I read Dellenbaugh's reprinted "Canyon Voyage" (the much abbreviated title) as a young man in the flatlands of western Kansas in the 1960's. The romance of the period of Dellenbaugh's youth, and the Powell Expeditions in particular (1869-72), stimulated in me an ongoing interest in the history of the region. I have read the edited and published diaries of most of the participants of the two expeditions, and continue to invest in an array of scholarly and coffee table books that even remotely address the subject. My annual crossings of the Colorado and Dirty Devil rivers to pursue research interests in southeastern Utah never fail to regenerate my own wish to have participated in such an epic adventure. Thus, when I saw the notice of publication of Maurer's book about Dellenbaugh on the second Powell expedition, with the expression in the title "the true adventures," I was expecting something on the order of D.D. Fowler's book about Jack Hiller's, another expedition participant. That is, a pretty serious biography of the man and a pretty faithful reproduction of the daily diary kept during his time in the field. Well, it might be the former, but it is certainly not the latter. Unlike the other expeditioners who kept diaries, Dellenbaugh's original diary has never been published. Perhaps this is because his 1908 "Canyon Voyage" was a timeline-based (albeit compressed) narrative and researchers may have believed there was nothing more of value in the original diary. While Maurer read the diaries of all the participants, including Dellenbaugh's, as well as Dellenbaugh's "Canyon Voyage" and the earlier "Romance of the Colorado River," Maurer's timeline is even more compressed than Dellenbaugh's. Consequently the book lacks the rich detail of Dellenbaugh's diary and earlier publications. For example, unlike the present book, the consecutive daily diary entries of "Looked for the Major today but of course he did not come; carried the rations over," "Looked for the Major again," and "Still waiting,"conveys a real sense of frustration at being in the same camp, on the bank of the Colorado, day after day, laying up under a boat to avoid the oppressive August heat, with nothing to do, waiting for the Major and Prof to come in so the party can continue the trip down the river through the Grand Canyon. Maurer acknowledged that in the writing of the book he "sometimes resorted to the methods of historical fiction to flesh out some of the stories" and that "footnotes would be out of place in a book like this." Thus despite having the best possible materials at hand from which to draw, this book was never intended as a scholarly work. In that context, the writing was a success. Maurer did locate some great historical photographs and drawings not published elsewhere, and that alone is an important contribution. More than that, though, the book was a really entertaining read. I can well imagine some person, like me once, never having heard of either Powell or Dellenbaugh, picking up the book and just marveling at what they did. And, interest aroused, they have an avocation.

Richard Maurer's new book chronicles Powell's second expedition through the eyes, words, and illustrations of Fred Dellenbaugh - a 17-year-old boy from Buffalo, NY who, along with some rowing experience on the turbulent Niagara River and a facility for drawing, had the gumption to make his dream come true. This story is very well written and quite compelling and will appeal to those who love adventure stories set in the Old West. The photographs and illustrations are remarkable. My hats off to the author!

I have read this book hundreds of times. My daughter fell in love with it and we had to read it every night before she went to bed. It was our ritual, one of our many bonds. I highly recommend this book to any parent for their child. Of all the books I read to her, this is the one I will never forget.

A great book. I bout it cause yogi rules. Now so does the colorado river. It is great. I loves it. It is so very interesting. Buy it. Great book, about the colorado river. Peace out, Yogi rules all bears. Picinic basket.

What a good enjoyable book. This is how archaeologists should try to write most of the times. A book on a little known part of MExico, archaeologically, written in plain english. It provides a great overview of the origins and the rise of Zapotec Civilization until the abandonment of its main site at Monte Alban ca 700 AD. It also provides a refreshing new approach called actin theory, viewing history as determined by the actions of real people, not untangible forces of the environment or society. Classic.

I really, really, really liked this book. If I could have given it 6 stars I probably would have! The authors of Zapotec Civilization have covered the field nicely for this small segment of the perhistoric Middle American world and have set it clearly amidst the other contemporary cultures of the region, most notably that at Teotihuacan. Kent Flannery is one of THE names in the field of Middle American anthropology and archaeology and the quality of the volume shows why. I am less knowledgeable about Ms Marcus, although the vita provided by the book itself suggests an impressive intellectual treasure here as well. I enjoyed the volume enough to keep it to read another time. A rare kudo, believe me.

Zarela Martinez is one of my favorite authors of Mexican cookbooks. I have searched at great length to find books of Mexican cooking which are authentic, and not adapted to suit American palates. The cuisine of Veracruz is really varied and due to influences from Mexico, Africa, and the Caribbean. Most of the recipes in this book are not what one would think of as stereotypically Mexican. This makes a great armchair read, but the recipes are delicious, especially the shrimp marinated in beer and cooked with a chipotle chile paste. Out of this world!!!!

What a marvelous cookbook. With worthy introduction of the region of Veracruz and its culinary traditions and their influences, this book not only provides wonderful, unique recipes but accents them with the cultural flavor from which they originate.

The sub-title says what this cookbook is about well: Cooking and Culture in Mexico's Tropical Melting Pot. Also, a great section and the ingredients, their purchase and preparation.

The recipes are just wonderful! Tried the Tostadas with Hashed Crab, Masa-Sweet Potato Shells with Fillings, Santa Maria's Chicken Soup with Noodles, Shredded Chicken in Blackberry Liquor Sauce, Moors and Christians (black beans and white rice).

These are most delightful, easy to prepare and gorgeous and exciting to offer guest diners. This is a great cookbook to add to those who enjoy Latin-Caribbean style cooking. It's all here, with great color photos and well done recipes.

This is a great book that really makes my camping trips. I have children and with this we know weather or not we can do a hike and where they are, a must for the New Mexico Hiker.

From understanding how blood sugars affect overall health to what constitutes appropriate exercise and how to judge the heatlh effects of fast food, 101 Tips For Simplifying Diabetes provides an easy question-and-answer format to answer some of the more common questions posed by diabetics. The format lends to an easier understanding of the condition than most would allow.

A masterful collection of direction know-how. With this book I have travelled the United States from coast-to-coast, never having gotten lost.

A must-have for any glovebox collection!

Places to go, and places to visit in diferents cities (museums, parks, restaurants, etc).

The book is a very good guide to find hotels, car rent, bus stations, and the best, all prices typed.

This is ideal for adventure people who like meet unknown and fantastic places in this country.

Sorry, my english is really not good.

This is a very good road companion. If you travel a lot in US, this could be ideal for you. It has sufficiently detailed maps to make you familiarize with the new place. And the price it comes for is simply a bonus. I did not believe it when I came across it for the first time among other similar Road Atlases. It is certainly a good buy.

The best single resource for driving across the state or across the country. Roads the otherguys haven't even heard of, let alone thought about publishing, are well documented in this Atlas. You won't even think twice about leaving the interstates with this handy tool at your side.

Reviewer not responsible for your added enjoyment of the countryside, or relaxed demeanor at destination.