I don't usually read Western or Adventure novels, but this one is fantastic. I neglected some chores and rushed through others to get back to it, and stayed awake past my bedtime reading. Don't be intimidated by the number of pages. The font and short chapters allow you to zip along. It's one of those you'll never forget.

Look out Jim Conover is on the scene! This book is fantastic. I absolutely loved. It's a great treasure hunting adventure with characters so colorful you know every one. I couldn't put the book down and when I did I felt like I had stepped out of a movie theatre, not put a book down.If you don't read another book this year, read this one, get to know Clay Morgan and Big Alice and feel as though you've been to the Superstition Mts. in Arizona. This book holds your interest cover to cover. Can't wait for his next book..

I read Greenhorns & Killer Mountains coming home from Mississippi on a bus trip. I was so interested in the story I wouldn't even get off the bus at the rest stops.

REALLY, REALLY liked this book. There are 52 chapters with 52 great weeknd adventures. This is a perfect book for someone new to Arizona like me, but I'm sure locals will get some good use out of it too. The maps and all the extra information are really useful. The color photos are spectacular. Much, much better than other Arizona guides out there.

The authors do a really good job of motivating readers like me to get off the couch and try something new. After I bought the book, our first weekend escape was when I took my wife hot air ballooning in Sedona. Then about a month later, my wife and I contacted one of the outfitters listed in the Grand Canyon hiking chapter, and we took a long weekend 4-day hiking trip down to Havasupai. When we got there, we couldn't believe we're still in Arizona with the beautiful waterfalls and all the incredible scenery. Plus we saved about $$$ thanks to one of the coupons in the back of the book -- this coupon alone paid for the book and then some. Thanks! (Great idea! I figured the least I could do was write a thorough review.)

I'm looking forward to the winter so we can go try a weekend of dogsledding... Who would have thought dogsledding in Arizona! Thanks a lot guys. Great book!

This book is great for anyone who lives in Arizona and is looking for some exciting things to do on weekends. The book is set up by season and the degree of difficulty for each adventure, so there is something for everyone. The pictures are beautiful and the directions are really great. If you are going to visit Arizona and would like to try some different activities this book is for you.

This book is the ultimate guide. You are not an Arizonan unless you have experienced its glory, and this book will get you there. I moved here from New Mexico and now feel more at home than the few natives I know. I can get out every weekend and enjoy my life, and it's not expensive. In addition I can save with the coupons.
Recommend: Go try the Parasailing and the Hummer Tour! (Coupons!)

Savannah Dawson worked in an advertising agency and had a rebellious fifteen, going-on-thirty, year old daughter named Emma. Savannah also told fortunes. It was a gift she had always possessed. So was her optimistic outlook on life. If an awful card turned up on a customer, like the card that predicts a loss, then Savannah would smile and tell the customer that she would probably only the ten extra pounds she had been exercising to get rid of in the first place. But when the cards showed Savannah bad news, she just knew it really was bad news. Her father was dying. So off she went to Arizona to be with him and a mother who hated her!

Emma saw the auras of people, but did not believe in magic and such like her mother did. She thought her mother was a dreamer and needed to wake up to reality. Emma could see her grandfather's dark aura, knew he did not have long, and therefore did not want to get to know him. She did not want to care for someone who was about to die, no matter how lovable he was. He was too much like Savannah.

Doug Dawson knew he was dying. He was in a hurry to finish his perfect garden before it happened though. He hired Jake Grey to build the perfect bench for it. Jake was thought of (by many) as a crazy man with even crazier dogs. Even Jake believed it! But one thing drove him even crazier, the thought of Savannah.

*** There is SO much that I am not telling. I got lost, not only in the lives of Savannah and Jake, but also in the lives of Emma and Eli, and Doug and Maggie. Then all of them must interchange to help each other pull through and learn hard lessons.

Author, Christy Yorke, had me shaking my head at Savannah's outlook on life, then at Emma's acting out for attention. I then found myself hopeful for Savannah, pulling for Jake, and weeping at the most tender of scenes. I cannot tell you what a marvel I believe this author to be! Highly recommended reading!

I stumbled upon Ms. Yorke's first book, "Magic Spells", in the library and picked it up merely because a blurb on the cover compared her writing to Alice Hoffman's. Well, Ms. Yorke has got Hoffman beat by a country mile! Her writing is fresh, passionate, sensitive and poignant. I enjoyed every page of this story, which is ultimately about mothers and daughters, and read it again when I got to the end, that's how good the story was. I'm looking forward to her next book with great anticipation.

Savannah Dawson worked in an advertising agency and had a rebellious fifteen, going-on-thirty, year old daughter named Emma. Savannah also told fortunes. It was a gift she had always possessed. So was her optimistic outlook on life. If an awful card turned up on a customer, like the card that predicts a loss, then Savannah would smile and tell the customer that she would probably only the ten extra pounds she had been exercising to get rid of in the first place. But when the cards showed Savannah bad news, she just knew it really was bad news. Her father was dying. So off she went to Arizona to be with him and a mother who hated her!

Emma saw the auras of people, but did not believe in magic and such like her mother did. She thought her mother was a dreamer and needed to wake up to reality. Emma could see her grandfather's dark aura, knew he did not have long, and therefore did not want to get to know him. She did not want to care for someone who was about to die, no matter how lovable he was. He was too much like Savannah.

Doug Dawson knew he was dying. He was in a hurry to finish his perfect garden before it happened though. He hired Jake Grey to build the perfect bench for it. Jake was thought of (by many) as a crazy man with even crazier dogs. Even Jake believed it! But one thing drove him even crazier, the thought of Savannah.

*** There is SO much that I am not telling. I got lost, not only in the lives of Savannah and Jake, but also in the lives of Emma and Eli, and Doug and Maggie. Then all of them must interchange to help each other pull through and learn hard lessons.

Author, Christy Yorke, had me shaking my head at Savannah's outlook on life, then at Emma's acting out for attention. I then found myself hopeful for Savannah, pulling for Jake, and weeping at the most tender of scenes. I cannot tell you what a marvel I believe this author to be! Highly recommended reading!

ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA by John Annerino [is] one of my bibles

I found John Annerino's ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA a great source of information.

Of all the general guidebooks I know on the Arizona outdoors, the best for hard-won information is John Annerino's ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA. A longtime resident of Prescott and Tucson, Annerino has been tooling about on the state's dirt roads and hiking trails for a couple of decades now, and he's covered a huge swath of territory firsthand. He takes in well-known destinations, from the Grand Canyon to South Mountain, but, more to the point here, he offers mile-by-mile instructions for more remote places like the Superstition Mountains and the Lechuguilla Desert. One of the treks he proposes, not for the faint of heart or easily sun-stroked, retraces Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino's route across southern Arizona's Camino del Diablo - a fitting name meaning "Devil's Highway," a route that comes the closest Arizona has to compete with Death Valley for sheer hellishness. Water is nearly non-existent along the route, and those attempting it should bring along at least four gallons per person per day, a luxury Kino could not enjoy. Many available guidebooks uncritically repeat long-obsolete information on the location of the Camino's few watering holes. Annerino went out to the place himself - in summer, no less - to map them on foot, an act that may well save a few lives some day. -New Times

There has never been a dragon like Madam Yang, and I can't believe there ever will be again. Such verve, such attitude, such sense of humor (even when she's overdosed on toasted marshmellows!) She has to be the most believable and likeable dragon in storytelling history.

There's more going on in this book, too. Rick, who has lost his dad, has to move from San Diego to Tucson, Arizona, and make a place for himself in the desert. This is a book that honors those tough transitions, and recognizes that a little bit of magic makes them easier. Bedtime reading or car trips, this is a don't-miss. Five Stars!

We took this book on a long car trip and took turns reading it aloud to the kids. I wish it had been a book on tape, because we couldn't put it down. We even read it in restaurants. Way wacky and zany, it is laugh out loud funny. That dragon -- Madam Yang -- sure is hot stuff!

This book is a winner. The author captures the real-life worries and joys of her young hero, and authentically portrays the scene in Tucson, Arizona. Like the runaway best sellers in the Harry Potter series, this book puts imaginative adventure in a totally believeable context. Young readers, like my grandchildren, are going to want to read more about Rick and his adventures.

I hope the Sedona Chamber of Commerce is ready. "A Window on Sedona" just might spark a huge new influx of would-be Red Rock country residents, not to mention tourists. The photography alone in this book is worth the cover price. The information it contains is a wonderful bonus. A great gift for anyone who has ever visited this beautiful portion of Arizona, or who plans to visit in the future.

The authors reveal a unique understanding of living in the red rocks. With the book's exquisite photography of the panoramic views and intimate dwelliing places, coupled with the descriptions of the private lifesytles of locals, I found myself absorbed in both time and place - remembering and longing to return. It is truly a book that will remain on my coffee table.

Reading the book brought back fond memories of a family reunion held in Sedona. It's a fun book that brings the beauty and warmth of Sedona to the reader in any part of the country. The recipes are great! I recommend it to anyone who is interested in visiting Sedona or who just wants to relax and enjoy Sedona in daydreams.

Just got back from Arizona- and we used this book extensively as it was easy to read, the maps accurate, and the book is quite entertaining. My 6 year old son stated that the Lava River Cave trail "changed his life" (in a good way). The trail trips turned out to be the highlight of our trip!! The authors advise is excellent and the designation of level of difficulty is on target.

This is it...look no further...

Trail maps and information as well as local business area beta....covers all the well-known hikes and even some of the lesser known...

A must hiking guide for Northern Arizona.

Both Sedona and Flagstaff are covered....the book is stout and put together very well; this sturdiness provides needed protection in your pack!!

As a transplanted Montanan, I don't trust much advice on hiking in Arizona. I thank you for the Favorite Hikes book. I used to hike in the Glacier and Bozeman area but have been out of the action for a few years since moving to Flagstaff and having a baby. I have found this guide to be accurate and reliable when planning hikes with my son and/or dog. Thanks again. Buying this book is the best 10 bucks I ever spent.

This book is one of the funniest ever! Years ago, when I drove my latency-aged children across country, we had the book in the car, and to avoid sibling conflict on the long road trip, I had my daughter read it aloud. It's one of my most treasured memories. It has everything: Treasure, bad guys, good guys (Indians), clever kids who win the day. The publisher needs to get its head examined for not keeping it in print.

Arizona Slim tells the story as if he's chatting to you, and the misspellings help a lot. While reading you feel like you're in the book, with him. All the characters make you seem very close to them, and they are hilarios in their ways, language and actions. Their names are enough! For people who dont like long, slow moving book this is the one. Fast moving, interesting, original and above all funny. The book has a quality that you can't describe, it's so good. Really, whoever you are, you MUST read it.

As with the other two people who have reviewed this book, I was introduced to it by my father. I very much enjoyed listening to this story. In the 20 years since, I have read this book several times - my copy is now ragged! I have also enjoyed reading this book to young people while working as a day care provider. There is enough mischief and mayhem, enough sneaky twists, and enough action to keep your attention. The language is, at times, poetic, at other times just plain funny. It is truly a crime that this book is not in print. I want to send a copy to my eleven year old half-sister, but don't want to give mine up!

The text for the descriptions of the hikes is fantastic. The directions are generally good, although the directions to a lot of the Sabino Canyon hikes is a little lacking.

What really irritates me about this book is the trail profiles. For example, the Agua Caliente trail profile begins at an elevation of 5420'. It ends at 5420'. It goes up in the middle, but it is nearly impossible to tell how far -- there are no other elevation marks besides the first and last. This pattern is repeated on a number of different profiles, and is the only thing that prevents me from giving 5 stars.

Those familiar with reading topo maps may be able to decipher altitudes, but for the rest of us the profiles are useless on many hikes.

Now in a thoroughly updated second edition, Tucson Hiking Guide by experienced Tucson hiker Betty Leavengood offers thirty-four hikes grouped by mountain range, and ranked from easy to difficult. Most of these journies past superb scenic mountain vistas are only a short drive from downtown Tucson. Maps, photos, elevation/distance profiles, trail access information, historical notes, personal anecdotes, and much, much more fill this solid and thorough guide from cover to cover enabling anyone to see and experience the natural splendor of the Tucson area on foot.

Each trail has a profile, topo map, and other trail data including distance and difficulty. Descriptions are complete and very well done. There is a good balance of trails surrounding Tucson. Honestly though... research is outstanding! Trail history digs deep to find out how the trail names came about. Information on the Pontatoc Trail name set my mind at ease having grown up in Oklahoma. Several trails sparked my interest having seen little information previously in print. Highly recommended for all and a must have for Tucson residents - joe bartels Webmaster - HikeArizona.COM

Lamberton's book, a literary work indeed! I am fishing for a word to describe it and the emotion it conveyed to me, but I cannot find a good word. It is a book filled with beauty and brokenness, arrogance and repentance, reel love and real love. It really is a story of the human condition, trying to walk a ridge line and not falling into the abyss. Some of us fall into the abyss due to our own stupidity and get caught up in all kinds of trouble for violating some cultural rules scripted as law. (Had Ken been in Kenya among the Luo people, the age of 14 is just right for marrying and he could have had as many wives as he could afford.) Others fall into the abyss due to illness which can be equally devastating. Still others would rather take their life on the ridge line before falling.

When someone takes a serous fall and survives it may take years for them to recover and all too often those who witness the fall are not there at the time of recovery. Karen, Ken's wife, was always there. An impressive part of this book is the story of a remarkable wife with her three children, committed to an intellegent man. She believed her love would return and again light up her life!

My sister who lives in Arizona heard about Ken's book in the newspaper and after reading it, she was certain that I would like it as well.

She was right. I read the book in several sittings. One of the reasons that it meant so much to me was because about 20 years ago, I took a 28 day survival class for one of my college credits. The experience took place in the southern desert of Utah. I learned to love and appreciate the desert. Ken has the words and the artistry to describe many of the things that I felt and experienced from participating in that Wilderness.

I also have a fascination for the prison system and how it changes a person's life. As Ken pointed out, prison certainly cannot be defined as rehabilitation. I like how he described the issue of doing time and how it weighed so heavily on his soul. He used his education and knowledge of the environment to lighten the burden of being in prison for 12 years. It was his escape and through his words he allowed us to escape with him.

My sister who lives in Arizona told me about this book after reading about it in the newspaper. She knew I had gained a great appreciation for the Desert after completing a 28 day survival trip in the southern desert of Utah about 20 years ago. Ken's book allowed me to regain some of the senses and feelings that I experienced while living in a world that has such a lack of appreciation. He certainly has an artistry for words that captured many of the experiences and emotions that were mine during those 28 days. I also have a fascination for the penal system and the affect that it has on a person. Ken validated how it is definitely not a place for rehabilitation but a place where time weighs on a person so heavily. I liked very much how he combined the Wilderness of the desert with the prison experience. It was an excellent book and I read it start to finish in one sitting.