infrastructures we are putting in place. A practicing architect with impeccable credentials, Swaback not only set down the reasons why, he also lays out imaginative, practical guidelines for new and better ways to live. The following quote from the book points up the troubled feeling for the quality of life in America shared by many:

Americans sense that something is wrong...we drive by gruesome tragic suburban boulevards of commerce, and we are overwhelmed at the fantastic, awesome, stupefying ugliness of everything in sight-fry pits, big box stores, office units, lube joints, carpet warehouse, parking lagoons, jive plastic townhouse clusters, signs, the highway itself, clogged with cars as though the whole thing had been designed by some diabolical force bent on making human beings miserable."

The root cause of the problem, according to Swaback, is the outmoded apparatus we have put in place to control land use called "zoning." He describes it as a fragmented, uncoordinated process that begets endless sprawl. Zoning laws promote the self-destructive babbles of pro-growth, slow-growth, or no-growth; they also perpetuate endless political infighting and acrimony, but never solve the problem of proper land use. Through examples and case histories, he snows that the cost of sprawl will eventually overwhelm us because it is the harbinger of more pollution and ongoing, declining community values.

Solutions to population growth and density are complex and not easy to come by, by Swaback believes we can must develop more wholesome living environments,. He proposes "Micro Communities" in open space with connected corridors. New stand-alone communities would be situated on dedicated spaces o varying size with a minimum of forty acres or more. All would include single-family homes, condominiums, schools, offices, light manufacturing, support services, and government centers within walking distance of home on tree-shaded pats and bicycle trails. For the more adventuresome, there is a centralized car pool, and public transit.

The author makes a strong case that living center clusters reduce air pollution, traffic congestion, and the rising cost of building, not to mention widespread social deterioration created by sprawl. Micro communities are pedestrian-centered therefore more likely to develop the human qualities of the inhabitants for tolerance and cooperation because we frequently meet our fellow man face to face as neighbors. Culturally, this new design concept encompasses facilities for all levels of education, participation in music, drama, appreciation for architecture, writing, crafts, visual arts, dance, film, theater,and whatever new forms of culture evolve.

Swayback is a practicing architect and original thinker who has mastered the art and disciplines of this craft. In Designing The Future he has used his considerable skills to conceive new and better ways to live by designing an environment that encourages us to become better human beings. His message: Before it's too late, we had better decide whether we are going to ad to American's wealth or systematically destroy all we have been given.

Vernon D. Swaback, AIA, AICP, is the owner-manager of Swaback Partners, a 21-year old Artichectural-Planning organization in Scottsdale, AZ. He moved to Arizona from Chicago in 1957 to become Frank Lloyd Wright's youngest apprentice and remained with the Wright organization 21 years. Designing The Future was published by Arizona State University's Herberger Center for Design Excellence and is in demand as an architectural text throughout the world.

Reviewer's Note: It is this reviewer's opinion Designing The Future is deserving of best-seller status because of its original, perceptive ideas about a gigantic environmental problem which is reducing the quality of life in America.

This book was a big help. My son and I were going to spend 5 days in Phoenix for a football game. We had no idea on what to do. After reading this book, we were able to have an unbelievable get-away.

This book is beginning to attract quite a bit of attention from historians, history buffs, and general readers alike. While there are a multitude of books recounting the history of the California, Santa Fe, Mormon and other historic trails, surprisingly little has been done on a little known Trail that originated in Ft. Smith, Ark., traversed southern Oklahoma, crossed the northern tip of Texas into New Mexico and Arizona and ended at the Colorado River crossing on the California-Arizona border. I predict it is the first of a flurry of studies looking at an amazing story this is largely untold.
In 1857 the War Department, eager to find an alternative route to the main California Trail that was considered risky given the mounting pressure to subdue Mormons in Utah, and the lengthy Southern Route that ran through Apache territory, commissioned a survey that resulted in the Beale Wagon Road. It was to be the first federally funded interstate road to traverse the rugged southwest desert, canyons, and rocky terrain obtained from Mexico at the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a retired Navy Lieutenant, was chosed to survey and construct a road that was to attract emigrant wagon trains and save an estimated 200 miles and thirteen days of travel. Not only was the mission unique but also his crew of 50 men traveled with a most unusual contingent of pack animals: 22 camels from the Middle East were used to carry the supplies and equipment for the expedition.
The book traces the history of the Beale Road in general terms and specifically recounts the experiences of the first emigrant wagon train to attempt the crossing in 1858. The story of what came to be known as the Rose-Baley wagon train, comprised of a group of Missouri and Iowa emigrants that met in Albuquerque, is an exciting and tragic account of an effort to arrive in California and the "land of plenty." To say the attempt was a disaster is perhaps charitable. The road was not as passable as the civic leaders in Albuquerque stated; water was much more scarce as originally thought; the so-called experienced guide was lacking in knowledge and directional aptitude; the peaceful Hualapais Indians were more hostile than advertised; and the reception encountered at the Colorado River crossing, instigated by the Mojave Indians, was deadly.
In a highly readable, narrative style Baley recounts the story and reviews its aftermath and legacy not only for the Rose-Baley emigrant party but also for the Mojave's and Beale's Wagon Road. There is an index, bibliography, appendix, extensive endnotes, and helpful maps and photos. This is a major contribution about the first emigrants attempt to traverse what was then known as the 35th paralled. Most now know it as old Route 66 and I-40. Highly recommended.

Rick Harris's book "Discover Arizona" is by far the "easiest" way to do just that. I first began using this book as a weekend "thrill" reference 9 years ago. My husband and I loved finding places off the beaten track. This book led us directly to some of the most exciting places Arizona has to offer. He is very clear in his directions, his caution signs, and even reminded us several times of the the specific laws of the land. No matter where we happened to be going in the state, we could plan in minutes, what special extras we could find, wether it be ghost towns, Indian ruins, or crystal beds. We would also know how long it would take us to get there, what time of year was best to visit, and what kind of vehicle was required if any. At one time I even wrote a letter to Rick Harris to get some additional information on one of his places called "Huens Ruins". He wrote me back a hand written letter with the same sense of humor and a hand drawn map giving me the additional information I requested. We have since purchased his second book and are continuing to explore Arizona in all of it's beauty and intrigue. We do however miss the large map of Arizona with the references showing each site and it's number as was on the back of the first issue. If you love to explore. If you love to find relics, and want to truly appreciate the incredible beauty of Arizona, buy this book, and some good hiking boots!-You'll be very glad you did both!

This account of what happened in the "Old West" two Centuries ago presents and excellent insight into the history of our Country. Without fixing blame, the author gives names, dates and places regarding the Wickenburg Massacre. He also provides informative maps and word-of-mouth information to support the disregard for, not only American Indians, but for any idle pioneers traveling from East to West who were not part of the established Mormon(LDS)settlement in Utah. I was amazed at the attempts on behalf of the Mormon leadership to cover-up what actually transpired and pass it off as an unfortunate mistake, when it was clear that [they] routinely displayed a total disregard and distrust for the well-being of anyone not within [their] folds. As history later disclosed the true story of the Wickenburg Massacre, the hierarchy of the Mormon Clan endeavored to make retribution by erecting to the memory of those "slaughtered" a simple monument. Today, this veneration of enduring historic significance gives notice that something tragic did, in fact, occur at that specific location and on a certain date. However, an indepth account would be difficult to find in any history book. And, although the LDS archives recognize such an incident did take place, it is unlikely [they] will ever take full responsbility for any inhumane actions taken by past LDS leaders. The only trace of such acknowledgement came when [they] bannished one member for actions he took pertaining to the massacre. The author obviously spent much time to personally research archives and fund this collection of printed and word-of-mouth accounts passed down from one generation to another. The maps he provides in this book present an outstanding overview of the geography as it appeared during that time frame. As earlier stated, one cannot find this calibre of factual data in school texts and, it is doubtful, primary and secondary educators would be permitted to teach history in this fashion. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this look into a small part of the history of our Country, and we have shared it with our children and grandchilren. "Two thumbs up!"

The eruption of Arizona's Sunset Crater is a fact. The legends of nearby Hopi regarding that AD 1064 event were woven into myths that persist to the present day. "Earth Fire" brings Catyclism and people who feel at one with all the Earth together. You will learn more about geology. You will learn more about the people who inhabited this land before the rest of the world came here. And by learning the Hopi response to disaster, you will learn more about yourself. The only negative is "Earth Fire" is now out of print. Once, we thought we had much to teach the Hopi. Now we know how much we have to learn from these people who still live in a beautiful world of their own.