Author Jim Slingluff has paddled every navigable mile of Arizona's Verde River, plus many of it's tributaries and his expertise really shows through in this book. Slingluff is a die-hard canoeist and this book is full of information specific to canoeists, though it's also a great guidebook for kayakers and rafters.
Slingluff breaks the river down into sections that can be canoed, beginning with the headwaters at Morgan Ranch near Prescott, all the way down to the confluence with Arizona's Salt River, near Phoenix. He also describes every rapid and potential hazard encountered on the river. This information may be dated since the book was last revised in 1996, but it's a great way to get an idea of what you're facing in a trip down the Verde.
I haven't yet made my own trip down the Verde, but when I go, the Verde River Recreation Guide is going with me.

THE VIEW FROM BALD HILL: THIRTY YEARS IN AN ARIZONA GRASSLAND, Carl E. Bock, and Jane H. Bock (University of California Press, Berkeley CA 94720, 196pp.): For about twenty-five years, Drs. Carl and Jane Bock (both of them professors at the University of Colorado) have spent their summers in research at the National Audubon Society's 7,800 acre Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch 60 miles southeast of Tucson. Originally part of the Babocomari Grant, the Research Ranch and the land surrounding it had been heavily grazed by cattle for many years until 1968, when the Appleton family, who owned it at the time, removed the cattle altogether and dedicated the Ranch as an environmental preserve and as a lab for ecological research. The Bocks arrived soon afterward. This very readable book relates what they have learned over the years about an arid grassy region left entirely alone to be its natural self. Their book tells an exciting story about an increasingly rare kind of landscape.

This book is extremely well done with excellent photogrphic images, good field stories, and generally well written. I highly recommend it.

One of the best books on development of the`human diet. Fascinating material for anyone who`ever wondered how people decided (for instance) that cassava, a poisonous plant, could be rendered edible by leaching and cooking. Recently reissued as a paperback, retitled`Origins of Human Diet and Medicine.

This is a fabulous book for any F>L>W> collecter. It has many black and white photos which add a nostalgic feel to the book. This is the first book of many I own about Wright to show the beautiful Gertrude and Rose Pauson House. It burned to the ground. I only wish he'd put more in the book, since he did a story for a magazine about the home. This is a Must Have!!!

I came across this book at Price/Costco, and was attracted by the title. Years ago (and probably, still) Tucson radio station KLPX used to refer to Tucson---the "Old Pueblo"--- as the "Naked Pueblo" instead. I saw the title, and of course, I was intrigued.

I started reading the book and thought I'd pee my pants laughing as I read the first story. I live in Arizona, and with just a few strokes of the brush, Poirier had the essence of the lake and everything else.

After the first story, I thought the book was going to be a broad comedy, but it surprised me. It became intimate character sketches of the people I see every day, clearly drawn. From the dumb cowboy wannabes riding around in their trucks to the scent of the Sonoran Desert, Mark gets it right. I work with these people and have wandered around in their town, and every detail is exact.

I set the book down about 2/3 of the way through it, 'cause I didn't want it to end. I couldn't resist, though, and picked it back up. I was pleased at the way the stories bookended, though.

I went back to Costco and bought another copy, just in case one gets loaned and never returned. This is the first book I've bought 2 copies of since Tim Powers "Anubis Gates."

Mark Jude Poirier has one of the freshest and most distinctive voices I've ever come across. The stories in Naked Pueblo are wickedly funny, exceptionally well-observed and well-written, intelligent, and, without fail, entertaining. As uncompromising as they are, there's a real warmth to them as well, and this warmth emerges in surprising, subtle, and powerful ways. "Cul-de-sacs" and "Tilt-a-Whirl" were my favorites, but every story in this collection is a winner, enjoyable and memorable. It's a rare achievement. I can't wait to see what Mr. Poirier gives us next.

(I came back to order more copies to give to friends, and found that it's no longer available. What gives? It'd be a real shame--and a grave injustice--if this book is allowed to disappear.)

Okay. I don't understand why someone with a nickname like "writergrrrl" would be so easily offended. Maybe her nickname should be "delicategrrrl"--whatever. On to the book: the stories in here are wild, funny, and oddly touching. There's something moving and poignant in each one.

There is high fantasy, such as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, urban fantasy as admirably espoused by authors such as Charles de Lint, and this piece, which might be called rural fantasy. Windling mixes elements of Celtic myth, native American folklore, the rarified worlds of poetry and surrealistic painters with the desert setting of the area surrounding Tucson to create a well crafted work of slightly nebulous otherness, an evocation of the mystical, that will resonate with and absorb the reader.

Maggie Black, journalist and sometime poet, divorced but still somewhat in love with her high-profile musician husband, is the main character. Maggie inherits the property of Pulitzer prize winning poet David Cooper upon his mysterious death by drowning (in the desert!). With the idea of writing Cooper's biography, she goes to his home located in the hills above Tucson. Once there, she is slowly drawn into the rhythm of life in the desert, finding beauty in the landscape and the local people, and gradually finding new interpretations of Cooper's most famous poems collectively known as The Wood Wife. From this prosaic beginning, the story slowly adds elements of the fantastic, as Cooper's inspiration for the poems and his lover's surrealistically painted visions of the creatures that populate the area becomes evident.

Maggie's character is well portrayed, that of a somewhat insecure woman slowly finding her own self worth from behind the smothering light of her former husband, finding her own long-buried poetic voice, finding a way to deal with fantastic events and creatures while remaining a practical cosmopolitan woman of today's world. Cooper himself becomes a distinct voice, as we see many of the letters that he wrote when he first settled in the area and was drawn into the area's ambience. The characters of Johnny Foxxe and some of the magical creatures are not so well defined, in some cases merely sketched in for use as plot enhancers, and could have used some further development work.

The descriptive prose work is excellent - it is easy to get the feeling and mental picture of the area, people, and creatures, while at the same time things are not over-described, allowing the reader to fill in his own mental picture.

The eventual story climax is perhaps slightly disappointing, as it seemed to me to derive too many of its elements from fairly well known folk tales, and certain of those elements were really unnecessary, gratuitously added to fill out the story line. But this is a minor quibble to what is in general a very engrossing story that is quite different from the normal, well told, with a definite poetic air that is far above the typical fantasy work attempts at the evocation of faery. And there is a level of meaning beyond the straightforward story line, a fair amount of both psychology and the symbolic, that is also quite unusual in a fantasy work.

Recommended for anyone looking for something different from the standard everyday fare that fills the book racks to overflowing.

What a magnificent first novel!!!Terri Windling caught me up in the first few pages and I couldn't let go until I had read ALL the pages!Maggie Black is a contemporary woman dealing with life in all itsfacets, as far as she knows. Maggiemoves to the desert to "bio" a fellow poet that she has corresponded with but never met. Hehas gifted her with his property in the Rincon Mtns. of Arizona. Andthere begins a magical, mystical tale of facets of life that few areable to see, of beings of alternaterealities. Through prose, poetry,and painting, Maggie begins to "see" the desert and its beings, as well as her human companions with an expanded consciousness. I foundthis to be a powerful novel. I loved it! I did remember some aspects of the novels by Carlos Castanedas of the magic of the desert. Great Book!!!

This is the first full length novel of Terri Windling's that I've read. For years I've appreciated her seemingly tireless work in bringing us all sorts of fabulous short stories in her various anthologies, and I am not in the least disappointed in her novel. The Wood Wife is beautiful, brilliant, strange and powerful. Anyone who's ever been to Tucson will understand the magic that lives there, and how Windling captured that magic perfectly in her wonderful story. Being a poet myself, I was thrilled at Windling's use of poetry and representation of poets. All in all, an extremely satisfying book, and highly recommended by this die hard fan of Urban Fantasy literature! And congratulations to Terri Windling for receiving the 1997 Mythopoeic Award for this book. Well deserved!!

The Grand Canyon is certainly one of the most beautiful, awe inspiring places on this earth. I have visited the Canyon 7 times. On my most recent trip I purchased this book the day after my friend and I completed our 5th rim to rim (in a day) trek. After reading this marvelous account I now realize how many potentially fatal mistakes we have made through the years.
This book is extremely well written and has many of the qualities of a page turning thriller. The authors are quite knowledgable and bring their passion for the material to the page. Some of the middle chapters lag but all in all it is a very good read.
I will return to the Canyon and enjoy it's awe insiring beauty, and challenge myself on it's demanding trails but I will do so with a healthy sense of caution and respect.

This is a surprisingly long (368+ pages) and delightfully readable compilation and explication of hundreds of deaths within the Grand Canyon. This is a must read for Grand Canyon hikers and river runners, and an interesting read for anyone else who has an interest in understanding how nature can fatally surprise any of us. Through this book you'll discover the specific circumstances of accidental and not-so-accidental death for dozens of individuals and learn, in many instances, ways to avoid similar problems in your own journey to the Canyon. The authors include well-written narrative, easy to read tables and statistics, and lots of references for those bent on further research or reading.

Whether you've already been to the Grand Canyon, are planning to go, or are simply interested in the sometimes deadly impact of this incredible landscape on people I think you'll enjoy this book.

I was at the Grand Canyon North Rim a few weeks ago. Looking for information at the visitor's office, I was cautioned that a hike into the canyon is extremely dangerous and difficult. This was made clear both in the literature and by the person behind the desk. I was skeptical - I mean how tough can hiking be - and wondered if these cautions were dramatic. The night before I was to hike down, I wandered into the gift shop and flipped through this book. Before I could say "help!" I was laying down bucks to take it back to my cabin for a nightly reading experience which ran from incredulity to horror to fear for my own safety. Because of this book, I cautioned my hiking buddy not to wander off the trail, not to pretend to be falling and to avoid the temptation to urinate over the edge of a cliff (sorry ladies, it's a guy thing, and it's gotten a number of us killed). He later admitted that he was, in fact, tempted to do all these things which proves how naturally we invite accidents. Needlesstosay, after hearing about the intense heat and cases of dehydration we packed lots more water. Despite the heat headaches and blisters at the end of the day, it was a fantastic hike that ended with an awesome respect for nature.

This book breaks through the assumption that a national park can be visited with the same indifference to safety as an amusement or theme park. It is written in a surprising straight-forward manner with direct comments on safety. There are discussions about how some deaths could have been avoided, as well as intelligent and professional assessments regarding events surrounding obscure or unwitnessed accidents. Accidents of all manner are organized and discussed: on the rim of the Grand Canyon (picture-taking on the rim can become a nearly fatal activity!), by environmental conditions, by flash floods, on the Colorado river, by aviation, suicide and freak accidents. Each chapter is followed by a list of victims and brief circumstances surrounding their deaths.

There's a lot of history here and several tales of prospectors and frontier adventurers. Some of the stories of more recent accidents are deeply disturbing and demonstrate how much people have suffered. This book serves not only as chronicle of deaths in the Grand Canyon but also as a guide to those who visit and appreciate the enormous power of the place.

Tao of Equus is a book that truly offers new possibilities for our understanding of ourselves as evolving human beings as well as our relationship with and appreciation of horses as intelligent, sensitive, intuitive partners in that evolution. After 15 years of personal and spiritual development, I gained new understanding of my human and spiritual potential and tapped into the power and possiblity of being facilitated on my journey by these amazing four-legged beings. Linda Kohanov has offered us a bridge between human beings and the other species of our planet.

In reading through Linda's book, I became a more compassionate, mature, intuitive human being. As a result, the work I offer to my clients has deepened and become more potent for them, thus creating a positive ripple effect in the world.

If you would like to discover more about yourself and the power and true inner beauty of horses, then The Tao of Equus is for you. Good journeying!

Linda Kohanov writes with honesty and humility. Her willingness to question and interpret her own paranormal experience with some skeptism, invites even the most skeptical reader into her world with credibility and believability.

Linda's research is thorough and facsinating, her story breathtaking. I dare anyone to read this book and not experience a shift within their own consciousness, not only about horses but about their own life.

I am SO glad I paid no attention to the nay-sayer reviews!!

Linda Kohanove pulls together a wide awareness of human psychology, quantuum physics, and Jungian myth to present a deep awareness of not only equine/human interrelations but also human/human and human/world interrelations. From the equine standpoint, she is taking Alois Podhjasky, the Dorrance brothers, Rashid, etc. to a much higher level, can I say a spiritual?, and giving thought behind what Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling teaches in his fantastic Dancing With Horses. No, this is NOT a 'how-to' cook-book, but rather a thought-full and thought provoking tome which can truly expand the mind of those willing to accept the challenge. It is one which I will encourage all readers of our monthly Farm Newsletter to read. It is one which I will stress as vitally important for all those who purchase one of our foals, youngsters or broodstock to read so they can experience these wonderful creatures to their deepest extent.

We've bred AQHA horses for 40 years and I've been active in spiritual healing for over 20 years. I found Ms. Kohanov's concepts to be very familiar, although not articulated in quite the same way within my myself, and bless her for having the courage and foresight to put into print some absolutely cutting-edge, yet ancient, concepts.

Kyle Mills has created an interesting character in Mark Beamon - a suffering, slightly edgy, moral man who refuses to back down, kind of like a pit bull who will protect til the end. The introduction of a cult-like religion was a twist. This book was so well written, planned out, it had you rooting for Mark Beamon (along with a cast of characters that were irritating, frightening and endearing). There were so many surprises and the premise of our privacy being invaded by a group of people with a different agenda was definitely not a far fetched idea.

This was my first Kyle Mills book but not my last...I have already ordered Rising Phoenix. Should have read it first.... The character, Mark Beamon, was believeable, funny,and sincere. The story line was also one that could actually happen (far fetched, but possible). I enjoyed the dialogue that Beamon had with his peers and associates. He kept the action hopping and the conclusion in focus. A surprise ending which was super. Great read (don't start if if you have plans to do anything else for at least 2 days)

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I couldn't put it down and finished in one day. Mr Mills definitely goes on my "favorite authors" list. He is one heck of a writer. I read his other novel "Rising Phoenix" which was also good, but not as good as "Storming Heaven". Get comfortable before you start reading "Storming Heaven", and be warned, you will not be able to put it down. I just loved all the good guys. They all contributed to a wonderful story. Mark Beamon is now another one of my fictional heroes. I can't wait to read "Free Fall". Keep up the good writing Mr Mills.